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About: Story Archives - January 1, 2002-December 31, 2002

Nov 14 - Dr. Mary Dankoski Recipient of Dissertation Award

Mary Dankoski, PhD, is the 2002 recipient of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy's Dissertation Award for her study, "Affect Regulation and the Cycle of Violence Against Women: New Directions for Understanding the Process." She is a clinical assistant professor of Family Medicine. The dissertation award is given annually to honor outstanding doctoral dissertations in the field of marriage and family therapy.

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Nov 6 - Dr. Rick Botelho, Visits Department

Rick Botelho, BMedSci, BM, BS, Professor of Family Medicine and Nursing at the University of Rochester, New York, visited the Department on October 22.

Dr. Botelho is a consultant on the following two Department grants: "Effective Tobacco Cessation Counseling: Training Future Physicians" and "Effective Intervention for Unhealthy Behaviors: Training Future Physicians in Motivational Interviewing." His primary roll is to assist with the training of motivational interviewing to the faculty so they in turn can teach it to the students. 

During his visit, Dr. Botelho had an opportunity to meet with several faculty to discuss their roles in teaching motivational interviewing and evaluation of the program. He also performed a motivational interviewing teaching session to the residents and faculty at the morning grand rounds. 

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Jun 21 - The Economic Impact of Secondhand Smoke on Marion County, Indiana: Annual Cost is $56 Million

A Marion County Health Department commissioned study indicates exposure to secondhand smoke cost the county more than $56 million in 2000. 

"The cost of health care and the premature loss of life attributed to secondhand smoke in Marion County is too high, and we must do all we can as a community to combat this public health threat," said Virginia A. Caine, director, Marion County Health Department. 

Secondhand smoke contains at least 250 chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic. 

In adults, secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer, heart disease, stroke, cervical cancer and asthma. In children, perinatal death, sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, asthma and bronchitis were among health issues caused by secondhand smoke. 

Exposure to secondhand smoke at home for children in Indiana is also higher than the national average. 

It is estimated that 27.5% of children in Indiana are exposed to secondhand smoke, above the national average of 22%. In Marion County, a four-year study recently reported 65% of Indianapolis Public School middle school students are exposed to secondhand smoke at home. 

"The information we have concerning secondhand smoke exposure furthers our resolve to be relentless in educating our residents about the health and economic costs secondhand smoke has on our community," said Dr. Caine. 

Among recommendations drawn by the report: Continued education for the community, policy makers, and businesses about the health impact and costs of secondhand smoke in Marion County; Development of strategies to eliminate smoking on business and institutional campuses including schools, colleges, universities, day care centers, restaurants and other food or beverage service establishments; The strict enforcement of no smoking restrictions in all public areas; Improve support systems for smoking cessation programs by the health department, businesses and health care providers; and Encourage smokers to not smoke in common or shared areas. The health department report follows earlier studies indicating smoking rates in Marion County and Indiana are higher than national averages. 

"The smoking rate for U.S. adults is 23.2%, while Indiana has a 26.9% rate and Marion County has a 28.2% adult smoking rate," said Terrell W. Zollinger, Dr. P.H., professor and associate director of the Bowen Research Center at IUPUI, and director of this study. 

Of even greater concern is the number of women who smoke during pregnancy.  Nationally, the average number of women who smoke during pregnancy is 12.3%, while the Indiana rate is 20.9%, and the rate in Marion County is 19.7%. 

"These rates contribute to the high number of Indiana children exposed to secondhand smoke," said Dr. Caine. 

According to the report released May 30, an estimated 200,000 people employed in Marion County are smokers, costing businesses more than $260 million in increased heath insurance premiums, lost productivity, absenteeism, fires and extra housekeeping. 

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Jun 6 - New Edition of "Women in Medicine" is Now Available

Women in Medicine: Career and Life Management by Marjorie A. Bowman, Erica Frank, and Deborah I. Allen is now available. Women in Medicine is a newly revised, expanded, and updated third edition of the successful, Stress and Women Physicians. The authors' new experiences, up-to-the-minute data, and a changing medical milieu provide a substantial revision of the previous two popular editions. Women in Medicine: Career and Life Management is pertinent to contemporary medicine because women represent a rapidly growing percentage of the physician population. Women physicians and their professional and personal partners will find this book invaluable.

In addition to covering general issues related to women physicians, third edition includes specialized new topics, such as: Minority Women Physicians; Stress Prevention and Management; Disability in Women Physicians; and Older Women Physicians 

Women in Medicine also includes case vignettes and useful appendices, such as resource lists, organizations, and Web-site addresses. This edition serves as an ideal resource for learning and coping with the unique issues faced by women physicians. It is an insightful and indispensable book-required reading for all physicians.

Marjorie A. Bowen, M.D., M.P.A., is Professor and Founding Chair, Department of Family Practice and Community Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Erica Frank, M.D., M.P.H., is Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Family and Preventative Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Frank is the Principal Investigator of the Women Physicians' Health Study and the "Healthy Doc-Healthy Patient" Project.

Deborah I. Allen, M.D., is the Otis Bowen Professor and director of the Bowen Research Center. She served as chairman of the Indiana University Department of Family Medicine from 1989-1998. 

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Mar 15 - Dr. O'Hara Awarded Clarian Health Partners, Inc. Grant

Brenda O'Hara, M.D., has been awarded a grant from Clarian Health Partners, Inc. for her proposed application titled, "Family Medicine Scholars Consortium - Clarian Preceptorship Program." Through this proposal this program intends to increase the numbers of culturally competent primary care providers in underserved areas of Indiana by implementing objectives and activities that relate to the goals of: 1) impacting workforce diversity; 2) increasing numbers of primary care physicians, especially disadvantaged and /or underrepresented minorities, assuming leadership roles to promote health and wellness in Indiana's medically underserved communities; 3) improving quality of and access to health care for medically underserved populations; 4) instilling understanding of and responsibility toward equity and justice in health care delivery; and 5) developing/implementing service learning projects to increase the cultural competency level of Indiana's future physicians.

The Family Medicine Scholars Consortium (FMSC) represents a powerful preclinical primary care educational opportunity for Indiana University School of Medicine students. It also represents a critical component for recruitment and retention of culturally competent health providers geared toward providing primary care in Indiana's neediest and most vulnerable populations. The FMSC is committed to exposing medical students early in their career to the rewards and challenges of practicing primary care, with an emphasis on Family Medicine, in underserved communities.

Compelling evidence indicates that early and frequent exposure to primary care and underserved populations is essential in the development of future culturally competent primary care provider and their choice to practice in underserved areas. Research indicates over 70 percent of FMSC Scholars match to a primary care residency program and data will be obtained and analyzed to determine where Scholars set up practice upon completion of residency.

The grant is approved from February 1, 2002 through January 31, 2004. The funding total amount is $73,279. 

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Feb 20 - Department of Family Medicine Physicians and Staff to go to Honduras

Dr. J. Scott Ries, Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine; Director, Ambulatory Procedures Program; and Physician Financial Coordinator, IU/Methodist Family Practice Center, will be leading a "Medical Missions" trip to Honduras March 9-17, 2002. He is taking a team of 26 staff to rural Honduras to attend to the medical needs of the indigenous Hondurans. 

The team includes, among others, Richard Kiovsky, M.D.; Family Practice Residents, Javier Sevilla, M.D. and Scott Renshaw, M.D.; former Family Medicine Residency Pharmocologist, Ginger Reed, PharmD; and five medical students from the Indiana University School of Medicine. There will be a total of eight medical doctors, four dentists, six students, two residents, and several nurses and logistics people on the team!

For More Information on How You Can Make a Difference:

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Jan 22 - Department of Health and Human Services Announces 2002 Secretary's Primary Health Care Policy Fellows

Dr. Stephen P. Bogdewic, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs, Department of Family Medicine; and Assistant Dean for Primary Care Education, Indiana University School of Medicine was selected to participate in the Department of Health and Human Services 2002 Secretary’s Primary Health Care Policy Fellowship.  Each year this program brings together a multidisciplinary group of primary health care leaders from around the world to meet and work with top government, congressional and private sector health care officials in our nation’s capital. The Fellowship is sponsored and administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration and co-sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Indian Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Dr. Bogdewic was nominated to serve as a fellow by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. 

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