February News

Message from Dean Richardson: Search for new Chair of the Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics begins

Greetings and welcome to the February edition of the School of Medicine newsletter.

This month, the Office of the Dean finalized the membership of the Search Committee that will oversee the process of selecting a new Chair of the Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics (MMG).

Current Chairman Robb E. Moses, MD, will step down effective July 2007. Under Robb's direction, the Department has developed excellence in teaching, research and service. Susan Hayflick, MD, Professor of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Pediatrics and Neurology has agreed to serve as Interim Chair.

Going forward, this is an important recruitment for the School of Medicine and for OHSU. The field of genomics and genetics is at the leading edge of what will inevitably be fundamental changes in clinical care. A continuing challenge, however, is to translate this growing body of basic knowledge into clinical practice.

The ground is fertile for a significant leap forward. At OHSU, the Chair recruitment is part of a plan for investments to expand genetics and genomics research, including adding new faculty. Funding of the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI) has created new opportunities for interdisciplinary research. Further, the field of genetics, and thus the Department, is inherently adaptable to the cross-disciplinary and integrative model articulated by the OHSU 2020 Vision, the School of Medicine's strategic plan and the Roadmap of the National Institutes of Health.

My expectations for the new chair are significant: A clear vision for growth and development. An international reputation for research. A plan to recruit and support a diverse faculty. A strong commitment to teaching and faculty career development. Exceptional communication and leadership skills.

The recruitment process will be inclusive, transparent and we will use every technique available to attract a diverse group of candidates. Currently, we are placing notifications in appropriate scientific journals. Soon, this will be expanded to include personal letters from the Search Committee to the current Chairs of prestigious departments and institutions across the nation to solicit nominations.

I am also very interested in your help in identifying qualified candidates. Please submit names of people you believe to be strong candidates for the Chair position. The Search Committee will contact these people and, as appropriate, encourage them to solicit responding information.

Our Search Committee is co-chaired by Sharon Anderson, MD, and Gail Mandel, PhD. Dr. Anderson is Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs, Professor of Medicine (Nephrology and Hypertension) and Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Mandel is a Senior Scientist in the Vollum Institute and a Howard Hughes Investigator. The MMG Department liaison to the Committee is Susan Hayflick, MD.

Our goal in the selection of the Search Committee was that the membership itself mirror our recruitment expectations, including reaching out to diverse candidates and identifying candidates whose integrative vision for the growth and development of the Department will be compelling to multiple disciplines.

In addition to the co-chairs, the members of the Search Committee are:

Brian J. Druker, MD, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, and Cell and Developmental Biology

David H. Ellison, MD, Professor of Medicine, Head, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, and Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology

Caroline A. Enns, PhD, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Robert J. Hitzemann, PhD, Professor and Chair of Behavioral Neuroscience

Motomi Mori, PhD, Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine

James T. Rosenbaum, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology and Medicine, and Head, Division of Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases

Peter S. Rotwein, MD, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Robert D. Steiner, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular and Medical Genetics

Xiao-Jing Wang, MD, PhD, Professor of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and Research Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

Douglas A. Weeks, MD, Professor and Interim Chair of Pathology

This process will now move forward in a way that I hope maximizes our chance to find the ideal candidate. The Search Committee will provide the Dean's office with quarterly progress reports, but no specific timetable for finding a new chair will be established. The process will be open-ended such that it will conclude only when the right candidate has been successfully recruited. Interviews will begin when the Committee has identified appropriate candidates.

Please feel free to contact me or the Committee Co-Chairs, Sharon Anderson and Gail Mandel, with questions or ideas as this process moves forward. And my sincere thanks to the Committee members for the time and energy this process will entail.



Interim Dean Mark Richardson, MD, MBA

MEET THE DEANS

Over the coming months, the School of Medicine newsletter will profile members of the Dean's office. This month: Chris L. Cunningham, PhD, and Eric S. Orwoll, MD. For an overview of the Dean's office organization, please click here.

Chris L. Cunningham, PhD, Associate Dean for Graduate Education

In his position of Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Christopher Cunningham provides leadership in programmatic and policy issues related to the graduate studies program in the School of Medicine. He also participates in budget development and oversight for the program. Chris convenes and guides the Graduate Council and advises the Dean on matters related to graduate education. Chris has filled this role in the Office of Dean since 2003.

Graduate students are taught and mentored by a Graduate Faculty composed of more than 300 faculty scientists located in a variety of academic and research units within the medical school and university. Chris is available to help mediate faculty and students experiencing difficulty in the student-mentor relationship. He is also a resource for anyone needing assistance in understanding graduate program policies and by-laws, or help navigating issues related to professional conduct within the graduate studies program.

Chris was awarded a PhD in Experimental Psychology from what was then the University of Oregon Medical School, later to become OHSU. He is a Professor in the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and a current member of the Faculty Council, Academic & Student Affairs Council and the Assessment Council, among other responsibilities.

Outside of OHSU, Chris says: "I enjoy skydiving, bungee jumping, NASCAR racing and long walks on the beach," although except for the latter, there have been no witnesses yet to any of these activities.

Eric S. Orwoll, MD, Associate Dean for Clinical Research

As Associate Dean for Clinical Research, Eric Orwoll's primary area of responsibility within the Office of the Dean is the coordination and growth of clinical and translational research. Eric works in close collaboration with the OHSU Office of the Vice President for Research (Dan Dorsa, PhD), along with Dick Traystman, PhD, Associate Dean for Basic Research, to ensure that faculty and students are able to effectively pursue their research interests. Eric has filled this role in the Office of the Dean since 2002.

Eric is focused on facilitating the performance of research, developing new research programs and stimulating successful career development. As the director of the new Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI), he is dedicated to finding new ways to bring investigators together around common interests, to founding new collaborative research programs, and to enhancing career development in research. Faculty or departments should contact him whenever they need help or have questions about those issues. "I'd love to talk with investigators with ideas in any of these areas, my door is open."

A Professor of Medicine, Eric completed his medical education at the University of Maryland, residency training at Providence in Portland, and joined OHSU as a Research Fellow, Endocrinology & Metabolism, in 1977. Eric is also Chief of the Section of Endocrinology & Metabolism Clinic in the Portland Veteran Affairs Medical Center.

Outside of OHSU, Eric says that spending time with family, especially if it coincides with fishing and hiking, is a high priority, and he likes to bike to work, although "none of these events happen often enough."

Landmark $40 million gift to expand School of Medicine

On February 8, OHSU and the School of Medicine announced the largest outright gift in the institution's 120-year history - a pledge of $40 million from an anonymous donor. The gift will support the future construction of a new medical school building on the planned Schnitzer Campus.

Dean Mark Richardson, MD, MBA, emphasized that the landmark gift will do more than improve medical education; it will also help OHSU respond to the growing crisis in the state's healthcare workforce.

"Oregon urgently needs more physicians," he said. "OHSU's emerging network of regional medical education centers throughout Oregon is an important first step in educating more medical students, but they will still need to complete a key portion of their training here in Portland. This gift will enable the school to increase its enrollment and begin the important work ahead."

Discussions of the school's future expansion are still in the earliest phases, but the gift will catalyze a series of planning activities for what is envisioned to be a model center of collaborative and interdisciplinary learning opportunities for medical, nursing, dental, pharmacy and engineering students.

Integrating OHSU 2020 into the School of Medicine's strategic planning process

In February, OHSU President Robertson and the Board of Directors outlined the basic tenets of OHSU 2020, the strategic vision for the university going forward. OHSU 2020 was the result of months of discussion among faculty and staff, regional stakeholders and others who are committed to OHSU's success.

Over the coming two months, Interim Dean Mark Richardson, MD, MBA, and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Neil Swanson, MD – both of whom participated in the discussions and deliberations resulting in the OHSU 2020 – will meet with each SOM department to talk about the plan and its evolution. A part of this discussion will be to begin the process of responding to and integrating the OHSU 2020 vision into the SOM's own strategic planning, already underway.

OHSU 2020 states: OHSU will make Oregon a national leader in health and science innovation for the purpose of improving the health and well-being of all Oregonians. OHSU 2020 identifies long- term steps to achieve this vision:

• Be a leader in applying health and engineering science to solve the world's major health problems.

• Leverage our multiple institutes and centers, schools, departments and individual excellence to generate unique, interdisciplinary solutions to major health issues worldwide.

• Attract and keep the best health and science faculty.

• Reinvent health education through interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration, new care models and use of technology.

• Facilitate solutions to Oregon's health care workforce needs.

• Develop and promote health care delivery models that are innovative in their pursuit of quality, efficiency, transparency and sustainability, and that improve quality of life for patients.

• Advocate for financing and delivery systems that provide fair and equitable health care access for all Oregonians.

• Build innovative partnerships that connect the learning and discovery of an academic health center to practical application across Oregon and the nation.

• Attract financial resources from public, private and philanthropic sources required to sustain and adequately fund our missions.

OHSU 2020 also articulated six short-term strategies to achieve in the next five years:

• Align OHSU enterprises to support sustainable innovation.

• Develop a faculty that will collaborate to drive excellence and innovation across OHSU.

• Build financial wherewithal for the long-term advancement of all of our missions.

• Join others in developing policy solutions that improve access to high quality health care for all, especially Oregonians.

• Help meet Oregon's workforce needs in the health and science professions through innovative strategies such as regionalization, academic partnerships, distance learning, and interdisciplinary educational approaches.

• Be a great organization, diverse in people and ideas.

SOM participates in outreach to expand applicant diversity

Earlier this month, the Stanford University Minority Medical Alliance (SUMMA) hosted one of the largest pre-medical conferences in the West. SUMMA's goal is to help underrepresented minority students prepare for careers in medicine. OSHU School of Medicine second-year medical students Marisol Toliver-Sokol and Elis Madrigal hosted an information table at the conference.

Marisol and Elis are the co-presidents of the OHSU/SOM chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA). While maintaining rigorous school schedules, SNMA members travel to conferences such as this one to let potential students know why they chose OHSU.

This year, SUMMA hosted 524 undergraduates and 101 high school students. Marisol says that such conferences provide a great space to dispel myths about medical school and fears about the process. Applicants were most interested in finding out about "a-day-in-the-life" of a medical student. They were curious about the admission process, about costs, and about GPA and MCAT requirements. The question of specific support for minority applicants also came up, including questions about scholarships and grants.

During the same weekend, the AAMC Western Region Group on Student Affairs-Minority Affairs Section (GSA-MAS) conducted a day and a half of sessions for minority affairs professionals in Palo Alto. The workshop was coordinated by OHSU faculty and staff, specifically, Ella Booth, PhD, Associate Dean for Diversity and Laurie Mecham, Executive Specialist in the SOM Dean's office, and by Leslie Garcia, MPA, Director of the OHSU Center for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. The workshop was sponsored by the AAMC Division of Diversity Policy and Programs.

The goal was for program coordinators, student recruiters, administrative support staff and similar professionals from medical schools around the nation to advance their knowledge of diversity issues.

Workshop topics included: communication strategies; building relationships within and outside your institution; financial issues; career development; faculty diversity programs; and communication with medical students and staff. Based on evaluations from participants, the workshop was a huge success.

"Pairing the diversity workshop around a large recruitment fair provided participants the opportunity to attend the workshop without overly taxing their travel budget. We will look for a similar recruitment fair for next year," said Dr. Booth.

Gov. Kulongoski hosts signing ceremony for regionalization letter of intent

The School of Medicine signed a letter of understanding with Oregon State University and Samaritan Health Services, Corvallis, Ore., to examine joint resources and opportunities for training medical students in ways that address work force shortages. The signing took place on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at the Oregon Capitol building in the Governor's Ceremonial Room. The event was widely covered by regional newspapers.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski opened the ceremony by noting the high profile of health care reform during this legislative session, and the important role of ensuring an adequate physician workforce to alleviate Oregon's health care access crisis. Oregon Sen. Frank Morse and Rep. Sara Gelser, both legislators representing Corvallis, spoke about the ancillary educational, economic and social benefits that a regional OHSU campus will bring to their communities.

OHSU President Joe Robertson, MD, MBA, OSU President Edward Ray, PhD, and Samaritan Health Services President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Mullins, DHA, signed the letter of understanding. The letter commits the three entities to a partnership that will allow a group of OHSU medical students to receive some aspects of their preclinical and clinical training at OSU and Samaritan Health Services in Corvallis.

"Samaritan Health has seen real success in partnering with higher education institutions to help develop and maintain a high-quality workforce in our region. We are looking forward to applying what we have learned to this new collaboration between our three organizations," said Mullins.

"This new educational collaborative builds on our strong partnership with OHSU in pharmacy and a number of major research projects," said Ray. "We are very pleased to contribute to the education of medical students in Corvallis and know that they will contribute to the quality of other programs on campus."

Members from OHSU, OSU and Samaritan Health will meet for the next few months to discuss these concepts and develop a formal business plan for the Corvallis program. The program will also require sustained state funding.

The Governor's recommended budget includes an increase in appropriations to OHSU of about $18 million. About $11 million of this new funding is allocated specifically for the medical education initiatives; the remainder is for other healthcare workforce programs.

This week, the Oregon Legislature's Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education is considering OHSU's budget and will make recommendations to the House and the Senate about funding. OHSU President Robertson, Dean Richardson and Provost Lesley Hallick will provide testimony before the Subcommittee about the needed funding for workforce programs.

To read newspaper articles about the signing ceremony from:

Corvallis click here

Albany click here

Salem click here

Remembrance: Kenneth Swan, MD

Dr. Kenneth Swan, first full-time clinical Professor and Chairman of the OHSU Department of Ophthalmology, died on Friday, February 23. He passed away just two months after his beloved wife Virginia. Dr. Swan was born January 1, 1912.

From the beginning of his long career at OHSU in 1944, he shaped the education of ophthalmologists in Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest. He spent countless hours with residents, and contributed equally to patient care and research. Dr. Swan's work with his Department of Ophthalmology colleagues led to important innovations, including the first microscope for ocular surgery and the creation of new drugs and other therapies. His career was remarkable for his being the recipient of the Howe and Proctor medals, being president of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), and serving on the National Advisory Council for the National Eye Institute. He founded the Elk's Children's Eye Clinic - the nation's first academic children's eye clinic. He will be no less remembered, however, for the unfailing courtesy and congeniality that led to lasting friendships.

Research update: Oregon Women's Study will take place in Klamath Falls

One hundred fifty women of child-bearing age in Klamath Falls are being recruited for the initial phase of the Oregon Women's Study -- 50 in the first trimester of pregnancy, 50 in the last trimester and 50 not pregnant.

The objective of the OHSU study is to determine how the nutrition, metabolism and lifestyle of pregnant women influence the growth pattern of the fetus and later the infant in its first year.

Nutritional deprivation in critical periods during gestation triggers adaptive mechanisms, it is suspected, that causes the fetus to reduce its demand for nutrients and redistribute blood flow to protect the embryonic brain and other key organs. These adaptations help keep the fetus alive but, after birth, appear to have lifetime consequences for the body's structure and metabolism.

Klamath Falls, a southern Oregon community of 42,000, was chosen for the pilot study for both scientific and practical reasons. "There are distinct cultural and regional differences in the way people eat," said Kent L. Thornburg, PhD, director of the OHSU Heart Research Center, M. Lowell Edwards Chair of Research in Clinical Cardiology and Professor of Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine). "We don't know much about the diets of people in Oregon's rural communities and we don't know much about how their babies grow. Eventually, we want to repeat this work in as many of Oregon's subcultures as we can find. Klamath Falls also has a relatively stable population which makes it simpler to track women over a long period of time."

Also, many Klamath Falls family physicians are already part of the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network, the collaboration of researchers and health professionals at OHSU and in rural communities throughout the state. Further, the East Family Medicine Residency Program - which is co-sponsored by Merle West Medical Center, Klamath Falls' largest employer, and the Oregon Area Health Education and Training Center - is based there.

The Klamath Falls study is being conducted under the leadership of Cynthia D. Morris, PhD, MPH, Professor and Vice Chair of Medical Informatics and Clinical epidemiology; Sally Y. Segel, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and Robert G. Ross, MD Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Director of the Cascades East Family Medicine Residency Program. Diane Davina, RN, a Klamath Falls nurse, is the study's Heart Research Center coordinator.

For more information about the Oregon Women's Study, please visit: http://www.ohsu.edu/heart

CHH is first medical facility in nation to earn LEED Platinum Award

The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded the OHSU Center for Health & Healing LEED platinum certification for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, the first medical and research facility to have achieved this distinction.

The Center is one of only 30 buildings of all kinds in the country to have been awarded platinum certification and the largest and most complex medical building in the country to have achieved it. The building garnered 55 points out of a possible 69 on the USBGC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) scorecard, three more points than required for platinum.

The building is 61 percent more energy-efficient than required by Oregon code. It uses nearly 60 percent less potable water than a similar conventional building. One-hundred percent of the sewage generated in the building is treated in a membrane bioreactor on site. Building systems also include an integrated day-lighting system, naturally ventilated stair towers, radiant heating and cooling, and eco-roofs. Rainwater and wastewater are harvested for landscaping, keeping 15,000 gallons a day from reaching the city's overburdened sewer system. No potable water is used for waste conveyance or irrigation in the building, and the swimming pools are integrated with the heating and cooling system as a thermal storage unit.

The south-side facade of the building on the 15th and 16th floors was transformed into a giant solar air heater by creating a 6,000 square foot trombe wall consisting of two glass skins. The warm air produced inside the trombe wall by the greenhouse effect is recirculated through the building in winter reducing the building's energy use.

The LEED green building rating system is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance sustainable buildings. It targets areas such as sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. The U.S. Green Building Council, which administers the rating system, is a coalition of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.

Photo by Dyann Hamilton, solar panels at CHH.

March 9: Grantwriting seminar

The OHSU Clinical Research Program along with the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Center is sponsoring, Write Winning Grants: A Seminar for Clinician Scientists, on March 9. The 8-hour seminar is geared toward clinicians and scientists who wish to improve their skills in obtaining research grant funds. For a brochure for the seminar, which includes a description agenda and registration form (due by March 2): click here. Questions? Contact Gretchen Luhr at (503) 494-3812 or luhrg@ohsu.edu

March 10: Gallo Visiting Professor, Alan Cohen, MD, at OHSU

Alan R. Cohen, MD, will lecture at OHSU on March 10. He is the 1st Anthony Gallo, Jr. Lecturer. Dr. Cohen is Professor of Neurological Surgery and Pediatrics and the Reinberger Professor of Pediatric Neurological Surgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, where he also is Surgeon-in-chief.

The Gallo Lecture was created by the OHSU Department of Neurological Surgery to honor the legacy and dedication to teaching and medical ethics of Anthony J. Gallo, Jr.,MD, a Professor of Neurosurgery at OHSU from 1968 to 1989.

Saturday, March 10
9:00 am
Vey Conference Center, Doernbecher Children's Hospital, 11th Floor
For more information: Joanie Mastrandrea at (503) 494-6207

March 14: What neuroscience tells us about substance abuse: Robert Hitzemann, PhD, NWABR lecture

Robert Hitzemann, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, will present a lecture titled "What Neuroscience Tells Us about the Etiology, Pathology and Treatment of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse."

This lecture is one in a series of lectures called Physicians with a Message - Research for Better Human Health, presented by the Seattle-based Northwest Association for Biomedical Research and hosted by OHSU.

Wednesday, March 14
5:15 - 6:15 p.m.
OHSU Hospital, 8th floor UH 8B60
(503) 245-2102 / csill@davidheil.com
RSVP encouraged but not required

March 16: Meaningful Care Conference

National LGBT Health Awareness Week kicks off on March 11 with nationwide events and celebrations promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health. Multnomah County's Meaningful Care Conference is a part of this campaign.

The Meaningful Care Conference will provide health care providers with information and insight on the best practices and culturally appropriate care for LGBT patients. CEU and CME Certifications for the conference are available.

The conference is a collaboration between the following organizations who share a vision of integrating LGBT cultural competency into health care: OHSU/Partnership Project, Q Center, Kaiser Permanente, Breathe Free, Cascade AIDS Project, Multnomah County, Outside In, Brother to Brother, Elders Resource Alliance and the Hambleton Project.

Fri. March 16
8:00 am - 12:00 p.m.
Kaiser Town Hall
3704 N Interstate Avenue
Portland, OR 97227

For additional information and to register: click here.

April 2: AAMC Nickens awards submissions due

The AAMC is soliciting nominations for the annual Herbert W. Nickens Award, as well as nominations for the Nickens faculty fellowship and medical student scholarships. Nominations for all three awards must be received by April 2, 2007. Late nominations will not be accepted.

The $10,000 Herbert W. Nickens Award is given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to efforts that promote justice in medical education and provide equal health care for all Americans.

The $15,000 Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship recognizes an outstanding junior faculty member, committed to a career in academic medicine, who has demonstrated leadership in addressing inequities in medical education and health care.

The $5,000 Herbert W. Nickens Medical Student Scholarships are awarded to five outstanding students entering their third year of medical school who have demonstrated leadership in addressing the educational, societal, and health care needs of minorities.

Information: Juan Amador, AAMC Division of Diversity Policy and Programs, NickensAwards@aamc.org , or click here

April 2: McKnight Award submissions due

The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience assists scientists working to apply the knowledge achieved through basic research to human brain injury or disease. Up to six awards are made annually, each providing $100,000 per year for three years. The deadline is April 2, 2007.

For additional information, please contact The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience, 710 South Second Street, Suite 400, Minneapolis, Minn. 55401 or info@mcknight.org.

Nabil Alkayed, MD, to serve on NIH Study Section

Dr. Nabil Alkayed, Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Peri-Operative Medicine, has accepted an invitation from the Center for Scientific Review at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to serve on its Neural Oxidative Metabolism and Death Study Section.

Over the next two and a half years, Dr. Alkayed will have a unique opportunity to contribute to the national biomedical research effort. He will review grant applications submitted to the NIH, make recommendations to the appropriate NIH national advisory council or board, and survey the status of research in the designated fields of science.

Members of study sections are selected on the basis of competence and achievement in their scientific discipline demonstrated by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements, and honors.

Kevin Billingsley, MD, selected for James IV Traveling Fellowship

Kevin Billingsley, MD, has been selected for the James IV Traveling Fellowship for expertise in surgical oncology. Dr. Billingsley is Head of the Division of Surgical Oncology, and Hedinger Associate Professor of Surgery.

The fellowship is awarded to candidates who have made outstanding contributions to the art and science of surgery and allows the candidate to personally present their newer techniques and innovations to surgical audiences in countries around the world. Each year two to five surgeons are selected to receive this fellowship.

Dr. Billingsley will travel to the Queen Mary Hospital at the University of Hong Kong, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre of the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne, Australia, and the Princess Alexandra Hospital of the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. In the fall, Billingsley will travel to liver surgery medical centers in Scotland and France.

Richard Deyo, MD, appointed as Kaiser Permanente Professor of Evidence-based Medicine

The Department of Family Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Richard Deyo as Kaiser Permanente Professor of Evidence-based Family Medicine at OHSU. Dr. Deyo is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine and completed his Masters of Public Health degree at the University of Washington. His internship and residency in internal medicine were completed at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and he was a VA/Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of Washington.

Dr. Deyo's research has focused on measurement of patient functional status, involvement of patients in clinical decisions, and the management of common outpatient conditions, especially low back pain. He is currently Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Cost and Outcomes Research at the University of Washington and is a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Physician Faculty Scholars Program. Dr. Deyo has served as mentor and teacher to dozens of research fellows and received the John M. Eisenberg Award for Career Achievement in Research from the Society of General Internal Medicine in 2004.

As Kaiser Professor of Evidence-based Family Medicine, Dr. Deyo will work jointly with scientists and clinicians at OHSU and with the Kaiser Center for Health Research to pursue his interests in the cost effective use of medical technology and in the translation of research evidence into clinical practice. He will begin work at OHSU in October 2007.

The Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network Receives Master Contract from AHRQ

The OHSU Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network (ORPRN) was selected by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to serve as a contractor for practice-based research for the next three to five years.

This status was obtained through an extensive competitive application process in 2006 in which networks throughout the country submitted bids to receive master contracts from AHRQ, according to Lyle J. (L.J.) Fagnan, MD, Associate Professor of Family Medicine, and Director of ORPRN.

ORPRN will be one of a handful of networks approved to bid on "task orders" issued by AHRQ. These research or quality improvement projects will range in scope and may include preventive care, methods of diagnosing/treating common conditions, health care for priority populations, health information technology, readiness for emerging public health problems, and the coordination and delivery of primary care.

Jennifer Hyer elected to AAFP

Jennifer Hyer, a fourth-year medical student, was elected to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) board of directors. Hyer was elected to a one-year term by the National Congress of Student Members and was confirmed by the Congress of Delegates, the AAFP governing body. The AAFP represents more than 94,000 physicians, residents and medical students nationwide.

SOM new faculty

A warm welcome to new faculty joining the OHSU School of Medicine during the month of January 2007:

Timothy Bailey, PhD, Research Assistant Professor Physiology & Pharmacology

William Fisherman, MD Assistant Professor Diagnostic Radiology

O John Ma, MD, Professor and Chairman, Emergency Medicine

Joshi Alumkal, MD, Assistant Professor Medicine

Norman Cohen, MD, Assistant Professor Anesthesiology & Peri-Operative Medicine

Amy Hackett, MD, Assistant Professor Medicine

Teresa Liao, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor Anesthesiology & Peri-Operative Medicine

Derek Louie, OD, MS, Assistant Professor Ophthalmology

William Byrne, MD, Adjunct Professor Pediatrics

Madeleine Sanford, MSN, FNP, Instructor Family Medicine

Timothy Simrell, M.S., PA-C, Instructor Medicine

Gabriel Aron, MSN, BSN, Instructor Anesthesiology & Peri-Operative Medicine

Cortney Blakemore, MSA, BSN, Instructor Anesthesiology & Peri-Operative Medicine

James Hilliard MSN, BSN, Instructor Anesthesiology & Peri-Operative Medicine

Kieren Marr, MD, Adjunct Professor Medicine

Janet Staab, PhD, Research Assistant Professor Medicine

Jennifer Weprin, MSN, CFNP, Instructor Family Medicine

Information presented in order of effective date.