Its been more than seven months since Massachusetts confirmed its first case of coronavirus in February.

Businesses have since shut down and some have reopened. Some are nearing their eighth month of closure. Masks have become an everyday habit akin to tying ones shoe.

As change remains constant in some sectors, for coronavirus patients, not much has changed in terms of treatment.

As of Sunday, Massachusetts reported 125,479 cases throughout the pandemic. The statewide death toll stands at 9,100.

When people are diagnosed, they just have to wait at home wondering if theyre going to get sick and go to the hospital, said, Dr. David Sullivan, Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. What were trying to do is stop the progression of the disease and stop from having to go to the hospital with treatment.

Once a patient arrives at a hospital theres still only so much doctors can do. While the world waits for a vaccine, researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have partnered with the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester to develop a treatment to help patients ward off the virus early after diagnosis.

Theres plenty to do before the vaccine comes, Sullivan said. We know a vaccine is not going to be perfect. Theres going to be breakthroughs and we still need to come up with outpatient therapy.

The study, which will be conducted in part at UMass Medical School, looks at how blood plasma treatment can help patients early after diagnosis in battling off COVID-19, which has killed nearly 200,000 people in the United States.

The blood plasma treatment isnt new and has been used on illnesses in the past. Its effectiveness during this pandemic has been called into question, though. In August, the Food and Drug Administration held back an approval after top federal officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, criticized its effectiveness.

Unlike other treatments billed in the past, a plasma transfusion is safe for patients. Criticism only revolves around whether it successfully combats COVID-19.

However, Sullivan said past studies, like the one that drew hesitancy from government officials in August, focused on treatment after people had been hospitalized - meaning the virus was in advanced stages.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins and UMass are focusing on plasma treatment for individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 but have yet to experience severe symptoms.

Sullivan believes if the plasma treatment is provided soon after diagnosis, it could fight off the virus before it strengthens.

Sullivan likened the treatment to a cup of water and a fire. A cup of water would have no problem dousing a lit match or two. However, the same cup would have little effect on a conflagration.

Were going to have the most reduction in the virus, the earlier we give it, Sullivan said.

The study is similar to groundbreaking research by Dr. Yang Wang at UMass. She and her team discovered antibodies that may provide effective immunity in the respiratory system against COVID-19.

Like Wangs research, the study Sullivan is leading focuses on passive immunity, rather than active immunity, which is how a vaccine works.

The plasma transfusion would come from a patient who has recovered from COVID-19. Because the recovered patient successfully defeated the virus, their plasma may be able to do the same thing for others. The plasma would aid the patient in fighting off the coronavirus before it strengthens and causes advanced symptoms.

The plasma treatment, Sullivan said, could provide immunity to the virus for up to two months. The study, funded by the Department of Defense, could be used to help first-responders, teachers or service members return to work with passive immunity to COVID-19.

If society is really going to start functioning, were going to need an outpatient therapy and thats what were trying to validate, Sullivan said.

Sullivan hopes to complete the study within a few months.

UMass Medical School is looking for volunteers for the study. Volunteers will be compensated $200, Sullivan said.

As Sullivan explained, the key to the trial is early treatment. Volunteers interested in participating must have been exposed to the virus within three days of contacting researchers. Those who tested positive must contact researchers within five days of diagnosis.

Those interested can contact Johns Hopkins at 888-506-1199 or http://www.covidplasmatrial.org to fill out the enrollment questionnaire.

Our important work continues even as the cases have waned here in Massachusetts. We are actively looking for patients who were either exposed to or just recently diagnosed with COVID-19, medical director of the UMass Cancer Center and associate professor of medicine Jonathan Gerber said.

Unlike a vaccine, plasma is available now and is inexpensive, Sullivan said. The treatment involves a single one-hour transfusion rather than two doses, which many of the late-stage vaccine candidates require.

A vaccine, Sullivan said, also comes with limitations. Some individuals who are immunocompromised will likely need the most time for a vaccine to respond in their bodies. It may not be effective for others.

We can deal with this virus, but we need people, when they have a COVID illness or exposure, they can make a difference, they can be part of the solution, Sullivan said. Participating in these trials is being part of the solution.

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We can deal with this virus': In partnership with Johns Hopkins, UMass Medical School in Worcester needs vol - MassLive.com

Dr. Jared Potter and his wife Bonnie pose for a photo inside their office at 480 Rigby Lake Drive. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

RIGBY A new family medical clinic is opening in Rigby next week.

Dr. Jared Potter with Rigby Family Medicine tells EastIdahoNews.com theyre opening June 1 at 480 Rigby Lake Drive.

I trained to be a small-town doctor to do everything from newborns to end of life and everything in between, Potter says. We will be offering some procedures here like mole biopsies, warts, as well as treating skin tags, actinic keratosis (a rough patch on your skin that develops from years of sun exposure). We try to make things as simple and convenient as possible.

Potter says he grew up with a traditional idea of what a family doctor is, and developing relationships with patients is his number one priority.

A family doctor is someone that you know and have a relationship with and when you go to see the doctor, you (should be) seeing someone who knows you, your family and your history, Potter says. Youre seeing someone you know and trust and can give you the best advice for your specific situation.

Potter grew up in Maryland and started his undergraduate studies at Cornell University. After serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he went on to graduate from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah before going back to Maryland for medical school.

He met his wife, Bonnie, while doing his residency in Salt Lake City and they now have five kids.

Ive been practicing in (Kaysville), Utah for the last 14 years and I really enjoy the people, but its not thesame environment I grew up with, says Potter.

He and his wife bought a cabin in Island Park several years ago. After spending lots of time there, Potter says they fell in love with the area and decided to open a clinic in Rigby because its similar to his hometown.

I remember the first time I was over in Broulims just how generally friendly everybody was and thats one of the things I like about this community and am excited to be a part of, he says. I like having a smaller practice, a more intimate relationship with my patients.

Potter says he enjoys practicing medicine and figuring out how to help people. Hes looking forward to serving patients in eastern Idaho and helping them live happier and healthier lives.

It was a very hard decision to move here from Kaysville because Im leaving patients Ive known for 14 yearsbut I look forward to developing those (kind of) relationships (in Rigby), Potter says. I think theres a need for more family doctors in this area, and with the growth in Rigby, I think this is a great opportunity.

Rigby Family Medicine works with all insurance providers and will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (208) 745-3500 to learn more.

Dr. Jared Potter | Courtesy Bonnie Potter

Link:
New family medical clinic opening in Rigby next week - East Idaho News

ABILENE, Texas (KRBC/KTAB) It didnt take a pandemic for Clare Nickel to understand the importance the medical field and next generation of medical professionals have on our everyday lives.

Theyre going to be the future healthcare givers in our society, in our town, and I love being a part of their education. I love teaching them what I know and passing that on, she said.

Thats why when the retired nurse of over 40 years was awarded Holland Medical School Volunteer of the Year, she was grateful.

I appreciate the award, Nickel said.

But its still been business as usual.

Shes not the one thats going to do it for the recognition, Principle Jennifer Seekins said.

She said those in the medical field rarely get the appreciation they deserve. Before the shutdown happened, Nickel assisted students in nursing homes, but soon that wasnt an option for them anymore.

But Mrs. Nickel wasnt done with the students, and the students still needed Nurse Nickel. They still had to finish off skills to prepare for their exam, she said.

I was able to receive on the computer videos of their skills they would do at home, Nickel said.

From feeding a patient to taking their blood pressure.

I would write back to them and say step number one, great. step number two do it this way.

she just can get herself from helping the next generation.

I guess once a nurse, always a nurse. Its hard to imagine coming to Holland and Nurse Nickel not coming in and being a part of that CNA program.

This is Nickels second time receiving the award for Volunteer of the Year from Holland Medical High School.

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Former nurse awarded Volunteer of the Year from Holland Medical High School - KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com

The medical community agreed to end the ongoing strike, as the government and the ruling party promised to put on hold plans of increasing doctors and establishing a state-run medical school. The agreement between the doctors group and the ruling party stated that they would discuss key healthcare policy issues from scratch.

According to the Korean Medical Association and the Democratic Party, the two sides on Friday morning agreed to work together to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and advance the public healthcare sector.

According to the accord, the Democratic Party and the KMA decided to hold discussions on increasing medical school admissions and setting up a new public medical school until the Covid-19 outbreak eases. They said the sides would form a consultation body after stabilizing the pandemic and reviewing related issues with all possibilities open.

The agreement also included that the ruling party and the government would not push related legislation during the consultation period.

The Democratic Party said it would endeavor to secure a sufficient budget to improve public healthcare institutions' competitiveness and their quality of medical services.

The ruling party also said it would provide administrative and financial support to improve the medical training environment for interns and residents and working conditions for fellow doctors through law revisions.

The health and welfare ministry and the KMA agreed to work together to provide better medical services for rural areas and essential medical care, enhance medical education and training, and battle Covid-19.

The ministry and the doctors group were scheduled to hold the signing ceremony on Friday afternoon.

The agreement between the KMA and the health and welfare ministry, released before the signing event, includes forming a special commission to develop plans to support medical care in provincial areas, nurture essential medical care, improve the training environment for junior doctors, discuss enhancing the structure of the national health insurance review committee, and establish a better medical delivery system.

They agreed that the health and welfare ministry would actively reflect the result of discussions at the special commission in the governments plan to advance the public health sector.

They also agreed that the commission of health ministry officials and medical professionals would discuss issues involving four healthcare policies increasing doctors, establishing a public medical school, allowing insurance benefits for traditional herbal medicines, and allowing telemedicine.

After reaching the agreement, the health and welfare ministry asked medical school students who refused to take the state medical licensing exam, to apply for the test.

Following the agreement, interns, residents, and fellow doctors are likely to return to work from the two-week strike nationwide.

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Doctors to end strike as government puts healthcare policy on hold - Korea Biomedical Review

The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine is taking the next step to create a welcoming environment for all of its students with the creation of the Office of Medical Student Success. The office will be led by Dr. Rynn Ziller, who has been appointed Assistant Dean for Medical Student Success, the college said in a news release.

Melva Landrum, who had been the Assistant Director of Advising and Career Development, will assume the role of Director of Medical Student Success within this office.

I am excited about the opportunity to have a more comprehensive impact on our students success and well-being while they are in medical school, Ziller said. Our goal is to provide the support needed to ensure each student reaches his or her full potential, both personally and professionally.The Office for Medical Student Success was created to provide TCOM students a welcoming environment, timely and accurate advising, and programming designed to enhance their professional development. It will oversee an expansion of its career advising services for current students as well as past graduates.

We are so excited to expand the services for our medical students, Landrum said. As the needs of medical students grow for them to find success in both undergraduate and graduate medical education, the services that our department offers have become more extensive in the areas of advising and career development and through programmatic efforts.The Office for Medical Student Success also will lead TCOMs plans and commitment to increase Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion initiatives, provide strategies to promote medical student well-being and organize those major school events that celebrate the milestones of their medical school careers.The creation of this new office will create additional value within TCOM and provide resources needed by TCOMs medical students to achieve success.

A medical schools success can only be measure through the success, experiences and supportive environment of our students who have entrusted us in guiding them to their ultimate goal, TCOM Dean Dr. Frank Filipetto said. I look forward to the leadership Dr. Ziller will bring in her new role and the team she will lead in support of our students. FWBP Staff

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TCOM creates office of student success - fortworthbusiness.com

Diversity and inclusion to me means that everyone out there has the same access to health care and the same quality of health care, not just health care, said Dr. Jovita Oruwari, an oncologic breast surgeon at SSM Health DePaul Hospital.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, black women and white women get breast cancer at about the same rate, but black women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than white women a rate of about 40 percent higher. In her new role as an oncologic breast surgeon at SSM Health DePaul Hospital, Dr. Jovita Oruwari seeks to reverse this statistic. Diversity and inclusion to me means that everyone out there has the same access to health care and the same quality of health care, not just health care, said Oruwari, who began her new role on September 1. Its got to be quality of care. Everyone deserves that because everyones health matters. Its really about access.

To do this, sometimes it means bringing health care to areas where it can be easily accessible to those in need or bringing people to health care facilities.

We need to try to do things to be able to achieve equitable health care, Oruwari said.

Its so important because as for people of color and breast cancer, we know that the rates of breast cancer are higher in white women, but when black women do get breast cancer, we are more likely to die from the disease. This shouldnt be so.

Reasons for this disparity are varied. Sometimes, black women present symptoms later than other racial groups. Other times, black women seek treatment later, Oruwari said.

We need to find a way to bridge that gap (in order) to make health care available so that we can decrease those mortality numbers, she said.

Female physicians of color are rare. African-American doctors who actively practice medicine make up only 5 percent of the total number of physicians in the United States, according to a 2018 self-reported survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Data documenting the number of African-American women who are breast surgeons was unavailable by press time. However, according to a 2013 Women Physician Workforce data chart from the AAMC, black women made up 7 percent of active physicians in the U.S. workforce. Currently, the American Society of BreastSurgeons (ASBS) has a membership of 2,950 in the U.S. workforce, according to ASBS personnel.

Oruwari, discovered the idea of becoming a breast surgeon during her residency. I was fortunate enough during my residency to rotate and work with a female surgeon who did breast surgery, and that had a profound effect on me, Oruwari said. At the time, Oruwari didnt know that becoming a breast surgeon was a career path available to her.

I went to medical school under the premise of wanting to be a doctor so that I could help people, and I wanted specifically to be a gynecologist because I was a woman, and thats what we did.

And then, somewhere towards the end of medical school, I happened to go through my general surgery rotation and I loved it! I loved being in the operating room. I loved holding a scalpel in my hand. I loved opening up the body and curing illnesses and diseases. It was just really fascinating to me. Just being in the operating room, to me, felt like home.

Also, at the time, breast surgery wasnt a specialty. The female physician who Oruwari shadowed had been performing breast surgery for years, Oruwari said.

She was really a pioneer, Oruwari said. As a woman doing breast surgery, I loved the way she interacted with her patients.

While the discovery of becoming an oncological breast surgeon fascinated Oruwari, she said the micro aggressions she faced during her residency were challenging.

I was told, Maybe you should do a different specialty than this, Oruwari said. A lot of times, as a person of color going through training, your mind is really numb to everything that you go through because the goal is to get through it. So, a lot of those things (micro aggressions), I really didnt think about until recently.

It took her ten years to go back and visit the hospital where she trained because of the stress and not wanting to be reminded of discrimination. During that time, she said, you wonder whether or not youve experienced racism or sexism. Looking back, Oruwari said she had the support of family, medical school staff and colleagues.

Oruwari is a native of Imo State, Nigeria, and moved to the United States with her family when she was 11. She grew up on the East Coast in New Jersey and New York. She then completed medical school at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-University Hospital, a residency at UMDNJ-University Hospital and a fellowship in surgical breast oncology at Brown University Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. The St. Louis Cancer and Breast Institute recruited her in 2001.

Oruwari hopes her presence at SSM Health DePaul Hospital will encourage more black women to seek regular checkups, as well as seek follow-up treatment earlier if they suspect or discover a problem.

Representation matters, she said. Im hoping that my being there as a person of color will give me more visibility to (black women) and that they know I am there for them.

Im going to be a part of their breast wellness and get them that next level of care that they may not have had.

Oruwari said she also hopes that through her representation she will encourage more black youth to consider a career in medicine and offered some advice.

Do a lot of research in medicine, and look at different medical specialties, she said. Volunteer at a hospital to make sure that you like it. Expose yourself to different doctors and shadow physicians in both offices and surgery.

While youth will need to wait until high school to visit hospitals, Oruwari encourages students to start thinking of careers early.

I think that when careers are talked about to kids, its got to start young, in elementary school. Make medicine an option. Kids need to see physicians that look like them. This is only a beginning.

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Black Health Matters: New Surgeon at SSM Health Seeks to Raise the Standard of Care for Women of Color - St. Louis American

Newswise Baltimore, MD, August 31, 2018 Robert C. Gallo, MD, the Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, Co-founder and Director of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), and Man E. Charurat, PhD, MHS, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Division of Epidemiology & Prevention and CIHEB Global Director at the IHV, announced today that Shenghan Lai, MD, MPH and Hong Lai, PhD, MPH, in addition to three staff members, and two more to add, have joined the Institute of Human Virology. The faculty began their positions on April 1 with Professor and Associate Professor academic appointments in the UMSOMs Department of Epidemiology & Public Health.

Dr. Shenghan Lai was most recently Professor of Pathology, Radiology Epidemiology and Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (JHM). He began his research in HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in the late 1980s. His research interests include epidemiology, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, STIs, prevention and intervention, cardiac imaging, preventive cardiology, medical consequences of HIV infection, and international health.

Dr. Hong Lai was most recently Associate Professor of Radiology at JHM. Since 2002, she has been the lead epidemiologist on five National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded studies investigating HIV/cocaine-associated comorbidities. These include coronary calcification, left ventricular regional dysfunction, the presence and development of coronary stenosis, coronary plaque progression and cognitive decline.

We are pleased to have Dr. Shenghan Lai and Dr. Hong Lai join the Institute, said Dr. Gallo, who is also Co-Founder and International Chairman of the Scientific Leadership Board of the Global Virus Network (GVN). Together, they will add depth to our Division of Epidemiology and Prevention and provide opportunities for cross-collaborations within the Institute.

The research team led by Dr. Lai has accomplished a lot, especially for Baltimore City, said Dr. Charurat. We are excited to have them continue scientific advancements here.

Dr. Shenghan Lai has been heavily involved in epidemiology and prevention of HIV infection in countries with greater HIV prevalence for more than 10 years. He has focused on high-risk groups such as intravenous drug users, sex workers, and men who engage in sex with other men. Dr. Lai is recognized as a leading epidemiology researcher in the infectious disease epidemiology, and world renowned for his research on the effects of HIV infection and cocaine use on sub-clinical cardiovascular disease. He is the principal investigator of several NIH-supported studies, focusing on HIV natural history and cardiovascular complications of HIV and drug abuse. Dr. Lai received his degrees from Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, China, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. He has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters.

The Institute, led by Dr. Gallo, has a long history of serving the medically underserved African American population in Baltimore, said Dr. Shenghan Lai. We look forward to further exploring why HIV or other factors influence comorbidities among one of the poorest communities in this country. Our highest priority is to use science as a weapon to fight against health disparities and IHV is the best place for us to achieve our goals.

Dr. Hong Lai is the lead author of several publications demonstrating that the use of cocaine promotes subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in users with HIV infection. Further, she identified that reduced cocaine use with a cash-based incentive intervention was significantly associated with a lowered endothelin-1, endothelial marker, and reduced coronary plaque burden in chronic cocaine users with existing coronary plaques.

In addition to growing our cardiovascular research, we look forward to expanding our studies in two new areas., said Dr. Hong Lai. These include improving our understanding of how HIV, drug abuse - especially opioid - and other factors exacerbate cognitive decline among underserved population in Baltimore and reducing health disparities among Baltimores African American population.

With more than 100 publications, Dr. Hong Lais key contribution to science includes the first report that vitamin D deficiency is associated with hidden heart disease among underserved African Americans with HIV infection.

These new faculty members will provide crucial expertise in HIV to help us strengthen our departmental programs in infection control and in health disparities and population health, said Jay Magaziner, PhD, MSHyg, Professor and Chair of the Department Epidemiology & Public Health.

University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, who is University Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, added, I want to extend a warm welcome to these new faculty members, and I am eager to see the cross pollination that will take place as they share their expertise and enter into important research collaborations that will advance the field of HIV epidemiology, he said.

About the Institute of Human Virology

Formed in 1996 as a partnership between the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, the University System of Maryland and the University of Maryland Medical System, IHV is an institute of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is home to some of the most globally-recognized and world-renowned experts in all of virology. The IHV combines the disciplines of basic research, epidemiology and clinical research in a concerted effort to speed the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics for a wide variety of chronic and deadly viral and immune disorders - most notably, HIV the virus that causes AIDS. For more information, http://www.ihv.org and follow us on Twitter @IHVmaryland.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

The University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 and is the first public medical school in the United States and continues today as an innovative leader in accelerating innovation and discovery in medicine. The School of Medicine is the founding school of the University of Maryland and is an integral part of the 11-campus University System of Maryland. Located on the University of Marylands Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine works closely with the University of Maryland Medical Center to provide a research-intensive, academic and clinically based education. With 43 academic departments, centers and institutes and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians and research scientists plus more than $400 million in extramural funding, the School is regarded as one of the leading biomedical research institutions in the U.S. with top-tier faculty and programs in cancer, brain science, surgery and transplantation, trauma and emergency medicine, vaccine development and human genomics, among other centers of excellence. The School is not only concerned with the health of the citizens of Maryland and the nation, but also has a global vision, with research and treatment facilities in more than 30 countries around the world. For more information, visit http://www.medschool.umaryland.edu.

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UM School of Medicines Institute of Human Virology Recruits Top HIV/AIDS Epidemiologist Shenghan Lai Along with Team of Researchers - Newswise

SPRINGFIELD - Dr. Nada Kawar, who represented her native Jordan in the shot put both at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic games, had plans to be an orthopedic surgeon.

However, a rotation in obstetrics and gynecology in her third year of medical school at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, changed her focus to womens health. She went on to a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at University of California San Francisco Medical Center and a fellowship in gynecologic oncology and breast surgery at Brown University/Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island that taught her how entwined breast and gynecologic cancers can be.

Her extensive training as a gynecologic oncologist she is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and gynecologic oncology, and certified in breast disease as well as breast surgery and in the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery qualifies her to both diagnose as well as provide surgical and medical treatment for womens cancers, including cancers of the breast, uterus, ovaries, cervix, vagina and vulva.

Kawar, who was an undergraduate at the University of California in Los Angeles when studies were emerging on inherited risks for womens cancers and how they can overlap, now practices at Mercy Medical Centers recently opened Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology, formerly its Breast Health Center, under Dr. James Frank, and feels very lucky to have the one-stop location adjacent to the Sister Caritas Cancer Center for her patients who sometimes have overlapping cancers.

This vision of seeing everyone in the same building, sharing resources, imagining my career in a different way - I am very lucky to be here, said Kawar, noting that inherited mutations in certain genes can put a small percentage of the population at risk for breast cancer as well as ovarian cancer and cancer of the endometrium-uterus.

I have already seen lots of patients who have both cancers of the breast as well as gynecologic. Here, they can come to one space, see one doctor or other doctors and do not have to go to other locations.

She sees such an approach where a physician like herself provides comprehensive care for female cancers in one location as all about womens cancer care.

Kawar added patients at the center have access to a genetics counselor who can help determine cancer risk based on inherited factors and treatment options that range from surgery to reduce such risk to minimally invasive surgeries as well as radical procedures for those with malignancies.

She said that as medicine evolved over the last century that there was this sort of arbitrary separation of breast surgery into the field of general surgery where gynecologic oncology evolved within a subspecialty of gynecology and obstetrics.

There was this separation and finally care of breast cancers separate from gynecologic and pelvic cancers, Kawar said.

Breast cancers are mostly uniquely female, although some men get breast cancer, it is a very much a womans cancer.

The greater prevalence of breast cancer and the growing number of disease survivors, Kawar added, has helped generated much greater publicity and funding around it than cancers of the reproductive organs that are much less common though can be related.

Kawar said patients are most often referred to her by their gynecologist after an imaging study indicating a tumor or some other abnormality.

She said the most common gynecologic cancers she sees in patients are uterine cancer, which is often found early due to abnormal bleeding or pain and has a high five-year survival rate when detected in the localized state; ovarian cancer which she termed much more deadly as it is often detected when the disease is more advanced; and cervical cancer that is often caused by exposure to certain strains of the human papillomavirus and for which there is now a vaccine to help prevent.

Screening for cervical cancer can be done by the HPV or Pap test and the five-year survival rate is very high when detected at the localized stage.

Risk factors for uterine or endometrial cancer, Kawar said, include metabolic syndrome, whose conditions include high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes, but just how this syndrome contributes to the development of the cancer is unknown.

She said too much of the hormone estrogen without the presence of progesterone can also pose a risk.

Kawar said hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, often related to certain mutations in the BRCA1 or the BRCA2 gene, can elevate an individuals risk for both as well as other cancers.

She noted that there is no good screening test for ovarian cancer and one recommendation for women with a known inherited risk for the disease is risk-reducing surgery to remove the Fallopian tubes and ovaries after child bearing years.

She added, The symptoms of ovarian cancer are normally very vague - urinary symptoms like urgency or frequency, abdominal pain, feeling full quickly - these usually cause women to ultimately seek care and are often have their symptoms mistaken for stomach problems or indigestion and with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer quite late because of that.

Anyone with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancers should seek genetic counseling and possibly genetic testing because that is one way to become aware of the risk for ovarian cancer, Kawar said.

Other risk factors include infertility - not being able to bear children - and age. It normally affects women age 60 and above.

Kawar said not all women referred to the center end up being treated for a malignant condition, but surgery is sometimes needed because of a concern for cancer.

When a woman is referred to me with a pelvic mass found on imaging, I will talk about the possibility of cancer with the goal of surgery to remove the mass and determine diagnosis and if it is cancer, to recommend the appropriate treatment which may include more extensive surgery or chemotherapy, Kawar said.

I often treat women for endometriosis which is a benign condition but can mimic cancer in the problems it causes and might require a large-scale surgical approach. I often see women for uterine bleeding that may end up being polyps and not necessarily cancer.

Kawar noted that this is Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month, and next month brings Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

September brings awareness of all the problems of the gynecologic cancers and the importance to survival of catching them early, Kawar said.

With a lot of emphasis on breast cancer in October.

The American Cancer Society estimates this year that 42,170 women will die of breast cancer, and some 33,602 will die of cancers of the genital system.

These include 13,940 of ovarian cancer, 12,590 of uterine cancer, 4,290 of cervical cancer, 1,350 of vulva cancer and 1,450 of vaginal and related cancers.

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Mercy Medicals new Center for Breast Health, Gynecologic Oncology is all about womens cancer care - masslive.com

Carver College of Medicine celebrates 150 years this September, though COVID-19 restrictions prevent the college from celebrating in-person.

Grace Smith

The Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine pictured on August 27. 2020. The University of Iowa celebrates Carvers 150th anniversary.

One hundred fifty years ago, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine opened to become the first medical school in the U.S. to admit both men and women into its program.

September marks the 150th anniversary of the Carver College of Medicine. While the rise in COVID-19 cases in Johnson County prevents an in-person celebration this year, the celebration continues online and through the faculty.

In the late 19th century, any sort of medical schooling was seen as the equivalent of trade school to the people at that time, said Associate Vice President for Research Francois Abboud.

It was not until 1910 when Abraham Flexner, an agent of the Carnegie Foundation, put out his report about the state of medical schools around the country. The Carver College of Medicine, Abboud said, and many others like it, started to focus more on the scientific aspect of medicine.

That was very critical, because Flexner came to Iowa in 1909 and looked at those schools and concluded that they should not continue to be a very good school, Abboud said. The standards were not high enough for admission and graduation, and he predicted that, of course. We proved him wrong over the century, of course.

Medical research entered into a Golden Age a few decades after the Flexner report, he said. Abboud arrived in the 1960s when there had been an expansion in health services and technology surrounding social programs such as Medicare that had been put into place by former U.S. President Lyndon Johnson.

With the expansion of medical knowledge and services, the Carver College of Medicine began to grow, Abboud said, with many of its staff recognized as leaders nationwide. In all this time, Abboud said he has stayed at the UI and watched it grow.

The whole environment of the college and the university was dialing everybody to fulfillment of goals, an escalation of opportunities to be productive, he said. So, the spirit that was generated, the Iowa cohesive spirit, supportive environment team spirit, I couldnt find that just as effective any place else.

RELATED: UIHC studies how to combat mental health struggles after derecho, amidst COVID-19

Dean of the Carver College of Medicine Brooks Jackson was the chair of pathology at Johns Hopkins University, and later the dean of the University of Minnesota medical school before arriving at Iowa.

Despite COVID-19, the college throughout its history has never shut down, keeping its roughly 17,000 workers moving throughout the pandemic, Jackson said. While practices such as elective surgeries were unavailable throughout some the past six months, they are once again operating at full capacity, he said.

We have shifted a lot of our research effort to COVID research, because it is such a high priority not just locally, but for the nation in the world, and we really do have the experts in this area to make a difference, Jackson said.

Manager of Alumni and Constituent Engagement Jayme Crawford is a part of the UI Health care marketing communication team. In her 12 years at the UI, she said she stays at the university for the amazing things she sees the staff and students perform at the Carver College of Medicine.

This celebration has really shown me how as an enterprise weve transitioned throughout the years and how were constantly maintaining our values and our mission of educating students and being leaders in academic medicine, Crawford said.

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1870-2020: Carver College of Medicine celebrates 150 years in the midst of a pandemic - UI The Daily Iowan

Sade Mayaki, a 9th Grader at University Academy Charter School of Jersey City is aDelegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders on Nov. 21 and 22.

The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields. The purpose of this event is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country interested in these careers, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal.

Sades nomination was signed by Dr. Mario Capecchi, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the Science Director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists to represent New Jersey based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.

During the three-day Congress, Sade Mayaki will join students from across the country and hear Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science Winners talk about leading medical research; be given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school; witness stories told by patients who are living medical miracles; be inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.

This is a crucial time in America when we need more doctors and medical scientists who are even better prepared for a future that is changing exponentially. Focused, bright and determined students like Sade Mayaki are our future and she deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give her.

The Academy offers free services and programs to students who want to become physicians or go into medical science. Some of the services and programs the Academy offers are online social networks through which future doctors and medical scientists can communicate; opportunities for students to be guided and mentored by physicians and medical students; and communications for parents and students on college acceptance and finances, skills acquisition, internships, career guidance and much more.

The National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists was founded on the belief that we must identify prospective medical talent at the earliest possible age and help these students acquire the necessary experience and skills to take them to the doorstep of this vital career. Based in Washington, D.C. and with offices in Boston, MA, the Academy was chartered as a nonpartisan, taxpaying institution to help address this crisis by working to identify, encourage and mentor students who wish to devote their lives to the service of humanity as physicians, medical scientists.

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Honor Student Sade Mayaki Nominated for The Congress of Future Medical Leaders - The Hudson Reporter

As coronavirus cases in Arizona continue to surge, Mayor Kate Gallego says Phoenix is facing a huge testing shortage.

People have been in line foreight hours in a hot car whilethey ache, waiting for a test," she said."We are five months in in theUnited States of America.People who want a test shouldnot have to wait that long."

Gallego says there is a need for low-barrier testing. She requested the federal government and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for mass testing sites in Phoenix, but that request has been denied.

William Haseltine, a former Harvard Medical School professor, claimed that Arizona is implementing a crisis standard of care, which means, if you're old, youget sent home without care andyou die.

Unfortunately, our medicalprofessionals don't have theresources they need and so theyare being asked to makedifficult decisions, Gallego said, responding to Haseltines comments. She emphasized that people experiencing emergency conditions such as a heart attack should still go to the emergency room and that they will receive care.

Medical professionals are exhausted and asking for reinforcements, while warning that the worst is yet to come, Gallego says.

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Coronavirus pandemic: Updates from around the world - CNN

VERMILLION The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (The Network) and a collection of partners have been awarded a $1.3 million grant to expand services related to preventing and responding to sexual assault and sex trafficking in rural, western South Dakota.

Bridget Diamond-Welch, Ph.D., a research scientist for the USD Sanford School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine, said the impetus for the grant is the anticipated arrival of workers to rural and remote areas of South Dakota to build the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline.

The development of so-called man-camps along the route of the pipeline and during its construction will deliver thousands of workers to western South Dakota, said Diamond-Welch. These sorts of projects have caused a rise in sexual assaults and sex trafficking in other states. Right now, medical facilities and expert counseling and response for victims of sexual assault, trafficking and other related problems are not conveniently available along the pipeline route in western South Dakota. We want to be prepared if the oil pipeline and those camps are built and if services are needed.

According to Diamond-Welch, Native American reservations and rural areas are already stretched thin as they work to meet the needs of victims, including Indigenous people.

We are really excited to work withour state and tribal partners with this grant funding to provide Native American sexual assault survivors in the pipeline area with access to sexual assault services and trauma-informed and patient-centered sexual assault forensic-medical exams, said Krista Heeren-Graber, executive director of The Network.

Specific objectives of the grant will be to expand counseling, safety planning, legal and victim advocacy and trauma-informed and patient-centered sexual assault forensic-medical exams. Specially trained advocates and experts will be hired as part of the grant.

Key on-the-ground members of The Network participating in the expansion of services are Communities Against Violence and Abuse (Lemmon), Missouri Shores DV Center (Pierre), Missouri Valley Crisis Center (Chamberlain), Sacred Heart Center (Eagle Butte), Sacred Shawl Society (Martin), Victims of Violence Intervention Program (Spearfish), White Buffalo Calf Womans Society (Mission), Winyan Wicayunihan Oyanke/Where all Women are Honored (Rapid City), and the Winner Resource Center (Winner).

The grant will be administered by The Network and funding will cover three years of effort.

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USD Medical School and Partners Win Grant to Expand Services to Prevent Sexual Assault in Western South Dakota - Yankton Daily Press

The crisis the American people confronted on Oct. 4, 1957, seems almost quaint by current standards: Our Cold War nemesis, the Soviet Union, had launched an artificial satellite into low-earth orbit. The beach ball-sized object, known as Sputnik 1, exposed a purported technology gap between the Western powers and our Communist adversary.

The U.S. responded neither with despair nor confrontation. Rather, the event proved a mainspring for an extraordinary investment in science and technology, transforming school curricula and leading to low-cost loans for STEM students through the National Defense Education Act.

Sputnik I also inspired a generation of young men and women to pursue careers in space technology and related fields. Watching the satellite cross the West Virginia sky propelled future Rocket Boys author Homer Hickam to a job as a NASA engineer; the event drove Alan Shepard, the first American in space, to become an astronaut.

Americans today face a grave crisis in COVID-19. Yet as thousands of healthcare workers serve on the front lines, fighting the virus and caring for their fellow citizens, we have an opportunity to make this pandemic our Sputnik I.

Despite increases in medical school applications and leaps in therapeutic offerings, perceptions of the medical profession have been in decline for some time. A 2014 study by Robert Blendon and colleagues found that only 58% of Americans agreed with the statement, "All things considered, doctors in the United States can be trusted." That compared with 76% in Great Britain and 75% in France. Increasingly, the burdens of electronic documentation and lost autonomy have thinned the ranks of physicians and scared away would-be replacements. If that were not deterrent enough, the average medical school graduate now carries more than $200,000 in debt.

COVID-19 may change some of those perceptions. In New York City, physicians have been cheered the way first responders were hailed after 9/11. Should we be fortunate, this newfound appreciation will prove the first step toward recruiting a future generation of passionate researchers and clinicians.

But inspiration is not enough. If our society is to make the most of this challenging moment, we must re-envision the healthcare workforce. Community buy-in for public health measures is essential during a crisis. Having a physician to whom one can relate is just as crucial for optimal care in non-pandemic times. This is best achieved through a diverse corps of physicians whose backgrounds and experiences reflect those of the broader population.

We are not there yet. For example, Black men have suffered disproportionate mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the total number of self-identified Black males entering U.S. medical schools last year was 604. Other underrepresented groups include first-generation college students, those from low-income backgrounds, Latinos, Native Americans and veterans. Children of blue-collar workers, single parents, and the disabled still face counterproductive barriers to entry.

Several marquee medical schools now offer free tuition, while others cap debt. That is a step toward equity. However, this approach largely helps candidates already in the pipeline.

What is needed are free post-baccalaureate programs for highly talented individuals who did not have a meaningful chance to pursue science education in high school or college so they can complete the preliminary coursework necessary to apply. Alternative pathways to entry are also essential: linkage programs that guarantee admission to "career changers" as long as they meet certain academic benchmarks. Low-income students giving up stable jobs to pursue pre-med courses should know that there is place for them in a medical school class if they succeed.

Finally, the country desperately needs more medical schools. At present, the number of seats for students is set artificially low, which in turn generates higher reimbursement for doctors. Yet the patient demand, especially in primary care, continues to grow. In essence, in a world of markets, doctors belong to a medieval guild. Why not let anyone capable of practicing first-class medicine join the field?

Much as Sputnik I transformed American scienceultimately leading to the first human steps on the moonmedicine is ready for its own moon landing. Let us make this the positive legacy of the current tragedy.

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Let COVID spark a new drive to expand medical education - ModernHealthcare.com

While two of Roaring Fork High Schools fixtures have been phasing out for some time, this year they mean it (mostly). As they prepare for retirement, Spanish Teacher Jill Knaus boasts 34 years in the district, while Art Teacher Cathleen Crayford-McCourt has 28.

Knaus, ne Heider, hails from Denver originally and first started learning Spanish from the television before taking proper classes in middle school backed by family trips to Mexico.

The people were so friendly, and I just loved the culture, she recalled.

She aced her AP Spanish test at George Washington High School and went on to study education at Colorado State University.

I was one of those weird people that always knew I wanted to be a teacher, she said. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to see people grow and change.

There, she met Gary Knaus, an aspiring medical man with roots in Rifle. She spent his med school years teaching at Sheridan High School and then substitute teaching in Greeley, where she obtained her Masters degree. In 1986, after the family relocated to Carbondale and Gary was working at what would become Roaring Fork Family Practice, Superintendent Jim Bader offered her a district-wide job teaching English as a Second Language. Back then, there were only about a dozen kids who needed the help, but as their numbers swelled, she cut down to just Carbondale, then just Roaring Fork where she initially taught both Spanish and ESL before switching to Spanish only.

A lot of the kids that I had when I first started teaching are now grown and they are teaching in the school district. Ive had some of their children, she observed.

It has been rewarding to watch native and non-native speakers come together to help each other.

Even if the kids wouldnt hang out together outside of class, at least they knew each other, Knaus said. Anytime that you can get different types of people together, you realize that people are people and kids are kids.

And while they might be a bit more focused on their devices, what they need from a teacher hasnt changed over the years.

They need to feel comfortable and that you care about them as a person, she said. I think thats always been a real strength at Roaring Fork High School. Cathleen and I have such different personalities, but I think were able to communicate that to kids.

Knauss personal approach has always been one of clearly defined expectations consistently applied. Im not your friend and Im not your mother, shed tell new students. But she continues to appreciate the energy of high schoolers and how they think. It was a blow to suddenly be teaching remotely when the pandemic shut down schools though she praised the districts online efforts.

Its all that personal stuff. Thats the reason I teach, she noted. It gives me a lot of hope for the future when you see all the decent young people who are coming through the schools.

McCourt grew up in Toledo, Ohio with a passion for art, but not really for teaching.

I really wanted to work with old people, she recalled. I never liked babysitting; I never liked kids really.

But when she signed up for a Saturday school program in college, she found fun in coming up with lessons, and ended up staying an extra year to get a teaching certificate. After a year of teaching middle school, she ended up teaching at her own former elementary school. With her future husband, a golf pro from Denver, staying right across the street, she began to feel trapped in some serious deja vu. When he suggested getting the hell out of Ohio, she was on board.

I always felt like I was born in the wrong place, she recalled. We took off a summer and just drove all over Colorado. This was my favorite place.

The first time she stopped through the Valley, there werent any openings, but when she stopped back through, it turned out the Carbondale Elementary School art teacher had resigned the day before.

It was like all destiny, she said.

She taught youngsters for eight years before switching to high school, which turned out to be her trustest calling.

I really loved the kids art, but you didnt have relationships with elementary kids, McCourt said. They didnt come to you for advice.

Although she already knew most of her new students, the transition wasnt without growing pains. Putting together an example project (she strongly believes you need to do in order to teach) takes a lot longer. But the satisfaction of watching an unsure freshmen learn to believe in themself was worth it and something shes missed teaching higher-level classes part time. She also made it a point to build a program which could give her students a fighting chance for scholarships. They told me Id never be able to compete with Glenwood, and thats all I needed to hear, she said.

McCourt is a firm believer that art is as important as the core subjects.

We dont necessarily know what were preparing these kids for, she observed.All they could tell us for next year was to expect it to look very different.

She thinks Carbondale understands that.

Its the ideal place for an art teacher, she said. If I was going to do it all over again, I would pick the exact same school and the exact same community.

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Knaus, McCourt take their leave from RFHS The Sopris Sun - soprissun.com

Are you concerned about your alcohol intake? Maybe you feel that you're drinking too much or too often. Perhaps it's a habit you'd like to better control.

It's always wise to check with your doctor she should be able to help you decide whether it is best for you to cut back or to abstain. People who are dependent on alcohol, or have other medical or mental health problems, should stop drinking completely.

But many people may benefit simply by cutting back. If your doctor suggests that you curb your drinking, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) suggests that the following steps may be helpful:

Some of these strategies such as watching for peer pressure, keeping busy, asking for support, being aware of temptation, and being persistent can also be helpful for people who want to give up alcohol completely.

Once you've cut back on your drinking (so you're at or below the recommended guidelines), examine your drinking habits regularly to see if you're maintaining this level of drinking. Some people attain their goal only to find that old habits crop up again later. If this happens, consult your doctor.

To learn more about addiction diagnosis and treatment methods, read Overcoming Addiction, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.

Image: PIKSEL | GettyImages

Disclaimer:As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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11 ways to curb your drinking - Harvard Health

Signarama in Hartsdale, is creating 2020 graduation lawn signs for the grads, during these trying times. Rockland/Westchester Journal News

There was one time thatAshanti Palmer thought about skipping school.

A big snowstorm had hit, butthe Mount Vernon schools stayed open when other districts closed down.

"I felt like they should have canceled but I went," she said. "I was basically the only one in the classroom."

Palmer's commitment to attending school, and achieving big things once there, is beyond question. The newly minted graduate of Mount Vernon's Nellie A. Thornton High School and Performing & Visual Arts Magnet Program achieved a rare feat during her public school career.

She never missed a day. Not one, going all the way back to pre-kindergarten.

"I knew I couldn't miss a day," she said. "It just felt wrong."

Ashanti Palmer, right, who never missed a day of school, at her gradation. With her is Evelyn Collins, principal of Nellie A. Thornton High School in Mount Vernon.(Photo: Submitted/Mount Vernon City School District)

For Palmer, 17, a pristine attendance record is only one part of a sterling scholastic resume. She was valedictorian of her class, graduating with an average of more than100, and has scholarships lined up to coverfour years of expensesatRensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York,where she plans to study biomedical engineering.

Then she hopes to go to medical school before beginning a career in soft-tissue mechanics andprosthetics.

"I just always liked knowing how the body works and figuring out ways to improve it with technology to make life easier," she said.

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Evelyn Collins, Thornton's principal, said that Palmer's unblemished attendance record shows her drive and commitment to excellence.

"No one had to tell her to be determined," shesaid. "Its simply who she is. She isaware of her gifts, but is very comfortable sharing her gifts with others."

Collins said that Thornton's graduating class was exceptional, but that Palmer still separated herself.

"We are looking to hear her name later in life," she said. "She is an inspiration."

Not surprisingly, Palmer had no trouble with the transition to remote learning in March. She liked doing her studies on her own schedule. "That's what college will be like," she said.

Car celebrates the achievements of Ashanti Palmer, Thornton High School valedictorian, who never missed a day of school.(Photo: Submitted/Mount Vernon City School District)

Asked what she learned from the history-changing events of recent months first the spread of COVID-19, then the reactions to George Floyd's killing Palmer was measured and reflective.

"It was eye-opening and showed mehow quickly things can change," shesaid. "I think Ilearned to take every moment more preciously and to be aware of everything going on around me."

Mount Vernon schools Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton said educators don't often get to see the people that their students will become, but that Palmer is different because she is something of a "masterpiece." He said she will serve as a role model for young girls who follow her through the Mount Vernon schools.

But he wants a student who never missed a day of school to know that perfection is beyond the reach of all.

"I dont want her to get so pressured that she feels she has to be this flawless young woman," Hamilton said. "We're all subject to frailties in life. Things happen, andit's okay. She has a culture, a society, a village of people who will stand ready to support her."

Gary Stern has worked at The Journal News/lohud for over 30 years, primarily covering education and religion and serving as engagement editor. He is now an editor/reporter focusing on education. Reach him at gstern@lohud.com.Twitter:@garysternNY

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'She is an inspiration': From K-12, Mount Vernon valedictorian never missed a day of school - The Journal News

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. Ballad Health announced today that Dr. Michael Chernew, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Professor of Health Care Policy and the Director of the Healthcare Markets and Regulation Lab at Harvard Medical School, will lead an independent study to evaluate hospital competition in small rural markets, and how service offerings and expenses are affected by rural hospital closures and mergers.Conducted in coordination with the East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health Research, this work will help provide a more comprehensive understanding of health and health care in rural America.

Dr. Chernew has extensive experience in health care market research, including health care spending growth, novel benefit designs, payment reform, Medicare Advantage and pricing in commercial health insurance markets, the causes and consequences of rising health care spending, and geographic variation in spending and spending growth and quality. In addition to being recognized with multiple awards for the quality of his research, Dr. Chernew is a member of the Congressional Budget Office's Panel of Health Advisors, a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research and editor of the American Journal of Managed Care. Dr. Chernew was recently named chair of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), on which he previously served as a member from 2008-2012 and as vice chair from 2012-2014.

The acute care hospital industry has undergone substantial restructuring during the last few decades, and in recent years this frequently involves health systems that stretch across markets and state lines, said Dr. Chernew. While several studies have examined the effect of mergers and acquisitions on prices and quality, most have focused on urban markets. Small rural and non-urban markets differ in ways that could affect the social benefits and costs of hospital consolidation.

The study announced today will examine the competitive dynamics of small hospital markets characterized by areas with relatively low population density and a small number of competing hospitals. Hospitals in these markets typically employ a substantial proportion of the local population and have a significant influence over the local economy. Recent data suggest that many hospitals in these small markets are struggling financially and failing to keep pace with the adoption of the latest technology and best practices.The project will:

Health policy should be driven by the facts, and this analysis will provide much-needed information about the dynamics in rural and non-urban markets and what happens to health care in those markets due to a variety of pressures these hospitals face, said Alan Levine, CEO of Ballad Health. Given the massive number of rural and non-urban hospitals that are failing financially, we hope this study, wherever the data takes it, will inform future policy decisions by Congress, the administration and other enforcement agencies as we try to better understand why so many hospitals are struggling.Once we have thisinformation, it could prescribe a new path forward."

This latest announcement follows on a partnership between Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, the Tennessee Legislature and Ballad Health last July to create the Center for Rural Health Research at ETSU a multidisciplinary institute for research impacting rural health. Over a 10-year period, Ballad Healths $15 million contribution commitment was matched with nearly $10 million by the governor and Tennessee legislature.

At the time of the creation of the Center for Rural Health Research at ETSU, Governor Lee said, I believe the Center for Rural Health Research at ETSU is going to be a major contributor to solving problems that have been developing in rural America for decades. This center will be a leader on this issue and will attract partners from all over the country.

Dr. Randy Wykoff, the dean of the ETSU College of Public Health and director of the Center for Rural Health Research, said, We know that health is driven not only by health care services, but income, education, race and a host of other so-called social determinants. ETSUs highly ranked public health program will combine with the best health care economics team in the country at Harvard to build knowledge that will help bridge research and policy gaps in rural and non-urban health.

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Ballad Health to collaborate with Harvard Medical School and ETSU on rural health research - Therogersvillereview

Editors note: The Express-News reached out to media relations directors, athletic directors and coaches to compile a list of student-athletes who are being recognized as the valedictorians and salutatorians of their classes. This is a product of their feedback.

Matias Castillo

School: St. Anthony

Notable: Castillo was a two-way starter in football. He was also a starter in baseball and basketball.

Amy Dittmar

School: Fredericksburg

Notable: Dittmar was a member of the Billies UIL Class 4A state championship team tennis squad in 2019.

Ashley Elizondo

School: Stevens

Notable: Elizondo played softball and was awarded a $7,500 Valero Alamo Bowl Student-Athlete scholarship. She will play softball at OLLU.

Morgan Fey

School: Southwest

Notable: Fey won the Class 5A state championship in the discus and earned a bronze in the shot put in 2019. Fey holds the school record in both events. Her season best in the discus (150 feet, 4 inches) was ninth-best mark in the country in 2020. Fey will compete for Rice.

Wesley Halstead

School: OConnor

Notable: Halstead was a four-year varsity letter winner in swimming. Also competed in water polo and was on the academic decathlon team for three years.

* Emily Hoffman

School: East Central

Notable: Hoffman competed in cross country and track for the Hornets.

Will Johnston

School: Kerrville Tivy

Notable: Johnston was a starter in basketball and also competed on the debate team and served on the student council. He will attend Vanderbilt to study engineering.

Kaitlyn Klepac

School: La Vernia

Notable: Competed in varsity cross country for four years and qualified for the regional meet three times. She plans to attend Texas A&M to study biochemical engineering.

Jewel Medel

School: YWLA

Notable: Competed in basketball, volleyball and track. Medel will study neuroscience and English at Brown.

Taylor McClung

School: Northside ISD Communication Arts

Notable: Competed in cross country and track for Taft. She will attend Texas to study chemical engineering.

Kate McNeil

School: Pleasanton

Notable: One of her class five four-year varsity letter winners in soccer, she earned a $10,000 scholarship for her presentation in the horse skillathon at the 2019 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

James Mendez

School: Smithson Valley

Notable: Mendez was a member of the soccer team. He plans to attend Harvard to study biomedical engineering.

Avalon Munoz

School: Edison

Notable: Earned varsity letters in basketball and cross country. Munoz, who will attend UT-Permian Basin to play basketball, was a member of the Express-News Super Team for basketball. She also won two district cross country championships.

Eduardo Ramos

School: Fox Tech

Notable: Ramos, a member of the soccer and track teams, graduated with certification as a medical assistant. He will study neuroscience at Texas.

Hayden Ray

School: Taft

Notable: Ray was a three-year member of the varsity soccer team.

Donovan Ricondo

School: South San

Notable: Ricondo was a two-year varsity letter winner in basketball.

Alee Schott

School: Medina Valley

Notable: Schott scored 20 goals and 10 assists for the soccer team. She will attend Schreiner to play soccer.

Kalani Thorpe

School: Canyon Lake

Notable: Thorpe competed in soccer for the Hawks. She plans to attend Colorado State to study computer science.

Destin Weathersby

School: Clemens

Notable: Weathersby was the National Honor Society vice president and was a member of student council, Key Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Mu Alpha Theta. She plans to study biochemistry at Texas A&M before heading to medical school.

Trinity Williford

School: New Braunfels Canyon

Notable: Williford competed in soccer for the Cougars. She plans to attend Dallas Baptist to study biology.

* Solomon Yoon

School: Roosevelt

Notable: Yoon competed for three seasons in swimming. Roosevelts top-ranked student earned all-district and all-state honors in academics. He will attend Johns Hopkins on a full academic scholarship.

Ashlyn Zingelmann

School: Brandeis

Notable: Zingelmann recovered from a knee injury suffered in 2019 and returned to earn her fourth varsity letter in soccer. She will play soccer at North Texas.

* North East ISD and East Central ISD do not designate students as valedictorians or salutatorians.

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SA area athletes who finished top of their classes - ExpressNews.com - San Antonio Express-News

It's no secret why young people everywhere aspire to become doctors. Society holds doctors in high esteem thanks to their lifesaving and life-prolonging services, their compassion, their scientific proficiency, and last but not least, their substantial earning potential.

But it's also widely known that a career as a doctor isn't for everyone. Between an outrageously competitive admissions process for medical school to a years-long slog through residencies and specialist education after graduation, becoming a doctor is an extremely long and difficult ordeal under the best of conditions. Only 41% of medical school applicants matriculated in 2019, and many medical schools have admissions rates as low as 7%.

So, how can students figure out if they have what it takes to be a doctor? While there's no single answer to such a broad question, anyone interested in trying to become a doctor should undertake the following three steps to ensure that their chances are as good as possible.

Image source: Getty Images

The first thing you should do if you think you want to become a doctor is to shadow several doctors. Shadowing a doctor simply means following a doctor around during a day of their work, so that you can observe what they do and how they do it without directly participating. Shadowing a doctor will show you what doctors spend most of their time on when they're at work, and it will also help you understand the expectations of patients. You'll also learn about how doctors interact with other members of the care team and how the responsibilities are divided. There's no single trick to finding a doctor to shadow. Reach out to a local clinic or hospital to see if they have any doctors who would be willing to have you follow them around for a day or a week.

By the time you're done shadowing, you should have a good idea about whether being a physician is a career you might enjoy, or if you'd rather try something different. Perhaps you learn that you're more interested in pursuing nursing, medical administrative work, scientific research, or lab technology.

If you still want to learn more about what it's like to be a doctor, you can also ask a local doctor for an informational interview about their work. Conducting a brief interview with a doctor will educate you about the extensive training process for doctors, and it will also give you a few ideas about where you might want to learn more on your own with follow-up research, or what area you might want to specialize in as a doctor.

You will need to do some soul-searching to determine whether being a doctor is the right fit for you. If you aren't prepared to commit to doing what it takes to gain admission to medical school and working hard for many years before achieving doctor status, you won't be able to become a doctor. Thus, it's critical to have an honest conversation with yourself about your wants, needs, and capabilities, both presently and in the future when your initial enthusiasm may have waned.

People who are accepted into medical school typically have a handful of exceptional traits and accomplishments. Most doctors performed very highly in their academics during college, meaning that they were very studious and disciplined. Undergraduate GPAs in excess of 3.5 are the norm, even for students who attended highly competitive schools. Likewise, people who get into medical school tend to have formidable resumes that are packed with experiences gleaned from internships, shadowing doctors, volunteer work, running a club or nonprofit, working in a research laboratory, and other impressive activities. Finally, having a strong score on the 7.5-hour long Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is not optional to get into medical school.

If the above list seems intimidating, don't worry. You don't need to do everything at once. But you do need to understand that the process of getting into medical school leaves very little room for error and even less room for laziness. If you cherish your free time, doing everything that you need to do to get into medical school will probably leave you with little leisure time, and it won't be any easier when you actually attend medical school or when you graduate. This means that you need to take some time and deeply consider whether you are willing to make these sacrifices to pursue becoming a doctor. Don't feel bad about deciding not to proceed -- being a doctor isn't for everyone and there are many health and medical careers available to you that require less education and stringent studying.

Once you've completed these first two steps, the most difficult step is up next. You need to design and then execute a plan for getting into medical school. This blueprint should include everything from the courses you take in college to the time you will set aside to study for the MCAT and work on your medical school applications. Speak with an academic advisor to determine when you should sign up for the test and apply to schools.

The guiding principle of your plan should be to make yourself into the most competitive applicant for medical school that you can possibly be. This means that you'll need to identify potential resume items that would make you a better candidate, then do what it takes to credibly list those items on your resume. Be sure to have a mix of volunteering experiences in healthcare and club memberships; leadership positions in nonprofits and student societies; internships; shadowing experiences; research jobs; and scholarships. You should also identify prestigious individuals whom you could work for in order to get their recommendation letter when it's time to apply to medical school.

Of course, your plan should also have realistic frameworks for how long you should study each day for your courses as well as for your MCAT preparation. The average medical student spends around 240 hours studying for the MCAT, but you may opt for a longer or shorter period. Thus, cultivating an intensely strong time-management capability is something you should strive for when you're developing your plan.

Once you know what you're getting into and you have a plan for how to make it through to the other side, you're ready to start the process of becoming a doctor. Start to execute your plan, and don't give up when things get tough. Good luck!

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So You Want To Be A Doctor? Take These 3 Steps First - Motley Fool

Burton Bud D. Rose had already written a textbook that his colleagues referred to as the nephrology bible. Still, he wasnt satisfied.

Rose knew his book could only stay accurate for so long before hed have to update it which, for most volumes, happened every five years.

But Rose wanted to keep his textbook up to date constantly. So he asked his publisher if theyd assist him in transferring the textbook to a computerized format, which could be regularly updated. They refused so he decided to do it himself.

In 1992, aided by his wife, Gloria, Rose created a computerized database of medical information called UpToDate from their home. Today, the digital platform is used by over 1.5 million clinicians worldwide.

Aside from his online pursuits, Rose worked as a professor at Harvard Medical School and a nephrologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He died on April 24, from Alzheimers disease complicated by COVID-19, at the age of 77.

Theodore I. Steinman, a professor at Harvard Medical School and a senior physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, called UpToDate the first living textbook.

He was probably the most influential person ever in the world with regards to medical information and education, Steinman said.

Mark L. Zeidel, a professor at Harvard Medical School and physician in chief and chair of the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, often calls Rose the Steve Jobs of Medicine.

In part, that moniker stems from the fact that Rose created UpToDate with a piece of technology from Apple, the hypercard. But Zeidel also saw UpToDate as an example of disruptive technology like the computers and phones Jobs created.

Both Steinman and Zeidel said that Rose could have been in contention for a Nobel Prize in Medicine, which cannot be awarded posthumously.

He really was deserving of the Nobel Prize in Medicine because of his worldwide impact on medical education and medical information technology, Steinman said.

I regret that it never occurred to me, but we could have actually put him up for the Nobel Prize in Medicine and he might have won it because of the significance of this contribution, because people around the world are using it constantly, Zeidel said.

Zeidel said that most of the 170 interns and fellows at Beth Israel Deaconess regularly use UpToDate.

When I come in and do rounds, they don't quote the textbook, he said. They quote UpToDate. Because at two in the morning, they can call it up on a computer right at the point of attack where they're working, and they can look up what they need to find, find it quickly, and get the authoritative information.

Isaac Kohane, the chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School, said Roses creation revolutionized medicine.

Rose had a unique mix of vision and pragmatism that allowed him to create such an impactful technology, he added.

That resource was so singular, and the editorial process that was put together was so rigorous and so strongly academic, yet because of his leadership, so determinately practical and focused, that it became the unquestioned standard, Kohane said.

Despite the fact that UpToDate took more and more of his time, Rose remained active as a clinician and professor.

He always took time to be an attending physician on the renal service at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and he was always a wonderful one on one teacher, Steinman said.

Martin Pollak, a professor at Harvard Medical School and chief of the Division of Nephrology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, called Rose a beloved teacher.

He just had a very clear, concise way of breaking down complicated concepts, Pollak said, and he used his skills to teach medical students and patients alike.

He taught an annual course at the Medical School on kidney disease that people from all over the world flocked to, Pollak said. In 2009, the American Society of Nephrology granted him the Robert G. Narins Award, the highest award for education in nephrology.

Gloria Rose, his wife, said he approached pursuits outside the hospital with the same verve.

She recalled that, while at work, he was looking at the names of their immediate family members, and created the acronym Badgers short for Bud, Ann, Daniel, Gloria, and Emily Rose.

So then he started calling us the Badgers, Gloria said with a laugh. He was just always thinking outside the box, he was very funny in that way.

Rose was also a romantic, Gloria said. One day, he surprised her with flowers and a cake, announcing that it was the 10,000th day since they had met.

He was goofy in a good way, she said. He was very spontaneous.

He loved basketball and tennis, and spent hours at a time bettering his technique.

With everything that he did, it wasn't that he wanted to be the best. He wanted to improve his game. Always, Gloria said. He would go out on the driveway and keep shooting, until he just got it.

With UpToDate, Rose refined medicine, too.

Denise Basow, the CEO of Clinical Effectiveness at Wolters Kluwer, the company that currently runs UpToDate, wrote in a statement that his work changed the medical field over the last three decades.

Once he had the idea for UpToDate, he wouldnt let anything get in the way of pursuing it, Basow wrote. That pursuit has impacted the practice of medicine and the lives of patients for almost 30 years.

Staff writer Camille G. Caldera can be reached at camille.caldera@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @camille_caldera.

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Harvard Medical School Professor Burton 'Bud' Rose, the 'Steve Jobs of Medicine,' Dies at 77 | News - Harvard Crimson