http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsNews.asp OCDocs News en-us http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=594
Enhanced makes devices that magnify objects and reading material for people whose vision is 20/200 or worse. The condition's also called "low vision" and can be caused by things such as macular degeneration, or the breakdown of the center of the inner eye.

"We see a lot of people who are not even aware that such a product exists," said Barron Javaheri, the company's cofounder and chief executive.]]> http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=593
Dr. Fong explains why he created the Silent Night Treatment, 'While I have devoted my professional life to relieving the pain of others including relief from back and neck pain, scoliosis and TMJ, I personally had a problem with snoring that was driving my wife crazy. After enough sleepless nights, it occurred to me that I should create something that would help me as well as others eliminate snoring.

'I discovered that many supposed products claimed to cure snoring including dental appliances worn at night, various drugs, and even surgery. Based on their success rates, I wasn't willing to do any of them. After much research which I used to write a book, I knew that I had to come up with a unique way to reprogram the body muscles that fights the affects of aging. Since then not only have I and my wife stopped snoring, but so have many of my patients - some of them even from the first treatment.'

Medical experts report that snoring can lead to obstructive sleep apnea and as a result, has a profound effect on your health. Obstructive sleep apnea can be a life-threatening condition in which a person stops breathing repeatedly during sleep sometimes hundreds of times a night and often for a minute or longer. Other diseases linked to snoring include obesity, hypertension and diabetes, as well as a lack of deep sleep that causes daytime drowsiness and can lead to accidents.

S. Del Pizzo of Laguna Beach, CA said this about the Silent Night Treatment, 'After undergoing testing at a Sleep Clinic, I was diagnosed as having moderate sleep apnea. To correct this, a nasal C-Pap was recommended and they also referred me to an ENT Specialist for possible use of a mandibular device or surgery. Fortunately, I discovered Dr. Fong first. His method is non-invasive and easy to perform. I got positive results after the first week and after five weeks, my sleep apnea disappeared!'

Founded in 1979, Dr. Walter Fong owns and operates Fong Chiropractic based in Laguna Beach and Fountain Valley, California and is the originator of the patent-pending Myostatic Rehabilitative Therapy. His Silent Night Treatment program was developed to help eliminate snoring and rehabilitate patients who are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Fong is a Licensed Chiropractor, Clinical Nutritionist, Certified Acupuncturist, Certified Thermographer, and Qualified Medical Examiner. He has appeared on national TV in Window on Wall Street as well as regional venues including Focus on Health in Orange County, CA.]]> http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=592
Some of the companies were nurtured by a six-year-old private organization of more than two dozen top executives of corporations in the county. The organization, called Orange County Technology Network, or Octane, has so far created 27 companies, most in electronics and software technology, and biomedical devices, especially for eye care.

"It's innovation development, a variation on economic development," said Gary Augusta, executive director of Octane.

Other small eye device companies can trace their origins to William J. Link, who earned an engineering doctorate from Purdue University and came to Orange County in 1977 to work for a hospital supply company. He went on to found two eye device companies, sell them, and with the proceeds join venture capital investors who finance health care companies. He has helped to finance 20 companies, half of them in Orange County.]]> http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=591
Born at 8:01 p.m., Baby Luke weighed in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and is 19 3/4 inches long. He is the 2nd child to be born to Marian and Mike Bareh. Marian is a physician and Mike is a businessman. They reside in Irvine.

Members of the labor and delivery (L & D) team were very excited to be part of this momentous occasion. "It's wonderful and life affirming to help a family bring a new life into this world," said Patrick Roth, MD, Chief of Service, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the OB physician who delivered Baby Luke. "It's why I do what I do. But it's even more special as our team was able to welcome Luke, the very first child to be born here at Kaiser Permanente Orange County - Irvine Medical Center. We look forward to welcoming many more."

Located on the third floor, the hospital's state-of-the-art maternity department is beautifully appointed, each patient room with a private bathroom and a visitor's sleeper couch. The department includes observation rooms where expectant moms are assessed and evaluated; LDRP suites (labor, delivery, recovery, post partum), which resemble home yet contain all of the equipment needed to assist with labor, non-surgical delivery and recovery; L&D operating rooms where C-sections are performed and surgical recovery rooms where moms can recover from C-section surgery with close medical supervision but also have the opportunity to be with baby to begin the bonding process right away. Post partum rooms, also located on the third floor, continue to enhance the family bonding experience. A nursery, with 2 sets of viewing windows, one up higher for family and friends, and one a bit lower for new baby's siblings, is also located in this same area, as is the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which stands ready to manage and care for those young patients who require an additional level of care. Certified lactation consultants are available to support mothers who wish to breastfeed. This service is offered both during the hospital stay and after mother and baby return home.

"We are very proud of the maternal care experience we are able to provide our members. This new facility just adds to that, with its soothing colors, heart-warming artwork, natural light, and terrific physicians, midwives and staff," said Dr. Roth.

"To further enhance the child birth experience," added Karen Tejcka, Service Line Administrator, Women and Child Services, "the families and hospital staff celebrate the miracle of each birth by playing a lullaby throughout the hospital. New parents share a celebratory meal together and receive a gift bag for their newest family addition." ]]> http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=590
When completed, the three-story, 61,600-square-foot building will house the UCI Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, as many as 26 laboratory-based and clinical researchers, a stem cell techniques course for young scientists, a masters program in biotechnology with an emphasis on stem cell research, and an array of programs and activities that involve and educate patients and the general public.

The new building will be the center of all stem cell activity on campus, said Peter Donovan, co-director of UCI's stem cell center. With a central location, our basic, preclinical and clinical researchers can better work together, share ideas, and take potential therapies from the laboratory to the clinic.]]> http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=589
Many people who find themselves in need of a corneal transplant go through the conventional Penetrating Keratoplasty (PKP) procedure. The surgeon removes part of the patient's unhealthy, clouded cornea (what should be the clear film that lies over the iris) and replaces it with a cadaver's donated tissue. This is basically done by cutting out a "window" and sewing in the new piece. Those stitches are not removed for at least six months. Even then they may only be taken out over the course of several visits.

"PKP, or a total corneal transplant, is the gold standard for those who have corneas which are scarred or damaged," said Dr. M. Powes Hamill, an ophthalmologist/corneal specialist who is on the staff of the Baylor College of Medicine's Cullen Eye Institute.]]> http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=588
Patients who legitimately need marijuana for medical reasons may have ailments including, but not limited to, anorexia, glaucoma, AIDS, persistent muscle spasms, severe nausea, seizures, and insomnia.

"I was having trouble sleeping, and someone suggested I try marijuana as a treatment," Sean Bugna, 20, of Costa Mesa said. Bugna has had his license for two years, at a cost of $150 a year. He uses the clubs as a safe and legal way of getting his medication after being diagnosed with insomnia and gastro-intestinal problems in 2005.]]> http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=587
But critics - including physicians, industry groups and federal health regulators - say companies like Allez Spine LLC, an Irvine-based manufacturer of spinal hardware, are dogged by an age-old question: Does the lure of profit alter doctors' treatment decisions?

Concerns about physician-owned companies spurred a U.S. Senate committee in January to request financial information from Allez and at least seven other doctor-owned firms as part of an inquiry into inducements paid by the medical device industry. The committee is developing new legal language that could, for the first time, require small companies like Allez to disclose financial ties to doctors who use their products.]]> http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=586
"Our 2008 Medalists embody the university's core values, and they deserve its highest honor for their contributions to the campus becoming a nationally recognized center of learning and discovery," said Chancellor Michael V. Drake, M.D. "The Medal honors extraordinary individuals whose service, commitment and support pave the way for our students to excel and make valuable contributions to society."

This year's honorees:

Carol and Ralph Cicerone

Ralph Cicerone was UCI's fourth chancellor, and Carol Cicerone served as a professor of cognitive sciences at the university. The couple came to UCI in 1989. By the time they departed in 2005, when Ralph Cicerone became president of the National Academy of Sciences, they had left an indelible mark on the campus.

In 2003, Carol Cicerone received UCI Alumni Association's top honor, the Extraordinarius Award, for her talent and contributions as an educator, researcher, campus advocate and ambassador. Her scholarly activities focused on the human visual system with an emphasis on the mechanisms of human color vision. While at UCI, she served on both the Academic Senate Committee on Research and the UC Committee on Research Policy. She also chaired the Academic Senate Committee on Academic Personnel and served as vice chair for the UC Committee on Academic Personnel. Over the years, she served on many prestigious panels and boards, and edited numerous scholarly publications.

Originally hired as the founding chair of the Department of Earth System Science, Ralph Cicerone served in this capacity from 1989 to 1994. He then served as dean of the School of Physical Sciences from 1994 to 1998 and as chancellor from 1998 to 2005. He has shaped science and environmental policy both as an atmospheric chemist and as president of the nation's leading independent scientific body, the National Academy of Sciences. His research on the role of chlorine in destroying stratospheric ozone was recognized in the citation for the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to UCI Professor F. Sherwood Rowland. Honored with many awards for his work, Cicerone also played a pioneering role in understanding how managed agricultural systems contribute to global changes in methane, an important greenhouse gas.

James Mazzo

James Mazzo is chairman and chief executive officer of Advanced Medical Optics, a global ophthalmic medical device company that has rapidly become an industry leader. Prior to AMO's spin-off from Allergan, which Mazzo joined in 1980, he held leadership positions within that company.

At UCI, Mazzo is a Foundation Trustee, a member of the Chief Executive Roundtable, and chair of The Eye Institute capital campaign, which will bring a state-of-the-art research, education and treatment facility to the campus. He has been a featured speaker at university events and serves on several campus advisory boards.

Mazzo and his wife, Kelly, a philanthropist and community volunteer, co-chaired the 2005 Medal Awards, and their efforts helped raise nearly $1.3 million for scholarships and fellowships - setting a new event fundraising record at the time. Mazzo, both with his wife and through AMO, has generously donated to a wide variety of campus areas over the years.

Mazzo serves on the boards of a number of community organizations, and he is a founding board member of OCTANe, a private, nonprofit corporation that drives innovation and technology in the region. This year, he received a Foundation Fighting Blindness Visionary Award for his contributions to the field of ophthalmology.

Stanley van den Noort

Attracted by an opportunity to build a department of neurology from the ground up, Dr. Stanley van den Noort came to UCI in 1970 as a professor and chief of neurology. From 1973 through 1985, he served as the dean of the College of Medicine - now the School of Medicine.

A pioneer in multiple sclerosis education, research and patient care, van den Noort was also instrumental in influencing the building of Irvine Hall, Hewitt Hall, the Hitachi Research Center and Gottschalk Medical Plaza at UCI.

Van den Noort graduated from Dartmouth College in 1951 and received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1954. He completed his residency training at Boston City Hospital, where he served as senior resident of the neurological unit. In addition, he has been a diplomat of the American Board of Neurology since 1963.

An active volunteer for the MS Society for many years, van den Noort has served the organization as member and chair of the Medical Advisory Board, chair of the Clinical Care Committee, and co-chair of the Long-term Care Committee. He also served as chief medical officer of the MS Society from 1997 to 2001, and he continues to be an active member of the Orange County Chapter.

The Medal is the most prestigious honor the university bestows. Proceeds from A Celebration of Stars - The Medal Awards support key programs such as Regents' Scholarships and graduate fellowships, which are given to those students who exhibit academic merit and outstanding promise.

One of Orange County's premier events, the Medal awards celebration will be held this year over the course of two evenings on Oct. 3 and 4. To honor UCI's past Medalists, whose ranks include Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and industry innovators, the evening of Oct. 3 has been dubbed "A Parade of Medalists." It will be held at the Barclay Theatre on campus and will include a reception and entertainment by Syrian artists: Kinan Azmeh, a world-class clarinetist; and Kevork Mourad, an internationally acclaimed painter. Their unique collaborative performance involves Mourad interpreting Azmeh's music on paper, projected on screens, as the clarinetist plays.

On the following evening, Oct. 4, the main event will be held at the Bren Events Center on campus and will include a reception, sit-down dinner, Medalist tributes and entertainment by the surf band Papa Doo Run Run along with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Some of UCI's most talented students also will perform.

Hosted by the University of California, Irvine Foundation, A Celebration of Stars is the campus's largest fundraiser. This year's celebration will be chaired by Hazem and Salma Chehabi. Hazem Chehabi is a board-certified nuclear medicine physician who has been practicing in Orange County since 1989. He is the president of Newport Diagnostic Center, a premiere medical imaging facility. Salma Chehabi, a community leader and philanthropist, earned her bachelor's degree from the School of Biological Sciences at UCI.

Each year a call for nominations for the Medal Awards is sent out to the UCI community, including alumni, faculty, staff and board members, as well as corporate and foundation leaders in the community. A Medal committee reviews the nominations and makes recommendations to the chancellor.]]> http://www.orangecountydocs.com/OCDocsnews.asp?Item=585
After serving as interim chief executive since early 2006, Zehntner said she didn't apply for the job permanently. Instead, she was prevailed upon to throw her hat in after a national search.

Zehntner, who had been the Orange hospital's chief operating officer since 1996, got the permanent chief executive job in March. ]]>