A leader in medical research

Business People, Feb 1998

From one of its first landmark research projects involving a nuclear-powered pacemaker in the 1970s, to artificial hearts in the '80s and '90s to laser treatment for the heart today, Lutheran Hospital of Indiana has been the region's leader in medical research.

Conducting research is part of Lutheran's commitment to its patients and the community, making more current medicine and technology available. The community also benefits when a significant number of physicians conducting the research gain an even higher level of knowledge.

None of the research conducted at Lutheran could take place if the hospital wasn't committed to promoting research, which includes having an Institutional Review Board (IRB). The board is required by the FDA and its makeup must be approved by the FDA. The IRB includes physicians, nurses, pharmacists, attorneys, lay persons and a chaplain to watch out for the good of the hospital, physicians and patients. The board meets at least quarterly and follows up annually on research that has been or is ongoing at the hospital. Currently, there are 43 protocols active at Lutheran.

"The board does not blindly approve research protocols and has turned down those that it doesn't believe would be beneficial to patients," says Susan McAlister, Vice President of Quality Management at Lutheran.

Lutheran Hospital provides the space and many times the funding for research, but the research is handled by the physicians. The physicians are the real heroes in furthering health care in this region, hospital officials say.

Lutheran participates in multi-center research projects, involving hospitals around the country, where physicians test drugs or devices for a manufacturer. In addition, Lutheran and its associated physicians participate in original research with several important original papers written and published by physicians here.

"Thousands of articles are published in medical journals every year, but very few have a direct and immediate impact on the way medicine is actually practiced," says Michael Schatzlein, M.D., Vice President of Development. "Joe Ladowski has contributed several in the field of heart transplantation that have had that effect."

Joseph Ladowski, M.D., a cardiovascular surgeon with Indiana-Ohio Heart, is just one of the physicians who has has been instrumental in research conducted at Lutheran. He is currently the primary investigator of the Holmium YAG Laser, one of the newest devices currently being tested for its ability to treat patients with severe angina. This new device uses a laser to create new pathways for oxygenrich blood to reach the heart muscle and has the potential to become an important option for certain types of patients with heart disease. Lutheran is one of the first centers in the country to participate in the two protocols currently being investigated by Dr. Ladowski.

Dr. Ladowski's partner in Indiana Ohio Heart, David Herlan, M.D., also has been on the forefront of new technology and research for patients with lung disorders. Herlan, one of the first physicians in the tri-state area to perform lung volume reduction for patients with emphysema, has also been published nationally.

Lutheran has strong ties with cardiology research, as well. Steven Orlow, M.D., a cardiologist with The Medical Group of Fort Wayne, was chosen to participate in research of Perclose, a device that is used after cardiac catheter procedures to surgically close the access site of the femoral artery. Many patients at Lutheran now benefit from Perclose with less discomfort, fewer complications and the ability to move around sooner after their cardiac catheterization.

Dr. Schatzlein says that Orlow's selection for this and other recent studies is a testimonial to the fine work he performs, since a manufacturer wants physicians who will use their devices and drugs with skill and get good results.

Other areas of research at Lutheran include senior citizen health, ophthalmology, urology and oncology.

Under the auspices of the National Cancer Institute, physicians are participating in several protocols for Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) at Lutheran.

A thoracic cancer study involves surgical, radiation oncology and medical oncology components. The team of physicians includes Herlan; R.V. Prasad Mantravadi, M.D.; and Deepchand Bajpai, M.D., Radiation Oncology Associates, P.C.; and Sreenivasa Nattam, M.D., and Steven Rhinehart, M.D., Fort Wayne Medical Oncology and Hematology Inc.

Drs. Mantravadi, Bajpai, Nattam and Rhinehart are the primary investigators for the other current protocols involving breast cancer and leukemia.

In addition to new devices or drugs, another important aspect of research is utilizing new groups of patients. Kavita Persaud, M.D., Medical Director of Lutheran Senior Health Services, is currently leading five studies with the older adult population, traditionally a group that is overlooked in research.

"It is so important to increase our options," says Dr. Persaud, "especially when dealing with diseases where very little is available, such as Alzheimer's."