Published monthly for CC employees by Clinical
Center Communications
August 1999
Gormley named
chief
Staff articles
noticed
FamilyFriend
Program
Swing! Salsa!
Merengue!
Nursing news
Pharmacy staff
honored
CC factoid
News briefs
|
|
|
|
|
Construction Calisthenics
Building something as large and complex as the new Clinical
Research Center can be hard on the body. So, every day before
embarking on their long hours of construction activity, workers
stretch for 10 minutes to warm up muscles, and listen to a 5-minute
safety message.
|
Chief operating officer appointed
Maureen E. Gormley was recently appointed chief operating
officer of the Clinical Center.
"Maureen will serve as my principal advisor on strategic
planning, policy development, program formulation, and the overall
administrative coordination of the Clinical Center," said
CC Director John I. Gallin. Gormley was a special assistant to
Dr. Gallin from 1994 to 1997.
|
Gormley joined the Clinical Center Office of
the Director in 1987. Over the past 12 years she has held a variety
of administrative positions, including oversight of policy and
planning functions and coordination of an organizational quality-improvement
initiative. Most recently she headed the Office of Administrative
Management and Planning. She holds a bachelor's degree in nursing
from Boston College and a master's degree in public health from
Yale University. |
Reflecting on her years here, Gormley said, "The
Clinical Center has a special role on the NIH campus, and provides
perhaps the biggest connection between NIH and the public. In
this regard, we have a big responsibility to uphold.
"One project that I am particularly enthusiastic about
is the creation of a new patient hospitality program. We intend
to welcome all patients and visitors and treat them like they
are guests in our home." (Watch CCNews for details on this
new service.)
"We are pursuing many important initiatives in the Clinical
Center, all aimed at supporting our threefold mission of quality
patient care, excellent clinical research support, and operational
efficiency," said Gormley. "My goal as chief operating
officer is to constantly foster and implement new ideas that
will make us even better."
index
|
|
CC staff articles gain national notice
Several Clinical Center researchers gained national notice
last month by publishing thought-provoking papers in two respected
medical journals, the "New England Journal of Medicine"
(NEJM) and the "Journal of the American Medical Association"
(JAMA).
The July 7 JAMA article was written by Diagnostic Radiology
Department staffers Dr. Gregory Katzman, Dr. Azar Dagher, and
Dr. Nicholas Patronas. The paper, "Incidental Findings on
Brain MRI from 1000 Asymptomatic Volunteers," detailed how
the researchers studied brain MRI scans from 1000 volunteers
who participated in various NIH studies as control subjects between
May 1996 and July 1997. All volunteers were deemed healthy and
asymptomatic after a medical history and physical examination.
While 82 percent of the MRI brain scans were indeed normal, the
researchers found that 18 percent (180 scans) showed abnormal
results.
Of these, 29 patients were referred for further medical evaluation,
and 3 were found to have brain tumors.
"The CC Diagnostic Radiology Department does the imaging
for most NIH protocols, including the normal volunteers,"
said Dr. Dagher. "We saw a unique opportunity to pool a
great number of normal-volunteer brain MRI's to study the rate
of incidental findings in a normal population."
The Clinical Center's archive of these and other types of
scans represents a vast resource for more look-back studies.
"It's conceivable that we could go back through 12 years
and maybe get 10,000 normal-volunteer scans," said Dr. Dagher.
"That's something no university can claim, unless it pooled
resources with several other institutions."
Similar studies had been done elsewhere, but on scans performed
on people referred for a clinical concern or symptom. This could
increase the likelihood of finding a disease.
"We put less weight on the reported rates in this study,
but rather emphasize that the population studied was as close
to truly normal as possible, so the findings likely represent
true incidental abnormalities," Dr. Dagher explained. "We
hope our study will serve as a significant reference for researchers
who quote incidences or prevalences of various disease syndromes
in normal groups."
The July 15 NEJM editorial, "What's the Price of a Research
Subject? Approaches to Payment for Research Participation,"
is by Neal Dickert and Dr. Christine Grady of the CC Department
of Clinical Bioethics.
"Clinical investigators at the CC and elsewhere are struggling
with the issue of how and under what circumstances to pay subjects,"
said Dr. Grady. And some wonder whether research volunteers should
be paid at all.
"At the Clinical Center, and elsewhere, healthy volunteers
are usually paid. Patient volunteers are increasingly being paid,
but not all of them, or always," said Dr. Grady.
The NEJM editorial outlines three possible methods for paying
research participants: a market model, a wage-payment model,
and a reimbursement model. The authors advocate the wage-payment
model as the most ethical of the three. The wage-payment model
operates on the belief that participation in research requires
little skill, but does require time, effort, and the tolerance
of undesirable or uncomfortable procedures. Research subjects
should therefore be compensated for their time and effort. The
wage referred to could be the minimum wage or another dollar
figure.
"It's a matter of thinking about the activity as a type
of 'unskilled labor' and deciding on a per-hour compensation
that makes sense for that," said Dr. Grady.
The reimbursement model provides payment simply to cover subjects'
expenses, such as travel, and meals. According to the authors,
this model precludes profit and actually requires financial sacrifice
for most participants.
The market model assumes that money is the major incentive
for research participation, and therefore subjects would be attracted
by large payments and bonuses for study completion.
"Letting the market determine payment is ethically problematic,"
said Dr. Grady. "It encourages paying more for increased
risk, and could drive out important but less well-funded studies."
Despite the controversial nature of the topic, the authors
published their opinion for others to consider.
"Payment is already a part of what's going on,"
Dr. Grady said. "We asked, How can we approach it in a way
that's more standardized and ethically acceptable than some of
the current practices?"
The editorial notes that the opinions expressed are those
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of NIH or
the Clinical Center.
index
|
Family Friend Program kicks off
To better serve patient needs, the Clinical Center has initiated
the Family Friend Program, a pilot program designed to support
individuals who would like to participate in clinical trials
at NIH, but have difficulty due to the lack of child care resources.
Open to children between the ages of 3 and 7, this service
may be utilized by patients enrolled in an NIH clinical trial
who need child care during their treatment procedure. Services
will be provided during the hours of treatment only with a maximum
of 10 children at any one time, and will be provided on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Patients are encouraged first to exhaust all outside resources
for child care. Advance notice is requested, but in the case
of an emergency situation, the program will accept children who
have not been previously scheduled, space permitting.
Once a need for the service is established, the principal
investigator, research nurse, or other designee will refer the
patient to the Social Work Department. An assessment will then
be conducted and the case will be referred to the director of
Volunteer Services. If appropriate, and space permitting, the
child will then be approved to participate in the program. Patients
will be required to provide an immunization history for each
child at the time of registration.
The CC Family Friend Program is located in the 14th floor
playroom and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Patients will be responsible for providing breakfast, lunch,
and/or dinner, and bagged meals are encouraged. The staff will
provide the children with nutritious snacks and juices throughout
the day.
CC volunteers who have had extensive background checks and
department child-care training will staff the program.
For more information on this pilot program, contact the Social
Work Department at 6-2381, or visit the Family Friend web site
(http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/familyfriend/parent.html).
index
|
|
Kevin Fox instructs Margaret Sarris, of the Social
Work Department, on proper dance technique at one of several
classes he teaches through
the NIH R&W Association (left). Kevin Fox's dance classes
are well attended (right). |
|
Swing! Salsa! Merengue!
One-two, three-four, five-six...
When Kevin Fox, a former LAN administrator for ISD, utters
these commands, he's not using the latest computer jargon but
rather calling out dance steps for a dozen or so eager students.
The NIH Recreation and Welfare Association offers a variety
of programs and activities for NIH employees, their families,
contractors and retirees of NIH, as well as the general public.
The newest additions are the dance classes taught by Fox.
"The R&W offers a variety of activities but I didn't
see anything about partner dancing. So I called them," said
Fox. "They said that they were interested in starting a
dance program, so we went ahead and planned a demo class."
The demonstration class, held last fall, received an excellent
response. Over 100 interested people attended. Since then, Fox
estimates that roughly 100 people have participated in the classes,
which are held at the Clinical Center and Rockledge Fitness Center.
"Since Kevin has been a part of our program, we have
been able to offer more people the opportunity to exercise and
keep active," said Julie Nelson, a fitness director with
the R&W. "Dancing is pure enjoyment with the benefit
of exercise.
"And everyone loves Kevin. It's been great for the R&W
fitness program and has definitely helped the program flourish,"
she added.
Classes provide an opportunity for exercise and fun during
lunchtime or after work. The swing class is offered on Wednesdays
from noon to 1 p.m. in the 14th floor gym at the CC and then
again at Rockledge Fitness Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The
salsa and merengue class is offered on Fridays on the same schedule.
"These dance classes are a good mid-day break,"
said Margaret Sarris, who enjoys the classes. "They give
me energy to get through the rest of the day."
During the summer months, the classes are offered on a 4-week
basis to help accommodate busy schedules. The R&W handles
the registration process, including collecting fees.
Popularity and interest determine the style of dance Fox teaches,
and since he is familiar with everything from ballroom to two-step,
he is eager to teach different styles depending on people's interest.
"Swing, salsa, and merengue are some of the hotter club
dances out now. There are probably a dozen Latin clubs in D.C.
alone," he said. "Swing has also enjoyed a real resurgence
- everything from the retro-culture and clubs to upbeat swing
and big-band music have made comebacks. Also, a lot of recent
movies have featured either swing or Latin dancing."
Dance has always been a part of Fox's life. His mother was
a dance instructor when he was young and he also studied music
performance in college. As an adult, he has been the owner and
director of a dance studio, as well as a devoted dance teacher.
"Dancing is a way for me to still be involved with music,"
said Fox. "I needed to find another teaching venue because
it's really something I enjoy doing. Dance was definitely something
that I wanted to keep a part of my life."
Fox describes the ability to dance as a tool for self-confidence
and social interaction, "whether it's going to a wedding
and knowing you don't have to sit out and just watch, or going
out to dance for a few hours rather than sit at home and watch
a movie," he said.
"I think people primarily take the classes because they
hope it's going to be fun, and I think it meets that expectation,"
he said. "It's easy to continue doing [a physical activity]
when you enjoy it."
Fox encourages men as well as women to try one of the classes
and learn to dance. According to him, it can be slightly tougher
for men to learn how to dance because of the footwork and learning
to lead, which can feel like being behind the wheel and not knowing
how to drive.
"Sometimes the guys are more hesitant. A few were apprehensive
at first, but by the second class,they were fine," said
Fox.
Dennis Askwith, a program analyst at NHLBI, is one of the
men enrolled in Fox's classes.
"I get a lot of good exercise, and it's a nice break
from the stress of the work day," he said.
Anita Honeycutt, who is retired from the CC after working
as a nurse here for 18 years, enjoys the benefits of the class.
"Kevin is one of the best dance teachers. He has a way
of conveying the new movements that enhances the dance experience,"
she said. "The classes make me feel good, increase my self-confidence,
and help me stay on my diet. I use them as exercise and to relieve
stress."
For more information about the dance classes or other R&W
programs, call 6-8746, pick up a copy of the R&W newsletter,
or visit their website at http://www.recgov.org
-by Bonnie Flock
index
|
Nursing news
|
|
Neuroscience nurse interns graduate
Certificates of completion were awarded recently to the two
nurses comprising the 11th class of the Neuroscience Nurse Internship
Program (front row, from left), Sharon Saul, R.N., and Marie
Moran, R.N. In the back row (left to right) are Neuroscience
Leadership Team members Susan Squires, R.N., Carol Romano, R.N.,
Ph.D., Audrey Penn, M.D., Beth Price, R.N., Mark Hallett, M.D.,
and Claudia Briguglio, R.N.
|
Knebel elected to Academy
The Nursing Department's Ann Knebel, R.N., DNSc., was recently
nominated for fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).
Knebel was selected by her peers based on her contributions to
the profession of nursing that were above and beyond her job
description.
Knebel, who has worked at the CC for 8 years, coordinates
a research training program for nurse-scientists that has become
a standard for the nursing community. She is also a member of
the Respiratory Nursing Society and has prepared publications
and presentations regarding weaning patients from mechanical
ventilation and management of the symptoms of shortness of breath.
"I'm honored to have been selected," Knebel said.
"The members of the Academy are people I have always respected
and admired for their contributions to nursing."
by K.C. Gardner
Nurse managers appointed
Sue Johnson, R.N., B.S.N., is the new nurse manager of the
Surgical Oncology/Urology Program of Care. Johnson joined the
CC Nursing Department in 1979, working on the 10D Medical Intensive
Care Unit. She later served as nurse manager on 10D, 11E, 9W,
and the 9W day hospital. She holds a bachelor of science degree
in nursing from Graceland College, and is currently pursuing
a master's degree in business administration at the University
of Maryland.
Anita Marban recently joined the CC as the nurse manager for
the Neurology Program of Care. She earned her bachelor of science
degree in nursing at the University of Florida. She comes to
the CC from the V.A. Medical Center in Miami, Fl., and brings
9 years of management experience in the critical care environment.
Hallett honored by nurses
On behalf of the Neuroscience Program of Care nursing staff,
Beth Price, R.N., presents a plaque to Dr. Mark Hallett, NINDS
clinical director, to commemorate his role as the "founding
father" of the Neuroscience Nurse Internship Program. The
plaque honored his "vision, inspiration, and unwavering
support of the advancement of neuroscience nursing education"
and stated that his contributions to the program "have made
a profound difference in the lives of our patients and in the
careers of our nurses."
|
|
index
|
Pharmacy staff receive honors in their fields
Barry Goldspiel
Dr. Barry Goldspiel, oncology clinical pharmacy specialist,
was recently honored as a distinguished alumnus at the commencement
ceremonies for the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy
and Health Sciences of Long Island University.
The College bestowed Dr. Goldspiel with this honor due to
his contributions to the advancement of oncology pharmacy practice.
He was lauded as an example of a new breed of pharmacist to emerge
from the college with a focus on providing pharmaceutical care
in specialty practices.
Michelle Eby
Dr. Michelle Eby of the Pharmacy Department recently earned
her non-traditional Doctor of Pharmacy and was awarded the Gold
Medal of Excellence in her graduating class from the University
of Maryland.
Eby, who began working at the CC 10 years ago as a staff pharmacist,
worked with pediatric HIV and oncology patients.
She was inspired to go back to school when she discovered
the impact pharmacists had in patient care.
"I realized that just by focusing on drug therapy we
can enhance therapeutic outcomes and quality of life," said
Eby.
The encouragement and guidance of the Pharmacy Department
helped her balance working full time with enhancing her career
and education.
"They played a very supportive role," Eby said.
"I feel I've worked very hard and I feel rewarded."
The Gold Medal of Excellence is the highest academic award
the University of Maryland gives. The award cited Eby's excellence
in all areas.
-by K.C. Gardner
index
|
CC factoid
Did you ever wonder how many patients the Clinical Center
cares for in a year? Here are some statistics, courtesy of the
Office of Financial Resources Management:
During fiscal year 1998, the Clinical Center had:
- 70,044 outpatient visits
- 49,786 inpatient days
- 6,250 inpatient admissions
- 9,982 new patient admissions
The number of individual patients, inpatient or outpatient,
seen at the CC during fiscal year 1998 was 16,629.
index
|
News briefs
Attention off-campus employees
Where can you go between on-campus meetings when there isn't
time to shuttle back to the office? The NIH Quality of Work Life
Committee invites you to explore the On-Campus Work Center.
Located in Bldg. 31, next to the cafeteria (Rm. 1A1E09), the
Center is available to all who need a short-term office. The
only requirement is that Center users sign in.
The Center is equipped with a fax/copier machine, six telephones,
five workstations, two Macintoshes, three personal computers,
and two stations to accommodate individual notebook computers.
Applications available for use include Corel Word Perfect,
Microsoft Office Suite, Netscape for Internet/web access, and
electronic mail (for those IC's that provide web access to e-mail).
Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Committee is exploring the expansion of hours.
For more information about the On-Campus Work Center, visit
the web site (http://www1.od.nih.gov/
ohrm/qwl/workctr.htm), call 5-1619, or stop by and check it out.
Deputy appointed
David Delgado has been appointed deputy chief of the Office
of Facilities Management (OFM).
Delgado joins the CC after working at the Walter Reed Army
Institute of Research. He is a registered professional engineer,
who holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering and
a master's degree in business administration from the University
of Texas.
He will provide managerial and engineering support for OFM
as it continues to oversee numerous construction projects, including
the new Clinical Research Center.
Blood conference
The Clinical Center Department of Transfusion Medicine will
host its 18th Annual Symposium on Immunohematology and Blood
Transfusion, Sept. 23, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in Masur Auditorium.
Topics include safety of the blood supply, cell processing, and
components and processes. There is no registration fee, but advance
registration is required by Sept. 3. Register on line at www.cc.nih.gov/dtm,
or call Karen Cipolone at 6-8335 for details.
Hosts needed
The Volunteer Office seeks Bldg.10 labs to host eight Madeira
School Senior Co-Curriculum students on Wednesdays from Sept.
22, 1999, to May 18, 2000. Program objectives are to enable students
to explore a possible career or college major, to make a substantial
contribution to the Washington community, to increase understanding
of the requirements for success in the workplace, and gain substantive
knowledge in a field of interest, according to the school. Students
are transported by van to NIH from the McLean, Va., school. If
your lab is interested in hosting a student, contact Andrea Rander
at 6-1807.
Cancer conference
Register now for the NCI All Ireland Cancer Conference, Oct.
36 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Speakers include NIH Director
Dr. Harold Varmus, NCI Director Dr. Richard Klausner, and Chief
of NCI Surgery Branch Dr. Steven Rosenburg. Visit www.allirelandcancer.com
or call 1-888-624-1937 and ask for the NCI All Ireland Cancer
Conference for details and registration information.
Volunteers sought
Volunteers are needed for these and other studies. Call the
Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office at 1-800-411-1222
for details.
Allergic Asthma. NIAID doctors seek people ages 1285
who have asthma symptoms at least 3 times a week (wheezing, chest
tightness, cough, night asthma) for a research study of a new
investigational asthma medication. Compensation provided.
Reproduction. NICHD scientists seek healthy women to take
part in a research study of normal female reproduction. You may
be eligible to take part if you are under 35, use no birth control
pills or other hormones, have normal menstrual cycles, and have
no history of fibroids, infertility, or endometriosis. The research
team will explain all study details, risks, and potential benefits.
Requires two short visits. Compensation provided.
Classes offered
Call the Education and Training Section of OHRM at 6-1618
to register for the following courses offered in August:
Child Care Options: An Educated Decision, Aug. 11, from 9
a.m. to 11 a.m. Child Care Consultants, Inc., will discuss available
options, what to look for in a licensed and unlicensed facility,
how to interview and what to expect in a provider, and legal
issues related to care and screening.
Personal Financial Management, Aug. 26, from 9 a.m. to 12
noon. Frederic Petze, personal financial manager, presents a
basic vocabulary of financial terms and principles, how to check
your Social Security benefits, how to develp a financial management
plan, how to accumulate wealth by having two savings programs,
how to manage credit, what a credit report is, and how to fix
a credit problem.
Register now
The Principles of Clinical Pharmacology Course begins Sept.
2. The course will be held Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
in Lipsett Amphitheater, and runs through April 27, 2000. Registration
is free and open to all interested persons. For more information,
consult the course web site (http://www.cc.nih.gov/
ccc/principles/).
Revised web site
The answer to your personnel question may be just a click
away at
http://ohrm.cc.nih.gov/
The Clinical Center's Office of Human Resources Management
(OHRM) has redesigned its web site. Visit this site as a first
stop for information on CC employment, benefits, pay, training,
performance management, awards, employee relations, labor relations,
and many other topics. OHRM is committed to bringing CC employees,
supervisors, and administrative staff the most up-to-date human
resources information available on the web.
Your feedback is important. If you have comments about the
site or can't find what you're looking for, please send e-mail
to: ccohrm@ohrm.cc.nih.gov
Slogan contest
The annual contest is on to find the perfect slogan for Fire
Prevention Week. The winning slogan and the author's name will
appear on next year's official NIH Fire Prevention Week posters.
Here are the rules:
- Enter as often as you like.
- Slogans should directly pertain to the objectives of fire
prevention, and not exceed one sentence in length.
- Slogans should be legibly printed or typed on one side of
8 1/2" x 11" white paper, and ranked in your order
of preference.
- Entries should be original, creative, and unpublished at
the time of submission.
- All entries will be examined by the contest judges, and their
decision is final.
- Employees of the Emergency Management Branch, Division of
Public Safety, and their immediate family members are not eligible.
- A prize will be awarded for the best qualifying slogan, on
the basis of originality, inventiveness, and creativity.
- Deadline to enter is Sept. 30.
- Submit entries to: Fire Prevention Section (Attn.: J.P. McCabe),
Bldg. 15G, Rm. 2, 5202 West Cedar Lane, MSC 2660, Bethesda, MD
20892-2660; Fax: 2-2059. For more information, call 6-0487.
index
|
Editor: Sue Kendall
Guest Writers: Bonnie
Flock and K.C. Gardner
Clinical Center News, 6100 Executive Blvd.,
Suite 3C01, MSC 7511, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda,
MD 20892-7511. Tel: 301-496-2563. Fax: 301-402-2984. Published
monthly for CC employees by the Office of Clinical Center Communications,
Colleen Henrichsen, chief. News, article ideas, calendar events,
letters, and photographs are welcome. Deadline for submissions
is the second Monday of each month.
top | cc
home page | nih home
page |
|
|