LIVINGSTON, NJ--(Marketwire -06/08/12)- Emergency Medical Associates was selected by CharterCARE Health Partners, headquartered in Providence, R.I., to provide emergency management services to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital and Roger Williams Medical Center.

Emergency Medical Associates began staffing the emergency department at Our Lady of Fatima in North Providence on April 19, and will begin staffing Roger Williams Medical Center on June 20.

"Emergency Medical Associates is excited to begin our first client relationship in New England," said Raymond Iannaccone, MD, FACEP, chief executive officer of Emergency Medical Associates. "The CharterCARE System is a growing, vibrant care provider, and we're proud to begin serving its patients."

"The delivery of high-quality care is our primary objective in the emergency department and throughout our health system," said Kenneth H. Belcher, president and chief executive officer of CharterCARE Health Partners. "Our partnership with Emergency Medical Associates will provide our affiliate hospitals with direct access to best practices in emergency care and assure our patients with superior quality."

Our Lady of Fatima Hospital is a 269-bed hospital sponsored by the Diocese of Providence. The hospital includes one the region's most advanced surgical facilities, a recognized critical care pavilion, a range of outpatient diagnostic and specialty services, and dedicated programs in behavioral health and rehabilitation. The hospital's 33-bed emergency department sees close to 30,000 patients annually.

Roger Williams Medical Center is a 220-bed hospital affiliated with Boston University School of Medicine. It operates several residency and fellowship programs, including programs in internal medicine, infectious disease, hematology/oncology and surgical oncology. The medical center provides a full complement of inpatient and outpatient services, including a Joint Commission-accredited visiting nurse service. Its 27-bed emergency department sees 25,000 patients annually.

About Emergency Medical AssociatesEmergency Medical Associates (EMA) is a physician-led, physician-owned medical practice that specializes in emergency, hospitalist and urgent care medicine. Dedicated to providing exceptional solutions for the measurable success of our hospital partners, EMA is recognized for clinical excellence, quality service and sustained improved patient satisfaction. For more information, visit http://www.ema.net, http://www.facebook.com/EMANews or http://www.twitter.com/EMANews.

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Emergency Medical Associates to Deliver Emergency Department Management Services to Two-Hospital System in Rhode Island

ROANOKE, Va.

Edi Berbic plans to practice medicine in southwest Virginia. That's not surprising, perhaps, for a graduate of William Fleming High School and the Edward Via School of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, but his journey to Roanoke began in war-torn Bosnia, and included three years in a refugee camp in Croatia.

Berbic lived on Eden Drive for just three months, but the Roanoke neighborhood still holds a special place in his heart. "It represents the starting point for me and my new life here in the U.S.," Berbic told us. "You were living by yourself with your family and not sharing a bathroom with 50 other individuals. So it was very peaceful. It felt at home."

Earlier this month, Berbic received his degree from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. He leaves next week for a three year residency in New Jersey. Not bad for a kid who couldn't speak English when he arrived in Roanoke in 1995.

"I didn't know a bit of English, so me starting 5th grade, it was very difficult because you see kids talking about you, making fun of you, laughing at you," he said. "So for me it was very difficult understanding what they were talking about and as a kid you take that to the heart."

Berbic credits his teachers, and the close relationship he shares with his parents and his brother Elvir. "To be honest, he was my role model at some point," Elvir Berbic told us, "because while he was working on his doctorate, I was just finishing up my bachelor's degree. A younger brother can definitely be a role model as well," he said.

The brothers hope their experiences will encourage others to follow their dreams.

"If I can do it," Edi Berbic said, "you can do it as well. So please have that goal and that determination."

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Former refugee graduates from medical school, plans career in western Virginia

ANTIOCH -- They were Dozier-Libbey Medical High's first students to struggle through a rigorous medical-themed curriculum, figure out how to make wearing scrubs a fashion statement and make the daily drive down a long two-lane road to the secluded campus.

Now the school's first graduating class is about to embark on their next pathway.

The 127 seniors at the Antioch magnet school finished their time as student trailblazers Friday afternoon, receiving their highly sought diplomas.

Just before the tassels were turned to the left and caps thrown into the air, Alexa Gordon spoke about how her class was a group of pioneers.

"We've been living in a fish bowl, being judged and surveyed. The way of the pioneer is tough, but we beat the odds," Gordon said.

"It's been really great, just to be that class that kind of sets the tone and a high standard," senior Seth Martinez said during Thursday's graduation practice.

"At times we felt like the guinea pigs, but I think it's definitely prepared us for college."

Added senior Raymond Maciel: "There is definitely more of a drive here, to strive to get into a college."

About half of the Dozier-Libbey graduates are attending four-year colleges, while the rest are enrolled in two-year colleges, entering trade schools or enlisting in the military. Additionally, over 80 percent of the seniors earned the Dozier-Libbey Certificate of Excellence, a distinction given to students

Principal Nancie Castro is excited for the graduates' futures but sad to see the kids go. It was just five years ago when the district broke ground on a former cow pasture for the school, she said.

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Students at Antioch medical high school ready to make mark

07-06-2012 02:31 Technion American Medical School in Israel provides access to Nobel Prize and World-class research, while preparing students for the USMLE boards, residency matching and future positions in Medicine.

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Technion American Medical School in Israel - Video

06-06-2012 01:31 "How to" Choose a Speciality*.Working long hours,private practice,hands on(surgey,procedures) and NOT getting divorced is associated with high income*.

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YouTube Medical School "How to" Choose a Speciality - Video

By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff

A rhesus monkey escaped from its cage in late April at a Harvard Medical School animal research facility and injured a pig-tailed macaque while it roamed the room, according to a federal inspection report and a spokesman for the US Department of Agriculture.

The May 16 inspection report, posted online Thursday by the agency, cites the school for directly harming or endangering an animal and states that staff had not latched the cage properly.

The report says Harvard gave additional training to staff, and new procedures were put in place to prevent future problems. It said the injured monkey was recovering, but did not describe the extent of its injuries.

The incident occurred at a primate research facility in Boston. It is just the latest incident at a Harvard Medical School research facility. Over the last two years, four monkey deaths related to problems in animal care have been cited by the USDA at the New England Primate Research Center, the institutions Southborough research facility. The school was also cited for a primate death due to an overdose of anesthesia at the Boston research facility last year. Harvard Medical School has now been cited for a total of eight separate instances of directly endangering animals health or welfare in two years. In comparison, there were 25 such direct noncompliance incidents at research facilities nationwide in fiscal year 2011, according to David Sacks, a spokesman for the USDA.

The agency has been investigating other incidents at Harvard related to animal care, which could result in fines or warnings. Sacks said the agency plans to further investigate the new incident.

In a statement, Harvard Medical School said the incident was self-reported.

In keeping with our commitment to continuous quality improvement, we promptly conducted additional training of the laboratory staff and strengthened our procedures, the statement said.

In an e-mail, Jeanne McVey, a spokeswoman for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, said the direct noncompliance with animal welfare laws that Harvard was cited for was serious. She noted the inspection occurred weeks after the incident occurred, and at that time, according to the report, the monkey was responding well to treatment.

That probably means the injured monkey was still recovering after over three weeks, McVey wrote. It was likely a pretty serious injury.

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Monkey injured in new incident at Harvard Medical School research facility

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -06/07/12)- Titan Medical Inc. (the "Company") (TMD.V)(TITXF) announced today that Dr. Dennis L. Fowler, MD, MPH has joined the Company as a consultant for the development of the Company's Insertable Robotic Effector Platform ("IREP") for single-site surgery.

"As a co-inventor of the IREP, Dr. Fowler's in-depth expertise in developing robotic surgical technologies and in performing laparoscopic surgery will be of great value to our team," said Craig Leon, Chief Executive Officer of Titan Medical Inc. "We believe, the advisory role he is going to take in the development of our single-site robotic surgery technology will be essential as we advance the IREP program from the development stage to clinical trials."

Dr. Fowler is Medical Director of the New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Simulation Center and Director of the Reemtsma Center for Innovation and Outcomes Research in the Department of Surgery at Columbia. He joined the minimal access surgery field in 1990 when laparoscopic technology became available, and developed several new techniques for laparoscopic surgery, including laparoscopic colon surgery. In 2000, New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) recruited him from his directorship of the Allegheny Center for Laparoscopic and Minimally Invasive Surgery in Pittsburgh to lead the newly formed Minimal Access Surgery Center (MASC) at both the Columbia and the Cornell campuses of NYPH. He continued in that role from 2000-2008 during which time he also served as Chief of the Division of General Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College (2002-2004) and Vice President and Medical Director for Perioperative Services at NYPH/Columbia (2004-2008).

While Director of MASC, Dr. Fowler pioneered the field of minimal access surgery as an innovator of both devices and procedures. His work with MASC involved surgical skills training and assessment for Columbia University Department of Surgery residents as well as for licensed practitioners. He has published extensively on the topics of minimally invasive surgery, technology development, and surgical education. In 2008, he received his MPH degree from Columbia University, and now focuses on improving healthcare outcomes through health systems research; designing, testing, and commercializing innovative healthcare technology (e.g., surgical robotics to reduce the complexity of minimal access surgery); and designing, testing, and implementing simulation training for healthcare providers.

At the very beginning of his career, Dr. Fowler was a Surgical Endoscopy Fellow in 1979-80 at the Massachusetts General Hospital after having previously graduated from medical school and having completed a general surgery residency in Kansas City.

About Titan Medical Inc.

Titan Medical Inc. is a Canadian public company (TMD.V)(TITXF) focused on the design, development and commercialization of new robotic surgical technologies. The Company is advancing the development of a robust product portfolio with the objective to meet current needs in surgical procedures which would benefit all stakeholders, including patients, surgeons, and hospitals. The Company's product portfolio includes solutions for both single-site and multi-port surgical procedures that are under-served by robotic and non-robotic minimally invasive techniques. Robotic surgery has developed over the past 10 years into a proven and growing method of treatment. According to a Robotic Surgery Equipment Manufacturing report, industry revenue is projected to increase at an average annual rate of 14.9% to $4.2 billion from 2011 to 2016. For more information, visit the Company's website at http://www.titanmedicalinc.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" which reflect the current expectations of management of the Company's future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "potential for" and similar expressions have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs with respect to future events and are based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those listed in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2012 (which may be viewed at http://www.sedar.com). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. These factors should be considered carefully and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in the news release are based upon what management currently believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure prospective investors that actual results, performance or achievements will be consistent with these forward-looking statements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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Titan Medical Inc. Announces Addition of Dr. Dennis L. Fowler, MD, MPH as Development Consultant

Students at the medical school in Safed will work as doctors' assistants and serve patients in northern hospitals as part of a new program launched by the school, Haaretz has learned.

Safed medical school, the country's fifth medical school, which opened in November as a branch of Bar-Ilan University, will place students in hospitals as doctors' assistants beginning next year. Students will work from 4 P.M. to 11 P.M. in Poriya Hospital in Tiberias, Rebecca Sieff Hospital in Safed and Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya. They will admit patients into the wards, but treatment will be administered by doctors.

Health Ministry director general Ronni Gamzu has notified hospital directors in the north that the ministry will support the project with a sum of NIS 1 million, about half the estimated cost. Gamzu wrote that this sum is significantly higher than what has been given to similar programs enabling students to take part in hospital activity in the central region. "There is no such [funding] in Sheba [Medical Center] and Ichilov [Hospital] together," Gamzu wrote.

However, the ministry is still looking for ways to finance the program, and ministry officials said "the issue is still under debate."

According to Ran Tur-Kaspa, dean of faculty in Safed, "The students will be called doctors' assistants, admit the interns to the wards and later present the cases to the doctor on evening duty, who will decide what treatment to give the patients."

Only students who complete their clinical training in internal wards will be employed as doctors' assistants.

The faculty had considered canceling a program intended for Israeli medical students abroad, who are set to begin their clinical training in northern hospitals in about a year, as these hospitals are already training students with bachelor's degrees, Tur-Kaspa said. "But following discussions we decided to continue the program that helps Israeli medical students abroad to return to Israel for their final study years," he said.

Some 50 out of 300 Israeli medical students abroad who have applied to the Safed medical school have been admitted for next year's studies. These students are planning to return to Israel for their last three years of study.

The registration process for the four-year program for students who hold a bachelor's degree is still underway.

Within four years, 200 doctors are expected to graduate from the Safed medical school. By 2015, 150 doctors are expected to graduate each year.

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Safed medical school to place students in northern hospitals as doctors' assistants

The dean who was hired less than three years ago to fix problems at the University of Missouri School of Medicine has resigned as the school faces a federal fraud investigation.

Dr. Robert Churchill will leave the university in October to prevent further distractions surrounding the investigation of two of the school's radiologists, according to MU officials.

The radiologists, Dr. Kenneth Rall and Dr. Michael Richards, were dismissed Friday as part of the shake-up after an internal audit found the doctors illegally billed Medicare for services performed by resident doctors in training.

A law firm conducted the audit for the university after the U.S. Attorney's Office in Kansas City notified the school in November 2011 of its investigation into potential Medicare fraud. Rall stepped down as radiology department chairman in December, but stayed on as a professor.

"We were shocked and disappointed to learn about this, because any kind of fraud is entirely inconsistent with our health system's values, our mission, and our commitment to patient care," said Dr. Harold Williamson Jr., vice chancellor of the University of Missouri Health System, in a statement.

Both radiologists have clean records with the Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts, which licenses and regulates doctors.

Department of Justice spokesman Don Ledford said the agency doesn't discuss pending investigations.

In what it calls the early stages of its own investigation, school officials said they have not turned up any evidence that radiology patients were harmed.

Resident physicians are allowed to read patients' X-rays, but cannot bill Medicare for the procedure unless the images are also analyzed by a supervising doctor.

"We believe these two doctors sometimes claimed that they had actually completed this second review without actually looking at the image," Williamson said in the statement.

Original post:
MU medical school dean resigns as school is under investigation

Considering his roots, Caleb Ashbrook's plan to enlist in medical school and then the Navy makes good sense: One grandfather served with the Marines in Vietnam, and the other was a Medical Corps veteran and ophthalmologist who started a nonprofit to provide eye surgeries for the poor around the world.

As one of this year's most accomplished seniors, Ashbrook, 18, will take the stage as salutatorian next week to welcome thousands of people to Fallbrook High School's 2012 commencement.

I sat down with Ashbrook in the bleachers at Warriors Stadium on Monday as he explained that his 4.5 grade-point average has been the result of a lifelong dream and more than a little competitiveness.

"I've known that I wanted to go into the medical field from a really young age, so I kind of knew that if I wanted to get into a (good) university, that's what I needed to do," he said, adding with a grin: "I also like being able to say I'm number one or two" in the grade books.

At every high school, each class of graduates delivers a few shining examples of academic and athletic accomplishment, and Ashbrook certainly fits the bill.

As an athlete, he played on the soccer, golf and cross-country teams, overcoming a recent knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

His academic record is spotless ---- expect nothing less from a kid whose mother runs her own kindergarten ---- and he is wrapping up a term as the student representative to the school board.

Recalling a few late-night board meetings, I asked Ashbrook if he had fallen asleep yet, and he laughed knowingly.

"During the financials, it gets pretty bad, I'm not gonna lie," he said.

But it has been an interesting year to be sitting at the table, he added: "There's been some interesting stuff going on with all the cuts. They had to make, like, $2 million in cuts ---- I'd never wrapped my head around how much money this school has to deal with. I didn't even know how much we cost."

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PFINGSTEN: Class of 2012 salutatorian has big plans

June 3, 2012 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- He was an accomplished pianist at age 9. Now at 21, Sho Yano is the youngest medical school graduate in the history of the University of Chicago.

Sho earned his degree from the Pritzker School of Medicine and is about to enter a residency in pediatric neurology.

"It feels like a nice little accomplishment," Sho said. "I want to go on and do something bigger. I don't want to act like there is some particular reason I should make a great discovery versus any of my classmates so far."

Sho is a genius whose I.Q. is beyond what an I.Q. test can measure. He was reading at 2, composing music at 5 and as a very focused 9-year-old, entered Loyola University.

"I came to college to study, not to hang out or date," he said in 2000 when he entered Loyola.

Studying is exactly what he did. Sho said academics were easy; dealing with discrimination was the real learning experience.

"I ran into things like people shouting 'go back to elementary school' on campus," Sho said.

Being socially accepted at such a young age was easier while getting his PhD and medical degree at the University of Chicago.

Sho has always been a role model for his younger sister Sayuri. She is 15 years old, an accomplished violinist and attends John Hopkins University.

The Yano siblings say the pressure to do great things comes from within.

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Humble genius earns medical degree at 21

A former child genius and Los Angeles resident who entered medical school at the age of 12 is graduating this week as the youngest student to receive a medical degree from the University of Chicago.

Born in Portland, Ore., Sho Yano, 21, has an IQ above 200 and spent most of his early years in California attending the Mirman School for Gifted Children in Los Angeles for a few years and getting home-schooled by his mother.

Yano, who has already completed his Ph.D. in molecular genetics and cell biology, was composing music by age 4, and scored 1,500 out of 1,600 possible points on the SAT by age 8. At 9, he attended Chicagos Loyola University, where he graduated in three years, summa cum laude, but still played with his pet rabbit and delighted in reading childrens books, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Yano was admitted to the University of Chicagos Pritzker School of Medicine after he met with double the usual number of staff, the Tribune said. Several other medical schools had rejected his application, citing lack of maturity.

Although he was the subject of gossip and teasing in college, classmates at Pritzker have accepted him as part of their class. Peers and faculty told the Tribune that Yano is a "sweet" and "humble student who loves Bach and quoting Greek literature.

"Despite his age, Sho's the oldest soul in our class," one classmate told the Tribune.

He has a black belt in tae kwon do and is a noted pianist. But in the end, he said in 2003, he chose medicine because he wants to help people. He will spend his next five years doing a residency in pediatric neurology.

"I'd love to make a great contribution, he told the Tribune. We'll just have to see where life takes me, but really, I haven't done anything yet."

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Former child genius graduates from medical school at age 21

CHICAGO A 21-year-old Chicago man who began college at age 9 and medical school three years later is about to become the youngest student ever awarded an M.D. by the University of Chicago.

Don't miss these Health stories

Sometimes, a funny thing happens when Dr. Roberta Pagon looks directly into the sun. She sneezes. Not just once though, but usually three times.

Sho Yano, who was reading at age 2, writing at 3 and composing music at 5, will graduate this week from the Pritzker School of Medicine, where he also received a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and cell biology.

Yano earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola University at age 12, finishing in three years and graduating summa cum laude, the Chicago Tribune reported Sunday. The average age of students entering medical school in the U.S. is 23, and there were schools that refused Yano admittance because of his age. School officials worried that the rigors of medical school would hinder Yano's ability to have a normal adolescence.

"I never understood that," Yano said. "Why would being allowed to challenge yourself be considered more damaging than being totally bored?"

The University of Chicago admitted Yano in 2003.

"I remember interviewing him ... this nice, polite, 11-year-old boy, dressed in a little suit," said Dr. Joel Scwab, a professor of pediatrics who was on the admissions committee. "He was never going to be among typical 11-year-olds, where his mother would drive him to Little League. He was going to be a doctor."

The school made some accommodations because of Yano's age. Unlike most students, who begin their Ph.D. training after their second year of medical school, Yano began his after his first year. That way, he was about 18 when he began his second year of studies toward his M.D., which includes interacting with and examining patients.

Yano, who is an accomplished pianist and has a black belt in tae kwon do, told the paper he hopes his graduation will silence those who questioned his developmental aptitude when he entered medical school.

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21-year-old youngest MD from Univ. of Chicago

Eric J. Shelton/Reporter-News Abilene Christian University graduate Kate Huggins was recently accepted into the University of Tennessee's medical school.

Throughout her year-plus odyssey to enroll in medical school, Kate Huggins' faith was challenged continually.

After the 2011 Abilene Christian University graduate received the news she had been accepted into Texas A&M her first medical school of choice she learned the university had overfilled its class by 80 students.

To soften the blow, Texas A&M officials offered incentives to students who were open to deferring for a year, including a "significant tuition scholarship." Since Huggins graduated from ACU when she was 21, she was open to waiting a year.

"I decided to take this option and move to Tennessee to explore my relationship with my boyfriend, who is attending medical school at University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tenn.," said Huggins, who took her GED to graduate a year early from Abilene Christian Schools.

"I moved to Memphis and after a few months of living there, had decided that I would like to stay if I could. I spoke with the dean of admissions at the University of Tennessee and he encouraged me to sort out the issue with the dean of admissions at A&M."

Huggins, now 22, spoke with the dean at A&M and he agreed to let her apply to Tennessee without losing her spot at A&M within a set time frame. Besides the fact that Tennessee's medical school had 20 fewer spots than A&M's 200-student school, Huggins took a leap of faith by applying on the final day applications were being taken.

"Against huge odds including being told there was 'absolutely no way' by an adviser that Tennessee would accept an out of state med student she applied on the last possible day," said Huggins' father, Dan.

Kate Huggins added: "I had come so far, I was under so much stress that I thought there was at least a very slim chance."

But the allotted two-month time frame came and went without Huggins' hearing from Tennessee. She would now forced to give up her A&M acceptance and "waited in faith" to be accepted at Tennessee.

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Medical school journey tests ACU grad's faith

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 08:16 EST, 4 June 2012 | UPDATED: 10:34 EST, 4 June 2012

A 21-year-old Chicago man who began college at age nine and medical school three years later is about to become the youngest student ever awarded an M.D. by the University of Chicago.

Sho Yano, who was reading at age two, writing at three and composing music at five, will graduate this week from the Pritzker School of Medicine, where he also received a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and cell biology.

Yano earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola University at age 12, finishing in three years and graduating summa cum laude, the Chicago Tribune reported on Sunday.

Then and now: Sho Yano in 2000 (left) when studying at Loyola University and today (right)

The average age of students entering medical school in the U.S. is 23, and there were schools that refused Yano admittance because of his age.

School officials worried that the rigors of medical school would hinder Yano's ability to have a normal adolescence.

'I never understood that,' Yano said. 'Why would being allowed to challenge yourself be considered more damaging that being totally bored?'

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He's the real-life Doogie Howser! Meet the 21-year-old who started college at nine and is set to graduate from medical ...

Public release date: 1-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Janice Guhl janice.guhl@uhhospitals.org 216-844-3825 University Hospitals Case Medical Center

Cleveland, Ohio University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center's Harrington Discovery Institute has launched a new program aimed at supporting physician-scientists seeking to move their research into therapies that will improve patients' lives. Goutham Narla, MD, PhD, formerly at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, has been named the first Harrington Distinguished Scholar (Early Career Award). Dr. Narla's research includes the identification and characterization of key genes and pathways involved in human cancer development and progression, and the development of novel drugs to target these genes in various cancers.

The UH Harrington Discovery Institute, launched in February, is the not-for-profit academic medical engine of the Harrington Discovery and Development Project - a first-of-its kind, $250 million initiative that also includes a mission-aligned for-profit commercialization and development company. Aligning these entities, for the first time at an academic medical center, provides a comprehensive model to advance discoveries into development and create novel drugs and therapies for patient care.

Through the Harrington Distinguished Scholars Program, a physician-scientist is chosen to practice medicine at UH Case Medical Center and to hold a faculty position at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Physician-scientists with potential breakthroughs are able to tap into grant funding and a peer network of innovators and mentors within the UH Harrington Discovery Institute's infrastructure to support their discovery efforts. Over the next decade, the UH Harrington Discovery Institute will recruit 10-20 physician-scientists of outstanding promise and with a determined interest in advancing the treatment of patients.

"We will be bringing physician-scientists with a wide range of experience to UH Case Medical Centerthose who have already made exceptional contributions to their research field and others at the beginnings of their research and patient care careers who show extraordinary promise," said Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, the Institute's Director and Director of the Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine at UH Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Dr. Narla's research involves a previously unrecognized signaling network of genes that is disrupted in lung cancer. This network can be turned on by a novel combination of two drugs previously approved by the FDA and that may also help to regulate lung cancer progression. The research has just been published online in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, a prestigious journal for physician-scientists. The work highlights how understanding the basic mechanisms regulating cancer development and progression can lead to new uses for existing FDA approved drugs in the treatment of cancer.

"My training as a physician-scientist did not prepare me to move clinical discoveries from my laboratory toward commercialization," said Dr. Narla, a medical geneticist at UH Case Medical Center who specializes in the care of high risk cancer patients.

"The added guidance and resources that come with being a Harrington Distinguished Scholar will enable me to bring my discoveries to patients more quickly," added Dr. Narla, who is also an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Institute of Transformative Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

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Distinguished Scholars Program launches at UH Case Medical Center's Harrington Discovery Institute

Readmore: Local, Health, Education, Community, News, Mizzou, Mu, University of Missouri, University of Missouri Medical School, Mu Med School, Mu Medical School, Mizzou Medical School, University of Mo, University of Mo Medical School, University of Mo Med School, Med School, Medical School, Columbia Mo Medical School, Columbia Mo Med School, Major Announcement, University of Missouri Health, University of Mo Health, Columbia Mo Health

(From left to right) Dr. Michael Richards, Dr. Robert Churchill, Dr. Kenneth Rall

COLUMBIA, MO -- Updated, 1:25 p.m.: Possible billing fraud in the Department of Radiology in the University of Missouri School of Medicine prompted the university to hire an outside law firm to investigate in November of last year. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Kansas City had told the university that a federal investigation was underway.

Harold A. Williamson Jr., M.D., vice chancellor of the University of Missouri Health System, announced Friday that health system officials are making substantive changes in the School of Medicines Department of Radiology as the result of an internal university investigation.

In addition, Williamson announced that Robert Churchill, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine, has officially announced his plans to retire and will leave the university in October.

"As the result of our investigation, we believe that two radiologists, Dr. Kenneth Rall and Dr. Michael Richards, violated Medicare and hospital rules by certifying that they had performed services that were actually performed by resident physicians," Williamson said.

"We were shocked and disappointed to learn about this, because any kind of fraud is entirely inconsistent with our health systems values, our mission, and our commitment to patient care," said Williamson, who has served as a physician at MU for 30 years, including 10 years as chair of MUs nationally recognized Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Williamson said the top concern of health system officials throughout the investigation was the possible impact on patients.

"Although we are in the early stages of the investigation, we have reviewed millions of lines of computer data and conducted lengthy interviews with many medical professionals. Thus far we have found no evidence that patient care was compromised," Williamson said.

Health system officials made the preliminary findings public today because "the finding of fraudulent billings was troubling enough that we felt we needed to act immediately," Williamson said.

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Major announcement at MU's medical school

CLEVELAND, June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center's Harrington Discovery Institute has launched a new program aimed at supporting physician-scientists seeking to move their research into therapies that will improve patients' lives. Goutham Narla, MD, PhD, formerly at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, has been named the first Harrington Distinguished Scholar (Early Career Award). Dr. Narla's research includes the identification and characterization of key genes and pathways involved in human cancer development and progression, and the development of novel drugs to target these genes in various cancers.

The UH Harrington Discovery Institute, launched in February, is the not-for-profit academic medical engine of the Harrington Discovery and Development Project - a first-of-its kind, $250 million initiative that also includes a mission-aligned for-profit commercialization and development company. Aligning these entities, for the first time at an academic medical center, provides a comprehensive model to advance discoveries into development and create novel drugs and therapies for patient care.

Through the Harrington Distinguished Scholars Program, a physician-scientist is chosen to practice medicine at UH Case Medical Center and to hold a faculty position at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Physician-scientists with potential breakthroughs are able to tap into grant funding and a peer network of innovators and mentors within the UH Harrington Discovery Institute's infrastructure to support their discovery efforts. Over the next decade, the UH Harrington Discovery Institute will recruit 10-20 physician-scientists of outstanding promise and with a determined interest in advancing the treatment of patients.

"We will be bringing physician-scientists with a wide range of experience to UH Case Medical Centerthose who have already made exceptional contributions to their research field and others at the beginnings of their research and patient care careers who show extraordinary promise," said Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, the Institute's Director and Director of the Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine at UH Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Dr. Narla's research involves a previously unrecognized signaling network of genes that is disrupted in lung cancer. This network can be turned on by a novel combination of two drugs previously approved by the FDA and that may also help to regulate lung cancer progression. The research has just been published online in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, a prestigious journal for physician-scientists. The work highlights how understanding the basic mechanisms regulating cancer development and progression can lead to new uses for existing FDA approved drugs in the treatment of cancer.

"My training as a physician-scientist did not prepare me to move clinical discoveries from my laboratory toward commercialization," said Dr. Narla, a medical geneticist at UH Case Medical Center who specializes in the care of high risk cancer patients.

"The added guidance and resources that come with being a Harrington Distinguished Scholar will enable me to bring my discoveries to patients more quickly," added Dr. Narla, who is also an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Institute of Transformative Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Scholar-Innovator Grants In addition to the Distinguished Scholar program, UH Case Medical Center has recently launched a grant competition to physician-scientists across the country. The Harrington Scholar-Innovator grants will offer to support the translation of research from laboratory to early development stages.

Up to 10 physician-scientists each year will be supported with Harrington Scholar-Innovator grants of up to $200,000 over two years. Guiding the selection of the grant winners are seven prominent physician-scientists who have recently joined the UH Harrington Discovery Institute Scientific Advisory Board, among them Dr. Stamler.

"These grants are intended to ensure that physician-scientists can advance their discoveries and their careers that are dedicated to furthering University Hospitals Case Medical Center's mission: To Heal. To Teach. To Discover," added Dr. Stamler.

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Distinguished Scholars Program Launches at University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Harrington Discovery Institute

CLEVELAND, June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --In a Phase 2 study presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), clinical researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center developed a more effective way to treat gynecologic cancers, shortening radiation treatment time from five weeks to three days.The new method, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), has been used on other types of cancer, but University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the first treatment facility to apply it to gynecologic cancers.

"Unlike traditional radiation therapy, SBRT uses focused radiation beams and targets well-defined tumors," says Charles Kunos, MD, study co-author and Director of Gynecologic Radiation Oncology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "The highly specific nature of the procedure not only shortens treatment time, it limits the effect of the radiation on healthy tissues."

Dr. Kunos will present the study's findings during a general poster session on gynecologic cancer at ASCO on Sunday, June 3 from 8:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.

Researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine will present new research findings in 29 presentationsat ASCO, taking place June 1-5 in Chicago.

"The breadth and depth of this innovative cancer research presented at ASCO is truly outstanding," says Stan Gerson, MD, Director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. "Our faculty members are making tremendous advances in hematology and oncology which is reflected in their being chosen for oral and poster presentations."

Other presentations of note include:

Sunday, June 3

General Poster Session: Gynecologic Cancer

Association of smoking with pulmonary recurrences among women with intermediate- to high-risk early-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma.

Abstract #5089: 8:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.

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University Hospitals Case Medical Center Experts Present at ASCO Annual Meeting

The Irish Times - Friday, June 1, 2012

SEN FLYNN, Education Editor

THE NEW entry and selection test for entry to medicine known as the Hpat has done little to widen access to the profession, according to a draft review for the Higher Education Authority.

The review also concludes that students who can afford to take expensive preparatory courses for the Hpat (Health Professions Admission Test) outperform others despite claims the exam presents a level playing field for all students. More than 50 per cent of Hpat candidates take commercial coaching courses, the review states.

The review by the medical schools and other experts concludes that students who repeat the Hpat perform significantly better.

In all, one-third of successful applicants in the past two years were actually repeat candidates, with many of them dropping out of other much-coveted college courses. More than 85 per cent of students who repeated the exam improved their scores.

The findings are unlikely to be welcomed by the Department of Education, which has promoted the Hpat as a new-style exam where compared to the Leaving Cert there is less reliance on rote learning.

But medical schools will be under pressure to make changes before the 2013 exam next February.

Education sources say possible changes include:

* Hpat scores will be valid for a period of one year only;

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Medical school entry test fails to widen access to profession