School will partner with CeDMA to meet diversity goals
The School of Medicine has established a new partnership with the OHSU Center for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (CeDMA). The partnership is part of the ongoing process to streamline our operations and
avoid overlapping services. The School of Medicine Office of Diversity will close at the end of June and we are now in the process of developing the final plan for this partnership. The Office of the Dean looks forward to student, faculty, resident and staff input. As part of this, on April 27, the Office of the Dean and CeDMA hosted a Town Hall to solicit input. Additional meetings will be held as needed.
Along with reducing costs, there are also strategic advantages to working more closely with CeDMA. CeDMA was established in 1982 and currently works to meet the University’s diversity goals for OHSU’s other schools, centers, institutes and health care system. Rather than operating an independent office within the School of Medicine with overlapping services, the School of Medicine will provide funds to CeDMA directly to leverage these established resources and programs to the specific benefit of the School of Medicine’s teaching, research, clinical and service missions. Many of our students and faculty already work closely with CeDMA.
“We are committed to supporting and increasing diversity in the School of Medicine,” said Dean Richardson at the Town Hall. “This is a key goal of OHSU’s strategic plan and an essential aspect of maintaining an intellectually vibrant community. I am confident CeDMA will help us continue to meet our goals.”
Among other accomplishments, CeDMA has a proven record in actively supporting secondary and post-secondary education through enrichment activities and programs. “We have students who started out with us in high school and now are in medical school and others who are beginning a residency program at OHSU,” said Leslie Garcia, Director of CeDMA.
CeDMA provides community outreach, enrichment programs, cultural competency, maintains literature, resources, and provides consultation related to diversity, multiculturalism and intercultural communication to the OHSU community members. As part of the partnership with the School of Medicine, CeDMA will support faculty and residency recruitment planning and programs in cooperation with School leadership.
"My team and I are looking forward to expanding our support the School of Medicine, including administration, faculty, staff, as well our medical and graduate students,” said Ms. Garcia during the informational Town Hall she organized with Associate Dean for Medical Education Tana-Grady Weliky.
For more information, to provide input, to arrange a Town Hall or other introductory meeting: please contact Leslie Garcia at CeDMA at garcial@ohsu.edu.
Photo: Leslie Garcia with prospective students.
The primary care hamster wheel, Part 1
Associate Dean Grady-Weliky, MD, joins experts for public workforce debate
Associate Dean for Medical Education Tana Grady-Weliky joined a panel of four other experts to discuss the 21st century health care workforce. Thomas Aschenbrener, president of the Northwest Health Foundation and moderator of the discussion hosted by Oregon Health Forum on April 22, challenged the group to consider future community and patient needs. “We can’t just continue to train health care professionals in the way we have done in the past,” he said.
Common themes included the need for more collaboration between provider types; a renewed focus on community health; a remodel of how we delivery primary care – with panelists mentioning the metaphor of a “hamster on a wheel, always going around, never getting anywhere” to describe the state of the primary care career; the necessity of ensuring that all providers could work at the “top of their licenses;” and, the need for telemedicine and other delivery innovations to address the rural health care provider shortage.
Dr. Grady-Weliky discussed the strength of the School of Medicine’s existing primary care education programs and the fact that OHSU graduates still buck trends by picking primary care at rates higher than national averages. But, she noted, we can and will do more because health care reform will require that we educate a new type of physician for the 21st century. She emphasized four important points: 1) preventive care, with an emphasis on health and wellness, rather than the current focus on disease-based interventions; 2) the need for the interprofessional education to support natural alignment of provider teams; 3) a broader adoption of health information technology; and 4) given the rapid pace of discovery, a culture that better supports life-long provider learning.
Dr. Grady-Weliky noted that preference of this student generation for a controllable lifestyle and how current perceptions about primary care practice don’t align with these concerns. Further, student indebtedness – which now averages about $160,000 nationwide for graduating medical students – inhibits students from selecting primary care. “We must find ways to reduce medical student indebtedness, so that this factor is taken out of the equation with regard to specialty selection,” said Dr. Grady-Weliky.
Dr. Grady-Weliky was joined by Kristine Campbell, RN, PhD, executive director of the Oregon Center for Nursing; Kevin Ewanchyna, MD, chief medical officer for Samaritan Health Services; and David Labby, MD, PhD, medical director and director of clinical support and innovation at CareOregon.
Photo: Dr. Tana Grady-Weliky responds to questions at the event.
The primary care hamster wheel, Part 2
Visiting professor calls for radical change in primary care practice
Speaking as the 13th annual Benson-Kendall Lecturer, Thomas Bodenheimer, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco,
made a compelling case for a new system of primary care practice. “U.S. medical school seniors are choosing high-paying specialties not only for the income but because of the work-life balance. The primary care practice of the present is just not attractive to graduating students. They are doing more work, for less money,” he said as he projected a picture of a hamster on a wheel to illustrate his point.
Dr. Bodenheimer also noted challenges in the use of evidence-based medicine as reason for a system overhaul. “Physicians currently use a two-step process: researchers uncover the evidence and clinicians learn and apply it in the patient setting. However, studies tell us that 50 percent of patients still don’t understand what we want them to do at the end of the appointment.” He attributed this to a reimbursement framework that generally limits consultations to 15 minutes.
Dr. Bodenheimer proposed an end to hamster-wheel based primary care, and a move toward team-based care where nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide basic care to the patient panel, and the MD becomes involved only when their special skills are needed. The entire team is responsible for the health of its panel of patients. Dr. Bodenheimer advocated for a system in which primary care physicians see about 10 patients a day, and spend the rest of the day consulting with team members, and interacting with patients by telephone and email. He noted that while initially the costs may be higher, over time they would decline system-wide with better prevention and fewer ED visits. The lecture was hosted by The Foundation for Medical Excellence.
Photo: John W. Kendall Jr. MD, Thomas Bodenheimer, MD, John A. Benson, Jr. MD.
OHSU, UW scientists partner to combat infectious diseases
OHSU and the University of Washington, along with a number of partner institutions across the northwest, have received federal funding to form a regional research center aimed at combating emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases that pose a serious threat to health. Based at OHSU, the collaborative Pacific Northwest Regional Center for Excellence (PNWRCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases was established through a five-year, $40.7 million cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a component of the National Institutes of Health. Jay Nelson, PhD, Professor in the OHSU Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, is the director of the PNWRCE and OHSU’s Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI), and Michael Katze, PhD, UW Professor of Microbiology, is co-director of the PNWRCE.
Members of the PNWRCE will work closely with public health departments in all participating northwest states in training and research. The members will also collaborate with newly funded science initiatives within the state such as the Oregon Translational Research and Drug Development Institute. OTRADI provides crucial research services to Oregon researchers involved in pharmaceutical development and will be an important partner in the research.
“We are delighted to participate in this NIAID program,” said Dan Dorsa, PhD, OHSU Vice President for Research and Senior Associate Dean for Research in the School of Medicine. “The northwest has some of the best immunology, virology and bacterial experts in the world, and the formation of this center provides an extraordinary opportunity to combine the expertise of these individuals in the fight against infectious disease. We also feel that this partnership with the University of Washington will provide the seed for future opportunities between our two institutions.”
To read the media release, click here.
Dr. James Hicks honored by Project Access Now
Helping uninsured patients pass through the health care system with dignity is one of the goals of Project Access NOW, a regional organization that coordinates 
volunteer care in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. A leader in meeting this charge has been James “Judge” Hicks, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine. Dr. Hicks was recently honored by Project Access NOW for serving as founding chairman of the Board of Directors since 2007.
“Judge has been really important in helping us find our way,” said Linda Nilsen-Solares, executive director of Project Access NOW. “His belief in the organization was instrumental in making it happen.”
The idea behind Project Access NOW, Dr. Hicks said, is to have the commitment to care for the patients in advance, and then to tap into it when needed. “When a patient meets the guidelines, we give him a card, which is a passport into our system for a specific diagnosis.” With thousands of physicians in the area signed on, this process helps ensure equity, so not just a few people are providing the care.
Recruiting the physicians was one of Dr. Hicks’ tasks. “He recruited our first few hundred physicians regionally – no small task,” Nilsen-Solares said. All OHSU specialty clinicians participate in the program, which has already enrolled approximately 1,000 patients since it opened its doors in March 2008. “We simply would not be where we are today were it not for his efforts and commitment,” she said.
Photo: Dr. Hicks receives a commemorative statuette from Project Access NOW! Board member Laura Brennan (Andie Petkus Photography).
“Team OHSU” shaves heads to support cancer research
Members of the OHSU Pediatric Residency Team had a new look when they greeted their patients in clinic on Monday, April 20.
As “shavees” in the annual St. Baldrick’s Day Foundation Fundraiser, five team members – residents, physicians and a nurse practitioner – shaved their heads bald in a noisy and emotional event the previous Sunday afternoon.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation raises awareness of childhood cancers through support of cancer research and residency positions in hospitals. The OHSU team placed first in overall fundraising with over $7,100, and team leader Serena Kelly raised the second largest individual total for the Portland celebration.
“This is important to me because I see a lot of children with cancer in Doernbecher. They are a wonderful group of people to take care of,” said Ms. Kelly.
The OHSU Team: Hank Puls, MD, Pediatric Resident; David O’Banion, MD, Pediatric Resident; Jason Glover, MD, Fellow, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology; Serena P. Kelly MSN, FNP-BC, CCRN, Nurse Practitioner; and Bill Chang, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Pediatrics Hematology-Oncology. Others on the team included Rex Puterbaugh, MD, Pediatric Resident; Ross Goshorn, MD, Pediatric Resident; and Shane Rogosin, MD, Fellow Hematology-Oncology.
To view a video and more photos of the OHSU team in action posted on the School's Facebook page, click here.
Photo: Clockwise from left, Dr. Jason Glover in mid-shave, Serena Kelly and Dr. Chang compare scalps, the full team, post-shave (photo credit Laurie Ashenbrenner).
The envelope please! Five winners of the “VIP movie extra” drawing
It may be a bit soon to roll out the red carpet, but five members of the School of Medicine community are preparing to take the first steps toward their own star on Hollywood Boulevard. “The Untitled Crowley Project” is a CBS Films production inspired by the true story of John Crowley - a man who defied conventional wisdom and great odds, and risked his family's future to pursue a cure for his children from the life-threatening Pompe Disease. Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell star in the movie and will be on campus for filming this spring. OHSU is nationally recognized for its research and expertise on Pompe Disease and CBS Films is drawing on this expertise – as well as our lovely campus – for filming.
The Office of the Dean received five “VIP Extra” tickets allowing the lucky winners to bypass the usual (tedious) procedure for extras casting. In recognition of the VIP-status of everyone at OHSU, Dean Richardson requested that the passes be distributed via a random drawing for anyone interested. Over 350 hopefuls entered the drawing held on April 17.
May we have the envelope, please?
- Andrea DeBarber, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology
- Jennifer Maykoski, Research Coordinator, Casey Eye Institute
- Tamara J. Phillips, PhD, Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience
- Bob Jenkinson, first-year medical student
- MicHael Moore, fourth-year medical student
Heading through the hills for humanity
Seventy runners and hikers – and some “in betweeners” – braved the trails and slopes of Marquam Nature Park on April 11 in the fifth annual Hills for Humanity fundraiser, organized by medical students and staff in the
Office of the Dean. As well as introducing more of the OHSU community to the beauty of the linked-trail system surrounding the Marquam Hill campus, the event raised more than $1,500 to support the Garlington Behavioral Health Clinic, a northeast Portland clinic serving 500 people a year who have addiction and mental health issues.
"Garlington was a natural choice for us," said event organizer Nicole Kearney, second-year MD student. "The non-profit clinic faced closure earlier this year from financial difficulties and a fire, eliciting overwhelming positive support from clients via petitions and personal testaments. Their work in mental health and addiction services is an essential part of community health care.”
"It was a pleasure knowing that this opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and see my friends outside of the office was also helping the Garlington Behavioral Health Clinic,” said Rodney Taylor, executive specialist in the Office of the Dean, who hiked the four-mile round-trip from OHSU via the Connor Trail and Council Crest. First-year MD student John Heineman and second-year MD student Stephanie Crocker recorded the fastest times for men and for women.
Photo: Runners begin the staggered start on the Connor Trail (photo Rodney Taylor). Additional photographs are available by clicking here to link to the School's Facebook page.
Student “lobby day” in Salem
Five students from the School of Medicine accompanied President Joe Robertson to Salem on April 2 to speak with state legislators about the impact of any cuts in state support for OHSU. Students met with State Senators Jason Atkinson, David Nelson and Mark Haas, and State Representatives Gene Wisnant, Larry Galizio, Betty Komp, and Chris Garrett. They also exchanged informal remarks with other legislators in the corridors between meetings.
"Funding for medical education at OHSU is shared equally between the state, support from clinical revenue raised by the faculty, and our tuition," said Jinnell Lewis, a second-year MD student. "By visiting legislators in their offices, we were able to help them understand that a reduction in state support puts an increased burden on students and faculty to compensate for the loss. I also talked with them about the possible impact of budget cuts on rural rotations around the state, and that the Bend rotation was one of the things which attracted me to apply to OHSU."
“Legislators appreciate any effort by their constituents to meet and share their perspectives,” said Suzy Funkhouser, Associate Director of OHSU Office of Government Relations.”These brief one-on-one conversations are valuable opportunities for legislators as they seek a deeper understanding of the issues facing medical students today.”
Photo: President Robertson, Jessica Carlson, Senator Atkinson, Leah Werner, Rachel Pilliod, Jinnell Lewis, Rachel Seltzer.
Inaugural “specialty speed dating” matches MDs with MD students
"What a great idea! I wish I could have had this opportunity as a student," was the typical comment at the first annual Specialty Speed Dating event. That sentiment illustrates the challenge some medical students experience in choosing from among the many specialty options. While some students know exactly what they want to do before they even begin medical school, others spend their early years researching and discussing their options with established physicians before reaching their decision.
Recognizing the complexities of this decision, the School of Medicine Alumni Association hosted a “Specialty Speed Dating” event on March 31, where 23 alumni physicians from 21 specialties hosted a table and spent 10 minutes talking with students interested in learning more about their particular specialty. About 60 students participated.
More than 65 percent of the students who responded rated the event as excellent, and the rest rated it as very good,” said Don Houghton, MD, Class of ’71, Professor, Department of Pathology, who organized the mixer event along with medical students Jessica Carlson and Andrew Young. “Their comments expressed appreciation for the candor, approachability and enthusiasm among the physicians, and the physicians were very enthusiastic about the opportunity to meet with the students and be part of this event.”
Photo: Marcia Darm, MD,’78, shares a day-in-the-life look at her OB/GYN practice.
Celebrating public health
The Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine hosted its annual celebration of National Public Health Week April 6 - 10. This year’s theme was “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America” and each day focused on public health issues in a different environment – home, schools, workplace, community and nation. Presenters addressed mental health reform, women’s health, drug and alcohol abuse, environmental hearing loss, community schools and car safety seats.
"Public health refers to that set of activities that society embraces to improve the health and well being of entire populations,” said Thomas Becker, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine. “Public health week provides a wonderful framework for us to discuss some of the priority issues related to public health and to health promotion. By asking people to think about health issues in their homes, schools and workplaces, we can expand the debate about health to include prevention and public health issues where a solution exists outside of the hospital or clinic.”
In addition to these presentations, participants were asked to vote on the most urgent public health issue from a list of five that offered in each of the five environments. Check out the poll results here.
Photo: Kathryn Riley, EdD, Assistant Professor, and Gloria Harrison, Administrative Coordinator, during National Public Health Week.
HONORS, APPOINTMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sue Richards, PhD, recognized for work with federal task force
Sue Richards, PhD, Professor, Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, was formally recognized for her work with the Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention Working Group facilitated by the federal Department of Health & Human Services. Dr. Richards’ work is part of an independent panel that provide service to public health nationally and specifically to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and to the Office of Public Health Genomics. In a letter from the directors of the centers and office, Dr. Richards was recognized for her work helping to establish a foundation for the development of a sustainable and much needed process for the evidence-based evaluation of genetic tests.
“This is a great honor and recognizes Sue’s longstanding role as a leader in genetic testing nationally and internationally,” said Susan Hayflick, MD, interim Chair, Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics.
Bruce Magun, PhD, appointed Association president-elect
Bruce Magun, PhD, Chair, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, has been elected president-elect of the Association of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Neurobiology Chairpersons. The Association represents the interests of U.S. and Canadian medical, dental and veterinary schools and other academic programs. Among other goals, the mission of the Association is to provide leadership and advocacy in the biomedical sciences, particularly the disciplines of cell and developmental biology, neurobiology and anatomy and to represent at the national level the interests of the academicians and investigators working in these disciplines.
Winners of Alumni Association research paper competition
The School of Medicine Alumni Association annually sponsors two research paper competitions. The Resident Paper Competition is open to residents and fellows in clinical departments. The Post Doc Paper of the Year Competition is for post docs in the basic science departments. The Alumni Association Executive Council is pleased to announce this year’s winners.
Resident Paper Competition: Christopher Komanapalli, MD, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, will present his paper at the Sommer Memorial Lectures on May 7.
Post Doc Paper of the Year: Clare Wilhelm, PhD, Department of Behavioral Neurosciences,will present his paper at the annual Student Research Forum on May 14.
TFME awards 12 scholarships
The Foundation for Medical Excellence (TFME) awarded 12 scholarships to students and residents in the MD and Graduate Medical Education programs at a special banquet on April 14. The $5,000 scholarships assist medical students and residents by easing the increasing financial burden of attending medical school. "The mission of The Foundation for Medical Excellence is to improve the quality of health care by ensuring a steady supply of qualified physicians into the region's workforce,” said TFME President Edward Keenan, PhD. “One has only to read the biographies of these outstanding scholars to know that this is a wise investment in the future quality of Oregon’s health care.”
The 2009 Medical Scholars are: Gabriel Andeen, Matt Ashley, Jennifer Atkin, Jessica Carlson, Thomas Ciesielski, Evelyn Ford, Adam Glaser, Dustin Larson, Kathryn Menninger, Jessica Miller, Christopher Murphy, and Tetyana Odarich. The 2009 Graduate Medical Education Scholars are: Barbara Esselink, MD, Prasanna Krishnasamy, MD, and Douglas Maready, MD.
Kristina Hoot, PhD, wins two accolades
Kristina Hoot, PhD, an MD/PhD student currently in her third year of the MD program, recently received two accolades. The Research & Education Foundation of the Radiological Society of North America awarded Dr. Hoot a research grant to study the efficacy of targeted molecular therapies combined with irradiation on skin squamous cell carcinomas. The $3,000 stipend is matched by the Department of Radiation Medicine. Dr. Hoot has also been named the Rubinstein Radiation Research Scholar in the Department of Radiation Medicine for 2009 - 2010. The scholar program provides support for the research career development of the next generation of academic radiation oncology investigators. This year’s award was made possible by the generous philanthropic support of Dick and Deanne Rubinstein.
"The Rubinstein Scholar program is a great opportunity for an outstanding OHSU medical student who has an interest in radiation medicine to pursue innovative research and mentor with an OHSU faculty member,” said Charles Thomas, MD, Chair, Department of Radiation Medicine. “It is my hope that students selected will continue to evolve into physician-scientists who become dominant intellectual presences on the academic radiation medicine and translational cancer biology scene for years to come.”
Annie Powell honored
Annie Powell, a pre-doctoral researcher in the lab of Melissa H. Wong, PhD, Associate Professor, Departments of Dermatology and Cell & Developmental Biology, received the award for Best Oral Presentation at the Northwest Society for Developmental Biology Meeting at the University of Washington, March 18 - 21. Ms. Powell’s talk was entitled “Bone marrow-derived macrophages fuse with intestinal epithelium in the stem cell niche after injury.” Ms. Powell received $1,000 from the Society to present her talk at the National Society for Developmental Biology Meeting, to be held in San Francisco this July.
Patrick Gagnon, MD, receives ASCO award
Patrick Gagnon, MD, a House Officer in the Department of Radiation Medicine, was awarded a 2009 ASCO Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award. The award of $50,000 recognizes his research into positioning and motion tracking for patients undergoing intensity modulated radiation therapy for head and neck cancer using the Calypso 4D Image Guided Radiation Therapy system. “This is the largest award to a resident in our department to date,” said Charles Thomas, MD, Chair, Department of Radiation Medicine. “Most of the clinician researchers competing for this award are junior faculty, or have advanced fellowships in medical oncology.”
Welcome new faculty
A warm welcome to our newest faculty, listed in alphabetical order:
- Todd D. Eisenberg, MD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
- Alan B. Sandler, MD, Professor, Provisional, Medicine - Hematology & Medical Oncology
- Lisa S. Turner, MPAS, PA-C, Instructor, Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine
