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3/15/2010 Senate Chided for Slow OK of Border Chief, The Washington Times
The failure by Congress and the White House to confirm a permanent head of the agency that protects America's borders against terrorists, drug smugglers and illegal immigrants is a national security concern. Daniel J. Kaniewski, deputy director of GW's Homeland Security Policy Institute, says the delay is caused by the Finance Committee's preoccupation with Health Care reform and is a reflection of a dysfunctional oversight system.

Full report online: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/15/senate-chided-slow-approval-new-border-chief//print/
posted: March 15, 2010, 12:14 PM
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. Hotez discusses how vaccinations can help to resolve international conflicts and nurture global diplomacy.

Full report online: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/327/5971/1301
posted: March 13, 2010, 2:33 PM
updated: March 15, 2010, 9:43 AM
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 diet changes that can help you become healthier.

Full report online: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/thenews/thesci/story.php?id=15419&package_id=3623
posted: March 13, 2010, 2:26 PM
updated: March 15, 2010, 10:29 AM
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 Medical Faculty Associates and U-Systems, Inc. is helping detect those cancers early. Rachel Brem, M.D., director of the Breast Imaging and Intervention Center and professor of Radiology, says mammograms are not enough for some women; those who have dense breasts need additional screening.

Full report online: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0310/715088.html
posted: March 13, 2010, 2:18 PM
updated: March 15, 2010, 10:32 AM
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. GW's Anthony Scialli, M.D., clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that women with chronic pelvic pain consult with a doctor they trust in order to coordinate efforts to seek relief to this complex problem.

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
posted: March 13, 2010, 2:09 PM
updated: March 15, 2010, 10:33 AM
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
posted: March 13, 2010, 1:59 PM
Himmelfarb Library and SPHHS Host World AIDS Day Poster Exhibit read »
posted: March 8, 2010, 11:29 AM
updated: March 11, 2010, 3:40 PM
PRESS RELEASE: Dr. Merle Cunningham Named 2010 Distinguished Visitor in Community Health Policy at GW School of Public Health and Health Services read »
posted: March 8, 2010, 11:20 AM
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
posted: March 8, 2010, 11:05 AM
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
posted: March 8, 2010, 10:56 AM
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
posted: March 8, 2010, 10:36 AM
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
posted: March 8, 2010, 10:31 AM
PRESS RELEASE: GW Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy Issues Recommendations on Improving Government Science read »
posted: March 3, 2010, 12:29 PM
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
posted: March 1, 2010, 10:22 AM
Leading the Exercise Revolution: GW Department of Exercise Science Launches New Program in Physical Activity in Public Health read »
posted: March 1, 2010, 10:20 AM
PRESS RELEASE: GW Department of Exercise Science Launches M.P.H. and Graduate Certificate in Physical Activity in Public Health read »
posted: March 1, 2010, 10:15 AM
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
posted: March 1, 2010, 10:09 AM
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
posted: March 1, 2010, 9:59 AM
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
posted: March 1, 2010, 9:54 AM
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
posted: February 22, 2010, 11:47 AM
School of Public Health and Health Services Alumna Named NAACP Chairwoman read »
posted: February 22, 2010, 11:38 AM
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
posted: February 22, 2010, 11:27 AM
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
posted: February 22, 2010, 11:21 AM
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
posted: February 22, 2010, 11:10 AM
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
posted: February 22, 2010, 11:03 AM
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
posted: February 22, 2010, 9:41 AM
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
posted: February 22, 2010, 9:31 AM
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
posted: February 22, 2010, 9:17 AM
Health Care and National Security: GW Medical Center a Key Stop on National Defense University’s Health Care Industry Tour read »
posted: February 19, 2010, 9:31 AM
PRESS RELEASE: GW Health Sciences Establishes a Nursing Alliance for Quality Care Initiative Funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation read »
posted: February 16, 2010, 11:10 AM
PRESS RELEASE: On the First Anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act New Report Finds Investment in Health Centers Yields Major Returns read »
posted: February 16, 2010, 10:25 AM
updated: February 22, 2010, 11:54 AM

Himmelfarb Library and SPHHS Host World AIDS Day Poster Exhibit

posted: March 8, 2010, 11:29 AM

updated: March 11, 2010, 3:40 PM

The GW Medical Center community is invited to view a World AIDS Day poster exhibit featuring artwork by children from around the world. The exhibit, which is presented by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), will be hosted by Himmelfarb Library and the School of Public Health and Health Services. The exhibit runs March 8-31 on the first floor of the library.

PRESS RELEASE: Dr. Merle Cunningham Named 2010 Distinguished Visitor in Community Health Policy at GW School of Public Health and Health Services

posted: March 8, 2010, 11:20 AM

For Immediate Release

March 3, 2010

Media Contact: Melissa Kadish

202-994-8874; mcmmsk@gwumc.edu

Dr. Merle Cunningham Named 2010 Distinguished Visitor in Community Health Policy at GW School of Public Health and Health Services

Cunningham is the First Health Center Clinician to Participate in Program

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Health Policy, is pleased to announce that Merle Cunningham, M.D., M.P.H., has been named the 2010 Geiger Gibson Distinguished Visitor in Community Health Policy.

As a Distinguished Visitor in Health Policy, Dr. Cunningham will work on the development of health center leadership and management education and training programs, will collaborate on health policy research and will lecture in management and policy. Dr. Cunningham’s visitorship will span the Departments of Health Policy and Management and Leadership to train health center managers.

"The program is indeed fortunate to be able to host another health center leader,” said Sara Rosenbaum, J.D., Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Policy and chair, Department of Health Policy. “We are particularly pleased to be able to host our first health center clinician.”

The Distinguished Visitorship is part of the Geiger Gibson Program, which honors Drs. Jack Geiger and Count Gibson, pioneers in community health and tireless advocates for human rights, and which celebrates the nation’s community health centers. Individuals selected as Distinguished Visitors are among the nation’s leaders in community health policy and practice.

Dr. Cunningham is a practicing family physician with over 35 years of experience in various aspects of health care management. He currently serves as network medical director of the Sunset Park/Lutheran Family Health Centers in Brooklyn, New York, where he is responsible for the clinical management of one of nation’s largest and most comprehensive health center networks.

Prior to joining Sunset Park/Lutheran Family Health Centers, Dr. Cunningham held senior positions with the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), the United States Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Primary Health Care, and Plan de Salud del Valle, a network of migrant and community health centers serving rural and urban areas of Colorado. Dr. Cunningham plays leadership roles in the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), as well as New York State’s health center primary care association.

Dr. Cunningham earned a medical degree with distinction in research on community health centers from the University of Rochester (NY), completed his Family Practice residency at Montefiore Medical Center (Bronx NY) and earned a master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University. He is currently a faculty member at AT Still University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine, and a founder of its Brooklyn, NY campus. Dr. Cunningham also has held faculty appointments at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

About The George Washington University Medical Center

The George Washington University Medical Center is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary academic health center that has consistently provided high-quality medical care in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area since 1824. The Medical Center comprises the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the 11th oldest medical school in the country; the School of Public Health and Health Services, the only such school in the nation’s capital; GW Hospital, jointly owned and operated by a partnership between The George Washington University and a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc.; and The GW Medical Faculty Associates, an independent medical practice with nearly 350 physicians in 42 clinical specialties. For more information on GWUMC, visit www.gwumc.edu.

PRESS RELEASE: GW Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy Issues Recommendations on Improving Government Science

posted: March 3, 2010, 12:29 PM

For Immediate Release

March 3, 2010

Media Contact: Melissa Kadish

202-994-8874; mcmmsk@gwumc.edu

GW Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy Issues Recommendations on Improving Government Science

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new report from the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy’s (SKAPP) Scientists in Government project at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services concludes that policies regarding the roles and responsibilities of federal scientists need to be consistent across federal agencies and clearly communicated to the scientific workforce. As the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s signing of his Memorandum on Scientific Integrity approaches, the report Strengthening Science in Government: Advancing Science in the Public’s Interest identifies concrete steps that agencies and the executive branch can take to strengthen federal science.

“For the nation to tackle the pressing health and environmental issues we’re facing, federal agencies must have talented scientists doing top-quality work,” explains lead author Susan F. Wood, Ph.D. “Improving the scientific work environments at federal agencies will allow our nation’s scientific workforce to contribute most effectively to these critical agency missions.”

From May 2008 through January 2009, the Scientists in Government project conducted 37 semi-structured, in-depth, confidential interviews with individuals working on environmental and health-related issues at 13 different federal agencies. A literature review and review of publicly available online agency policies regarding scientific research were also conducted.

A follow-up survey conducted in July and August 2009 found that most subjects did not view conditions at their agencies as having improved noticeably since the change in administration. “Effecting change at large federal agencies will take time and a great deal of effort,” said Wood. “But it is essential that these changes occur.”

The qualitative research study and policy analysis conducted by SKAPP researchers has yielded recommendations on a wide range of issues affecting scientists working for federal agencies. In-depth interviews with scientists from federal agencies found that morale is low and eroding, and existing agency policies seem insufficient to address scientists’ concerns.

Critical issues affecting morale include continually shifting priorities, burdensome bureaucratic processes, inadequate resources and perceptions of agency principles being undermined by external pressures. To address these problems, recommendations for agencies include:

· Improving management training and overall management approaches for scientific projects and staff, including promoting opportunities for honest feedback without fear of retaliation;

· Minimizing the bureaucratic maze needed to initiate new research and to allow for publication or other dissemination of research results, with or without disclaimers;

· Providing the opportunity for scientists to communicate with the public, while also providing any support or training that scientists need to improve their skills in public communication;

· Promoting engagement with federal scientists at other agencies and with the larger scientific community, including sharing of data and professional opportunities; and

· Minimizing the impact of inappropriate influence from non-scientific directions, while recognizing the appropriate role of elected officials and the public in shaping the mission and policies of the agencies.

The report’s overarching recommendation is to ensure policy consistency and clear communication across federal science-based agencies. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Office of Management and Budget have a critical role in ensuring that agencies adopt policies that create environments conducive to conducting strong science.

To read the full report, visit:

http://defendingscience.org/newsroom/Scientists-in-Government-full-report.cfm.

About The George Washington University Medical Center

Leading the Exercise Revolution: GW Department of Exercise Science Launches New Program in Physical Activity in Public Health

posted: March 1, 2010, 10:20 AM

By Anna Miller (mcmamm@gwumc.edu)

Call The George Washington University’s School of Public Health and Health Services’ new program in Physical Activity in Public Health “revolutionary,” and Loretta DiPietro, Ph.D., M.P.H., the program director and chair of the Department of Exercise Science, shakes her head dismissively. “Revolutionary?” she asks. “I’ve been studying this my whole life!”

For Dr. DiPietro—who, in the 1980s, was one of the original four scholars in the nation to achieve a Ph.D. in physical activity epidemiology—the new program that addresses the undeniable relationship between physical inactivity and chronic disease is long overdue. But, for others around the country who are only just now awakening to the crippling effects of inactivity—“revolutionary” is an apposite adjective.

“Because sedentary-related diseases are relatively new problems, neither the classical field of public health—which adopts a broader, population-based perspective—nor the discipline of exercise science—which is grounded in individual physiology—has known exactly how to deal with them,” says Todd Miller, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Exercise Science. “Somehow, somewhere, there needs to be something that bridges that gap—and this is exactly the kind of program that will make it happen.”

The program, which will begin this fall, offers both a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) and a graduate certificate in Physical Activity in Public Health and will train graduate students to integrate physical activity into the core of public health practice. Unlike the current Master of Science in Exercise Science, the M.P.H. will provide graduates with a license to translate the science of exercise-related physiology into public health practice.

“We are training expert physiologists, program designers and epidemiologists,” says Dr. DiPietro. “Their topic of study will be related to physical activity and exercise, and specifically, how it relates to health and function at the community level.”

The program offers tracks in both epidemiology and program design and evaluation. The epidemiology track identifies the role of physical activity in the etiology, prevention and treatment of chronic disease at the local, national and global levels. The track in program design and evaluation will produce public health scientists and practitioners able to assist public and private agencies with program development and evaluation with regard to physical activity, health promotion and disease prevention.

“We believe this program addresses a very important need in the public health arena right now,” says Dr. DiPietro. “Disuse and lifestyle-related diseases now comprise the majority of the public health burden.”

The launch of this program comes at a time when the promotion of physical activity has become top priority on the public health agenda around the world. Not only is GW’s new degree a step towards realizing one of the top goals identified by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Commission to Build a Healthier America, but it also underscores the goals of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, a campaign combating the epidemic of childhood obesity.

“As we join the efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama, this new degree program reflects GW’s deep commitment to our nation, by making activity a central goal for every citizen,” says Josef Reum, Ph.D., interim dean, School of Public Health and Health Services. “There is no better place than right here, right now if you want to change the world.”

And for Dr. DiPietro, doing so is better late than never. “Dr. DiPietro has always been ahead of the wave,” says her colleague, Karen McDonnell, Ph.D., associate professor of Prevention and Community Health. “In fact, she is the wave.”

To learn more about the program, visit http://www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/academicprograms/programs/MPH_Graduate_Certificate/MPH_Cert_PA.pdf

PRESS RELEASE: GW Department of Exercise Science Launches M.P.H. and Graduate Certificate in Physical Activity in Public Health

posted: March 1, 2010, 10:15 AM

For Immediate Release

March 1, 2010

Media Contact: Melissa Kadish

202-994-8874; mcmmsk@gwumc.edu

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Exercise Science in The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) announces the launch of a new program in Physical Activity in Public Health. The program, which will begin this fall, offers both a Master of Public Health and a Graduate Certificate and will train graduate students to integrate physical activity into the core of public health practice.

“This program addresses a very important need in the public health arena right now,” said Loretta DiPietro, Ph.D., M.P.H., chair of the Department of Exercise Science. “Disuse and lifestyle-related diseases now comprise the majority of the public health burden. We are confronting the fact that most chronic diseases can be traced back to sedentary living or lifestyle related behaviors.”

Obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases are widely recognized public health problems; however, physical inactivity—a root of these problems—is often overlooked. In reality, sedentary lifestyle and its consequent metabolic and cardiovascular complications assume a considerable public health burden in the United States

The program at GW is one of the first in the nation to bridge the gap between traditional exercise science and public health. Using a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to the study and application of physical activity, GW’s program addresses the relatively novel problem of sedentary-related diseases in a completely innovative way. Further, the degree itself represents GW’s steps toward realizing one of the top goals identified by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Commission to Build a Healthier America, a commission supported by faculty, staff and students at SPHHS.

“We like to say, ‘there is no better place than right here, right now if you want to change the world,’ said Josef Reum, Ph.D., interim dean, School of Public Health and Health Services. “This new degree program—only the second of its kind in the nation—reflects our deep commitments to 1) changing the minds of people about their own health behaviors, 2) our own community, as DC is one of the least active places in our country, and 3) our nation, as we join the efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama in making activity a central goal for every citizen, and in our world.”

Students entering the program may elect a track in either epidemiology or in program design and evaluation. The epidemiology track adopts an ecological perspective, identifying the role of physical activity in the etiology, prevention and treatment of chronic disease at the community, national and global levels. The program design and evaluation track trains students to become public health scientists and practitioners able to assist public and private agencies with program development and evaluation with regard to physical activity, health promotion and disease prevention.

While the Department of Exercise Science already offers a Master of Science in Exercise Science, the Master of Public Health is unique in that it is a license to practice. With this degree, graduates will be equipped to translate the science of exercise-related physiology into public health practice. Those coming out of this program will be exceptionally well-trained physiologists, program designers and epidemiologists.

For more information about the Physical Activity in Public Health program, visit: http://www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/academicprograms/programs/MPH_Graduate_Certificate/MPH_Cert_PA.pdf

About The George Washington University Medical Center
The George Washington University Medical Center is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary academic health center that has consistently provided high-quality medical care in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area since 1824. The Medical Center comprises the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the 11th oldest medical school in the country; the School of Public Health and Health Services, the only such school in the nation’s capital; GW Hospital, jointly owned and operated by a partnership between The George Washington University and a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc.; and The GW Medical Faculty Associates, an independent medical practice with nearly 350 physicians in 42 clinical specialties. For more information on GWUMC, visit www.gwumc.edu.

School of Public Health and Health Services Alumna Named NAACP Chairwoman

posted: February 22, 2010, 11:38 AM

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People recently announced the selection of its first new board leader in more than a decade. The board's current vice chairwoman Roslyn M. Brock, a graduate of GW's School of Public Health and Health Services, will become chairwoman of the 64-member board, which is the policymaking arm of the organization.

In being named vice chairwoman of the N.A.A.C.P. board at 35, Ms. Brock was the first woman and the youngest person to hold the position. She has more than 20 years of experience in health care administration and policy. In her current job as a vice president of Bon Secours Health Care, Ms. Brock serves as the chief spokeswoman on government relations, advocacy and public policy.

Health Care and National Security: GW Medical Center a Key Stop on National Defense University’s Health Care Industry Tour

posted: February 19, 2010, 9:31 AM

By Anna Miller (mcmamm@gwumc.edu)

Students at National Defense University’s (NDU) Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) are taking on an ambitious task. In just one semester, teams of these students—senior military officers and government leaders pursuing masters’ degrees in National Resource Strategy—must evaluate the states of various industries and provide valuable recommendations to the country’s policymakers.

“The ultimate objective is for the students to gain an understanding of the workings of an industry, the government’s role in that industry, and particularly, the national security implications of that industry,” explained Dr. William Knowlton, an NDU faculty member.

For the group evaluating the health care industry, The George Washington University Medical Center (GWUMC) was a key stop on a tour that will take them as close as Walter Reed Army Medical Center and as far as the hospital system in Budapest, Hungary. Performing their annual site visit at GW on January 29, the students spent the day exploring GW’s one-of-a-kind facilities and hearing from leading experts in health care, public health and national security.

“GW is so unique because of the nature of the hospital and its location,” said Dr. Knowlton, who has been bringing his classes to GW for nearly 15 years. “We don’t come to GW to see how care is delivered; we come to GW because there is a lot more of a focus here on emergency preparedness and response than is found at a typical hospital.”

A highlight of the group’s tour was GW’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), a full-scale incident management facility called to action during incidents such as Hurricane Isabel. The students witnessed firsthand how the EOC’s state-of-the-art technology and communication procedures equip the Medical Center community to remain prepared and safe in the face of emergencies.

A conversation with Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) Deputy Director Daniel Kaniewski further emphasized the connection between national security and international disasters. Drawing on his experience responding to the current crisis in Haiti, Mr. Kaniewski explained the importance of reacting to emergencies in a way that is neither carelessly haste nor excessively careful.

“It’s not good to just throw things at Haiti, but it’s also not good to take your time and call it a ‘normal’ disaster,” he said. “What has to happen is a hybrid—you still go through the process, but without waiting for them to ask for help.”

The students also gained industry knowledge through presentations by GWUMC experts Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., GW Distinguished Research Professor and Walter G. Ross Professor and chair, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine; Alan Greenberg, M.D., M.P.H., professor and chair, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Richard Davis, chief financial officer of the GW Hospital; and Josef Reum, Ph.D., interim dean, School of Public Health and Health Services.

"We consider it an honor and a privilege to be a part of this program,” said Provost and Vice President for Health Affairs John F. Williams, M.D., Ed.D., M.P.H., who briefed the group on advancements in medical education. “We look forward to this visit each year and are proud to support these senior military officers and civilian specialists who are working for the defense of our nation."

PRESS RELEASE: GW Health Sciences Establishes a Nursing Alliance for Quality Care Initiative Funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

posted: February 16, 2010, 11:10 AM

For Immediate Release

February 16, 2010

Media Contact: Melissa Kadish

202-994-8874; mcmmsk@gwumc.edu

WASHINGTON - The George Washington University’s Department of Nursing Education was awarded a $900,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to launch The Nursing Alliance for Quality Care (NAQC). Through a strategic and collaborative effort of the nation’s most prestigious nursing organizations, NAQC will give a unified voice to the profession of nursing, strengthening its ability to influence transparency, accountability and quality-related health reform agendas.

GW’s Department of Nursing Education will coordinate the overall program, and provide expert advice and support for the Alliance by working with nursing organizations and consumer groups to focus its advocacy efforts on quality care.

“Our goal is to become the “go to” source on quality and safety in nursing for organizations, policy makers and schools of nursing,” said Ellen M. Dawson, Ph.D., A.N.P., chair of GW’s Department of Nursing. Dr. Dawson, along with Jean Johnson, Ph.D., F.A.A.N., senior associate dean for Health Sciences, will serve as co-Principle Investigators of the Alliance.

"The role of nursing in health care quality improvement has always been critically important. It's even more important now as improving the quality and value of patient care takes center-stage," said Michael W. Painter, J.D., M.D., senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "The Nursing Alliance for Quality Care will help create a durable collaboration among nurses, patients, and other health care stakeholders that will help us all improve care."

To achieve this aim, the NAQC will work to ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time, that nurses actively advocate and are accountable for consumer-centered, high quality health care, and that policymakers recognize the contributions of nurses in advancing consumer-centered, high quality health care.

”In the era of health care reform, recognizing the critical role of nurses in quality care, is imperative. This Alliance will bring patient needs to the forefront of the reform debate." said John F. Williams, M.D., Ed.D., M.P.H., Provost and Vice President for Health Affairs, GW Medical Center.

For more information about the NAQC initiative, contact Jan Bull at the GWU project office at 202.994.5083, or visit the initiative website at www.NursingAQC.org. To receive updates on important safety-related health policy updates, upcoming events related to quality and health policy, and a periodic e-newsletter, we invite you to request to join our e-list via our website or by emailing us at NursingAlliance@gmail.com

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, we work with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years we’ve brought experience, commitment and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those we serve. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, we expect to make a difference in your lifetime.

PRESS RELEASE: On the First Anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act New Report Finds Investment in Health Centers Yields Major Returns

posted: February 16, 2010, 10:25 AM

updated: February 22, 2010, 11:54 AM

On the First Anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act New Report Finds Investment in Health Centers Yields Major Returns

For Immediate Release

February 16, 2010

Media Contact: Melissa Kadish

202-994-8874; mcmmsk@gwumc.edu

WASHINGTON and NEW YORK - A new report projects that federal investment in health centers under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) will generate $3.2 billion dollars in economic activity -- an estimated return on investment of nearly $2 for every $1 spent. The report was issued by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Health Policy. Support for this analysis was provided by the United Health Foundation and the RCHN Community Health Foundation.

One year ago, on February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the ARRA into law to spur economic activity and to address the health and social consequences of the recession. The legislation provided more than 1,100 community health centers nationwide with approximately $2 billion in funding for capital improvements, expansion and retention of personnel and services, and the adoption of health information technology through 2011. Of this amount, $1.85 billion has been committed to date and is at work.

The factors that make a community eligible for a community health center - substantial poverty, shortages of primary care and elevated health risks - are also characteristics of communities with a lower-wage workforce and higher rates of unemployment. As a result, ARRA’s health center investments provided significant relief to many of the nation’s hardest hit communities. The report’s authors estimate that ARRA funding will expand the provision of health center services to more than two million new patients by 2011, bringing the total served to 21 million.

ARRA’s health center investments to date have moved rapidly from appropriation to actual community expenditures. This indicates that health centers are able to rapidly transform an infusion of funding into both new services and additional jobs that bolster the economy. The report’s authors underscore the importance of sustained levels of operational support in order to maintain health centers’ capacity to serve expanded need.

Professor Sara Rosenbaum, co-author and chair of GW’s Department of Health Policy, notes that “ARRA has strengthened health centers’ ability to respond to the economic crisis through both health care and job creation and retention. Achieving and maintaining these investments is crucial, both in the near-term and in anticipation of broader health reform.”

"These health centers are not just a good financial investment, but a good community investment as well,” said Reed Tuckson, M.D, United Health Foundation board member and executive vice president and chief of medical affairs, UnitedHealth Group. “They have been proven to be high-quality facilities, producing results that are equal to, or even better than other primary care providers when given the resources to operate effectively."

“The report shows ARRA legislation has been a tremendous success in its first year, providing significant benefits for the economy and helping to address health consequences of unemployment and the recession” said Julio Bellber, president and CEO of the RCHN Community Health Foundation. “Ongoing support is needed to sustain these achievements.”

“The Economic Stimulus: Gauging the Early Affects of ARRA Funding on Health Centers and Medically Underserved Populations and Communities” is available at: http://www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/departments/healthpolicy/dhp_publications/pub_uploads/dhpPublication_C41AE130-5056-9D20-3D65728F2361CFAF.pdf

About the RCHN Community Health Foundation

The RCHN Community Health Foundation (RCHN CHF), is a New York based not-for-profit operating foundation whose mission is to support community health centers through strategic investment, outreach, education, and cutting-edge health policy research. The only foundation in the country dedicated to community health centers, the Foundation develops and supports programmatic and business initiatives related to community health center needs, building on a commitment to the provision of accessible, high quality, community-based healthcare services for underserved and medically vulnerable populations. For more information on RCHN CHF, visit www.rchnfoundation.org

About the United Health Foundation

Guided by a passion to help people live healthier lives, United Health Foundation provides helpful information to support decisions that lead to better health outcomes and healthier communities. The Foundation also supports activities that expand access to quality health care services for those in challenging circumstances and partners with others to improve the well being of communities. Since established by UnitedHealth Group [NYSE: UNH] in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation, the Foundation has committed more than $170 million to improve health and health care. For more information, visit www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.

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