GWU Milken Institute School of Public Health: 2014 Progress Report by Moire Marketing Partners

2014

Progress Report

Milken Institute School of Public Health The Michael and Lori Milken Dean of Public Health Lynn R. Goldman, MD, MS, MPH Senior Associate Dean Josef Reum, PhD, MPA Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Julie A. DeLoia, PhD Associate Dean for Research Kimberly Horn, EdD, MSW Associate Dean for Public Health Practice Pierre Vigilance, MD, MPH

Department Chairs Loretta DiPietro, PhD, MPH Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Leonard H. Friedman, PhD, MPH, FACHE Interim Chair, Department of Health Services Management and Leadership Alan E. Greenberg, MD, MPH Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Paula M. Lantz, PhD Department of Health Policy Melissa J. Perry, ScD, MHS Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Rajiv N. Rimal, PhD Department of Prevention and Community Health James M. Tielsch, PhD Department of Global Health

Dean’s Council Chair J. Zoë Beckerman, JD, MPH Partner, Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell, LLP, and Managing Principal, FT Solutions, LLC Members Paul Antony, MD, MPH, MBA President and CEO, Callidus Biopharma Inc. Roslyn Brock, MHSA, MBA Chairman, NAACP Fred L. Brown, MBA, LFACHE Chairman, Fred L. Brown and Associates Barbara DeBuono, MD Senior Vice President, Treo Solutions Paul Irving, JD President, Milken Institute Feygele Jacobs, MPH, MS President and CEO, RCHN Community Health Foundation John Kaelin Executive Vice President, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Diane Robinson Knapp, MS Chair, GW Urban Food Task Force Peter Kovler Director, Marjorie Kovler Philanthropic Fund and Chairman, Blum-Kovler Foundation Kenneth P. Moritsugu, MD, MPH (Vice Chair) Chairman and CEO, First Samurai Consulting Sona Patel-Grimm, MD, MPH Resident Physician, GW Medical Faculty Associates Vanessa M. Perry, MPH President and CEO, Health Resource Solutions, Inc. Richard Southby, PhD, MPA Dean Emeritus, Milken Institute School of Public Health Susan E. Vitka Independent Investor

Letter from the Dean Earth, water, air and fire…four of the classical elements derived from the ancient Greeks and believed to be the root of all existing matter. Fundamentally, public health also begins with these basics, because without clean water, safe food and breathable air we couldn’t exist. So it’s appropriate that an emblematic stainless steel work by Greek sculptor George Zongolopoulos named, Poseidon, adorns the courtyard of our beautiful building at 950 New Hampshire Avenue. Poseidon, of course, was one of 12 Olympian deities in Greek mythology who, along with his brothers, Zeus and Hades, was given a piece of the earth to rule. Zeus ruled the sky, Hades, the underworld and Poseidon, the sea. Donated by GW Law School alumnus George Stathopoulos and standing over 12 feet tall, Poseidon represents a modern interpretation of its namesake’s watery domain appropriately charting the course as we embark on an amazing new age in public health. That new age began for us in March when we received a gift of $80 million to our school—the largest in the university’s history—from the Milken Institute, the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation and the Milken Family Foundation. This gift allows our school to significantly increase our research and education initiatives by supporting faculty, programs and student scholarships while addressing some of the most important public health challenges of our time. In honor of these transformative gifts, the GW Board of Trustees approved the renaming of the school to Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) and the establishment of the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness. I could not be more proud of our school and our faculty, staff and students as we continue our growth as a 21st century pioneer of global public health leadership. Students are the lifeblood of public health. And as a result of the gift we have also established the Michael and Lori Milken Public Health Scholars. The scholarship program will create new opportunities for top students to become future leaders in the public health field and catalysts for change. We announced the first recipients earlier this year, four formidable young women who bring a diversity of personal, academic and professional experiences to our community. You can read more about them on page 10. We have also been able to help other students receiving scholarship money from the Gates Foundation with a match from the Milken gift that gives them further tuition support. As we look at the horizon, our academic and research efforts continue to evolve substantially as well. Our online degree

programs are growing extensively, with almost 500 students enrolled in the MPH@GW program this fall. Our MHA@ GW degree, launched just in April of this year, is attracting top students and faculty. The quality of students entering our online programs is unprecedented. This year our Department of Exercise Science changed its name to the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, broadening its focus to reflect the strong interrelationships between exercise, physical activity and nutrition and their impact on individuals as well as communities. We also launched our first MPH in Nutrition this fall. Moving forward, we will continue to review our curricular offerings and respond to market pressures, educational trends and employer needs. We plan to offer more hybrid learning options for students and are exploring rolling out a one-year accelerated MPH degree as well. Finally, this year we established the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness (Redstone Center). Led by William H. Dietz, the Redstone Center will develop innovative strategies to expand wellness and prevent chronic diseases, with an initial focus on obesity. Bill brings decades of experience in nutrition and physical activity and served for many years at the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. We are thrilled to have him with us leading our obesity research efforts and training our students. We will also have the opportunity to recruit a national leader to fill an endowed professorship centered on increasing the nation’s focus on prevention and new treatment strategies in the management of chronic clinical conditions thanks to a generous gift of $2.5 million from the global health care company Sanofi US. The position will be located in the Department of Prevention and Community Health and will collaborate with the Redstone Center. It has been an incredible whirlwind of a year at our school. But through it all I am always reminded that everything we do is for our students. We will continue to provide them with public health skills and knowledge and inspire their ethics and compassion so that as they fan out across the globe they will be fully equipped to make a positive and lasting impact in the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Zeus may have gotten the sky, Hades the underworld and Poseidon the sea…but our students will inherit the world.

Lynn R. Goldman Michael and Lori Milken Dean of Public Health Milken Institute School of Public Health

State of the School

progress report

$10 million from the Milken Family Foundation to support the Milken Institute SPH dean’s office, including a newly created public health scholarship program

$40 million from the Milken Institute to support new and ongoing research and scholarships

$30 million

from the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation to develop and advance innovative strategies to expand wellness and the prevention of disease

million

“ These extraordinary gifts collectively represent the largest donation ever received by the George Washington University. Such a generous contribution to the university demonstrates a commitment to the health of people all over the world.”

— Nelson A. Carbonell, Jr. GW Board of Trustees Chairman

Milken Institute School of Public Health

The Transformation of Public Health at GW 2014 has been an exceptional year for public health at the George Washington University. In March, GW announced three gifts totaling $80 million received from the Milken Institute, the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation and the Milken Family Foundation. The gifts are intended to address many of the world’s public health challenges, focusing on prevention of disease and promotion of wellness. In honor of these transformative gifts, the GW Board of Trustees unanimously approved the renaming of the School of Public Health and Health Services as Milken Institute School of Public Health and the establishment of the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness. In the spirit of collaborative philanthropy, the gifts include: • $40 million from the Milken Institute to support new and ongoing research and scholarships; • $30 million from the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation to develop and advance innovative strategies to expand wellness and the prevention of disease; • $10 million from the Milken Family Foundation to support the Milken Institute SPH dean’s office, including a newly created public health scholarship program. GW and the Milken Institute have enjoyed a history of working together to develop a range of public health initiatives, and both organizations are jointly committed to promoting prevention, health and wellness around the world. In 2012, the Milken Institute’s D.C.-based FasterCures center hosted the Celebration of Science, an event held in-part on GW’s campus that brought more than 1,000 leaders to Washington, D.C. to reaffirm the importance of bioscience. In January 2014, the Institute and the CDC Foundation co-hosted “The Atlanta Summit on Public Health and Prosperity,” an event focused on advancing global public health in which leaders of both the Milken Institute and GW actively participated. Both institutions share a passion and a pledge to further GW’s contributions as a thought leader, educator and global convener in the public health arena.

progress report

As part of the Milken Family Foundation gift, Dean Lynn R. Goldman is now known as the Michael and Lori Milken Dean of Public Health; and she will award Michael and Lori Milken Public Health Scholarships, creating new opportunities for talented students and scholars at the school to become leaders and catalysts for global public health. “These remarkable gifts mark the beginning of a new phase for the School of Public Health,” said Dean Goldman. “With new resources, innovative ideas and collaborative action, we can drive improvements in public health across America and the world. The support and engagement of the Milken Institute, the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation and the Milken Family Foundation begin a new chapter in our growth as a 21st century center of global public health leadership.”

In honor of these transformative gifts, the GW Board of Trustees unanimously approved the renaming of the School of Public Health and Health Services as Milken Institute School of Public Health and the establishment of the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness.

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Scavone Photography

A Public Health Celebration Multi-colored ribbons cascaded through the seven-story central atrium of the Milken Institute SPH building, creating a ribbon cutting ceremony as unique as the building itself. The day of events on May 15, 2014 marked the official opening of the building at 950 New Hampshire Ave. on Washington Circle, and the first time in the school’s history that all seven departments have been housed under one roof. A collaborative endeavor between Milken Institute SPH Office of Communications, GW’s Office of the President and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations’ event staff created a unique event that helped the school celebrate achieving its long-awaited dream of having a building devoted to public health education in the nation’s capital. An interactive tour experience of the 115,000-square-foot building incorporated the health- promoting mission of the school and design of the building, which holds a Platinum rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. Light, healthy fare was available in areas throughout the nine-story facility, and a live jazz trio provided an upbeat soundtrack for the day’s activities. Visitors were encouraged to stop at particular areas that highlighted the features of the building with a “Public Health Passport” serving as a guide. They had the opportunity to get a stamp on their passport at each location, which included the exercise studio; anatomy/physiology lab and athletic training lab; 460-person convening center; 227-person auditorium; a demonstration of the new classroom technology and modular layout; student lounge spaces; and a demonstration of the school’s online degree program, MPH@GW, in the Executive Case Study room.

progress report

Dean Goldman, GW President Steven Knapp and wife Diane Knapp, Provost Steve Lerman, and Board of Trustees Chair Nelson Carbonell joined Mike and Lori Milken, in cutting the ribbons. Paul Irving, president of the Milken Institute, along with other Milken Institute senior staff, GW’s board of trustees and friends of the school joined in the historic celebration. “I can’t imagine a more extraordinary place to work in the field of public health than in this building,” President Steven Knapp said. In his remarks Mike Milken captured the moment and meaning of the building. “The building itself is a promise to the future. The promise of light, the promise of movement,” he said. “But it’s what is inside the building that makes the difference, and that is you—the students who are here today, the students of the future and the faculty.” The open house and ribbon cutting celebration at 950 New Hampshire Ave. was followed by a gala in the evening at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C. for friends of Milken Institute SPH. Guests attending the event included university board members, donors, faculty, friends as well as university leadership including President Steven Knapp and wife Diane, Provost Steven Lerman and wife Lori, and Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Mike Morsberger. One of the first Michael and Lori Milken Public Health Scholars, Wendy Ellis, was also in attendance. The evening included remarks from Dean Goldman, Dean Josef Reum, President Knapp and Mike Milken. In his remarks, Milken emphasized the need for prevention as opposed to treatment and urged the audience to create a legacy that relegates life threatening diseases to children’s history books.

“ I can’t imagine a more extraordinary place to work in the field of public health than in this building.”

All photos this page: Scavone Photography

— Steven Knapp, GW President

Left to right: Mike Milken, Lori Milken, Chairman Nelson A. Carbonell, Jr., Dean Goldman, President Steven Knapp. Milken Institute School of Public Health

progress report

Robert Benson Photography

“ This building represents a major milestone in the history of Milken Institute SPH. The achievement of LEED Platinum status demonstrates our commitment to building a high-performance green building, one that helps promote a healthier workplace and goes toward sustaining the environment.” — Dean Goldman

Milken Institute SPH Building Earns LEED Platinum Status Milken Institute SPH leads the way for GW as the only university project in Washington D.C. to receive the top LEED rating for innovative sustainable design. The school earned a Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)—the highest certification under the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) rating system. It is one of only 57 buildings in the District of Columbia and one of 1,102 buildings nationwide that have achieved this high honor. The $75 million building, which officially opened May 15, 2014, offers technologically-advanced classrooms, laboratories, offices, study areas and convening space to host conferences— all designed with healthy and environmentally sustainable features built in. The building, with 115,000 square-feet of gross floor space and a total of nine stories (seven above ground and two below), was designed by Boston-based Payette along with D.C-based Ayers Saint Gross. Others involved in the project for LEED status include Affiliated Engineers Inc., Wiles Mensch Corporation, Paladino and Company, Inc., and the Whiting- Turner construction company. Milken Institute SPH earned the LEED Platinum rating by featuring a number of sustainability components including: • a green roof that reduces stormwater run-off and the heat island effect; • l ow-flow plumbing, a rainwater collection system and other features expected to reduce potable water consumption by more than 40 percent over the standard for commercial buildings;

All photos this page: Robert Benson Photography

se of native and adaptive plants for landscaping that require •u little or no water once established; se of local, rapidly renewable or recycled building materials; •u • e nergy-saving lighting controls in offices, classrooms and conference rooms; • a heating and air conditioning system that uses green technologies such as active chilled beams and mass air displacement.

Milken Institute School of Public Health

David Scavone Photography

“For health policy, you couldn’t be in a better place than Washington, D.C.”

“Prevention is the key to a healthier future, and I am excited to have the opportunity to work on developing public health efforts that will hopefully decrease disease mortality in the foreseeable future.”

Vinu Ilakkuvan, MS

David Scavone Photography

Wendy Ellis, MPH

“I love GW, and I love D.C., along with all the opportunities this city and this university can offer me.”

Jennifer Schindler-Ruwisch, MPH

In an effort to address some of the world’s public health challenges, The Michael and Lori Milken Public Health Scholarship program was created by a generous $10 million gift from the Milken Family Foundation and a part of the recordbreaking $80 million gift to GW. The scholarship program will create new opportunities for top scholars to become future leaders in the public health field and catalysts for change. The first four recipients were named in May 2014. The scholarship recipients include, Wendy Ellis, MPH, who will be pursuing a Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) in health policy through the school’s Department of Health Policy, Jennifer Schindler-Ruwisch, MPH, and Vinu

progress report

“Public health does not always get the kinds of resources that it needs. It was exciting to hear about the donation and then really special to be part of it personally.”

Qiushi Huang, MPH

Ilakkuvan, MS, who will both be working towards a DrPH in health behavior through the Department of Prevention and Community Health, and Qiushi Huang, MPH, who will be pursuing a PhD in epidemiology through the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. “The scholarship program allows us to offer outstanding students from diverse backgrounds the financial support to work toward an advanced degree in public health,” said Dean Goldman. “For the first time in our school’s history, we are able to recruit the most talented scholars in the world into our graduate programs. These students will be the public health leaders of tomorrow.”

David Scavone Photography

The Public Health Leaders of Tomorrow

new faculty Alfred Hamilton, MS, PhD Assistant Professor, Health Services Management and Leadership

Marinella Temprosa, MS, PhD Assistant Research Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Barbara Braffett, MS, PhD Assistant Research Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Bebu Ionut, MS, PhD Assistant Research Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Glenn Paulson, PhD Visiting Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health

Allison Sylvetsky, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences

Cutberto Garza, MD, PhD

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Robert Benson Photography

Visiting Professor, Global Health

Drs. Richard and Janet Southby Donate $500,000 Gift In 2014, Drs. Richard and Janet Southby generously gave a $500,000 gift to the school. Dr. Richard Southby came to GW in 1979 as the chair of the Department of Health Services Management and Policy. He later became the dean of the school and founded the Department of Health Policy. Dr. Janet Southby served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps for 31 years as a colonel and chief of the Department of Nursing at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In recognition of their gift, the 7th floor conference room in the Milken Institute SPH building has been named in their honor.

Drs. Richard and Janet Southby in Antartica

S. Jay Hazán Supports Milken Institute SPH Building with $1 Million Gift In 2013, S. Jay Hazán, MD, gave Milken Institute SPH a $1 million gift to go towards the construction of the Milken Institute SPH building. Hazán received his Master of Arts in biochemistry from the George Washington University in 1949. He went on to complete two years of medicine while a research fellow at the Medical College of Georgia, and completed his last two years at the USC School of Medicine in 1955. Throughout his career, Dr. Hazán has recognized the importance of public health as a means of helping populations in need. As the son of immigrant parents, Hazán values the role the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital played in shaping public health in the U.S. as one of the country’s first public health organizations. In recognition of his generous gift to the school, portraits of Dr. Hazán, his late brother David H. Hazán and his parents Matilda and Jacques Hazán will be displayed in perpetuity in the foyer of the Milken Institute SPH building.

Dr. Hazán stands next to his family portraits on display in the Milken Institute SPH building. 12

progress report

Philosophy at the university. Grossman also played a key role in the establishment of the university’s school of public health.

Richard Windsor, Julia Graham Lear and John Grossman. Photo: Center for Health and Health Care in Schools

Milken Institute SPH Faculty Retire Julia Graham Lear, PhD, professor emerita at Milken Institute SPH and founder of the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools in the Department of Prevention and Community Health, was an early pioneer in promoting the health of children and adolescents through school-connected programs. Her best-known work is associated with the development of the school-based health center model of care. Across 30 years and with ongoing support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Lear has helped refine the health center model and guide its replication, helping to expand the number of the centers from fewer than 50 in the mid-1980s to nearly 2000 in 2010. She developed and taught the only course at Milken Institute SPH focused on children’s health at school, has written extensively on the organization of health care for children and adolescents, and serves on advisory boards for a number of organizations dedicated to improving child health and well-being. John Grossman, MD, PhD, MPH, professor emeritus, has served on the faculty at the George Washington University for almost four decades. At Milken Institute SPH, Grossman has taught as a professor in the Departments of Prevention and Community Health and Health Services Management and Leadership. Grossman also holds appointments with the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Grossman has chaired, or served on, committees of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. As an obstetrician/gynecologist, Grossman has brought a longstanding interest in pregnancy outcomes, especially the impact of maternal infection on birth, to his public health work in the areas of women’s health advocacy and primary prevention. Professor Grossman’s connection to GW runs deep. He completed his fellowship in maternal/ fetal medicine and his Master of Public Health and Doctor of

Richard Windsor, MS, PhD, MPH, professor emeritus in the Department of Prevention and Community Health at Milken Institute SPH, came to the school in 2000 as the first chair of the department. Throughout his more than thirty-year career, Windsor has translated and disseminated evidence-based results into public health practice; guided trans-disciplinary research designed to evaluate interventions, especially for high-risk populations; and provided leadership to public health training programs and agencies in the U.S. and abroad. He has held academic appointments and provided research and management leadership at a number of institutions including the Ohio State University, University of Alabama Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Windsor has focused many of his research and scientific activities around smoking cessation, including serving as a principal investigator or co-PI on 10 randomized clinical trials to evaluate Smoking Cessation or Reduction in Pregnancy Treatment (SCRIPT) Methods. He was awarded the C. Everett Koop National Health Award for his leadership on those trials.

Dr. Leonard Friedman Interim Chair and Hall of Fame Inductee

On July 1, 2014, Dr. Leonard Friedman stepped up to serve as the interim chair of the Department of Health Services Management and Leadership Leonard H. Friedman, when regular, active-status faculty Ph.D., M.P.H., FACHE Photo: David Scavone Photography recommended him after an extensive process involving selfnominations and consultation with all departmental faculty. Dr. Friedman has extensive experience with training and mentoring health administration students, and has played pivotal roles in both the Commission on Accreditation Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) reaccreditation process and in the development of the new online/executive program. In addition, Friedman was one of five healthcare leaders selected for induction into the Studer Group Fire Starter Hall of Fame. Studer Group is a Florida-based healthcare outcomes firm. Each year, the firm inducts passionate men and women who guide and support an organization’s commitment to excellence with a positive impact on the lives of employees, physicians, patients, families and students. Friedman was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the August 2014 12th annual What’s Right in Health Care conference in Chicago, IL. Milken Institute School of Public Health

MPH@GW Class Profile

500

45%

students with advanced degrees

9% Total Enrolled Students

Average Age:

Number of States Represented:

students in the military

52%

minority students

43 + DC + QA + PR

Number of Countries Represented:

Canada, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Uganda, and USA

progress report

Education in the digital age MPH@GW Milken Institute SPH is at the forefront of revolutionizing graduate education and learning. Our goals remain the same, to further our mission to empower underserved populations and advance the health of communities around the globe. MPH@GW continues to grow after kicking off in June 2013 with its first cohort, a group that will graduate in the spring of 2015. Online learning is transforming the educational experience for the nearly 500 students enrolled to-date with highly interactive live classrooms combined with highly-produced, self-paced content that inspire our students to push themselves to greater levels of achievement. “The online programs have grown significantly and continue to evolve in creative and valuable ways,” says Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Julie DeLoia who leads Milken Institute SPH online initiatives. “Our programs have inspired faculty to think differently about how students learn and engage with material. Our students have formed beneficial learning communities around the globe. I look forward to incorporating many of the worthwhile lessons we’re learning from our online efforts into our residential programs.”

MHA@GW Milken Institute SPH launched the MHA@GW degree in April 2014. The twoyear executive program—specifically designed for working professionals seeking to advance their careers in health care leadership—recruits students from across the United States who have significant experience in both public and private sector health care delivery. With the unprecedented quality of applicants to the program, the number of students is rapidly growing. “The MHA@GW has exceeded all of my expectations,” says Leonard H. Friedman, professor and director of the program and interim chair of the health services management and leadership department (HSML). “The online learning modules provide full-time working adults with the opportunity to immediately use what they learn in class and apply it to their workplace. Though the curriculum is demanding, we have successfully created a learning community where students and faculty work together in the spirit of collaboration and professional growth.” The program includes four on-campus immersion experiences where the students spend three intensive days listening and learning with top academic experts. The first on-campus immersion led by HSML alumnus Fred L. Brown, MBA ’66, chairman of Fred L. Brown & Associates, LLC, in September 2014 focused on leadership development through an in-depth personal assessment and also explored the intersection between leadership and ethics. Through these hands-on immersion experiences students gain invaluable perspectives on the structure and operations of highperforming health care systems.

“ I love the range of knowledge that comes with having such a widespread population of students. Everyone from physicians to political science majors —I love the discussions we get into in class, where everyone brings a unique viewpoint!” —Alicia Day, MPH@GW student

“ I have really enjoyed the camaraderie that has grown among the students in the program. I have so much respect for them and their commitment to positively impacting the field of public health. We are all very accomplished in our respective areas and bring such a wealth of knowledge to the program. At the same time, we are always willing to listen and learn from one another.” —Antonesia Wiley, MHA@GW student

Milken Institute School of Public Health

research 16

progress report

Creating a Culture of Research Excellence Since joining Milken Institute SPH in the summer of 2012 as the Associate Dean of Research, Kimberly Horn has focused on strengthening the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research culture and community through several new programs and initiatives. Horn established the Milken Institute SPH Office of Research Excellence and aims to increase externally-funded research, enhance scholarly output with high public health impact and cultivate unique doctoral training platforms. The past year certainly brought its challenges as universities across the country were hit hard by sequestration and cuts to federal budgets. Overall, Milken Institute SPH research funding remained level during this tight funding period and the school has maintained a balanced portfolio of sponsors. In fact, the school increased the number of research proposals submitted and our NIH portfolio is at the highest it has ever been, 83 awards in 2014 compared to 53 awards two years ago. Looking ahead, the Office of Research Excellence will continue to build an infrastructure that compels a positive research culture by strengthening its capacity to respond to funding research and training opportunities for faculty and students.

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Adina Bora, Keisha Woods and Theresa Chapman recently earned CRA certification. Not pictured: Laura Davis and Stephanie Sylvester

A Community for Learning

Administrative staff are critical to establishing a research infrastructure, so Dean Kimberly Horn brought Milken Institute SPH’s grants and research administrators together to share resources and knowledge, creating the school’s first formal learning community. The community was named the Learning Community of Grants Management Administrators (GMAs), and with ongoing input from staff it has grown to include formal training opportunities where grant and research administrators can pursue advanced certification as a Certified Research Administrator (CRA).

Staff members who recently earned the CRA certification include Adina Bora, grants management coordinator; Theresa Chapman, pre-award grants specialist in the Office of the Dean; and Keisha Woods, center finance administrator in the Department of Health Policy. Those staffers join Laura Davis, senior research operations director in the Office of the Dean, who has been certified for nearly five years now, and Stephanie Sylvester, manager of fiscal operations from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. This raises the total number of CRA-certified Milken Institute SPH staff members to five.

The CRA certification is a third-party designation given by the Research Administrators Certification Council, and is the gold standard for research administration, Horn says. The CRA initiative at the school, made possible with support from the Office of the Dean, assisted several research administrators to prepare for and pass the strenuous exam.

Horn says that having more CRAs on staff will deepen the capacity of Milken Institute SPH to carry out innovative research on growing public health problems. She says that when administrators focus on the requirements for a smooth grant proposal and management that frees up investigators to focus on the research itself. “The CRA program speaks to the growing culture of collaboration and our staff’s commitment to providing a valuable service to our research,” Horn says.

progress report

Springboard Grants Program Announces First Three Winners In 2014, the Office of Research Excellence launched the Springboard Grants Program with the goal of advancing the expertise of faculty members at producing competitive, highly-vetted research proposals. The Springboard Grants Program, which was launched in March 2014 by Dean Kimberly Horn, aims to advance the skills of selected faculty members at developing a research proposal from the early stages through a polished R21 or R01 proposal ready to be sent to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grants program offers faculty members hands-on proposal development; funding for the pilot project and collection of preliminary data; experienced mentors who have had success at securing federal grants; mock study sections and proposal submission assistance. After a careful review of all applicants, the Office of Research Excellence awarded the first three Springboard grants of $50,000 each to Environmental and Occupational Health Assistant Professor Amanda Northcross; Environmental and Occupational Health Assistant Professor Ami Zota and Prevention and Community Health Associate Professor Kathleen (Katy) Roche. The winners were selected for the development of an innovative research project and had to commit to completing a series of training components with the goal being to submit a proposal to the NIH. Northcross will use the Springboard grant to study household air pollution in Nigeria; Zota’s project will look for better ways to prevent and treat fibroid tumors; and Roche’s study aims to identify parenting techniques that might lower the risk of substance abuse among Latino youth.

Associate Professor Kathleen (Katy) Roche

The Springboard Grants Program is offered through and funded by the Milken Institute SPH Office of the Dean. This is the first round of grants in a program that is designed to become a longstanding tradition at the school, one that will hone the faculty’s skill at obtaining external funding to study, and find solutions, for serious public health problems.

Assistant Professor Ami Zota

Assistant Professor Amanda Northcross

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Milken Institute SPH Receives $23.8 Million to Test HIV Project Milken Institute SPH won a $23.8 million grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid to lead a team of GW researchers who will test an innovative HIV project, one that uses mobile technologies and integrated care to improve prevention and provide better care for people infected with HIV. Prevention and Community Health Associate Professor Freya Spielberg serves as the principal investigator on the project and leads a team from Milken Institute SPH as well as the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The researchers will collaborate with more than 20 community partners to develop a HIV model in the District of Columbia, a city where HIV rates are alarmingly high, Spielberg notes.

The research team will use mobile health education, home testing and an integrated prevention and care information technology (IT) system in the hopes of making it easier for residents of the District of Columbia to find out about their HIV status and/or put in place services to help prevent infection and provide better care for those who already have HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. As part of the project, community health workers will receive mobile tools they can use to better coordinate care for HIV-infected people who have missed clinic appointments or visits to refill prescriptions. Such missed appointments may be signs that patients are not receiving the primary care they need to prevent costly complications and preventable trips to the hospital, Spielberg says. After three years, the GW team hopes to have created and tested a model system that can be used in other places, especially urban areas where the rates of HIV infection are high.

The researchers will collaborate with more than 20 community partners to develop an HIV model in the District of Columbia, a city where HIV rates are alarmingly high

Preparing for the Future by Studying the Past:

An Examination of the 2009 Flu Pandemic On April 15, 2009, a new virus never before seen in humans was detected in a 10-yearold patient in California. This virus would come to be known as 2009 H1N1, and would spread around the world. Initial World Health Organization (WHO) reports cited 18,449 laboratory-confirmed deaths from the pandemic, but a 2013 study funded by WHO and led by Global Health Research Professor Lone Simonsen estimated the global death toll to be 10 times higher, suggesting the virus caused up to 203,000 respiratory deaths around the world. Additionally, Simonsen and the research team consisting of more than 60 collaborators in 26 countries, found an almost 20-fold higher mortality rate in some countries in the Americas with Mexico, Argentina and Brazil showing the highest respiratory death rates in the world. This geographical pattern of mortality greatly differed from results in a 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that reported lower death rates in the Americas and Europe. “This study confirms that the H1N1 virus killed many more people globally than originally believed,” says Simonsen. “We also found that the mortality burden of this pandemic fell most heavily on younger people and those living in certain parts of the Americas.” In addition to deaths caused by respiratory disease, which often develop when H1N1 gets into the lungs and causes pneumonia, the virus can also kill by exacerbating existing health problems. The researchers found that when the H1N1 deaths due to cardiovascular disease and other causes are included, the 2009 pandemic death toll might be as high as 400,000. Whenever a new influenza virus emerges, the ensuing outbreak can quickly turn to a crisis—with illness and death rapidly spreading from country to country. Understanding the global impact of a pandemic like the 2009 H1N1 is vitally important in enabling public health officials to plan and prepare for the next time a pandemic virus emerges, Simonsen says. Simonsen was also recently elected as a foreign member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, a prestigious science academy in Denmark.

“Flu pandemic in 2009 killed 10 times more than thought”

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Syrian Conflict Has Decimated Regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Medical System In war-torn Syria, nearly 60 percent of the hospitals have either been destroyed or severely damaged and many of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical personnel are gone. The end result is a health and humanitarian crisis, according to Ronald Waldman, who is president of the board of the humanitarian group Doctors of the World-USA and a professor of global health at Milken Institute SPH. In 2013, Waldman, traveled to Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, countries that have been on the receiving end of a massive flow of Syrians trying to escape the war. He reports that the conflict has broken down the medical system in the region, leaving refugees in large camps without access to health services or medicines that once were taken for granted. Prior to the war, Syria enjoyed a humming economy, a large middle class and had a high-level health care system that dealt mostly with chronic conditions such as heart disease or depression, Waldman reports.

progress report

Now, as the number of people requiring emergency care surges, a few doctors and nurses struggle to provide treatment in make-shift camps, sometimes without electricity, running water or basic medical supplies. The break down has left the region vulnerable to outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and other potentially deadly diseases and disabling injuries that cannot be treated properly or at all, says Waldman who published an op-ed on the crisis in U.S. News and World Report. Waldman, and 54 other prominent medical and public health professionals, also signed a letter that was published in the journal The Lancet highlighting the situation and urging the United Nations to provide more support for the refugee camps and health systems in the region.

The Faces of Climate Change In April 2014, the premium cable and satellite television network Showtime premiered the documentary television series, “Years of Living Dangerously,” which addresses the impacts of and solutions for climate change on humans, including the public health aspects of rising temperatures and extreme weather. Environmental and Occupational Health Associate Professor Sabrina McCormick worked behind the scenes as a producer on two of the episodes in the documentary series, which recently won a 2014 Emmy for Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series. The series consists of nine episodes featuring celebrity correspondents who meet climate change scientists as well as ordinary people affected by swings in the weather triggered by climate change, showing the very human side to the issue. In one episode, shaped by McCormick’s contributions, Hollywood star Matt Damon explores the public health issues connected to heat waves. In the other, McCormick travels to Bangladesh with Michael C. Hall, an actor best-known for his starring role in the Showtime television series “Dexter,” where Hall interviews people living in Bangladesh who have lost their homes or lived through cyclones that might have been triggered by climate change. McCormick, a sociologist and documentary filmmaker, studies how communities respond to heat waves, hurricanes and other weather events triggered by climate disruption. She first began experimenting with documentary filmmaking while earning her PhD at Brown University, and gained experience from projects with the nearby Rhode Island School of Design. For McCormick, filmmaking is a means to marry her twin passions in the arts and sciences as well as utilize a more powerful and effective tool to communicate research findings.

McCormick, a sociologist and documentary filmmaker, studies how communities respond to heat waves, hurricanes and other weather events triggered by climate disruption.

Sabrina McCormick (front) traveled with actor Michael C. Hall (right) to Bangladesh to film the eighth episode of Showtime’s “Years of Living Dangerously.” Photo: The Years Project Milken Institute School of Public Health

Manufacturers May Be Substituting One Harmful Chemical for Another

A September 2013 study led by Environmental and Occupational Health Assistant Professor Ami Zota looked at American exposure to phthalates over a ten-year period and how that may impact public health.

The average consumer doesn’t think about the chemicals that are used to make everyday products from children’s toys to nail polish and beauty products to building materials, but environmental health researchers work to keep us safe by studying how human exposure to such chemicals impacts our health. Phthalates, which are commonly used to soften plastics, are an example of such chemicals. A September 2013 study led by Environmental and Occupational Health Assistant Professor Ami Zota looked at American exposure to phthalates over a ten-year period and how that may impact public health. The study found that while exposure levels of some phthalates have dropped substantially, others have increased. Exposure to phthalates has been linked to serious health problems including DNA damage to sperm and cognitive behavioral problems in children. Some phthalates have been banned or phased out in certain products such as children’s toys, but many are still produced and can be found in nail polish, fragrances, plastics and in the food supply. They can be inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin. Since the ban on some phthalates, manufacturers have looked to develop replacement phthalates such as DiNP and DiBP, which animal testing indicates may also harm the endocrine system, impacting reproductive, neurological and immune functions. Using urine samples from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey of 11,000 people Zota found that DiNP exposure increased 150 percent over the ten-year study period. Zota did the research while a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Francisco’s program on reproductive health and the environment.

progress report

Associate Professor Amanda Castel pictured speaking at the White House for World AIDS Day 2013.

Observing World AIDS Day 2013 at the White House On December 2, 2013, the White House observed the 25th anniversary of World AIDS Day with the discussion, “Shared Responsibility: Strengthening Results for an AIDS Free Generation.” Epidemiology and Biostatistics Associate Professor Amanda Castel was invited to the White House to participate and speak on the progress being made in the fight against AIDS in DC, the work being done at the George Washington University as well as provide insight as to how to move forward to provide quality HIV prevention, care and treatment in the region. Other participants in the panel discussion included Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mark Dybul of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Kali Lindsey of the National Minority AIDS Council, Chris Beyrer of Johns Hopkins University, the Minister of Finance of Nigeria Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Dr. Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health. “As a native Washingtonian, and long time HIV researcher, all of the hard work and dedication that my colleagues and I have done came full circle during this event,” Castel said of the experience. “The opportunity to be recognized for the achievements that we have made in partnership with the DC Department of Health was amazing.”

“ As a native Washingtonian, and long time HIV researcher, all of the hard work and dedication that my colleagues and I have done came full circle during this event.”

— Amanda Castel

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Resting metabolic rate test. Photo: The George Washington University

Todd Miller oversees testing of a patient on the VO2 MAX cycle ergometer.

GE Lunar iDXA.

Photo: The George Washington University

Guiding Your Journey to Better Health and Fitness The testing and services offered at the state-of-the-art Exercise and Physiology Lab and Weight Management and Human Performance Lab are helping individuals take charge of their health by learning healthy habits like eating right and exercising, and developing the optimal training regimen for competitive athletes. The Exercise and Physiology Lab, located in the Milken Institute SPH building, offers a broad spectrum of top-of-theline exercise and clinical equipment for body composition and fitness testing. Tests available to the general public include the DEXA, Bod Pod, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, VO2 max and submax tests, and other human performance tests. In addition to offering a range of services to help the public assess their current health status and measure their progress, the lab is used for both undergraduate and graduate education in a variety of exercise science disciplines. The lab also serves as a research site for a number of projects led by both students and faculty at GW. The Weight Management and Human Performance Lab in Ashburn, Virginia, also features body composition, metabolic and fitness testing in addition to nutritional and exercise consulting. Lab Director Todd Miller, associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, says tests he recommends are the GE Lunar iDXA, which scans the patient with a low-dose X-ray, and produces a color-coded

progress report

map of the test subject’s body fat (red) and lean mass (green) in seven minutes; and the Resting metabolic rate test, which measures the amount of energy (calories) an individual’s body burns while at rest, which accounts for approximately 70 percent of the body’s daily energy expenditure. These types of services help individuals assess their current health status and measure their progress as lab staff help them along their personal journey to better health and fitness.

“Put your body to these tests at GW’s Weight Management and Human Performance Laboratory” March 2, 2014

It’s How You Play the Game

Visek and her research team used a method called concept mapping to map fun in youth sport. They asked 142 soccer players, 37 coaches and 57 parents to identify all of the things that make playing sports fun for kids. When all of their ideas were pooled and synthesized, 81 specific determinants of fun were identified, each of which fell into one of 11 “big fun” factors. Among the “big fun” factors, being a good sport, trying hard and positive coaching were most important when it comes to having fun, while winning and other mental bonuses ranked near the bottom. The results of this study might help researchers develop proven ways to keep kids involved in organized sports, which research shows can help prevent obesity, reduce depression and anxiety,

and can lead to better performance in the classroom . We lose as many as 70 percent of kids who drop out of organized sports by the age of 14, Visek says. “The longer we can keep them participating in sport, the greater likelihood we have of helping them establish a habit of regular physical activity for the rest of their lives.”

“ The longer we can keep them participating in sport, the greater likelihood we have of helping them establish a habit of regular physical activity for the rest of their lives.”

—Amanda Visek

John Gardiner/DC Stoddert Soccer, Inc.

The phrase, “It’s not about winning or losing, but how you play the game,” took on a greater meaning after a July 2014 study led by Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Associate Professor Amanda Visek helped identify what makes organized sports fun for kids.

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Foreign-Educated Nurses Report Unequal Treatment Historically, the United States has recruited nurses educated in the Philippines and other countries to fill positions in short-staffed U.S. hospitals and other health care facilities. The practice has helped fill in some of the gaps caused by widespread nursing shortages in the United States. Yet a survey conducted by Health Policy Associate Professor Patricia (Polly) Pittman has discovered that 40 percent of so-called foreign-educated nurses believe they’re routinely handed inferior work assignments, poor shifts or a paycheck that skimps on wages. Even more troubling were widespread findings of perceived discriminatory practices, especially for foreign-educated nurses recruited by staffing agencies. Pittman and her colleagues found that 68 percent of such nurses reported that they had been subjected to at least one discriminatory or unethical hiring practice. Often these nurses are recruited from developing countries where low-wage jobs are the norm and they are lured to the U.S. with promises of high wages and benefits that do not materialize. Pittman calls the findings “alarming,” and goes on to say that they raise a host of ethical and practical questions for health care facilities working to retain their nursing staff. She says many parts of the United States still grapple with nursing shortages and markets flush with RNs today could experience shortfalls as early as 2015. Nurses educated in foreign countries offer a welcome solution but only if health care leaders take steps to eliminate unfair hiring practices and create a workplace that is equitable for all, she says.

Pittman and her colleagues found that

68%

of such nurses reported that they had been subjected to at least one discriminatory or unethical hiring practice.

progress report

Prevention and Community Health Associate Professor Lorien Abroms. Photo: The George Washington University

R U Ready to Stop Smoking? Txting Helps Smokers Quit Despite all of the progress helping people stop smoking, there are still about 45 million smokers in the United States and many of them would like to quit. Despite nicotine patches, medication, quit lines and other methods, smoking is a habit that is hard to shake. A Milken Institute SPH study shows smokers can also get help by turning to their cell phone and a text messaging program— known as Text2Quit—that encourages them to fight the urge to light up. In fact, the study by Prevention and Community Health Associate Professor Lorien Abroms shows that the text messaging program doubled the chance that smokers would successfully quit smoking. Abroms and her colleagues looked at a group of more than 500 smokers, giving half of them the text messaging program while the other half got basic brochures on how to quit. The text messaging program had smokers set a quit date and then sent advice, reminders and tips to help them in the moment.

Smokers that type in the word “crave” might receive a short game to play to distract them until the urge to light up goes away, Abroms says. At the end of six months, the team found that more than 11 percent of smokers who used Text2Quit had successfully quit compared to just 5 percent of smokers in the control group. To verify the results, Abroms and her team tested the saliva from people who said they had quit to look for evidence that they had truly quit and were not sneaking out for a smoke. They found that the quit rates were still two times higher in the text messaging group. The bottom line of the study: Smokers who want to quit might consider text messaging programs along with other strategies. This research suggests that text messaging programs like this one might give some smokers the extra boost they need to stay smoke free, Abroms says.

Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness As part of the record-breaking $80 million gift, a $30 million donation from the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation was received to establish the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness (Redstone Center). The Redstone Center will develop solutions to many of the world’s most complex public health challenges. The research will initially focus on nutrition, physical activity and obesity. With its location in the heart of Washington, D.C., the Redstone Center will work closely with other major U.S. and international health institutions and schools of public health to drive change. William H. Dietz, MD, PhD, was named as director of the Redstone Center in March 2014. Dietz comes to Milken Institute SPH most recently from his role as an expert consultant on obesity, nutrition and physical fitness for the Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Prior to that, Dietz served for 15 years as the director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the CDC in Atlanta. In that role, he served on the front lines of the fight against obesity. “We know that inactivity and obesity can lead to diabetes and other chronic conditions that are difficult to stop or treat after they are established,” said Dietz, who is also a visiting professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health. “The Milken Institute School of Public Health has a well-deserved reputation for leading public health research, both nationally and internationally. I look forward to developing strategies that can take us to the next level in keeping people healthy and fit—right from the start.” At the heart of the Redstone’s Center mission is the goal of building a repository of evidence in certain research areas—obesity and nutrition to start with—that can be used by other institutions, organizations or schools of public health. The Redstone Center will begin building an evidence base for what works to improve nutrition and physical activity and reduce obesity rates, and Dietz plans on focusing that research on Washington, D.C. The city will essentially be a “learning laboratory” for Redstone Center researchers and Milken Institute SPH students. The hope will be to connect government agencies, non-profits and NGO’s doing similar public health interventions and look for ways to foster collaboration for more overall positive health outcomes, Dietz says.

“ GW has long been a world-class center for public health research, scholarship and action. I am proud to join the Milken Institute and Milken Family Foundation in supporting this great institution’s efforts to help fight some of the biggest health issues of our time, and give millions access to healthier and longer lives.”

progress report

— Sumner M. Redstone, Executive Chairman of the Board, CBS Corporation and Viacom and Philanthropist

Pitch Day: An Innovative Approach to Transforming Healthcare In October 2013, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) hosted its first Pitch Day, an event that looks to discover visionary ideas with the power to transform health and healthcare. To participate in the event, individuals were required to submit one paragraph on their idea to transform health and the healthcare system. RWJF received more than 500 submissions, and Health Services Management and Leadership Assistant Professor Bianca Frogner was one of only eight submissions selected to present her idea in New York to an esteemed panel of judges, which included angel investors, for a chance to win funding.

“ The experience made me realize the power of ideas, and that one just needs to believe that you can truly change the world.”

“As one of eight finalists invited to Pitch Day, I was honored and humbled that visionaries and leaders in the health care field believed in my kernal of an idea, at least enough to let me pitch it live,” Frogner said. “The experience made me realize the power of ideas, and that one just needs to believe that you can truly change the world.” Frogner’s vision involved developing a rapid evaluation system to help determine which of the 40,000+ medical and health apps on the market are the most effective. The rapid evaluation system would establish standard metrics, integrate expert and user experience, download statistics, rate of return measures and other features to make a more rigorous evaluation method. Developing such a method is challenging because a good health outcome is difficult to define, the technological environment is changing rapidly, the pool of talented evaluators is small, and funding levels are low relative to the number of available apps. But Frogner believes integrating the evaluation system with electronic health record systems, and designing it to be used by medical providers and insurers will help in identifying the “most effective” health app.

— Bianca Frogner

Health Services Management and Leadership Assistant Professor Bianca Frogner. Photo: Scavone Photography Milken Institute School of Public Health

POLICY ANALYSIS

progress report

Graduate Medical Education Funding: Righting a Lopsided Ship The federal government pays to train newly minted doctors with funds from Medicare’s graduate medical education (GME) program but according to a study conducted by Fitzhugh Mullan, the Murdock Head Professor of Medicine and Health Policy and his colleagues in the Department of Health Policy, some states receive more funding that others, an imbalance that might exacerbate doctor shortages that exist in some parts of the country. For example, 20 percent of the nation’s GME funding in 2010 went to New York State—an estimated $2 billion—while 29 states, including parts of the country struggling with a severe physician shortage, received less than 1 percent of such funds. In addition, they found that other states in the Northeast have a long history of training lots of new doctors and thus capture the lion’s share of GME funding.

20%

>1%

20% of GME funding went to NY while 29 states get less than 1%

“Such imbalances play out across the country and can affect access to health care,” said lead author Mullan. “Due to the rigid formula that governs the GME system, a disproportionate share of this federal investment in the physician workforce goes to certain states mostly in the Northeast. Unless the GME payment system is reformed, the skewed payments will continue to promote an imbalance in physician availability across the country.”

“ Such imbalances play out across the country and can affect access to health care.” – Fitzhugh Mullan

“Study Points to ‘Imbalance’ in Spending on Doctor Training” November 4, 2014

An outdated, inflexible method of allocating GME funding has led to imbalances that might be affecting access to health care in some parts of the country, the authors say. Many Southern or Western states, places already struggling with physician shortages, did not get as much in the way of GME funding in 2010, the study says. For example, Florida received one-tenth of the GME funding ($268 million) and Mississippi, the state with the lowest ratio of doctors-to-patients in the country, received just $22 million in these federal payments. The authors suggest solutions to the problem in the November 2013 issue of Health Affairs. They say Congress could revisit the GME payment formula and find ways to increase funding to states suffering from the largest physician shortfalls. They also recommend the establishment of a GME oversight panel. Other authors of the study include Health Policy and Pediatrics Assistant Professor Candice Chen and Health Policy Senior Research Scientist Erika Steinmetz.

The research findings were featured in more than 50 media outlets across the country. Milken Institute School of Public Health

States Opting Out of Medicaid Leave 1.1 Million CHC Patients Behind In June 2012 the Supreme Court ruled that states could opt-out of the Medicaid expansion, a key part of the Affordable Care Act. At the time of the ruling, analysts predicted that the decision could leave many poor Americans without the protection of health coverage in states that rejected the expansion. A report by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at Milken Institute SPH weighed in on that very question in October 2013. At the time, 24 states had opted out of the Medicaid expansion and the analysis found that decision had left an estimated 1.1 million community health center (CHC) patients without the benefits of health insurance. The report also showed that of the 1.1 million left behind, 71 percent were in 11 southern states (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX and VA). “Health center patients living in the South remain disproportionately affected by the failure to expand Medicaid,” said Sara Rosenbaum, the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy. These low-income patients, many of them minorities, already face significant

challenges to obtaining health care, challenges which might get worse if states continue to opt-out of the Medicaid expansion, she says. In addition, health centers in the 24 opt-out states will likely forgo half a billion dollars in revenues because of the Medicaid decision. The report, “Assessing the Potential Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Uninsured Community Health Center Patients: An Update,” also notes that community health centers in these states will likely be squeezed by the lack of funding and the rising number of patients that seek care at these clinics. The report paints a different picture for community health centers in states that have gone ahead and expanded Medicaid. In those states, an estimated 2.9 million previously uninsured community health center patients will be able to secure health coverage, in some cases for the first time. The increase in insurance payments will allow health centers in these states to expand into isolated communities that lack access to crucial primary care services.

Medicaid Expansion and Opt-out States An estimated 1.1 million community health center patients will remain without health insurance because they live in one of 24 states that have rejected the Medicaid expansion.

WILL expand Medicaid (26 states and DC) WILL NOT expand Medicaid (24 states) Credit: The George Washington University/RCHN Community Health Foundation

35% of uninsured community health center patients who are denied coverage live in the Deep South

Health Reform Might Bring Improved Coverage to People with a History of Jail Time Counties, cities and other localities operate more than 3200 jails across the nation and they are responsible for providing some level of health care to inmates while they are incarcerated. However, most people who have spent time in jail lack health insurance and many suffer from mental illness. If they’re released from the local jail into the community without a plan for getting health care, including services for mental illness, they can end up with some of the same problems that led to their arrest the first time around. The federal health reform law known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) might help improve that situation by providing this population with better access to health coverage. That’s the conclusion of a report published in the March 2014 journal Health Affairs by two professors in the Department of Health Policy—Marsha Regenstein and Sara Rosenbaum. Their analysis found that about 4 million people with a history of time spent in jail will be able to get health coverage under the ACA. The study shows that some people will be able to sign up for an affordable health plan under the new Marketplace exchanges that are run by the states. Still others will be covered under the expanded Medicaid programs.

According to the analysis, an estimated

1 out of 6 people expected to enroll in Medicaid under the new state expansion programs will have spent some time in jail during the past year.

“Health reform gives people with a history of jail time access to continuous health care for the first time ever,” says lead author Regenstein. According to the analysis, an estimated one out of six people expected to enroll in Medicaid under the new state expansion programs will have spent some time in jail during the past year. Better access to health coverage might help provide such people with the good health and stability they need to prevent a cycle of trouble with the justice system. Regenstein and Rosenbaum conclude that the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of health coverage for this group represents an investment that will pay off in the form of better health, savings on health care spending and lower recidivism rates.

“ Health reform gives people with a history of jail time access to continuous health care for the first time ever.”

—Marsha Regenstein

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Head Injuries in Young Athletes Often Dismissed Head injuries need to be taken more seriously, especially when young athletes are involved. So says a report issued by an Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel that was chaired by Health Policy Research Professor Robert Graham. The panel found evidence that athletic directors, coaches and organized sports leagues pay varying attention to the problem of head injuries. Yet recent guidelines on how to treat head injuries say that players should be taken out of play and should not be allowed back in until they’ve been cleared by a medical professional. The extensive study provided a broad examination of youth sports finding that head injuries are highest in football, ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling and soccer to name a few. The panel also found that concussion rates are higher for young athletes who have previously suffered such an injury—raising the concern that some players might be especially at risk. Typically, young athletes recover quickly after a blow to the head but in some cases a head injury can cause symptoms that persist for weeks or longer, the panel says. Young athletes with a head injury should be evaluated by a health professional and the injury should be allowed to heal before the athlete goes back to the sports field or arena. Although millions of U.S. children and teens play organized sports, researchers have yet to pin down the exact number of head injuries in this population. However, Graham’s panel found evidence that the number of young athletes treated for 36

progress report

head injuries in emergency rooms has risen from 150,000 in 2001 to 250,000 in 2009. Media organizations that covered the report included the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, LA Times, Associated Press, Inside Higher Ed, and PBS Newshour. A one-minute podcast about the report was created by HealthBeat, an initiative of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

“ Report Warns of Kids Returning to Sports Too Soon After Concussions. Panel Says There’s Still a ‘Culture of Resistance’ on Reporting and Treating Brain Injuries”

October 30, 2013

Lawyers & Doctors Partner to Help Build Healthier Communities The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership (NCMLP), a project of Milken Institute SPH, was awarded a three-year National Cooperative Agreement (NCA) from the U.S. Human Resources Services Administration (HRSA) to cultivate and support medical-legal partnerships at community health centers across the country. The award, announced in July 2014, comes with $300,000 in grant funds per year. Medical-legal partnerships (MLP) bring together civil legal aid agencies and law schools with healthcare institutions to integrate legal care into the delivery of healthcare and treat individuals’ health-harming social and legal needs related to housing, insurance, benefits and education. Legal and healthcare professionals at MLPs also work together to identify and improve policies and laws that affect community health. “We know that unmet social needs have a significant impact on people’s health and well-being,” said Joel Teitelbaum, co-principal investigator of NCMLP. “This award recognizes that addressing these needs through civil legal aid as part of primary care can help build healthier communities.”

“ We know that unmet social needs have a significant impact on people’s health and wellbeing. This award recognizes that addressing these needs through civil legal aid as part of primary care can help build healthier communities.” — Joel Teitelbaum, co-principal investigator of NCMLP

As part of the three-year award, NCMLP will develop toolkits and provide trainings that help health centers develop and sustain medical-legal partnerships.

A MLP Doctor and Lawyer Working Together at a Community Health Center. Photo: NCMLP

Milken Institute School of Public Health

progress report

William Atkins/The George Washington University

Events

More Than a Body: Celebrate You Up to 24 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder like anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating with college students representing one of the most vulnerable populations, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. In February 2014, Milken Institute SPH and SPEAK GW—Students Promoting Eating Disorder Awareness and Knowledge—came together to host a week-long series of events to address the prevalence and impact of eating disorders during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. The series was titled, “More Than a Body: Celebrate You,” and specifically targeted college students. The featured event in the series was an interactive discussion with MSNBC “Morning Joe” Co-host Mika Brzezinski, who has struggled with eating disorders for most of her life. Ms. Brzezinski spoke candidly about her struggles with food and body image, and advocated the benefits of therapy in helping her on her journey to a healthier relationship with food.

Russel Ramsey, Dean Goldman, Mika Brzezinski and President Steven Knapp. Photo: The George Washington University

GW’s National Eating Disorders Week activities were made possible through the generous support of W. Russell and Norma Ramsey.

She encouraged audience members who were facing a similar struggle to seek help. “Two-thirds of my brain was fixated on food for most of my life, during some of the most incredible moments of my life,” Ms. Brzezinski said. “So you can’t let this be your journey. You should fix it now. Don’t throw away—or throw up—your health.” After Ms. Brzezinski’s keynote address, faculty, students and staff stepped up to the microphone to share their personal stories and struggles with food and body image. Following the Q & A, Associate Professor of Prevention and Community Health Melissa Napolitano moderated a panel discussion with Senior Associate Dean of Students Mark Levine, SPEAK GW President Laura Porter, the University Counseling Center’s Eating Disorder Services Coordinator Nancy Cass, student Katie Duman and Student Health Service Medical Director Isabel Goldenberg. The group discussed misconceptions people have about eating disorders—that it’s only about food or it only affects women, for example—and addressed questions from the audience, such as what resources GW offers to students with eating disorders and how to approach a friend who might be in trouble.

Mark Levine, Laura Porter and Nancy Cass. Photo: The George Washington University

The University Counseling Center at GW offers a number of services and resources for students who are struggling with an eating disorder or those who want to help a friend in addition to resources for faculty and staff, and family members.

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Left to right: William Rosenzweig, Jennifer Pomeranz, Naomi Seiler, Jeff Levi, Dean Goldman. Photo: The George Washington University

Empowering Change Through Health Policy The Vitality Institute, an action-oriented global research organization, works to strengthen the evidence base about what works and what doesn’t work in health promotion and disease prevention.

progress report

On February 20, 2014, the Vitality Institute and Milken Institute SPH collaborated to host a commission forum exploring the challenges and opportunities associated with President Obama’s landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The forum, titled “Health Promotion: A Forum on Empowering Change through Policy,” convened experts including the acting surgeon general of the United States, the chief medical officer from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and health policy experts from the private sector and academia. The Vitality Institute, an action-oriented global research organization, works to strengthen the evidence base about what works and what doesn’t work in health promotion and disease prevention. The forum held in GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium was one of a series of forums the Institute hosted across the United States in 2014. Derek Yach, executive director of the Vitality Institute, along with William Rosenzweig, Vitality Institute commission chair and managing partner at Physic Ventures, LP, and Milken Institute SPH Dean Goldman, welcomed nearly 150 guests who included public policy leaders, academics, researchers, students, non-governmental organization representatives and others.

Speakers Jennifer L. Pomeranz, JD, MPH, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, and Naomi K. Seiler, JD, an associate research professor in the Department of Health Policy at Milken Institute SPH, both discussed how we can address legislative and regulatory challenges associated with the ACA. Panelists Rear Admiral Boris D. Lushniak, MD, MPH, acting U.S. surgeon general; Stephen Cha, MD, MHS, chief medical officer from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health and professor in the Department of Health Policy at Milken Institute SPH; Dora Hughes, MD, MPH, senior policy advisor at Sidley Austin LLP; and Drew Lieberman, vice president of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, Inc., took to the stage to discuss how to refine the prevention message. The panelists reflected on what health promotion and disease prevention meant to them, what has made their organizations or programs adopt a prevention approach, and what obstacles exist in moving the prevention agenda forward. Milken Institute SPH Department Chairs Paula Lantz and Rajiv Rimal also contributed their insights to the discussion. The dynamic forum left attendees and participants inspired by potential strategies that have the power to transform policy toward a culture of health.

The panelists reflected on what health promotion and disease prevention meant to them, what has made their organizations or programs adopt a prevention approach, and what obstacles exist in moving the prevention agenda forward.

Rear Admiral Boris D. Lushniak

Dean Goldman

Photo: The George Washington University

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Two Events, One Future A Morning of mHealth As mobile networks expand and mobile phones become smarter, more opportunities arise to use this technology to improve the health care system and advance public health efforts. Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle, (D – S.D) spoke on this topic as the keynote speaker during “A Conversation on mHealth: Improving Access and Outcomes for Patients 21st Century Technology,” co-hosted by Milken Institute SPH and Verizon on December 4, 2013 at GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium. Sen. Thomas A. Daschle Photo: The George Washington University

Sen. Daschle’s remarks kicked off a morning conversation about the opportunities mobile devices can provide for practitioners and patients. Dean Goldman said all those working in health care and public health are “bearing witness to an extraordinary age” of medicine and health. She referenced Text2Quit, a mobile-based smoking cessation program developed by Milken Institute SPH Associate Professor Lorien Abroms, as an example of how GW researchers are embracing mobile health (mHealth) technology. (see story on page 29)

Panel discussion led by Dean Goldman Photo: The George Washington University

A group of panelists then discussed the most significant barriers to the development or adoption of mHealth technologies, as well as solutions to these barriers. The panel, moderated by Dean Goldman, featured Ivor Braden Horn, professor of pediatrics at Children’s National Medical Center; Richard Katz, professor and director of cardiology at GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences; Jinha Park, director of MRI and radiology research at City of Hope National Medical Center; and Jonathan Spalter, chairman of Mobile Future, a technology coalition.

An Afternoon of Re-Thinking Education Dean Goldman then went on to serve as the master of ceremonies for the afternoon event, “Re- visioning of Education in Public Health,” which followed the morning’s panel discussion. This discussion focused on addressing the challenge of how to best educate the next generation of public health leaders.

Donna Petersen Photo: The George Washington University

Dr. Howard Koh Photo: The George Washington University

progress report

Donna Petersen, dean of the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, started the event by presenting a new initiative sponsored by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health that looks to re-examine public health education through discussions with public health educators and practitioners. Recommendations based on the findings from the initiative, called “Framing the Future: The Second Hundred Years of Education for Public Health,” will be published in 2014. Pan American Health Organization Deputy Director Jon Andrus; U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Howard Koh; and Rajiv N. Rimal, professor and chair of the Department of Prevention and Community Health at Milken Institute SPH, each spoke of the qualities future public health leaders need, stressing passion, perseverance and interpersonal skills. Dr. Koh called upon the students in the audience for their help in shaping this future. “As we revisit and re-vision for the future, we need from you students, future leaders who are willing to embrace this ambiguous new world that we are in, be willing to be in it for the long haul.”

Global Health Mini-University Whether you consider tuberculosis, which is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide, or the statistics noting that every day more than 800 women around the globe die of childbirth or pregnancy-related problems, there is no doubt that global health issues are of increasing importance in the world today. That was just one of the take away points for the estimated 750 people who attended the 2014 Global Health Mini-University, which was held on March 7 at the George Washington University’s Marvin Center. Participants attending this day-long event, which was sponsored by Milken Institute SPH along with USAID and the Global Health Professional & Organizational Development, attended forums on a variety of topic areas including family planning, maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases and health problems that are causing countless deaths worldwide. Speakers included Ariel Pablo-Mendez, assistant administrator for global health at USAID, who set the stage for a lively and informative day by giving the keynote address. “We are in the midst of a historic time for global health,” he told the audience of public health veterans, students, medical professionals, faculty members, staff members at NGOs and others working in the field. “You are all a part of the generation that will see tremendous accomplishments for our civilization in the area of public health.”

But Mendez and other speakers at the conference also alluded to some of the challenges on the road ahead, including the current fight against infectious diseases that are only a plane ride away from any place in the world. In addition to gaining technical knowledge about the latest advances in public health, participants also had a chance to network with a cross-section of professionals and attend one of more than 60 sessions held at the annual event.

“ You are all a part of the generation that will see tremendous accomplishments for our civilization in the area of public health.”

— Ariel Pablo-Mendez, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID

Milken Institute School of Public Health

FEATURED STUDENTS & ALUMNI

From left, Angie Hinzey, Brian Ernest, Elizabeth Tuckwiller, Elizabeth Prevou, Hira Chowdhary, Kate Berry, Trysha Daskam, Rachel Glassford, Pierre Vigilance. Photo: The George Washington University

GW Students Win Award at Inaugural DC Public Health Case Challenge On Friday, November 15, 2013, six graduate students from three George Washington University schools competed in the very first D.C. Public Health Case Challenge where they presented their proposal to address a real-world public health challenge in Washington, DC—violence affecting LGBT youth. The team presented in front of a diverse panel of six judges, which included The New Yorker Magazine Writer Margaret Talbot and Saul Levin, the CEO and medical director-designate of the American Psychiatric Association. Three Milken Institute SPH students, Hira Chowdhary, Rachel Glassford and Trysha Daskam, were members of the GW team who participated in the competition held at the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The IOM modeled the competition on Emory University’s Global Health Case Competition. Teams from seven universities were challenged to prepare a proposal in just 14 days that would outline interventions addressing school bullying directed toward LGBT youth and violence affecting homeless LGBT youth in DC. Proposals were limited to a $200,000 budget. The GW team developed 44

progress report

an intervention plan that addressed the more basic needs of homeless LGBT youth, like safety and hunger, and the roles schools and community stakeholders can play to strengthen civic engagement of LGBT youth. Students from the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences also comprised the GW team, which was awarded the prize for “Best Interdisciplinary Approach.” “It was difficult because you kind of had to sit and endure everyone’s thought process and how it differed from yours to try and find that intersection between each person’s area of expertise,” Hira Chowdary said of the experience. Although it was difficult, the team members agreed that their interdisciplinary approach was what made their proposal so robust. The GW team was advised by Associate Dean for Public Health Practice Pierre Vigilance, ISCOPES Director Angie Hinzey, and Assistant Professor of Special Education and Disability Studies Elizabeth Tuckwiller.

Paying it Forward: Public Health Student Advocates for Orphaned Youth In 1999, Amar Davé found himself at the base of the stairwell leading up to the Khanpur Remand-Home, an orphanage in the Khanpur District of Ahemdabad, India, and thought, “Wow, I’m back.” As a newborn, Davé was abandoned by the side of the road in the Indian state of Gujarat, taken to the Khanpur Remand-Home and adopted a few weeks later by an Indian couple living in the United States. His trip in 1999 to the orphanage was his first since his adoption nine years earlier, and has since become an annual pilgrimage with his family. Davé earned his Bachelor of Arts in anthropology with a minor in public health from GW, and is currently pursuing a Master of Health Administration degree from the school. Outside of his studies, Davé spends his time managing Triumfun, an organization he founded in 2014 that looks to improve the living conditions and education provided to orphaned youth in developing countries, starting with the Khanpur RemandHome. Triumfun is overseen by a leadership team and board of advisors that includes two informal faculty advisors from the Department of Health Services Management and Leadership.

Davé has found opportunities to apply what he is currently learning in the classroom as he starts to work with contacts in the U.S. and India on his fledging organization. “My process and quality improvement class gives me perspectives on how things work and the cultural aspects of what works in what ways,” he says. “Getting my degree at Milken Institute SPH will give me the education and skills to accomplish my goals. The school has the network aspect with service at the heart.”

Triumfun stems from “triumphant,” and is also in honor of Davé’s parents. In Sanskrit, his father’s name, Vijay, means victory or triumphant. His mother’s name, Ranjan, means entertainment or fun. Similar to how Davé’s parents brought him in, raised him, and gave him the opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive, Triumfun seeks to bring these same opportunities to other children and empower them.

Amar Davé with students after a game of musical chairs. Photo: Amar Davé

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Pictured center: Student Bridget Leineweber with Professor Dante Verme at a meeting with NAMRU-6. Photo: INCAAS

Innovative Partnership Gives Students Chance to Improve Health in Peru In March 2014, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics PA/MPH candidate Bridget Leineweber was the first student to travel to Peru for her practicum experience with the International Center for Advanced Research and Applied Science (INCAAS), made possible through a new partnership with the George Washington University. The nonprofit, based in Peru, aims to strengthen and improve health research in the country. During her practicum experience, Leineweber worked closely with INCAAS’ Executive Director Dr. Javier Ponce, MD, and assisted in developing a survey to look at the regional healthcare needs of the adult population in Peru, and how preventive health care can be made more accessible. This would be the first study of its kind to examine current health care needs as Peru’s burden of disease shifts from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases with the changing economy and lifestyles of Peruvians. As part of her week-long experience in Peru, Leineweber had access to high-level officials through meetings with authorities of the National Institute of Health of Peru (Instituto Nacional de Salud – INS), which funded the upcoming survey, and researchers in the Outbreak Investigation and Response unit within the Biomedical Informatics Department of the US Naval Medical Research Unit 6 (NAMRU-6), based in Lima. Leineweber was invited to present her work with Dr. Ponce at the Mixed Methods International Research Association conference in June. 46

progress report

The partnership between GW and INCAAS began in January 2014. GW leadership in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Milken Institute SPH faculty from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics worked with Kim Hoffman, PhD, INCAAS research and program evaluation director, and Dr. Ponce to form this collaboration that would enhance the research and education between the two organizations. “This cooperation with INCAAS offers wonderful opportunities for our students to conduct field epidemiological research, laboratory research and data analysis with top-of-the-line scientists,” says Dante Verme, vice chair and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, who along with Department Chair Alan Greenberg and other faculty, were involved in the development of the collaboration. “It also opens lines of collaboration with other faculty from Milken Institute SPH and the university at-large.” In August, more Milken Institute SPH students traveled to Peru to work with INCAAS. And Leineweber couldn’t be more excited. “I had a positive experience working with INCAAS and I am excited about the future opportunities for GW public health students to collaborate with them on various projects in Peru,” she says.

Paying it Forward: Continuing the Tradition of Leadership As the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hartford HealthCare (HHC), alumnus Jeffrey A. Flaks, MHSA ‘96, oversees the Connecticutbased integrated health care system’s more than 18,000 employees and $2.4 billion in net revenue. Throughout his nearly 20-year career, Flaks has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the top 12 industry leaders in the nation, named one of the 50 most influential people in Connecticut by Hartford Magazine and honored on Crain’s New York Business’ “New York’s Rising Stars: 40 under 40” list. When reflecting on his career, Flaks credits the experiences, opportunities and faculty at Milken Institute SPH for their role in shaping him into the leader he is today. Flaks was enrolled in the Master of Health Services Administration program for only two weeks when then Department Chair Richard Southby offered students ten tickets to hear Hillary Clinton speak about national healthcare reform on campus. Flaks jumped at the opportunity. After the talk, Flaks introduced himself to Clinton and expressed his passion for health care reform and asked how he could get involved. Clinton connected him with a contact at the White House, which led to a volunteer internship at the White House from 1994-1995 where he worked on the health care reform initiative under the direction of the Executive Office. “That type of experience can only happen at GW because you have a faculty that facilitates and encourages you to engage and seek opportunities,” Flaks says. “I have been heavily influenced by the faculty at the school, especially Dr. Kurt J. Darr who has been a constant factor in my career development over the years. Dr. Southby was also extremely influential to my campus experience and my service to the university nearly two decades later.” Over his forty years of service at GW, Dr. Darr has inspired and provided guidance to Flaks and countless other students.

Flaks remains actively engaged with the GW community, having served on the Board of Trustees as well as the GW and HSML Alumni Association Board of Directors. He is also a loyal financial donor. It might be argued that Flaks’ most generous contribution however, is his work with recent GW graduates. Each year, Flaks brings on a former Colonial for a one-year administrative fellowship position where they have the opportunity to train under him and learn the full depth of the health care delivery system. “I did a similar program under an alumnus in Detroit in 1995, so I’ve seen first-hand the wonderful tradition at GW around the training and development of future leaders,” Flaks says. “I consider it a personal privilege to do for others what was done for me and continue the tradition of training the leaders of tomorrow.”

“ I consider it a personal privilege to do for others what was done for me and continue the tradition of training the leaders of tomorrow.”

— Jeffrey A. Flaks

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Development Successes Annual Fund (gifts <$24,999) FY 2014 Alumni Donor Stats: $85,622 from 260 donors FY 2011, 2012, 2013 Average Alumni Donor Stats: $53,967 from 219 donors FY 2014

$85,622

260

$53,967 FY 2011, 2012, 2013 FY 2014

219

FY 2011, 2012, 2013

123 New Donors to the school

80%

80% of all gifts to the school were between $1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; $250 (256/324 total gifts)

40 Faculty & Staff members gave ~$30,000 to the school Gifts to the GW Power & Promise Fund for Scholarships have increased each year FY 2011 FY 2012

$35,000

FY 2013 Alumni Donor Stats: $81,820 and 244 donors

$184,000

FY 2013

$270,000

FY 2014

$15,245,000

Major Gifts $40 million from the Milken Institute to support new and ongoing research and scholarships $30 million from the Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation to develop and advance innovative strategies to expand wellness and the prevention of disease $10 million from the Milken Family Foundation to support the Milken Institute School deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, including a newly created public health scholarship program $2.5 million from Sanofi US to endow the Sanofi Professor of Prevention and Wellness $1 million from Dr. Sol Jay Hazan $500,000 from Dr. Richard F. Southby and Dr. Janet R. Southby

CORPORATION & FOUNDATION Gifts

Endowments

$13,850,985 to the Aligning Forces for Quality Project from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Two new endowed gifts to the school:

$750,000 to develop a user-friendly web tool that would help communities from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Sanofi US gift to establish the Sanofi Professor of Prevention and Wellness

$683,185 from the Merck Childhood Asthma Network

The Russell C. Coile Lecture on Health Futures Fund

GW had 16 new endowments for 2012-2013. There are 15 endowed funds total for Milken Institute SPH.

Donor acknowledgements We are pleased to recognize the following donors who have made gifts to the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. The following list acknowledges gifts received from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. 2U, Inc.

Christina L. Benjamin MPH ’07

Pablo Cure MPH ’10

Stephen L. Abbott MBA ’71

John R. Birdzell MBA ’70

Alyson L. Curtis BA ’01

Anisha A. Abraham MPH ’99

BJC HealthCare

Samantha M. Danko BA ’14

Dr. John A. Adeniyi and Dr. Olatokunbo M. Adeniyi

William Jay Bletzinger MPH ’07 and Ruth Beer Bletzinger MA ’87

Dr. Kurt Darr and Anne Darr

Adebola Adetokunbo Akinyemi MPH ’04

Thomas H. Blinn CERT ’74

Sayed Alam MPH ’12

Michael E. Bohan MD ’62

Dr. Barbara A. DeBuono and David L. Farren

Lena I. Aleksandrowicz CERT ’73

Marguerite C. Borelli MPH ’10

Rawan M. AlKharboosh BS ’11

Boston Children’s Hospital

Vickie A. R. Allen CERT ’98 AS ’02

Wayne Brackin MHSA ’86

Ricky D. Allen MS ’00

Alan L. Brechbill MHSA ’82

Andrew Alloy

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Mohamad M. Al-Rahawan MPH ’07

Roslyn M. Brock MHSA ’89

American Academy of Family Physicians

Frederick L. Brown MBA ’66 and Shirley Fiille Brown

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. American Chemistry Council American Hospital Association Arianna J. Ames BS ’11 W. Reid Anderson MBA ’70 Dr. Gabriella Andreotti MPH ’98, PhD ’07 Erin M. Andrews BS ’08 Laura K. Annetta BS ’07, MPH ’12 Anonymous Paul T. Antony MPH ’96, MD ’96 Janet L. Aronson MHSA ’81 The Asbury Group Hibest Assefa MPH ’04 Association for Community Affiliated Plans Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Joseph Z. Avelino MHSA ’93 Ama S. Baffoe-Bonnie BS ’14 Dominic Henry Balzano MHSA ’75 Monika Lata Bandyopadhyay BS ’06 Noelle H. Bannister Cristen M. Bates MPH ’10, CERT ’11 H. E. Batiste, Jr., USAF (Ret) MBA ’71 Kelly A. Bea MHSA ’80 J. Zoe Beckerman JD ’05, CERT ’05 and Peter Loge Commander Mercedes J. Benitez-McCrary BA ’76, MA ’78 The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

John J. Buckley Jr. MBA ’69 and Sarah Buckley Dr. Robert E. Burke Tamia R. Burkett BS ’14 Charles I. Busack MHSA ’96 John Bustelos, Jr. MBA ’70 Kerry L. Campbell MPH ’09 Nelson A. Carbonell Jr. BS ’85 and Michele Carbonell

Laura R. Davis Dr. Julie A. Deloia Stacey M. DiLorenzo Steven J. Doherty Elizabeth D. Dollens MHSA ’08 Don Seymour & Associates Gail F. Donovan MHSA ’83 Kevin W. Donovan MHSA ’97 Jeffrey Peter Doran MHSA ’82 Rachael C. Drabot MPH ’06 Jonathan R. Dreyer BBA ’90, MHSA ’96 Monica Dureja Dr. Lloyd Alan Eisenberg MPH ’94 Dale Meredith Eisert BS ’98 Kevin Michael Elgin MHSA ’94 Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Essential Hospitals Institute Family Health International

Jason T. Carter MS ’08, CERT ’08, MPH ’11

Margaret L. Farrell MPH ’05

Dr. Amanda Castel

Carl J. Felling MBA ’67

The Center for Construction Research and Training

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund

Center for Democracy & Technology

Sharon Beth Fisher CERT ’07

Janice K. Chaw MPH ’00

Jeffrey A. Flaks MHSA ’96

Children’s Research Institute Jennifer E. Clay BS ’13

Arlene Fonaroff MPhil ’72, PhD ’73 and Dr. L. Schuyler Fonaroff

Elliot G. Cohen MBA ’70

Foundation for AIDS Research

Todd M. Cohen MHSA ’08

Valerie A. Fox MPH ’10, CERT ’10

James G. Coller MHSA ’72

Nancy A. Fraser-Szemraj MHSA ’82, MPH ’06

Eileen Mary Collins Offner MHSA ’90

Dr. Leonard H. Friedman

Stephen Edward Comess MHSA ’83

Michael and Maureen Gambino

The Commonwealth Fund

Joel J. Garcia MHSA ’99

Justin Lyle Conrad MD ’61 and Constance C. Conrad BA ’58, MD ’61

Fredrick S. Gaschen Jr. MBA ’73

Gene Corapi MHSA ’88

Dana M. Gill MHSA ’05, CERT ’12

Timothy P. Cousounis MHSA ’76

Global Development Network, Inc.

John S. Cramer MBA ’69 and Ellen E. Cramer

Dr. Debora G. Goldberg

CRDF Global

Dr. Lynn R. Goldman

Elizabeth C. Creel MPH ’99

Robert Stone Goldstein MHSA ’83

Michelle M. Fischer MHSA ’06

Dr. Terence A. Gerace MA ’69

Milken Institute School of Public Health

Thomas Granatir

Kaiser Foundation Hospitals

Carol Jean McFadden MHSA ’82

Joseph P. Granatir

Kaiser Permanente

Jangar D. McGill BA ’98, MHSA ’01

Dr. George M. Gray

Thomas Joseph Kane CERT ’02, MPH ’03

Dr. Aims C. McGuinness Jr. MBA ’70

Malorie S. Greenberg BS ’10

Ruth M. Kanthula MPH ’05

Erin E. McIntyre MPH ’12, MS ’13, CERT ’13

Alan E. Greenberg MD ’82

Dr. Neeraj K. Kanwal MHSA ’88

Medtronic, Inc.

Cynthia R. Greenlee MPH ’97

Natasha Kazeem

Edward Greissing

Brian E. Keeley MBA ’70

Jason Meier MHSA ’07 and Stephanie Meier MHSA ’07

Julien Guttman MPH ’13

Melanie A. Keer BS ’14

Jordan Hadelman MA ’78 and Deborah Hadelman

Jimmie Ellis Keller MPH ’89

Bruce W. Halliburton

Lewis Kim MPH ’12

Lt. Col. Brad J. Halvorsen (Ret) MA ’78

H. Lee Kirk Jr. MHSA ’81

The Merck Company Foundation MHA Management Services Corporation Kyle L. Mickalowski MPH ’10 Milken Family Foundation

Maureen Kivney MHSA ’73

Milken Institute Beverly Lois Miller MHSA ’80

Camille V. Harris MPH ’03

President Steven Knapp and Diane Robinson Knapp

Amy M. Miller MPH ’05

Alyssa Michelle Hart BS ’12, MPH ’14

Dany Robert Kohler BS ’94

Esther Min MPH ’07

Dr. John J. Hawkshead III MPH ’03

Peter Kovler

Mohamed A. Mohamed MPH ’08

Dr. Sol Jay Hazan MA ’49

James D. Krauss MHSA ’86

Dr. Brad B. Moore MPH ’95

Sophia T. Heard MPH ’00

The Kresge Foundation

Christina M. Moran MPH ’11

The Helppie Family Charitable Foundation

Dr. Leighton C. Ku

Tasheba S. Morgan

Bernard J. Herman MA ’76

Charles E. Kuebler MBA ’70

David Hightrink

Dr. Paula M. Lantz

Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu USPHS (Ret) MD ’71

Rex Holloway MHSA ’88

Charles S. Lauer

Gary S. Horan MHSA ’73

Richard Ware LeGrand MHSA ’72

Dr. William Huang MPH ’12

Chavonne D. Lenoir MPH ’01

Maegan Lynne Hughes MPH ’07, CERT ’07

Susan Rose Lessin MD ’78

Commander James R. Hummel, USN (Ret) BS ’73, MBA ’74

Kenneth A. Levey MPH ’01

Roger S. Hunt MBA ’68

Living Heart Foundation

Bonnie Hanson MHSA ’06 Delphine M. Harper

Dr. Katherine Louise Hunting Robert A. Hunting Tung T. Huynh MHSA ’11 Capt. Bruce Immerman MBA ’72 Mario P. Inacio MS ’09 Kimberly B. Irby MPH ’05 Rev. Hans J. Irmer MHSA ’81 Feygele Jacobs Beverly L. G. Jansheski MHSA ’86 K. Ryan Jensen MHSA ’05 Ella L. Jewell MPH ’07 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Rachael A. Johnston BS ’14 The Joint Commission Lynn Charles Jones MHSA ’80 Dr. Jeanne A. Jordan Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation

Jasna B. Keys MPH ’99

Merck Childhood Asthma Network

Randy L. Lindner MHSA ’01 Kelly M. Lorah BBA ’03, MHSA ’06 Monika M. Luabeya MPH ’11 Donald Otis Lundy DrPH’07 William D. MacCool MBA ’71 Hailey E. MacEachern MPH ’08 Jeff Majdali CERT ’13 Ian David Maltzman MHSA ’99 Dr. Donna M. Malvey MHSA ’85 Diana Lynn Mantell BS ’07

Jennifer A. Moxley MS ’03 Francis D. Murray BA ’10 Aziza Nassar MPH ’08 Natera, Inc. Sonia W. Nath MPH ’06, JD ’06 Roulla D. Nau MHSA ’08 and Michael J. Nau MA ’13 Nelson A. and Michele Carbonell Family Foundation Netsmart Technologies Inc. Lisa S. Nichols MPH ’02 Joshua L. Niehaus MHSA ’11 Alexander Andrews Nikas MPH ’97 Maya Johnson Nimo MS ’03 Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc.

Kathleen F. Martin MHSA ’77

Pilar R. Oishi MHSA ’84 and Tokuo Oishi PhD ’88

Patrick J. Martin MHSA ’76

Bernadette I. O’Kwu MPH ’09

Dr. Sayyida Shakoor Martin CERT ’96, MPH ’99

Erin A. Olson MS ’09

Mary and Daniel Loughran Foundation, Inc. Dr. Matthew G. Masiello MPH ’04 Scott A. Mason DPA ’81 Massachusetts General Hospital

Karen Kaczorowski MHSA ’92

Daniel Mateleska MHSA ’74 and Sheila Mateleska

John Kaelin

Ross A. Matlack III BBA ’92, MHSA ’95

Dennis J. Kain MHSA ’75

Courtney B. McCluskey BS ’98, MD ’03

progress report

Michael and Marybeth Morsberger

Dena M. Olyaie MPH ’11 Open Society Foundations Lucia Falcone Oram MS ’78 Madeleine Oranges BS ’04 Brian Orgen BS ’01, MHSA ’08 and Erica Orgen BA ’01 Thomas Mumford Osborn MHSA ’75 Aditi A. Parikh MPH ’11

Briana M. Parish MPH ’12

Morganne P. Rosenhaus BS ’09

Carolyn Thorpe MPH ’01

Dr. David L. Parks

Jillian E. Rossman BS ’14

Dr. James M. Tielsch

Samuel L. Parks BS ’14

Sanofi US

Benjamin H. Tingey MHA ’14

Estella Catherine Parrott MPH ’91

Miyoko Katsura Sawamura MHSA ’88

Anh Thu V. Tran

Monica McMurray Partsch MA ’99

The SCAN Foundation

Robert James Trefry MA ’74

The Miriam Hospital & the Miriam Corporation

Kelly A. Scanlon DrPH ’13

LaTasha M. Turner MPH ’11, MS ’11, CERT ’11

Sona Patel-Grimm BS ’01, MPH ’04, MD ’09, RESD ’13

James B. Scarborough BBA ’81, MBA ’83

Gary Don Tyson BS ’79

Jane Atwood Scarbrough MBA ’80

United Way of Delaware

Scott Eric Schermerhorn BS ’07, MS ’10

Ellen M. Urbanski MPA ’11

Jack R. Schlosser

Matthew G. Van Vranken MHSA ’84

Seattle Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Research

Alicia G. Vantran MPH ’10

Select Medical Corporation

Barbara A. Vickers MPH ’01

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Chip J. Paucek BA ’92 Idolidia B. Paula Ronald L. Pearson MPH ’97, RESD ’99 Kathryn Peart MHSA ’85 James M. Pence MHSA ’72 Robert G. Perry BS ’70 and Elizabeth A. C. Perry Venessa Perry MPH ’99 Flannery Peterson MPH ’13 Todd L. Peterson MHSA ’74 James F. Phalen MBA ’70 Alexandra F. Piriz MHSA ’11 C. Hope Miller Poindexter MHSA ’80 Warren Poland Ricci T. Poormon BS ’13 Gerald R. Portlock BS ’03 Tabatha Offutt Powell MPH ’02 Princeton Area Community Foundation Public Health Advocacy Institute Public Welfare Foundation RCHN Community Health Foundation Sumner Redstone HON ’06 Philip N. Reeves DBA ’70 Marsha Joan Regenstein ’99 Beth Polisky Reisig DBA ’90 Erika M. Richardson MPH ’10 Deneen Michelle Richmond MHSA ’92 Richard K. Riegelman RESD ’78 and Linda Reigelman Judith Ann Ritchie MBA ’84 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Kara A. Robertson James L. Roeder MBA ’63 Taylour Malynne Rogers BS ’13 Kathryn M. Rose MPH ’10 Sara Rosenbaum Esq. Dr. Barry Rosenberg and Carol Rosenberg

Ronald Sellers Howard D. Sesso MPH ’95 Tracie G. Seward MA ’11 Lauren M. Shauger Allison J. Shawcross BS ’11 Joseph Micahel Sheehan MHSA ’74 Ciara P. Sheehan Peter W. Shin MPH ’93, PhD ’02 Patricia A. Shub Esq. BA ’74 Jane Silver Dr. Samuel J. Simmens and Edwina Smith MEd ’02 Meredith C. Simpson MPH ’11 Marc and Linda Sloane Curtis B. Smith BA ’64 Dr. Richard F. Southby and Dr. Janet R. Southby Martina Xiomara Spain BA ’13 Dr. Caroline H. Sparks Christine D. St. Andre MHSA ’77 St. Mary Medical Center Nancy R. Stegon MPH ’03 Mark D. Stewart MPH ’04 Melissa J. Stires Melissa E. Stites BS ’09 Andrew J. Stolusky MHSA ’96 Gregg Michael Strott MHSA ’86 Gerald Scott Stryker MHSA ’86 Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation Trisa W. Swenson MHSA ’87 Thomas A. Sy MHSA ’85 William H. Taft MBA ’67 April M. Taylor BS ’02 Alexandra M. Taylor MS ’12

Dante A. Verme MS ’83, PhD ’90 Dr. Pierre N. Vigilance BS ’91 Darrell Villaruz BA ’99, MPH ’01 Laura Tardiff Violand MA ’82, EdD ’98 Susan E. Vitka Voxiva, Inc. Samuel C. Washington MPH ’00 Michael S. Wasserman Lauren H. Wattenmaker BS ’06, MPH ’10 Steven S. Weiner MHSA ’77 Ernest Alan Weinerman MHSA ’72 Susan D. Weinig MHSA ’84 Scott A. Weinstein JD ’11, CERT ’11 Stanley A. Weiss Elizabeth L.R. Weist MPH ’97 Ofer M. Wellisch MPH ’02 Ryan Francis Welsh BS ’12 Earl P. West West Virginia Research Corporation Jennifer Weiss Wilkerson MHSA ’00 Diana L. Williams MHSA ’99 James M. Wilson MHSA ’79 C. Nick Wilson MHSA ’72 Jon Martin Wiseman MD ’79 and Shelly B. Wiseman BA ’74 Nsedu Obot Witherspoon MPH ’00 Dr. Joslyn N. Witherspoon MPH ’02 Elizabeth F. Wolf MPH ’10 David Woodrum MBA ’66 and Betsy Woodrum Margaret L. Wright BS ’09 Hank Yurow BBA ’76, MHSA ’80 Careema Yusuf MPH ’00 Burton L. Ziskind CERT ’78, PhD ’84

Although great care has been taken to list all names accurately, please advise the Office of Stewardship of any errors or omissions by contacting 202-994-8719 or steward@gwu.edu. Milken Institute School of Public Health

publichealth.gwu.edu gwsphadmit@gwu.edu GWPublicHealth @GWPublicHealth

Printed on recycled paper