News Capsules, 02/16/05
Feb. 16, 2005
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Have you ever met your Minnesota state legislators and told them what's important to you? Now is your chance. On Thursday, April 7, the Academic Health Center will host AHC Day at the Capitol, an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to talk to their legislators about the importance of funding the University of Minnesota. The afternoon includes meetings with legislators for AHC faculty, staff, and students, cholesterol and blood pressure screenings offered by AHC students, and other activities. To make it easy for you to participate, legislator meetings will be scheduled for you. In addition, shuttle buses will depart for the Capitol from Mayo Circle every 30 minutes. To register for AHC Day at the Capitol, go to http://ga4.org/u_of_m_leg_net/events/ahcday/details.tcl Questions? Contact Deborah Zorn at 625-1185 or mailto:zorn@umn.edu.
Would you like some pointers before meeting with your legislators? Attend one of the upcoming AHC Ambassador training sessions. We'll provide tools, tips, and techniques to prepare you for your meeting.
Upcoming dates are:
--Wednesday, Feb. 23, 12:15 to 1 p.m., 2-530 Moos Tower
--Monday, March 28, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., 2-520 Moos Tower
Students may attend the March 28 Legislative Lunch, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in 2-530 Moos Tower. A Minnesota legislator will be on hand to answer questions and give tips on how to effectively advocate to your legislators. Please reply to mailto:zorn@umn.edu to register or for more information.
AHC NEWS
Establishing, implementing, and advancing urban health activities are goals of the AHC Community-Campus Network. The network will support urban health experiential opportunities for students and build on current work toward a sustainable, inter-professional, community-based education model. The network of faculty and students will meet bimonthly to discuss projects and recruitment of new participants. Those interested in participating or wanting more information should send an e-mail to mailto:hawki068@umn.edu.
OTHER NEWS
Researchers at the Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation reversed type 1 diabetes after transplantation of insulin-producing islet cells prepared from a single-donor pancreas. All eight trial recipients with type 1 diabetes attained insulin independence post-transplant, and five remained insulin-independent for more than one year. The research, led by Bernhard J. Hering, Medical School, surgery, was published in the Feb. 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/diabetes021505.
There were lots of smiles, and a few tears, but overall 138 children, ages 2-18, were in good spirits after receiving free dental care Feb. 5 at the School of Dentistry. More than 150 dental and dental hygiene students and dental residents worked alongside staff and faculty to treat children in the School of Dentistry’s 40-chair pediatric clinic, as part of national Give Kids a Smile Day. Each child received radiographs, an examination and treatment plan, plus emergency and some restorative care, as needed. Services and treatments included 104 fillings, 94 cleanings, 18 extractions, 65 fluoride treatments, two stainless steel crowns, and 130 dental sealants. Students and faculty at the school’s Hibbing Community College Dental Clinic treated 52 children, ages 5-15, at a similar event Feb. 4. Give Kids a Smile Day is a national event organized to call attention to, and provide care for, the growing number of low-income people who cannot access dental services.
John Osborn, Medical School, physiology, is the principal investigator on a $5.8 million, five-year NIH grant to study long-term neural determinants of cardiovascular diseases. Four other universities are included in the grant. Osborn says it’s a novel approach on the NIH’s part to developing collaborations of experts in cardiovascular disease across universities. As part of the grant, the Neurogenic Cardiovascular Diseases Consortium will hold an annual three-day workshop at the University of Minnesota. The other participating universities are the University of Pittsburgh, University of Florida, Michigan State University, and University of Texas at San Antonio. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/consortium021805
Fairview-University physicians used TomoTherapy for the first time earlier this month to treat a patient. Fairview-University is the only Minnesota hospital that offers TomoTherapy, a cancer treatment system that offers significant advantages over traditional radiation delivery systems. The TomoTherapy unit, located on the University campus, combines the capability of a high-energy linear accelerator with the imaging capabilities of a computed tomography (CT) scanner.
The Medical School will receive the 2005 Paul R. Wright Excellence in Medical Education award March 19 at the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) annual convention. “The selection committee was impressed with the University of Minnesota's integration of global health into the medical education curriculum,” says Brian Palmer, president of the AMSA. “We had a large number of outstanding applicants this year, and this award is a true credit to the University of Minnesota.” In its application letter, the Medical School noted the work of Quy Ton, a 4th-year student. Ton began a local Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) student chapter and became its president. The organization works with physicians from the local chapter of Centers for Victims of Torture, the National PHR, and the AMSA. Among other things, Ton helped organize a “Town Hall Meeting on Global AIDS” that brought together members of the Minnesota legislative, university, health professional, advocacy, faith-based and business communities to reach a consensus on how Minnesotans can be leaders in the fight against AIDS. With the honor comes $2,500 for the local chapter of the AMSA.
NEWS RELEASES
Pregnant Women's Medication Needs Varies
http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/medication021505
Participating in Smoking Cessation Program Can Prolong Life
http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/smoking021505
U Establishes Center for Dietary Supplement Safety
http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/supplement021405
PEOPLE
The School of Public Health’s Lynn Blewett, Kathleen Call, and Michael Davern were instrumental in the University receiving $350,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to fund an innovative research project in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau and a number of states. The project explores why Medicaid enrollment estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau are consistently lower than those from state administrative data counts. Davern, Blewett, and Call are faculty members in the Division of Health Services Research & Policy and members of the division’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center.
Susan Henly, School of Nursing, received the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing’s Region 4 Pinnacle Award for Nursing Research Dissemination.
Diane Treat-Jacobson, School of Nursing, was voted president-elect of the Society of Vascular Nurses.
Wendy Looman, School of Nursing, has received two new grants. The first is for the project, “Health Promotion through Civic Engagement: A Partnership for the Evaluation of a Community Initiative to Prevent Obesity in Youth,” which received funding from the University’s Council on Public Engagement. The second, “Hmong Translation of the Social Capital Scale for Children with Special Health Care Needs,” was selected for funding as the 2005 Midwest Nursing Research Society Seed Grant.
Duane Nelson, Medical School, biochemistry, molecular biology, and biophysics, was reappointed to the Member Relations and Communications Committee of the Central Association of College and University Business Officers. The organization is a nonprofit representing chief business officers at more than 700 institutions in the North Central region of the United States.
Matthew A. Plow, Program in Rehabilitation Science graduate student, recently was awarded a dissertation grant of $32,400 from the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality. The agency is a sister organization of the National Institute of Health. The dissertation will compare the effectiveness of physical therapy to a wellness intervention on health, quality of life, and exercise adherence for people with multiple sclerosis.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Current information on organ transplants, human cloning, genetic testing, and related topics is now available on the Center for Bioethics Web site at http://www.bioethics.umn.edu/resources/update. The Web section is designed to assist professionals, community members, and students learn more about bioethics. “We have significant new and current resources available on topics ranging from stem cell research to end of life care,” says Dianne Bartels, the center’s associate director. “Our PDF files amount to short courses on the topic of interest and our Bioethics in the News section can lead users to other solid sources of information,” says Amy Ward, editor of the Web section.
Jasjit S. Ahluwalia will discuss “Team Science: The Future of Clinical Research” Feb. 28, noon to 1 p.m., in 2-690 Moos Tower. Ahluwalia, the Sosland Family Professor and Chair, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas, is a candidate for the AHC executive director for clinical research position. All faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend.
“Healing by Design,” a three-part series kicks off Feb. 17 with “Healing Gardens: What to do, what not to do, and what we still don’t know.” The series highlights therapeutic health benefits through landscape, garden, and interior design. All lectures are held at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The cost for each lecture is $40 or $80 for all three. There’s a reduced fee for students. For more information, go to http://www.csh.umn.edu/csh/programs/calendar/hdreg.html, write Tracy at mailto:dimon007@umn.edu or call 624-9459. The Healing by Design series is a collaborative effort of the Center for Therapeutic Horticulture at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and the Center for Spirituality and Healing.
Ellen Wright Clayton, Vanderbilt University, will deliver the Deinard Memorial Lecture on Law & Medicine Friday, Feb. 25, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Mississippi Room at Coffman Memorial Union. Clayton will lecture on "Over-Reading the Human Genome: The Threat to Privacy, Employment, Group Identity, and Responsibility." The lecture is co-sponsored by the University's Joint Degree Program in Law, Health & the Life Sciences and the Center for Bioethics. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required if you wish to receive continuing education credits (CME, CNE, CLE). For more information call 625-0055 or visit http://www.lifesci.consortium.umn.edu.
Artists are needed for Harambe, a University multicultural arts show planned for April 10, 5 p.m., at Coffman Memorial Theater. Harambe means “let’s all come together.” The event is designed to celebrate the healing power of the arts and our common humanity, while uniting the medical community with the greater campus community. A donation from the event’s proceeds will be made to the Native American Community Clinic. The event is co-sponsored by the Student National Medical Association and American Medical Student Association. Organizers are looking for stage performers (spoken word, dance, music, etc.) and visual artists to display work in an art gallery. Participants do not need to be a member of the University community. Those interested should e-mail Melissa Deer at mailto:deer0017@umn.edu.
CLINICAL RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
For information on other clinical research opportunities, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/campusnews/trials.
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