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
