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Clinical Center News

Published monthly for CC employees by Office of Communications, Patient Recruitment, and Public Liaison.

past issues

June 2009


Ognibene assumes new role in education and partnerships

Clinical research fellows present their work

Record-holding blood donor dies

Nurses contribute to Indian health workshop

1NW crew takes Best Team Award during 2009 Nurses Week

Bldg 10 garage parking regulations reminder

Pharmacotherapy Frontiers attracts pharmacists and technicians

Korean trials center leaders visit the CC

RPEC initiative spotlights research participant education

Retiring nurse emphasizes laughter in medicine

CC staff help increase awareness of clinical research

Rare diseases group commends CC director for contributions to the field

Oncology nursing interns graduate

NIH tells staff to “Take a hike”

HealthierUS: Up for the challenge?

Survey aims to improve culture of safety

Upcoming Lectures


       

Ognibene assumes new role in education and partnerships

Dr. Frederick Ognibene

Dr. Frederick P. Ognibene was recently named CC deputy director for educational affairs and strategic partnerships.


Dr. Frederick P. Ognibene was recently named as Clinical Center deputy director for educational affairs and strategic partnerships. Since May 2003, Ognibene has served as director of the CC Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education and will maintain that role. Ognibene has worked with CC Director Dr. John I. Gallin to further the development and implementation of a premier curriculum to train clinical investigators in the principles of clinical research. These courses have been video broadcast to multiple sites, inside the United States and internationally, with over 16,000 students participating.

A graduate of Cornell University Medical College, Ognibene fulfilled internship and residency requirements in internal medicine at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center. In 1982, he came to the NIH as a clinical fellow and later became a tenured member of the senior staff in the CC’s Critical Care Medicine Department, a position held until 2003. Ognibene was an active clinical investigator focusing on pulmonary complications of immunosuppressed patients.

In 2007, Ognibene’s office assimilated the NIH clinical education and training programs from the NIH Office of Intramural Research. The combined team is responsible for graduate medical education, medical student training, and continuing medical education in addition to the clinical research curriculum. Over the past two years, Ognibene also has been working on a number of collaborations involving the CC and the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) network.

“I am looking forward to not only continuing the important work of the Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education, but to enhancing the Clinical Center’s role as an active partner in the CTSA consortium. These activities are part of the core mission and vision of the Clinical Center,” said Ognibene.

His professional accomplishments also include active involvement and leadership roles in the American Federation for Clinical Research and the Society of Critical Care Medicine, including president of that society in 2007.

“As we continue to strengthen the Clinical Center as a national hospital for clinical research, I look forward to working with Dr. Ognibene to develop and implement new partnerships with academia, the extramural NIH community, and industry,” said Gallin.

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Clinical research fellows present their work

30 CRTP fellowsClinical Research Training Program fellows made formal scientific presentations on their research to mentors, NIH colleagues, and guests over three days in May in the Louis Stokes Laboratories (Building 50). The training program for medical and dental students teaches translational research practices to the next generation of clinician-scientists. The 2008-2009 group—representing 22 medical schools from around the country—showcased research efforts involving 11 institutes and centers.

 

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Record-holding blood donor dies

Howard Drew
Howard Drew, the first inductee to the NIH Blood Donor Hall of Fame, died in April.

The first inductee to the Blood Donor Hall of Fame, Howard Drew, died April 15.

Drew, who worked as a reference librarian at the National Library of Medicine, was named the Guinness world record holder for most blood donated in 2003—with 213 units, or about 28 gallons, to his credit. He was also the first to donate 100 times to the NIH Blood Bank.

His first donation was made in 1943 while stationed in England with the US Army early in his 36-year military career. In 2000 Drew recorded a series of public service announcements on blood donation with Congress and the US Surgeon General.

“I believe in the importance of community service, and nothing is as fulfilling as saving lives by donating blood,” Drew, who lived in the District of Columbia, said in one announcement. Before his last donation on April 5, 2005, he tried to donate every two months.

The Clinical Center Department of Transfusion Medicine staff expressed sorrow upon the loss of their frequent visitor.

“Mr. Drew was committed to being on the front line in terms of saving lives, first with his heroic actions in the military service, and then continuing with his deep and passionate commitment to blood donation. He broke so many barriers and records in the process. The DTM has lost a great friend and a wonderful human being,” said Dr. Susan Leitman, Blood Services Section chief.

 

 

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Nurses contribute to Indian health workshop

The Clinical Center’s Nursing Research and Practice Development Service collaborated with Fort Belknap Public Health Nursing and the Indian Health Service Division of Nursing on a recent research symposium and training workshop aimed at improving nursing in Indian Health Service, tribal, and urban health facilities.

The Fort Belknap Research Symposium and Evidence-Based Practice Training took place May 27 to 29 on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana.

The two-day evidence-based practice workshop was facilitated by the CC’s Dr. Gwenyth Wallen, chief of the Nursing Research and Practice Development Service; Dr. Cheryl Fisher, program manager for practice development; Kathryn Feigenbaum, clinical nurse specialist; and Josanne Revoir, nurse consultant. The training encouraged the use of evidence-based nursing in Indian Health Service, tribal, and urban health facilities to improve the quality of clinical judgments and patient care.

“This was a great opportunity for the CC to collaborate with a tribal community and the Indian Health Service to further train nurses that work in Native American communities—an opportunity that we need to take advantage of more often,” said Teresa Brockie, a pre-doctoral fellow with the Nursing research and Practice Development Service. Training at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Brockie is originally from Fort Belknap and was “instrumental in leading this newest collaboration,” Wallen said.

Presentations at the research symposium on May 27 addressed health topics of concern identified by Billings IHS Area nurses. Dr. John Roll, Washington State University College of Nursing, spoke on “Using Contingency Management in the Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction,” and Dr. Lawrence Wissow, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, presented “Building Mental Health Capacity in Nursing.” Dr. Nancy Glass, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, gave a speech on “Assessing for Intimate Partner Violence and Homicide Risk in Native American Communities.”

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1NW crew takes Best Team Award during 2009 Nurses Week

Nurses Week closed out at the Clinical Center May 9 with a ceremony announcing the recipients of the Best Team Award and a reception.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Clare Hastings, chief of Nursing and Patient Care Services, stressed the importance of a celebration for nurses that mixed professional development with recreation. “I would personally like to thank all of you for the presence you bring here,” she said, “especially under an incredible influx of patients.”

Dr Wallen presenting at Nurses Week
Dr. Gwenyth Wallen presented at the closing ceremony of 2009 Nurses Week on the importance of caring for oneself as well as others.

Twanda Scales, acting chair of the Nurses Week Committee, introduced the Friday ceremony’s speaker—her friend and mentor, Dr. Gwenyth Wallen—citing her passion for self-healing, both as nurses and as human beings. “Dr. Wallen represents how you can be successful while taking care of your physical and mental well-being,” Scales said.

Wallen, chief of research and practice development within Nursing and Patient Care Services, began by playing a Tibetan singing bowl and asking everyone to take a minute to be present in the moment. Throughout her presentation Wallen emphasized personal intention and presence, self-healing, and simply the importance of taking care of one’s self, especially as a nurse. “We have really hard days as nurses,” she said, “but we work here because most of us love it even though balancing can be difficult.” Wallen also recommended several tools for self-healing including breath work, exercise, and journaling in the notebook that each nurse received upon entering the closing ceremony. “In the rat race that we exist in, take some time to be present,” she said.

Hastings again took the stage—reading excerpts from Best Team Award nominations acknowledging each of the 11 nursing teams, evaluated on initiative, adaptability, recruitment, retention, knowledge, and teamwork. The winner of the “Working together, the sky is the limit”-themed competition was the 1NW inpatient unit and day hospital group.

“One short year ago, 1NW was functioning with 50 percent vacancy rate and 40 percent turnover. Through strong recruitment efforts and staff participation in open houses and shadow days, we accomplished the lofty goal of hiring excellent, committed, experienced pediatric nurses,” read the 1NW nomination. The team was commended for flexibility, adaptability, and constant competency enhancement necessary on a multi-institute unit.

The 1SE clinic and inpatient unit team took second place. Their initiative to deliver the highest possible care and support of research to new patient populations earned them the honor. When the 1SE team began working with Iraqi veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder—an unfamiliar patient population—they reviewed publications and attended trainings to supplement their lack of experience, noted the team’s nomination.

The CC’s 2009 Nurses Week celebration also included a presentation by Dave Hanson, director of professional development and nursing excellence at Northwest Community Hospital; a relaxation therapy session featuring an outdoor yoga class; and a “work-life balance” health fair that included fitness education, seated massages, and professional development booths. The closing ceremony ended with a small reception and another competition, this time for the healthiest salad. Winner Hastings doesn't measure when she makes her tasty mix and encourages other chefs to "just do it" as they like with the following ingredients:

  • organic field greens
  • organic romaine lettuce
  • free range chicken roasted with orange/soy marinade
  • organic mangos
  • fresh pineapple
  • celery
  • red pepper
  • medley of curried cauliflower, parsnips, carrots, and onions
  • raisins
  • toasted slivered almonds
  • home-made balsamic vinaigrette (olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, crushed garlic, dill weed)
    1NW winners of Best Team from nursing
    The 1NW team took the Best Team Award—front row, from left: unnamed, Meagan VanAssche, Tony Terry, and Susan Eidelheit; back row, from left: Jean Perrelli, Nicole Holland, Nicole Gamba, Michelle Kwiatkowski, Ellen Carroll, and Patricia Smatlak.

    1SE second place in nursing's Best Team contest
    Second place went to the 1SE team—front row, from left: Melinda Foster, Jacqueline Goodson, CDR Rosa Clark, Pamela Williams, and Jovetta McCormick; back row, from left: Marjorie Wright, Alisha Holden, Jose Maldonado, Judie Johnson, Michael Rosenthal, David Spero, William Oliver, and Tom Lionetti.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bldg 10 garage parking regulations reminder

An important part of the Clinical Center patient care mission is to ensure that the entire campus experience of our patients and their guests is exceptional. As one example of key services, the CC, in conjunction with the NIH Office of Research Services Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS), ensures that patients and patient visitors have access to close parking inside the Building 10 parking garage.

Recently, the P1 level patient parking area has seen a surge in patient parking, likely due to the fact that our patient population has increased.  As use has increased, DATS has received a higher number of complaints about the adequacy of patient parking in the Building 10 parking garage.  In following up, DATS has noticed an increase in unauthorized parking in this area. As a courtesy to our patients, it is paramount that we all understand and comply with posted parking rules.

As a reminder, parking procedures for the Building 10 parking garage are provided below.

carP1 level: Access to the P1 level of the Building 10 garage is located off Convent Drive. The P1 level is designated for patients and patient visitors, individuals with handicapped parking permits, and staff with both a P1 patient care placard and an NIH parking permit. Also the CC can grant minor exceptions for P1 permit holders (e.g. medical consultant, volunteer) and delivery folks staying less then 20 minutes. This level is the only paid parking area inside the Building 10 garage. In an effort to maintain adequate, close parking for patients and patient visitors, employee parking is prohibited on the P1 level, Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm.

P2 level: The P2 level of the Building 10 garage can be accessed either through Memorial Drive or Convent Drive. Access to the P2 level from Convent Drive is open until 10:00 am, Monday through Friday. At 10:00 am a gate is closed at the top of the ramp leading from the P1 level to the P2 level. This ramp is reopened at 7:00 pm each night. The P2 level of the garage is for red permit holders only or staff with both a P2 patient care placard and a general parking permit. Overflow parking for this facility is MLP-9, MLP-8, or MLP-6.

P3 level: The main entrance to this level is on Memorial Drive. Parking on the P3 level is designated for NIH employees with a general parking permit. The P3 level is often full by 7:30 am (or earlier), Monday through Friday. Overflow parking for this facility is MLP-9, MLP-8, or MLP-6.

All three levels offer stacked parking, allowing approximately 60 additional vehicles to park on each level.

Parking regulations are enforced by the NIH police, and those parked in an unauthorized area will receive a parking ticket and the vehicle could be towed.
Please contact Debbie Byram from the CC Office of the Director at 301-496-1231 regarding P1 and P2 parking placards and Louise Davis from DATS at 301-496-9621 with any other questions.

 Your continued support of these regulations is appreciated.

portance of caring for oneself as well as others.

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Pharmacotherapy Frontiers attracts pharmacists and technicians

Dr. Barry Goldspiel at Pharmacotherapy Frontiers

Dr. Barry Goldspiel presented a “Prostate Cancer Update” on April 25.


The Clinical Center Pharmacy Department’s Fifteenth Annual Pharmacotherapy Frontiers attracted approximately 300 pharmacists and technicians from five states and the District of Columbia on April 25 to Masur Auditorium.

Dr. Steven Osborne, executive director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research’s Drug Safety Oversight Board presented “FDA’s Initiatives on Drug Safety and Risk Communication.” Michael Verdi, FDA Office of Enforcement senior recall coordinator, spoke on the “FDA Recall Program.” The CC Pharmacy Department Deputy Chief Dr. Barry Goldspiel gave a “Prostate Cancer Update,” and Dr. Frank Pucino, former CC pharmacist now with the FDA, presented “New Anti-rheumatic Drugs.” Pucino is also a special volunteer clinical researcher for the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

“We’ve been putting on these annual seminars since 1995. Over the years we’ve dramatically cut the costs of the program. Speakers are volunteers, and attendees print out their own handouts from a Web site. Registration as well as the program evaluations are done online,” said CC Pharmacy Department Chief Robert DeChristoforo.

 

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Korean trials center leaders visit the CC

Visiting officials from Inha University Hosptial in Korea
Leaders of the Inha University Clinical Trials Center at Inha University Hospital in Incheon, South Korea, visited the Clinical Center on April 30 to learn about the operations of America’s largest hospital devoted to clinical research.

Dr. Cheol-Woo Kim (back row, middle) of Inha University Hospital is 10 months into a fellowship with Dr. Juan Lertora (front right), director of the CC clinical pharmacology program. Kim plans to expand the clinical pharmacology department in his home hospital upon return later this year. Making the trip to visit and support their colleague were (from left) chief nurse Eungyung Kim, clinical pharmacologist Dr. Ju-Hee Kang, and center director Dr. Moon Suk Nam.

The Inha University Clinical Trials Center opened in 2006 and recently expanded to include a 36-bed research ward, three clinics, and outpatient services. The center is comparable to the 78 NIH-supported General Clinical Research Centers across the country.

Dr. Clare Hastings (front left), chief of Nursing and Patient Care Services; CC Director Dr. John I. Gallin (front middle); and Dr. Shyamasundaran Kottilil (back right), staff clinician with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (with whom Kim has worked), presented CC details and programs.

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RPEC initiative spotlights research participant education

The Research Participant Education Committee, new this year, is leading a more formal process to deliver quality research participant education.

The policy that established the committee gives staff a systematic way to develop and access education tools for research participants. Tapping the expertise of more than 10 Clinical Center departments and disciplines, the committee will bring new education efforts to life and be the main conduit through which CC staff have their education materials approved.

Two CC staffers co-chair the Research Participant Education Committee, reflecting the professional partnerships so crucial to making the CC work. Nonniekaye Shelburne of Nursing and Patient Care Services and Wendy Schubert of the Office of Communication, Patient Recruitment, and Public Liaison will steer the committee through its first year.
“The unique needs of research participants and their families require an interdisciplinary approach. We want all disciplines to have access to accurate information that enhances our research participants experience and their contributions to biomedical science,” said Shelburne.

RPEC committee
The Research Participant Education Committee meets quarterly to review submitted programs. Co-chairs Nonniekaye Shelburne (left) and Wendy Schubert (second from left) lead the team.



“We’ve always done a great job educating our patients and families as they take part in research here,” added Schubert, “but it wasn’t systematic. This committee gives our staff the organizational support they need to provide the best possible information.”

The Research Participant Education Committee’s multidisciplinary representatives will funnel research participant education programs through the committee at quarterly meetings. Once vetted and approved, the programs appear on an intranet Web site, which links to Medline and NIH resources and can be customized for unit-specific information so staff have ready access to what they need.

The committee’s multidisciplinary focus helps make research participant education programs meet the educational needs of the CC diverse patient population.

“CC staff, historically, have done a world class job of providing our research participants with accurate and timely information about the protocols in which they are enrolled and the care they receive. The RPEC enhances these activities by providing the CC with a central forum where educational materials can be vetted and coordinated,” said Laura Lee, special assistant to the deputy director for clinical care.

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Retiring nurse emphasizes laughter in medicine

Dr. Jacques Bolle, a clinical thanatologist (one specializing in death and dying) in the Clinical Center Pain and Palliative Care Service and a former acting associate director of Nursing and Patient Care Services, retired May 29 after 25 years at the CC and 42 years in the field of nursing.

Dr. Jacques Bolle
Dr. Jacques Bolle retired at the end of May after 25 years at the CC. At his farewell reception, Bolle spoke on the importance of laughter in medicine and thanked his coworkers for making his tenure so memorable.

Bolle earned two bachelor’s degrees (humanities and nursing) in his home country of Belgium, before moving to the United States in 1970. He obtained a master’s degree in psychiatric mental health nursing in 1976 from the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1988 from The Catholic University of America.

Bolle worked at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda before starting at the CC as a staff nurse in the Mental Health Nursing Service in 1984. He was service chief of the Mental Health, Alcohol and Aging Nursing Service from 1993 to 1999.

In his tenure as acting associate director over the next year, Bolle created a climate of open communication and visibility both within the nursing community and with other departments.

In 2000 he moved to the CC Pain and Palliative Care Service as a clinical thanatologist. “You become part of these people’s lives, and they really become your teachers,” Bolle said. “They change the way you see the world, and who you are as a person.”

Bolle was also adjunct assistant professor at the Uniformed Services of the University of the Health Science and the Catholic University of America until his recent retirement. He was honored with the CC Director’s Award in 2000.

At a reception on May 27 honoring Bolle’s years of service, many of his supervisors and peers spoke on his dedication to his position and his contribution of laughter to the workplace. “You’ve been an incredible colleague, a true friend,” said Dr. Ann Berger, chief of the CC Pain and Palliative Care Service. Rear Adm. Carol Romano, chief nurse officer of the US Public Health Service, presented Bolle with the Chief Nurse Officer Award for Outstanding Service.

After retirement, Bolle plans to write a book documenting the nine years he spent as the legal guardian of an elderly woman, touching on grief and aging.


 

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CC staff help increase awareness of clinical research

The Clinical Center Office of Communications, Patient Recruitment, and Public Liaison exhibited at the Aware for All—Baltimore Clinical Research Education Day on May 9, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The event, which was free and open to the public, provided an opportunity for over 150 members of the community to attend workshops, presentations, free health screenings, and exhibits.

OCPRPL staff with new exhibit
Office of Communications, Patient Recruitment, and Public Liaison staffers Mandy Jawara and Omar Echegoyen presented the CC’s clinical research opportunities at the Aware for All meeting on May 9.

Staffers Mandy Jawara and Omar Echegoyen unveiled a new patient recruitment exhibit and were among dozens of exhibitors providing information and resources to the public. “Reaching out to the community through events such as this is a critical component of our work,” said Jawara. “It is important for us to increase awareness because then people can make informed decisions about participating in clinical trials.”

Event attendees, which included those who have previously participated in clinical trials and those who came to learn more about them, were eager to hear about the NIH and the CC. “These events make us realize just how important we are to the community, and it really makes you feel like you have made a contribution,” said Echegoyen. 

In addition to attending community events to educate the public about clinical research, the Office of Communications, Patient Recruitment, and Public Liaison staff assists NIH investigators in recruiting individuals to participate in protocols; provides telephone prescreening to determine caller eligibility for trials; refers requestors to appropriate studies; and assists in recruiting, registering, and compensating healthy volunteers for study participation. For more information on the office and its services, call 301-402-6380.

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Rare diseases group commends CC director for contributions to the field

Clinical Center Director Dr. John I. Gallin was among those honored by the National Organization for Rare Disorders at its 2009 NORD Partners in Progress Gala at the National Press Club in Washington on May 14.

Dr Gallin receiving his NORD award
Dr. John I. Gallin accepted the National Health Leadership Award from the National Organization of Rare Diseases at the group’s 2009 Partners in Progress Gala on May 14. “It gives NORD great pleasure to pay tribute to Dr. Gallin as an excellent administrator, a caring physician, and a pioneering researcher,” noted the event’s program.



Gallin received the National Health Leadership Award, and NORD gave its Lifetime Achievement Award to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. NORD also honored Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue, Discovery Health, and several treatment-developing companies for significant achievements to improve the lives of people with rare diseases.
NORD represents the nearly 30 million people in the United States who have rare diseases—that is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans—their families, and the patient organizations that serve them. NIH cites there are between 6,000 and 7,000 such diseases, many serious, life-threatening, and chronic.

“Dr. Gallin represents the unique blend of science and humanism that is so characteristic of the physician/researchers who study rare diseases and treat the individuals affected by them. Although dedicated to furthering scientific understanding of these diseases, he remains supremely aware of the emotional turmoil that patients participating in clinical trials may be experiencing,” the organization wrote in a publication for the gala.

The gala also included a special tribute to Patricia Delaney Klafehn, known as Patty Delaney to her friends and coworkers and to the many patients and patient families she helped as associate director for the Cancer Liaison Program at the US Food and Drug Administration. Delaney was a founding member of the CC Patient Advisory Group from 1998 to her death in June 2008 of acute leukemia.


 

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Oncology nursing interns graduate

Oncology Nursing Internship Graduates


The 21st oncology nurse internship program class celebrated the completion of their two-year program May 29 with a graduation ceremony attended by coworkers, friends, and family.

From left are Vivien Agbakoba, Cara Kenney, Danielle Merta, Jennifer Breads, Erika Schroeder, Kavita Rampertaap, and Toks Lawal.

Coordinator of the program Kathleen Castro congratulated the seven students—who all recently received their national oncology certification—and the nursing staff for “jumping through hoops to make sure the interns could go to class.”

Six of the graduates will stay on at the Clinical Center, either in adult or pediatric oncology; and one is joining the National Institute of Nursing Research.

 
 

 

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NIH tells staff to “Take a hike”

Staff at Take a Hike Day

The second annual Take a Hike Day was held on a sunny May 6, pulling employees from across the NIH. A warm-up of light aerobics led by the NIH R&W Fitness Program on the Building 1 yard led to a lap of the NIH perimeter pedestrian pathway (aproximately 2.8 miles). Runners started off, with walkers following close behind.
The NIH Office of Management—in partnership with the Office of Research Services, Division of Amenities and Transportation Services—coordinated the event, held in conjunction with the 2009 National President’s Challenge and the HealthierFeds Initiative.

Participating from the CC Office of Communications, Patient Recruitment, and Public Liaison were (from left) Mandy Jawara, Omar Echegoyen, Dinora Dominguez, Gloria Grantham, and Carol Daniels.

 


 

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HealthierUS: Up for the challenge?

For the Second Annual NIH HealthierFeds Physical Activity Challenge, the Office of Research Services, Division of Amenities and Transportation Services, is asking all NIH employees and contractors, “Are You Up for the Challenge?” Help the Clinical Center claim the title of “Healthiest Institute/Center” this year.

The challenge runs May 1 to July 24 and is designed to include all federal employees and contractors—from those who already practice an active lifestyle to those who currently are less active. The HealthierFeds Physical Activity Challenge is run through the 2009 National President’s Challenge, where participants can choose from nearly 100 activities to earn points, offering enough variety and flexibility to sustain their interest and enthusiasm.

There is a wealth of scientific evidence showing that as little as 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (equal in intensity to brisk walking) done on most, if not all, days of the week has substantial health benefits for adults. Recent federal guidelines also recommend muscle-strengthening activity two or more days per week.

The Department of Health and Human Services reports that physical activity:

  • reduces risk of heart disease,
  • improves mental sharpness,
  • lowers stress and anxiety levels,
  • increases energy levels,
  • helps prevent certain types of cancer,
  • strengthens heart and lungs, and
  • can delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Always check with your doctor before beginning a rigorous exercise program. HHS recommends a pre-activity screening including a health history questionanaire and evaluation of risks. The President’s Challenge Adult Fitness Test gives instruction on testing aerobic fitness, muscular strength and flexibility, and body composition on your own and offers a description of what your results mean.

If you are currently registered with the President’s Challenge, then just continue to log your physical activity; your group name and ID has not changed. For those new to the challenge, get started at http://dats.ors.od.nih.gov/wellness/healthierFeds.htm. Group name is NIH-CC, and group ID number is 67682.

For more tips and tools to help jumpstart a healthier lifestyle, visit http://healthierus.gov or http://www.healthierfeds.gov/.

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Survey aims to improve culture of safety

The Clinical Center is committed to providing the highest quality and safest possible care to our patients. Key to a safe hospital environment is a culture that supports and celebrates patient safety. The culture of safety is a product of the individual and group beliefs and patterns of behavior that impact and reflect safety and safety management. A positive safety culture communicates a shared commitment to patient safety and risk management with a focus on reporting, addressing, and preventing errors.

Understanding staff perceptions about safety is critical to making ongoing improvements in the CC’s safety culture and, ultimately, patient care. The CC’s deputy director for clinical care invites you to participate in an online survey that will assess staff’s perceptions of patient safety, adverse event reporting, and communication within the CC.  Please go to this link to complete the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=oDyZc5BEPHDrfKHxod4tQA_3d_3d. Your time and opinions would be greatly appreciated. If you have questions or comments, or would like to receive the Web address by e-mail, contact Jacqualine Reid (301-496-5281) or Lisa Ruprecht (301-496-3516). 

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Upcoming Lectures

All lectures will be videocast at http://videocast.nih.gov.

June 3, 2009

CC Grand Rounds
Lipsett Amphitheater, 12 noon
Genomic and Transcriptional Evolution of Metastatic Melanoma: A Case Study
Ena Wong, MD
Staff Scientist and Director of Molecular Science, Infectious Disease and Immunogenetics Section, Department of Transfusion Medicine, CC
Biomarkers of Parkinson Disease and Related Disorders
David S. Goldstein, MD
Chief, Clinical Neurocardiology Section, Clinical Neurosciences Program, NINDS

Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series
Masur Auditorium, 3 pm
Gordon Lecture
Epidemiology at the Interface of Science, Policy, and Politics: Are New Directions Needed for Epidemiology Training Today?
Leon Gordis, MD, DrPH
Director, Johns Hopkins Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program; and Professor Emeritus, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

June 10, 2009

CC Grand Rounds
Lipsett Amphitheater, 12 noon
Contemporary Clinical Medicine: Great Teachers
Sixth Annual John Laws Decker Memorial Lecture

Transplanted Allogeneic T-cells Identify a Viral Corpse Resurrected in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Richard W. Childs, MD
Chief, Section of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Hematology Branch, NHLBI; and CDR, US Public Health Service

Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series
Masur Auditorium, 3 pm
Pittman Lecture
HSF and the Balancing Act between Neurodegeneration and Cancer

Susan Lindquist, PhD
Member, Whitehead Institute
Professor of Biology, MIT; and
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

June 17, 2009

CC Grand Rounds
Lipsett Amphitheater, 12 noon
Updates in the Pathogenesis and Therapy of Sepsis
Anthony F. Suffredini, MD
Senior Investigator and Associate Chief; Medical Director, Critical Care Therapy and Respiratory Care Section; and Director, Intensive Care Unit Stat Laboratory, Critical Care Medicine Department, CC
Sepsis: An Adaptive Response?
Robert Munford, MD
Senior Clinician, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID

Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series
Masur Auditorium, 3 pm
Director’s Lecture
Neurobiology of Rett Syndrome and Related Disorders

Huda Zoghbi, MD
Professor, Baylor College of Medicine; and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute


June 24, 2009

CC Grand Rounds
Lipsett Amphitheater, 12 noon
Risks of Anesthesia and Sedation in Children
Zenaide Quezado, MD
Chief, Department of Anesthesia and Surgical Services, CC
Recent Innovations in Pain Management
Andrew J. Mannes, MD
Staff Clinician, Department of Anesthesia and Surgical Services, CC


Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series
Masur Auditorium, 3 pm
Molecular Mechanisms of Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease
Karen Hsiao Ashe, MD, PhD
Edmund Wallace and Anne Marie Tulloch Chairs in Neurology and Neuroscience, and Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Minnesota; and Director, N. Bud Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care

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This page last updated on 12/14/2017



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