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Kaiser already operates a School of Allied Health Sciences in Richmond, California. The medical school could provide a steady infusion of new physicians for Kaiser trained in the concepts of population health management and cost efficiencies.

It should be noted the board contains individuals with resumes boasting companies such as PayPal, 23andMeand Microsoft Research. It denotes that the healthcare industry is changing and that students will need to be prepared for a tech-friendly environment. Whether it's digital health focusing on life sciences or digital payments or consumer electronics, the rapidly changing tech world is set to influence the healthcare industry.

The industry has already seen some change in this regard. Digital intake tools and utilizing technology to maximize patient throughput has helped some providers make financial gains. But, for the most part, there are still many wrinkles to be ironed out in the new healthcare environment. Kaiser's medical board picks, albeit implicitly, acknowledges the need for educating and understanding this new frontier.

Appointees to the medical school board are:

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Kaiser Permanente names 13 to new medical school board ... - Healthcare Dive

Barbara Atkinson, the founding dean of the UNLV School of Medicine, is making positive gains every day in the hospital after suffering a very serious illness, university officials said Tuesday.

The comments came after the Las Vegas Review-Journal published an article quoting two sources familiar with the situation as saying the 74-year-old dean was fighting for her life at University Medical Center in Las Vegas after suffering a ruptured intestine that triggered a serious infection.

Hours later, UNLV officials responded. While saying they were limited in what they could disclose about Atkinsons condition by federal health privacy law, they indicated that she was improving.

UNLV administrator Maureen Schafer said Atkinson, the former dean of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, had undergone a very serious surgery (but) continues to make incremental positive gains every day.

Her doctors have advised the family that she can make a full, positive recovery, said Schafer, chief of staff at the medical school.

Diane Z. Chase, UNLV executive vice president and provost, said in a statement that Atkinson was admitted over the July 4th weekend to UMC, which will serve as the main clinical teaching center for the regions first public medical school, and underwent successful surgery.

On the brink of a milestone

The timing of Atkinsons illness could not have been worse, coming just days before she was to welcome the landmark medical schools first class of students on Monday.

The sources, who spoke with the Las Vegas Review-Journal on condition of anonymity, said Atkinson suffered an intestinal rupture at home before being hospitalized, then battled an infection a not-uncommon aftereffect.

Citing privacy law, Schafer did not go into specifics on the deans surgery and hospitalization. But she said the dean is not now fighting an infection.

It was unclear how long Atkinson might be sidelined as she recovers, but UNLV officials, including Chase and President Len Jessup, have met to discuss appointing an acting dean to fill in until she is ready to resume her duties, said Dr. Mark Doubrava, a physician and member of the state Board of Regents.

That would be the normal process if a dean was absent for an extended length of time, Doubrava said.

Vince Alberta, chief marketing officer for UNLV, noted that Provost Chase met with faculty and staff early last week and has had followup communication with them for input on the potential appointment of an acting dean.

Because Atkinson is expected to need a lengthy recovery, Alberta said the appointment of an acting dean is a very real possibility.

We expect to get input from Dr. Atkinson about it, he said, noting that an acting dean would just be holding down the fort until Atkinson returned to work.

While saying she did not want to diminish the fact that the dean had a very serious surgery, Shafer also said she does not want to alarm people who care about UNLV, Atkinson and the new medical school.

There is a positive prognosis for her recovery, Shafer said. She said medical school students who learned of her illness have written personal cards to her and expressed their interest on a daily basis.

A dream come true

Three weeks ago, the renowned educational leader, clinician and researcher Atkinson was elected to the prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 1997 said she was eager to see the first class of 60 students begin school.

This is going to be a dream come true for many people in Southern Nevada, said Atkinson, who didnt start medical school until her own children began grade school. I want to be there when they graduate in 2021.

Sources close to the medical school say that Atkinson has built a foundation for the school to carry on if she is forced into an extended absence.

She went after, and got the best people for this school, one said.

Doubrava expressed similar sentiments, saying that instruction will begin on time and that students will follow the curriculum as its been designed.

Atkinson came out of retirement in 2014 when UNLV officials sought her help in starting a medical school from scratch. In 2017 Nevada lawmakers provided $27 million to get the school up and running and in the recent Legislative session budgeted another $53 million.

Atkinson became planning dean for the school in May 2014 and was named founding dean 18 months later.

Its a huge job. She oversees installation of the curriculum and accreditation, recruits faculty and manages school operations, philanthropy and community outreach.

She has also crafted the framework for the schools faculty practice plan, graduate medical education program, hospital affiliation agreements and community clinical teaching sites.

Successful fundraiser

She has also succeeded as a fundraiser. With the Engelstad Family Foundations backing, she helped raise $13.5 million in 60 days in 2015 to fund 135 scholarships for future medical students including the entire charter class. The school will also give out 25 scholarships valued at $27,000 a year to the classes admitted in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

In June, a $25 million gift that Atkinson helped cultivate with Jessup the donor has chosen to remain an anonymous was given to the medical school. That gift, along with another $25 million chipped in by the Legislature, goes toward a $100 million medical education building to be built in the Las Vegas Medical District, the planned 674-acre cluster of medical offices, retail and residential space near UMC.

The medical school has interim space reserved at UNLVs Shadow Lane Campus, which is across the street from UMC and Valley Hospital.

Two weeks ago, Atkinson said she was confident that the additional $50 million needed for the new education building will be raised in the not too distant future.

Itll happen pretty soon, she said.

Doubrava said that he believes fundraising efforts are continuing as normal in Atkinsons absence.

Everyone is just waiting to see Dean Atkinsons return, he said.

Las Vegas city officials have predicted a big redevelopment spurt in the citys urban core from the new medical school. Betsy Fretwell, who leaves her city manager position this month, has said by 2020 the school will have a $600 million impact on the economy, resulting in more than 4,000 news jobs and an additional $30 million in tax revenue.

The new school also will go a long way toward bringing doctors to Nevada, according to Doubrava. Often, he said, medical school students and medical residents stay in the city they went to school or did their residences because they establish roots there.

With 198 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2010, Nevada falls far below the U.S. average of 272 doctors, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Jessup was not immediately available for comment.

Contact Paul Harasim at pharasim@reviewjournal.com or 702 387-5273. Follow Follow @paulharasim on Twitter. Contact Natalie Bruzda at nbruzda@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3897. Follow @NatalieBruzda on Twitter.

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Barbara Atkinson, UNLV medical school dean, recovering after health scare - Las Vegas Review-Journal

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) A new study completed by Student Loan Hero ranks the Brody School of Medicine the most affordable medical school in the country.

The study looked at three factors: tuition, average medical school debt, and the percentage of students receiving financial aid from the institution.

According to the study, students at Brody pay $18,159 in tuition and graduate with an average debt of $112,692.

Keeping tuition manageable is critical in Brodys efforts to supply rural areas with primary care physicians, said Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Elizabeth Baxley.

Students need to be able to, physicians ultimately, need to be able to afford to live there and be able to support a practice there, and to pay off their loan debt, Baxley said.

She said the pay for primary care doctors is often lower than that of other fields in the medical profession. In order to have people in the field, they have to have less debt.

Despite having to raise tuition with rising costs over the years, Baxley said theyve been able to keep the increases manageable.

We have tried to benchmark that with other schools, we have tried to make sure that the increases are more in the range of $1,000 to $1,500 a year, she said.

UNC- Chapel Hill landed at 14th most affordable, while Dukes medical school landed at 39th.

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Study: Brody ranks as most affordable medical school in America - WNCT

We have good news for future doctors who need to save on their education and don't want to go far to start their career. Penny-pinching future doctorshave we got a deal for you.

Summer is a season of decision for students deciding where to pursue a medical degree. The biggest hurdle is the cost. It's a rewarding, but very costly careertoo costly for too many. Dr. Thomas Schwenk, Dean of the UNR School of Medicine told us, says its a growing concern. As he put it, "Its very intimidating for students to look at these numbers and say, 'I'm going to finish medical school with a debt of $140,000?'

Getting a good buy on a medical degree seems impossible, but you won't have to go far to find an affordable education it's just down the street. The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine just got noticed in one of the best possible ways by USA Today. As Dr. Schwenk told us, "Our student debt at graduation is lower than the national average." Getting a degree here will save you about $30,000 that he says you will need after you graduate: "Setting up a practice is very expensive. You have to hire staff and develop a patient population."

According to research compiled by Student Loan Hero, the average U.S. medical student accrues $164,800 in debt. At the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine it's $135,788, making it the 13th most affordable medical school. UNR ranks number 4 for students receiving institutional aid, 9th for lowest in-state tuition and 10th in lowest average medical school debt.

East Carolina Brody School of Medicine, the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston have the 3 least expensive medical degrees in the countrybut cheaper than us? Not when you factor the lower in-state tuition rate for locals. Dr. Schwenk says, "For a Nevada student, this is an incredible deal."

Other colleges have found other ways. U.C. Davis just started a program that fast-tracks primary care doctors to graduate in 3 years instead of 4. They say by making it more intense, and placing students in residencies instead of time spent interviewing.

Whatever can be done to cut the cost is so needed. People are living longer, and too many physicians are retiring with too few young doctors coming in to take their place. The U.S. is expected to face a shortage of 45,000 primary care physicians in the next 8 to 10 years. As Dr. Schwenk told us, "There are rural areas that are underserved, but there also urban areas that are under served, and we need to work to get physicians into those areas."

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UNR Ranks High in Affordable Medical School Survey - KTVN

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine ranks 13th in the nation's top 20 most affordable medical schools, according to a study released by USA Today.

Student Loan Hero researchers assessed three factors when determining the list: annual tuition costs, average indebtedness at graduation, and the percentage of borrowers receiving institutional aid. On average, aspiring medical students can expect to accrue more than $160,000 in medical school debt, while UNR Med students pay nearly $30,000 less due to low tuition rates and ample financial aid opportunities. Here's how UNR Med compares:

National Average

University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine

Of the top 12 schools on the list, UNR Med out-ranks eight in students receiving institutional aid, three in annual in-state tuition and two in average medical school debt.

What's more, as a community-based, research-intensive institution, UNR Med students receive unique opportunities for hands-on training and cutting-edge research, providing an invaluable medical school experience at a fraction of the cost. The school fosters a strong, collaborative environment for students and faculty and houses some of the nation's most widely cited, heavily-funded investigators.

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine is a research-intensive, community-based, statewide medical school that has served Nevada for more than 48 years as its first public medical school.

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UNR School of Medicine ranks among most affordable medical schools - Northern Nevada Business Weekly

Tufts Medical chief Dr. Michael Wagner says he respects nurses. Those who held a one-day strike were locked out Thursday.

More than once this week, Dr. Michael Wagner has delivered a tough message: We will not be held hostage.

His tone was typically calm and measured but his meaning unmistakable. Wagner, the chief executive of Tufts Medical Center, has taken a notably hard-line approach in his hospitals showdown with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which this week staged a nurses strike at Tufts, the first such strike in Boston in more than three decades.

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Wagner, a 58-year-old primary care doctor who has led Tufts since 2013, is now in a position that other local hospital chief executives have avoided. He says union leaders are pursuing an agenda to grow their own ranks, and theyre hurting Tufts Medical in the process.

The union went on strike for one day Wednesday, but the hospital plans to keep the nurses out until Monday, while using temporary replacement workers.

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Somebody has to step up and say the intimidation, harassment, and bullying of the MNA has to be stood up against, Wagner said in an interview Thursday, as union nurses picketed outside his office.

A study found that more patients die and are readmitted to the hospital during nurses strikes.

Union leaders say Wagner and other Tufts executives are the ones doing the bullying by denying nurses the compensation and better working conditions they deserve. The strike began after the union and the hospital failed to agree on wages, benefits, and staffing levels for the more than 1,200 unionized nurses at Tufts.

I view [Wagner] as a very capable, very measured and thoughtful health care executive, Ellen Zane, a former Tufts chief executive and vice chairwoman of the hospitals board, said by e-mail.

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In a city of many teaching hospitals, Wagner doesnt wield the same clout as the chief executives of bigger or more prestigious institutions. But he has often spoken out about issues that he sees as threats to Tufts, even when his position may make him unpopular with politicians or other business leaders.

Tufts, with 415 beds in Bostons Chinatown neighborhood, treats many seriously ill children and adults, from premature babies to adults in need of heart transplants. Its patients include many low-income families and children. But Tufts has not enjoyed the kind of brand recognition and high payment rates of its competitors, particularly Partners HealthCare.

Three years ago, Wagner watched with concern as Partners sought a takeover of South Shore Hospital in Weymouth and Hallmark Health System of Medford. He and other Partners competitors worried the deals would make the most dominant health care network in Massachusetts even more powerful.

At Tufts, Wagner convened a meeting that included the chief executives of Beth Israel Deaconess and Lahey Health. They decided to launch a coalition that waged a public campaign to derail Partners expansion plans. Ultimately, following widespread concern that its further growth would raise health care costs and lower competition, Partners abandoned its plans.

Id call him a very, very strong advocate for the medical center, said Dr. Jeffrey Lasker, who ran the network of 1,800 doctors affiliated with Tufts before retiring last year. He loves the organization.

Wagners varied career includes three stints at Tufts. Before he was promoted to chief executive, he was chief medical officer and chief of the physicians organization there. Before that, he ran a physician-staffing organization.

A graduate of Georgetown Universitys medical school, Wagner is known as passionate but mild-mannered and as a clear communicator. Hes comfortable speaking at a podium but also enjoys digging through data and the nuts and bolts of running a hospital.

The married father of four grew up in Connecticut and now lives in Pembroke.

Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

Rob Osgood, Director of Emergency Services Operations (left) held a binder containing Tufts Medical Center Work Stoppage Plan as he stood beside Dr. Michael Wagner.

As chief executive at Tufts, he has tried and sometimes failed to grow the hospitals reach. In 2014, he linked Tufts with Lowell General Hospital under a new parent company called Wellforce. This year, they added Hallmark Health to that system. Wagners growth plan focuses heavily on partnerships with community doctors and hospitals.

Wagner spent many months in 2014 and 2015 negotiating a big merger with Boston Medical Center. The talks fell apart after executives from the two hospitals couldnt overcome differences of culture and strategy.

But Kate Walsh, chief executive of BMC, said she and Wagner walked away as friends. Wagner even invited her to dinner as a goodwill gesture after their merger talks ended, she said. It speaks to his maturity as leader, she said. Hes somebody I would work with again if I had the opportunity to.

Wagner, whose base salary is about $800,000 annually, says he regularly visits different units of the hospital and meets with caregivers. Many people credit him with being rightly focused on patients.

But Evelyn Finn, a union representative at the Mass. Nurses Association who has worked at Tufts for almost 40 years, said Wagner changed when he became chief executive. He became more dollars-and-cents oriented, she said. Its unfortunate to see somebody so patient-focused become so finance-focused.

Mary Havlicek Cornacchia, another union official and longtime nurse, said Wagner despite a somewhat quiet demeanor and other Tufts executives have pursued a strategy of union busting.

The strike is expected to cost Tufts at least $6 million the expense of hiring replacement workers and could ultimately cost more. Wagners hard-line approach with the nurses union is winning him some quiet praise among other hospital leaders, even as it makes him an enemy to some rank-and-file workers. Wagner said he deeply respects nurses and the important role they play in the hospital. His criticism, he said, is directed at union officials.

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Tufts Medical CEO stands tough, says union hurting Tufts - The Boston Globe

San Francisco Business Times

Why Kaiser added tech execs to its med school board San Francisco Business Times The roster includes Kaiser medical executives and Silicon Valley technology leaders, including Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe, and Mary Hentges, former chief financial officer of PayPal and CBS Interactive. Dr. Holly J. Humphrey, dean for medical ...

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Why Kaiser added tech execs to its med school board - San Francisco Business Times

University of Washington President Ana Marie Cauce, left, shows off her Gonzaga pen while she and Gonzaga University President Thayne McCulloh, right, sign the formal agreement after the announcement that Gonzaga University would host UW medical students on campus, starting in the fall of 2016. The announcement was Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 at Gonzaga University. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

For now, at least, the University of Washingtons medical school in Spokane will have classes of just 60 students.

Through a partnership with Gonzaga University, UW welcomed 60 first-year and 40 second-year medical students in Spokane last fall. Earlier this year it asked the Legislature for $9.3 million to add 20 students per graduating class.

But lawmakers were juggling other expensive obligations, including a court order to invest more in K-12 education, so UW received just $5 million for the biennium, enough to support two more classes of 60 medical students.

Our long-term goal is to get to 80 students, said Ian Goodhew, UWs government affairs director. Thats what weve been working on for several years.

Washington State University, which received $10 million for its fledgling medical school in Spokane, also is authorized to serve classes of 60. UWs medical school served significantly fewer students at WSU Spokane before that partnership splintered several years ago.

Goodhew said UW is satisfied with the amount it received. He said lawmakers recognized that the partnership with Gonzaga is off to a pretty great start.

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UW medical school in Spokane won't get bigger classes - The Spokesman-Review

In a move intended to boost Indianas position as a life sciences research hub, Lilly Endowment Inc. isgiving $25 million to the Indiana University School of Medicine to create a biomedical research center, establish a doctoral program in bioinformatics and hire at least 10biomedical scientists.

The two institutions announced the grant Tuesday afternoon, saying it is designed to attract top scientists to Indiana.

The money will allow the medical school to set up a new collaboration with non-academic research partners around the state, including Eli Lilly and Co., Roche Diagnostics, Dow AgroSciences, Cook Group, Indiana University Health, Eskenazi Health and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute.

The collaboration will be called the Indiana Collaborative Initiative for Talent Enrichment, or INCITE for short.

The IU School of Medicine said it expects the collaborations will focus on key research areas, including new treatments for cancer, Alzheimers disease, diabetes and childhood diseases.

For Indiana to continue to grow as one of our nations leading centers for life science research and innovation, it is critical that we continue to attract the top research talent to our state, IU President Michael McRobbie said in a statement.

Indianapolis has struggled to attract and retain top talent, compared with many other cities, such as Pittsburgh, Denver, Nashville and Baltimore, according to research from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis is trying to make the city more exciting for scientists and other professionals, through such efforts as creating the 16 Tech innovation district, just north of the medical school.

The goal of that project is to transform an aging business district into a vibrant research area, by creating an active work-live-play urban environment. The anchor tenant of the district will be the fledgling Indiana Biosciences Research Institute.

IBRI officials said they are excited by the $25 million grant.

The ability to attract top talent is vital to the continued growth of life sciences in Indiana, IBRI CEO David Broecker said in a statement. This initiative will help us recruit world-class researchers from around the country and across the globe and keep our homegrown talent here, too. We are excited to be a part of it.

Other large Indiana players in life sciences were similarly upbeat.

"With this new grant, we look forward to the potential to enhance the ecosystem for scientists in Indiana and further the work that has been done to create a life science hub in our state, Andrew Dahlem, vice president for Lilly Research Laboratories, said in a statement.

Its the latest major gift from the Lilly Endowment, one of the countrys largest private philanthropic organizations, to the IU medical school. The endowment awarded grants in 2000 and 2002 totaling $155 million to help the school build research infrastructure. It gave another $60 million in 2009 to help the school recruit scientists trained as both physicians and researchers.

Lilly Endowment is pleased to help build on the schools impressive strengths through this innovative and collaborative new initiative, which will not only enhance the life sciences sector but also result in advances in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of health concerns, Sara B. Cobb, the endowments vice president for education, said in a statement.

Part of the money will be used to help create a biomedical research center with cryo-electron microscopy technology to study the structure of molecules. The center will be available to researchers at the medical school and other life sciences organizations in Indiana.

Other institutions involved in the collaboration will include Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame, through the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, a statewide partnership funded by the National Institutes of Health that aims to improve public health.

The money from Lilly Endowmentalso will fund the establishment of a doctoral program in bioinformatics to help train the next generation of scientists in genomic medicine. The university currently offers a PhD in informatics with a specialization in bioinformatics, a spokeswoman said. The new program will be in "biomedical informatics" with a focus on medicine and health, she said.

The grant marks just the latest major gift to the medical school. In December, Indianapolis millionaire and tech entrepreneur Don Brown said he would donate $30 million to speed up research into how to use the immune system to fight cancer and other ravaging diseases.

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Lilly Endowment giving IU medical school $25M to fund life sciences ... - Indianapolis Business Journal

July 11, 2017

A comprehensive pedestrian and driver safety program is being developed by the Operations and Facilities Management Department at Washington University School of Medicine.

The program, initiated in the spring of 2017, will address pedestrian and vehicular safety needs on campus; provide education on the topic; and encourage more walking.

In preparation for the program, the school completed a campus mobility plan in 2015, and a traffic and safety consultant completed a crosswalk study this summer that focused on Taylor, Duncan, McKinley and Scott avenues. As a result of the campus mobility plan, the pedestrian link was added to support pedestrian flow and remove pedestrian traffic from Taylor Avenue.

The school next plans to hire a firm to design improvements for traffic areas that present special challenges. Some of these solutions might include adding speed bumps, raised crosswalks, new signage and new fencing.

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Medical school develops pedestrian and driver safety program - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Steven Spearie Correspondent

Bradley Vost had no direct lab research experience, but he knew the "nitty-gritty" work of it would help in his medical schooling.

Vost, a 2012 Sacred Heart-Griffin High School graduate who just completed his first year at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, is helping track a human gene "knocked in" to lab mice that could have implications for how researchers look at Alzheimer's disease.

The eight-week initiative, through the medical school's Mentored Professional Enrichment Experience (MPEE), has been eye-opening, said Vost, and not just because of the study he's focused on.

"It takes a lot of humility to be one piece of the research puzzle," said Vost. "Not every researcher is going to get to do the next big breakthrough. A lot of this is day-to-day work. The time is so sensitive.

"And patience is a huge part of it."

Eleven SIU students are scattered throughout the state this summer, involved in topics related to preterm infants, stroke and Alzheimers disease, said MPEE coordinator Eric Niederhoffer, though most, like Vost, are concentrated in Springfield.

The MPEE was started in 2000, according to Niederhoffer, an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology based in Carbondale, where medical students spend their first year before transitioning to Springfield.

The experience is also "very self-directed," he added, with students identifying projects, which can be part of an existing study, and teaming up with mentors. Students present their findings to a medical school team this fall.

Niederhoffer said the MPEE can be an important resume booster for students, especially when they are applying for residencies.

In research, students are addressing unanswered questions or questions no one has thought of before, said Niederhoffer.

"They're working on answers to very specific questions," he said. "In research, you have to do a lot of work for a small payoff for something useful."

For Collin Innis, also from Springfield, the MPEE was a chance to reconnect with Dr. Benjamin Stevens, an orthopedic surgeon based at Springfield Clinic, with whom Innis spent a year as a scribe after graduating from Bradley University and before enrolling in medical school.

Innis is generating a database that tracks the outcomes of patients who have undergone gastrocnemius or gastrocsoleus recessions, processes that lengthen the Achilles tendon and take pressure off heel and forefoot pain.

Innis, who played basketball at Springfield High School and with a local AAU team, said the MPEE reminded him of the enthusiasm he had about getting into orthopedics.

"This is a preview of the rest of our lives," said Innis. "No one said this is easy, but it will pay dividends down the road."

Students don't take the MPEE lightly, although it is a deviation from regular course work. The summer between the first and second years of medical school, said Niederhoffer, is the most time off would-be doctors will have until they retire.

It can also be a jump-start, he added, because some students have come back to research topics they were first exposed to in the MPEE later on in medical school.

Vost, who is working with Erin Hascup, an assistant professor in the neurology and pharmacology departments at the medical school, said he may return to the Alzheimer's study later on in some fashion.

Just a few weeks into the MPEE, Vost said it has made him realize how "coordinated and precise" research has to be and how "medical breakthroughs" are often the results of several labs working on particular parts of a study.

Vost said he didn't seek out the Alzheimer's research for any personal or family reasons, but noted that he was struck going past the Mill Creek Alzheimer's Special Care Center on Ginger Creek Drive on his daily drive.

"(Alzheimer's) is a disease that comes on slowly and creates a feeling of helplessness," said Vost. "It made me want to work with it and help eliminate that feeling of helplessness."

--Steven Spearie contact: spearie@hotmail.com or follow on Facebook or Twitter (@StevenSpearie).

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SIU med students get experience in summer program - The State Journal-Register

TUPELO This January, Blue Mountain College student Andria Barnes will take the Medical College Admission Test, a major step toward her dream of becoming a doctor for rural communities.

Barnes is one of two Lee County students selected for the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program, which has been identifying college sophomores and juniors who demonstrate the necessary commitment and academic achievement to become competent, well-trained rural primary care physicians in Mississippi.

Barnes and University of Mississippi student Mikayla Johnson, also in MRPSP, are both from Mooreville.

There are a total of 10 students from North Mississippi participating in the program: Conner Caldwell of Belmont; Cailey Crawford of Randolph; Ramona Crum of Falkner; Cali Edwards of Aberdeen; Yesenia Gonzalez of Pontotoc; Hannah Laird of Starkville; Houston Orr of Fulton; Austin Urvina of Booneville; Barnes and Johnson.

Created in 2007, MRPSP offers undergraduate academic enrichment and a clinical experience in a rural setting.

Upon completion of all medical school admissions requirements, the student can be admitted to the University of Mississippi School of Medicine or William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

During medical school, each MRPSP scholar may also receive $30,000 per year based on available funding. This allows many scholars to graduate from medical school debt-free.

Upon completion of medical training, MRPSP scholars must enter a residency program in one of five primary care specialties: family medicine, general internal medicine, medicine-pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology or pediatrics. They must also provide four years of service in a clinic-based practice in an approved Mississippi community with a population of 15,000 or fewer located more than 20 miles from a medically-served area.

Barnes, 21, a rising senior at BMC, said shes always wanted to be a doctor, and MRPSP will help her achieve that goal as well as continue to prepare her for medical school while shes still an undergraduate.

Being from a small community, Barnes said she likes the close relationships rural doctors can form with their patients.

Thats the way Ive grown up, and I feel like I can understand the patients and the people because Im one of them, Barnes said.

In the midst of medical school applications, Barnes said MRPSP also gives her peace of mind knowing she doesnt need to worry about taking out loans.

Thats going to help me tremendously, Barnes said. It takes off the extra stress and worry.

Johnson, 20, a rising junior at Ole Miss, said the shadowing as part of the program has solidified her decision to become a rural physician.

After being accepted to MRPSP, undergraduate students must complete 40 hours per year of shadowing under a rural physician.

She said she plans to return to Mooreville as a pediatrician.

I always wanted to be a doctor, and I knew that I wanted to come back and work with local people because I love the community, Johnson said. I thought this program was a great opportunity to meet other people who want to practice rural medicine, and its helped me get the big picture of what I really want to do.

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Local students chosen for rural physicians scholarship - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

FAIRBORN Justin Kelley is a fourth-year medical student at the Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine.

When Justin Kelley was 16, he became a lifeguard at his hometown YMCA. He never dreamed that lifeguarding would lead him to medical school.

I wanted a job, and I thought being a lifeguard was cool, said Kelley, a fourth-year medical student at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. Lifeguarding was rewarding, exciting and full of responsibility.

At 17, he became a lifeguarding instructor. I found something that filled my life with purpose and meaning, said Kelley, who is from Washington Court House, Ohio. My work as a lifeguard and instructing health and safety courses for the American Red Cross led me to medicine.

After graduating from high school, Kelley attended Wright State University, where he earned a bachelor of science in biological sciences in 2013. He enjoyed studying biology and participating in the University Honors Program, where he was a University Honors Scholar. During his undergraduate thesis project, he learned about the M.D./M.P.H. dual-degree program at Wright State.

When I explored the master of public health degree, it seemed like a perfect fit, Kelley said. In lifeguarding, the focus is on prevention. You strive to prevent drownings and injuries. I was already in public health. I knew I had to pursue the M.D./M.P.H. dual degree.

Through his undergraduate courses, he learned about the Boonshoft School of Medicine and took a few classes in White Hall.

The Boonshoft School of Medicine professors also taught some of my undergraduate courses, he said. I thought they were excellent teachers.

He applied to the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

I was happy and excited to be accepted to the Boonshoft School of Medicine, Kelley said. I feel I have benefited from connections and opportunities at the Boonshoft School of Medicine that I would not have had at other schools.

Scholarships have eased the burden of paying for his undergraduate and medical education. He is the first person in his family to pursue a medical degree. His mother and stepfather are small business owners.

Neither my family nor I have the resources to pay for medical school, let alone a dual-degree, Kelley said. I am grateful for the scholarships I have received throughout my years as an undergraduate student at Wright State and now as a medical student at the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

After his first two years of medical school, Kelley took a year to earn his M.P.H. degree through the Physician Leadership Development Program (PLDP), a dual-degree program in which medical students obtain a masters degree in public health or business while pursuing their medical degree over five years.

As part of his M.P.H. experience, Kelley worked closely with local and state public health professionals on reducing the diabetes burden in the Dayton area. He developed a continuing medical education activity for physicians to increase referral to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Diabetes Prevention Program.

My ultimate life goal is to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kelley said. I believe that my involvement with the PLDP and work in public health training taught me leadership skills and gave me extensive experience in planning programs and systems thinking that will serve me well as I pursue a medical career in health policy and management.

During his M.P.H. year, he promoted LGBTQA health as president of Boonshoft Pride. He partnered with university and community advisory boards, created a human sexuality curriculum for the second-year reproduction course and presented a poster on improving sexual health competency at the Ohio Public Health Combined Conference.

I have worked to integrate my clinical and public health knowledge to address health disparities and improve health statuses of all individuals, Kelley said.

Kelley has started his fourth year of medical school and will graduate in May 2018. He plans to apply for a residency in pathology.

Pathology combines my interests and preferences, including problem solving, analytical thinking and collaboration, he said.

However, public health will be a fundamental part of his profession.

As a physician, you are limited to the patients under your care, he said. As a public health professional, you impact the lives of the entire population and future generations.

Kelley believes public health is where he can do the most good.

I want to keep the population healthy and well, prevent illnesses and injuries, and enable healthy lifestyles, he said. The Physician Leadership Development Program, the Boonshoft School of Medicine and the scholarships have enabled my journey.

Justin Kelley

http://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Kelley.jpgJustin Kelley

Story courtesy of Heather Maurer and Wright State University.

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Lifeguarding leads to medical school - Fairborn Daily Herald

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health is awarding San Antonios newest medical school a grant of more than $400,000. The University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine will use the money to tackle mental health issues on the citys south side.

Physical illness isnt eliminated with simple clinical intervention. Thats the philosophy of UIWs new osteopathic medical school, which plans to send its students into the community to work with families in District 3, the south side where the campus is located.

Director of Public Health for the School, Anil Mangla, MS, Ph.D., MPH, FRSPH, said these future doctors will be addressing depression, stress and anxiety as well as blood sugar levels and amputation risk. "And if we can assist patients in getting their mental health in control, that indirectly may also help their chronic health," he added.

Osteopathic doctors embrace a holistic approach to health. Life expectancy in south San Antonio is years less than on the north side of the city.

Mangla says his school is on a mission to make an impact on this glaring disparity.

"Economically, theres a large amount of poverty," Mangla pointed out. "Its almost 70 to 75 percent Hispanic. And so thats the population that is at highest risk when we look at data on diabetes."

Construction crews manning Bobcats and backhoes continue work on the campus at Brooks. 162 students will come to the new campus for orientation later this month. Classes start August 1, 2017.

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UIW Osteopathic Medical School Wins Mental Health Grant - Texas Public Radio

Photo by: Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Jarrod Almaroad

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URBANA The new Carle Illinois College of Medicine is rounding out its executive team, appointing two physicians to direct the clinical side of the operation.

The college announced Thursday that Dr. Blair Rowitz will be associate dean for clinical affairs, after serving in the job on an interim basis since November.

Dr. Jarrod Almaroad, a Carle anesthesiologist and associate medical director of perioperative services, will be the first permanent director of clinical science for the engineering-based college of medicine.

Rowitz will oversee clinical partnerships to allow the integration of the college's research and academic activities into the patient-care side of the operation. The role is crucial to the college's goal of transforming regional health care delivery and innovation, officials said in announcing the news.

Almaroad will be the principal administrative officer for clinical science, guiding it into an academic department within the college. He will manage the clinical side of the engineering-based M.D. degree curriculum, including students' experiences working with physicians and patients in clinical settings and the involvement of physician-educators.

"Dr. Rowitz and Dr. Almaroad have the right expertise to oversee these crucial areas for the Carle Illinois College of Medicine," said Dr. Matthew Gibb, chief medical officer for the Carle health system.

Gibb called Rowitz "a skilled clinician, a valued administrator and trusted mentor to many." And Almaroad has a unique perspective as a physician and provider directly involved with many disciplines of care, he said.

Rowitz, a Carle surgeon, researcher and UI faculty member, holds faculty appointments in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and the UI College of Medicine's regional campus in Champaign-Urbana. He is also medical director of surgical services at Carle.

King Li, dean for the new medical school, said their leadership will be "critical to training the first generation of physician-innovators who will re-engineer the delivery of health care."

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UI med school appoints 2 Carle doctors as clinical directors - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

A review of the nation's medical schools found Mayo Clinic School of Medicine is one of the best at minimizing the amount of student debt.

Mayo's med school ranked fifth among 110 medical schools throughout the country, with an average indebtedness of $69,695, according to a recent study.

The rankings, put together by Student Loan Hero a website dedicated to providing students and graduates with solutions to organize, manage and repay their student loans uses data from the U.S. News & World Report rankings of the Best Medical Schools.

Student Loan Hero ranked the schools using three factors: the level of indebtedness for medical school graduates, the cost of annual in-state tuition to attend the medical school full time and the percentage of students receiving institutional aid in the form of scholarships or grants.

The ranking notes "despite having the highest tuition rates of any of the top 20 medical schools, Mayo Clinic's scholarships and grants significantly offset these costs."

Mayo Clinic graduates have some of the lowest levels of medical school debt, according to the survey, with students owing about $95,100 less than the study's average.

The site notes that "although being a doctor can be a rewarding profession, the cost of medical school can be a huge barrier for aspiring students," and points to the $164,800 national average for medical school student debt.

"This level of debt results in financial and career stress, and can make doctors feel weighted down," said Elyssa Kirkham, the study's lead researcher in an email. "It can even affect career choices if a graduate feels financial pressure to pursue higher pay, even if it's not an otherwise interesting or appealing position."

The school, with an annual tuition of $49,900 also gives about 91 percent of its students some sort of financial aid, according to the rankings.

Outranking Mayo's medical school for the top four spots were East Carolina University (Brody),with an average debt of $112,692; University of New Mexico, with an average debt of $126,783; Baylor College of Medicine, with an average debt of $99,882; and Texas A&M Health Science Center, with an average debt of $128,797.

Some of the top average debts are higher than Mayo's because of how each of the three factors are weighted -- the average indebtedness is weighted at half, and annual tuition and the portion of students receiving scholarships and grants, are each weighted at a quarter.

"Graduates of the Mayo Clinic can command high pay and have more career opportunities, but won't be held back by high levels of medical school debt," Kirkham said. "Financially, this puts them far ahead of the pack."

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Mayo med school ranked among best at minimizing debt - Post-Bulletin

Support med school

Showing our support for our homegrown medical school, the UTRGV School of Medicine, is crucial to the health and economic future of the Rio Grande Valley. The Monitor recently highlighted

State Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosas valiant efforts during the last legislative session to increase the amount of funding needed for the Valleys only medical school. Troubling was how hard he had to fight, the perceptions he encountered and the lack of urgency by some of the Legislature. In the end, the states appropriated amount for the biennium was short $7.2 million from 2015.

The $54.1 million budgeted will sustain the school, but not enough to truly grow the emerging medical school. With the pressing medical needs and critical doctor shortages in the RGV, we can no longer squander opportunities. The medical school is at a critical point in its young life and an undisputed asset to the region. Most concerning was that state lawmakers in Austin felt local support was missing. Many of them cited recent non-payments from various municipalities in the Valley that gave their word and passed ordinances to support the school. Some legislators in Austin used this as evidence for their lack of backing school funds. To these municipal leaders: This is not a time to play victim if a component of the medical school did not land in your backyard.

Hidalgo and Cameron counties can take a page out of Starr Countys playbook and create a sustaining hospital that funds medical needs and infrastructure.

Earlier this year, I began to feel a debilitating pain in my leg, which later was diagnosed as a hip ailment. Whereas, my diagnosis was not life-threatening, I had to bear my pain for months because of the absence of available orthopedic surgeons in the Rio Grande Valley. The Valley has a large, yet vulnerable and isolated population, that cannot often travel to other parts of the state for medical care. Therefore, our options are to wait and take the pain. Even then I consider myself one of the lucky ones.

We can do better. I feel that if our families, cities, counties, organizations, businesses and corporations unite and focus on our medical school, we can maintain quality-care standards found in other parts of the state.

This is not a want but a need. Many lives are at stake, so building a coalition behind the medical school should be priority No. 1. If we dont, we can only aspire to be below-average again. The UTRGV medical school will produce high-quality doctors for the needs of our growing population. This is a wise and long-term economic investment of tax dollars; being short-sided today will be expensive tomorrow.

Lydia Lopez, Rio Grande City

Vote on new courthouse

I recently returned from the Hidalgo County Appraisal District and my property values went up, so will my tax bill for 2017. But according to Hidalgo County Commissioners, county taxes will not be raised. But if your values are raised, then so is your tax bill. Last August there was a petition to take a county wide healthcare district to voters, which only needed 50 signatures (they got 168.) How come we cant get a petition with 50 voters to vote on this issue? We already voted twice on the healthcare district.

I hope the OWLS are working on this because a public notice came out in the June 18 paper to issue $33 million for construction of this new courthouse under a CO (Certificates of Obligation.) That is tied to the tax rate.

I say if you want new offices for the judges then buy a 75-acre piece of land and make a new building exclusively for those judges and courts. I believe thats all we really need and that wont cost $140 million. Let the voters (AKA taxpayers) decide if they want this new courthouse.

Juan Ortiz, Weslaco

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LETTERS: On UTRGV medical school and new Hidalgo County courthouse - Monitor

Like many of my classmates, I took the last year off from medical school. Some of us enrolled in different graduate programs to pursue a dual degree while others did a research year. The trend is becoming more common the proportion of students who take more than four years to graduate and the number in dual degree programs are at all-time highs.

Over the past few months, several students have asked me about my experience and whether I would recommend they do the same. While the short answer is, It depends, I think there are three questions worth thinking about while deciding whether towalk away from medical school for a year.

What do you want to get out of taking time off?

This first question sounds obvious but goes unanswered surprisingly often. Anecdotally, many people take time off because everyone else is doing it. A majority of Stanford med students take 5+ years to graduate, creating a social norm around taking an additional year.

Its important to pause and consider what exactly you want to achieve during this time. In my case, I wanted to develop new skills and obtain a degree that would serve my professional interests. Other commonly cited reasons include increasing competitiveness for residency or personal factors.

Of course, its possible to develop skills, build a competitive residency application, and more in the traditional four years of medical school. Most schools (including Stanford) also provide a substantial amount of elective time during the fourth year. We can use this time for the same type of personal development that many students prioritize during a year off. Its therefore helpful to articulate how you will be different at the end of your time off compared to when you started.

What is the best way to achieve your goals?

If youve decided that you have compelling reasons to take time off, the next question is how to achieve your goals. I think there are two critical decisions. The first is whether to do a degree program (e.g. MBA, MPH, etc.) or to work full-time (with work meaning research, an internship, or starting an organization, among other possibilities). A degree carries the advantage of formal teaching and would offer an additional credential. But at the same time, it requires you to spend a certain amount of time going to classes and doing homework and that time might be better spent elsewhere.

The second decision is whether you want to take just one year off or are willing to step away from med school for multiple years. This choice affects what options are available. For example, some degrees can be completed with one additional year of school while others require multiple (e.g. PhD, some Masters degrees). Similarly, some projects can be completed quickly while others have multi-year time horizons. All those considerations must be taken into account.

How will you stay connected to the medical school during your time away?

Finally, its important to reflect on the relationship you will have with medicine during your time off. In some cases, it is easy to stay engaged with the medical school many students doing clinical research work with the same physician mentors and continue to interact with patients on a regular basis. But students who leave the medical school environment (e.g. to do an MD/MBA, work in an external job, etc.) must think about how to stay connected, whether it is through ongoing research projects, a continuity clinic, or something else.

The ability to take time off and pursue other interests during medical school is a privilege. But before acting on it, students should give careful thought to how to make the most of the opportunity.

Stanford Medicine Unplugged is a forum for students to chronicle their experiences in medical school. The student-penned entries appear on Scope once a week; the entire blog series can be found in the Stanford Medicine Unpluggedcategory.

Akhilesh Pathipati is a fourth-year MD/MBA student at Stanford. He is interested in issues in health care delivery.

Photo by Pixabay

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Taking time off in medical school - Scope (blog)

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Following the passage of the new state budget, Brody School of Medicine officials are encouraged by the emphasis state lawmakers are putting on expanding medical education in the state.

Brody will continue to receive $8 million a year to help cover the cost of training and teaching future doctors. But, that money doesnt cover the cost needed to fulfill one of the biggest future goals of the school expanding class sizes.

There are not enough physicians today to take care of our population, and that will only get worse in the years ahead, said Interim Dean Dr. Nicholas Benson.

Benson said the school remains committed to moving towards growing class sizes. This year, they will add one or two additional spots, bringing the total size up to 82 students.

That increase, that very minimal increase, is not going to be able to really make a positive impact on the healthcare of people across the state, Benson said.

To make that bigger impact, Benson said classes must be expanded much further. The goal for Brody is to have classes expand from the current 80 students a year, to 120 students.

Benson said he was encouraged to see the General Assembly set aside $1 million for UNCs Medical School to expand their current facility.

In order to expand Brodys class sizes, Benson said they would need to hire additional instructors, and also construct a new building, which would cost millions of dollars and take years to complete.

Another obstacle to overcome is the lack of residency and fellowship spots in the East.

Were lagging behind because were younger, said Dr. Herb Garrison, the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education.

Whereas medical schools at Duke and UNC have between 750 and 1,000 residency and fellowship spots, Greenville only has around 400. Garrison said you cant bring on more students until you have a place for them to train following graduation.

He wants to expand the number of spots in the East for one simple reason.

Youre more likely to stay where you train, so thats why keeping them here is more likely, he said.

Improving access to care in the East is one of the big driving factors in wanting to expand in the first place. Garrison was excited that in the new budget, the General Assembly allotted money to expand residency programs in rural areas.

If you train in a rural areas for two years, you get to know the community and you become part of the community, youre more likely to stay in that community and thats what we really want to see, he said.

Rep. Greg Murphy (R-Pitt) said he requested and additional $2.5 million for Brody in the new budget to help cover planning cost for an expansion. However, that money was not put in to the finalized budget.

Benson said local fundraising efforts to start getting money in line for a new building have already begun. He hopes to continue receiving support from the state moving forward.

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Brody to push ahead with plans to expand medical school class sizes - WNCT

Twenty-four-year-old Kalee Woody says that when she was growing up in Bronaugh, Missouri, she saw the small town slowly fading. Businesses closed, growth stagnated and residents had to drive to other places to see a doctor.

It is a town that, like many towns in rural areas of Missouri and other Midwest and Great Plains states, is recognized by the federal government as having a shortage of health care providers.

Now, Woody wants to help. She enrolled in medical school and will start classes in July at the just-opened Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB) campus in Joplin, Missouri, the first new medical school in the state in nearly half a century. Woody wants to serve someday in a rural community much like the one she grew up in where, as a doctor, shell also be seen as a pillar of the community.

They have so much contact with different people. They just get to know everyone, Woody says. Everyone knows them and, by association, they become a leader.

KCUMB is an osteopathic medical school, meaning that graduates emerge with a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, rather than an M.D. degree. Osteopathic medical schools, whose numbers have doubled in the last 10 years, are in the middle of a push into smaller communities and some in the health care industry hope graduates could eventually help ease the current shortage of medical care in many rural areas.

Were going to have an opportunity to teach those students in a rural environment and show them how cool it really is to work there, says Darrin DAgostino, executive dean of KCUMB.

DAgostino says osteopathic schools take a more holistic approach than M.D. programs, which accounts for the high percentage of D.O.s 56 percent going into primary care instead of specialties, according to the American Osteopathic Association. Less than a quarter of new M.D.s go into primary care, according to researchers at George Washington University.

D.O.s are licensed in the same way M.D.s are and these days, the care provided by D.O.s and M.D.s is typically so similar that most patients wouldnt know the difference. But that hasnt always been the case.

At the root of osteopathic medicine is osteopathic manipulative treatment, a hands-on technique that looks like a cross between chiropractic manipulation and massage. There is evidence this can help treat some kinds of pain.

It sounds New-Age-y, but the idea dates back to the days of the Old West.

In the late 1800s, a former Kansas state legislator and civil war surgeon, Andrew Taylor Still, decided to reconsider basic assumptions about medicine after he watched three of his children die from spinal meningitis.

The therapeutic options were very different than we have available to us right now, and he thought that the available system of medicine simply didnt work, says Joel Howell, an M.D. and professor of the history of medicine at the University of Michigan, who has written about Still and the practice he invented.

Still eventually founded the first osteopathic school in Kirksville, Missouri, in order to teach his kind of medicine, which was based on a very different understanding of the body and human health.

He set out to devise an alternative healing practice based on this notion that manipulation of the spine could improve blood flow and thus improve health by allowing the body to heal itself, Howell says.

Osteopathic manipulation is now just one of the techniques that D.O.s are taught to use, along with mainstream treatments.

A recent burst of new osteopathic medical schools is part of a decades-long effort to move osteopathic physicians into practice throughout the country. Many are in states like Arkansas, Colorado and Tennessee that have very small numbers of working D.O.s.

Howell says these newly minted physicians can probably help out a lot in medically underserved parts of those states, but they may have to do some public relations work first.

I think they should be prepared to explain what being a D.O. means, Howell says.

The bigger challenge may be acceptance from M.D.s, who still dominate medicine and make up the preponderance of doctors. Almost all of the most prestigious medical schools such as Harvard, Stanford and Johns Hopkins churn out M.D.s.

The general reception is that we ignore [osteopathic medicine,] Howell says. We dont know much about it; we dont do it. I think if pushed, most people would figure that for some kinds of illnesses, it doesnt do any harm, and it might well help.

Earlier in the summer, hundreds of curious Joplin residents turned out for the opening of the new KCUMB medical school. School and community leaders in this city of 51,000 in the southwestern corner of Missouri hope that in surrounding rural areas with a shortage of health care providers, patients wont care much about whether someones a D.O. or an M.D. just as long as theyre a doctor.

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Osteopathic Medical Schools Seek To Fill Rural Health Care Gap - KMUW