Miller School Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in celebrating National Women’s Health Week at a special women’s health forum at University of Miami Hospital. Dean Goldschmidt delivered opening remarks at the Saturday event and urged women to take specific steps to improve heart health.

National Women’s Health Week, observed May 11 to 17 this year, is a federal initiative focusing on educating women about their health. The free event at UM Hospital gave attendees access to University of Miami Health System physicians such as Leo B. Twiggs, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Judy Woolger, M.D., assistant professor of medicine; Leslie Baumann, M.D., professor of clinical dermatology and cutaneous surgery; and Wendy W. Lee, M.D., M.S., assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology.

The Miller School physicians led interactive informational sessions on nine topics including cancer prevention and early detection, managing menopause, preparing for pregnancy, dermatology, and aesthetic and bariatric surgery. Participants also had the opportunity to test-drive the da Vinci Surgical Systems robot and learn more about the latest technologies in minimally invasive surgery.

“We wanted to educate women on issues that affect their health and we wanted physicians to deliver information in an interactive manner,” said Nahida Chakhtoura, M.D., assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology and organizer of the event.

As chief of gynecology and women’s health services at UM Hospital, Chakhtoura also wanted to give women a chance to visit the hospital and learn more about the wide array of services available within the University of Miami Health System, also known as UHealth. With more than 800 doctors, UHealth boasts experts in all fields including dozens of specialists in women’s health.

“Although we offered some gynecology services here before UM took over, for the first time this hospital offers comprehensive services for women including gynecology, reproductive health services, an infertility clinic, and access to state-of-the-art operating rooms,” said Chakhtoura.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology plans to make the event an annual one. For more information about the Department, visit www.ob-gyn.med.miami.edu.

As the guest speaker at last Thursday’s Career Day at Allapattah Middle School, Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., encouraged the 650 students to “follow their dreams” and called the student body the future of the city of Miami. “Together we can make the city of Miami the best city and Allapattah Middle School the best school in the world,” he said among cheers and applause from the packed auditorium. He congratulated the children for their success in the recent FCAT writing test. “You should be proud of what you have done and we plan to be right there helping you achieve,” he told the students.

Please note that the University will be closed on Monday, May 26, for Memorial Day. Due to the long weekend, the deadline for the May 27 issue of e-Update is tomorrow (Wednesday) by 5 p.m. Any requests received after 5 p.m. tomorrow will not be included in e-Update on May 27.

The Papanicolaou Corps for Cancer Research announced its largest gift of $4.15 million to fund cancer research at UM/Sylvester, surpassing last year’s donation by $1 million. “We are so pleased to be able to present this gift to UM/Sylvester, especially given the current economy,” said Barbara Pessel, president of the Pap Corps, an all-volunteer fundraising group.

The leadership of the Pap Corps presented a check to UM/Sylvester Director W. Jarrard Goodwin, M.D., F.A.C.S., and Board of Governors Chair Joan Scheiner during the May 12th luncheon also attended by Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School.

The second training session, “Communicating the Compensation Plan for Employees—Module Two,” for all Miller School employees is now available. The Professional Development and Training Office has developed this training tool to make sure Miller School employees understand the compensation structure and next steps.

More than 150 women attended the recent Girls’ Lunch Bunch sponsored by the Forum on Women’s Health at the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale. Proceeds from the event exceeded $67,000 and will benefit cervical cancer research and treatment at the Miller School.

Guest speaker Joshua M. Hare, M.D., chief of the Cardiovascular Division and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, presented, “How to Mend a Broken Heart.” Dr. Hare, one of the world’s leading pioneers in the use of adult stem cell therapy to repair damaged hearts, is also the principal investigator in a study where stem cells are used to treat patients with congestive heart failure. The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health Specialized Center for Cell-Based Therapy.

Also speaking at the program was Patty Kearns, the founder of the Forum on Women’s Health, and event chairwomen Elizabeth Miller, Eliza Egan Smith and Tricia Rutsis.

The Forum on Women's Health is dedicated to enhancing the health and well being of all women, their families and those in the community through collaboration with the UM Miller School. The Forum provides information specific to women's medical concerns and access to Miller School physician/scientists to its members, and provides financial support for the medically underserved in South Florida.

Pictured above: Emilie Shaw, Patty Kearns and Joshua M. Hare, M.D., F.A.C.C., chief of the Cardiovascular Division and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute.

Thomas J. Balkany, M.D., Hotchkiss Professor and chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology, is serving as the medical director of The Barton G. Kids Hear Now Foundation, a new nonprofit dedicated to helping hearing-impaired children and their families find pathways to sound and speech.

In honor of National Women’s Health Week, the Miller School, in partnership with the Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade County, is releasing the Women’s Health Data Report, a comprehensive look at health statistics on women in Miami-Dade County at http://womenshealth.med.miami.edu/documents/WH_DATA_REPORT.pdf.

The report is a compilation of findings from several sources, including new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
 
“We are hopeful this report will be used to educate and inform the decisions of researchers, community service providers, and policymakers and encourage new efforts to effectively target areas of concern for the improvement of women’s health in Miami-Dade,” said Thomas M. Hooton, M.D., director of the Institute for Women’s Health at the Miller School.
 
Major findings published in the report include a 6.5 percent incidence of diabetes among women in Miami-Dade County, which is far above the 2.5 percent Healthy People 2010 target established by the CDC. Non-Hispanic black women and Hispanic women are furthest from the target with 8.9 and 7.1 percent diagnosed with diabetes respectively.
 
Other areas of the report provide death rates for cervical and colorectal cancer, and statistics on HIV rates, mental and emotional health, and access to health care coverage. In many cases, the data shows that Miami-Dade County falls short of national and state benchmarks for women’s health. 
 
If you would like to receive a weekly e-alert of selected announcements and funding opportunities, please join the UM Institute for Women’s Health informational e-mail distribution list by contacting Patti Stauffer at pstauffer@med.miami.edu.

Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D. and Richard Bookman, Ph.D., executive dean for research and research training and vice provost for research, are pleased to announce the Interdisciplinary Research Development Initiative (IRDI), a new internal award program to develop interdisciplinary research at the Miller School.

The objective of the program is to provide resources that will stimulate interdisciplinary research and secure external research funds, create a partnership among faculty in different disciplines, and encourage new research and scholarly projects. Awards will be made based on scholarly and intellectual merit as well as scope and potential impact. The IRDI will provide funding on a competitive basis. All submissions must represent collaborative projects and include at least two faculty members from different disciplines.

Department of security message: The FBI warns consumers of recently reported spam e-mail which claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service, but is actually an attempt to steal consumer information. The e-mail advises the recipient that direct deposit is the fastest and easiest way to receive their economic stimulus tax rebate. The message contains a hyperlink to a fraudulent form which requests the recipient's personally identifiable information and bank account number. 

Consumers are advised that the IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications via e-mail. In addition, the IRS does not request detailed personal information via e-mail or ask taxpayers for PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

Please be cautious of unsolicited e-mails. Do not open e-mails from unknown senders because they often contain viruses or other malicious software. Also, avoid clicking links in e-mails received from unknown senders as this is a popular method of directing victims to phishing Web sites.

If you have received an e-mail similar to this, please notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center by filing a complaint at www.ic3.gov.

Cyclone Nargis has left 100,000 dead, disabled and starving, and one million homeless in Burma. Aid is barely trickling into one of the world’s most isolated and impoverished countries. UHealth, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the International Medicine Institute have compiled a list of organizations collecting much needed funds to assist our global neighbors. Please contact the agency of your choice to partner in this effort to bring relief to Burma.

American Red Cross
www.redcross.org
305-644-1200

UM Humana members can receive vision care discounts through EyeMed on eye exams, frames, lenses and contact lenses. To find an EyeMed provider location online, visit http://www.eyemedvisioncare.com/memweb/ProviderLocator?ClientId=HMNAAC or call EyeMed at 1-866-392-6056. 

Members must present their Humana member ID card to the EyeMed provider at the time of service. You can also register with Humana at www.myhumana.com  to take advantage of the “savings center,” where you can print an individualized EyeMed discount card.

• University Compliance (anonymous hotline): 866-YOURCALL
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Any University of Miami employee reporting or deciding whether to report activity that may be in violation of a law, rule, or regulation is protected against retaliation by the Whistleblower Protection Statement. For more information, visit the Office of Compliance site.

• Please note that submissions are due no later than 5 p.m. Thursday for publication on Tuesday.
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Please join us today (Tuesday) at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium for a seminar by David Helfman, Ph.D., professor of cell biology and anatomy. Dr. Helfman will present “The Cytoskeleton in Physiological and Oncogenic Signaling.”

For further information, call 305-243-6691 or e-mail Nilcer Aviles at naviles@med.miami.edu.

Are you enrolled in the HMO2 plan but unsure of how it works? Attend an HMO2 lunch-and-learn session today (Tuesday) from noon to 1 p.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. The session will describe covered expenses, such as office visits and UMatter preventive care, and how to track your medical expenses online at www.myhumana.com. Flexible spending accounts will also be discussed.

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology will present a seminar by Derek Dykxhoorn, Ph.D., instructor at the Immune Disease Institute and Department of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Dykxhoorn will present "From Genomics to Therapeutics: Harnessing RNA Interference to Silence HIV" tomorrow (Wednesday) from noon to 1 p.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, room 3109.

Sean Rinehart, director of the Office of Research Information Management, will present a question-and-answer session titled "Update on Velos eResearch Deployment and Functionality" tomorrow (Wednesday) from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. Last year, UM acquired the Velos eResearch clinical research management system as a central resource for clinical research studies. This deployment is part of three major initiatives by the Office of Research to improve the Miller School's ability to initiate and manage clinical research efforts and simplify as many of the supporting processes as possible. This session will give an update on Velos deployment status and rollout, process transformation and an overview of functionality with a brief demonstration. The project team will also be available to answer questions. This is a great opportunity for investigators and study coordinators to learn more about Velos.

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences will host a free screening of “Struggling in Silence: Physician Depression and Suicide,” a one-hour documentary that conveys the impact of physician suicide on families, patients and communities through the stories of two physicians lost to suicide.

Sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, this documentary is part of an ongoing national outreach campaign that seeks to explore the professional policies and the culture of stigma that prevent physicians from seeking help for common and treatable mood disorders. The campaign will also educate the community about mood disorders and medical safety.

The Institute for Women’s Health Multidisciplinary Grand Rounds will be given by Lora E. Fleming, M.D., Ph.D. , M.P.H., M.Sc., professor of epidemiology and public health, this Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, third-floor auditorium. Dr. Fleming will be presenting “The Health and Health Behavior of U.S. Women Workers: The National Health Interview Survey.” 

A light lunch will be served. To RSVP, please call 305-243-2576 and give your name, profession and any other information required for continuing education credits, or e-mail your information to mcorrales2@med.miami.edu.

The Department of Orthopaedics will present a lecture by Seth K. Williams, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedics, this Thursday from 7 to 8 a.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. Dr. Williams' lecture is titled "Cartilage Transplantation."

For more information on this lecture, contact Ledi Figueroa at lfigueroa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-6725.

Please join us for Surgical Grand Rounds this Thursday from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium. Louis Pizano, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, will present “Medical Preparedness for the President of the United States.” Upon completion of this lecture, participants will have a better understanding of the current medical process that provides care to the president of the United States.

For more information, please contact Elisa Arguelles at 305-585-1280 or earguelles@med.miami.edu.

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology will present a dissertation seminar by Jennifer Zayas this Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, room 3109. The seminar is titled "Regulation of HSC Self-Renewal and Differentiation by Pumilio Proteins."

Additionally, the dissertation defense will take place at 10 a.m. in the William L. McKnight Vision Research Center, seventh-floor conference room.

For more information, please contact Karen Del Rio at 305-243-5682 or kdelrio@med.miami.edu.

David M. Andrews, M.D., assistant professor of clinical pathology at the Miller School, will present the Department of Pathology Grand Rounds lecture this Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. at Holtz Children's Hospital, room 2034. The lecture is titled "Malady Mapping--An Integrative Approach to Improve Clinical Value of Genetic Testing." 

For further information, contact Winnie Tang at 305-585-7017 or wtang@med.miami.edu.

The Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology's Jose Pinto, Ph.D., post-doctoral associate, will present a seminar titled "Troponin in Health and Disease." The seminar will take place this Thursday at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, room 6018.

For additional information, please contact Nivia Machin-Gonzalez at 305-243-1078.

Please join us this Thursday for Medicine Grand Rounds from noon to 1 p.m. at University of Miami Hospital, seminar center. Susanne Doblecki Lewis, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine, will present "The Hospitalized Patient with Community Acquired Pneumonia: Bugs, Drugs and Core Measures."         

For more information, please contact Dora Maya at 305-243-1952 or dmaya@med.miami.edu.

The Cardiovascular Disease Forum Journal Club will meet this Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium to discuss results of the ASTEROID trial. The trial will be presented by Jacqueline Dawson, M.D., first-year internal medicine resident. Moderators will include Alexandre C. Ferreira, M.D., F.A.C.C., associate professor of medicine; Ronald B. Goldberg, M.D., professor of medicine and associate director for the Diabetes Research Institute; and Sheri Keitz, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean for faculty diversity and development.

Everyone is welcome to join us for this exciting discussion. For more information, please visit www.cdfmiami.com or e-mail Erik Bernstein ebernstein@med.miami.edu.

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences invites you to Psychiatry Grand Rounds, "Dementia and Cognitive Enhancement: Ethical Challenges for an Aging Society," with Karin Esposito, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of clinical psychiatry. The event will take place this Friday from noon to 1 p.m. at the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. 

At the end of the lecture, participants will be able to give examples of medications that are being used for cognitive enhancement; identify ethical challenges and issues in clinical practice and public policy related to the use of cognitive enhancing drugs; and discuss the role of healthcare providers in facing ethical challenges related to cognitive enhancement.

The lecture is approved for one continuing medical education credit, continuing education unit or contact hour. For additional information, please contact Carmen Bou-Crick at cbou@med.miami.edu or visit http://cme.med.miami.edu.

UM/Sylvester will host Allen S. Lichter, M.D., chief executive officer at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, for its next Distinguished Lecture Series.

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology will host James Palis, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, for a seminar titled “Ontogeny of Hematopoiesis: Child Labor in the Mammalian Embryo.” The seminar will take place this Friday at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, room 3109.

For more information, please contact Karen Del Rio at 305-243-5682 or kdelrio@med.miami.edu.

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will host Feng Zheng, M.D., assistant professor of geriatrics and adult development at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Zheng will be presenting "Kidney Aging: Stresses All The Way”  this Friday at noon in the R. Bunn Gautier Building, room 118.

If you would like to meet with the speaker, please contact Dr. Terace Fletcher at tfletcher@med.miami.edu

The Department of Rehabilitation Medicine will host Grand Rounds on Wednesday, May 28, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the Lois Pope LIFE Center, seventh-floor auditorium. Robert Gailey, Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy, will present "Update on Military Amputation and Prosthetic Rehabilitation."

For further details, please contact Coretha Davis at 305-585-1431. The department offers one continuing medical education credit for attendance.

The Developmental Center for AIDS Research (D-CFAR) and the Miami-Dade County Health Department, Office of HIV/AIDS present Steven Safren, Ph.D., director of behavioral medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, for a lecture on Thursday, May 29. The event will take place at The Rusty Pelican, 3201 Rickenbacker Causeway on Key Biscayne from noon to 2 p.m. 

This event is free and lunch will be served. Seating is limited, please RSVP by calling 305-243-6430 or e-mailing Tkuper@med.miami.edu before this Friday, May 23.

The Department of Orthopaedics will host Daniel Chan, M.D., fourth-year resident, to present Grand Rounds on Thursday, May 29, from 7 to 8 a.m. in the Mailman Center for Child Development, eighth-floor auditorium. Dr. Chan's lecture is titled "Supracondylar Humerus Fractures in Children--The Miami Children's Hospital Experience."

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology invites you to the Fifth Annual Resident Research Day, where the department will share the important work being conducted by residents in the field of women's health. Your support is invaluable, so please join us on Thursday, May 29, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Michael S. Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education’s Broad-Bussel Auditorium, located on the first floor of the Clinical Research Building. Lunch will follow.

Please join us for Surgical Grand Rounds on Thursday, May 29, from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fourth-floor auditorium. James Symes, M.D., professor of surgery and chief of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the Miami VA Healthcare System, will present “Quality Improvement in Cardiac Surgery.” Upon completion of this lecture, participants will understand the evolution of quality improvement as it is applied to cardiac surgery.

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences will host their annual research poster session and reception on Thursday, May 29, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Medical Wellness Center, room B. Attendees will have the opportunity to review presenters’ research while enjoying a catered reception.

The Department of Pathology will hold Grand Rounds on Thursday, May 29, from noon to 1 p.m. at Holtz Children's Hospital, room 2034. Rita L. Romaguera, M.D., assistant professor of clinical pathology at the Miller School, will present a seminar titled "Telepathology, an Overview."

For further information, call 305-585-7017 or e-mail Winnie Tang at wtang@med.miami.edu.

Please join us on Friday, May 30, at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fifth-floor auditorium for Medical Education Grand Rounds. The guest speaker will be Kenneth Ludmerer, M.D.,  professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Ludmerer is best known for his work in medical education and health care policy. He will present "The Coming of the Second Revolution in Medical Education."

Lunch will be served. For more information, please contact Tanyika Stephenson at 305-243-7482.

The 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1 and now is the time to start preparing. The American Red Cross and Miami-Dade County have joined forces to help you and your family get ready by holding “Storm Prep Expo 2008: Once You’re Ready, Don’t Worry!” The free event will be held on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, June 1, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive, Hall C. There will be guest speakers, information on government services and fun activities for the whole family. For more information, call the Miami-Dade County Answer Center at 3-1-1.

The Department of Pathology will hold Grand Rounds on Thursday, June 5, from noon to 1 p.m. at Holtz Children's Hospital, room 2034. Merce Jorda, M.D., associate professor of clinical pathology, will present a seminar titled "Renal Cell Carcinoma: An Update."

For further information, call 305-585-7017 or e-mail Winnie Tang at wtang@med.miami.edu.

The Departments of Family Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology are pleased to present Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) on June 11 and 12. The program is designed to enhance the cognitive and procedural skills of health care professionals while managing obstetrical emergencies. It will also provide a structured, evidence-based approach to the most common obstetric emergencies using an adult-learning model. 
 
This activity is approved for up to 26.75 continuing medical education credits. The course will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Highland Professional Building, suite 470. Space is limited. Please register early by contacting Linda Whitehead at 305-243-2882 or LWhitehead@med.miami.edu. Registration fees are $500 for physicians and $400 for nurses, students and residents. Breakfast and lunch are included.

One of the best strategies for retaining employees is ensuring we place the right candidate in the best job for them. Behavioral interviewing is a research‐based method of choosing the best candidate by using behavioral questioning techniques to determine ability based on past performance, a proven predictor of future performance.

This class is a core requirement for all hiring managers.

The session will take place on Thursday, June 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Dominion Parking Garage, suite 155. You must complete the corresponding online computer-based learning module prior to enrolling in the course. To complete the module and register, visit http://ulearn.miami.edu. For more information, call 305‐243‐3090.

Do you experience food cravings?
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is conducting a pilot study of food craving in women using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The study involves modifying your diet for two separate days and participating in two functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. You may be compensated up to $250 for participating in this study. If you are interested, please call Joao Busnello at 305-243-4712 or Servando Gonzalez at 305-243-7086.

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