Physicians at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University worked closely with three top scholars from a state university earlier this summer, providing the students with experiences ranging from anesthesiology to robotic surgery.

Sophie Austin, Pooja Sarin and Stuart Bumgarner, Park Scholars at N.C. State University, participated in a multi-week internship this summer involving the Park Scholarship program and the pediatrics and cardiovascular sciences departments at ECU.

Sarin, 21, a rising senior, is the daughter of Sanjiv and Ratna Sarin of Greensboro. Majoring in biomedical engineering, she is a graduate of Western Guilford High School. Bumgarner, 20, a rising junior, is majoring in zoology. Both interned with the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at ECU. There, they practiced working with the robotic da Vinci Surgical System, viewed heart surgeries in the operating room and compiled videos of robot-assisted heart surgeries.

I would say definitely the highlight for me was seeing the mitral valve repair, Sarin said. Ive loved watching the da Vinci, coming from an engineering background.

But the most interesting part has been watching Dr. (W. Randolph) Chitwood interact with patients, she said. Hes so good with patients, and they love him. We always leave laughing.

He tries to bring humor into it, Bumgarner said of Chitwood, a professor and director of the East Carolina Heart Institute. It makes them more comfortable with him and trust him more.

Both said the experience has been worthwhile.

Weve not only gotten to learn a lot about the surgical side, Bumgarner said. Weve gotten to learn about the other fields of medicine such as cardiology and anesthesiology.

Its been pretty eye-opening, Sarin said. Their internship ended Friday.

Austin, 19, is a rising junior at N.C. State. The daughter of Lisa Austin of Eden, she is majoring in biology and plans to enter medical school after graduation. From late May until June 22, she shadowed ECU pediatric faculty members, residents and medical students.

Originally posted here:
ECU Notes: Scholars explore medicine

HUNTINGTON -- A new scholarship program has been created for first-year students entering the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. Named in honor of James "Jim" J. Schneider, who retired from the medical school in June, the recipient of the scholarship will be chosen by the school's scholarship committee in conjunction with the Marshall University Financial Aid office.

Schneider served the School of Medicine and University Physicians and Surgeons Inc. for 21 years, finishing his career as the senior associate dean for finance and administration and executive director, respectively.

"Jim was a steady and effective leader during the School of Medicine's expansion to the Marshall University Medical Center in the 1990s," said Linda Holmes, director of development and alumni affairs with the School of Medicine. "He also guided several other multimillion dollar School of Medicine building projects. The formation of this scholarship is quite fitting because of Jim's commitment to our students for so many years."

Gifts may be given to the Schneider scholarship by calling 304-691-1711 or sending an email to holmes@marshall.edu.

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New scholarship created for first-year students at Marshall School of Medicine

In an effort to raise money for high school sports, the Chocolate Festival and Paradise High School are teaming up for an alumni football game. PHS alumni will battle public safety officials in what has been dubbed as "Pig-a-Palooza on the Ridge."

The event will not only feature the flag football alumni game, but other fun-for-the-whole-family activities as well. The event kicks off at 8 a.m. with a pigs and pancakes breakfast hosted by the Comeback Diner.

The "Pig Pen" is an arts and crafts fair held on the softball field that will feature student organizations and groups and other vendors hawking their wares. Chocolate Festival Executive Director Debbie LaPlant-Moseley said Chocolate Fest 2012 was the first time that PHS students really got involved in the festival. She said she wanted to make sure the students were involved this year as well. All the money raised from each student-run booth will go into the respective organization the student is representing.

There will also be a "Pig-a-Palooza on Wheels" show and shine at the middle field featuring "anything on wheels," from classic cars to roller skates. The Pig-a-Palooza event was born of Sacramento's annual Pig Bowl, which has been ongoing for about 30 years, LaPlant Moseley said. She said former Paradise Town Councilwoman Frankie Rutledge has wanted to hold a similar event in Paradise for a while.

"We thought 'This is the time,'" LaPlant-Moseley said. "We wanted it to be so much more than a football

She noted that the term "polooza" is loosely defined as "celebration." Half-time activities include a golf-ball drop and a kiss the pig contest. The day will close with a barbecue and boot stomp.

The state's K-12 public schools have been cut by more than $18 billion over the last three years, roughly $3,051 per student, according to the event press release. Class sizes are increasing; music, art and sports programs are being eliminated, and computer labs, libraries and schools are being shut down.

The funds raised from the event will benefit local youth organizations and the infrastructure of the Chocolate Festival, LaPlant-Moseley said. Agencies expected to take park in the event are Paradise Police, Paradise Fire, Butte County Sheriff's Office, Chico Police, Butte County Search and Rescue, Emergency Medical Technicians, and possibly some SWAT team members and military personnel.

With so many public safety personnel involved, the logic in calling the event "Pig-a-Palooza" could be questioned. But LaPlant-Moseley said it is not derogatory at all.

"It stands for pride, integrity and guts," she said. "I think you have to have a sense of humor to work in public safety."

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Football game pits public safety against PHS alumni

Dolores Mary (Kellerman) Heydinger, age 70, passed away on July 7, 2012, in the University of Toledo Medical Center from complications after a routine procedure. She was surrounded by her husband and sons.

Dolores was born in Sandusky on August 31, 1941, and was a lifelong resident of the area. She attended Holy Angels grammar school and graduated from St. Mary High school in 1959 where she played the school operettas during her career.

She graduated from Mary Manse College in Toledo with her teaching degree in 1964. She then taught first grade and kindergarten in the Sandusky City Schools for 22 years, from 1964 until her retirement in 2002, with time out for raising her own family. She also worked for Kiddie Korral during her child rearing years. Children always came first in her life, as she was born to teach.

In her later years, despite her many health challenges, she remained an avid traveler, always keeping a bag packed for spur of the moment trips. She claimed 48 states and most of the Provinces, and had visited Europe and Alaska several times and Africa once.

She was active for many years in various church and school ministries, serving on the St. Peter and Paul School Board, until health issues forced her to gradually withdraw. She also enjoyed the outdoors, family gatherings, and the special apple of her eye, her only granddaughter, Taliesin.

Dolores is survived by her husband of 46 years, Michael; sons Scott of Lexington Ky., Marcus of Sandusky, and Charles (Vicki) of Savannah Ga.; granddaughter Tali; brother, Marcus (Carol) Kellerman of Santa Fe N.M.; aunt, Annie Parker of Put-in-Bay; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Marcus and Mary (Parker) Kellerman; infant son, Joseph Marcus; brother-in-law, Lauren Joseph Heydinger; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Visitation will be held 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at the David F. Koch Funeral Home, 520 Columbus Ave., Sandusky, where a Rosary will be recited at 8 p.m. Prayers will be recited at the funeral home at 9:40 a.m. Friday, July 13, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. at St. Peter and Paul Church, 510 Columbus Ave., Sandusky, Rev. Franklin Peter Kehres officiating. Burial will take place immediately following at Calvary Cemetery, with a luncheon to follow in the parish Gathering Space.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Scholarship Fund of the Huron High School Alumni Association, Box 112, Huron, OH 44839, or St. Peter and Paul Church, 510 Columbus Ave., Sandusky, OH 44870, or to ones favorite charity.

Your memories and words of comfort may be expressed to Doloress family at davidfkoch.com.

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Dolores Mary (Kellerman) Heydinger, Aug. 31, 1941-July 7, 2012

The Irish Times - Wednesday, July 11, 2012

RAHUL BEDI in New Delhi

THE FEMALE warden of a hostel of a girls school in Indias eastern Bengal state, who allegedly forced a 10-year old girl to drink her own urine as punishment for bed-wetting, was granted bail yesterday by a district judge.

In a case that has outraged the country, Punita Mistris parents claimed that Uma Poddar, warden of Patha Bhavan school in Shantiniketan, 212km from the state capital Kolkata, had squeezed urine into their daughters mouth from the sheet she had wet while sleeping.

In their complaint to the local police at the weekend, Punitas parents said Ms Poddar had admitted to making their daughter drink her own urine as treatment to stop the bad habit of bed-wetting.

Ms Poddar has declined to make any public comment while the girl is undergoing medical and psychiatric treatment as she was taken ill after ingesting the urine.

The incident took place on Saturday night when Punita wet her bed because she was unwell. Her parents only found out about it when the mother called the warden to inquire after their daughters health and thereafter rushed to the school.

However, in a bizarre twist, the girls parents were arrested by the police on a complaint filed by Ms Poddar for entering the hostel without permission and taking their daughter away.

However they have been granted unconditional bail by a local court which severely reprimanded the police for arresting them.

The Patha Bhavan school attended by middle-class children from surrounding towns in Bengal is run by Viswa Bharati University which was established by Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913.

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School warden accused of forcing child to drink her own urine

Public release date: 9-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Ron Najman ron.najman@downstate.edu 718-270-2696 SUNY Downstate Medical Center

SUNY Downstate Medical Center has received an award to enhance patient care in the field of neurology. Steven R. Levine, MD, professor of neurology and emergency medicine and vice chair of neurology, is scientific principal investigator on a $500,000 award from the federally funded Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to develop mobile phone applications for stroke patients and their caregivers.

Investigators from SUNY Downstate's College of Medicine and School of Public Health are participating in this study, which is being developed in conjunction with the National Stroke Association and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. The grant team will survey stroke survivors and their caregivers to investigate the interest in and preference for smartphone apps that facilitate improved identification and management of risk factors and healthcare needs.

"Despite the saying, 'There's an app for that,' progress has been limited in providing successful mobile technology to help patients manage cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and other illnesses," said Dr. Levine. "Nevertheless, there is enormous potential for patients and their caregivers to improve health outcomes through this technology, including among the elderly, minorities, and those of limited financial means, who are often most in need of better care. We are looking to develop a model program that will address stroke risk and disease management that will be applicable to other conditions as well."

The two-year award is part of PCORI's Pilot Projects Program. The funding for SUNY Downstate has been approved pending completion of a business review and a formal award agreement with PCORI, which is an independent, nonprofit organization whose establishment was authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions.

Investigators include Dee Burton, PhD, associate professor and chair of community health sciences, School of Public Health; Abhishek Pandey, MD, clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine and sleep researcher with the Brooklyn Health Disparities Center (BHDC); Clotilde Balucani, MD, research fellow in the Department of Neurology; Ruth Browne, ScD, MPH, CEO of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (AAIUH) and co-director, BHDC; and Marilyn Fraser-White, MD, associate director of research and training, AAIUH, and director of community engagement, BHDC.

As previously announced, Dr. Levine is also principal investigator on Downstate's NIH-funded clinical trial network involving the four SUNY medical center campuses. Among the aims of the Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT) is the recruitment of a diverse patient population for neurology clinical trials and to train underrepresented minority investigators. This grant is also part of SUNY REACH, a collaborative effort involving the four SUNY academic medical centers and the SUNY College of Optometry.

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SUNY Downstate Medical Center, founded in 1860, was the first medical school in the United States to bring teaching out of the lecture hall and to the patient's bedside. A center of innovation and excellence in research and clinical service delivery, SUNY Downstate Medical Center comprises a College of Medicine, Colleges of Nursing and Health Related Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, University Hospital of Brooklyn, and an Advanced Biotechnology Park and Biotechnology Incubator.

See the original post here:
SUNY Downstate receives award to develop mobile phone apps for stroke patients and their caregivers

Newswise SUNY Downstate Medical Center has received an award to develop mobile phone applications for stroke patients and their caregivers. Steven R. Levine, MD, professor of neurology and emergency medicine and vice chair of neurology at SUNY Downstate, is scientific principal investigator on the $500,000 award, which is from the federally funded Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

Investigators from Downstates College of Medicine and School of Public Health are participating in this study, which is being developed in conjunction with the National Stroke Association and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. The grant team will survey stroke survivors and their caregivers to investigate the interest in and preference for smartphone apps that facilitate improved identification and management of risk factors and healthcare needs.

Despite the saying, Theres an app for that, progress has been limited in providing successful mobile technology to help patients manage cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and other illnesses, said Dr. Levine. Nevertheless, there is enormous potential for patients and their caregivers to improve health outcomes through this technology, including among the elderly, minorities, and those of limited financial means, who are often most in need of better care. We are looking to develop a model program that will address stroke risk and disease management that will be applicable to other conditions as well.

The two-year award is part of PCORIs Pilot Projects Program. The funding for SUNY Downstate has been approved pending completion of a business review and a formal award agreement with PCORI, which is an independent, nonprofit organization whose establishment was authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions.

Investigators include Dee Burton, PhD, associate professor and chair of community health sciences, School of Public Health; Abhishek Pandey, MD, clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine and sleep researcher with the Brooklyn Health Disparities Center (BHDC); Clotilde Balucani, MD, research fellow in the Department of Neurology; Ruth Browne, ScD, MPH, CEO of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (AAIUH) and co-director, BHDC; and Marilyn Fraser-White, MD, associate director of research and training, AAIUH, and director of community engagement, BHDC.

Dr. Levine is also principal investigator on Downstates NIH-funded clinical trial network involving the four SUNY medical center campuses. Among the aims of the Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT) is the recruitment of a diverse patient population for neurology clinical trials and to train underrepresented minority investigators. This grant is also part of SUNY REACH, a collaborative effort involving the four SUNY academic medical centers and the SUNY College of Optometry.

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SUNY Downstate Medical Center, founded in 1860, was the first medical school in the United States to bring teaching out of the lecture hall and to the patients bedside. A center of innovation and excellence in research and clinical service delivery, SUNY Downstate Medical Center comprises a College of Medicine, Colleges of Nursing and Health Related Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, University Hospital of Brooklyn, and an Advanced Biotechnology Park and Biotechnology Incubator.

SUNY Downstate ranks eighth nationally in the number of alumni who are on the faculty of American medical schools. More physicians practicing in New York City have graduated from SUNY Downstate than from any other medical school.

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See original here:
Award to Develop Mobile Phone Apps for Stroke Patients

VATICAN CITY Dozens of women who attended a high school run by the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order have urged the Vatican to close the program, saying the psychological abuse they endured trying to live like teenage nuns led to multiple cases of anorexia, stress-induced migraines, depression and even suicidal thoughts.

The women sent a letter this weekend to the pope's envoy running the Legion to denounce the manipulation, deception and disrespect they say they suffered at the hands of counselors barely older than themselves trauma which for some required years of psychological therapy that cost them tens of thousands of dollars.

A copy of the letter was provided to The Associated Press by the letter's 77 signatories, a dozen of whom agreed to be interviewed about their personal problems for the sake of warning parents against sending their children to the program, which exists in the United States, Mexico and Spain.

"I have many defining and traumatic memories that I believe epitomize the systematic breakdown of the person" in the school, Mary told The Associated Press in an email exchange. She developed anorexia after joining in 1998, weighed less than 85 pounds when she left and dropped to 68 pounds before beginning to recover at home. "The feelings of worthlessness, shame and isolation that are associated with those memories are still vivid and shocking."

Mary, who asked that her last name not be used, blamed her eating disorder on acute loneliness girls were prevented from making close friends or confiding in their families and the tremendous pressure she felt as a 16-year-old to perfectly obey the strictest rules dictating how she should walk, sit, pray and eat.

It's the latest blow to the troubled, cult-like Legion, which was discredited in 2009 when it revealed that its founder was a pedophile and drug addict who fathered three children. The Legion suffered subsequent credibility problems following its recent admission that its most famous priest had fathered a child and the current Legion superior covered it up for years.

The Legion saga is all the more grave because its late founder, the Rev. Marcial Maciel, had been held up as a living saint by his followers and a model of holiness by Pope John Paul II because of his ability to recruit men and money to the priesthood, even though the Vatican knew for decades that he had sexually abused his seminarians.

Pope Benedict XVI took over the Mexico-based order in 2010 and appointed envoy Cardinal Velasio De Paolis to oversee a whole-scale reform of the Legion and its lay branch Regnum Christi. But the reform hasn't progressed smoothly, with defections from disillusioned members and criticism that some superiors remain locked in their old ways.

The all-girl Immaculate Conception Academy, located in Wakefield, Rhode Island opened two decades ago to serve as a feeder program for the Legion's female consecrated branch, where more than 700 women around the world live like nuns making promises of poverty, chastity and obedience, teaching in Legion-run schools and running youth programs.

Because of dwindling enrollment 14 seniors graduated last month the school recently merged with a Legion-run school in Michigan; in Mexico two programs merged into one that produced 10 graduates this year.

The rest is here:
AP Exclusive: Vatican urged to close Legion school where teens suffered anorexia, depression