News Capsules 04/01/09
April 1, 2009
NEWS CAPSULES is a biweekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the Academic Health Center. Please send submissions to Nick Hanson at hans2853@umn.edu.
Jump to:
News
-- Headlines
People
Announcements
-- Updates
-- Opportunities
-- Calendar
-- Facilities News
-- Time Capsule
Editor’s Note: This edition of News Capsules brings an additional perspective to you. With Frank Cerra out of town, we’ve invited Terry Bock, the Academic Health Center’s Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President to share comments with our readers:
Although it has been a dozen years since I regularly roamed the halls of the Capitol, this time of year always reminds me that there are last minute deals and late nights associated with the approaching legislative deadlines. This Friday is the first deadline, meaning any bill must have been passed by a policy committee for it to have a chance to become law this session. The primary goal for the University this session is to mitigate the potential impact of cuts to the state portion of our overall budget in this historic economic climate. Year after year, lawmakers are challenged to weigh the competing and critically important needs of health care and human services delivery, K-12 education, higher education, and more.
That executive and legislative experience has been important in my role here at the AHC as we navigate our way through difficult budget decisions with the health sciences schools and programs this year. Our work also is critically important to the future health of Minnesota – yet there are competing priorities vying for the resources available. We’re in an era where tough decisions are necessary, where business as usual needs to be examined and even challenged, and where creativity and innovation – along with cost effectiveness – will provide our solutions. Fortunately, we work with very creative and innovative staff and faculty, so I believe we will hit the deadlines for our University – which fortunately are not by next Tuesday.
– Terry Bock
Chief of Staff, Associate Vice President for Health Sciences
Drug commonly used for alcoholism, drug addiction, curbs urges of kleptomaniacs
It appears that a drug commonly used to treat alcohol and drug addiction has a similar effect on the compulsive behavior of kleptomaniacs – it curbs their urge to steal, according to new research at the University of Minnesota.
Nun Study returns to U of M, new research in store
After nearly 20 years, the world-renowned Nun Study that has netted key insights regarding Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders has returned to the University of Minnesota.
Project EAT finds large increase in fast food intake among teens
Project Eating Among Teens (EAT) researcher Katherine Bauer, M.S., found a significant increase in the amount of fast food that adolescents are eating today compared with the late 1990s. She also discovered increases in the amount of fast food adolescents eat as they moved from middle school to high school, and in male adolescents as they moved from high school into young adulthood.
Research measures state-by-state prevalence of cell-phone-only households
The School of Public Health’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) has taken national research about the shift from landline households to cell-phone-only households in the U.S. to a new level by measuring this shift on a state-by-state basis. They are the first research group in the nation to take this important measurement, which will allow state researchers collecting health data to manage potential bias in phone survey results.
U.S. cancer screening trial shows no mortality benefit from annual prostate exam
Six annual screenings for prostate cancer led to more diagnoses of the disease, but not fewer deaths, according to a new major report from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial.
Doris Taylor, Ph.D. (Medical School), is a candidate for Time Magazine’s most influential people of 2009. Taylor washed out cells of a rat heart with a detergent, leaving only the scaffold intact. Her team injected the heart matrix with new cells, and after pacing it, the heart began beating.
Mathur Kannan, Ph.D. (College of Veterinary Medicine), professor in the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department, was the recipient of the 2009 Pfizer Research Excellence Award.
James Swift, D.D.S. (School of Dentistry), received the Distinguished Service
Award from the American Dental Education Association. Awarded only occasionally, the honor recognizes significant contributions to education, research, and the American Dental Education Association.
Aaron Folsom, M.P.H. (School of Public Health), was the recipient of the EPI Mentoring Award during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association Council.
Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., M.P.H. (School of Public Health), has been reappointed by the Minnesota House of Representatives to the Legislative Coordinating Commission Working Group on Preparedness for Terrorism and Disasters. The working group was established in 2007 to advise the Minnesota Legislature on issues relating to homeland security, emergency management, man-made and natural disasters, terrorism, bioterrorism, public health emergencies, and vulnerabilities in public and private infrastructures. His term runs until January 2011.
Jean Wyman, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N. (School of Nursing), was named president of the Midwest Nursing Research Society, the largest nursing research society in the country.
Health-related legislative update
A bill creating a new dental therapist profession has passed committees in both the Senate and House and now awaits floor action, much of the work can be attributed to the hard efforts of School of Dentistry Dean Patrick Lloyd. In addition, a bill was tabled that would have expanded a ban on health care providers receiving gifts from drug companies to include gifts from medical device companies; there will be no further action this year. Visit Government Relations for more U-wide legislative updates.
AHC creates one of top two viewed videos on YouTube’s new Edu section
The section allows colleges and universities to showcase their schools with scholarly and entertaining content that functions as both educational and promotional material. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U received top-ranked spots on the site for its Watchman and HIV/AIDS videos. For more information, see U on YouTube Edu.
Med students celebrate largest match day in history
This year marked the largest Match Day in United States history with more than 24,000 students placing in residencies across the nation. Of the 206 students who matched from the Medical School, about 47 percent went into primary care – up from about 44 percent in 2008.
CSH announces affiliation with alternative medicine clinic
The Center for Spirituality & Healing at the University of Minnesota has announced a strategic partnership with the Alternative Medicine Clinic of Hennepin Faculty Associates. The agreement allows each entity to continue separate operations while paving the way for collaboration in the areas of education, research, and programming.
SOD to kick-off “Dean’s Day”
The School of Dentistry will provide its partners in the Academic Health Center with an overview of cutting edge research being performed by faculty and students in its school on Friday, April 17, at the Coffman Memorial Union Great Hall. School of Dentistry faculty presentations and student research posters that will be presented throughout the day. Call the Continuing Dental Education Office at (612) 625-1418 to register or visit www.dentalce.umn.edu.
Germany’s Federal Minister of Health to speak at AHC
The University’s Center for German & European Studies will host the 5th annual American & German Healthcare Policy Experts’ forum “Healthcare Reform and Progress,” April 28-29 at McNamara Alumni Center. Speakers will include Germany’s federal minister of health and others. Registration is due by April 24. Full program information at available at: http://www.cges.umn.edu/outreach/topic2009.htm.
“So you have an interdisciplinary center – What’s next?”
This workshop will explore ways to maintain interdisciplinary centers’ and institutes’ vitality over their lifespan with a faculty panel including Mary Jo Kane, Steven Ruggles, and Deborah Swackhamer. The event is April 13, 3-5 p.m., at the Mississippi Room in Coffman Union. It’s free, but registration is required. For more information, see workshop.
HartfordCenterhosts talk on pain management in older adults
Visiting scholar Kella Herr, professor and chair of adult and gerontology at the University of Iowa College of Nursing, will give three public lectures on evidence-based guidelines in pain management in older adults and in end-of-life curriculum. Three public lectures, including an evening community presentation co-hosted with the U’s Center on Aging, will take place April 14 and 15, noon–1 p.m., Mayo Memorial Auditorium; and April 15, 5–6 p.m., 2-201 Hasselmo Hall. For more information, visit the Hartford Center’s Web site.
Case for Building Optimal Healing Environments
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality & Healing, in partnership with Ellerbe Becket, a Minneapolis-based international architectural/engineering firm, will host Blair Sadler, J.D., a senior fellow at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement and a faculty member at the University of California, San Diego Schools of Medicine and Management, for the latest installment of the Ellerbe Becket Optimal Healing Environments Lecture Series. The event is April 2, with a 4–5 p.m., lecture, 5–5:30 p.m. Q & A, followed by reception in the Mayo Memorial Auditorium.
SPH film festival scheduled for April 6-11
This year’s selection of films are aimed to be educational, intriguing, and thought-provoking. A new addition to the festival is a Family Fun Film Day on Saturday, which includes short films for kids, crafts, and pictures with Goldy Gopher. Winners of the “It’s Global” Public Service Announcement contest will be screened Monday evening and Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m. The evenings begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Mayo Memorial Auditorium. The film festival is free and open to the public.
SPH sponsoring children’s coloring contest
Children who are 12 and younger and related to SPH faculty and staff are eligible to enter. The coloring sheet must be postmarked by Friday, March 27 or dropped off at the SPH main office by Monday, March 30. Coloring sheets will be displayed during the Film Festival (April 6-11) at the Mayo Memorial Auditorium. For questions, call the SPH main office at 612-624-6669.
“Teaching and Learning in Health Professions Education”
The AHC Office of Education is hosting this year’s Best Practices Institute, “Teaching and Learning in Health Professions Education,” May 18-19. An interprofessional faculty committee from across the Academic Health Center has designed this year’s two-day program. AHC faculty members are encouraged to submit abstracts by April 3 for one-hour sessions as well as poster presentations on the following topics: teaching and learning, assessment and evaluation, technology enhanced learning, and interprofessional education practice. For more information and submission details, visit http://lcsun.lib.umn.edu/index.php/bpi/2009. For questions about the event, contact Sue Kostka: kost008@umn.edu.
Fifth Annual Minnesota Cup
Do you have the next breakthrough business idea? Contest organizers, partnering with the University of Minnesota, Wells Fargo and the State of Minnesota, have announced a call for entries for the Fifth Annual Minnesota Cup – a statewide contest designed to seek out, support, celebrate, and promote Minnesota’s newest and most innovative business ideas. This year’s competition offers more than $130,000 in prizes and is expanding to provide a total of six award divisions: High Tech, BioSciences, Clean & Green, Social Entrepreneurship, General and Student. Deadline for submission is May 22. Submit breakthrough business ideas online at www.minnesotacup.org.
April 3
8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Continuing Medical Education
Cardiac Arrhythmias: An Interactive Update for Internal Medicine,
Family Medicine, and Pediatrics
David G. Benditt, MD, University of Minnesota
Location: Off Campus - Earle Brown Heritage Center; Brooklyn Center, MN
April 4
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
CLARION
CLARION National Case Competition
Location: Coffman Memorial Union - Campus Club - 4th floor of Coffman
April 14 -16
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Design of Medical Devices Conference 2009
Medical Devices
Location: Radisson University Hotel - 2nd Floor
More events like these can be found on the AHC calendar, http://www.ahc.umn.edu/calendar. You can submit an item to the AHC calendar by going to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/submitevent.
What happens to the stuff I send to the archives? (Part I)
Learn more about the behind the scenes process of sending your records to the archives at http://blog.lib.umn.edu/moore144/ahcarchives/2007/03/frequently_asked_questions_1.html
AHC News Capsules is a biweekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the Academic Health Center. Please send submissions to Nick Hanson at hans2853@umn.edu.
|
