The Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation has more than 800 funds. Many fit a specific need and are started by individuals based on something meaningful to them. And many of them are larger, overarching funds that are sometimes overlooked by potential donors. FUNDamentals features an important fund for your consideration.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital is known for its success with vascular surgeries. It is dedicated to offering minimally invasive surgical techniques, which are used to treat issues in the veins and arteries in the brain, neck, kidneys and throughout the body. The doctors and surgeons who perform procedures such as vascular and dialysis grafts, carotid angioplasty and stinting also perform more than 250 endovascular repairs annually.
The Heart Care Institute has been involved in FDA trials of several state-of-the-art stent graft devices since 1996; 70 percent of Barnes-Jewish patients are now treated with this technique, and their survival rate is one of the best in the nation. They are one of only 15 medical centers nationwide selected to participate in the NIH-sponsored Carotid Endorectomy Stent Trial.
In 2005 Barnes-Jewish surgeons Luis Sanchez and former Barnes-Jewish surgeon Juan Parodi performed the first surgery in the United States using a new device to reposition vascular stents, which was the first operation Web-casted worldwide.
The Heart Failure Program is one of the most recognized medical centers in the country for developing innovative treatments. Along with the Congestive Heart Failure Center, it offers the most advanced approaches to transplantation and surgery. It is the highest volume program in the region for treating patients with advanced heart failure.
The Heart Transplant Program is known for taking some of the world’s challenging cases with an excellent success record. Since 1985, when the program began, surgeons have performed more than 500 transplants. It is the only hospital in the area performing heart transplants.
The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit assists the largest volume of patients in the area who suffer from heart attacks and severe heart failure.
Barnes-Jewish has pioneered procedures including ablation therapies, valve repair and replacement, and permanent implantation of ventricular assist devices.
The Center for the Treatment of Valvular Heart Disease is engaged in many clinical trials and specializes in valve repair, interventional cardiology and less invasive mitral valve procedures. The center integrates testing and visits to reduce the number of trips to the hospital for patients who require surgery.
In 2008, U.S.News & World Report ranked Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University’s Heart and Heart Surgery Program among the 10 best in the nation.
HITTING CLOSE TO HOME
More than 152,000 Americans who are killed by heart disease or stroke are under the age of 65.
- Heart disease kills more Americans than the next four leading causes of death combined, which are cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents and diabetes.
- Within a year of having a stroke up to a quarter of patients will die.
- More than 4.5 million visits to emergency departments are due to cardiovascular disease.
From the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation's Giving Magazine, Fall 2008