Faculty Connections: School of Medicine Report
Faculty News Archives
HQA Enhances Information (07.02.07)
The Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) announced June 21 that enhanced hospital quality information has been added to the Hospital Compare website. The public can now use the site to see how a hospital's performance ranks against national mortality rates for heart attack and heart failure, and view more comprehensive information about steps a hospital has taken to prevent surgical infections and pneumonia. The AAMC is part of the HQA, a voluntary private-public initiative that collects and reports data on a robust set of standardized and easy-to-understand hospital quality measures.
Court Ruling Favors School in Catalona Case (07.02.07)
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court ruling that tissue and blood samples donated by patients to Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for prostate cancer research belong to the institution and cannot be reclaimed by the donors. In the first ruling to date by a federal appeals court on research participants' ownership rights in their tissue samples, the three-judge panel said the donors voluntarily made an irrevocable gift to Washington University when they donated their biological samples and, therefore, the specimens belong to the school. The original case, Washington University v. William J. Catalona, centered on whether tissue donors can reclaim or redirect the use of samples donated to a research institution to another institution or specific researcher.
Visit from the Executive Secretary of the AOA (07.02.07)
The executive secretary of the honor medical society Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), Edward Harris, Jr., MD from Stanford University, recently visited our campus for two days. Impressed by our local and international outreach programs, he wrote several positive paragraphs about our unique mission in a recent journal for the AOA, Pharos Winter 2007 issue. “Loma Linda’s founder, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, is among the global leaders in providing health care to underserved populations, particularly in Africa. Most of Loma Linda’s medical student volunteer for service abroad in one of the many Adventist hospitals, and many graduates of the school take leave from their practices or academic jobs to return to mission service.” Included in the magazine was a picture of our campus and our councilor, Sarah Roddy, MD, a pediatric neurologist.
Changes to the Faculty Handbook (07.02.07)
Revisions to the School-Specific Policies in the “Green Pages” of the Faculty Handbook will be reviewed by CSFAC, BSFAC, PPAC, the School of Medicine Executive Committee and the new Basic Science and Translational Research Executive Committee (BSTREC). The faculty is welcomed to review the proposed revision. The significant changes are found in the sections outlining the membership of the School of Medicine Executive Committee (Section I.C.1.d.), BSFAC (Section IV.C.) and CSFAC (Section IV.C.). We also propose to change the purpose and name of PPAC (see CFEC – Section IV.B.). Other changes include the CME requirements in teaching skills for academic promotion. Also, we quantified the minimum teaching obligations of all faculty members.
More Parking Spaces (06.20.07)
LLUAHSC has purchased the old Costco building near Caroline Street. It will be renovated to accommodate hundreds of employees whose physical presence on the University campus is not vital to the operations. There is ample parking and is closer to freeway access, which should help alleviate not only our parking problems but also the traffic congestion by the campus.
Spirituality and Surgery (06.20.07)
Dr. Leonard Bailey forwarded a copy of an article in the scientific journal Archives of Surgery that was authored by Dr. Richard Thirlby, president of the Western Surgical Association. The title of the article is “The Top 10 Reasons Why General Surgery Is a Great Career.” In the article, he listed reason #4 as: “There is Spirituality When You Want It.” Following is a short excerpt of the 10 paragraphs that Dr. Thirlby wrote on this topic. “We are dealing with patients on a daily basis who are using their spirituality to navigate through very stressful and/or life-threatening circumstances. A recent poll shows that 59% of the US population considers religion extremely, or very, important in daily life. However, being a surgical patient is not a “daily life.” Nearly 100% of our patients use their spirituality during their surgical care, 77% of patients believe their physicians should consider their spiritual needs, 48% wanted their physicians to pray with them.” It reminds us of the importance in treating the whole person.
President Bush and Dr. James Holsinger (06.20.07)
President Bush has nominated Dr. James W. Holsinger to be Surgeon General. A cardiologist, Dr. Holsinger is an accomplished physician who has led one of our Nation's largest healthcare systems, the State of Kentucky's healthcare system, and the University of Kentucky's medical center. Dr. Holsinger's nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Dr. Holsinger will particularly focus his efforts on educating parents and children about childhood obesity, a serious epidemic that decreases quality of life and burdens our healthcare system.
LLUSOM Senior Student Match (05.02.07)
Last month, 92% of the School of Medicine seniors matched to R1 and/or R2 residency positions. Overall, for the last four years, LLU’s match rate has been an excellent 95% (national average is 93%). Specialties relatively popular for our seniors (compared to national norms) are Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Anesthesiology. The Department of Family Medicine will receive the Achievement Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians because LLUSOM is in the top 10 medical schools whose senior students matched to a Family Medicine residency.
Cited Scientific Articles From Loma Linda University School of Medicine (05.02.07)
Dr. Lawrence Sowers, Associate Dean for Basic and Translational Research, has informed me that the number of peer-reviewed publications listed in PubMed from faculty at LLU, School of Medicine has doubled in the past five years. This increase indicates hard work, and productivity in research and scholarship.
Cancer Center Renovation in Schuman Pavilion A-Level (05.02.07)
Schuman Pavilion A-Level is being renovated to house the first phase of a new cancer center. Construction is expected to be completed December 1, 2007. The finished project will include infusion chairs and outpatient clinic offices. The new location is central to imaging, Chan Shun Research Pavilion, the operating room, and the inpatient cancer services. Mark Reeves, MD, PhD, a surgical oncologist, is the Cancer Center Director overseeing the clinical, educational and research activities of the Center.
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