HJAR Jan/Feb 2020

62 JAN / FEB 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR), a network of 19 sites with expertise in the disorder. Pesek is also medical director of the Allergy and Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders Clinic at ACH, which has treated nearly 500 children from Arkansas and surrounding states with the disor- ders since opening in 2012. “Because this is a rare disease, research that benefits these patients is challenging to orches- trate, and it’s the only way we can learn more about how to help them,” Pesek said. “Joining a network of this scope truly connects patients to each other and improves their care.” Children will be able to participate in clinical tri- als that haven’t previously been available to them through the consortium. The grant will also focus on training the next generation of clinicians and researchers studying EGIDs. The consortium will collaborate closely with patient advocacy groups, including the American Partnership for Eosino- philic Disorders (APFED), the Campaign Urg- ing Research for Eosinophilic Disease (CURED), and the Eosinophilic Family Coalition (EFC), to address the clinical problems of most importance to patients and their families. Eosinophilic disorders are chronic inflammatory disorders. These conditions are thought to be trig- gered by allergic hypersensitivity to certain foods and an over-accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract of white blood cells called eosinophils (part of the body’s immune system). Eosinophilic disorders can cause a variety of gastrointestinal complaints, including reflux-like symptoms, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, tis- sue scarring, fibrosis, the formation of strictures, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and failure to grow in childhood. When inflammation is in the esopha- gus, the condition is known as eosinophilic esoph- agitis. When it is in the stomach, the condition is called eosinophilic gastritis. When it is in the stomach and the esophagus and/or intestines, it is called eosinophilic gastroenteritis. When it is in the colon, it is known as eosinophilic coli- tis. With the previous grant, researchers studied inflammation in the esophagus, stomach, and colon. The new grant will allow the researchers on these three conditions in addition to eosino- philic gastroenteritis. Other participating sites include Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Rady Children’s Hospital, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Northwestern University, the National Institutes of Health, Tufts Medical Cen- ter, University of North Carolina, Children’s Hos- pital of Philadelphia, Baylor College of Medicine/ Texas Children’s Hospital, Icahn School of Medi- cine at Mount Sinai, Mayo Clinic, University of Cali- fornia, University of Colorado at Denver, University of Illinois, University of Pennsylvania, University of Utah, and Bern University Switzerland. NewMercy Tower Nearly Doubles Hospital Footprint Mercy’s new hospital tower includes enhanced cardiac services, an expanded neonatal intensive care unit, and additional hospital beds. Mercy invested $141 million in the seven- story tower as part of a $277 million expansion announced in April 2016 that also included Mercy Springdale, a multispecialty clinic with a 24-hour ER, and six other new clinics. Visitors to the 279,000-square foot addition on the hospital’s west side will enter through the new 9,500-square foot gallery space. Some important features of the new tower include: • The McMillon Family Heart Unit, featuring 36 inpatient beds, state-of-the-art nurses’ sta- tions, family consultation rooms, friends and family waiting areas, children’s playroom, and conference room. • Expanded neonatal intensive care unit with 13 private rooms, including two special- ized rooms for families welcoming multiple children. • Expanded pediatric unit totaling 14 pedi- atric beds that will enable Mercy to double the number of children served annually from 1,000 to more than 2,000. • Phase 1 addition of nearly 70 hospital beds with a future build out on shelled out floors totaling 140 beds. • Endoscopy suite with three gastrointestinal procedure rooms and room for expansion • Hybrid operating room that enables advanced heart procedures. • New equipment, including a GE Revolu- tion computed tomography (CT) scanner for advanced imaging, especially in cardiology and neurology. • Expansion of numerous support services including space for pharmacy, laboratory, cen- tral sterile facilities, materials management, patient registration, and café. “It’s wonderful to be with you today in this beau- tiful space as we celebrate the past, present and future of care with the Sisters of Mercy,” said hos- pital President Eric Pianalto and the tower dedi- cation. “We bless this space and the caregivers who work within it because we believe they are truly an extension of the healing hand of Jesus going back to Catherine McAuley’s founding of our ministry in 1831.” “One of our favorite quotations of Catherine’s is to be good today but better tomorrow,” Pianalto said. “We take her advice to heart today, tomor- row, and the day after that. We strive to be con- tinually better in the memory of our foundress and the sisters who carried on her vision.” Evidence of Mercy’s dedication to continuous improvement includes recent recognitions. Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas was among three Mercy hospitals to be named a Top 100 Hospi- tal nationally by IBM Watson Health. In addition, The Leapfrog Group announced that Mercy Hos- pital Northwest Arkansas was among just four hos- pitals in the state to receive an A grade in the group’s evaluation of safety as measured by out- comes such as preventing medical errors, infec- tions, and other patient harm. Special guests making remarks at the blessing included U.S. Sen. John Boozman, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Rogers Mayor Greg Hines, and Monsignor David LeSieur of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers. Hines said that in his work regarding economic development, employers looking at the area emphasize the need for a focus on quality of life issues, including excellent healthcare services. “How fortunate we are that Mercy has the faith in Northwest Arkansas to make such a big com- mitment,” he said. Mercy leaders acknowledged donors to Mercy Health Foundation’s Opening Doors capital cam- paign, who have contributed $20 million to date to the tower and clinic projects. “We’re so grateful to all of our donors for their generosity in helping us open doors for a com- munity in need of greater access to care,” said Clark Ellison, vice president of Mercy Health