Orbital launches cargo ship on maiden flight to space station

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Updated at 01:35 PM EDT, 09/18/13

In a critical test flight for NASA's space station program, an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket making only its second flight blasted off from the Virginia coast Wednesday, lofting an unmanned cargo ship on its maiden flight to the international lab complex.

The demonstration mission is a critical test run for Orbital to prove the company's new rocket and Cygnus cargo ship can execute an autonomous rendezvous with the space station and, if necessary, carry out an abort if something goes wrong.

If the four-day trip to the station is successful, Orbital will be clear to begin routine cargo delivery missions later this year, joining Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, in a commercial program intended to make up for the retirement of the space shuttle.

Using recycled engines originally built for Russia's moon program, the Antares first stage roared to life at 10:58 a.m. EDT (GMT-4), quickly pushing the 133-toot-tall rocket away from its launching stand at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Island, Va., flight facility.

The Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket moments after launch, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013.

Burning kerosene and liquid oxygen, the refurbished Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-26 engines fired for nearly four minutes, boosting the rocket out of the dense lower atmosphere and into the orbital plane of the space station.

Dramatic television views from a camera mounted on the rocket showed the Virginia coastline receding in the background and then the limb of the Earth as the spacecraft accelerated toward orbit. A few moments later, the spent first stage could be seen falling away.

The Antares second stage, powered by an Alliant Techsystems solid-fuel motor, then took over, igniting at an altitude of about 116 miles and firing for two-and-a-half minutes to put the spacecraft into an initial orbit with a high point, or apogee, of about 186 miles and a low point, or perigee, of around 151 miles.

A few moments later, the cargo ship was released from the spent second stage motor and its two solar panels unfolded as planned.

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Orbital launches cargo ship on maiden flight to space station

Voyager 1 Has Finally Reached Interstellar Space | NASA JPL Space Science HD Video – Video

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Voyager 1 Has Finally Reached Interstellar Space | NASA JPL Space Science HD Video
Visit my website at http://www.junglejoel.com - scientists announced that after decades of exploration, Voyager 1 has finally reached a historic milestone fo...

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NASA launches spacecraft to study Moon

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NASA has launched its third lunar probe in five years with an unmanned spacecraft that aims to study the Moon's atmosphere.

Blazing a red path in the night sky, the spacecraft lifted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 11.27pm local time Friday (1327 AEST Saturday) aboard a converted Air Force ballistic missile known as the Minotaur V rocket.

'The spacecraft is in good health and a good orbit at this point,' said NASA commentator George Diller about half an hour after the launch.

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) aims to learn more about the atmosphere and dust while circling the Moon.

When US astronauts last walked on the Moon four decades ago, they learned that dust could be a huge problem for sensitive spacecraft and equipment, said space expert John Logsdon.

'If we were ever to go there with people for long duration, the dust gets in everything. It's not smooth dust like a piece of sand on the beach. It's made of very, very small fragments,' said Logsdon, a NASA adviser and former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University.

'All the Apollo crews complained about the lunar dust getting everywhere.'

US astronauts first walked on the Moon in 1969, and the last explorers of the Apollo era visited in 1972.

The journey to the Moon will take about a month and the probe will initially orbit at a height of about 250km for 40 days before moving lower for the science portion of its mission.

After 100 days spent measuring chemical variations in the lunar atmosphere, analysing exosphere gasses and lunar dust grains and looking for water molecules in the lunar atmosphere, the LADEE spacecraft will make a death plunge into the Moon's surface.

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NASA Invites Social Media Fans to Earth Science Event

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PASADENA, Calif. - NASA is inviting its social media followers to apply for participation in a two-day NASA Social on Nov. 4 and 5 at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The event will highlight NASA and JPL's role in studying Earth and its climate and will preview three Earth-observing missions JPL is preparing for launch in 2014.

The event will offer people who connect with NASA through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks the opportunity to interact with scientists and engineers working on upcoming missions and participate in hands-on demonstrations. Participants will also interact with fellow tweeps, space enthusiasts and members of NASA's social media team. They will get a behind-the-scenes tour of JPL, including:

* The Spacecraft Assembly Facility, where hardware for two upcoming Earth missions is currently under construction. This clean room is also where NASA's Voyager and Cassini spacecraft and the Curiosity, Opportunity and Spirit Mars rovers were built and tested.

* The JPL Earth Science Center, where data from many of the agency's Earth-observing missions are showcased in interactive displays.

* The Mission Control Center of NASA's Deep Space Network, where engineers "talk to" spacecraft across the solar system and in interstellar space.

* The JPL Mars Yard, where engineers and scientists test engineering models of NASA's Curiosity rover in a sandy, Mars-like environment.

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NASA Hosts Social Media Event at MAVEN Launch in Florida

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NASA will give 150 of its social media followers an insider's look at America's space program and the opportunity to see a launch in person. The NASA Social, scheduled for Nov. 16 and 18 to coincide with the launch of NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN), will be held at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA Socials are in-person meetings with people who engage with the agency through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks.

MAVEN is targeted to launch at 1:27 p.m. EST Nov. 18 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Registration for the NASA Social opens at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17 and closes at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27. Participants will be selected from online registrations.

International guests selected to attend the social will be required to submit a scanned copy of their visa and passport. Green card holders will be required to submit a scanned copy of their card.

NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to:

- View the launch of the Atlas V rocket carrying MAVEN.

- Hear first-hand accounts of the mission development and research goals from the MAVEN science and engineering teams from NASA Kennedy, Goddard and other organizations.

- Get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (Note: All sites on KSC / CCAFS are subject to closure due to mission or operation requirements), including potential opportunities to: * Look Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. *View the Atlas V launch pad. * Visit the Launch Control Center.

- Meet and interact with representatives from NASA and other organizations.

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NASA Hosts Social Media Event at MAVEN Launch in Florida

NASA Highlights Asteroid Grand Challenge at World Maker Faire

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NASA is reaching out to a new community for ideas on how to find and track potentially hazardous asteroids, and protect the planet from their impacts. The World Maker Faire is being held Sept. 21-22 at the New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., in New York.

The World Maker Faire is a festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness - the exact qualities NASA is looking for to help in solving the global challenge asteroid threats present.

NASA Chief Technologist Mason Peck will be on hand to talk about how Makers can help shape space exploration and be a critical player in NASA's asteroid initiative.

"Unlike traditional NASA missions of exploration and science, this grand challenge is driven by the idea that protecting our planet is an issue bigger than any one program, mission or country," Peck said. "For the first time, NASA has reached out to industry, academia, stakeholder organizations and private citizens for ideas on how to find, track and deflect asteroids. These partnerships represent a new way of doing business for NASA and a call to action for Makers: join us to become a critical part of the future of space exploration."

NASA will offer Makers a chance to program science hardware and learn how small, do-it-yourself projects might be used to help track and understand asteroids, using their own personal computers. NASA also will showcase the Centennial Challenges Program, with winning teams and technology from the Astronaut Glove and Sample Robot Return challenges.

Media interested in attending Maker Faire should register online at:

Home Page

Media interested in speaking to Peck should contact Sarah Ramsey at sarah.ramsey@nasa.gov.

NASA's asteroid initiative has two parts: the mission by astronauts to explore an asteroid and a grand challenge to protect the planet. It is included in President Obama's fiscal year 2014 budget request for NASA, and leverages the agency's progress on asteroid discovery and study, the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft and cutting-edge technology development.

For more information about NASA's asteroid initiative, visit:

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NASA Partner Orbital Sciences Launches Demonstration Mission to Space Station

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NASA commercial space partner Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va., successfully launched its Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard its Antares rocket at 10:58 a.m. EDT Wednesday from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

This is the first time a spacecraft launched from Virginia is blazing a trail toward the International Space Station, heralding a new U.S. capability to resupply the orbiting laboratory.

Traveling 17,500 mph in Earth's orbit, Cygnus is on its way to rendezvous with the space station Sunday, Sept. 22. The spacecraft will deliver about 1,300 pounds (589 kilograms) of cargo, including food and clothing, to the Expedition 37 crew, who will grapple and attach the capsule using the station's robotic arm.

"Today marks a milestone in our new era of exploration as we expand the capability for making cargo launches to the International Space Station from American shores," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "Orbital's extraordinary efforts are helping us fulfill the promise of American innovation to maintain our nation's leadership in space."

Orbital is building and testing its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft under NASAs Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Program. The successful completion of the COTS demonstration mission will pave the way for Orbital to conduct eight planned cargo resupply flights to the space station through NASAs $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract with the company.

Future Cygnus flights will significantly increase NASA's ability to deliver new science investigations to the only laboratory in microgravity. As one of two U.S. carriers capable of providing cargo resupply missions to the space station, a successful demonstration mission will ensure a robust national capability to deliver critical science payloads to orbit. NASA's other cargo resupply provider, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), began flying regular cargo missions to the space station in 2012, following its own COTS demonstration mission.

"Todays launch is the culmination of more than five years work between the NASA and Orbital teams," said Alan Lindenmoyer, NASAs program manager for commercial crew and cargo. "Everyone involved should be extremely proud, and we are looking forward to a successful series of checkouts between now and when Cygnus reaches the space station this weekend."

Over the next several days, Cygnus will perform a series of maneuvers to test and prove its systems, ensuring it can safely enter the so-called "keep-out sphere" of the space station, a 656-foot (200-meter) radius surrounding the complex.

NASA Television coverage for grapple and berthing operations will begin at 4:30 a.m. Sept. 22 and continue through the capture and installation of the Cygnus spacecraft. Capture is scheduled for about 7:25 a.m. with installation of the spacecraft beginning around 9 a.m.

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NASA launches global land imaging system study

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Washington, Sept 18 : NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will kick off a quest for an innovative and affordable space-based system to extend the Landsat satellite data record for decades to come with a public forum and call for ideas Wednesday, Sept. 18.

The Sustainable Land Imaging Architecture Study Industry and Partner Day will take place from 1-4:30 p.m. EDT in the NASA Headquarters Webb Auditorium at 300 E St. SW in Washington.

Following this public forum, NASA will release a request for information to seek new ideas on the design of such a system.

In April, the Obama Administration directed NASA to conduct the study as part of its initiative to create for the first time a long-term, sustainable system in space to provide Landsat-quality global observations for at least the next 20 years.

The Sustainable Land Imaging Program, announced in President Obama's proposed fiscal year 2014 budget, directs NASA to lead the overall system architecture study with participation from USGS.

Representatives of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, NASA and USGS will present details of the study process and planning timeline during the public forum.

"We are looking for system design solutions that spur innovation and increase efficiencies, making use of aerospace expertise from across the government and commercial aerospace sector," said David Jarrett, study lead in the Earth Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

"We will evaluate a range of solutions, including large and small dedicated spacecraft, formation flying, hosted payloads, and international and private sector collaborations."

"Landsat data are used by a broad range of specialists to assess some of the world's most critical issues -- the food, water, forests, and other natural resources needed for a growing world population." said Matt Larsen, USGS associate director for climate and land use change.

"We are happy to participate in the NASA study to help develop and refine the long-term future of this program, while at the same time recognizing that it is vital that we maintain our Landsat observational capabilities over the short-term to ensure that no data gap occurs."

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NASA launches global land imaging system study

NASA Launches Study of New Global Land Imaging System

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NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will kick off a quest for an innovative and affordable space-based system to extend the Landsat satellite data record for decades to come with a public forum and call for ideas Wednesday, Sept. 18.

The Sustainable Land Imaging Architecture Study Industry and Partner Day will take place from 1-4:30 p.m. EDT in the NASA Headquarters Webb Auditorium at 300 E St. SW in Washington. Following this public forum, NASA will release a request for information to seek new ideas on the design of such a system.

In April, the Obama Administration directed NASA to conduct the study as part of its initiative to create for the first time a long-term, sustainable system in space to provide Landsat-quality global observations for at least the next 20 years. The Sustainable Land Imaging Program, announced in President Obama's proposed fiscal year 2014 budget, directs NASA to lead the overall system architecture study with participation from USGS.

Representatives of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, NASA and USGS will present details of the study process and planning timeline during the public forum.

"We are looking for system design solutions that spur innovation and increase efficiencies, making use of aerospace expertise from across the government and commercial aerospace sector," said David Jarrett, study lead in the Earth Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "We will evaluate a range of solutions, including large and small dedicated spacecraft, formation flying, hosted payloads, and international and private sector collaborations."

"Landsat data are used by a broad range of specialists to assess some of the worlds most critical issues -- the food, water, forests, and other natural resources needed for a growing world population. said Matt Larsen, USGS associate director for climate and land use change. "We are happy to participate in the NASA study to help develop and refine the long-term future of this program, while at the same time recognizing that it is vital that we maintain our Landsat observational capabilities over the short-term to ensure that no data gap occurs."

The objective of the Sustainable Land Imaging study is to design an approach to develop space-based systems that can provide continuous Landsat-quality data for at least 20 years and be sustained in a tight federal budget environment. The system is planned to continue the 41-year-old Landsat data record, which was assembled with a series of single satellites implemented one at a time.

The most recent addition to the long-running series, Landsat 8, launched in February, is performing well. Landsat 7, launched in 1999 and now operating with limited redundancy and a waning fuel supply, could fail or run out of fuel in the next few years. Both satellites were developed and launched by NASA. The spacecraft are operated by the USGS, which is responsible for generating, archiving, and distributing a range of standard products based on the spaceborne measurements.

The Landsat program provides continuous global, moderate-resolution measurements of land and coastal regions, providing humanity's longest record of our planet from space. Landsat data provide a consistent and reliable foundation for research on land use change, forest health and carbon inventories, and changes to our environment, climate, and natural resources.

The free and open availability of Landsat data enables routine use of the measurements by decision makers both inside and outside the government, for a wide range of natural resource issues including water resource management, wildfire response, agricultural productivity, rangeland management, and the effects of climate change.

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NASA Launches Study of New Global Land Imaging System

Dr. Robert Gleeson, Executive Health Program Director, internal medicine physician – Video

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Dr. Robert Gleeson, Executive Health Program Director, internal medicine physician
David Goldberg, MD, is an internal medicine physician with Froedtert The Medical College of Wisconsin. http://doctors.froedtert.com/PhysicianDirectory/Glee...

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Old Crow Medicine Show Inducted Into the Grand Ole Opry

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(l-r): Pete Fisher, Opry Vice President and General Manager; Dierks Bentley; Marty Stuart; Old Crow Medicine Show. Photo by Chris Hollo, courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

Modern-day string band Old Crow Medicine Show was formally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry last night by Opry members Dierks Bentley and Marty Stuart. Among the award-winning groups first performances in Nashville were on the sidewalks outside the Opry House in Summer 2000, playing for fans entering and exiting Opry performances. The band graduated to the Opry stage for its official Opry debut on Jan. 13, 2001, quickly became a fan favorite during dozens of Opry performances since, and was invited by Stuart to join the Opry on Aug. 16 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Just before show time, the band reprised its Opry Plaza performances from more than a dozen years ago, walking outside the Opry House and playing tunes including Brave Boys and Hesitation Blues for surprised fans waiting outside for the evenings Opry show.

Onstage later in the night, Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher and Opry members Dierks Bentley and Stuart took the stage alongside Old Crow Medicine Show, presenting the group with its Opry member award. Congratulations, Old Crow, on being a part of the coolest club there is, Bentley said.

Addressing the band, Marty added, You offer a whole new energy and love for country music in the 21st century.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Ketch Secor related that years ago members of the band asked themselves if theyd ever make it big in TV. Secor recalled having said, I dont know about TV, but we might make something of ourselves on radio. Fast forwarding to tonights show, Secor concluded, Were standing out here on the most beloved broadcast anywhere on earth. I think we made it big on radio! We, the Old Crows, are just so proud to be entrusted to carry on the traditions of the Grand Ole Oprys good-natured riot.

After tearing into the bands signature song, Wagon Wheel, (currently covered by fellow Opry member Darius Rucker) the group invited fellow Opry members Bentley, Stuart, Connie Smith, and the Del McCoury Band to join them on the standards Will The Circle Be Unbroken and I Saw The Light.

Old Crow has over the years become a favorite of Opry audiences and everyone backstage, as well, said Fisher. Its fun for so many of us that in many ways Old Crow looks and sounds a lot like some of the great early Opry bands like Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boysbands which helped propel the Opry to national prominence. Tonight represents a great full circle, and as the great Jimmy Dickens says, The circle cant be broken.

After the induction, the group added a plaque bearing its name to the Opry Member Gallery backstage at the Opry House.

Old Crow Medicine Show is scheduled to perform concerts on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 at the Ryman Auditorium. Tickets will go on sale Sept. 27 at 10 a.m.

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Old Crow Medicine Show Inducted Into the Grand Ole Opry

Grand Opening of New Philadelphia Outpatient Medical Facility: Penn Medicine Washington Square

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WHAT: Penn Medicine will celebrate one of the largest capital projects in the history of Pennsylvania Hospital, the official opening of Penn Medicine Washington Square a new 153,000 square foot, green building in center city Philadelphia that serves as the major hub of outpatient care for Pennsylvania Hospital. This modern facility features leading-edge telecommunication and clinical information systems, providing patients with the most advanced level of collaborative and interdisciplinary care.

More than 100 providers from across a wide range of services including cardiology, concierge medicine, otorhinolaryngology, primary care, surgery and womens health are now available in one location along with patient pre-admission testing and phlebotomy services. The facility is also built atop an existing parking garage, offering added convenience for patients.

Penn Medicine Washington Square is an integral part of Pennsylvania Hospitals master plan which includes the expansion of private rooms for our patients. It represents great strides in both meeting the growing need for outpatient care and Penn Medicines overall commitment to its patients in Center City and beyond.

Tours of Penn Medicine Washington Square will be available and will include: a patient exam room, diagnostic space; patient waiting areas and lobbies; and the new Avenue C self-checkout vending market for employees.

**More information below

WHEN: Thursday, September 19, 2013 5:30 PM 7:00 PM Remarks to begin at 6:15 PM

WHERE: Penn Medicine Washington Square 800 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA

WHO: Speakers & Special Guests

J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD Executive Vice President, University of Pennsylvania for the Health System Dean, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Amy Gutmann, PhD President, University of Pennsylvania

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*Me* medicine could undermine public health measures

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The growth of personalised medicine threatens the communal approach that has brought our biggest health gains

ADVOCATES of personalised medicine claim that healthcare isn't individualised enough.

Backed up by the glamour of new biotechnologies such as direct-to-consumer genetic testing, personalised medicine what I call "Me Medicine" appears to its advocates as the inevitable and desirable way to go. Barack Obama, when still a US senator, declared that "in no area of research is the promise greater than in personalised medicine".

This trend towards Me Medicine is led by the US, but it is growing across the developed world.

In contrast, "We Medicine" public-health programmes such as flu shots or childhood vaccination is increasingly distrusted and vulnerable to austerity cuts. Yet historically this approach has produced the biggest increase in lifespan. Even today, countries with more social provision of healthcare and less individualistic attitudes have better health outcomes across all social classes.

Contrary to the claims of its proponents, the personalised approach hasn't yet delivered a paradigm shift in medicine. A 2012 Harris poll of 2760 US patients and physicians found that doctors had recommended personal genetic tests for only 4 per cent of patients. The Center for Health Reform & Modernization, run by US healthcare company UnitedHealth, put the figure at just 2 per cent.

But money is still pouring into Me Medicine. In July, the UK government announced that it would offer private companies a subsidy from a 300 million fund to encourage investment in its personalised medicine initiative, Genomics England. Last year the US administration increased the National Institutes of Health budget for personalised medicine, while cutting the budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office of Public Health Genomics by 90 per cent.

Of course it would be nice if we could afford both, but in reality there's a growing risk that "me" will edge out "we". If it does, it won't be because the science is better or the outcomes more beneficial. In some instances of Me Medicine, clinical outcomes are worse than the We equivalent. For example, according to the UK's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, private umbilical cord blood banks, which ostensibly provide a personal "spare parts kit" for the baby, produce poorer outcomes than public cord blood banking.

It is true that in some areas of Me Medicine, such as genetically individualised drug regimes for cancer care (technically known as pharmacogenetics), there has been genuine progress. For example, vemurafenib, a drug for aggressive melanoma, was reported in a 2012 New England Journal of Medicine article to extend the lifespan of 1 in 4 patients by seven months if they carry a specific genetic mutation in their cancer.

But only about half of those with the "right" type of tumour responded, and the mutation in question only occurs in about half of such melanomas. What is more, pharmaceutical firms will probably charge more for such drugs than for mass-market ones. They will be expensive, may benefit only a subset of the population and could leave cash-strapped state healthcare systems facing difficult decisions about where to allocate resources.

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Mayo Clinic hosts NIH genomics director at Individualizing Medicine Conference

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Public release date: 17-Sep-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Bob Nellis newsbureau@mayo.edu 507-284-5005 Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn.-- From Promise to Practice is the title and the main message of the second annual Individualizing Medicine Conference at Mayo Clinic, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Physicians from more than 40 states and several countries will be arriving in Minnesota to hear and learn about the latest developments and research in genomic research and how to move these discoveries into the medical practice.

"Our goal is to inform practicing physicians, but other care providers, students, media and the public as well," says Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., chair of this year's conference held by Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine. "Individualizing prevention, diagnosis and treatment is the core of medical genomics and the future of medicine. Even if you missed the last 13 years since the mapping of the human genome, we'll help you catch up in three days."

Opening keynote speaker on Monday, September 30, will be Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Genomic Health Research, Bethesda, M.D. Co-hosts for the conference will be Richard Besser, M.D., chief health and medical editor for ABC News and former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control, and Ceci Connolly, managing director of the Health Research Institute, PwC.

The conference offers expert speakers, focused breakout sessions, and real-life case studies so participants can discover and discuss emerging topics in medical genomics. Topics range from translating genomic findings into clinical care to communicating accurately and ethically with patients. Also this year, on Sunday Sept. 29, an "Omics 101" seminar will be offered at a lay level for those new to individualized medicine. This course is being offered separately and is ideal for students and media who will be working in or reporting on the genomics field.

Individualized medicine is a growing field of patient care based on the increasing knowledge of the human genome, mapped just a decade ago. Mayo Clinic is a leader in transferring medical genomics to medical practice clinomics as evidenced by its Individualized Medicine Clinic, launched a year ago. Mayo's Center for Individualized Medicine also includes programs in biomarker discovery, pharmacogenomics, epigenomics and the human microbiome.

Individualizing Medicine 2013 is supported by the Satter Foundation.

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Mayo Clinic hosts NIH genomics director at Individualizing Medicine Conference

Harvard Business Review and the New England Journal of Medicine Launch Online Forum on Health Care Innovation

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BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Harvard Business Review (HBR) and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today launched the Leading Health Care Innovation Insight Center, an eight-week online forum dedicated to helping leaders, managers, and other decision makers in health care improve patient outcomes and lower the cost of care.

The Insight Center runs from September 17 through November 15 and offers daily posts, peer-reviewed reports, and interactive content on topics such as leadership, strategy, organizational design, and talent management. Articles will examine specific tactics being applied in health care systems today to reduce costs and improve quality.

As part of the forum, Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School professor and one of the worlds most respected thinkers on competitive strategy, and Thomas H. Lee, Chief Medical Officer of Press Ganey and former Network President and CEO for Partners Community HealthCare, Inc., will host a webinar on Sept. 24 at 12 p.m. ET to discuss their article from HBRs October issue, The Strategy That Will Fix Health Care.

Were excited to partner with the New England Journal of Medicine to explore how managers and decision makers can transform health care around the world, said Adi Ignatius, HBR Editor in Chief. Our goal is to promote discussion among physicians, health care leaders, clinicians, and policymakers about value and innovation in health care.

The collaborative publishing project between the Journal and the Harvard Business Review comes at a turning point in American health care, said Gregory D. Curfman, M.D., NEJM Executive Editor. Never before have the interests of the health care community and the business community been better aligned.

The Insight Centers advisory board includes distinguished leaders from medicine, business, and academia, among them the CEOs of Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and Emory Healthcare.

Visit the Leading Health Care Innovation Insight Center at hbr.org/insights/healthcare or follow it on Twitter at @HBRhealth.

About Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Reviewis the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, 12 international licensed editions, books from Harvard Business Review Press, and digital content and tools published onHBR.org,Harvard Business Reviewprovides professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact.

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Tour for Diversity in Medicine and Aetna Foundation Travel the Northeast to Inspire Minority Students to Pursue …

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HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Tour for Diversity in Medicine will travel the Northeast corridor to introduce medicine and dentistry as a field of advanced study and career path to minority students from September 23-28, 2013. Along with Tour partner the Aetna Foundation, more than 15 doctors, dentists and medical school students from across the country will participate in the program, which will provide full-day, hands-on workshops to undergrad students in six states. For the first time, the Tour will also engage with high school students, in addition to college undergraduates, during the Tours final stop in Washington, D.C.

The Tour will travel 400 miles over six days making six different stops at locations including two historically black colleges and universities. The participating medical professionals will hold conversations with hundreds of potential medical and dental professionals over the course of the week. The Tour for Diversity in Medicines mission is to help diversify the health care profession by giving minority students the advice and tools they will need to pursue medical careers.

Although African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans compose more than 26 percent of the U.S. population, they represent only six percent of practicing physicians and five percent of dentists, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). In 2011, African-American and Hispanic students made up only 15 percent of all U.S. medical school applicants.1 Yet research shows that patients who receive care from doctors of the same background are more satisfied with their care and more engaged in their treatment.

Our mission is to make a tangible difference in the lives of students and the broader community by offering the vision and real-world strategies to overcome barriers to address the need for greater diversity in the medical profession. Bridging the health-equity gap for under-represented minorities will only happen if our next generation is ready to meet the challenge, said Alden Landry, M.D., co-founder of the Tour for Diversity in Medicine and an emergency department physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. By reaching students early, even at the high school level, and engaging in face-to-face sessions with professionals who come from similar backgrounds, we hope to empower students to consider a career in medicine early on and to imagine whats possible for patients and their communities with a more diverse physician population.

The week of September 23, the Tour for Diversity in Medicine will travel to:

Garth Graham, M.D., M.P.H., president of the Aetna Foundation, said, As our nations population becomes increasingly diverse, we need to ensure that future health care providers reflect the racial and ethnic diversity that will help further positive health outcomes today and for future generations.As the Tours founding sponsor, we are pleased to offer our support to this innovative initiative that takes concrete steps to help under-represented minorities see a path forward to a career in medicine.

Aetna is offering further support to the Tour by hosting a workshop on Monday, September 23 at its Hartford headquarters for more than 100 college students from the University of Connecticut, St. Josephs University, Quinnipiac University and other area educational institutions.

Each university campus tour stop involves a full-day session about the medical school application process, admissions tests, financial aid, interviewing skills and an overview of health disparities. Students interact one-on-one with mentors who will offer personal insights and share their experiences about how to build a successful career in medicine or dentistry. Unique this year, high school students will participate in sessions at Georgetown University School of Medicine to help set them up for college academic success and expose them to courses on topics including, Building Academic Habits, College Readiness 101 and Interactive Healthcare Skills.

Along the way, the enthusiasm weve received from students has propelled us to reach more than 1,400 students in the dozen states weve visited on past Tours. We look forward to tracking these students as they begin their journeys toward a career in medicine, said Kameron Matthews, M.D., J.D., co-founder of the Tour for Diversity in Medicine and medical director of the Division Street site of Erie Family Health Center in Chicago. We volunteer our time and log the miles because we are committed to giving back on behalf of the mentoring we received in our careers. If we are able to spark interest in a career in medicine, this cycle of mentorship has been paid forward again.

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Tour for Diversity in Medicine and Aetna Foundation Travel the Northeast to Inspire Minority Students to Pursue ...