Fall 2009

Features

The Gift of Life

When Brandon Beal got the call that new lungs were available for him, his mother had just finished chemotherapy for breast cancer and was getting ready to start her radiation treatments. “That had to be put on hold,” says Margie Beal. “We’d been waiting since October for that call, and we had to be there.” She and Brandon came to Barnes-Jewish Hospital soon after, where she quickly discovered that the experienced transplant support team at the hospital cared for the whole family.

Mix And Match

What happens when your friend wants to donate a kidney to you, but you are not a match; or different hospitals have patients who need kidneys without matches? The answer is a highly successful coordination and swapping of kidneys that delivers compatible kidneys to the people who need them. Key to a kidney swap success is starting with someone willing to donate a kidney, be it to a family member, friend or complete stranger.

Explore Transplant

It’s easy to assume every dialysis patient has his name on the kidney transplant list. After all, dialysis can require as much as 20 hours a week, interfering with everyday life and putting limits on travel and other routine activities many of us take for granted. Even so, the decision to pursue a transplant is far from easy—especially for patients who are already overwhelmed and often under the weather. An innovative new program aims to provide the support and encouragement they need while they explore the possibility of a life-changing transplant.

News/FYI

Digestive Services Expand in West County
Pancreatic Cancer Screenings for High-Risk Patients
Patients Have Easier Access to Clinical Trials
BJC Creates Leadership Position to Prepare for Health Care Reform

Also In this Issue

A Letter From Richard Liekweg

Breakthroughs
A look at three of the latest technological advances being used at Barnes-Jewish Hospital: Mammography, Radiofrequency Ablation and Fractal Laser treatment.

Excellent Outcomes
Q&A with a liver transplant patient and physician.

Leading the Pack
Views from the Komen Race.