To improve the safety of blood transfusion therapy, blood donors will be tested for the presence of antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease, effective Jan. 29, 2007.

(Pictured at right) Trypanosoma cruzi

Medical Staff Committee Assignments Finalized

New Medical Staff Committee assignments have been made. These assignments are effective for an 18-month period (through June 2008) to facilitate the change to a fiscal year versus calendar year.

Allergy Documentation in Web/VS

Inaccurate allergy documentation can lead to inappropriate use of certain antimicrobials and other drugs such as opiates.

The large volume of multi-disciplinary feedback collected during January's "Future State" sessions is providing important insight that will help define Cedars-Sinai's clinical care environment in the next five-to-10 years.

More than 1,100 comments from 268 individuals who participated -- a large proportion of whom were physicians -- were collected during this first step in a three-phase process to select a proven clinical information technology system.

Patients on Plavix® are at increased risk for bleeding if they require surgical procedures, and recent literature suggests that many of these patients do not require Plavix therapy at all. A Task Force comprised of physician representatives from the departments of Anesthesia, Surgery, Cardiology, Emergency Medicine and Pathology, along with colleagues in Pharmacy and Nursing, has developed guidelines for Plavix therapy.

A memorial service for Howard J. Weinberger, M.D., will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Cedars-Sinai chapel on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Cedars-Sinai has been working on two medication-related processes with similar names but different focuses and processes: Heart Failure Discharge Medication Instructions and Medication Reconciliation. To minimize confusion between the two processes, following is a detailed explanation of the two initiatives and processes.

Stem Cells Cultured from Bone Marrow Behave Like Those from Brain Tissue

Stem cells taken from adult human bone marrow have been manipulated by scientists at the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai to generate aggregates of cells called spheres that are similar to those derived from neural stem cells of the brain.

Author Lecture by Leo Gordon, M.D. -- Feb. 7

Benefit Concert for WCRI -- Feb. 22

Women's Health Conference -- March 16

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