Vol. 3, No. 4 – April 2004

Welcome to our April email Update.

ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT CERTIFICATION

ACLSCongratulations to Dr. Tobin and to OR Nursing Supervisor, Nina Reeves for successfully completing there updated Provider Course in Advanced Cardiac Life Support. These are skills that we hope we never have to use. The course covers advanced training in the skills necessary to manage acute cardiac emergencies including myocardial infarction, arrhythmia as well as related problems such as drug overdose, trauma and allergic reactions. The course includes mock drills where participants cooperate to recognize acute problems and institute emergency management. Refresher courses are required every two years. Both Nina and Dr. Tobin earned top grades in the didactic portion as well as successfully completing the drills.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support training is an important part of our overall preparedness for the unexpected. In addition, we carry out periodic in house drills of our own to be sure that all of our personnel are as prepared for the unexpected as is possible.

AAAHC ACCREDITATION SURVEY COMPLETED

Along these same lines, our Center has recently gone through an accreditation survey by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). This inspection is carried out every three years and involves a thorough evaluation of the entire facility. Policies, procedures, physical environment and medical records are all looked at in detail. We were fortunate this time around in having as our surveyor Dr. Frank DiPlacido, who happens to be the President of the Association. Members of the Board of AAAHC also serve as Surveyors assuring the fact that they are fully understanding of the problems face by both the surveyors and the facilities.

For twelve years, Dr. Tobin served on the Board of AAAHC, and he still serves as a volunteer surveyor.

While we have not yet received the report of our survey, it seemed to go off without a hitch and we anticipate a favorable report in the next few weeks. We had recently undergone our State Licensure inspection and wound up with no discrepancies. The entire staff of the Center deserves credit for maintaining the consistent quality and preparedness.

DR. TOBIN GUEST SPEAKER AT LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITYLoma Linda

On March 29, Dr Tobin was featured as Special Guest Lecturer and the Loma Linda University Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Grand Rounds Lecture Series. The talk was given at the beautiful Wong Kerlee International Conference Center at the University. Dr. Tobin spoke on his twenty plus years of experience with the biplane technique of facelift surgery. Additionally, he spoke on our program of periodic maintenance procedures (“the secondary tuck”) as part of the overall management of facial ageing. Dr. Tobin also addressed the advantages of combing laser resurfacing with facelifting to address surface lines as well as skin laxity.

mission innDuring their visit, Dr. & Mrs. Tobin were hosted at the beautiful Historic Mission Inn in Riverside California. One of California’s oldest and most celebrated hotels spans a city block at the historic town center of Riverside. It dates back to 1902, when founder Frank Miller began construction on the Mission Wing, which adjoined his family’s humble adobe lodge and home built in 1876. By the mid-1930s, the greatly expanded Mission Inn welcomed celebrities, dignitaries, and visitors from all walks of life. Just a few of the hundreds of memorable guests from days gone by: Sara Bernhardt, Albert Einstein, Andrew Carnegie, W.C. Fields, and Theodore Roosevelt. Humphrey Bogart married at the inn, as did Bette Davis—twice. Richard Milhouse Nixon married wife Pat in the Presidential Suite. Ronald Reagan honeymooned with wife Nancy.

RESTYLANE

restylaneRestylane is now available at our Center. Restylane is the latest in a series of newly FDA approved temporary fillers. RESTYLANE is a clear, non-animal, biodegradable gel based on a natural substance, called hyaluronic acid. The gel is injected into the skin in tiny amounts with a very fine needle. The resulting enhancement is rapid and claimed by the manufacturer to last 6 to 8 months. It is claimed to be longer lasting than Collagen and also has the advantage of not requiring skin testing. The primary disadvantage compared to Collagen is that there is a period of initial swelling which lasts several days. Additionally, a small percentage of patients can demonstrate an allergic reaction to the material.

As with all new products of this type, only time will tell if the material lives up to its expectations, but is has had extensive use in Canada and in Europe for the past several years.

That’s it for this month. As always, we appreciate your interest and welcome your suggestions.

Sincerely,

Howard A. Tobin, M.D., F. A. C. S.
www.newlook.org

For general information: askdena@newlook.org or n41gt@newlook.org