Volume 13
Issue 6
June 2014
SYSTEMnews CEO’s corner Ralph W. Muller
CEO, University of Pennsylvania Health System
Penn Medicine is committed to the professional and educational development of our staff. As the accompanying story in this issue of System News shows, we offer a variety of educational opportunities for staff members seeking to complete their degrees, learn new skills, refresh current skills, or earn professional certifications. By partnering with several institutions, we have developed a rich assortment of learning options that can accommodate almost any set of personal circumstances. I’m pleased to report that this year over 2,200 of you (both full- and part-time staff members) are taking advantage of our tuition assistance benefit. This represents 17 percent of our workforce, higher than the national average. The array of programs we support ranges from associate degrees to doctorates and includes all milestones in between. Professional development, such as job-related training and continuing education, are covered as well. You can choose the approach that best meets your individual needs and learning style: traditional classroom or online credit-bearing programs. Our students are equally diverse, spanning what used to be called traditional “college-age” to those who have been in the workforce and out of the classroom for several years. By investing in our staff members through tuition assistance, we are creating a triple-win situation. Our patients benefit from improved care, staff members gain knowledge and skills that can help them advance, and the ensuing patient and staff satisfaction strengthens the Health System. And by providing financial support at the beginning of the semester, we’re making things easier for those who want to attend classes but who may not have the immediate resources to do so. Offering many courses on-site further lowers the hurdles that could block some from returning to school.
Investing in
YOU:
A Profile of Employee Education at Penn Medicine
Across the Health System, over 2,000 employees seize the opportunity each year to advance in their careers at Penn Medicine through the tuition assistance benefit. UPHS provides one of the best tuition programs in the region – with up to $8,000 per calendar year for full-time employees pursuing a degree program and $4,000 for part-time employees. Employees can take courses at local colleges and universities or, thanks to partnerships with several schools, on-site in the evenings or online. Penn Medicine also invests in its employees through its Professional Development Program which offers financial support to help employees develop and improve skills. (See sidebar on page 3 to learn more.) Read the profiles below to learn how some of your coworkers have taken advantage of these opportunities and brought their careers to the next level.
From CNA to BSN While Working Full Time When Keith Pearson received his CNA (clinical nursing assistant) certification 12 years ago, he knew it was only the initial stepping stone on his path as a clinician. “I wanted to be a nurse for a long time,” he said. “My initial passion comes from my grandmother being in and out of the hospital when I was young and seeing the great care she received.” Keith was willing to work hard to turn his dream into reality, but, with only a high school diploma, he wasn’t sure where he needed to begin. While working as a CNA for over 10 years at Pennsylvania Hospital, Keith discovered the degree programs available through Penn Medicine Academy. He took nursing school pre-requisite courses on-site through Community College of Philadelphia. After fulfilling his required classes, he applied at LaSalle University School of Nursing and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree. As a new hire on the Inpatient Psychiatry Unit at Pennsylvania Hospital, Keith is excited to finally be able to pursue his goals and make his family proud. “My grandmother always told me I had a way of making people feel good on their worst days, so I'm trying to bring that into my new role as a nurse.”
On-site Programs Help You Succeed On-site college courses help employees achieve their personal and professional goals by making it easier to return to school. This was certainly the case for Bridget St. John, Administrative Coordinator in CPUP Administration. Working towards her bachelor’s degree in Health Care Management in Immaculata University’s on-site program, she said that the program’s flexibility was a huge incentive for going back to school. “Taking classes on-site certainly makes getting my degree much more accessible for me. The starting time of 6 pm allows me enough time so that I don’t feel rushed and gets me home at a reasonable hour.”
Please read the inspiring stories of your colleagues in the article that starts on this page. I think you will be as impressed as I was by their education, perseverance, and optimism for the future. Putting learning at the forefront is a major part of who we are as an organization. We have a dedicated team at Penn Medicine Academy who can help you take advantage of our education and training benefits, answer your questions, and introduce you to options you may not have considered. I encourage you to contact them and take the next step toward paving the pathway for your own brighter future.
Inside 2014 Nursing Excellence Award Winners..........................2 Free Screenings Help Prevent Disease.........................2 Penn Medicine@Work..............3 Newsmakers..............................4 Delivering the Best in Cancer Care................................5 Kudos to the Class of 2014.......5 Awards & Accolades.................6
Since her enrollment in the program, Bridget has taken on more responsibility to support CPUP operations. “The most rewarding part has been taking what I’m learning in class and applying that to my current role, not just for what I may be doing in the future,” she said. At the completion of her program, Bridget is planning to further her education and may take some courses in Information Systems.
New Advanced Critical Care Fellowship Another on-site opportunity is the newly created Advanced Practice Critical Care Fellowship Program. This 10-month fellowship is designed to build an internal pipeline of Advanced Practitioners (AP) — including both Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants — to meet the growing demand of critical care APs for the trauma transition to PPMC. “It takes six months to a year for new graduates from an NP program to be competent in this role. With this program, we will have staff who can hit the ground running,” said Tara Collins, MSN, ACNP, of the Surgical Critical Care Service. This comprehensive critical care fellowship has tracks and rotations in Trauma/Surgical Critical Care, NeuroCritical Care and Heart and Vascular ICU. Participants also take courses at the University of Pennsylvania. “This fellowship has allowed me to continue my professional development from nurse to nurse practitioner within the same supportive academic health system,” said Karen Donahue, CRNP. (continued on page 3)
Leadership Transitions.............6
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2014
Nursing Excellence Award Winners
Recognizing Nursing Excellence At the 14th annual celebration, Penn Medicine recognized the winners of its Nursing Clinical Excellence Awards. “The winners are illustrative of the contributions made by nurses,” said Mary Naylor, director of the New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health at Penn’s School of Nursing. “You work as a team. You confront complex challenges, using quality measures to address challenges. You are part of the solution to drive changes in health care.” This is nursing today, she continued. “Take what you do and make sure the public understands your contributions.”
illian Brunner Clinical Judgment L and Decision Making Award
`` Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (L. to r.) Dolores Risica, Jen Baciu, Vernice Perry, Courtney Foody, Gina Terranova, Lauren Fagan, and CNO Jim Ballinghoff
`` Pennsylvania Hospital (L. to r.) James Lynch, Elizabeth Quigley, Michelle Ferrant, Jacqueline Francis, CNO Mary Del Guidice, and Lauren Ellis
William Pezzotti, MSN, CRNP...................................................CCH Dawn Drazek, BSN, RN, CCTC...............................................CPUP Genea Peay, BSN, RN.................................................................GSPP Mae McHugh, BSN, RN, OCN....................................................HUP Amanda Lombardo, BSN, RN............................................... PHCHS Dolores Risica, BSN, RN.......................................................... PPMC James Lynch, RN......................................................................... PAH
osalyn J. Watts Nurse-Patient/Family R Relationship Award
Heather Donohue, BSN, RN, CNOR..........................................CCH Danielle Gordon, BSN, RN.......................................................CPUP Sharon Smith-Brown, BSN, RN................................................GSPP Melissa Trolene, BSN, RN...........................................................HUP Sarah Clark, BSN, RN............................................................ PHCHS Gina Terranova, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC.................................. PPMC Jacqueline Francis, BSN, RN, CCRN.......................................... PAH
Dorothy Botdorf Award for Clinical Leadership
`` Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (L. to r.) Michele Otto, Mae McHugh, chief nursing executive Regina Cunningham, Theresa Gorman, Melissa Trolene
`` Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania (L. to r.) Bonita Bennett, Carlin Ciasullo, chief nursing executive Regina Cunningham, Dawn Drazek, Danielle Gordon
Donna Hagerty, RN....................................................................CCH Carlin Cialino, BSN, RN, OCN................................................CPUP Nicole Bradley, BSN, RN...........................................................GSPP Michelle Otto, BSN, RN, PCCN.................................................HUP Crystal Comstock, BSN, RNC-MNN..................................... PHCHS Vernice Perry, MSN, RN, CNOR............................................. PPMC Michelle Ferrant, MSN, RN-NIC................................................ PAH
Helen McClelland Award for Clinical Scholarship
Rebecca Mountain, MSN, RN, CEN...........................................CCH Bonita Bennett, BSN, RN.........................................................CPUP Edward Lennon, BSN, RN, CRRN............................................GSPP Theresa Gorman, MSN, RN, OCN.............................................HUP Wanda Gbemudu, MBA, RN................................................. PHCHS Courtney Foody, MSN, RN...................................................... PPMC Lauren Ellis, BSN, RN................................................................. PAH
`` Penn Home Care & Hospice (L. to r.) Sarah Clark, Amanda Lombardo, Wanda Gbemudu, and CNO Sandra Jost
`` Chester County Hospital (L. to r.) William Pezzotti, Rebecca Mountain, Catherine Weidman, SVP/CNO Angela Coladonato, Donna Hagerty, and Heather Donohue
`` Elizabeth Quigley (l.) with Victoria Rich, PhD
In addition to recognizing the winners in each of the four categories from all the entities, the celebration included announcing the winner of the inaugural UPHS Victoria Rich Transformational Leadership Award. This is given to a nurse who leads in a way that inspires and motivates others to a higher level of performance. This year’s winner is Elizabeth Quigley, MSN, BSN, RN, nurse manager of Labor and Delvivery at Pennsylvania Hospital.
Free Screenings Help Prevent Disease La Communidad Hispana in Kennett Square (southern Chester County) provides health care, social and adult educational services to its Latino community. “La Communidad Hispana is a great asset for the community,” said Paul Huberty, SVP of Strategic Planning and Marketing at Chester County Hospital. “They have created a very welcoming environment and provide high-quality care and social services.” Its Federally Qualified Health Center serves as a safety net provider to that area’s uninsured or underinsured and immigrant population, offering services on a sliding fee based on poverty guidelines. But many in this communicty cannot afford the basic care and screening programs to prevent or reduce the impact of disease. Thanks to a Penn Medicine CAREs grant, LCH will be able to provide free mammograms to 30 of its patients who could not otherwise afford to get one. Huberty is currently chairman of the Board of Directors of La Communidad Hispana, after having served three years on its board. He was also chair of its Health Care Quality Committee. “I really enjoy helping this community,” he said. “I get so much more out of it than I put in.” To learn more about La Communidad Hispana, go to www.LaComunidadHispana.org. If you do volunteer community outreach, you may be eligible for a Penn Medicine CAREs grant. To apply, go to thttp://uphsxnet.uphs.upenn.edu/community/ and click on "Apply for a CAREs Grant." The deadline for the next grants is September 1.
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penn medicine
work
Investing in YOU:
A Profile of Employee Education at Penn Medicine (continued from cover)
Online Studies Equal Flexibility A new partnership between Penn Medicine Academy and College for America is helping employees earn a college degree in the comfort of their own homes. College for America is an affiliate of Southern New Hampshire University. For Jessica Edinger, a Patient Service Representative in HUP’s Cardiology Lab, both the education programs and support from her team make Penn Medicine a place she’d like to work for her entire career. “I chose this program because it helps people who have been out of school for a long time get readjusted,” she said. Students complete tasks at a pace that fits their schedule, with the goal of obtaining an associate’s degree in General Studies. CfA is a competency-based program; students succeed by completing real work and competency-based online projects, instead of sitting through lectures and exams. Through the guidance of an appointed learning coach, students are able to set milestones and achieve a degree on a schedule that works for them. College for America has recently been approved to offer bachelor-degree programs in the fall of 2014. Contact your HR representative to learn more.
Penn Medicine’s Continuum of Learning A Bridge to Advance Your Career Penn Medicine is committed to providing a continuum of learning experiences that will help you improve job performance and advance your career at Penn Medicine. Employees at all levels of the organization have the opportunity to advance their careers through degree-completion programs offered both in the workplace and at local colleges and universities. Penn Medicine Academy collaborates with the following colleges and universities to provide a variety of certificate and degree-completion offerings to Penn Medicine employees: »» University of Pennsylvania »» Immaculata University »» Community College of Philadelphia »» College for America »» Drexel University Online »» Peirce College
On-site Certification for Future Opportunities For Darien Fripps, making the decision to go back to school and pursue a certification in his field was not his initial intention. “I swore I was not the ‘going back to school’ type,” said Fripps, a Video Coordinator at HUP. Although he was successful in his role, he knew that a certification from an accredited university could help advance his career. Penn Medicine Academy recently partnered with Peirce College to offer the COMP TIA A+ Certification program on site in the evening. This 18-week, college-credit course prepares students to sit for their A+ certification exam, which covers the maintenance of PCs, mobile devices, laptops and operating systems. Continuing education programs such as this one promote internal networking by connecting employees across the Health System to develop relationships and share best practices. More programs from Peirce College will be coming this fall, including an on-site medical coding certification.
From the Classroom to the Bedside After working as a bedside clinician for almost 17 years, Paula Gabriel, Clinical Nurse IV in the Coronary Care Unit at PPMC, was ready to jump into a graduate degree program. But she was anxious after many years outside of a classroom and also needed a flexible program to fit her life as a single mother. The Nursing Education and Faculty Role Master’s program at Drexel University Online seemed to fit the bill. Using the same rigorous academic standards, online programs are taught by the University's on-campus faculty. "It took me six hours to complete the first online discussion board post! Now I can truly say it’s been a breeze going back to school,” she said. “The program has a lot of tools that really set you up for success.” Paula is now working as the interim nursing educator for her unit and plans on obtaining a role that deals solely with education and training for other nurses. “I’m proud that this was an investment I made in myself.”
»» Penn State World Campus
Many of these courses are offered on-site in the evenings at various Penn Medicine locations. With Penn Medicine’s prepaid tuition assistance program and the many courses we offer on-site, we help remove the geographical, financial and work/life barriers that often impede adult learners from returning to school. Our Professional Development Program helps employees develop and improve skills that can raise productivity and boost retention. By providing $600 to full time employees every fiscal year ($300 to part time employees), Penn Medicine is making an investment in the development of its workforce acquiring skills and knowledge to support organization-wide initiatives. Covered under the professional development policy, employees are encouraged to use their funds for: »» Non-credit education related to an employee’s
current position.
»» Job-related training programs. »» Seminars or exams which grant CEU credits. »» Preparation seminars for certifications.
For more information about Penn Medicine Academy’s on-site degree program and the Professional Development Program, visit “Education and Professional Development” at www.uphs.upenn.edu/ employeeselfservice. This summer, Penn Medicine will be hosting an educational fair at each of the hospitals. Join us to meet with representatives from all of our partnering schools and learn how you can further your education and your career through Penn Medicine Academy's on-site degree programs. Check back on the Employee Self Service site for an overview of dates and times for each session.
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Penn Medicine
NEWSmakers / / / Sleep Medicine in the News
/ / / In Single Gene, a Path to Fight Heart Attacks Two recent major studies independently identified mutations in a single gene that protect against heart attacks by keeping levels of triglycerides very low for a lifetime. The findings are expected to lead a push to develop drugs that mimic the effect of the mutations, potentially offering the first new class of drugs to combat heart disease in decades. Statins, which reduce LDL cholesterol, another cause of heart disease, became blockbusters in the late 1980s. Since then, there have been no major new drugs approved for lowering heart disease risk. Although statins are effective in reducing heart attack risk, many users still have high levels of triglycerides and go on to have heart attacks. So the results of the new studies are good news, Daniel J. Rader, MD, chair of Genetics and director of the Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine and Lipid Clinic, told The New York Times. “We’ve been looking for something beyond statins. After we have put people on high-dose statins, what else can we do? Essentially nothing.”
/ / / Caring for Those with Autism Runs $2M-Plus for Life The parents of children with autism often have to cut back on or quit work, and once they reach adulthood, people on the autism spectrum have limited earning potential. Those income losses, plus the price of services make autism one of the costliest disabilities — adding $2.4 million across the lifespan if the person has intellectual disabilities and $1.4 million if the person doesn't. David Mandell, ScD, director of research for the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services, told USA Today, “Society needs to take the long view. Spending money diagnosing and helping young children on the spectrum will probably save money when they are older, by reducing disability and improving employability." This research was also covered by the Huffington Post, HealthDay News, Bloomberg News, Reuters, Time, and Kaiser Health News.
/ / / Activating Beige Fat The ability of beige fat tissue to burn energy by producing heat has made it an appealing target for a potential obesity therapy. Beige fat is a form of adipose tissue embedded in white fat, the energystoring kind. In studies to find out what turns on these caloriechewing cells, two independent teams ended up converging upon the same innate immune pathway. Their papers, published in Cell, demonstrate that beige fat activation relies upon the signaling of particular interleukins and the activation of adipose tissue macrophages. “The role of immune cells in regulating fat cell differentiation programs hasn’t been well established,” said Patrick Seale, PhD, assistant professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, in The Scientist. “It suggests they’re playing a role in the function of the fat cells themselves.”
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CBS affiliates across the country reported on a new study by Penn Medicine researchers that found suicides are more likely to happen after midnight. “This appears to be the first data to suggest that circadian factors may contribute to suicidality and help explain why insomnia is also a risk factor for suicidal ideation and behavior,” Michael Perlis, PhD, director of the Penn Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program. WHYY Newsworks, FoxNews.com, Washington Post, CBS News, ABC News, HealthDay, Consumer Affairs, Medscape, and the UK Daily Mail also reported on the study. TIME reported on a new Penn Medicine study that found history of marijuana usage, even among quitters, may disrupt a good night's rest. The research team, led by Michael Grandner, PhD, instructor in Psychiatry, and Jilesh Chheda, research assistant in Mood and Anxiety Disorders, surveyed the sleep habits of 1,811 former and current marijuana users. The users reported higher rates of sleeplessness and drowsiness compared with nonusers, and the most affected group were participants who started using the drug at an early age. PsychCentral.com, WebMD, Phillymag.com, UK Daily Mail, and Medscape also reported on the research.
/ / / My No-Soap, No-Shampoo, BacteriaRich Hygiene Experiment Elizabeth Grice, MD, assistant professor of Dermatology who studies the role of microbiota in wound healing and inflammatory skin disease, is quoted in The New York Times Magazine about skin treatments that focus on modifying bacteria on the skin. Grice said she believed that discoveries about the second genome might one day not only revolutionize treatments for acne but also help us diagnose and cure disease, heal severe lesions and more. Those with wounds that fail to respond to antibiotics could receive a probiotic cocktail adapted to fight the specific strain of infecting bacteria. Body odor could be altered to repel insects and thereby fight malaria and dengue fever. And eczema and other chronic inflammatory disorders could be ameliorated.
/ / / Could Certain Antidepressants Slow Alzheimer's? Preliminary research suggests that the commonly used antidepressant Celexa, and perhaps other drugs in its class, may temporarily lower levels of a protein that clogs the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. It's too early to know if the medication — or the drugs that are similar to it — could play a role in the prevention of the devastating brain-robbing disease. Still, "this is the first step in trying to move toward a preventive treatment," study author Yvette Sheline, MD, professor of Psychiatry, Radiology and Neurology, told HealthDay News. This research was also covered by the Associated Press, Yahoo! Health, Voice of America, BBC, The Scientist and WHYY radio.
/ / / Michael Specter: Can Neuroscientists Rewrite Our Traumatic Memories? The New Yorker explored whether neuroscience can help us rewrite traumatic memories. The article featured Edna Foa, PhD, director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, who developed prolonged exposure therapy, in which patients revisit their trauma-related thoughts, feelings and situations to reduce the power they have to cause distress. "There has always been a group that says we could reignite the trauma by asking people to deal with this memory,” said Foa. “Only in the past decade have researchers determined that, while the original memory may be inhibited, it doesn't vanish."
/ / / Health Check, The Effect of Noise on Hearing Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, MSc, assistant professor of Sleep and Chronobiology, was interviewed by the BBC World Service about his recent research in The Lancet on the negative consequences of noise on overall health. "Right now we believe heritability might explain 50 percent of the hearing loss variability after noise exposure," said Basner. "But we haven't really identified the genes that are responsible. There's more study needed that tell us who is vulnerable, so we can identify those patients and protect them better against the negative consequences of noise exposure."
/ / / Pros, Cons to Dissolving Lung Clots: Study Drugs used to break up blood clots in the lungs may lower the risk of death, but they also increase the risk of bleeding, a new Penn study finds. Researchers analyzed data from 16 trials involving the use of clot-busting drugs called thrombolytics to treat life-threatening clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). What's important, said lead author Jay Giri, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Clinical Medicine in Cardiovascular Medicine, is that "we discovered that thrombolytic therapy was associated with a death benefit in intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism. No prior study has had the statistical power to demonstrate this finding." The research was covered by HealthDay, Healio.com and Reuters Health.
/ / / ER Visits for Concussions Spike as Damage Becomes Clear NBC News reported that visits to emergency rooms for traumatic brain injuries — most of them concussions — jumped a whopping 29 percent in just four years, according to new research that suggests a growing awareness of the seriousness of these injuries. “We’ve known that there were problems with boxers’ brains since 1928, but boxing was historically viewed as a uniquely brutal sport that had to be different from football,” said Douglas Smith, MD, professor of Neurosurgery and director of the Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair. “Next, people started thinking that football might be like boxing, but only at the pro level where there are big guys crashing into one another. Now we realize that kids can have the same issue. It’s not just boxers or pro football players. It can be your kid.”
To reach the Penn Medicine news website, go to www.PennMedicine.org/news
`` Ralph Muller
`` J. Larry Jameson
Two Views from the Top
`` Abramson Cancer Center employees at the opening included (l. to r.) Marylou Osterman, Mary Pat Lynch, Mark Moore, Rachel Benenson, and Jennifer Egg
Delivering the Best in Cancer Care Pennsylvania Hospital is now also home to Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC), one of only two National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the region. Under the direction of Arthur Staddon, MD, PAH can now offer a wide range of cancer diagnosis and treatment options, plus access to clinical trials. “Being a part of the Abramson Cancer Center gives our patients access to specialized modalities as only a truly comprehensive cancer center can — such as additional clinical trials, personalized treatment plans, genetic testing, cutting-edge vaccine therapies, and proton therapy at Penn’s Roberts Proton Therapy Center,” said R. Michael Buckley, MD, executive director of PAH. The Penn Gamma Knife Center and Cyberknife® are two additional radiation options, offered within the ACC at PAH..
The rising costs of health care. The exciting potential of precision medicine. Shrinking federal funding for biomedical research. Innovative ways of teaching the medical curriculum. Earlier this spring, J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, and Ralph Muller, MA, CEO of the Health System, sat down to discuss these topics and more. With Kevin Ferris, an editor and columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer, moderating, they shared their views about the future of health care, potential concerns, new trends, and Penn Medicine’s role in caring for patients and producing the next generations of physicians. Read the full interview for Penn Medicine magazine at www.uphs.upenn.edu/ news/publications/PennMedicine.
ACC PAH also includes a new Infusion Department which is equipped with the latest technology and amenities to address each patient's needs. The department’s décor offers soothing colors, comfortable furniture, and lots of natural light, as well as treatment bays and rooms to accommodate all stages of care and desired amounts of privacy for patients. The new department also offers strategically located nurses stations, patient intake areas, a dedicated pharmacy equipped with its own chemotherapy mixing room, and staff break room. Patients, their families and caregivers will continue to receive the excellent supportive care services they have always received through the newly named Joan Karnell Supportive Care Program. This program combines the specialized, supplemental care ACC PAH is able to offer patients and their families to help them cope with the physical and emotional distress that a cancer diagnosis and treatment brings. In addition, eight supportive care programs are available as well as multiple support groups and free educational resources guides for patients and caregivers.
Difficulties from Distance Doom Students By John Nawn, third-year student at the Perelman School of Medicine A decade of dominance came to a decisive end in this year’s Penn Med Faculty-Student basketball game as the upstart faculty accomplished an unbelievable upset against a talented student squad, 57-49. The first quarter saw the faculty leap out to an early lead with three-for-three distance shooting from anesthesiologist Bill Greely. Late plays from first-year Ned Horton offered the fans a chance to cheer, but, cold shooting from radiologist Jake Dubroff resulted in a 20-9 faculty advantage at the first break. The big story of the second quarter was the break-out performance of newcomer NICU nurse Ben Ruehle who dominated the low-post position, converting several secondchance baskets for the faculty. Scrappy play from third year Wes Phillips forced a few faculty turnovers and, with 10 minutes left to play, a student comeback seemed possible … until a dagger from deep by Greely silenced the gymnasium. The faculty took the court as time expired amid stunned students and exuberant family members. Only time will tell if this win heralds a new dynasty or if instead the students reclaim their crown next year. To read full coverage and see more photos of the game, go to news.pennmedicine. org/inside/system-news.
``Nina Zhao (l.) and Alyssa Reyes Smith were two of the happy celebrants at the recent graduation of the class of 2014 from the Perelman School of Medicine.
Kudos to the Class of 2014! Congratulations to the 2014 graduating class of the Perelman School of Medicine which has distinguished itself from many other graduating medical school classes around the country—with more than half of the 171 students obtaining dual degrees or certificates in addition to their MDs. About eight percent of graduates in the U.S. pursue these types of combined training programs, but 54 percent of the Perelman's Class of 2014 obtained that extra education. “Every year, more and more students in addition to obtaining an MD degree take this avenue — completing a PhD, a master’s degree in subjects ranging from bioethics to business, or earning a certificate in women’s health research or clinical neuroscience, to name a few,” said Gail Morrison, MD, senior vice dean of Education. “With medicine constantly evolving and changes to the health-care system underway, many students today are inspired to diversify their skills and experiences to make their most of their careers. It’s a very exciting time in medicine and at the Perelman School of Medicine.”
`` Closely guarded by med student Will Bassett, Ben Ruelhe looks to pass the ball to Terence Gade.
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LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS New Clinical Chairs at PAH Anjan Chatterjee, MD, has been named chair of Neurology at Pennsylvania Hospital, effective July 1. With a clinical practice dedicated to patients with cognitive disorders, research in Chatterjee’s laboratory is directed at understanding the neural bases of spatial attention and representation and language, the relationship of space and language, neuro-ethics, and neuro-aesthetics. Chatterjee is president of the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics, president of the Behavioral Neurology Society, and chair of the American Academy of Neurology, Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology. He currently serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Behavioral Neurology, Neuropsychology, the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, and the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. Over the past two decades, Chatterjee has lectured extensively around the world and has also authored and coauthored books and more than 160 peer-reviewed research publications, editorials, and reviews. Brian S. Englander, MD, has been named Pennsylvania Hospital’s chair of Radiology, effective July 1. He has served as the interim chair of Radiology since September 2013. A popular clinical and medical education lecturer, Englander’s research interests focus primarily on the utilization of breast imaging modalities for the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer and treatment management. An integral member of the PAH Cancer Committee and named a “Best Doctor” by Philadelphia Life magazine, Englander is currently an active member of international, national and local professional and scientific societies, including the European Society of Breast Imaging, the American College of Radiology, the Society of Breast Imaging, and the American Society of Breast Disease.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES “In the News” Recognition The Perelman School of Medicine was ranked #4 in the nation this year by U.S. News & World Report in its annual survey of research-oriented medical schools. This year marks the School of Medicine’s 17th consecutive year ranking in the nation’s top 5 medical schools. The School of Medicine also ranked among the nation’s top medical schools in four areas of specialty training: Pediatrics (#1), Drug/Alcohol Abuse (#4), Women's Health (#5), and Internal Medicine (#5). Also, this year’s Top Docs issue of Philadelphia magazine named 175 Penn Medicine physicians to the list! HUP had 117 doctors, with PAH, PPMC and Chester County coming in with 29, 28, and 6 respectively. CCA doctors Sarah Kim, MD, of PennCare for Women, and Samantha DeLuca, DO, Penn Medicine Pinelands OB/GYN Associates, were both named as a Top Female Doc by SJ magazine.
Rader Named Head of Genetics Daniel J. Rader, MD, is the new chair of Genetics. Rader, who currently serves as chief of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, has spent the last two decades working in the human genetics of lipoprotein biology and cardiovascular disease, and is a widely recognized international leader in this field. He also serves as associate director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) and co-directs the new Penn Medicine BioBank, an integrated, centralized resource for consenting, collecting, processing, and storing DNA, plasma/serum, and tissue for human genetics and translational research. Rader was involved in identifying the molecular defect in a rare genetic disorder causing very low levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL), which spurred the development of inhibitors of this protein to reduce levels of LDL. When one such drug was abandoned by a pharmaceutical firm, he went on to oversee its development for the orphan disease homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), characterized by extremely high levels of LDL and heart disease in childhood. This decade-long endeavor led to FDA and European approval of lomitapide, the first effective medication for the treatment of HoFH. Rader has received numerous awards as a physician-scientist, including his election to the Institute of Medicine, one of the nation’s highest honors in biomedicine. He has also received many awards for his outstanding teaching activities at the Perelman School of Medicine.
Three Elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences Three Penn researchers have been elected as new members to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's most prestigious honorary societies and a leading center for independent policy research. The new honorees, who join 20 other Penn Medicine experts previously elected, are: »» Garret A. FitzGerald, MD, chair of Pharmacology, and director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics. »» Carl H. June, MD, director of Translational Research in the Abramson Cancer Center.
Systemnews
»» M. Celeste Simon, PhD, scientific director and investigator for the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute. Editorial Staff: Sally Sapega, M.A. Editor Trissy Harding Graphic Design
Gary W. Falk, MD, MS, co-director of the GI physiology laboratory, received the first Distinguished Clinician Award from the American Gastroenterological Association for exemplifying leadership and excellence in the clinical academic practice of gastroenterology. Falk is known, on a national and international level, for his work involving the early detection and prevention of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer. Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism and director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, was elected to serve as an at-large council member of the Endocrine Society. He will collaborate with other newly elected officers and council members to lead the world’s oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Since joining the Society in 1989, Lazar has provided editorial leadership to numerous journals. Susan Mandel, MD, associate chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, was elected vice president, Physician-in-Practice, of the Endocrine Society. Mandel has been active in the Society for more than two decades, receiving numerous honors and awards, including the Society’s Distinguished Educator Award.
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