In the News Archive

The St. Louis region has experienced a sharp uptick in flu cases in recent weeks, according to Washington University physicians at Barnes-Jewish Hospital who say they are dealing with a severe flu outbreak that includes deaths from the illness. The deaths primarily were of otherwise healthy young and middle-aged adults not vaccinated against influenza, according to the physicians.

A 33-year-old man from Leasburg, Mo., is the first patient to receive a revolutionary form of highly accurate radiation treatment from the world’s first proton system of its kind. The treatment was administered today at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Heart specialists at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart & Vascular Center were the first in Missouri to implant a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) into a patient during a procedure that took place on Friday, Nov. 29. Unlike the traditional ICD used to help treat arrhythmias such as tachycardia, the S-ICD does not place wires inside the heart or blood vessels.

The Washington University and Barnes-Jewish lung transplant program recently reached another milestone when surgeons performed the 1,300th adult lung transplant. The lung transplant program is one of the largest in the world and renowned for its excellent patient outcomes, which equal or surpass national standards.

Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College was recently presented with the “Best School of Nursing for Men” award by the American Assembly for Men in Nursing.

An innovative program implemented three years ago at Barnes-Jewish Hospital is helping prevent bedside nurses from leaving direct patient care due to a condition known as “compassion fatigue.” Among the employees surveyed after attending a course designed at combating compassion fatigue, high risk for burnout was cut in half and high risk for secondary trauma dropped by a third.

A device approved today by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to treat leaky mitral valves was first used in this region as part of a clinical trial at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart & Vascular Center. This new non-surgical alternative for mitral valve repair, which involves using a small clip, offers hope to the more than four million Americans with leaky mitral valves.

The Washington University and Barnes-Jewish kidney transplant program has long been a national leader in transplantation. Now, one of the largest and most experienced kidney transplant programs in the United States is celebrating a major milestone—50 years of changing lives.

For the eighth consecutive year, Barnes-Jewish Hospital will provide free seasonal flu shots to the St. Louis community. It is highly recommended that everyone receive the seasonal flu vaccine each year to protect against the flu, or influenza

Barnes-Jewish Hospital was recently honored by the American Heart Association (AHA) with two prestigious awards: the 2012-2013 “Mission: Lifeline Gold Award” and the “Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke” Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award.