Health

HEALTH • Spring 2015 5 MARLBOROUGH — Sunovion Pharmaceuticals of Marlborough announced the start of a Phase 3 clinical trial program for SUN-101, an inhalation solution being investi- gated for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The solution is delivered through the company's investiga- tional eFlow nebulizer system, and is being evaluated as a twice-daily maintenance treatment for patients suffering from bronchoconstriction due to COPD. The SUN-101/eFlow Phase 3 clinical trial program includes three studies currently enrolling about 2,340 adults with moderate to severe COPD. WORCESTER — Registered nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital have rati- fied a new three-year contract, end- ing more than a year of contract talks, the nurses' union announced Feb. 23. The pact includes improve- ments to nurse staffing levels, which will lower nurse patient assignments and improve patient care, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Nurses Association. The contract will also lower the cost of health benefits for most part-time nurses while providing a modest pay hike for all nurses, the union said. The union includes more than 700 nurses. The nurses also won better cost sharing on health insurance for most part-time nurses, according to the union. WORCESTER — Fallon Health of Worcester has expanded the long- term-care program in Western New York it offers in conjunction with a residential community there. Fallon Health Weinberg in Amherst, N.Y., said it is accepting eligible individu- als in Buffalo County in addition to Erie County. The program is open to people 21 and older who require care for more than 120 days and who are eligible for Medicaid. Fallon Health and Weinberg Campus, both nonprofits, began their joint venture last fall. Fallon Health Weinberg MLTC (Managed Long Term Care) was formerly known as the Total Aging in Place Program (TAIPP). WESTBOROUGH — United Medical Systems of Westborough and its parent firm have acquired a privately held lithotripsy company that provides services to kidney patients in Texas and Oklahoma, according to a statement from United. United, which specializes in transportable medical services, announced the acquisition of Litho of America, which provides services related to the treatment of kidney stones and benign prostatic hyper- plasia to more than 40 hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers in the two southwestern states. The price of the deal was not disclosed. Litho of America is based in Oklahoma City. United is owned by New State Capital Partners, a private invest- ment firm based in New York City. WORCESTER — UMass Medical School in Worcester will collaborate with Lysogene, a French biotechnol- ogy company, and Auburn University in Alabama, to develop preclinical studies of a rare disorder that causes neurological impairment, Lysogene announced. The two uni- versities will use gene therapy tech- nology to develop studies of GM1- gangliosidosis, an inherited disorder that causes severe neurological impairment. The collaboration will combine Lysogene's clinical expertise in gene therapy with the preclinical expertise and infrastructure of UMMS and Auburn University, according to a statement. WORCESTER — Personal informa- tion for as many as 14,000 patients of UMass Memorial Health Care's outpatient practices may have been compromised last year, the health care system said. UMass Memorial said it was notifying potentially affected patients. In a statement, UMass Memorial (UMMHC) said it learned of the potential breach with- in its UMass Memorial Medical Group unit in April 2014. It "imme- diately" launched an investigation and reported it to law enforcement. UMMHC said law enforcement investigators required withholding notification of patients during their probe. WORCESTER — Researchers at University of Massachusetts Medical School and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, helped by a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, are developing a smartphone app that will help users better understand why they overeat. The three-year project, called RELAX, will enable patients to track their daily eating using a smart- phone and a web-based tool clini- cians can use to access patient infor- mation to help inform their treat- ment, according to a statement released by both institutions. Using text inputs, barcode scanning, and GPS technology, the app will track eating patterns, daily activities, exer- cise, patient mood and stress-induc- ing events. WEBSTER — The new Remillard Family Emergency Department officially opened its doors at the Webster campus of Harrington HealthCare. The $8.8-million facility at 340 Thompson Road marks the first significant renovation to the emergency department in more than 30 years, a statement from Harrington HealthCare System said. The project was made possible large- ly in part by Arthur Remillard Jr. and the Remillard Family Foundation, who pledged a $4-mil- lion matching gift in early 2012. WORCESTER — Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester are wondering if studies of a lowly worm can help us understand how to better maintain health as we age. Findings on the genetically altered nematode species C. elegans showed that, compared with typical nema- todes, the long-lived mutant worms spend a greater portion of their life in a frail state and exhibit less activi- ty. The research, published in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," suggests that genes that extend lifespan won't nec- essarily improve health in advanced age, and points to the need to mea- sure health as part of aging studies, a news release from the school said. FRAMINGHAM — Vision care ser- vices are now available at the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center (Kennedy CHC) on Union Street in downtown Framingham, the health center announced. In partnership with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in Worcester, Kennedy CHC has opened an optometry practice at the site. Students and teachers associated with MCPHS's doctoral program in optometry will now be available in Framingham to see Kennedy CHC patients. WORCESTER — The chief execu- tive of Reliant Medical Group stepped down to pursue other opportunities, the Worcester-based organization announced. A state- ment from Reliant said Dr. Armin Ernst will look for new work in his medical specialty, pulmonology, after staying on as a consultant through February. Dr. Leon Josephs, chairman of Reliant's board, will take over as interim CEO, the statement said. He has been with the group for 14 years as its chief of general and vascular surgery. He will retain his role as board chairman. WORCESTER — Two teams of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute recently received Rapid Response Research awards from the National Science Foundation to develop technologies to help protect workers caring for patients with Ebola and other infec- tious diseases. The first award of $200,000 will fund the development of a new type of "smart" mobile treatment tent, while the second award of $75,000 will aid those working directly with patients, WPI said in a statement. The treatment tent will incorporate a host of smart technologies to improve the delivery of care — and decrease the risk of contamination — for patients and clinicians. WORCESTER — Reliant Medical Group has added another Worcester practice to its group, adding another 6,000 patients who will be served by the organization, Reliant announced. The Adult Medicine Physicians LLC practice of Drs. Ronald Pantano and Kern Bayard will continue to pro- vide services at its 385 Grove St. location. The new patients will increase the number of total patients served by Reliant to more than 325,000. WORCESTER — Local veterans' advocates and health care leaders are waiting for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to sign off on a proposed joint venture between the regional VA health care system and UMass Medical School that would expand health care for area veterans and strengthen ties between { Health Care Briefs } Continued on Page 6

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