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January 2, 2013 – Saadeh was named to the list in his board certified specialty areas of allergy and immunology, rheumatology and geriatrics. This is the seventh year he has made the list, which has been published since 2005.
The selection process includes includes a survey of doctors, independent evaluation and peer review of candidates. and a good-standing and disciplinary check.
Allergy A.R.T.S., 6842 Plum Creek Drive, is a clinical practice involved in the diagnosis and treatment of immunologic disorders, including allergy, asthma and arthritis. The practice includes the Amarillo Center for Clinical Research, a division that conducts clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies.
January 2, 2013 – Saadeh was named to the list in his board certified specialty areas of allergy and immunology, rheumatology and geriatrics. This is the seventh year he has made the list, which has been published since 2005.
The selection process includes includes a survey of doctors, independent evaluation and peer review of candidates. and a good-standing and disciplinary check.
Allergy A.R.T.S., 6842 Plum Creek Drive, is a clinical practice involved in the diagnosis and treatment of immunologic disorders, including allergy, asthma and arthritis. The practice includes the Amarillo Center for Clinical Research, a division that conducts clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies.
MAY 10, 2012 – Constantine Saadeh, M.D. of Allergy A.R.T.S. recently was featured as an expert resource on the website www.everydayhealth.com. As an asthma and allergy expert with specialties in the fields of immunology and rheumatology, Dr. Saadeh's experience and education were deemed of particular value for this health resource.
The article in which is he was featured is entitled "Exercise-induced Asthma Explained" and gives a thorough explanation of the condition, as well as tips for living a healthier life despite asthma's challenges. To read the entire article, please click here.
FEBRUARY, 2012 – The Advisory Editorial Board of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine has invited Constantine Saadeh, M.D. to serve as a member of the journal's editorial board. Dr. Saadeh leads Allergy A.R.T.S., an immunology practice treating patients with allergies, asthma, arthritis and osteoporosis.
Dr. Saadeh's duties will include helping to solicit high quality research and review articles for the journal and regularly reviewing manuscripts as requested by the deputy editors.
The Advisory Editorial Board of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine is essential to the production of a publication that contains quality research, includes a balanced representation of the diverse ultrasound specialties and is followed closely by professionals in the field, according to Levon Nazarian, M.D., editor-in-chief of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.
Dr. Saadeh's appointment to the editorial board follows the recent accreditation of Allergy A.R.T.S. as the first and only facility in Texas to be accredited by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. This accreditation benefits arthritis patients of Allergy A.R.T.S. because ultrasound technology is less expensive than MRIs and more effective than standard x-ray imaging. Ultrasound helps identify and target affected joints, which leads to effective therapies to relieve pain.
OCTOBER 7, 2009 - Amarillo – Allergy A.R.T.S. Clinic recently met all criteria for Laboratory Accreditation by COLA, a national healthcare accreditation association. The accreditation is given only to laboratories that meet rigid standards of quality in day-to-day operations, demonstrate continued accuracy in the performance of proficiency testing, and pass a rigorous on-site laboratory survey.
“Allergy A.R.T.S has earned COLA accreditation as a result of a long-term commitment to provide quality service to patients,” according to Verlin Janzen, MD, chairman of the COLA Board of Directors. “This emphasis on quality leads to reliable test results, which are essential in assuring excellence in patient care. We also compliment the laboratory staff for its dedication and continued support of COLA standards.”
COLA is a non-profit, physician-directed organization promoting quality and excellence in medicine and patient care through programs of voluntary education, achievement and accreditation. It is approved by the federal government and sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians – American Society of Internal Medicine, and the American Osteopathic Association.
JANUARY, 2008 – Dr. Saadeh recently was invited to join the Editorial Advisory Board of The Open Allergy Journal, an international publication of Bentham Science Publishers.
The Open Allergy Journal is a peer-reviewed publication with the mission to provide a complete and reliable source of information on current developments and research in the field of allergies. The Journal emphasizes the publishing of quality papers and is freely available to researchers worldwide via the Internet (www.bentham.org)
“I look forward to serving on the editorial advisory board for The Open Allergy Journal as a way to promote education and the dissemination of information, and to remain on the cutting edge of new developments in allergy research,” said Dr. Saadeh. “When it comes to my patients, I want to make sure I am up-to-date on treatments and knowledge so they receive the very best care available anywhere.”
Dr. Saadeh joins physicians and scientists from 27 countries on six continents who serve on the board. His responsibilities include reviewing papers and articles, soliciting papers and writing articles for the publication.
JUNE, 2007 – Barcelona, Spain - Recent research findings may mean good news for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, according to our own Constantine K. Saadeh, M.D., FACP, FACR. Dr. Saadeh shared clinical research study results as co-author of two research abstracts published at the prestigious European Union League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) meeting this summer in Barcelona, Spain.
The first study addressed a method for ultrasound-guided dislodgement of calcifications or osteophytes that can form in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and which result in the development of severe, chronic pain – particularly in the shoulder and elbow. Guided by high resolution ultrasonography, the doctor used a needle to dislodge the calcification or osteophyte. Upon follow-up, three-fourths of treated patients reported resolution of pain and improvement in joint function. The procedure “is safe and seems to be effective,” according to the abstract.
The second involved the drug Rituximab and its efficacy when used to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Researchers wanted to measure and explore the clinical response following a first treatment course of the drug and its effect on baseline autoantibody status. Findings confirmed that treatment with Rituximab is an effective, innovative therapy for RA patients. More specifically, it was found that patients who tested negative to blood serum tests for both rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) achieved clinical benefit, as significantly more patients receiving Rituximab achieved a EULAR good or moderate response rating compared with the respective placebo-treated patients.
MAY, 2007 – Kathy Brecht, of the Amarillo Center for Clinical Research, recently was named the 2007 Woman of the Year by the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) Amarillo Chapter.
“Kathy has served as our Program Chairman for two years and she is doing a wonderful job,” said ABWA President Martha Campbell. “She has shown extraordinary leadership and has a real energy and enthusiasm for her work. Kathy has helped with our fundraising and our work with handicapped children. If called upon to help, and if she thinks she can do it, she never turns down a request.”
Persons nominated for the ABWA’s Woman of the Year Award are singled out for having demonstrated superior leadership and work ethic, and for achieving goals and accomplishments. The nominees are voted upon by their peers.
Ms. Brecht serves as Regulatory Coordinator for the Amarillo Center for Clinical Research, where she is responsible for regulatory requirements for clinical drug trials as mandated by the FDA and the International Congress on Harmonization. In addition, she wears numerous hats that include public relations support, publication and print responsibilities, providing regulatory support for patient coordinators, and working with the principal investigator and research director.
She also is involved in Amarillo Darlin Dames – Red Hat Club, American Heart Association (former board member), The Bridge – Children’s Advocacy Center (former board member), American Cancer Society and Camp Alphie. She has two children and one grandchild.
DECEMBER, 2007 – Constantine Saadeh, M.D., FACP, FACR, recently passed the recertification examination in Allergy and Immunology specialties with the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI).
Since 1974, approximately 5,700 physicians have passed the ABAI board certification examination, while less than one-third have chosen to be board recertified in that time, according to the ABAI. As the process is demanding and requires familiarity with current, ever-changing medical knowledge and treatments, not every specialist chooses to go through the recertification process, nor are they, in most cases, required to do so.
As part of the recertification process, Dr. Saadeh is required to complete additional Continuing Medical Education credits every three years. By passing the 2007 ABAI Recertification examination, he is eligible for the American Medical Association’s Physician’s Recognition Award.
Dr. Saadeh also is board certified in Rheumatology, with an added qualification in geriatrics. He practices at Allergy A.R.T.S. (Asthma, Rheumatology Treatment Specialists), and also conducts research at the affiliated Amarillo Center for Clinical Research.
JANUARY, 2007 – Our own noted rheumatologist and researcher
Dr. Constantine Saadeh recently had published in Arthritis & Rheumatism the
results of two retrospective studies drawn from clinical observation
and collaboration with other rheumatology specialists in the
United States. Arthritis & Rheumatism is the official
journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
The first described a study confirming that treatment with the
medication Rituximab is an effective, novel therapy for rheumatoid
arthritis patients with certain baseline autoantibodies. When
compared to the results from those using a placebo, the Rituximab
patients had far better results.
The second paper addressed the effectiveness of the medication
Infliximab (INF) when its dosage is escalated in clinical practice.
INF is known as an effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis;
however, a significant number of patients do not achieve at least
a 20 percent improvement in their condition. Therefore, clinicians
often increase dosage to enhance outcome. Saadeh’s research
concluded that patients who failed to respond to the starting
dose of INF, may not achieve any significant improvement even
if the dose is increased.
Allergy A.R.T.S. and the Amarillo Center for Clinical Research
(ACCR) are closely affiliated and are dedicated to healing through
learning.
JANUARY, 2007 – Allergy A.R.T.S. and its affiliated
Amarillo Center for Clinical Research recently added Melissa
Griffith, MSN, RN, a certified Family Nurse Practitioner, to
the professional staff of each.
A Lafayette, LA, native, Ms. Griffith comes to Amarillo from
Temple, Texas, where she was a registered nurse at Scott and
White Hospital. She also has nearly five years of clinical research
experience, during which she was involved in several published
studies, and expects to use the expertise gained there in her
role as a nurse practitioner.
“Both the clinic’s subspecialties and the clinical
research in which it participates piqued my interest in Allergy
A.R.T.S.,” Ms. Griffith explained. “I look forward
to meeting my patients and treating them with the care, compassion,
and expertise they deserve and need to achieve and maintain a
meaningful quality of life.”
Ms. Griffith received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing
from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, and
earned a Master of Science degree in nursing from Texas A&M
University-Corpus Christi. Ms. Griffith is authorized to practice
as an Advanced Practice Nurse by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners
and is certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American
Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Ms. Griffith and her husband,
Christopher, have a daughter Katelyn.
DECEMBER, 2006 – Four staff members at Allergy A.R.T.S.’s
affiliated research program – the Amarillo Center for Clinical
Research (ACCR) - recently passed clinical research coordinator
certification tests administered by the Association of Clinical
Research Professionals (ACRP).
Certification assures both patients and healthcare professionals
that they will be working with experienced, highly knowledgeable
clinical professionals as they participate in and/or conduct
medical research.
These research coordinators include: Michael Gaylor,
EMT-Paramedic, SRC, ACCR’s Senior Research Coordinator and Administrator;
Christy Kennon, Laboratory Coordinator and Study Coordinator;
Gigi O’Connell, Clinical Research Coordinator; and Deborah
Stone, NREMT-B, Assistant Research Director.
ACRP certification is the formal recognition of clinical research
professionals who have met the professional eligibility requirements
and demonstrated job-related knowledge and skills. Candidates
gain skills by attending ACRP seminars, educational sessions, audio
conferences, certification programs and forum activities – many
of which provide Continuing Medical Education credit hours covering
Good Clinical Practice topics and human subjects protection issues.
JULY, 2006 – A passion for helping the world breathe
just a little easier brings renowned pulmonary scientist Michael
D. Goldman, M.D., Sc.D., to Amarillo Pulmonary Research, Inc.
(APRI) to continue cutting edge research studies and therapies
focused on improving lives. APRI is affiliated with the Amarillo
Center for Clinical Research (ACCR) and the Allergy A.R.T.S.
Clinic in Amarillo.
Through APRI, Dr. Goldman conducts experiments that use a state-of-the-art
pulmonary device for lung function testing. The procedure, known
as “Impulse Oscillometry Spirometry” – or IOS,
is performed nowhere else in the region except at Amarillo’s
Allergy A.R.T.S. Clinic, where Goldman conducts his research,
and in only a handful of other places around the country.
“This equipment is so sensitive that we sometimes find
patients who have a breathing problem who didn’t realize
it, but may have complained of other symptoms,” explained
Dr. Goldman. “When breathing is relieved or improved, often
other symptoms also improve.”
IOS is proving to be not only a valuable respiratory diagnostics
tool, but also a means to determine the effectiveness of medications
and treatments. Dr. Goldman hopes to have the opportunity to
measure breathing and collect samples from thousands of area
residents.
Since 1994, Dr. Goldman has been a faculty member at UCLA where
he conducted pulmonary research. A graduate of Harvard and the
University of Pennsylvania, his career has taken him around the
world where he has practiced, taught and/or conducted research
at Harvard, Case Western Reserve University, the University of
Utah, Oxford, the University of Paris, and several hospitals.
APRI and the Amarillo Center for Clinical Research are affiliated
with Allergy A.R.T.S. Clinic, treatment specialists in asthma,
allergies, arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, as well as
osteoporosis.
APRIL, 2006 – Allergy A.R.T.S. rheumatologist Dr. Constantine
K. Saadeh reported successful remission in patients with lupus
skin, lung and synovial disease in a limited study he conducted
through the Amarillo Center for Clinical Research (ACCR) involving
the use of the medication rituximab, also known by its trade
name Rituxan.
In a report at the annual European Congress on Rheumatology,
Dr. Saadeh described the successful rituximab-induced remission
of severe extrarenal SLE (lupus) in five of six treated patients
who were previously unresponsive to the two most widely-prescribed
drugs for this condition (cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate).
ACCR is a private research firm closely affiliated with the
Allergy A.R.T.S. clinic founded by Dr. Saadeh in Amarillo. This
study and others are ongoing at the center.
All five of the patients who responded to Rituxan were given
two 500-mg doses of the medication one week apart. The resulting
disease remission lasted at least three months after treatment.
The one patient who did not respond to the treatment had two conditions
- lupus nephritis and chronic glomerulonephritis - that continued
to deteriorate, eventually requiring more intense therapy, according
to Dr. Saadeh.
DECEMBER 1, 2005 – Allergy A.R.T.S. recently opened the
doors to the “Heather Alonzo Memorial Center for Excellence”,
a new 9,000-square-foot wing adjoining its building on Plum Creek
Drive in northwest Amarillo. This addition includes new
treatment rooms, a state-of-the-art pulmonary diagnostics lab,
and new check-in and waiting areas. An additional 3,000-square-foot
administration and research area is slated for completion February
1, 2006.
Explained Michael Harris, administrator of Allergy A.R.T.S., “This
is just one part of an ongoing effort to give our patients the
best care possible and to provide high quality working conditions
for our employees.”
The new wing was built by CIB, Inc., of Amarillo. It includes
new treatment rooms for patients of doctors and nurse practitioners,
allergy testing prep and treatment areas, expanded office and
storage spaces, and the new pulmonary diagnostics lab with its
own waiting room.
The new general check-in and waiting area was specifically planned
with the special needs of Allergy A.R.T.S. and Amarillo
Center for Clinical Research (ACCR) patients in mind. Its furnishings
are ergonomically designed for arthritis patients and are upholstered
with materials easily sanitized and naturally “unfriendly” to
viral and bacterial organisms.
A memorial area near the front doors will feature a granite,
revolving globe citing the “Heather Alonzo Memorial Center
for Excellence.” English ivy, perennials, and
a stone prayer bench that includes the poem written by Dr. Saadeh
in Heather’s honor will complete the entrance area.
Offered Dr. Saadeh, “It is our prayer that through the
healing and hope we are able to offer, Heather’s too brief
life will continue to inspire us all.”
JULY 20, 2005 – In recent months, two physicians
affiliated with the Allergy A.R.T.S. clinic and Amarillo
Center for Clinical Research (ACCR) were asked to present important
research findings in six areas to colleagues at three different
scientific meetings.
The papers presented by Constantine Saadeh, MD, FACP, FACR,
and Luis Ramos, MD, FACR, covered several topics, including:
aeroallergens, respiratory impedance, ultrasonography use in
arthritis diagnosis, tendon teasing, lupus medication, and ultrasound-guided
joint injection.
Research results presented by Dr. Saadeh at the 61st Annual
meeting of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
in March included a study of the “Effects of Deep Inspiration
on Respiratory Impedance Measured by Impulse Oscillometry (IOS)”,
which examined, in part, airway inflammation and bronchomotor
(bronchial changes) tone in response to deep breathing by asthmatic
patients. He also reported on an investigation “of Aeroallergens
in the Public Schools of the Texas Panhandle.” This study
stressed the importance of knowing the specific aeroallergens
present in children’s environments in order to better treat
their symptoms.
Dr. Saadeh was asked to present three papers at the prestigious
Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) in Vienna, Austria,
in early June. This is the fourth consecutive year he has been
asked to do so.
He first described the success of ultrasound-guided tendon and
nerve teasing procedures on the treatment of chronic tendinopathy
(particularly in the biceps and elbow) in patients who failed
to respond to traditional steroid injections. The second involved
the efficacy of using rituximab in the treatment of extrarenal
(outside of kidney) disease in lupus patients. The third paper
presented a comparison on the outcomes of ultrasound guided joint
injection with the outcomes of blinded injections in patients
with rheumatoid arthritis. The color Doppler ultrasound-guided
injections appeared to be a superior and a more effective method
of managing pain and/or inflammation (95 percent relief with
ultrasound vs. 42 percent relief in blind injections).
Dr. Ramos addressed the 2005 American Institute of Ultrasound
in Medicine (AIUM) Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, in
June. He reported on a study that concluded high-resolution
color Doppler ultrasonography on affected joints, when appropriately
performed, is an effective tool for managing rheumatoid arthritis
patients, helps medical personnel decide when to start various
therapies and medications, helps with follow-up, and helps doctors
decide when to stop or resume treatments.
Drs. Saadeh and Ramos see patients at the Allergy A.R.T.S. Clinic,
located at 6842 Plum Creek Drive, where they specialize in treating
allergies, asthma, arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases.
FEBRUARY 3, 2005 – The steady progress and growth of Allergy
A.R.T.S. has earned it the 2004 Amarillo Chamber of Commerce
Jim Henson Small Business of the Year award. And with the recent
ground breaking for a new clinic wing, that growth seems assured
for many years to come.
“We were honored that someone had enough faith in us to
nominate our practice for this award,” said Dr. Saadeh. “It
has only been through the hard work and dedication of many, many
people, and the loyalty of our patients, that we have come to
achieve this success. We are humbled and at the same time proud
to be a part of a dynamic community that offers so many avenues
for high quality health care to its population.”
Allergy A.R.T.S. now has well over 8,000 patients and 60 staff
members, and offers state-of-the-art technology and cutting edge
therapies.
JANUARY 6, 2005 – Allergy A.R.T.S., LLP of Amarillo recently received national
COLA accreditation for its quality laboratory services. This
accreditation is given only to laboratories that apply rigid
standards of quality, demonstrate accuracy, and pass a rigorous
on-site survey. The clinic received an excellent overall score
of 95.7 percent, with 100 percent ratings in Specimen and Test
Management and in Quality Assurance.
COLA, which is dedicated to excellence in healthcare, is approved
by the federal government and sponsored by the American Academy
of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American
College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine,
the College of American Pathologists, and the American Osteopathic
Association.
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