Highlights
Printer FriendlyLetter from the president
Time is that quality of nature which keeps events from happening all at once.
Lately it doesn't seem to be working.
—Anonymous
Time is precious these days. If you’re like me, your first reaction to an illness or accident, especially one that requires a trip to the clinic, is “I don’t have time for this.” Even worse than waiting for care is waiting for better care. Improvements in health care are discovered and tested each day, but the lag time between innovation and adoption in practice is far too long. Park Nicollet Health Services and Park Nicollet Institute are determined to reduce these waits.
Through Lean Production, Park Nicollet is saving patients’ time. In fact, the Lancet cited this wait-reducing philosophy as a leading example of process improvement that benefits patients. For the Institute, the only imperative greater than discovering the value of new treatments and tools is sharing these findings so others can benefit. That’s why we focus on translational research and why our top investigators are also prolific authors and active lecturers in our medical conferences.
With more than 200 active research projects, we are constantly in search of the solutions our patients seek. Institute investigators regularly test treatment options for patients with clinical symptoms that haven’t responded well to usual care. What’s more, many of our studies provide new drugs for patients who have run out of options.
This past year we studied drugs for patients with advanced advanced renal cell, ovarian and metastatic colorectal cancers. We also studied the role of exercise and diet in better management of arthritis, and tested a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease in patients with motor response complications. Some of our patients benefited from a study of toxin type A for migraine to decrease resource utilization and improve quality of life, while others were among the first in the world to experience the convenience of an inhaled insulin treatment—the first new insulin delivery innovation in diabetes management in the past 80 years.
In 2005, more than 50 Park Nicollet authors published research findings in national and international peer-reviewed journals, adding to science and knowledge for the benefit of those we serve. I encourage you to visit www.parknicolletinstitute.org to see the subjects of the 64 articles published last year.
Almost 100 Park Nicollet physicians served as faculty for 17 major Institute-sponsored continuing medical education conferences last year. Our faculty consistently receives participant feedback like “That was the best talk I’ve heard on the subject,” or “Your talk offered clinical pearls I can use in my practice right away.”
It’s no wonder we’re in a hurry at Park Nicollet Institute to share what we’re learning. Time waits for no one. Neither should the diffusion of innovation.
Paul E. Terry, PhD
President and Chief Executive Officer
Park Nicollet Institute
