LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1996 7B
KU EDITION
RENÉE KNOEBER/JOURNAL-WORLD PHOTO
Dick Swindler, of Lawrence, is undergoing treatment for Parkinson's disease at Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.
Researchers seek Parkinson's cure
KU researchers offer relief to a Lawrence High School math teacher now battling Parkinson's disease.
A year ago, Dick Swindler's hands shook and there was nothing, including the latest Parkinson's disease medications, that could stop them.
BY ANDREW E. NACHISON JOURNAL-WORLD WRITER
Now, following two operations at the Kansas University Medical Center, his hands are mostly still, offering hope not only for himself but for others with the debilitating neurological disorder.
In the past year Swindler became the third person in the United States to have an experimental device implanted in his brain to reduce some of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease
Results so far are promising.
"I responded to it quite well," said Swindler, 51, a former math teacher at Lawrence High School.
Parkinson's is still a mystery to doctors, and Swindler's two
operations at the medical center were by no means a cure. But the procedure, called pallidal stimulation, has offered immense relief.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted KUMC researchers permission to treat five patients using the new technique, which had previously been used in Europe.
In 1995, the medical center received $41.1 million in research grants, including about $28 million from the federal government through agencies such as the National Institutes of Health.
It was one of numerous research programs conducted at the KU Medical Center in the last year.
That included $1.5 million to the Cancer Information Service, which provides educational material about cancer and operates a cancer information hot line. (1-800-4-CANCER).
A program that coordinates social and medical services for needy families in Wyandotte
The experimental Parkinson's surgery was among the more dramatic programs because it provided immediate, obvious relief from a debilitating condition. ABC's "20-20" featured a segment on the surgery.
County, called Project Eagle brought in $1.1 million in grants.
Other major research programs focused on reproductive biology, cancer, neuroscience, kidney diseases, AIDS and molecular genetics.
The experimental Parkinson's surgery was among the more dramatic programs because it provided immediate, obvious relief from a debilitating condition. ABC's "20-20" featured a segment on the surgery.
"Our research program is growing at an outstanding rate," said Dr. Donald Hagen, the medical center's executive vice chancellor.
In the new experimental Parkinson's surgery, an electrode is implanted into the globus pal-
lidus region of the brain. A battery-operated device that controls the electrode is implanted under the skin just below the collar bone. When activated, the electrode stimulates the brain tissue, in effect resetting circuitry damaged by Parkinson's so that the correct movement messages get through.
Initially an electrode was implanted in the left side of Swindler's brain, relieving tremors and facial stiffness on his right side. A second operation in February reduced the symptoms on his left side.
"It allows me to control the tremor," Swindler said. "I had a pretty bad tremor in my left side. The second operation essentially eliminated the tremor."
Hilltop awaits expansion
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Pisani said the widespread reputation of Hilltop's child care program comes from the center's basic philosophy.
child is three months old," said Hilltop director Pat Pisani. "I do have people who want to apply even before their children are born. People really want their child to be at Hilltop."
"We emphasize what we call developmentally appropriate education," Pisani said. "It's not day care and in fact, if you say day care around here, you'll see shoulders go up. They're learning from the moment they come in here every day."
In addition to providing an educational-based child care program for children, Hilltop is also a child development research and training center.
Hilltop employs 20 full-time staff members and 30 to 35 KU students employed part time.
Although Hilltop has a rather long waiting list for all-day child programs, Pisani said there are currently some half-day program openings in community schools.
Hilltop also will be providing before- and after-school programs this year at Sunflower and Centennial schools.
Pisani said she hopes that members of the Board of Regents would continue to keep a Hilltop expansion in mind and that a new building could be built soon.
"We started a program at Sunflower in January 1995, and we will do one at Centennial in August," Pisani said. "We're hoping for 20 to 25 children at each of the programs."
"We're sort of leaving it in their hands," Pisani said. "We're more hopeful, but it won't be a new building for a while."
Ambler said the Hilltop expansion project was a top priority for Edward Meyen, former executive vice chancellor.
Meyen was relieved of his position on July 1, but Ambler said he would continue to work for a resolution of the project.
"I can tell you that it was a priority with Dr. Meyen and that it is something that he worked hard for," Ambler said. "So I'm going to be continuously working to bring this project to a resolution as quickly as I can."
Ambler said that a specific site for the new facility has not yet been determined, but the Stouffer Place area of campus is a possibility.
Wichita campus turns its focus to primary care
- The Kansas University Medical Center campus in Wichita will concentrate on educating primary care professionals.
BY ANDREW E. NACHISON
JOURNAL-WORLD WRITER
Along with its main campus and facilities in Kansas City, Kan., the Kansas University Medical Center has a growing campus in Wichita.
About 100 third- and fourthyear medical students complete their studies in Wichita after two years of basic medicine courses in Kansas City, Kan.
The Wichita campus also has about 300 employees.
Promoted as a "medical school without walls," the program relies on about 540 volunteer doctors who act as instructors and preceptors at local hospitals, including Via Christi Medical Center, Columbia Wesley Medical Center and the Wichita Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Programs there began in 1974 with five students. Since then, 942 students have graduated with 58 percent choosing primary care specialties. Nearly half of those who have completed residency training have set up practices in Kansas.
The Wichita campus' focus on primary care medicine — as opposed to specialties and basic research — got a big boost in 1995 when the Kansas Health Foundation awarded KUMC a $15 million, five-year grant, which will be used for programs in Wichita, Kansas City and satellite centers throughout the state.
"As with most projects of this size, the first year focused on hiring staff in Kansas City and Wichita and start-up issues," said Dr. Donald Hagen, the executive vice chancellor and top administrator for both campuses.
"The faculty on both campuses adopted a new curriculum, and a residency education council is coordinating collaborative education programs," Hagen said. "Our staff are visiting state high school students and encouraging them to consider health careers. The second year will see even more accomplishments as we build a university without walls."
On July 10, the Wichita medical center dedicated its first campus expansion: 30,000 square feet of offices and classrooms in the Kansas Health Foundation Center for Primary Care and laboratories for the Women's Research Institute.