e-Update
May
14, 2001
Weekly News Briefs
e-Update is distributed
weekly to keep faculty and staff at the University of Miami School of Medicine
up-to-date on news at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.
To submit news for publication, e-mail items to update@med.miami.edu.
THIS WEEK'S NEWS
--Dr. Leo Twiggs and Dr. Jay Sosenko to Oversee Research as Assistant
Provosts
--NY Times Details Dr. Robert Myerburg's Study on Defibrillators
in Police Cars
--School of Medicine Psychiatrists Debate Herald's Coverage of
Psychotropic Drugs
--Research Ethics Lecture Series Continues with Presentation from African
Scholar
--Beginning June 1, Medical Purchasing Department Will Be Unavailable
at Lunch Hour
--Institute for Women's Health at School of Medicine Announces New Web
Site
--Update on Construction at SR-836 Toll Plaza and Exit Ramps to Medical
Center
--Upcoming Calendar Events
DRS. JAY SOSENKO AND LEO
TWIGGS ARE APPOINTED ASSISTANT PROVOSTS TO SUPERVISE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Two School of Medicine
professors recently were appointed to assistant provost in charge of
specific research activities. Jay Sosenko, M.D., professor in the Department
of Medicine, has been appointed assistant provost for research standards.
Dr. Sosenko's duties in this position will include developing and overseeing
educational activities with regards to human subjects research. He also
will serve as research integrity officer in charge of scientific misconduct
investigations. Leo Twiggs, M.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics
and Gynecology and associate dean for women's health, has been named
assistant provost for human subjects research. Dr. Twiggs will oversee
the Institutional Review Boards, regulatory requirements in human subjects
research, and administration of the Human Subjects Research Office.
DEFIBRILLATORS IN POLICE
CARS INCREASE SURVIVAL RATE, SAYS DR. MYERBURG IN NY TIMES
"Every minute counts,"
says Robert Myerburg, M.D., professor and director of the Division of
Cardiology, in a recent New York Times article about the use
of defibrillators to treat heart attacks. The article focuses on the
results of a new study, conducted by Dr. Myerburg, which found that
equipping police cars in Miami-Dade county with portable defibrillators
doubled the survival rate of heart attack victims. The first moments
after a heart attack are crucial and, with an officer ready to deliver
treatment even before emergency medical vehicles arrive on a scene,
patients have a better chance of surviving the attack. To read the full
article, visit the New York Times on-line at http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/08/health/08VITA-3.html?searchpv=site02.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR FROM
FACULTY MEMBERS DETAILS EFFECTIVE USES OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG TREATMENT
Jon Shaw, M.D.,
professor and director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry;
Jorge Armenteros, M.D., assistant professor; and Eugenio Rothe, M.D.,
associate professor, both of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences, debate with the Miami Herald in a recent letter to
the editor, titled "Well Used, Psychotropic Drugs Work." The authors
react to recent Herald stories which criticize the use of psychotropic
agents to treat children with a variety of psychiatric conditions. These
drugs, the letter says, can be used effectively to not only treat children
with psychotic disorders, but to also reduce psychotic symptoms in children
with less severe conditions when other treatment options fail. To read
the letter to the editor in full, visit http://www.miami.com/herald/content/opinion/letters/digdocs/027895.htm.
VISITING SCHOLAR TO DISCUSS
AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH
The Dialogues in
Research Ethics lecture series continues this Friday, May 18, with a
presentation by Kumar Sridutt Baboo, M.Med., of the University of Zambia
School of Medicine. Dr. Baboo will present "The Challenges of Human
Research -- An African Perspective," touching on topics that include
the differences between human subjects research in the western world
and similar studies in Africa, as well as obstacles to conducting high
quality studies, such as language barriers and follow-up care. Join
the lecture May 18, noon, in the Rosenstiel building's pharmacology
conference room, 6018. Lunch will be provided.
MEDICAL PURCHASING ANNOUNCES
DAILY LUNCHTIME CLOSING, EFFECTIVE JUNE 1
The Medical Purchasing
Department will close for lunch daily from noon to 1 p.m., beginning
June 1. If you have any questions or need to contact Medical Purchasing,
call 305-243-3666.
NEW INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN'S
HEALTH WEB SITE DETAILS PATIENT SERVICES AND MORE
The Institute for
Women's Health of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is now
on-line. Visit the site at http://womenshealth.med.miami.edu
to learn about research efforts at the institute, profiles of its faculty
and administrators, and upcoming events, among other features.
MAKE NOTE OF SR-836 RAMP
CLOSINGS DUE TO TOLL PLAZA CONSTRUCTION
Construction continues
at the State Road 836 toll plaza and will affect travelers using that
highway to arrive at the medical center. Note that the on-ramp to westbound
SR-836 from southbound N.W. 17th Avenue will be closed from 9 a.m. to
3:30 p.m., May 14 through 17, and will be closed all hours, beginning
May 18 at 9 a.m. through May 21 at 3 p.m. The Miami-Dade Expressway
Authority will provide a detour. The exit ramp from SR-836 to southbound
NW 17th Avenue remains closed through the next 10 to 12 months, with
the northbound NW 17th Avenue ramp serving as the exit for both north
and southbound travelers.
QUESTIONS ABOUT
MEDICARE BILLING?
CONTACT THE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
Address questions
regarding Medicare billing and compliance to Third Party Reimbursement/Office
of Compliance at 305-243-HELP or 1-877-415-HELP. For more information
about the help line or training programs offered by the compliance office,
contact Gemma Romillo at 305-243-5842.
**Correction**
The May 7 issue of e-Update identified Esther Obeng, winner of a Howard
Hughes Medical Institute Predoctoral Fellowship, as a first-year graduate
student. The news item neglected to mention that Obeng is enrolled in
the School of Medicine's M.D./Ph.D. Combined Degree Program. She has
completed the first two years of medical school and is currently in
her first year of graduate studies in Microbiology and Immunology.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
TIAA-CREF SPONSORS WORKSHOP ON RETIREMENT PLANNING
Learn the advantages
of pre-tax contributions and tax-deferred growth. Take advantage of
dollar-cost averaging through your employer-sponsored 403(b) plan. Learn
how high fees can adversely affect long-term growth. And learn how to
further lower your current taxable income and save more for your retirement
future through the many tax-deferred plans now available. This workshop
will take place on May 17, 1 to 2 p.m. and 3 to 4 p.m., Dominion Parking
Garage, Suite 155. For more information, call 305-243-3090 or visit
http://www.miami.edu/development-training.
BASCOM PALMER EYE INSITITUTE
PRESENTS OCULOPLASTICS UPDATE
The Oculoplastics
Update course will take place on May 19, 7:30 a.m. to noon, at Bascom
Palmer's Retter Auditorium. The course will count towards four hours
of Category 1 Continuing Medical Education credits, and four hours of
nursing CEUs. There is no fee for UM and Bascom Palmer employees. For
more information, visit http://www.bpei.med.miami.edu.
ENHANCE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
WITH SKILLS LEARNED AT DEVELOPMENT CLASS
"Frontline Skills
for Service Excellence" provides an opportunity for employees to practice
telephone and face-to-face greetings, communication styles, attentive
and participative listening skills, and more. This session is designed
for employees who have primary responsibility for service excellence
in the workplace, and will take place May 25, 9 a.m. to noon, in the
Dominion Tower Parking Garage, Suite 155. For more information or to
register, call 305-243-3090 or visit http://www.miami.edu/development-training.
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION
PRESENTS SEMINAR ON CARDIOVASCULAR TREATMENTS
The Division of
Continuing Medical Education and the American Heart Association's Council
on Clinical Cardiology present "Master Approach to Cardiovascular Problems,"
May 26 - 28, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Walt Disney World Contemporary
Resort Hotel. Robert Myerburg, M.D., professor and director of the Division
of Cardiology, and Agustin Castellanos, M.D., professor in the Division
of Cardiology, are the program directors. For more information, call
305-585-5537.
JOIN UM CREW TEAM FOR FITNESS
AND FUN AT ROWING CAMP THIS SUMMER
Looking for a summer
activity that's a challenge and a workout? How about the Adult Learn
to Row Camp, offered by the University of Miami rowing staff. The camp
runs for three weeks and will teach you rowing basics, as well as offer
you the chance to become part of a team, work out in a beautiful setting,
and improve your fitness level. Two sessions are offered, the first
running June 11 - 29, and the second July 9 - 27, at the Shane Watersports
Center, 6500 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach. Classes will be held Monday
through Thursday in the morning or evening, and each camp will end with
a celebratory day of races and a potluck dinner. Classes will include
beginner/novice, intermediate, and advanced levels, so don't worry if
you're new to the sport! Each camp costs $200, but UM employees receive
a 20 percent discount. Call 305-861-1295 or e-mail joconnor@miami.edu
to register.
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