FAIRFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The GE Foundation announced today a $2.3 million grant to National Medical Fellowships (NMF) for the creation of the GE-NMF Primary Care Leadership Program (PCLP), providing future healthcare professionals the opportunity to experience primary care practice in community health centers across the US. NMF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing minority representation in medicine and the health professions.

The two-year grant from the GE Foundation aims to draw future health professionals into primary care while building the capacity of community health centers. The partnership with NMF builds on GEs $50 million commitment to increase access to healthcare through its Developing HealthTM initiative -- currently in 74 community health centers in 20 US cities.

With an alarming shortage of primary care professionals anticipated in the years to come, PCLP enlists talented and motivated students to be part of the solution. We hope to ignite these students passion for a future career in medically underserved communities, said Bob Corcoran, Vice President, GE Corporate Citizenship, and President and Chair, GE Foundation.

This week 38 PCLP scholars currently enrolled in medical, nursing and physician assistant programs across the country are being assigned to community health centers located in primary care shortage areas in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Nashville and Jackson, MS. Participants will complete 200 service learning hours that includes a leadership development component, mentorship from academic institutions and program advisors, and networking opportunities with NMF alumni.

These selective scholars will undergo intense exposure to the challenges facing community health centers: newly eligible populations, transitioning to electronic medical records, and a shortage of primary healthcare providers. At this early stage of their careers, this hands-on experience will provide them with clinical skills and help them recognize their potential to make a significant and positive impact on hundreds, if not thousands of lives, said Esther R. Dyer, President & CEO, NMF.

Scholars were accepted into the PCLP program after being ranked by a faculty and regional advisory board and NMFs National Advisory Committee based on their personal statements, academic achievements, leadership potential, and recommendations.

Dr. H. Jack Geiger, a NMF Board member and a leader of the community health movement of more than 50 years said, Community health centers serve populations that are forgotten and left behind by other healthcare providers. These students will receive a unique experience not afforded to their peers. They will have the chance to dramatically change the lives of those in the local community by changing the way care is organized and delivered to patients.

While this is the GE Foundations first US-focused grant to NMF, there is an established relationship between the two. Since 2005, the GE Foundation has collaborated with NMF on the GE-NMF International Medical Scholars Program that enables 4th year minority medical students to experience practicing medicine in Africa with a focus on critical regional health care needs.

About NMF

View post:
GE Foundation Announces $2.3 Million Grant to National Medical Fellowships to Cultivate Pipeline of Primary Care ...

The University of Houston Law Center is a tier one law school, meaning it is one of the top in the United States. There are a number of renowned specialty LL.M. programs here, with two (Health Law and Intellectual Property & Information Law) ranked in the Top Ten according to U.S. News & World Report. There are more than 200 courses offered at the school. Students will also find that they are at a great advantage by studying in Houston, which is the fourth largest city in the United States and is a a global leader in healthcare, energy, international business and other disciplines.

Pic: University of Houston Law Center

University of Houston law students can choose from six specialty areas in which to focus their studies.

The Intellectual Property and Information Law concentration are of prime importance in the global economy. The UH Law Center in the Institute for Intellectual Property & Information Law has been recognized as one of the Top 10 programs in the United States for its superior research and scholarship traditions. Topics covered under this discipline include traditional and contemporary intellectual property issues. In addition to patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secrets, students will also learn about information law as it applies to internet, software, electronic commerce, and databases.

The Master of Laws program in Intellectual Property & Information Law is offered on both a full-time and part-time basis, and applicants are expected to have reputable research and/or practice credentials. Most students in this program also have some background in this branch of the legal field.

The University of Houston Law Center is also home to one of the Top 10 health law programs in the United States. The universitys Health Law & Policy Institute was founded in 1998 with the mission of advancing the understanding of health law issues and providing guidance for significant policy decisions affecting all aspects of health care.

The LL.M. in Health Law program emphasizes student participation in campus events and activities and affords them excellent professional opportunities through the schools partnerships, including one with the Texas Medical Center. Prior to completing the program, all Health Law masters candidates must write a 50-page thesis that is considered of publishable quality.

The Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Lawprogram includes eleven energy courses and is one of the most extensive energy curriculums in the world. Degree candidates are trained to understand and address the legal and policy issues that arise in the following areas: energy production, transportation, and use; pollution prevention and biodiversity protection; and natural resources exploitation and conservation.

Pic: University of Houston Law Center

There is a good deal of flexibility in this program, as students can choose to focus on one particular area of energy law study, or they can take a broader look at how different policies fit together. Faculty members who teach this program have international reputations in energy law and domestic and international environmental policy. A team of adjuncts also teaches in the energy discipline. The UH Law Center students produce the Environmental & Energy Law & Policy Journal and coordinate a symposium each year.

Visit link:
University of Houston Law Center

At a spot where a medical student was killed by a car four years ago, volunteers gathered Sunday to spread a traffic-calming message.

Abigail Roth, one of the event organizers, sent in the following report:

The citys Street Smarts campaign became more visible at the busy intersections around Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Smilow Cancer Center on June 3, thanks to the work of volunteers partnering with the City of New Haven, Yale University, and Yale-New Haven Hospital.

This is the fourth year volunteers have used art to spread the message of traffic safety. When this project first took place in 2009, a large, colorful elm leaf mural was painted directly on the street at the intersection of Cedar and York Streets. The idea came from a graduate of Yale Medical School, Erica Mintzer 09. She was one of many medical students who dedicated themselves to improving traffic safety in New Haven after their fellow student, Mila Rainof MED 08, died after being hit by a car near the Medical School. The mural was intended to slow motorists down, beautify the public space, and make people feel more connected to the space. Yale-New Haven Hospital and the City of New Haven were great supporters of the project.

The elm leaf mural unfortunately lasted only for a few days because of its location on a heavily-trafficked road. Therefore in 2010, it was decided to instead paint smaller stencil designs directly on the sidewalk on York Street. This was a great success: having the Citys bright Orange Street Smarts logo at curb cuts leading to intersections reminds pedestrians to use care crossing the street.

Last year the project expanded beyond York Street. Volunteers joined with students from Solar Youth to paint logos near Katherine Brennan and Clarence Rogers schools. This year the project expanded in a different direction, to celebrate the City and Yale-New Haven hospital finishing a project to upgrade 12 intersections around the Smilow Cancer Center. Along with repainting crosswalks and installing material on the curb cuts to assist people with disabilities, new traffic signals at the intersections are equipped with fully coordinated, demand-responsive controller systems, including countdown screens. To recognize this important project, and enhance its safety message, the logos were painted at several intersections with the new signals, including where South Frontage intersects with York, Park, and Howe Streets.

Besides improving traffic safety, this project importantly brings together the New Haven community. The City and YNHH provided wonderful support for the project with Jim Travers, Director, Transportation, Traffic, and Parking, volunteering his time early on a Sunday morning to paint logos and Nick Proto, Director, Protective Services and Parking at YNHH and Steve Merz, VP, Administration, YNHH providing invaluable logistical support. New Haven residents, including Esther Rose-Wilen from Wilbur Cross High School and Lindsey Ruminski of JCBA; Yale employee Kim Heard of Environmental Health and Safety; and Yale alumni-employees Abby Roth and Beth Miller, participating in a belated Yale Day of Service event, all joined together for this fun but important project. The participants look forward to continuing making New Havens streets safer.

Click here for more information on the Street Smarts campaign.

Maybe we need a distinct marking on the street at each location a person has been killed or maimed.

Visit link:
Safe Streets Message Spreads

SPECIAL TO THE LOG CABIN

Dr. Noel W. Lawson, M. D., a native of Conway, was one of four alumni recently inducted into the College of Medicine Hall of Fame during the Deans Honor Day ceremony on the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences campus April 17.

Lawson is a 1957 graduate of Conway High School, a 1961 graduate of Hendrix College and 1965 graduate of UAMS.

The Hall of Fame, established in 2004, recognizes graduates and faculty members from throughout the colleges

history who have achieved special distinction as physicians, scientists and leaders.

Inductees have all made a significant impact on the College of Medicine or the health of Arkansans and patients from around the world.

Dr. Lawson began his career at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, where he directed cardiac anesthesia and the Surgical Intensive Care Unit from 1972 to 1974.

He returned to Arkansas to direct the Intensive Care Unit and work with some of UAMS most renowned surgical leaders from 1974 to 1981.

His innovations at UAMS included development of deep hypothermia in pediatric heart surgery and controlled hypotension in total joint replacement.

He also was medical director of UAMS emergency medical technicians program.

See the original post here:
UAMS Hall of Fame welcomes Lawson

WILKES-BARRE A crisis management expert says Penn State can use the Jerry Sandusky case to strengthen its bond with students and alumni and rebuild its image. Local supporters say their loyalty has not wavered, although some are disappointed with the treatment of former head football coach Joe Paterno.

If Penn State University is larger than the Sandusky case and I believe it is then it should act like it, said Scott Sobel, president and chief executive officer of Media & Communications Strategies in Washington, D.C. Crisis situations are also opportunities to have a focus on your school, do the right thing and rebound even stronger.

Sobel, whose firm has extensive experience in crisis management, referred to the old adage that What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.

Going through the pain of almost getting killed actually makes you stronger and better, Sobel said. An iconic institution like Penn State should be able to weather this storm.

Tom Pugh of Hunlock Creek, former vice president at Allied Services John Heinz Institute, is a proud Penn State grad, as are his four children. He said the great shame is that Paterno never had the opportunity to defend himself in a trial as Sandusky will.

Penn States reputation is not at stake, Pugh said. The reputation of Mr. Sandusky is at stake here. The university is much bigger than Sandusky and will be just fine.

Pugh said Penn States reputation and image have not been badly tarnished. He said the Sandusky scandal is not a reflection of the university, its graduates, students or its administration.

Sandusky is a reflection of Sandusky, he said. If he is convicted of the charges, he should be punished severely.

Pugh said everyone he comes in contact with offers support for Penn State.

One person Paterno has been disparaged and hes certainly not in a position to defend himself to tell his side of this story, Pugh said.

Original post:
Better days foreseen for Penn State

From May 19-27, 2012, thirteen Duke alumni and friends will travel to Port au Prince, Haiti, for a week of service with Family Health Ministries, an NGO whose mission is to assist Haitian communities in their efforts to build and sustain healthy families.

This is our second trip with Family Health Ministries. The team will spend their week assisting in a medical clinic in Blanchard, just outside of Port-au-Prince. Kathy Walmer, Executive Director of Family Health Ministries and adjunct professor at the Duke Global Health Institute, and Hardy Vieux '93, DAA Board President, will be leading the group again this year.

Please check back often for their messages and updates during their time in Haiti. Blog posts are being written by the group.

May 27 | May 26 | May 24 | May 23 |May 22 | May 21 | May 19

Much of our downtime over the past week was spent on the rooftop of our guest house, enjoying each others company, staring at the moon and stars, and listening to sounds of Haiti - and our last night was no different.

After arriving "home" from our weekend away, we met for a final reflection session on our rooftop. Our conversation centered around the ways in which we'd incorporate our experiences in Haiti into our lives when we returned to the United States. Some ideas were simple: conserve more water, express gratitude and say please and thank you. The adventure in Haiti helped others reflect and provide perspective on professional and personal issues they were grappling with in their own lives back home. Some of us expressed concern about how to share Haiti with our family, friends and colleagues. In a week, we saw the harsh realities of living in an under-developed country that suffers from lack of infrastructure in not only health care but a multitude of areas, including urban planning, sanitation, and "basic" utilities (such as clean running water, sewage, electricity,etc.) juxtaposed with the spirit of the Haitian people, their gratitude, joy, optimism and strong belief in God.

Neither the pictures we have taken nor the words we have written can begin to describe how each of us has experienced Haiti this past week. Haiti will forever be in our hearts.

View original post here:
Follow Duke Alumni on a Service Trip to Haiti with Family Health Ministries

Nineteen-year-old Patricia Dominguez recalled that when she first arrived at Renaissance High School in Santa Paula last year, she was considered a freshman in her senior year of highschool.

"I thought to myself, 'There's no way I'm going to make it,' and I knew it wasn't going to be easy, she said. But "I knew I didn't want to be a 20-year-old and still in high school, let alone a high schooldropout."

She never gave up, completing all four years of high school inoneyear.

Dominguez graduated and received her diploma Tuesday night with the rest of the senior class during Renaissance High School's 42nd annual graduation ceremony held inside the Santa Paula High Schoolauditorium.

The school helps students short on academic credits, and 12 seniors from the school successfully transferred back at midyear to Santa Paula HighSchool.

Nine of the graduating seniors at Renaissance held academic honors. In addition, the students also performed many community-service projects, said the school's principal, RobinGillette.

"Many of our graduates are the first in their families to graduate from high school. They may be the first to go to college. Some, as young as they are, are already parents. Many have attended school by day, held down a job and worked on online classes to the wee hours of the morning," Gillettesaid.

Gillette noted that the students' journey "was not always smoothsailing."

"Along the way, they have encountered typhoons, whirlpools, and the occasional tsunami, all of which has taken a toll on their ship," Gillettesaid.

Along with the help of the school staff, members family and friends, she said, the students "navigated through the storm to achieve their first of many milestones tocome."

Read more:
In Santa Paula, Renaissance grads' success hailed

Friends and family are remembering three former Plainfield North High School students who were killed Monday when a semitrailer truck struck their car in unincorporated Kendall County.

On Tuesday, some of those mourners visited the crash site at Schlapp Road and Route 126, where Plainfield residents Tyler Montgomery, 19, and Brian Herrera, 19, were both pronounced dead following the crash. Alexis Banuelos, 18, of Naperville, was taken to Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, where she died later Monday, authorities said.

Among the visitors were Alexis parents, Ricardo and Raquel, who said they hold no one at fault for the tragic accident.

Police said the truck hit the teens car after Herrera pulled in front of it from a stop sign on southbound Schlapp Road. The car entered the intersection where the truck driver, heading east on Route 126, couldnt stop in time to avoid the collision, police said.

The truck driver did not have a stop sign. He was not cited.

We have no ill will toward anybody involved, Ricardo Banuelos said Tuesday. We know the truck driver did everything in his power to stop. Were just hurting right now.

Tyler and Alexis, who friends said were a couple, attended Joliet Junior College. All three teens became friends several years ago while attending Plainfield North.

School officials said Tyler graduated in 2010 and Alexis graduated a year later. Brian was last enrolled in one of Plainfield Norths alternative programs in early 2011, but school officials said he did not graduate.

Plainfield North is on summer break, so officials said they will not launch the crisis plan that typically would go into effect in response to deaths of students or recent alumni.

But former classmates and friends still are grieving.

Read more:
Family, friends remember teens klilled in 'tragic accident'

In 1948, Alfred Sellers was 24 years old, a returned veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, and a handful of credits shy of completing an interrupted pre-med degree at Temple University when he was accepted to start immediately at Duke Medical School.

He went on to graduate first in his class and begin what would be a nearly 60-year career as a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, retiring four years ago at the age of 84.

It always nagged at him a bit, filling out forms for the many professional organizations he would join over the years, that in the space for undergraduate degree, he had to write Incomplete.

As of June 1, though, that gap in his resume no longer exists.

In a special ceremony at his apartment at Waverly Heights in Gladwyne that afternoon, the longtime Penn Valley resident donned a cap and gown to receive a diploma presented by Dean Teresa Soufas of Temples College of Liberal Arts herself. Vice Dean Jayne Drake, also in full academic regalia, joined her to make Dr. Alfred Sellers Temples newest recipient of a bachelor of science degree in chemistry.

To be a full-fledged Owl delighted Sellers, who told his guests, My days at Temple were happy days.

It is Temples absolute honor to count you among our graduates and alums, said Soufas, as Sellerss two sons, Joseph and David, looked proudly on.

One of the things the dean and I do at every [graduation] ceremony is tell Temple stories: stories about the persistence of students, what theyve gone through to get their degrees, Drake remarked. Part of the legacy of Temple is persistence; the idea that youve done something worth doing and have done it through persistence.

It is hard to imagine a better example than Sellerss unique journey.

VIDEOPLAYSBELOW Continued...

Read this article:
Persistence pays off, World War II vet gets his diploma