Caduceus Newsletter Spring 2008.15, Week of Apr. 14

http://www.cbu.edu/

Caduceus Newsletter: Spring 2008.15, week of April 14

Dr. Stan Eisen, Director
Preprofessional Health Programs
Christian Brothers University
650 East Parkway South
Memphis, TN 38104

Home page:
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/

Once again, Faculty manage to wrest defeat from the jaws of victory in this year’s Young Whipper Snappers vs. Old Geezers Charity Volleyball Game, benefiting the Church Health Center! More details in article #2.

Caduceus Newsletter Archives:
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/Caduceus.html

Table of Contents:
1. ACS/BBB/PHP (American Chemical Society, Beta Beta Beta/Preprofessional Health Programs) Activities.
2. Once again, students WIN in the annual Young Whipper Snappers vs. Old Geezers Charity Volleyball Game for the Church Health Center.
3. In Shift to Digital Mammograms, More Recalls With Nothing Wrong, from the New York Times (Registration Required): Appearing in the April 10, 2008 issue of Science in the News.
4. Dartmouth College offers 1-year MPH and MS degrees through the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
5. The National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) will host its Free Hispanic Student Medical School Recruitment Fair on Saturday, April, 19, 2008, at the Washington Hilton, DC.
6. Hands-Only CPR Greatly Increases Survival Odds, from the San Francisco Chronicle: Appearing in the April 1, 2008 issue of Science in the News.
7. The Illinois College of Optometry announces a summer program for underrepresented minority undergraduate students.
8. ==== AAMC STAT ====, News from the Association of American Medical Colleges, March 31, 2008 edition.
9. ==== AAMC STAT ====, News from the Association of American Medical Colleges, April 7, 2008 edition.
10. The Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team is hiring both summer interns and year-long positions.
11. It takes a very special kind of person to do this type of research: Fossil Feces Is Earliest Evidence of N. America Humans, from National Geographic News: Appearing in the April 4, 2008 issue of Science in the News.

12. Marginalia: In case you’re having a crummy, no-good, rotten day…

1. ACS/BBB/PHP (American Chemical Society, Beta Beta Beta/Preprofessional Health Programs) Activities.

Tuesday, April 15: Senior Research Poster Session
Thursday, April 17: Senior Day

*NOTE: You *must* be at these meetings if you are an officer. NO EXCEPTIONS.

**NOTE: If you intend on running for officership again, nominating another person, or voting in the election, you must attend these meetings as well. These meetings will be joint meetings with Tri-Beta, as they are nominating and voting on officers the same days we are.

Also, there are tours of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scheduled on several dates:

Friday, May 2nd 10:30a. to 11:30a. or 1:15p. to 2:15p.

2. Once again, students WIN in the annual Young Whipper Snappers vs. Old Geezers Charity Volleyball Game for the Church Health Center.

Once again, the Old Geezer Faculty managed to wrest defeat from the jaws of victory, and get left out in the cold:

Victoria Bujalski, star Goalkeeper/Midfielder for the CBU Women’s Soccer Team, earned the MVP award with her serves, for which a new rule, called the “Victoria Bujalski” rule was invoked, which states the following:

“If the students manage to win 5 aces in a row, they must surrender the ball to the faculty. If the faculty win 5 aces in a row, get used to it, and play continues.”

Here is a picture of the MVP recipient:

WAY TA GO, VICTORIA!!

3. In Shift to Digital Mammograms, More Recalls With Nothing Wrong, from the New York Times (Registration Required): Appearing in the April 10, 2008 issue of Science in the News.

It is a phone call that women dread. Something is not quite right on the

mammogram: come back for another one. But don't worry, the script goes -

most repeat tests wind up normal.

Still, most women know someone who has breast cancer, and even the calmest,

most rational minds may think the worst when summoned back to the clinic.

At many centers, these nerve-racking calls are on the rise, at least

temporarily - the price of progress as more and more radiologists switch

from traditional X-ray film to digital mammograms, in which the X-ray

images are displayed on a computer monitor. Digital is growing fast: in the

United States, 32 percent of mammography clinics now have at least one

digital machine, up from only 10 percent two years ago. Eventually, film

will be phased out.

Or: http://snipurl.com/23y9t

4. Dartmouth College offers 1-year MPH and MS degrees through the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

Hello Colleagues,

I want to let you each know about the MPH and MS programs we offer at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Our programs are 1 year in length (full-time enrollment) and provide training in the following areas: clinical/health services research, health care leadership, and evidence-based public health research and practice.

I am writing to ask that you add our programs to the list of options you present to students interested in becoming health care professionals. Many of our students go on to medical school, as well as health care consulting, quality improvement, research , health policy and a host of other disciplines.

Please look for a brochure in your mailboxes in the coming days to share with your students. Also, please visit our website for more information: http://tdieducation.dartmouth.edu/. We are still accepting applications for our upcoming class.

If you or your students have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Alex

________________________

Alex Thorngren, MS

Academic Recruitment Manager

The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice

Center for Education

30 Lafayette Street, 1st Floor (HB 7252)

Lebanon, NH 03766

Tel. 603.653.3214

Fax. 603.653.3266

Web: http://TDIeducation.dartmouth.edu

5. The National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) will host its Free Hispanic Student Medical School Recruitment Fair on Saturday, April, 19, 2008, at the Washington Hilton, DC.

The National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) will host its Free Hispanic Student Medical School Recruitment Fair for High School and College Students on Saturday, April 19, 2008, from 2:00pm-6:00pm, at the Washington Hilton, DC. In collaboration with the NHMA, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and its minority affairs representatives will present information about preparing, applying, and graduating from medical school. Both organizations are committed to supporting diversity in the health professions.

Please share this information with colleagues and students. For questions, please contact Kurt Sackerman at 202-628-5895, extension 14.

ATTENTION
PRE-MED Hispanic High-School and College Students

Are you interested in Health & Medicine?

JOIN US

Hispanic Student Medical School Recruitment Fair

Washington Hilton
1919 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington DC

Saturday, April 19^th, 2008
2:00PM-6:00PM
FREE
To register and view more information

Click Here:
www.nhmamd.org/medrecruitmentfair.htm

Sponsored by
National Hispanic Medical Association
In partnership with…
Association of American Medical Colleges

6. Hands-Only CPR Greatly Increases Survival Odds, from the San Francisco Chronicle: Appearing in the April 1, 2008 issue of Science in the News.

In a break from decades-old first aid guidelines, the American Heart

Association on Monday endorsed "hands only" cardio-pulmonary resuscitation -

- rapid chest compression without mouth-to-mouth resuscitation -- to

improve the odds for victims of cardiac arrest.

The new guidelines, published in the journal Circulation, recognize that

recent research has shown no real advantage to conventional mouth-to-mouth

CPR in outside-the-hospital cardiac arrest cases. In addition, studies show

that bystanders are often reluctant to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation

on strangers, but are more likely to try rapid chest compression.

"We think that if we can double the number of bystanders who attempt CPR,

we can save tens of thousands of lives every year," said Mary Fran

Hazinski, a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and spokeswoman

for the American Heart Association.

f=/c/a/2008/04/01/BAJ8VTF35.DTL

Or: http://snipurl.com/235by

7. The Illinois College of Optometry announces a summer program for underrepresented minority undergraduate students.

The Illinois College of Optometry is pleased to announce our summer program for underrepresented minority undergraduate students. The program is a weeklong experience that will expose undergraduate students to the profession of optometry in a variety of settings. Participants will have the opportunity to meet and work with current optometry students, ICO Faculty & Staff, as well as practicing optometrists.

Students will be housed at no charge in our Residential Complex. There is no cost to participate in this program. Participants are responsible for their travel expenses and/or transportation cost to and from ICO.

Program Dates: Monday, July 14, through Friday, July 18, 2008

Application Period: April 1 - 30, 2008

Notification: Applicants will be notified on or about May 16, 2008.

For eligibility and application information, visit http://www.ico.edu/prospectivestudents/newsummerprogram.html. Please feel free to contact me if you and/or your students have any questions.

Thank you in advance for sharing this information with your students.

Thank you,

Teisha Johnson, MS

Director of Admissions/Marketing

Illinois College of Optometry

3241 S. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL 60616

Phone: 312-949-7407

8. ==== AAMC STAT ====, News from the Association of American Medical Colleges, March 31, 2008 edition.

== AAMC adopts position on medical home system of care

== Medicare trustees issue report on financial status

== Patient survey data about hospital experiences added to public Web site

== GFA seeks poster, presentation topics on faculty vitality and diversity

== New network sends U.S. physicians drug alerts via e-mail

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AAMC adopts position on medical home system of care

The AAMC has adopted a formal position on the "medical home" model of health

care delivery, which provides patients with a coordinated, comprehensive

approach to primary care. In the medical home model, the ongoing relationship

between care provider and patient is essential. A medical home ensures

around-the-clock access to medical consultation, respect for a patient's

cultural and religious beliefs, and the comprehensive coordination of a

patient's care among providers and community services. The position statement

was developed and proposed by the AAMC Advisory Panel on Health Care and

approved by the association's Executive Council last month.

Information: Go to http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/pressrel/2008/080325.htm

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Medicare trustees issue report on financial status

The Medicare Board of Trustees has released its annual report on the current

status and projected financial condition of the Medicare program, which

states that hospital insurance (Medicare Part A) spending this year will

begin exceeding federal tax revenues and will be depleted by 2019, if trends

continue. The report also triggered a funding warning for the program for the

second consecutive year. A funding warning goes into effect when the trustees

determine that in two consecutive years general tax revenues will make up

more than 45 percent of total Medicare financing within a seven-year period.

When a warning is issued, the Medicare Modernization Act requires that the

administration make a proposal to bring the funding level below 45 percent,

which Congress must then consider.

Information: Go to

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ReportsTrustFunds/downloads/tr2008.pdf

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Patient survey data about hospital experiences added to public Web site

For the first time, information about patients' hospital care experience will

be available on the Hospital Quality Alliance's public Web site, Hospital

Compare (www.HospitalCompare.hhs.gov). The new data, which come from patient

survey responses, provide information about nurse and physician performance

and responsiveness, hospital cleanliness and noise levels, pain control and

willingness to recommend the hospital. The results are provided as one of

several tools with which consumers can compare the performance of hospitals

in their area. Known as HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare

Providers and Systems), this new survey data joins existing information on

Hospital Compare which allows patients and consumers to compare hospitals

based upon measures of quality of clinical performance, such as treatment of

heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical procedures.

The Hospital Quality Alliance, of which AAMC is a founding member, is a

national public-private collaboration of hospital groups, consumer

representatives, physician and nursing organizations, employers and payers,

oversight organizations and government agencies dedicated to encouraging

hospitals to voluntarily collect and make public quality of care information.

Information: Go to http://www.HospitalCompare.hhs.gov

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GFA seeks poster, presentation topics on faculty vitality and diversity

The AAMC Group on Faculty Affairs (GFA) is seeking input for poster abstracts

and presentations on the topics of faculty vitality and diversity. Submitted

poster and presentation topics will be included in a professional development

conference, Aug. 1-4 in Pittsburgh. The GFA is especially interested in

receiving submissions related to promising practices in the areas of

diversity and vitality, including generational influences, ethnic and gender

differences, and career directions.

Information: Go to

http://www.aamc.org/members/facultyaffairs/callforsessions.htm

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

New network sends U.S. physicians drug alerts via e-mail

Doctors can now sign up online for a free, patient-safety alert system that

will notify them via e-mail (as well as by letter) of Food and Drug

Administration warnings for drugs or medical devices. The launch of the

Health Care Notification Network (HCNN) is the result of a three-year effort

by U.S. medical society leaders, liability carriers, health plans, consumer

advocacy groups, government leaders, and industry. Physicians can enroll on

the HCNN's Web site.

Information: Go to http://www.hcnn.net

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Academic Medicine Online

The AAMC, the Institute of Medicine, and other national organizations

recommend that all medical students receive training in population health,

but how is the academic medicine community responding to this challenge?

Academic Medicine's April theme issue on population health education examines

efforts to train physicians who are well equipped to address issues of public

health and prevention. In this issue you'll find a comprehensive look at

population health education-from the undergraduate university level through

medical school, graduate medical education, and beyond. Two of the articles

are free to non-subscribers: "Evidence-Based Public Health Education as

Preparation for Medical School" and "Education of a Physician: A CDC

Perspective."

www.academicmedicine.org

9. ==== AAMC STAT ====, News from the Association of American Medical Colleges, April 7, 2008 edition.

== New application process launched for senior "away" electives

== AAMC supports reauthorization of J-1 visa waiver program

== New AAMC publication aimed at increasing med school diversity

== AAMC opposes amendment to False Claims Act

== Federal court upholds tax exception for resident stipends

== COGME releases reports on medical access problems, workforce shortages

== Clinical trial volunteers are indifferent, not blind, to conflicts

== On the move

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

New application process launched for senior "away" electives

A new system that streamlines the application process for students who are

interested in taking electives at other U.S. medical schools was launched by

the AAMC on April 1. The Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS) allows

seniors to submit just one application for multiple schools, significantly

reducing paperwork and improving efficiency. The program is available

initially to medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical

Education and will open for student use on April 15. During this pilot year,

a mix of 10 private and public schools from different geographic areas are

participating as VSAS host schools. Other schools will continue to use their

own application system, but any students applying for electives at the host

schools will use VSAS software. The application fee for students is $35 for

the first school applied to and $15 for each additional school. Next year

there will be annual fees for both home and host schools. Planned future

enhancements for VSAS include an interface for faculty members to approve and

schedule electives, inclusion of osteopathic students, and the incorporation

of electronic evaluations.

Information: Go to http://www.aamc.org/vsas

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

AAMC supports reauthorization of J-1 visa waiver program

Last week, the AAMC sent a letter to Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) in support of

the "Conrad State 30 Improvement Act," which would permanently reauthorize

the Conrad State 30 J-1 visa waiver program. The letter notes the

association's support for many facets of the bill, including the increased

annual per state allotments; a green card cap exemption for physicians who

have completed the Conrad 30 program; and increased "flex-slots" for

physicians employed at facilities located outside of underserved areas who

treat patients who live within underserved areas. In the letter, the AAMC

cautions that current visa policies create greater incentives for

international medical graduates to enter the country on H-1b visas rather

than on J-1 visas.

Information: Go to

http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/library/workforce/corres/2008/040208.pdf

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

New AAMC publication aimed at increasing med school diversity

Acknowledging the benefits of a diverse student body, the AAMC has issued a

call to action in the form of a guide to help medical schools put policies in

place to promote diversity. "Roadmap to Diversity: Key Legal and Educational

Policy Foundations for Medical Schools" is the first in a comprehensive

series of publications produced by the AAMC Holistic Review Project. The

hands-on document is meant to act as a tool to encourage leadership, faculty,

legal counsel and others to collaborate on diversity-related issues and

implement policies and programs that are both educationally sound and legally

viable. The publication includes background on key legal and policy trends

related to diversity efforts, an explanation of diversity goals and why they

are important, an overview of key policy terms, as well as a self assessment

guide and an action plan template. This free guide is available on the AAMC's

Publications Web site at www.aamc.org/publications.

Information: Ruth Beer Bletzinger, AAMC Diversity Policies and Programs,

rbletzinger@aamc.org

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

AAMC opposes amendment to False Claims Act

The AAMC joined 16 other organizations in a letter to Congress opposing a

Senate-proposed amendment to the False Claims Act (FCA). The legislation is

intended to correct recent decisions by various federal courts that have

limited the scope and application of the FCA through interpretations that are

contrary to what Congress originally intended when the law was updated 20

years ago. The letter, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute

for Legal Reform, states that the revisions proposed in the legislation would

"dramatically expand the scope of liability under the statute, increase its

financial penalties, and remove safeguards against unfounded qui tam

lawsuits." The letter continues, "these amendments are unnecessary and will

impose enormous burdens on non-profits, universities, hospitals, and small

businesses, as well as virtually any organization that does business with the

Federal government." While the cosponsors of this newly proposed legislation

describe it as a "technical correction," it would have a significant impact

on medical schools and teaching hospitals because they are recipients of

billions of dollars in federal grants and contracts and prime targets of FCA

lawsuits brought both by the Department of Justice and by faculty, employees,

and others.

Information: Go to

http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/library/research/corres/2008/040208.pdf

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Federal court upholds tax exception for resident stipends

Last week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota ordered the

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to refund almost $1.1 million, plus interest,

to the University of Minnesota for Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)

taxes paid on medical residents' stipends during the second quarter of 2005.

Under the IRS rule for Student FICA Exceptions--effective for services

performed on or after April 1, 2005--residents are considered employees

rather than students and do not qualify for the exception. In an earlier case

involving the Mayo Clinic, the court found the IRS rule to be invalid. The

court's decision last week is unlikely to set a precedent for courts outside

the federal district covering Minnesota. To date, no other court has

invalidated the IRS rule. Though the federal government has appealed the Mayo

decision, it has not announced whether it will appeal the most recent

decision.

Information: Go to

http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/library/gme/university_of_minnesota.pdf

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COGME releases reports on medical access problems, workforce shortages

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released

two of the latest reports from the Council on Graduate Medical Education

(COGME), a group formed to provide recommendations to HHS and Congress on

physician workforce issues. The 18th report, "New Paradigms for Physician

Training for Improving Access to Healthcare," focuses on solving medical

access problems facing the nation's rural areas and the urban uninsured. The

report proposes five recommendations, some of which include creating a

national medical school and reinvigorating Title VII health professions

funding, targeting training to create a physician workforce in underserved

areas. The 19th report, "Enhancing Flexibility in Graduate Medical

Education," covers the inflexibility of residency training programs, largely

due to the restrictions on the number of positions and training sites

available. The report also makes recommendations to improve graduate medical

education, including a 15 percent increase in funding, new training models to

meet community needs, and decentralization of training sites.

Information: Go to http://cogme.gov/pubs.htm

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Clinical trial volunteers are indifferent, not blind, to conflicts

Unless a researcher has stock ownership in a company whose drug is being

tested, telling potential research volunteers about an investigator's

financial interests is unlikely to affect their willingness to volunteer,

according to a new study published online by the Journal of General Internal

Medicine. However, study results also show that many research volunteers put

less trust in clinical trial leaders with financial conflicts. The study's

findings suggest that researchers and policymakers involved in clinical

trials should pay close attention to the impact of financial disclosures on

potential study subjects. The research was conducted by investigators from

the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins School of

Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, and the Wake Forest School of

Medicine and School of Law. The study was funded by the National Institutes

of Health.

Information: Go to http://www.springerlink.com/content/jn8914455w236040/

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On the move

Edward J. Wing, M.D., has been appointed dean of medicine and biological

sciences at Brown University, effective July 1. He is currently chair of the

department of medicine at Brown and the Joukowsky Family Professor of

Medicine. He is also physician-in-chief at Rhode Island Hospital and the

Miriam Hospital, and executive physician-in-chief at the Memorial Hospital of

Rhode Island, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Women and Infants

Hospital.

Steven G. Gabbe, M.D., dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has

been named senior vice president for health sciences at Ohio State

University, effective July 1. He will serve in this position for four years,

at which time he will become counselor to the president for health affairs.

Wiley "Chip" Souba, M.D., will continue as dean of the Ohio State University

College of Medicine and will become vice president of health sciences.

Thomas R. Cech, Ph.D., will step down as president of the Howard Hughes

Medical Institute (HHMI) in spring 2009. He plans to resume his position as

an HHMI investigator at the University of Colorado, where he has been a

faculty member since 1978.