Inside GWUMC

3/12/2010 Peace Through Vaccine Diplomacy, Science
An editorial by Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., GW Distinguished Research Professor and Walter G. Ross Professor and chair, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, is featured in Science. Dr. Hotex discusses how vaccinations can help to resolve conflicts and nurture diplomacy globally.

Full report online: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/327/5971/1301
3/2010 White House Campaign on Childhood Obesity, PBS the.News
First Lady Michelle Obama has launched an initiative to combat childhood obesity. Jean Gutierrez, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of Exercise Science, discusses changes to diet that can help you become healthier.

Full report online: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/thenews/thesci/story.php?id=15419&package_id=3623
3/11/2010 On Your Side: Ultrasound Technology Used to Detect Breast Cancer, WJLA
Women with dense breast tissue are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer. But a new study underway at The George Washington University Hospital is helping detect those cancers early. Rachel Brem, M.D., professor of Radiology, says for some women, mammograms are not enough, adding that women who have dense breasts need additional screening.

Full report online: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0310/715088.html
3/9/2010 Origin of Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women Can Be Elusive, U.S. News & World Report
Twelve to 20 percent of women experience chronic pelvic pain, and about 61 percent of the cases go undiagnosed, according to the National Pain Foundation. Many women spend years searching for a cause and a solution to their pain. Because chronic pain can be a complex problem to diagnose and treat, it's a good idea to start with a doctor whom you trust to help coordinate your efforts to seek relief, says GW's Anthony Scialli, M.D., clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Full report online: http://www.usnews.com/health/family-health/pain/articles/2010/03/08/origin-of-chronic-pelvic-pain-in-women-can-be-elusive.html?PageNr=2
3/8/2010 State Insurance Experts See Flaw in Obama’s Plan to Curb Health Premiums, The New York Times
At the heart of President Obama’s drive to rein in health costs is a proposal for federal review and regulation of health insurance premiums, with a new agency empowered to block excessive rate increases. GW's Sara Rosenbaum, J.D., Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and chair, Department of Health Policy, says federal regulation of insurance rates is overdue.

Full report online: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/health/policy/09rates.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Himmelfarb Library and SPHHS Host World AIDS Day Poster Exhibit read »
PRESS RELEASE: Dr. Merle Cunningham Named 2010 Distinguished Visitor in Community Health Policy at GW School of Public Health and Health Services read »
3/6/2010 Experts: Pentagon Shooter, Others Strike Symbols of 'Power for the Powerless' The Washington Post
The recent shooting at the Pentagon is only the latest in the growing ranks of the disaffected and disturbed taking aim at a symbol of Washington. GW's Jerrold Post, M.D., clinical professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , says we've always had individuals who strike out at the'system' when they're feeling a sense of powerlessness and insignificance, but now these individuals can find substantiation online for almost any point of view.

Full report online: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/05/AR2010030504438.html
3/5/2010 Economy Forces Some Medical Schools to Shrink Classes, USA Today
Many state medical schools are coping with tight budgets and enrollment cuts. Candice Chen, M.D., assistant Professor of Pediatrics and co-principal investigator of the Medical Education Futures Study at GW's School of Public Health and Health Services, however, reports she hasn't seen state cuts and lagging philanthropy doing too much damage as of yet to newer medical schools.

Full report online: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-03-04-medical-schools_N.htm
3/4/2010 Ways to Kick the Smoking Habit, FOX5
President Obama recently had his first physical as president and his doctor recommended he continue his efforts to stop smoking. GW's Lorien Abroms, Sc.D., assistant professor of Prevention and Community Health, discusses ways to kick the habit.

Full report online: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/mornings/ways-to-kick-the-smoking-habit-030410
3/3/2010 On Your Side: Doctors Warn of 'Ambien Sex' Dangers, WJLA
In the wake of the Tiger Woods scandal, the dangers of Ambien are explored. GW's Daniel Lieberman, M.D., associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, says that while not a common practice, the drug is sometimes taken to improve sexual performance and decrease inhibition.

Full report online: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0310/712179_video.html?ref=newsstory
PRESS RELEASE: GW Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy Issues Recommendations on Improving Government Science read »
2/26/2010 Could Budget Reconciliation Buoy Health Reform? PBS NewsHour
The recent health care summit featured disagreements over policy ideas, governing philosophy and the Senate procedure known as budget reconciliation. GW's Sara Rosenbaum, J.D., Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and chair, Department of Health Policy, says that every major piece of health reform over the past 30 years has been passed by Congress as part of a reconciliation bill, with only a few exceptions.

Full report online: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june10/reconciliation_02-26.html
Leading the Exercise Revolution: GW Department of Exercise Science Launches New Program in Physical Activity in Public Health read »
PRESS RELEASE: GW Department of Exercise Science Launches M.P.H. and Graduate Certificate in Physical Activity in Public Health read »
2/24/2010 Existing Health Programs Could Help More Kids With Asthma, BusinessWeek
A new report suggests that the United States could lower the number of uninsured children with asthma by 75 percent by enrolling all those who are eligible for federally funded insurance programs and expanding eligibility. GW's Sara Rosenbaum, J.D., Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and chair, Department of Health Policy, says childhood asthma presents one of the nation's starkest examples of what is wrong with the health care system.

Full report online: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/636306.html
2/23/2010 All-Day Energy: Fighting Off Fatigue, NBC4
Sometimes you need a pick-me-up to help you get through the day. Instead of reaching for that caffeine fix, some experts say what you really need to do is get moving. GW's Loretta DiPietro, M.P.H., Ph.D., professor of Exercise Science, recommends that for every hour you spend sitting down, you spend at least five minutes moving around.

Full report online: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/health/All-Day-Energy-Fighting-Off-Fatigue-85050532.html
2/23/2010 Images of Olympic Glory Morph Once You Become a Parent, The Washington Post
The "Parents in the Stands Dream" is an integral part of the Olympic experience. GW's Amanda Visek, Ph.D., assistant professor of Exercise Science says the Olympics are often the cue for parents to start their children in competitive sports, and they are getting pushed into these activities at younger and younger ages. The Association for Applied Sport Psychology has created a guide for parents to help them maintain some perspective when it comes to children and competitive sports.

Full report online: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/22/AR2010022204796.html
2/19/2010 Congress Should Consider its Own Failures in Attempted Bombing, Roll Call
An op-ed by GW's Daniel Kaniewski, deputy director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute, discusses the failures of Congress in the attempted Christmas Day bombing and calls for reform of Congressional oversight of homeland security.

Full report online: http://www.rollcall.com/news/43351-1.html
School of Public Health and Health Services Alumna Named NAACP Chairwoman read »
2/18/2010 What Needs to be in Every Medicine Cabinet, The Washington Post
The Washington Post asks experts about the basics to keep at home in your medicine cabinet. GW's Jehan El-Bayoumi, M.D., associate professor of Medicine, discusses reasons why you may want to keep Robitussin, bandages, Tylenol, aspirin and Plan B at home.

Full report online: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/16/AR2010021605327.html
2/17/2010 Aggressive Testing, Treatment Reduces Spread of HIV, Business Week
A public health campaign to test and treat people who don’t know they have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has cut the rate of new infections in San Francisco. A similar effort in Washington, where three percent of people are HIV-infected, the highest rate among U.S. cities, led to earlier diagnosis and treatment of people with the virus. GW's Amanda Castel, M.D., assistant research professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, says that the expanded effort in Washington to test city residents, including those incarcerated in city jails, has paid dividends. The number of people tested increased to 73,000 in 2008 from 20,000 in 2004, and the number of people who got into treatment within three months of receiving a positive test finding rose to 80 percent from 67 percent.

Full report online: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-17/aggressive-testing-treatment-reduces-spread-of-hiv-update1-.html
2/16/2010 Intriguing People, CNN
GW's Jerrold Post, M.D., clinical professor of Psychiatry, discusses Kim Jong Il, supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Post, a former CIA psychologist, wrote about Kim Jong Il in his book Leaders and Their Followers in a Dangerous World, saying some of his toughness on North Korean nuclear policy now may be the indication of a power struggle at the end of his rule.

Full report online: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/16/mip.tuesday/index.html?hpt=T2
2/16/2010 Stimulus Dollars for Healthcare Centers Were an Economic Boon, a Report Says, The Hill
The $2 billion channeled to community health centers by last year's economic stimulus bill was paid back to the economy on a two-for-one basis, according to researchers at The George Washington University's Department of Health Policy.

Full report online: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/81221-stimulus-dollars-for-health-centers-was-economic-boon-report-says
2/15/2010 Empathy’s Natural, But Nurturing it Helps, The New York Times
Empathy, the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and recognize and respond to what that person is feeling, is an essential ingredient of a civilized society. GW's Stanley Greenspan, M.D., clinical professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics and author of the book Great Kids, says that empathy engenders empathy.

Full report online: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/health/16brod.html
2/14/2010 Results Unproven, Robotic Surgery Wins Converts, The New York Times
More patients are opting for robot-assisted prostate cancer surgery than traditional methods. Many say that evaluating this new technology is complicated and some doctors can become enthusiasts in spite of the absence of rigorous studies. GW's Jason Engel, M.D., associate clinical professor of Urology, says more is at stake than just an academic dispute, with one in six American men developing prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Full report online: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/health/14robot.html?scp=1&sq="George Washington University"&st=cse
2/11/2010 Stents Open Clogged Arteries, CNN
Former President Bill Clinton was recently admitted to the hospital with heart problems. GW's Jonathan Reiner, M.D., professor of Medicine and cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney, said the symptoms sound typical of angina or ischemia, which happens when blood flow to the heart muscle is decreased by a blocked coronary artery.

Full report online: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/11/chest.pain.clinton/index.html?iref=allsearch
Health Care and National Security: GW Medical Center a Key Stop on National Defense University’s Health Care Industry Tour read »
PRESS RELEASE: GW Health Sciences Establishes a Nursing Alliance for Quality Care Initiative Funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation read »
PRESS RELEASE: On the First Anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act New Report Finds Investment in Health Centers Yields Major Returns read »

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