( November 6, 2009 ) From the Interim Dean There have been a number of provocative articles in the medical journals and lay press recently, and I thought that you might enjoy a quick summary of three of them in case you didn’t see them. The first two articles raise some important concerns in the search for easy answers to our national health care dilemma; the third article offers a way forward. ·         The first article was in the New York Times on Oct. 26th and was written by the Associated Press (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/26/us/politics/AP-US-Fact-Check-Health-Insurance.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=health%20insurance%20margin&st=cse). It reviewed data regarding the actual profits of health insurance companies. Although categorized by various politicians as “immoral” and “obscene”, the profits of health insurance companies barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual report, according to the article, and traditionally haven’t exceeded about 6 percent. As a group, the companies’ profits ranked 35th out of 53 industries on the Fortune 500 list. Tupperware, Yahoo, Hershey, Clorox, and Molson Coors Brewing all performed substantially better! Thus, there appears to be some disconnect between the facts as reported by the AP and the claims of various politicians! Clearly, the suggestion that all of our health care system woes can be eliminated simply by reining in greedy insurance companies is grossly overstated. ·         A second article in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine  (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/361/19/1819) also deals with health care reform, and calls into question a component of the “established” orthodoxy. The article outlined a critical issue of the Massachusetts initiative—sustainable funding. As you undoubtedly are aware, Massachusetts has enacted a major series of health care reform initiatives, initiatives that are mirrored in many of the current proposals in Congress.  The article by Wendy E. Parmet, J.D. reported the disturbing news that the two major “safety net” hospitals in Massachusetts, the ones that primarily care for underserved populations, are suing the state due to inadequate reimbursement.  The implication of the article is that while Massachusetts has made great advances to ensure near complete health insurance coverage of its citizens, it has not solved the funding conundrum, a finding that has real relevance to the current proposals pending in Congress. ·         The third article, also in the New England Journal of Medicine, is by noted health economist Victor Fuchs of Stanford University, and it proposes a way forward (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/NEJMp0907979.pdf?ssource=hcrc).  Dr. Fuchs suggests four interrelated reforms that he believes would improve our health care delivery system and set the stage for more substantive change in the future. The proposals include the establishment of an insurance exchange (as has been suggested by our own Sen. Conrad), the elimination or reduction of the tax exemption for the health insurance premiums paid by employers, a rate-setting commission for Medicare, and the establishment of a technology assessment office. Links to each of the articles have been provided. Please feel free to review them for further details.   STUDENT SELF-REFLECTIONS AND PEER FEEDBACK FOR IMPROVED LEARNING AND GROWTH Unique UND–Casper College partnership seeks to ease the pain of arthritis H1N1 Resources for Professionals and the Public Library of the Health Sciences hours on Veteran's Day North Dakota Medicine is Going Green E-News University Letter Pharmacology, Physiology & Therapeutics Seminar Anatomy and Cell Biology Seminar Series Welcome:   Jodi Ramberg Welcome:   Aly Wilhelmi Welcome:   Elizabeth Bradshaw Welcome:   Anne Freier Welcome:   Brenda Field STUDENT SELF-REFLECTIONS AND PEER FEEDBACK FOR IMPROVED LEARNING AND GROWTH Faculty and Student Workshop sponsored by the Office of Medical Education Presenter: Are Holen, MD, Ph.D. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway Adjunct Faculty Member, UND Department of Family and Community Medicine Dr. Are Holen has served as the chairperson of the Department of Neuroscience and Dean and Vice Dean of Education of the Faculty of Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. He has been central in his university's development of problem-based learning, peer feedback systems and in the establishment of behavioral medicine. He is a highly esteemed lecturer and teacher. Holen will discuss how a major key to the creation of a productive and positive learning environment is to deliver constructive, specific and timely feedback. Feedback requires a complex set of skills. Without feedback our capacity to grow and influence others is diminished. There are many barriers to giving feedback - time, skills, and fear of consequences to name a few. A major barrier is that people often find it very difficult to give honest feedback. This is due to a range of reasons, including cultural norms, power differences and fear of conflict. Features of this workshop will cover the need to develop essential peer feedback skills for the process to be constructive in any classroom or learning environment, and particularly in a problem-based small group. You may attend the workshop at one of the following times and places: 1. Thursday, November 12, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm (lunch provided) Haugen Lecture Hall, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences building 2. Monday, November 16, 3:30 - 5:30 pm United Lecture Hall, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences building Intended Audience: Any UND faculty member or student interested in the topic of giving and receiving feedback is encouraged to attend. To Pre-Register: Contact Faye Aker, Office of Medical Education Phone: 701-777-3800 or Email: fyaker@medicine.nodak.edu [ top ] Unique UND–Casper College partnership seeks to ease the pain of arthritis Anyone writing the checks for household bills knows how painful it can feel, but for people living with arthritis, the act of writing can be physically painful as well. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in five U.S. adults (46.4 million) has doctor-diagnosed arthritis. In Wyoming, arthritis affects 109,000 residents, including seniors, adults and even young adults and children.   “The best remedy for arthritis is to stay active, exercise, and keep moving,” according to occupational therapist Carla Wilhite, professor at the University of North Dakota–Casper College Master of Occupational Therapy Program. However, there are many simple devices and daily living aids that can ease some of the pain of arthritis, as well as conserve energy and protect joints during activity, says Wilhite.   On October 1, 2009, the Wyoming Assistive Technology Resources Program at the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Institute for Disabilities and Casper’s University of North Dakota Student Occupational Therapy Association collaborated in opening an assistive technology and device demonstration center, with a technology demonstration changing every six weeks.   Funding, program support and devices are provided by Wyoming Assistive Technology Resources. The assistive technology and device demonstration center will be open each week from 4:00 p.m. to 6 p.m. Occupational therapy students will be available to demonstrate the devices, assist people who try the devices and give information about where the devices can be obtained. The program does not sell devices or represent sellers or vendors.   Since 2005, Wyoming Assistive Technology Resource’s aim has been to increase access to and acquisition of assistive technology that helps increase the capability and independence of people who live with conditions of disability.   The University of North Dakota at Casper College Occupational Therapy Program has been in existence for 16 years and represents a unique partnership between Casper College and the University of North Dakota to provide graduate education in occupational therapy.   # # # Contact: Denis MacLeod, communications coordinator, Center for Rural Health, (701) 777-3300, dmacleod@medicine.nodak.edu     [ top ] H1N1 Resources for Professionals and the Public Links to information about the flu, both seasonal and H1N1, for health professionals and for the public may be found at http://www.ebscohost.com/flu/. There are sets of resources from DyunaMed for clinicians, from Nursing Reference Center for nurses, and from Patient Education Reference Center for patients and the public. The Federal government is providing one-stop access to flu information at http://flu.gov.  Information includes H1N1, avian and seasonal flu information for both professioanals and the public. All information is available for free to all users of the Internet.   Submitted by Barb Knight and Lila Pedersen [ top ] Library of the Health Sciences hours on Veteran's Day The Library of the Health Sciences will be open from 1:00 pm - 12:00 am (midnight) on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2009. Submitted by April Byars [ top ] North Dakota Medicine is Going Green If you would like to receive the North Dakota Medicine by email please visit www.ndmedicine.org/subscribe.cfm. Once registered you will start receiving each new issue electronically. Submitted by the Office of Public Affaris [ top ] E-News E-News is a weekly electronic newsletter for and about UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences. It contains information about grants, research, events, seminars, meetings, honors and awards. E-NewsPublication Submission Form. E-News publication is coordinated through the Office of Public Affairs. Deadline for publication is Wednesday of each week before 4:00 p.m. Types of announcements to submit to E-News: News and information of interest to faculty, staff and/or students Major events and seminars of interest to the entire UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Research opportunities Opportunities for scholarships, grants and awards Official organization activities, meetings and workshops Awards, achievements, recognition   Types of announcements that will not be posted in E-News: Job postings Commercial advertising Classified ads of any sort   Any questions about submission content please contact: Shelley Pohlman Public Affairs UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences 701-777-4305 spohlman@medicine.nodak.edu [ top ] University Letter University Letter, published on Tuesdays, is distributed electronically to the University community and is always available online. For more information, contact Jan Orvik, editor, janorvik@mail.und.edu, (701) 777-3621. [ top ] Pharmacology, Physiology & Therapeutics Seminar Laurel Grisanti, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Therapeutics, will present a seminar titled “Adrenergic modulation of LPS-induced inflammation in myeloid cells” on Friday, November 13 at 2:00pm in Rm. 3933 in the School of Medicine. This seminar series is sponsored by the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence Pathophysiological Signaling in Neurodegenerative Disorders and the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Therapeutics.  All are welcome to attend. Submitted by Deb Kroese [ top ] Anatomy and Cell Biology Seminar Series Holly Brown-Borg, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Therapeutics, UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences, will present a seminar on Monday, November 9, 2009, at 12:00 p.m., in the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Room 5510. The seminar is entitled “Role of methionine in stress resistance and aging.” All are welcome to attend. Submitted by Bonnie Kee [ top ] Jodi Ramberg    tobacco quitline counselor    jramberg@medicine.nodak.edu    701-777-2097 Jodi Ramberg has joined the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Family & Community Medicine as a North Dakota Tobacco Quitline counselor. As a counselor, she will provide telephone counseling for North Dakota residents who have a desire to quit using tobacco. Jodi received her Master of Arts in Counseling with an emphasis on Addictions from UND. She has worked with people who are chemically dependent in adult inpatient and adolescent outpatient treatment.  In her spare time, Jodi enjoys bicycling, reading, spending time with her family, and being involved with her church.  She lives in Crookston, Minnesota, with her husband and their two cats.  [ top ] Aly Wilhelmi    tobacco quitline counselor    awilhelmi@medicine.nodak.edu    701-777-3200 Aly Wilhelmi has joined the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Family and Community Medicine as a North Dakota Tobacco Quitline Counselor. As a counselor, she will use motivational interviewing to evoke movement along the stages of change for tobacco cessation. She will also work with members to individualize treatment plans to make lifestyle changes and empower members to use coping skills, seek healthful support, and gain knowledge of addiction. Previously, she worked as a senior occupational therapist and care coordinator at the Cold Spring Minnesota Community Behavioral Health Hospital, where she championed person-centered treatment planning. During this work experience, Aly provided Level I Fieldwork experiences for UND Occupational Therapy students. Aly received her Master of Occupational Therapy in 2007 from UND. While at UND, she was a recipient of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges for three years. Aly is a professional member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a volunteer with Grand Forks Pageants, and a House Corporation board member and alumna of Gamma Phi Beta. In her spare time, Aly enjoys singing at church and community events, walking and running, scrapbooking, yoga, and writing theatrical scripts. [ top ] Elizabeth Bradshaw    tobacco quitline counselor    ebradshaw@medicine.nodak.edu    701-777-3200 Elizabeth Bradshaw has joined the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Family & Community Medicine as a North Dakota Tobacco Quitline counselor.  Elizabeth graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Dakota with a B.S. in Psychology, and she completed J.D. at the UND School of Law. In her free time, Elizabeth volunteers for the jewelry-making events at Night Life. She also enjoys reading and watching movies.   [ top ] Anne Freier    tobacco quitline counselor    afreier@medicine.nodak.edu    701-777-2664   Anne Freier has joined the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Family & Community Medicine as a North Dakota Tobacco Quitline counselor.  Anne earned her B.S. in Emergency Management from North Dakota State University and her M.A. in Counseling from the University of North Dakota.  Anne has a six-month old daughter, McKenzie. [ top ] Brenda Field    tobacco quitline counselor    brendafield@medicine.nodak.edu    701-777-3200 Brenda Field has joined the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Family & Community Medicine as a North Dakota Tobacco Quitline counselor.  Brenda attended the University of Minnesota for her B.S. in Psychology and Sociology and her M.A. in Criminology from University of Minnesota-Duluth.   [ top ]