JHPIEGO, an international health affiliate of The Johns Hopkins University, has received several awards totaling more than $2.2 million to strengthen maternal and newborn health services in Cambodia, Kenya, Nepal, and to evaluate the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's HIV Medics program in Uganda and Zambia.
The JHPIEGO led ACCESS Program has received a three year, $1.8 million award to assist the Cambodian Ministry of Health and key local stakeholders in improving availability of and access to high-quality, sustainable maternal and newborn health services. Under this U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded award, the areas in which ACCESS (Access to Clinical and Community Maternal, Neonatal and Women's Health Services Program) will contribute are: policy issues, including recruitment, deployment and retention of midwives; expansion of high-priority health interventions to national scale; training of midwives in essential and emergency obstetrical and newborn care (life-saving skills); education for midwifery students, including the development of learning materials; prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in facilities and in the community; and integration of essential newborn care with existing services.
The Wallace Global Fund has awarded JHPIEGO $245,000 over two years to implement "Expanding Reproductive Healthcare in African Informal Settlements." The program aims to increase access to safe, quality reproductive health for women in living in the slum urban settlements of Korogocho and Viwandani in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Nick Simons Institute (NSI) has awarded JHPIEGO $137,218 to provide technical assistance to improve health care in rural areas of Nepal. JHPIEGO will help strengthen provider performance through competency-based clinical training for skilled birth attendants and health assistants. JHPIEGO will upgrade at least one NSI partner hospital to function as a training site for skilled birth attendants, and will also develop a health assistant practicum and related clinical training and performance improvement activities.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has awarded JHPIEGO $69,510 to evaluate its HIV Medics program in Uganda and Zambia. Established in 2004, the Medics program trains lay people through a 12-week intensive program to become "treatment extenders."
This new cadre provides support to providers, including basic triage and assistance in the provision of antiretroviral therapy. JHPIEGO will provide technical assistance to document the progress of AHF's program in these two countries, and identify factors that promote or hinder the effective integration of the new cadre with health care delivery systems.
"JHPIEGO is fortunate to be able to support such important issues that face women and families in low-resource settings around the world. These funds will help us continue our efforts to equip health care providers in these countries as they work to save and improve the lives of thousands of women and children," says Dr. Leslie Mancuso, President and CEO of JHPIEGO.
About JHPIEGO
JHPIEGO (pronounced "JA-PIE-GO"), an international health organization affiliated with The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, builds global and local partnerships to enhance the quality of health services for women and families. JHPIEGO's focus is on training and support for health care providers - including doctors, nurses, midwives and health educators - working in limited-resource settings throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean.
JHPIEGO has Centers of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, HIV/AIDS, and Family Planning and Reproductive Health to strengthen services to women and families in more than 50 countries around the world. jhpiego
About The Wallace Global Fund
The goal of the Wallace Global Fund is to promote an informed and engaged citizenry, to fight injustice, and to protect the diversity of nature and the natural systems upon which all life depends. wgf
About ACCESS
The ACCESS Program is the U.S. Agency for International Development's global program to improve maternal and newborn health. The ACCESS Program works to expand coverage, access and use of key maternal and newborn health services across a continuum of care from the household to the hospital - with the aim of making quality health services accessible for women and newborns.
About Nick Simons Institute
Nick Simons Institute is a network of hospital and community projects that share a common vision for improving health care in the rural areas of Nepal. Initially this network will include Patan Hospital, Tansen Mission Hospital, Okhaldhunga Hospital, Lamjung Hospital, Rukum Living River Hospital and Dandeldhura TEAM Hospital - along with several other hospitals still to be negotiated, and their associated community projects.
About the AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Based in Los Angeles, AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the nation's largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care. It offers cutting-edge medicine and advocacy, regardless of ability to pay, to more than 27,000 people in the United States, Africa, Central America and Asia. aidshealth
вторник, 7 июня 2011 г.
понедельник, 6 июня 2011 г.
Louisiana Health Care Providers To Receive Nearly $130M Federal Block Grant From HHS
Louisiana health care providers will receive nearly $130 million of a $600 million federal Social Service Block Grant for disaster-assistance released on Tuesday by HHS, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Part of the funds will go to health care providers that experienced losses because of hurricanes Ike and Gustav in 2008, and to assist medical facilities affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2006. The money was approved by Congress in September as part of a larger spending bill. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals will be responsible for distributing the grants; however, the agency still is awaiting guidance from HHS before creating a distribution formula, according to Tony Keck, chief of staff for state Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine (Moller, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 1/7).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
воскресенье, 5 июня 2011 г.
HHS Launches Oil Spill Distress Helpline
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of a new toll-free helpline to provide information, support and counseling for families and children affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Part of the Obama Administration's long term oil spill recovery plan, the Oil Spill Distress Helpline (1-800-985-5990) links callers to behavioral healthcare services and will serve as an important resource for the localized oil spill outreach efforts in the Gulf Coast states.
"We know that residents throughout the Gulf Coast region continue to deal with the disruption to their livelihoods and communities caused by the oil spill. The resulting stress they are feeling is real and if behavioral health conditions are left untreated, we can expect that the situations these individuals and their families are living in will worsen," said Secretary Sebelius. "The Oil Spill Distress Helpline will be a critical tool in getting people the help they need, and I want to acknowledge the state, local and federal partnership that helped get it set up and available."
Administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Helpline will route callers to the nearest Gulf Coast area crisis center, where trained staff from the region will answer calls and provide assistance. In addition, these crisis centers are working to provide support via text messages, a capability which will launch later this fall.
"History tells us that the emotional impact of the devastating losses experienced by individuals and families as a result of the oil spill will continue to play out over the years to come," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "Now that the immediate response phase has come to a close, we are shifting our focus to long term recovery and being there for gulf coast residents in need of emotional strength as they rebuild their lives."
The helpline is funded by BP's contribution to SAMHSA, which will help states to provide counseling and support for individuals and families in the Gulf Coast region affected by the oil spill.
For more information, visit the HHS BP Gulf Oil Spill page.
Source:
HHS
"We know that residents throughout the Gulf Coast region continue to deal with the disruption to their livelihoods and communities caused by the oil spill. The resulting stress they are feeling is real and if behavioral health conditions are left untreated, we can expect that the situations these individuals and their families are living in will worsen," said Secretary Sebelius. "The Oil Spill Distress Helpline will be a critical tool in getting people the help they need, and I want to acknowledge the state, local and federal partnership that helped get it set up and available."
Administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Helpline will route callers to the nearest Gulf Coast area crisis center, where trained staff from the region will answer calls and provide assistance. In addition, these crisis centers are working to provide support via text messages, a capability which will launch later this fall.
"History tells us that the emotional impact of the devastating losses experienced by individuals and families as a result of the oil spill will continue to play out over the years to come," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "Now that the immediate response phase has come to a close, we are shifting our focus to long term recovery and being there for gulf coast residents in need of emotional strength as they rebuild their lives."
The helpline is funded by BP's contribution to SAMHSA, which will help states to provide counseling and support for individuals and families in the Gulf Coast region affected by the oil spill.
For more information, visit the HHS BP Gulf Oil Spill page.
Source:
HHS
суббота, 4 июня 2011 г.
WFP Launches Winter Emergency Operation In Kyrgyzstan
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that
it is launching an emergency food operation to help 580,000 vulnerable
people during the bitterly cold season in Kyrgyzstan - many of whom have
felt the impact of a combination of high food prices and a fall in
remittances from expatriates working abroad.
"Winter is a brutal time in Kyrgyzstan. We will be providing food to those
who are unable to meet their basic food needs due to the past year's high
food and fuel prices," said Daly Belgasmi, WFP Regional Director for the
Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
Wheat prices have risen by more than 20 per cent and fuel costs have gone
up by almost one quarter since the beginning of the year, severely limiting
the purchasing power of the most vulnerable groups. At the same time,
remittances from Kyrgyz expatriates have decreased, due to the global
economic downturn. Many people are now struggling to feed their families.
Remittances from abroad can make a significant contribution to poor
households in developing countries. As the economies of industrialized
countries contract, opportunities for employment in the construction,
retail and service sectors are falling, and affecting the job prospects for
expatriate workers from countries like Kyrgyzstan.
"The poorest are eating less food with less nutritional value," said Zlatan
Milisic, WFP Country Director in neighbouring Tajikistan who will oversee
the operation. "Many are selling their animals and other family assets. We
recognise the severity of the situation and are moving fast to meet their
needs."
During 2008, the Kyrgyz people have also suffered two droughts, a sequence
of locust infestations, hailstorms and spring frosts. These factors have
caused serious damage to the agricultural sector, despite an increase in
land under cultivation.
According to the initial findings of a WFP assessment conducted in October
2008, one household in five is at high nutritional and health risk. Their
diet is extremely low in calories, and the amount of fats and oil being
consumed is going down.
The WFP emergency operation - which has a budget of US$8.4 million - will
provide a ration of wheat flour and oil designed to meet the food needs of
those families living in rural areas and districts where more than
one-fifth of the population are not getting their full daily nutritional
requirements.
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency and the UN's frontline
agency for hunger solutions. This year, WFP plans to feed 90 million people
in 80 countries.
WFP
it is launching an emergency food operation to help 580,000 vulnerable
people during the bitterly cold season in Kyrgyzstan - many of whom have
felt the impact of a combination of high food prices and a fall in
remittances from expatriates working abroad.
"Winter is a brutal time in Kyrgyzstan. We will be providing food to those
who are unable to meet their basic food needs due to the past year's high
food and fuel prices," said Daly Belgasmi, WFP Regional Director for the
Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
Wheat prices have risen by more than 20 per cent and fuel costs have gone
up by almost one quarter since the beginning of the year, severely limiting
the purchasing power of the most vulnerable groups. At the same time,
remittances from Kyrgyz expatriates have decreased, due to the global
economic downturn. Many people are now struggling to feed their families.
Remittances from abroad can make a significant contribution to poor
households in developing countries. As the economies of industrialized
countries contract, opportunities for employment in the construction,
retail and service sectors are falling, and affecting the job prospects for
expatriate workers from countries like Kyrgyzstan.
"The poorest are eating less food with less nutritional value," said Zlatan
Milisic, WFP Country Director in neighbouring Tajikistan who will oversee
the operation. "Many are selling their animals and other family assets. We
recognise the severity of the situation and are moving fast to meet their
needs."
During 2008, the Kyrgyz people have also suffered two droughts, a sequence
of locust infestations, hailstorms and spring frosts. These factors have
caused serious damage to the agricultural sector, despite an increase in
land under cultivation.
According to the initial findings of a WFP assessment conducted in October
2008, one household in five is at high nutritional and health risk. Their
diet is extremely low in calories, and the amount of fats and oil being
consumed is going down.
The WFP emergency operation - which has a budget of US$8.4 million - will
provide a ration of wheat flour and oil designed to meet the food needs of
those families living in rural areas and districts where more than
one-fifth of the population are not getting their full daily nutritional
requirements.
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency and the UN's frontline
agency for hunger solutions. This year, WFP plans to feed 90 million people
in 80 countries.
WFP
пятница, 3 июня 2011 г.
Millions Still Affected By Floods In South Asia
Almost three months after rains began, millions of people across Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan are still affected by the flooding and landslides.
Throughout the region, UNICEF and partners have been working to prevent outbreaks of diseases, addressing the health and nutritional status of women and children and making every effort to get children back into school.
India
According to the Government, 2,614 people have died and 48 million are affected; the majority in Assam and Bihar which have seen renewed flooding in the last two weeks.
In Bihar, the state hardest hit by the flooding, the state cabinet has sanctioned $250 million to compensate flood victims. UNICEF, with Government support, is setting up 50 Maternity Health camps, two Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres to treat severely malnourished children, and more than 265 Alternative Learning Spaces (ALS) to address the learning needs of 60,000 students.
Across other affected districts, UNICEF is working with partners to provide emergency medical care, water purification agents, communication messages about safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, and working with education authorities to reopen schools or set up ALS.
More than 600,000 people, including children and women, have been treated by the fixed and mobile medical teams fanning across India.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is recovering from a second wave of flooding. Till date 946 people have died and approximately 13.3 million have been affected. Although flooding has stopped and the overall situation is now improving, water levels are taking longer than expected to recede.
UNICEF and other UN agencies have completed a Rapid Needs Assessment (RENA) across the worst affected zones.
UNICEF has procured 380 metric tonnes of fortified biscuits of which 114 metric tonnes have already been distributed. Also, 400,000 bags of Intravenous Solutions (IV) and essential drugs have been procured while 9,000 family kits, 5,500 recreational kits, 1500 emergency education kits and 47,000 plastic sheets have been distributed.
A multi-agency partnership, including UNICEF, Save the Children Australia, and NGO partners, is mobilizing Child Protection Teams to create recreation centres for children in the flood-affected districts. These recreation centres will provide children a safe place to play, while their families are out collecting relief. These teams will also identify and report protection issues to appropriate authorities.
Nepal
According to the Nepal Red Cross Society, 185 people have died and approximately 580,200 people are still affected by the monsoonal flooding and landslides.
So far, UNICEF has provided non-food items to about 12,000 families. These include 61,000 ORS sachets and 15,000 hygiene kits and additional water purification agents for 100,000 people.
UNICEF, along with the UN Mission to Nepal (UNMIN), has also provided 3,800 bottles of water purification agents to combatants of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the UNMIN-monitored cantonments.
Also in process is the distribution of 40,000 medicated bed nets in three districts; rehabilitation of 45-60 damaged water supply schemes in 24 districts; and distribution of 300 school kits and 20,000 children's school kits in the affected districts. UNICEF is also supporting the ongoing training of Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) in seven districts - who would then target 120,000 households with a campaign on hand washing with soap, and the distribution of water purification agents.
Pakistan
In Pakistan about 2.5 million people in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh have been affected by torrential rain provoked by hurricane Yemyin and subsequent floods in late June and early July. While the water levels have receded in most areas, vast zones of three districts are still under water. Till date there have been 420 deaths and more than 377,000 people are still unable to return to their damaged homes.
UNICEF continues to work with partners to provide safe drinking water and essential medical supplies, to support the education system, and to assist the most vulnerable children and women.
The agency has been supporting the provision of safe drinking water for more than 227,000 people, supported the measles vaccination of about 224,000 children, and supplied 153 School in a Box kits, 96 tarpaulin rolls and 125 recreation kits.
UNICEF is also supporting the establishment of 80 mobile child protection teams and 40 child and women friendly spaces to protect 300,000 vulnerable girls, boys, women and their families and the nutritional screening and provision of fortified food for about 3,000 malnourished children and pregnant and lactating women.
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
unicef
Throughout the region, UNICEF and partners have been working to prevent outbreaks of diseases, addressing the health and nutritional status of women and children and making every effort to get children back into school.
India
According to the Government, 2,614 people have died and 48 million are affected; the majority in Assam and Bihar which have seen renewed flooding in the last two weeks.
In Bihar, the state hardest hit by the flooding, the state cabinet has sanctioned $250 million to compensate flood victims. UNICEF, with Government support, is setting up 50 Maternity Health camps, two Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres to treat severely malnourished children, and more than 265 Alternative Learning Spaces (ALS) to address the learning needs of 60,000 students.
Across other affected districts, UNICEF is working with partners to provide emergency medical care, water purification agents, communication messages about safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, and working with education authorities to reopen schools or set up ALS.
More than 600,000 people, including children and women, have been treated by the fixed and mobile medical teams fanning across India.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is recovering from a second wave of flooding. Till date 946 people have died and approximately 13.3 million have been affected. Although flooding has stopped and the overall situation is now improving, water levels are taking longer than expected to recede.
UNICEF and other UN agencies have completed a Rapid Needs Assessment (RENA) across the worst affected zones.
UNICEF has procured 380 metric tonnes of fortified biscuits of which 114 metric tonnes have already been distributed. Also, 400,000 bags of Intravenous Solutions (IV) and essential drugs have been procured while 9,000 family kits, 5,500 recreational kits, 1500 emergency education kits and 47,000 plastic sheets have been distributed.
A multi-agency partnership, including UNICEF, Save the Children Australia, and NGO partners, is mobilizing Child Protection Teams to create recreation centres for children in the flood-affected districts. These recreation centres will provide children a safe place to play, while their families are out collecting relief. These teams will also identify and report protection issues to appropriate authorities.
Nepal
According to the Nepal Red Cross Society, 185 people have died and approximately 580,200 people are still affected by the monsoonal flooding and landslides.
So far, UNICEF has provided non-food items to about 12,000 families. These include 61,000 ORS sachets and 15,000 hygiene kits and additional water purification agents for 100,000 people.
UNICEF, along with the UN Mission to Nepal (UNMIN), has also provided 3,800 bottles of water purification agents to combatants of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the UNMIN-monitored cantonments.
Also in process is the distribution of 40,000 medicated bed nets in three districts; rehabilitation of 45-60 damaged water supply schemes in 24 districts; and distribution of 300 school kits and 20,000 children's school kits in the affected districts. UNICEF is also supporting the ongoing training of Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) in seven districts - who would then target 120,000 households with a campaign on hand washing with soap, and the distribution of water purification agents.
Pakistan
In Pakistan about 2.5 million people in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh have been affected by torrential rain provoked by hurricane Yemyin and subsequent floods in late June and early July. While the water levels have receded in most areas, vast zones of three districts are still under water. Till date there have been 420 deaths and more than 377,000 people are still unable to return to their damaged homes.
UNICEF continues to work with partners to provide safe drinking water and essential medical supplies, to support the education system, and to assist the most vulnerable children and women.
The agency has been supporting the provision of safe drinking water for more than 227,000 people, supported the measles vaccination of about 224,000 children, and supplied 153 School in a Box kits, 96 tarpaulin rolls and 125 recreation kits.
UNICEF is also supporting the establishment of 80 mobile child protection teams and 40 child and women friendly spaces to protect 300,000 vulnerable girls, boys, women and their families and the nutritional screening and provision of fortified food for about 3,000 malnourished children and pregnant and lactating women.
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
unicef
четверг, 2 июня 2011 г.
Discoveries In Genetics, Stem Cell Therapies And New Treatments For Childhood Diseases Explored By World Community Of Pediatricians
On Nov. 8 and 9, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center hosted an "Innovations in Pediatric Medicine" conference at the Grand Hyatt New York, which featured lectures by international leading authorities in pediatric biomedical research, genetic findings and stem cell therapy breakthroughs.
Key topics included discoveries about congenital and primary immunodeficiencies; gene therapy in children; and the genetic basis for common childhood infections. In addition, there was a unique presentation on pediatric emergency care during disasters and the lessons learned from Hurricane Marilyn on St. Thomas; the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York; the 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran; and Hurricane Katrina.
"Medical breakthroughs have greatly increased the range of treatment options for pediatric diseases, making it vital to bring together medical professionals who are on the frontline of pediatric care for this opportunity to learn the latest progress and to share best practices," said the conference's course director, Dr. Mitchell Cairo, director of pediatric blood and marrow transplantation at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian and professor of pediatrics, medicine and pathology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Listed below are some key presentations by leaders in their field:
Dr. Alain Fischer of Descartes University Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France, discussed gene therapy for inherited disorders based on research on the treatment of severe combined immunodeficiency. Introducing genes into bone marrow stem cells led to sustained correction of the disease for almost 10 years, providing evidence that the approach can be effective and could be used to treat other genetic diseases of blood cells. One challenge is the viral vector used to introduce the gene has been linked to cancer. In response, new vectors are being designed.
Dr. Gary Fleisher of the Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School presented a framework for planning for disaster management, highlighting unique pediatric aspects. He discussed the conditions likely to be encountered by providers arriving in the first 24 to 72 hours and the skills necessary for success. In terms of response teams, Dr. Fleisher described the structure of PST-1 (Pediatric Specialty Team-1), the first team developed by the NDMS (National Disaster Medical System) dedicated to treating children in disasters. He shareed lessons learned from Hurricane Marilyn on St. Thomas; the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York; the 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran; and Hurricane Katrina.
Dr. Margaret K. Hostetter of Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital presented on advances in the genetic origins of common childhood infections, focusing on newly discovered genes that are linked to early onset staphylococcal infection, recurrent pneumococcal infections, and rarer disorders such as Bruton's agammaglobulinemia, hyper IgE syndrome, chronic granulomatous disease and severe combined immunodeficiency.
Dr. Jennifer M. Puck of the University of California, San Francisco, presented evidence that early diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies is critical for optimal treatment. The challenge is that these disorders are rare and hard detect until serious complications have developed; a life-threatening situation usually has to occur before a correct diagnosis was made. As a solution, Dr. Puck suggests that all newborns be screened for severe combined immunodeficiencies, with the goal of improving timely diagnosis and outcomes. Her laboratory has developed a screening test that can be done on the dried blood spots routinely used for screening for other serious conditions.
Columbia University Medical Center
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians & Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree and is now among the most selective medical schools in the country. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and state and one of the largest in the United States. For more information, please visit cumc.columbia.
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian
Ranked by U.S.News & World Report as one of the top children's hospitals in the country, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian offers the best available care in every area of pediatrics -- including the most complex neonatal and critical care, and all areas of pediatric subspecialties -- in a family-friendly and technologically advanced setting. Building a reputation for more than a century as one of the nation's premier children's hospitals, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian is affiliated with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and is Manhattan's only hospital dedicated solely to the care of children and the largest provider of children's health services in the tri-state area with a long-standing commitment to its community. Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian is also a major international referral center, meeting the special needs of children from infancy through adolescence worldwide. For more information, visit nyp/.
Source: Belinda Mager
New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Key topics included discoveries about congenital and primary immunodeficiencies; gene therapy in children; and the genetic basis for common childhood infections. In addition, there was a unique presentation on pediatric emergency care during disasters and the lessons learned from Hurricane Marilyn on St. Thomas; the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York; the 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran; and Hurricane Katrina.
"Medical breakthroughs have greatly increased the range of treatment options for pediatric diseases, making it vital to bring together medical professionals who are on the frontline of pediatric care for this opportunity to learn the latest progress and to share best practices," said the conference's course director, Dr. Mitchell Cairo, director of pediatric blood and marrow transplantation at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian and professor of pediatrics, medicine and pathology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Listed below are some key presentations by leaders in their field:
Dr. Alain Fischer of Descartes University Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France, discussed gene therapy for inherited disorders based on research on the treatment of severe combined immunodeficiency. Introducing genes into bone marrow stem cells led to sustained correction of the disease for almost 10 years, providing evidence that the approach can be effective and could be used to treat other genetic diseases of blood cells. One challenge is the viral vector used to introduce the gene has been linked to cancer. In response, new vectors are being designed.
Dr. Gary Fleisher of the Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School presented a framework for planning for disaster management, highlighting unique pediatric aspects. He discussed the conditions likely to be encountered by providers arriving in the first 24 to 72 hours and the skills necessary for success. In terms of response teams, Dr. Fleisher described the structure of PST-1 (Pediatric Specialty Team-1), the first team developed by the NDMS (National Disaster Medical System) dedicated to treating children in disasters. He shareed lessons learned from Hurricane Marilyn on St. Thomas; the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York; the 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran; and Hurricane Katrina.
Dr. Margaret K. Hostetter of Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital presented on advances in the genetic origins of common childhood infections, focusing on newly discovered genes that are linked to early onset staphylococcal infection, recurrent pneumococcal infections, and rarer disorders such as Bruton's agammaglobulinemia, hyper IgE syndrome, chronic granulomatous disease and severe combined immunodeficiency.
Dr. Jennifer M. Puck of the University of California, San Francisco, presented evidence that early diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies is critical for optimal treatment. The challenge is that these disorders are rare and hard detect until serious complications have developed; a life-threatening situation usually has to occur before a correct diagnosis was made. As a solution, Dr. Puck suggests that all newborns be screened for severe combined immunodeficiencies, with the goal of improving timely diagnosis and outcomes. Her laboratory has developed a screening test that can be done on the dried blood spots routinely used for screening for other serious conditions.
Columbia University Medical Center
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians & Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree and is now among the most selective medical schools in the country. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and state and one of the largest in the United States. For more information, please visit cumc.columbia.
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian
Ranked by U.S.News & World Report as one of the top children's hospitals in the country, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian offers the best available care in every area of pediatrics -- including the most complex neonatal and critical care, and all areas of pediatric subspecialties -- in a family-friendly and technologically advanced setting. Building a reputation for more than a century as one of the nation's premier children's hospitals, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian is affiliated with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and is Manhattan's only hospital dedicated solely to the care of children and the largest provider of children's health services in the tri-state area with a long-standing commitment to its community. Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian is also a major international referral center, meeting the special needs of children from infancy through adolescence worldwide. For more information, visit nyp/.
Source: Belinda Mager
New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
среда, 1 июня 2011 г.
Online System Created For Soldiers To Solve Issues At Walter Reed
U.S. soldiers seeking treatment at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and in Army medical facilities worldwide, will have a new tool to help them thanks to an online system being developed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The National Center for Technology and Dispute Resolution (NCTDR) at the university is using funding from the eBay Foundation to build online dispute resolution applications that can be used to help resolve problems that veterans and active duty personnel may encounter as they seek medical care.
The NCTDR, working with the National Mediation Board (NMB), has created a prototype online Ombudsman access portal that allows individuals to ask questions, post replies, or simply provide information to the Army Ombudsman. It is a safe, effective and confidential means of augmenting the existing advocacy program that is neutral and outside the chain of command, says Ethan Katsh, NCTDR director, and a professor of legal studies at UMass Amherst.
Katsh says the impetus for the new system was a series of stories published in the Washington Post in February 2007 on difficulties some soldiers were having when they sought medical care. In some cases they were denied care, placed in substandard conditions, or ended up lost in the bureaucratic system, according to the media reports.
The Army's initial response to the problems at Walter Reed was to create an aggressive patient advocacy program, using uniformed soldiers to serve as advocates for the wounded warriors. Katsh and Daniel Rainey of the NMB (a Fellow of the NCTDR) met with the Army leadership at Walter Reed to propose an Ombudsman program that would go beyond the patient advocacy program.
As a result of their intervention, the Army developed an Ombudsman program for its entire Medical Command, using retired soldiers trained as ombudsmen, reporting to the top of the chain of command.
After further consultation and demonstration of an online Ombudsman portal developed for the NMB, the Army agreed to develop an online portal for its program. The online Ombudsman portal allows for all interested parties (patients, family members, doctors, staff and the public) to communicate with the Army Ombudsman, and to do so anonymously. The Army's online portal is now under development and should go online during the summer.
Anonymity is important because in the context of the military, seeking resolution of complaints or treatment issues outside the so-called chain of command can have serious negative impacts on a soldier's status and treatment.
"This project addresses the needs of persons in very unfortunate circumstances," Katsh says. "The system previously in place failed them and only received attention when patients went outside the system because the processes in place were inadequate. This project exploits new technological capabilities to communicate at a distance through channels that were not previously possible."
University of Massachusetts Amherst
200 Munson Hall
Amherst, MA 01003
United States
umass
The NCTDR, working with the National Mediation Board (NMB), has created a prototype online Ombudsman access portal that allows individuals to ask questions, post replies, or simply provide information to the Army Ombudsman. It is a safe, effective and confidential means of augmenting the existing advocacy program that is neutral and outside the chain of command, says Ethan Katsh, NCTDR director, and a professor of legal studies at UMass Amherst.
Katsh says the impetus for the new system was a series of stories published in the Washington Post in February 2007 on difficulties some soldiers were having when they sought medical care. In some cases they were denied care, placed in substandard conditions, or ended up lost in the bureaucratic system, according to the media reports.
The Army's initial response to the problems at Walter Reed was to create an aggressive patient advocacy program, using uniformed soldiers to serve as advocates for the wounded warriors. Katsh and Daniel Rainey of the NMB (a Fellow of the NCTDR) met with the Army leadership at Walter Reed to propose an Ombudsman program that would go beyond the patient advocacy program.
As a result of their intervention, the Army developed an Ombudsman program for its entire Medical Command, using retired soldiers trained as ombudsmen, reporting to the top of the chain of command.
After further consultation and demonstration of an online Ombudsman portal developed for the NMB, the Army agreed to develop an online portal for its program. The online Ombudsman portal allows for all interested parties (patients, family members, doctors, staff and the public) to communicate with the Army Ombudsman, and to do so anonymously. The Army's online portal is now under development and should go online during the summer.
Anonymity is important because in the context of the military, seeking resolution of complaints or treatment issues outside the so-called chain of command can have serious negative impacts on a soldier's status and treatment.
"This project addresses the needs of persons in very unfortunate circumstances," Katsh says. "The system previously in place failed them and only received attention when patients went outside the system because the processes in place were inadequate. This project exploits new technological capabilities to communicate at a distance through channels that were not previously possible."
University of Massachusetts Amherst
200 Munson Hall
Amherst, MA 01003
United States
umass
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