Foes of a tax increase for a proposed medical school, teaching hospital and other health-related projects in Austin are far behind supporters in raising money to get their message out to Travis County voters.

Political action committee reports filed this week show that the Travis County Taxpayers Union PAC has raised just $2,343 to fight Proposition 1 the property tax increase proposed by Central Health for the Nov. 6 ballot compared with $293,088 from supporters of the Keep Austin Healthy PAC.

Medical school supporters, led by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, have backing from a variety of groups, including businesses, physicians and Democratic Party organizations. One of the largest donors to the PAC was Watsons campaign committee, which donated $36,725, most of it for polling data.

A broad cross section of the community is supporting this, said Clarke Heidrick, a member of the Central Health board. He added that he donated $1,000 to pro-Proposition 1 campaign, which will show up on a future PAC report. His law firm, Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody donated $5,000 during the five-week fundraising period that ended Sept. 27.

Central Health is asking voters to raise the tax rate from 7.89 cents per $100 of assessed value to 12.9 cents, a 63 percent rate increase. The increase would bring in an estimated $54 million and cost the average Travis County homeowner an additional $107.40 in 2014, for a total average tax bill of $276.79 for health services.

Don Zimmerman, treasurer of the anti-Proposition 1 campaign, said he was disappointed in his groups showing, even though he knew fundraising would be tough.

I was hoping to have least $5,000 and we didnt even make half that, said Zimmerman, a former Republican candidate for state and county offices.

He loaned the campaign $1,000, which is not counted as a donation. Zimmerman also paid his company, ZimWin Communications, $1,000 to distribute about 50 campaign signs against the tax.

Keep Austin Healthy reported spending $84,619 on advertising, yard signs and contract labor.

Other large donations came from the Real Estate Council of Austin, which gave $50,000; the Downtown Austin Alliance and Luminex Corp., which gave $25,000 each; and Wells Fargo Bank, BuildASign LLC and Daniel Graham (owner of BuildASign), which gave $10,000 apiece.

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Supporters of tax increase for medical school in Austin raising far more money than opponents

The following is the view of The Saginaw News Editorial Board on the plans for Central Michigan University's medical school campus in Saginaw.

Central Michigan Universitys medical school presence in Saginaw is no longer a pipe dream.

With more than $16 million raised in the $25 million campaign for two Saginaw locations, CMU officials say the pieces are in place to start construction next fall and have students here in 2014.

The partnerships with Covenant HealthCare and St. Marys of Michigan, along with affiliations with 17 hospitals throughout Mid-Michigan, can only mean good things for the future of healthcare in the area.

CMU medical students will spend the last two years of medical schooling locally, practicing at our facilities. Not only will we help train the future doctors of America, but school officials expect many of them will make this region their home and continue to offer quality health care to local residents. The school will also provide an opportunity for Michigan residents to attend medical school in their home state officials say preference will be given to Michigan applicants.

CMU officials were in town last week to update business leaders on the project and allay fears that it wouldnt happen.

The project didnt have the most stellar start when CMUs former president Michael Rao left the university less than a year after it was announced and the medical schools first choice for dean resigned the position.

We believe there has been so doubt that this was going to become a reality, said Kathleen Wilbur, CMUs vice president of development and external affairs, during a meeting with The Saginaw News Editorial Board It is more than reality at this point.

And with drawings of the two Saginaw buildings in hand, accreditation underway and more than half the money raised for the campaign, the momentum is building. It is time now for the community to throw all we have into this and make it happen.

With about $10 million left in the fundraising goal, wed love to see governments in the entire region work with CMU to secure grant funding and private donors step up to the plate to bring in the money.

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Our View: Community needs to show support for Central Michigan University Medical School in Saginaw

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In Colorado, there is a serious need for primary care doctors both in rural areas and in Colorado Springs. The National Health Service Corps and the Colorado Health Service Corps are trying to address the need through loan forgiveness grants to medical school students.

The National Health Service Corps granted more than $12 million in student loan forgiveness during 2011 in Colorado and contracted with 240 primary care providers to erase medical school debt and get more doctors in rural areas. The CHSC gave more than $2.5 million to nearly 80 primary care doctors.

So far this year, NHSC granted $2.8 million in loan repayment funding to graduating doctors in the state. In exchange, the new doctors agree to work at community health centers like Peak Vista Community Health Centers, serving an underinsured and indigent population.

The Health Service Corps has been incredibly successful in helping us attract health care professionals to Community Health Centers, said Tanah Wagenseller, health center workforce manager for Colorado Community Health Network. Its helping students who want to make a difference find a job where they can do that every day.

The National Health Service Corps was created 40 years ago to provide rural areas with essential health services, and receives bipartisan support from Congress. The federal government doubled the program in 2009, after recognizing the upcoming shortage of primary care physicians.

The Colorado Health Service Corps offers providers more flexibility and is administered through the Department of Public Health and Environment with funding from the Colorado Health Foundation, the U.S. Health Resources and Services administration, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the state of Colorado, the Colorado Trust and the Comprecare Foundation.

Despite the programs success, there is still a stark need for new primary care doctors. Colorado has 3,200 licensed primary care physicians, and many are nearing retirement age, while an increasing percentage of medical students are choosing other specialties. Some 85 percent of the state is deemed a professional health shortage area.

At the same time, safety net sites that provide health care expect increased demand as aresult of health care reform. One in 10 people in Colorado depend on a community health center for primary care. That number is expected to grow dramatically when health reform is fully implemented in 2014, expanding access to care to about 540,000 residents.

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Programs pay off medical school debt

In December, Mattawan-based MPI Research donated a 330,000 square-foot facility at 300 Portage St. to the university.

WMU named the facility the W.E. Upjohn Campus in June, honoring the founder of the Upjohn Co. and the great grandfather of MPI's chairman and CEO William U. Parfet.The facility, widely known as Building 267, was once part of the Upjohn, Pharmacia and Pfizer downtown campuses.

A public ceremony is set for 11 a.m. at the building at 300 Portage St. Officials will unveil renderings and reveal details about the project, which is being built and renovated by engineering firm S/L/A/M Collaborative.

WMU will lease the building to the School of Medicine, which is a private 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation and a collaboration involving Kalamazoo's two teaching hospitals, Borgess Health and Bronson Healthcare. The medical school is expected to welcome its first class in fall 2014.

Over the past year, employees and staff at Michigan State Universitys Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies merged with the School of Medicine. The WMU Board of Trustees approved the university borrowing up to $30 million to renovate, furnish and equip the facility, which the university expects will cost $68 million.

WMU received a $100-million gift designated for the medical school from an anonymous donor in 2011.

In July, Western Michigan University School of Medicine Clinics earned approval from the Joint Commission for complying with national standards for health care quality and safety as a primary care medical provider and was also granted "candidate school status" this summer by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.

The school now hopes to achieve preliminary accreditation, which allows the medical school to begin recruiting students by the end of the year. The university plans to have the new school fully accredited before it graduates students, who would begin classes in 2014 and graduate in 2018.

Visit MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette later this week for an update on the WMed's curriculum and progress from founding dean Dr. Hal Jenson and for coverage of Friday's groundbreaking.

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Western Michigan University to break ground on medical school renovations Friday

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- The former CEO of Massey Energy has given Marshall University's medical school $300,000 to fund scholarships over three years.

Don Blankenship gave the money to the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in memory of his late mother, Nancy Marie McCoy, according to a Marshall news release. The school received the first $100,000 last month.

"The demographics of Southern West Virginia mean that there will be a continuing and increasing need for high quality local doctors," Blankenship said in the release. "I am fortunate to be able to contribute in a small way toward fulfilling this need, while at the same time honoring my mother's memory, helping my alma mater, and helping these gifted students to achieve their dreams of becoming doctors."

"We are grateful to Mr. Blankenship for his support of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and specifically his commitment to helping our students," said Linda Holmes, Marshall's director of development and alumni affairs. "His generous gift will go a long way in assisting our students achieve their dreams."

Don Blankenship gave the money to the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in memory of his late mother, Nancy Marie McCoy, according to a Marshall news release. The school received the first $100,000 last month.

"The demographics of Southern West Virginia mean that there will be a continuing and increasing need for high quality local doctors," Blankenship said in the release. "I am fortunate to be able to contribute in a small way toward fulfilling this need, while at the same time honoring my mother's memory, helping my alma mater, and helping these gifted students to achieve their dreams of becoming doctors."

"We are grateful to Mr. Blankenship for his support of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and specifically his commitment to helping our students," said Linda Holmes, Marshall's director of development and alumni affairs. "His generous gift will go a long way in assisting our students achieve their dreams."

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Ex-Massey CEO funds Marshall medical scholarships

Dr Andy Lim (in red) attending to a driver after a crashBeing on the medical team in motorsports is not something that everyone is familiar with. The two medical specialties that directly provide an applicable skill set are anaesthesia and emergency medicine; however there are roles for various medical specialties of different levels. It is important to get involved early, from a junior doctor level, and volunteer to be on the medical team to gain more experience, as the pre-hospital environment at the track is a lot different from what doctors face in the hospital.

Coming home for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix every year, UK-based Singaporean anaesthetic Dr Andy Lim has been a medical doctor at circuits in the UK for the last 25 years. Currently one of the FIV doctors at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, Dr Lim, 50, is listed as one of the contributors for the FIA medical handbook. When he is back in Singapore in September, he spares time to give a lecture to the Singapore GP medical team about dealing with high speed trauma and his other experiences.

Sent to boarding school in 1975 at the age of 13, Dr Lim went to medical school in UK after that. Returning to complete National Service in Singapore, he went back to UK for his first graduate medical training and settled there permanently after that.

Dr Lim dedicates a significant amount of his weekends to volunteer as a medical officer at motor racing events. To get a better understanding of his role in motorsports, Dr Lim shared more about his experiences with me when he was here for the Singapore Grand Prix last month.

Q: What made you want to get involved in motorsports on the medical side? A: I've always liked cars and there is a family history of motor racing. My uncle was an Indonesian karter in the sixties and he unfortunately got killed in practice one day. I have a passion for cars and I learnt to service my own cars. I also watch a lot of motorsports but I didn't do any motorsports until after I qualified as a doctor, when I tried one of those track days with car clubs. I've always wanted to involve motorsports in my life and I knew I was not good enough to be a driver. With my profession, the easiest way for me was to be on the medical side.

Q: How did you go about getting involved then? A: Some consultants at the hospital I work at used to be chief medical officers at the RAC British Rally so they pointed me in the right direction. It was in 1993 when I met up with the chief medical officer of Castle Combe, a local racing track. That was the year I launched my official motorsports medicine career. In 1994 I started going to Silverstone. As volunteers, we are not tied to particular circuits but we are just like the marshals, and can apply to circuits or race organisers to be part of their team.

Q: Why do you like being involved in motorsports? A: I like motorsports and I enjoy teaching. I conduct training on ad hoc basis and I take the young doctors and train them on the job. It's fulfilling to see them start out as medical students and then I work alongside them until they become consultants in their careers.

Q: Describe your journey. A: For the last 25 years, I've been a doctor at Castle Combe, Brands Hatch and now Silverstone. I have been doing the British Grand Prix as a doctor for the last 23 years. I started out standing on the banks with the marshals, where I was assigned a sector to cover. The Clerk-of-Course works out the most dangerous points and places the doctors where crashes are most likely to happen. I stood in the banks for 10 years before progressing to the start-finish line then to the pit-lane and now to one of the FIV vehicles.

Q: How much time do you dedicate to motorsports? A: At my peak, I was spending about 15 weekends a year at the tracks. Now I do about six race meetings a year.

Q: What are some interesting anecdotes? A: Once, I was driving the medical car (a 4WD estate car fully loaded with medical kit) and it was raining very hard. I was going into this 90-degree right-hander off-camber, with excessive loading on the inside and the car slipped. When it rains, a lot of oil and dirt comes up, making the track greasy. I wasn't scared and I was taught very well by professional instructors so I just reacted accordingly.

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Singaporean doctor shares his UK motorsport medical experience

Plans to shift many LSU residency programs to private hospitals will result in a better ratio of patients per resident, medical school officials told students Tuesday. (Photo by Times-Picayune archive)

LSU medical school officials told students and faculty Tuesday night that changes to resident training under way as part of the budget slashing at the state's public hospital system will eventually make the programs more attractive to prospective residents. At a "town hall" meeting at the medical school in New Orleans, Dr. Larry Hollier, chancellor of the LSU Health Sciences Center, said the shrinking of the public hospitals in recent years has led to residents having too few hospitalized patients to treat under the supervision of attending physicians.

But plans to shift many residency programs to private hospitals will result in a better ratio of patients per resident, he said. Hollier said that even before the most recent cuts, which were announced last week, the number of patients in the public hospitals had shrunk to unacceptably low levels. "The only reason that residents still got such good training is because of the work of the faculty," he said.

Hollier said when he was a resident at Charity Hospital, there were 1,500 beds available, but the number of beds hadshrunk to 550 before Hurricane Katrina. With the latest budget cuts, there will be 150 beds at the Interim LSU Public Hospital, better known as University Hospital, whichtook over providing care for the indigent in New Orleans afterthe closure of Charity Hospital following the storm.

The popularity of Louisiana's programs to train new doctors is considered critically important, as many physicians choose to stay in the state where they complete their residencies.

The most recent cuts to LSU's seven hospitals in south Louisiana were the result of a reduction in the federal Medicaid dollars sent to the state. Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration directed a large share of the cuts at the LSU hospitals, which state officials said would provide an opportunity to remake the system that has traditionally provided the health care safety net for the uninsured.

Dr. Frank Opelka, the newly appointed head of the LSU health system, said he and Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein are working on agreements with private hospitals to take over some services that have been reduced or eliminated.

But legislators who learned the details of the $152 million cut last weekhave questioned whether the reductions will result in the most vulnerable uninsured patients going without necessary medical care as hospital beds disappear and some LSU clinics close or limit hours. State officials have provided few details about what the partnerships with private hospitals will look like, saying those plans are largely still in the works.

Hollier said about half of the patients treated by the LSU hospitals and clinics are covered by Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance. As residency programs move to private hospitals, doctors in the LSU-run clinics will have better availability for insured patients needing surgery or other hospital-based care, he said.

Some in the audience asked whether the uninsured would be left out as a result of the budget cuts and more residencies moving to private facilities. "I feel like we are abandoning our population," said one woman, who identified herself as a second-year medical student.

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LSU budget slashing could work in our favor, medical school officials tell students

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -

UC Riverside officials, students and community leaders today will celebrate the UCR School of Medicine as officially open to prospective students.

The campus received word Tuesday that the Liaison Committee on Medical Education -- the national accrediting body for programs geared to medical degrees in North America -- had given preliminary approval to UCR's proposed courses.

The decision paves the way for the university to begin accepting applications for its charter enrollment of 50 students in the fall of 2013.

"This is momentous ... for Inland Southern California and for UC Riverside," said UCR Chancellor Timothy P. White.

An informal celebration in recognition of the accreditation milestone is planned for 5:30 p.m. at Rivera Plaza, adjacent to Hinderaker Hall.

The LCME withheld accreditation approval in 2011, when it became clear the state would not be making annual funding available to UCR because of California's gaping budget deficit.

However, over the last year, the university has secured tens of millions of dollars in private donations, government grants -- including $20 million from Riverside County -- and UC system appropriations, enabling it to move ahead with opening its doors next fall.

"Working together, the community and the UCR campus simply persevered because expanding access to healthcare is one of the most pressing issues for Inland Southern California," UCR Medical School Dean Dr. Richard Olds said.

"This milestone enables us to ... begin expanding and diversifying our region's physician workforce."

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UC Riverside celebrates medical school opening

By Poon Chian Hui The Straits Times Sunday, Oct 07, 2012

GIVEN the shrinking supply of cadavers here, the upcoming medical school at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will provide 3-D models of the human body on iPads to allow students to learn about anatomy.

The plan is to set up a central database of 3-D models of real-life patients.

NTU's Institute for Media Innovation (IMI), which is teaming up with the medical school to produce software for the tablet, will be recruiting local patients for the project.

For a start, it will focus on reproducing 3-D models of the lower limbs, said IMI director Nadia Thalmann, who created a virtual heart model back in the 1980s that paved the way for simulation surgery today.

This will be done by getting 2-D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from the patients to provide details of muscles and other structures. The patients will then be scanned with motion-capture technology. All these will be put together to yield a virtual representation of the muscles, tendons, joints and cartilage.

"The internal anatomy is as different as people's faces," Prof Thalmann said. "With patient-specific data, medical students can learn how to treat cases differently, depending on the person's age, amount of fat and how his skeleton moves."

Set to open next year, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine will also use the iPad as an "essential teaching and learning tool", said its senior vice-dean Martyn Partridge, adding that the provision of the device is still being worked out by the school.

"Putting such technology onto an iPad enables the student to visualise, learn and revise wherever they are."

Applications for the first batch of 50 students will open at the end of the year.

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Med students get a feel of human body on iPad

Alabamas professional organization representing the states osteopathic doctors said it cannot support the creation of a new medical college in Auburn.

Members of the Alabama Osteopathic Medical Association (ALOMA) said construction of a new medical college in 2015 on the heels of another one slated to admit students in Dothan beginning next year could dilute the quality of medical school applicants in the state and create a glut of students looking to complete medical school requirements at locations throughout Alabama.

ALOMA President-Elect Dr. Brent Boyett said the organizations concerns were expressed in a letter sent to Gov. Robert Bentley, Auburn University President Jay Gogue and the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.

Basically, we wanted them to know our concerns and that we could not support an additional school in the state of Alabama at this time, said Boyett, whose practice is located in Hamilton.

Dothans Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine is scheduled to admit its first class next year. Meanwhile in August, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Virginia announced plans to construct a branch in Auburn. If the college is accredited, it should begin admitting students in 2015.

The final two years of a four-year Osteopathic Medicine track consists of residency in a hospital or other medical facility. Assuming classes of 150 per year, the Auburn school would mean doubling the number of students seeking residency from 300 to 600 by 2017.

We just wouldnt have enough rotation sites to accommodate these physicians and the real limiting factor in osteopathic medicine is real good clinical rotation sites, Boyett said.

A lot of this is just inexplicable to me. We were absolutely shocked when we heard of the announcement. Either they know a lot more than we do or we know a lot more than they do, Boyett said.

ALOMA is not the only organization to oppose the branch.

Dr. Neal Canup, State Director of Medical Education for the Alabama Medical Education Consortium, expressed opposition in a letter to state newspapers recently.

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Doctors' group opposes Auburn medical school

SACRAMENTO Talented students who dream of becoming physicians but worry about the high cost of attending medical school have a new and promising opportunity at the UC Davis School of Medicine. The school has been awarded a four-year, $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide scholarships to economically disadvantaged medical students.

UC Davis plans to use the new funding to provide $15,000 scholarships to more than 40 students each year who are interested in becoming primary care doctors in medically underserved communities.

"We are at a crucial time in health care," said Fred Meyers, executive associate dean, whose responsibilities include overseeing the teaching and community engagement missions for the medical school. "More than 5.5 million Californians live in medically underserved areas, places that have too few primary-care providers, higher-than-average infant mortality rates and high poverty rates. This new grant enables UC Davis to help reduce health disparities by encouraging and supporting the development of more primary-care physicians who represent diverse backgrounds."

Meyers said that UC Davis is determined to improve the quality of health care through innovations in clinical practices and a focus on the unique health needs of the communities its medical students will serve when they become physicians. He noted the school's emphasis on developing interprofessional teams to deliver patient- and family-centered care includes having physicians who can be role models of cultural inclusiveness.

"We know there are many academically qualified and talented students from diverse backgrounds who could become great physicians if they didn't have to worry about the financial challenges to getting a medical degree," said Tonya Fancher, associate professor of internal medicine who is overseeing much of the new grant program. "These scholarships address one of the major barriers to pursuing an advanced degree in medicine. The funding also allows UC Davis to expand its physician-training pipeline by increasing our student outreach and retention efforts."

The current cost of a four-year medical degree at UC Davis, including housing or food, is approximately $244,000. Students have an average debt of $139,000 after four years in school. About 100 students per year graduate from the School of Medicine.

UC Davis School of Medicine is known for graduating a high percentage of graduates who choose to practice medicine in rural and other underserved areas of the state. Many of its newly minted physicians eventually practice in Northern California. The school's curriculum features three community-oriented programs or tracks that focus on medically underserved areas of the state: rural, urban inner city and the San Joaquin Valley.

"Underserved communities are unable to provide optimal care for their residents," said Fancher. "Part of the reason is the lack of physicians. The Central Valley, for example, has some of the lowest rates of primary-care physicians in the state. Our goal is to increase that number and make sure they better reflect the populations they serve."

In addition to student scholarships, the school's retention and outreach initiatives for current and potential medical students include programs ranging from middle and high school presentations about health-care professions, to test preparation and pre-med advising for college undergraduates, to an array of educational support and counseling services that help students complete medical school and achieve success during residency and clinical practice.

HRSA's Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program was established through the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990. Participating academic institutions are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients based on reasonable determinations of need. For more information about the UC Davis School of Medicine, visit http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medschool/.

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$2.5M boosts scholarships for medical students

In a few weeks voters in Travis County will consider a plan to increase property taxes to help run a proposed medical school.

It's a medical over haul that promises a lot for Austin and Travis County. Thursday morning, a coalition of women's health care advocates gathered to endorse ballot Proposition number 1.

"While it cost to ramp up health care we can learn from other communities that access to housing and health care eventually drives down the cost related to emergency medicines to jail beds and to ems services, and it drives up earned income," said Ann Howard with Austin ECHO.

If Prop 1 is approved, the health district property tax would increase to 5-cents- per $100. For property valued at $214,000, which is about the average amount in Travis County, the annual district tax bill would go to $276. That breaks down to just over $20 a month.

The money raised, about $50 million a year, would help fund operating expenses for a medical school. The new complex near UMC Brackenridge would be operated by the University of Texas and the Seton Healthcare System.

Along with promising a healthy community, supporters say the medical school will be a major economic engine, creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

Juanita Stephens, a financial advisor and member of a women's business support group, believes owners of small companies will be able to tap into an employment ripple effect.

"It broadens your horizon if you can think of anything a hospital needs our want go and provide it that's how it provides jobs here," said Stephens.

With businesses closed and others struggling to stay open, there are those who are opposed to Prop 1 that say it's just the wrong time to pass a new tax.

Many signs have been put up by the Travis County Taxpayer's Union opposing the proposition.

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Voters will consider tax hike for Austin medical school

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan In the United States, health class has introduced generations of snickering sixth-graders to the fundamentals of sex.

But the terms sex and education are a mismatch in Pakistan: The subject simply is not taught in schools. Traditional cultural values have prevented any formal integration of the basics of the birds and the bees into the Islam-based education system.

Here, young people mainly learn about sex from whispered conversations with their schoolyard friends, or by experience. Many Pakistanis say their parents were loath to give them the facts about reproduction.

That leaves great room for misinformation, unsafe practices, uncontrolled family size, and abortion as a method of birth control, health advocates say.

The Koran strictly prohibits sex outside marriage. Many institutions here take that mandate so seriously that the very topic of sex has become taboo with teachers, and even family physicians shy away from broaching the subject with patients (including married ones).

The prohibition extends from primary schools to colleges. And, until now, no comprehensive sexuality courses have been taught in undergraduate medical colleges. Last month Dow University of Health Sciences, based in Karachi, announced that it will integrate reproductive health education into its curriculum beginning next academic year. The medical college said its future doctors will become prepared to treat patients for sexual and reproductive-related problems.

So when we talk of infections, we will talk of reproductive infections, said Sikander Sohani of the nonprofit organization Aahung, which collaborated with Dow University on developing the curriculum. When we talk of [medical] history-taking, we will talk about taking reproductive health history as well. So it is a holistic approach.

Aahung is an advocacy group focused on community programs promoting reproductive health and education in Pakistan. The Dow University sex-ed program will be taught to male and female students every semester. The group also developed a reproductive health guide for faculty and students that comports with the countrys cultural values.

Past attempts to teach sex-ed have met with fierce resistance from conservative religious leaders and parents wishing to protect their children from secular influences.

This was me when I was 10, one Pakistani said in an Internet forum conversation about sex-ed:

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In a first, Pakistani medical school will offer sex-ed

EAST LANSING -- Fifth grade is a time for pizza parties and whoopee cushions, but for fifth-grader Ethan Ruhland, it was a time to write a letter to himself and map out the rest of his life.

His mother, Gemma Ruhland, still has that letter and read it just last week. Some of the goals are different -- Ruhland had his sights on Harvard Medical School at the time -- but many are the same.

"He said he wanted to be a doctor so he can help people," said his mother, a nurse for a group of oral surgeons in Bingham Farms. "That hasn't changed. He's always been a kind-soul kid."

Football was a passion then and remains so for Ruhland, a Michigan State fifth-year senior center. Football would have won over medicine when Ruhland was an MSU freshman and thought he had to pick between the two.

Now medical school is just months away. But first, Ruhland will start the most important stretch of his football career Saturday at Indiana.

Years of balancing extreme demands has reached a culmination of sorts for the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Lake Orion High product. Before embarking in earnest on a career he first mentioned in second grade, Ruhland has a shot to experience some of what he envisioned for his playing career.

He is expected to start at center in place of Travis Jackson, who was lost for the season with a broken leg in last week's loss to Ohio State. As the season goes on, Ruhland will be in a three-man competition for two spots -- center and left guard -- with Jack Allen and Blake Treadwell.

"We're all kind of the big cheese coming out of high school," said Ruhland, who was ranked the No. 29 offensive guard in the nation for the class of 2008 by Rivals.com. "So you want to play. But I definitely, for the majority of my time here ... there's always frustrations, whether it's with yourself, the way you're playing.

"But it's all for the betterment of the team. Whatever I can do. And this is an opportunity. It comes at the expense of one of my best friends getting hurt, but I need to step up."

Ruhland has started one other game, last season against Minnesota with Jackson ailing. He has been in the playing rotation since he was a redshirt freshman in 2009 but has not had the kind of steady role that may now await him.

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Ruhland is MSU's new starting center, before heading off to medical school

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- After years of hard work, and last-minute fundraising, the University of California, Riverside's School of Medicine can finally open its doors.

On Tuesday, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) -- the national accrediting body for programs geared to M.D. degrees in North America -- gave preliminary approval to UCR's proposed courses.

"There certainly was a lot of cheering and a lot hugging by the way," said Dr. G. Richard Olds, UCR vice chancellor for health affairs and the dean of the School of Medicine.

Until now, the only way for medical students at UCR to become doctors was to spend two years at the university and then finish up at an accredited medical school, like UCLA.

"I'm just as excited as everyone else," said medical student Michael Castillo. "We've been waiting for this for a long time, and it's finally happening."

LCME's decision paves the way for the university to begin accepting applications for its charter enrollment of 50 students in the fall of 2013. UCR students are excited about the possibility of actually getting their medical doctorates without having to transfer.

"I'm actually from Riverside. I was born in Riverside. So I was hoping that the school got its accreditation and I'm glad it did," said medical student Janel Gracia.

Efforts toward establishing a medical school have been ongoing since 2006.

In 2011, the LCME withheld accreditation approval when it became clear the state would not be making annual funding available to UCR because of California's gaping budget deficit.

However, over the last year, the university has secured tens of millions of dollars in private donations, government grants -- including $20 million from Riverside County -- and UC system appropriations, enabling it to move ahead with opening its doors next fall.

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UC Riverside Medical School gets preliminary accreditation; to begin enrolling future doctors next summer

SAGINAW (WJRT) -

(10/04/12) - Saginaw will be home to two new medical school buildings in the coming years.

Central Michigan University unveiled drawings of the two buildings that will be part of CMU's new medical school. One building adjacent to Covenant Healthcare on the west side of the city, and the other near St. Mary's of Michigan, on the west side.

CMU decided on two sites that will feature two different medical trainings. Construction could begin next fall.

"The issue is really for people in our area having access to health care, physicians are one of the key players," said Dr. Ernie Yoder, CMU College of Medicine dean.

But Yoder says the school, which has already received more than 2,000 applications, will do more than develop doctors.

"So we are partnering with other health professions to make sure we do inter-professional team training, etcetera so that we attract and keep the other partners for the health care team," he said.

CMU has raised more than $16.4 million for the medical school.

"People have been forthcoming on that decision because they know the impact this will have on our community," said Doug Iles, CMU foundation development.

Now that the drawings have been unveiled, the school expects to reach its goal of $25 million.

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CMU to build 2 medical school buildings in Saginaw

Medical charter school opens doors to first students

While jobs are in short supply in many industries, that's not the case in the medical field.

A new charter school in Lehigh County is now trying to address that need. The Medical Academy Charter School in Catasauqua is the first of its kind in the Lehigh Valley. It's goal is to better steer kids into the field of health care.

Between the algebra and history of the Jamestown settlement is an art class teaching students how drawing can turn to healing for the sick.

"This is an example of a Zen tangle art therapy method that psychotherapists may use to draw out emotions in patients," said teacher Carol Traynor.

The new school is using the promise of a career in health care to draw students in.

"This is where the jobs are going to be now and in the near future. It's ever growing," said Joanna Hughes, CEO and principal of the school, which opened in September to 9th and 10th graders.

The school, which will expand to 11th and 12th graders, infuses health care sciences into the general curriculum, Hughes said.

"We will provide the children with opportunities so that they can be an x-ray tech or a phlebotomist or someone who works in the office doing billing," Hughes said.

Taylor Fullin, who wants to be anesthesiologist, transferred from Northampton Area High School.

Original post:
Medical Academy Charter School in Catasauqua opens doors to first students

NEW BRITAIN

Inside a room that was part kitchen, part classroom, Mason Weldon, 16, was working with his teacher, Cindy Smith, on a batch of chocolate chip cookies. On the other side of the room, a classmate, Carlon Dudley, 19, filed student time cards.

Weldon and Dudley are taking part in the life skills curriculum offered by the Connecticut Children's Medical Center School. The school is for students 5 to 21 years old with severe emotional, cognitive and behavioral problems and require intensive help.

Run by the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, the school has had something of a transient existence and has wandered through the central Connecticut region since it was established in the 1940s. School officials hope that its new home, a former clothing warehouse on John Downey Avenue, will be a permanent one.

"It's much better," said Mason, taking time out from cooking duties. He's been a student at the school for the last seven years. "We've got more space. We've got a gym now."

Mason's comments reflected what a lot of people were saying at Tuesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facility, which has been in session since last month..

Its last location in Wethersfield was always considered a temporary one.

"It was too small, too old," said Barbara Brown, senior director of the school. Brown has been with the CCMC School for about 30 years. In that time, the school has been at four locations.

It's mission and scope has changed significantly since it was founded as an in-house school to continue the education of children staying in the hospital for long periods. Newington Children's Hospital moved to Hartford in 1996 and changed its name to Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

Around the 1970s and early 1980s, the school shifted its focus to educating children with mental disabilities and behavioral problems. Now, 20 to 25 percent of the children at the school are on the autism spectrum. It's not so much a student's diagnosis that qualifies for entry to the school, but whether his or her condition causes them behavioral problems. They're referred to the CCMC School by their local school district, which pays for the student's tuition.

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Children's Medical Center School Has New — And It Hopes, Permanent — Home

In a move that should help address the state's doctor shortage, Quinnipiac University soon will have a medical school. And it will have significant ramifications in this area.

The new medical school, which will have St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport as its primary clinical partner, received unanimous approval from the state Board of Education on Wednesday. Coupled with the announcement that the school also received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, Quinnipiac can start recruiting future doctors immediately.

Quinnipiac's Frank H. Netter M.D. School of Medicine is expected to enroll a charter class of 60 students in August 2013 and grow to 275 students by 2017. Dr. Bruce Koeppen, founding dean of the new medical school, told the state board that the doctors Quinnipiac will create won't bury themselves in research labs, but rather be primary care physicians.

"Not only will it help address the current physician shortage, but it will provide long-term benefits to the state," said Elizabeth Beaudin, director of nursing and workforce initiatives for the Connecticut Hospital Association. "Because of health reform, more people will be receiving coverage. As such, we need more primary care physicians who will be involved in prevention and health promotion, as well as chronic disease management. This will ultimately result in healthier communities and fewer avoidable hospital visits."

Although clinical rotations are two years away, Koeppen said students would start getting clinical experiences at St. Vincent's in year one. "I expect eventually our medical students will set up free screening clinics for people in Bridgeport who don't have access to medical care or who can't afford it," said Koeppen.

Dr. Stuart G. Marcus, president of St. Vincent's Medical Center, said the alliance would change the culture of St. Vincent's and raise the bar for everybody. "Faculty members at St. Vincent's are looking forward to educating students in the clinical sciences and teaching them the principles of safe, reliable patient care of the highest quality," Marcus said.

In their third year of training, medical students will spend the majority of their time rotating through various departments at the hospital, including surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry and family medicine. In year four, students will rotate through the intensive care and the emergency departments. The students will also have a presence in St. Vincent's outpatient sites, as well as two secondary training sites: MidState Medical Center in Meriden and Middlesex Hospital in Middletown.

The school will be located on Quinnipiac's North Haven campus. Koeppen anticipates the initial class will be selected from a pool of 2,000 to 3,000 applicants. The university is nearing completion of a new medical school classroom building and has hired 19 of 20 new faculty members. So far, Quinnipiac has spent $100 million on the effort.

This is the first time St. Vincent's has taken a lead clinical role with a medical school. Koeppen said he visited 16 hospitals in the state and invited them to become clinical partners. Five applied. All submitted position papers to outline what their partnership would look like.

That Bridgeport had a medically underserved population and didn't have a medical school affiliation attached to one of its hospitals played into the decision to select St. Vincent's, Koeppen said.

Originally posted here:
Quinnipiac/St. Vincent's medical school wins approval

After a long wait, UC Riverside has been cleared to open a four-year, independent medical school in August 2013, university officials said Tuesday.

Officials said they were told that they had received "preliminary accreditation" from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a national accreditation body for medical schools in the U.S. and Canada.

The School of Medicine will begin recruiting for its inaugural fall 2013 class, according to a news release.

"This medical school is critically needed to address our region's physician shortage and stimulate the economy," university Chancellor Timothy P. White said in a written statement.

This was UCR's second try at getting the OK to open.

The School of Medicine sought accreditation in summer 2011, only to be denied because of the state's refusal to commit a regular stream of funding.

At that point, founding medical school Dean G. Richard Olds turned his attention to raising money from local donors.

After securing enough commitments, UCR submitted another application in April.

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REGION: UCR gets OK to open medical school