USC Keck Medicine Magazine Summer 2010 by University of Southern California

USC Health Sciences Public Relations & Marketing 1975 Zonal Avenue Keith Administration Building, Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90033-9029 www.usc.edu/keck

The Magazine of the Keck School of Medicine of USC | Summer 2010 Issue

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. Postage

PAID University of Southern California

MEDICINE

XXX-XXX-000

Get to know a doctor. Visit a patient support group. Watch a medical miracle unfold.

The Resident Is In

INSIDE

It’s all happening at DoctorsofUSC.com

PA G E 1 5 - 1 7

Giving Life Back

The new USC Transplant Institute brings doctors together to improve outcomes for patients. PA G E 2 0 - 2 2

Help for Haiti

Keck School responds to earthquake disaster with rapid aid and long-term support.

1510 & 1520 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles • 333 South Hope Street, Suite 145C, Los Angeles (Downtown) • 1-800-USC-CARE

Residents at LAC+USC bring skills and heart to patient care

SUMMER 2010 ISSUE

Still got it.

•

Contents

1518

On the Cover 8 The

Resident Is In Keck School residents provide round-the-clock care to patients at one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country Cover photo by Philip Channing

F E A T U RE S 1 5 A

Passion for Helping Patients

New USC Transplant Institute integrates patient care programs 1 8 Cut

to the Heart

Surgeons pioneer minimally invasive cardiac surgery 2 0 Help

for Haiti

Keck School responds to Haitian earthquake disaster 3 0 Where

can you find The Doctors of USC?

PROFILES 2 3 Stephen Sener expands surgical options for breast cancer 2 4 Preet Chaudhary tracks cells to help cure cancer 2 5 D. Brent Polk brings a “sweet” touch to caring for children D e pa r t m e n t s 3 Dean’s

Message The opportunity to train as a resident at LAC+USC Medical Center provides broad clinical and educational experiences 4 In

Brief

Next USC president named; Keck School improves U.S. News rankings and achieves full LCME accreditation; and more

There’s more to prostate cancer surgery than getting rid of the cancer.

Fight On.

To learn about prostate surgery options that maintain quality of life, call (323) 865-3700 or visit uschospitals.com/prostate.

2 6 Development News Annenberg gift establishes scholarships; stem cell center set to open soon; first Fletcher Jones Foundation Chair; and more 3 2 Keck

in the News

A sampling of news coverage of the Keck School of Medicine

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

SUMMER 2010 ISSUE

Still got it.

•

Contents

1518

On the Cover 8 The

Resident Is In Keck School residents provide round-the-clock care to patients at one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country Cover photo by Philip Channing

F E A T U RE S 1 5 A

Passion for Helping Patients

New USC Transplant Institute integrates patient care programs 1 8 Cut

to the Heart

Surgeons pioneer minimally invasive cardiac surgery 2 0 Help

for Haiti

Keck School responds to Haitian earthquake disaster 3 0 Where

can you find The Doctors of USC?

Message The opportunity to train as a resident at LAC+USC Medical Center provides broad clinical and educational experiences 4 In

Brief

Next USC president named; Keck School improves U.S. News rankings and achieves full LCME accreditation; and more

There’s more to prostate cancer surgery than getting rid of the cancer.

Fight On.

To learn about prostate surgery options that maintain quality of life, call (323) 865-3700 or visit uschospitals.com/prostate.

2 6 Development News Annenberg gift establishes scholarships; stem cell center set to open soon; first Fletcher Jones Foundation Chair; and more 3 2 Keck

in the News

A sampling of news coverage of the Keck School of Medicine

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

Message from the Dean

MEDICINE

It is a joy to work around young people. At the Keck School of Medicine of USC, our medical students and our residents are smart, curious, challenging.

Summer 2010

They work hard in their dedication to caring for others. Many of our young medical

Jane Brust

students choose the Keck School of Medicine for the opportunity to train at the re-

Associate Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Public Relations & Marketing and Associate Dean

David Lee, Ph.D., Chairman Edward P. Roski Jr., Vice Chairman Wallis Annenberg, Chairman, CEO and President Annenberg Foundation Peter K. Barker, Advisory Director Goldman Sachs & Co. Gordon Binder, Managing Director Coastview Capital, LLC

David Lee, Managing General Partner Clarity Partners James P. Lower, Partner Hanna & Morton, LLP Alfred E. Mann, Chairman and CEO Advanced Bionics Corp. Wendy Morrissey, Editor Vanity Fair Cecil L. Murray, Pastor (Retired) First AME Church

Eli Broad, Chairman and CEO Eli and Edythe L. Broad Foundation

C. L. Max Nikias, Executive Vice President and Provost University of Southern California

John E. Bryson, Chairman Emeritus Edison International

Holly Robinson Peete, Co-Founder HollyRod Foundation

Malcolm R. Currie, Chairman Emeritus Hughes Aircraft Company

Simon Ramo, Former Chairman KSOM Board of Overseers

Kelly Day, Member The Rockefeller University Council

Edward P. Roski Jr., President and CEO Majestic Realty Co.

Robert A. Day, Chairman W.M. Keck Foundation

Cheryl Saban, Executive Director Saban Family Foundation

Helene V. Galen, Member USC Board of Trustees

Kathryn Sample University of Southern California

Stanley P. Gold, President and CEO Shamrock Holdings Inc.

Steven B. Sample, President University of Southern California

Ghada Irani Occidental Petroleum Company

Steven Spielberg, Member USC Board of Trustees

Howard B. Keck Jr., Director W.M. Keck Foundation

Gary L. Wilson, Chairman Emeritus Northwest Airlines

Stephen M. Keck, CFA, Senior Vice President Trust Company of the West

Selim K. Zilkha Zilkha Biomass Energy

Kent Kresa, Chairman Emeritus Northrop Grumman Corp. John Kusmiersky, President The Brickstone Companies J. Terrence Lanni, Chairman Emeritus MGM Mirage

this country’s largest academic residency programs. Some 900 Keck School residents

E D I TO R

Ina Fried Executive Director, Communications and Marketing

Carmen A . Pu l iaf i t o , M.D., M.B.A.

Dean Keck School of Medicine of USC

A ssis t an t E di t o r

receive their specialized training at the county hospital, while others receive part of their training at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, Huntington Memorial Hospital, and in multiple hospitals and other sites that provide a broad range of clinical experiences and educational

Sara Reeve

opportunities for residents, interns and fellows.

ART DIRECTION

This issue of Keck Medicine magazine tells the very special story of what it’s like

IE Design + Communications Hermosa Beach, CA

to be a resident, experiencing the specialized medical training offered by our Keck School of Medicine faculty physicians. You will meet several of our residents and

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

follow them through a few hours of their training – training that will position them

Susan Andrews, Nick Charles, Aaron Dalton, James Grant, Bob Kronemyer, Meghan Lewit, Sam Lopez, Jon Nalick, Katie Neith, Alana Klein Prisco, Leslie Ridgeway, Bryan Schneider

among the most skilled and most compassionate in the next generation of physicians. Also related to the education of our future physicians, the Keck School of Medicine is celebrating the award of the maximum eight-year accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the best results achieved since 1981. In more good news this spring, our Keck School moved up a dramatic five points in rank for

CONTRIBUTING P H OTO G R A P H E R S

the category “Best Medical Schools,” as reported in the 2011 U.S. News and World Report’s

Ryan Ball, Alex J. Berliner, Brook Photography, Philip Channing, Steve Cohn Photography, Patrick Davison, Veronica Jauriqui, Geoff Johnson, Greg Mancuso, Don Milici, Janet Morgan, Guy Mossman, Jon Nalick, Sara Reeve, Van Urfalian, Hilarie Withers, Bill Youngblood

annual Guide to Best Graduate Schools. Passion for teaching, research and patient care is the hallmark of our medical school. Compassionate care is one of the strong suits among the faculty and staff of the new USC Transplant Institute. Under the leadership of Dr. Cynthia Herrington, we are working to integrate our programs and enhance our support services for all

P H OTO S E R V I C E S C OO R D I N A TO R

patients in need of life-saving organ transplantation at our USC University Hospital.

Monica Padilla

Another area of surgical expertise at USC University Hospital is the arena of car-

BUSINESS MANAGER

diac surgery. Our surgeons perform minimally invasive heart surgery to benefit our

Elaine Sawitskas

patients with shorter hospital stays and faster recovery. Many hospitals are still in the

DISTRIBUTION

early stages of providing these procedures, which have become routine at USC.

Eva Blaauw and Carol Matthieu

In closing, I hope you will agree that one of the most moving stories coming out of the Keck School of Medicine in recent years is the story of our response to the

Keck Medicine is published twice a year by the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. Articles, artwork and photography may be reprinted only with permission. Please send all correspondence to: USC Health Sciences Public Relations & Marketing 1975 Zonal Ave., KAM 400 Los Angeles, CA 90033-9029 323-442-2830 ina.fried@usc.edu

earthquake crisis in Haiti that began when the ground shook in January. This issue of Keck Medicine will take you to Haiti, to the initial few days of the earthquake’s aftermath, to the chaos and compassion that has engulfed a nation in need. Your generous donations have made it possible for us to continue to send medical teams to Haiti. Although much has been accomplished, far more is yet to be done. We invite you to direct your contribution to the Keck School of Medicine Haiti Relief Fund. Photo by Don Milici

BOARD OF OVERSEERS

“Big County,” as it is known to many of our Keck alumni, is also home to one of

Photo by Pat Davison

Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., Dean

nowned Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center.

There is no doubt that your generosity will benefit those still in dire need.

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

Message from the Dean

MEDICINE

It is a joy to work around young people. At the Keck School of Medicine of USC, our medical students and our residents are smart, curious, challenging.

Summer 2010

They work hard in their dedication to caring for others. Many of our young medical

Jane Brust

students choose the Keck School of Medicine for the opportunity to train at the re-

Associate Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Public Relations & Marketing and Associate Dean

Eli Broad, Chairman and CEO Eli and Edythe L. Broad Foundation

C. L. Max Nikias, Executive Vice President and Provost University of Southern California

John E. Bryson, Chairman Emeritus Edison International

Holly Robinson Peete, Co-Founder HollyRod Foundation

Malcolm R. Currie, Chairman Emeritus Hughes Aircraft Company

Simon Ramo, Former Chairman KSOM Board of Overseers

Kelly Day, Member The Rockefeller University Council

Edward P. Roski Jr., President and CEO Majestic Realty Co.

Robert A. Day, Chairman W.M. Keck Foundation

Cheryl Saban, Executive Director Saban Family Foundation

Helene V. Galen, Member USC Board of Trustees

Kathryn Sample University of Southern California

Stanley P. Gold, President and CEO Shamrock Holdings Inc.

Steven B. Sample, President University of Southern California

Ghada Irani Occidental Petroleum Company

Steven Spielberg, Member USC Board of Trustees

Howard B. Keck Jr., Director W.M. Keck Foundation

Gary L. Wilson, Chairman Emeritus Northwest Airlines

Stephen M. Keck, CFA, Senior Vice President Trust Company of the West

Selim K. Zilkha Zilkha Biomass Energy

Kent Kresa, Chairman Emeritus Northrop Grumman Corp. John Kusmiersky, President The Brickstone Companies J. Terrence Lanni, Chairman Emeritus MGM Mirage

this country’s largest academic residency programs. Some 900 Keck School residents

E D I TO R

Ina Fried Executive Director, Communications and Marketing

Carmen A . Pu l iaf i t o , M.D., M.B.A.

Dean Keck School of Medicine of USC

A ssis t an t E di t o r

Sara Reeve

opportunities for residents, interns and fellows.

ART DIRECTION

This issue of Keck Medicine magazine tells the very special story of what it’s like

IE Design + Communications Hermosa Beach, CA

to be a resident, experiencing the specialized medical training offered by our Keck School of Medicine faculty physicians. You will meet several of our residents and

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

follow them through a few hours of their training – training that will position them

Susan Andrews, Nick Charles, Aaron Dalton, James Grant, Bob Kronemyer, Meghan Lewit, Sam Lopez, Jon Nalick, Katie Neith, Alana Klein Prisco, Leslie Ridgeway, Bryan Schneider

CONTRIBUTING P H OTO G R A P H E R S

the category “Best Medical Schools,” as reported in the 2011 U.S. News and World Report’s

P H OTO S E R V I C E S C OO R D I N A TO R

patients in need of life-saving organ transplantation at our USC University Hospital.

Monica Padilla

Another area of surgical expertise at USC University Hospital is the arena of car-

BUSINESS MANAGER

diac surgery. Our surgeons perform minimally invasive heart surgery to benefit our

Elaine Sawitskas

patients with shorter hospital stays and faster recovery. Many hospitals are still in the

DISTRIBUTION

early stages of providing these procedures, which have become routine at USC.

Eva Blaauw and Carol Matthieu

In closing, I hope you will agree that one of the most moving stories coming out of the Keck School of Medicine in recent years is the story of our response to the

BOARD OF OVERSEERS

“Big County,” as it is known to many of our Keck alumni, is also home to one of

Photo by Pat Davison

Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., Dean

nowned Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center.

There is no doubt that your generosity will benefit those still in dire need.

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

In Brief

New Research Funding Improves US News Rank By Leslie Ridgeway

A Quick Look at news from the Keck School of Medicine and honors for Keck faculty, students and alumni.

Dean's Research Scholars, from left, are Jackie Weinstein, Daniel Liebertz, Ashanti Franklin, Akash Gupta, Lloyd Cuzzo, Shabnam Khashabi, Lily Tung and program director Robert Decker, Ph.D. Keck School research program energizes young physician-scientists By Jon Nalick

NEW LEADERSHIP

Max Nikias named next USC president

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Photo by Jon Nalick (top); Photo by Bill Youngblood (right)

C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D., USC executive vice president and provost, will become the 11th president of USC on Aug. 3. His appointment was announced in March. Nikias will succeed Steven B. Sample, Ph.D., who has led USC since 1991. In November 2009, Sample announced his decision to retire Aug. 2, 2010. As President Sample’s second-ranking officer since 2005, Nikias is credited with accelerating the university’s recent academic momentum, recruiting new leadership, strengthening the academic medical enterprise, helping attract a series of major donations to the institution, creating innovative cross-disciplinary programs, enhancing the university’s globalization efforts and increasing support for students at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. Vaughn A. Starnes, M.D., chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine and a member of the search committee, says, “Max Nikias has proven to be an able administrator, a visionary leader and a key factor in the success that the univer“ This incredible, sity has achieved in recent years. He has excelled in his service to the university wide-ranging university represents as provost, and we believe that no other person is better suited by experience, an electric environtemperament or drive to assume the mantle of president.” ment, one remarkably Nikias says, “This incredible, wide-ranging university represents an electric skilled at producing environment, one remarkably skilled at producing new ideas and new leaders new ideas and new leaders to strengthen to strengthen our society. Moving USC forward, and accelerating its breathtakour society.” ing momentum, strikes me as the most rewarding endeavor in American higher education today.” After being named provost in 2005, Nikias worked with faculty and deans to develop a number of new programs to create a distinct academic environment at USC. Nikias launched several initiatives, including a quintupling of funding for Ph.D. fellowships to $20 million per year and a program to recruit leading interdisciplinary scholars as Provost’s Professors. He recruited new leadership to the Keck School of Medicine, spearheaded the integration of the school’s 19 Faculty Practice Plans, and oversaw the acquisition of USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital from Tenet Healthcare Corporation by the University. He established an Office of Research Advancement in Washington, D.C., that has been directly responsible for helping faculty win more than $140 million in federal research funding in the past 30 months.

Photo by Veronica Jauriqui

C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D.

Fourth-year medical student Ashanti Franklin is not just absorbing medical knowledge this year – she’s adding to it. As part of a program designed to immerse interested Keck School medical students in basic and clinical research, Franklin and six of her peers are adding an entire year to their studies, in which they are paired with faculty mentors and focus exclusively on biomedical research. For example, Franklin is spending her year working with Henri Ford, M.D., vice dean for medical education at the Keck School and surgeonin-chief, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, to study possible ways to mitigate the effects of necrotizing enterocolitis – death of intestinal tissue in infants with the disease. Franklin says the Dean’s Research Fifth Year Scholars Program, created by Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., in 2008, plays a role in building a foundation in the careers of future physician-scientists. Robert Decker, Ph.D., director of research education and training, says, “The fifth year program is developed to provide Keck students an opportunity to take a complete year off to hone their research skills,” he says. Decker noted that summer research experiences and the second-year required student project provide an important introduction for medical students to gain some familiarity with the medical research process, but the fifth year-long immersion in research provides a much deeper perspective into how biomedical research leads to new clinical treatments. In addition to Franklin, the 20092010 Dean’s Research Scholars are: Lloyd Cuzzo, Akash Gupta, Shabnam Khashabi Daniel Liebertz, Lily Tung and Jackie Weinstein.

The Keck School of Medicine moved up a dramatic five points in rank for the category “Best Medical Schools,” as reported in the 2011 U.S. News and World Report’s Annual Guide to Best Graduate Schools. The Keck School now ranks 34th in research and was listed in a three-way tie with Boston University and Dartmouth Medical Center. The school’s recent success in obtaining record research funding was the key contributing factor. Keck’s numbers for National Institutes of Health research grants spiked, from $144 million in federal FY08 to $177.5 million in federal FY09, the period reported for the 2011 ranking. The grants number includes Keck School affiliates Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Doheny Eye Institute and House Ear Institute. “Moving up five places in this ranking of American medical schools is a strong indication that the significant accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students are attracting national attention,” said Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A.

BEST SINCE 1981

Keck School achieves full LCME accreditation By Bryan Schneider

The accreditation committee praised a commitment to the Keck School’s educational program.

The K eck S ch o o l o f M edicine has received t he ma x imum eigh t- y ear

full accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the best results achieved since 1981. The nationally recognized accrediting authority for U.S. medical education programs gave the Keck School the maximum period of accreditation based on a full survey visit conducted by an LCME survey team at the Keck School in November. “The full accreditation and praise received from this important committee that sets national standards for medical schools is a testament to the quality of our medical education program and our dedicated faculty,” says Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A. Puliafito was credited with creating an energizing institutional spirit of commitment to teaching and the educational program, with resources from university leadership. The LCME commended Puliafito for significantly increasing funding for educational leadership, infrastructure and innovation. Education, research and community service opportunities offered through the school’s proximity and affiliation with Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, USC University Hospital, USC Norris Cancer Hospital and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles were also noted in the letter.

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

In Brief

New Research Funding Improves US News Rank By Leslie Ridgeway

A Quick Look at news from the Keck School of Medicine and honors for Keck faculty, students and alumni.

NEW LEADERSHIP

Max Nikias named next USC president

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Photo by Jon Nalick (top); Photo by Bill Youngblood (right)

Photo by Veronica Jauriqui

C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D.

BEST SINCE 1981

Keck School achieves full LCME accreditation By Bryan Schneider

The accreditation committee praised a commitment to the Keck School’s educational program.

The K eck S ch o o l o f M edicine has received t he ma x imum eigh t- y ear

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

IN BRIEF

•

CONTINUED

DOD awards $800,000 to eye trauma program

Apuzzo leads new World Neurosurgery journal M ichae l L . J . A pu z z o , M . D . , P h . D . , t he E dwin

Todd/Trent H. Wells, Jr. Professor of Neurological Surgery and Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics at the Keck School of Medicine, was named founding editorin-chief of World Neurosurgery, the first new neurosurgical journal launched by a major society in 32 years. The journal is published by Elsevier, publisher of more than 20,000 scientific medical titles. The official journal of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies debuted in April 2010. The federation represents the largest organization of neurosurgeons in the world, with more than 30,000 members. Editor emeritus of Neurosurgery, Operative Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery-Online, Apuzzo says he was honored to lead development of the new world journal. The journal will address not only operative techniques, but also scientific, clinical, educational, social, cultural, economic, and political ideas and issues that affect regional neurosurgical practices, research and education. One of the world’s best known and respected neurological surgeons, Apuzzo is recognized as a surgeon, innovator, researcher, educator, internationalist, visionary and futurist. He focuses on surgery of brain diseases such as tumors, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and neuropsychiatric disorders. Apuzzo was one of the earliest pioneers of stereotactic radiosurgery and the employment of imaging as a navigational basis for brain surgery. He is director of the Gamma Unit Facility at USC University Hospital, one of the first in the country to acquire the Gamma Knife Perfexion, which Apuzzo says represents the next generation of stereotactic radiosurgery. Stereotactic radiosurgery is a highly precise form of radiation therapy that is commonly used to treat tumors and other brain abnormalities while the patient is awake and under only a local anesthetic. Apuzzo has more than 750 scientific publications and 55 edited volumes, including the acclaimed surgical atlas texts Surgery of the Third Ventricle and Brain Surgery: Complication and Avoidance Management. The Michael L. J. Apuzzo Professorship for Advanced Neurological Surgery was established by Ernest A. Bates, M.D., in 2009 at the Keck School. 6

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

New Keck School strategic plan outlines ambitious goals for 10 years By Jon Nalick

Anirban P. Mitra, M.D., Ph.D.

Postdoctoral associate elected leader for young cancer scientists

The K eck S ch o o l o f M edicine has ad o p t ed a new s t rat egic p l an ,

outlining a bold vision for the school as a leader in the development of interdisciplinary approaches to make scientific discoveries and translate them into improved health. Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., says the new 10year plan commits the school to continuing a major transformation sparked by the expansion of biomedical research as a result of the Keck naming gift in 1999. The recent restructuring of the school’s clinical enterprise, USC’s acquisition of two new hospitals and the opening of the LAC+USC Replacement Facility have significantly spurred this ongoing transformation. “This new strategic plan represents the collective desire of the school, its administration, its faculty and its researchers to stake out a position as one of the nation’s foremost academic medical institutions,” Puliafito says. “It’s a goal that we have the talent and determination to achieve in the decade ahead.” The plan, mapped out by teams of faculty members over several months and approved by Puliafito, focuses the school’s strengths into programmatic themes. It also emphasizes the need for the school to expand its reach to maximize opportunities for discovery, translation and improvement of health.

By Katie Neith

Anirban P. Mitra, M.D., Ph.D., a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Pathology at the Keck School of Medicine since August 2009, has been elected to a three-year term to the Associate Member Council − the main leadership body for young career scientists at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). “We believe that Dr. Mitra is the first person from USC to achieve this honor, and we are very proud,” says M. Elizabeth Fini, Ph.D., vice dean for research at the Keck School. “Only three or four scientists are selected each year out of hundreds of applications from across the world.” Mitra, who was formally installed at the 2010 AACR Annual Meeting in April in Washington, D.C., completed his doctoral studies under the guidance of Richard Cote, M.D., former professor of pathology and urology at the Keck School and former director of the Genitourinary Cancer Program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Mitra’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms behind the causation and progression of genitourinary cancers, with specific emphasis on urinary bladder cancer. His overall goal is to identify and construct prognostic models that can better predict patient outcome and chemotherapeutic response for this disease. According to Mitra, this will be useful in directly influencing how bladder cancer patients are managed clinically in the near future. The AACR is the oldest and largest cancer research organization in the world, and the Associate Member Council plays a pivotal role in promoting the professional development of early-career scientists. “It is a huge honor and I feel very humbled. Being a part of this prestigious body will give me the opportunity to interface with the AACR leadership on issues of interest to the next generation of cancer researchers,” says Mitra.

View the entire strategic plan at http://tiny.cc/eXkGq. New partnership enhances undergraduate pre-health options By Susan Andrews

Photo by Don Milici (center)

G LO B A L P E R S P E C T I V E

INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES

Photo by Sheetal Bajaj (top right)

Restoring sight for combat troops who have suffered eye injuries in battle is one of the goals of a research program based at the Keck School of Medicine, which will be supported by $800,000 in funding from the Department of Defense. The broader goal is to save and restore sight to individuals who suffer eye injury, eye infection and inherited or age-related eye disease. The Eye Trauma and Visual Restoration (EyeTVR) program funding request was submitted and supported by Congressman Adam B. Schiff (D-Pasadena). EyeTVR will be coordinated by the Keck School and will involve researchers from Keck, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Doheny Eye Institute, Huntington Medical Research Institute, California Institute of Technology and Pasadena City College.

A special partnership between the Keck School of Medicine and USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences will provide enhanced pre-health undergraduate programming and advising to benefit students planning health careers. More than 30 percent of first-year undergraduate students at USC College enroll as pre-health majors. “This significant new collaboration between the Keck School of Medicine and USC College is an important undertaking to ensure the supply of outstanding health care professionals for California,” says Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A. “For our medical school, the program will provide a terrific pipeline for students who already are members of the Trojan Family. The program will help them get a taste of what may lie ahead in a rewarding career in medicine.”

Faculty speak out on smoking In a recent edition of the leading science journal Nature, Jonathan Samet, M.D., and Heather Wipfli, Ph.D., of the Keck School of Medicine penned an Op-Ed about the need to curb smoking in the developing world. Samet is the Flora L. Thornton Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and director of the USC Institute for Global Health. Wipfli is assistant professor of preventive medicine and associate director, Institute for Global Health. “Decades after research first showed that active and passive smoking cause premature death, the world is still in the midst of an epidemic of tobacco-related illness,” Samet and Wipfli wrote. “The substantial decline in smoking in the West has not happened elsewhere: 1.2 billion people worldwide are smokers.”

USC launches major hospital marketing campaign The two USC hospitals are now telling Los Angeles how their physicians and staff Fight On for their patients in a multi-media marketing campaign. Designed to create awareness of and preference for the USC Norris Cancer Hospital and USC University Hospital among consumers, the campaign incorporates a mix of billboards, radio spots, and print and online advertising. “While our physicians and clinical expertise are well-known in medical circles across the country and even internationally, consumer research suggests that the greater L.A. community is largely unfamiliar with these two excellent patient care facilities. We’re making a long-term commitment to market the hospitals and to enhance USC’s reputation in key centers of excellence,” said hospitals CEO Mitch Creem, M.H.A. The USC Norris Cancer Hospital and USC University Hospital brands reflect the culture of the hospitals as shaped and embodied by hospital employees and the Doctors of USC, who fight on every day for their patients and, through research, for the discovery of medical breakthroughs. In addition to hospital brand image advertising, four service lines are featured in the first phase of the campaign to increase awareness and drive responses to these centers of excellence: Bariatrics, Cardiovascular, Urology/ Prostate Cancer and Breast Cancer. The campaign was created by Swanson Russell, an Omaha-based advertising agency specializing in health care marketing, in collaboration with the USC Health Sciences Public Relations and Marketing office.

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

IN BRIEF

•

CONTINUED

DOD awards $800,000 to eye trauma program

Apuzzo leads new World Neurosurgery journal M ichae l L . J . A pu z z o , M . D . , P h . D . , t he E dwin

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

New Keck School strategic plan outlines ambitious goals for 10 years By Jon Nalick

Anirban P. Mitra, M.D., Ph.D.

Postdoctoral associate elected leader for young cancer scientists

The K eck S ch o o l o f M edicine has ad o p t ed a new s t rat egic p l an ,

By Katie Neith

View the entire strategic plan at http://tiny.cc/eXkGq. New partnership enhances undergraduate pre-health options By Susan Andrews

Photo by Don Milici (center)

G LO B A L P E R S P E C T I V E

INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES

Photo by Sheetal Bajaj (top right)

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

F E AT U R E

•

F E AT U R E

THE RESIDENT IS IN

•

The Resident Is In Resident Anne Quismorio and Louis Hirsch, a third-year student in the Keck School of Medicine, check in with a patient during morning rounds.

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Keck School residents bring skills and heart to patient care at LAC+USC Story by Alana Klein Prisco Photos by Philip Channing

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

F E AT U R E

•

F E AT U R E

THE RESIDENT IS IN

•

The Resident Is In Resident Anne Quismorio and Louis Hirsch, a third-year student in the Keck School of Medicine, check in with a patient during morning rounds.

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Keck School residents bring skills and heart to patient care at LAC+USC Story by Alana Klein Prisco Photos by Philip Channing

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

F E AT U R E

•

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large but tight-knit network of residents, many of whom Quismorio calls lifelong friends. Having these outlets makes it a little easier to endure the long hours, sleepless nights and the pressure that comes along with such an intense and demanding job. “I used to get very anxious in the beginning of a rotation. But now that I’ve done so many medicine rounds, I’m much more relaxed,” she says.

Anne Quismorio, M.D., has been testing her endurance over the last decade − as a four-time marathon runner and now as a thirdyear Keck School of Medicine medical resident working at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center. While both feats require a tremendous level of commitment and preparation, Quismorio says residency, in-depth postgraduate medical training within a specific medical specialty, takes the medal for being the ultimate mind/body challenge.

“ The residents are the lifeblood of this place. Medical care doesn’t happen without them. The education of Keck students doesn’t happen without them.” – Glenn Ault, M.D., associate dean for clinical administration (LAC+USC Medical Center), Keck School of Medicine

“I used to be an avid fitness freak before residency,” she says. “But as residency has progressed, I can’t even fathom going to the gym. It’s an exhausting life.” But she says she also couldn’t imagine doing any other job. As an undergraduate, she felt a calling toward medicine but took the time to explore her options before jumping into medical school. After graduating from Smith College in Massachusetts, she earned a master’s degree in public health at Columbia University in New York before entering medical school at USC. She credits her father, Francisco Quismorio, M.D., professor of medicine (rheumatology) at the Keck School of Medicine, for inspiring her to choose medicine. The elder Quismorio is an attending physician at LAC+USC

Medical Center, the primary teaching hospital for the Keck School residency programs. “He has been a pretty major role model for me,” Anne Quismorio says, adding that she enjoys their frequent, impromptu run-ins in the hospital halls. LAC+USC, also known as County Hospital, has become her home away from home, having experienced a significant portion of her clinical training there over the last seven years, first as a medical student and now as a resident in internal medicine. She can’t seem to escape the lure of academics, having agreed to stay on as a Keck School of Medicine faculty member and attending physician next year. The residency program has many comforts, including a nurturing and accessible faculty and a

Where the Residents Are Faculty physicians from the Keck School of Medicine supervise residents at five hospitals: Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, USC University Hospital, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. The LAC+USC Medical Center is the primary teaching hospital for the residency programs cosponsored by the Keck School and LAC+USC. Of the almost 900 residents who train at LAC+USC, more than 500 spend part of their training at USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. All three of these hospitals are part of Keck’s Graduate Medical Education program directed by Lawrence Opas, M.D., associate dean at the Keck School. While Childrens Hospital and Huntington Hospital are affiliated with the Keck School, both sponsor their own residency programs. About 100 residents per year spend part of their training in the Childrens Hospital program, directed by Robert Adler, M.D., professor of pediatrics at Keck and director of medical education and vice chair of pediatrics at Childrens. About 25 residents per year spend part of their training in the Huntington Hospital program, directed by Arvid Underman, M.D., clinical professor of medicine and microbiology at Keck and director of Graduate Medical Education at Huntington. In addition, training is offered in multiple hospitals and other sites to provide a broad range of clinical experiences and educational opportunities for residents, interns and fellows.

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C ommitment t o Pat ient Care When Quismorio does hit that proverbial wall − a feeling that she’s used to from her days as a long distance runner − she remembers what matters most: the grateful patients. She carries a thank-you note with her from the family of a patient who passed away. It reads: “From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for your tender care and attention to our loving husband and father. You will forever remain in our prayers and thoughts.” Quismorio says, “It sounds cliché, but developing relationships with patients is the best part of my job. When you feel patients’ appreciation, as a result of your care, it makes it all worthwhile.” Marathon running may actually be the perfect training ground for the job of a resident. With an “on-call” schedule that entails working a 30-hour shift every fourth night (from approximately 7 a.m.-noon the next day) it’s a tough lifestyle to maintain for the duration of residency. Depending on one’s field of study, residency can last from three to five years. With about 900 medical residents, the residency program co-sponsored by the Keck School and the LAC+USC Medical Center is one of the largest in the United States. The Keck School and LAC+USC have a longstanding association dating back to 1885. At present a $112 million contract is in place for the Keck School of Medicine faculty to provide medical services and training for residents there. “The residency program is the centerpiece of the medical school operating agreement with the County,” says Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A. “Our medical students and residents come to Keck in part because of the experience at LAC+USC. We not only provide great training, but we’re also providing great medical care. “Everywhere I go, when I tell people that I have something to do with the USC medical school, the discussion always comes back to the very special place that LAC+USC has played in the history of USC medicine,” he says. “So many of the physicians who live and work in California were trained here, as well as many of the physicians throughout the United States.” Considering that LAC+USC is one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country, admitting close to 40,000 patients each year, it’s no surprise the hospital requires a high volume of residents. “The size is a great benefit of the residency program. It makes it easy to build a social network, but you can also find your little niche,” Quismorio says. During their 80-hour workweek, residents play a few different roles. They act as both students and teachers, practicing under the supervision of attending physicians who are Keck School faculty members, while teaching third- and fourth-year medical students, who are members of their medical teams. The students accompany the residents on patient rounds, gaining exposure to all facets of patient care and learning from the residents. “The residents are the lifeblood of this place. Medical care doesn’t happen without them. The education of Keck students doesn’t happen without them,” says Glenn Ault, M.D., assistant professor of colorectal surgery and associate dean for clinical administration (LAC+USC Medical Center) at the Keck School, and a former Keck resident at LAC+USC himself. The residents have impressed other hospital administrators, too. “Our residents

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Afternoon in the ER with Socrates Susim, M.D. [A full day for an Emergency Medicine resident is 7 a.m.-7 p.m.] 3 p.m. Fourth-year Keck School of Medicine Emergency Medicine resident Socrates Susim, M.D., oversees ER North, where more stable patients are seen. The waiting room is bustling and full. He’s taking care of six patients and is overseeing more than 30 altogether in ER North. The patient in room #1 is a 92-yearold woman with a history of stroke who is at risk of having another stroke. The patient in room #2 has a fast heart rate from hyperthyroidism; Susim describes it as a complicated case. The patient in room #3 has gallstones that need to be removed and is admitted to the hospital in order to have this procedure. (Generally, Susim says about half of the patients he sees in the ER are admitted to the hospital.) He gets called to read three ECGs (electrocardiograph exams). 4 p.m. Two more ECG requests come in. Susim consults with attending physician Ashok Jain, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine at the Keck School, on how to control the heart rate of the patient in room #2. The patient has tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, but the patient claims he has not used drugs. Susim doesn’t want to give him the standard medication to stabilize his heart rate because of the drugs already in his system. 5 p.m.

Two more ECG requests come in.

6:30 p.m. He is called to a “code,” an emergency situation, in the SICU (Surgical Intensive Care Unit). He intubates (places a tube into the mouth and then into the airway) of a patient who is having breathing difficulty. His shift ends at 7 p.m.

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Two more ECG requests come in.

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2 On Call in Medicine with Anne Quismorio, M.D. 7 a.m. Anne Quismorio, M.D., a third-year resident in the Department of Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, arrives at LAC+USC Medical Center, the County hospital, and grabs coffee. 7:30-8:30 a.m. She

meets her team on the floor to be briefed on the five new patients who were admitted overnight by one of the interns who was on call. The team includes one third-year resident, one second-year resident, two interns and two medical students. The attending physician, a Keck School faculty member, rounds with the team later in the morning. With 17 patients to see in total, they begin their first set of patient rounds (work rounds). Five of the 17 are in the jail ward. One patient has lung cancer that has metastasized to his brain; another has poorly controlled diabetes and is refusing dialysis. Two of the patients are being treated for drug- and alcohol-related complications. The team sees as many patients as they can within the hour. Later in the morning they will revisit these patients and see the remaining ones with the attending physician on their team, Mark Kang, M.D., M.P.H., during attending (teaching) rounds. Morning report is designed for all of the Medicine residents to meet every morning to present and discuss patient cases, though not all are able to attend every day. Typically, two residents present one patient case each to a roomful of residents and a few attending physicians. On this day, Quismorio listens to a case about a patient with endocarditis, inflammation on the inside lining of the heart chambers and heart valves. The primary goal of morning report is educational. After reviewing and analyzing the patient cases, residents receive feedback from the attending physicians about their patients’ diagnoses and treatment.

8:30-9:30 a.m.

9:30-11:30 a.m. Teaching

rounds with Mark Kang, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Keck School. The Medicine team gathers in a conference room to

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are fearless. They absorb their whole beings into their patients and their family members. And our patients, in return, are humble and appreciative of the care they get here,” says Pete Delgado, CEO of LAC+USC. “The residents are 900 of the brightest individuals with whom we’ve been privileged to work.” Be yond the Ca ll of Du ty While residents are recruited based on their skill and capacity to learn, Delgado says it’s also important that they demonstrate cultural sensitivity and an eagerness to work with a diverse patient population. “LAC+USC is where patients go when they have nowhere else to turn. Our patients are very sick and many come in almost on their deathbed,” he says. “Our residents know this and understand the social barriers that these patients live with, and they go beyond the call of duty to care for them.” Delgado has seen residents help patients in extraordinary ways − from buying groceries for patients’ families to ensuring that patients have transportation to their doctor’s appointments. The diverse patient demographic is a big lure for some residents. “You can make a very big impact on patients’ lives here,” says Socrates Susim, M.D., a fourth-year Keck emergency medicine resident who calls himself a community doctor at heart. “The patients I see are often uninsured and of a low socio-economic scale. These are the patients I have chosen to serve. It’s good to brush up with people from different cultures,” Susim says. About 500 patients come through the Emergency Room every day, and 50 to 70 can be found in the waiting room at any given moment. Since 60 percent of LAC+USC admissions come in through the ER, Susim gets a lot of exposure to different kinds of pathology. “What you read in textbooks happens here,” Susim says. He has seen patients with fresh gunshot wounds, flesh-eating bacteria and end-stage diseases who have never been to a doctor before. He also has seen patients who’ve been in terrible motor vehicle accidents and have suffered from traumatic amputations and bad lacerations. A tremendous sense of responsibility comes with being an ER resident. “When you’re working in the ER, you’re taking care of everybody’s patients and then you hand them off. It’s an opportunity to interact and consult with all specialties,” says Stephanie Hall, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine and assistant dean for LAC+USC at the Keck School, chief medical officer of LAC+USC Medical Center, and a graduate of the Keck School. One challenge that many residents face is a language barrier. Since more than half of the Hispanic patient population at LAC+USC (which comprises 65 percent of the overall patient population) speaks only Spanish, most residents there have had to learn Spanish in order to communicate with these patients. “Growing up in Canada, I never learned Spanish in school, so I’ve had to learn it on the job,” says Janie Weng Grumley, M.D., a fifth-year surgical resident, who says she speaks “medical Spanish.” She has mastered the art of asking medical questions in Spanish but says that understanding the responses can be challenging. Fortunately, many of the Spanish-speaking hospital staff members are very willing to offer translation help. Residents also serve another diverse population, with whom they probably wouldn’t otherwise interact − prisoners from Los Angeles County jails. Patients are transported primarily from the nearby Twin

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General and Laparoscopic Surgery Clinic with Janie Weng Grumley, M.D. [A full clinic day for a surgery resident begins at 8 a.m. A day in the Operating Room begins at 6 a.m.] Fifth-year Keck School of Medicine Surgery resident Janie Weng Grumley, M.D., sees a patient who says everything hurts from head to toe, but complains specifically of belly pain. Grumley sends her for an abdomen scan.

12:30 p.m.

With attending physician Mark Kang, M.D., M.P.H., right, are team members, from left, Louis Hirsch, third-year medical student; Michael Elist, M.D., intern; and Anne Quismorio, M.D., third-year resident. Kang is assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric, Hospital and General Internal Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine.

Towers Correctional Facility to the LAC+USC jail ward, which is located on the hospital’s ground floor. Access to these patients is very limited and security is tight. Police officers line the hallways of the ward and guard each of the 24 patient rooms, granting access only to physicians and those with proper identification. Prisoners suffer from a variety of health problems, including wounds suffered from violent assaults, liver disease from abusing drugs and alcohol, and other chronic health issues. The diversity of the patient population is just one of the many appealing aspects of the Keck residency experience at LAC+USC. Residents also are attracted to the structure of the program. “When you look at the larger picture of residency education, the resident is looking for that balance between supervision and autonomy,” says Lawrence Opas, M.D., associate dean for graduate medical education at the Keck School. He says the program was built to meet those expectations. As their training progresses, residents assume greater responsibility and more of a leadership role. “Even if you don’t naturally see yourself as a leader, you have to become one,” says Quismorio, who helps lead a team of five, including a second-year resident, two interns (first-year residents) and two medical students. An attending physician oversees all clinical decisions and activities. Since Quismorio is often called upon to be in more than one place at the same time, she has to delegate some of her responsibilities to other members of her team, such as writing physician’s orders (e.g., ordering a patient’s discharge from the hospital or documenting a patient’s health status) or examining a newly admitted patient. Ultimately, Quismorio will see all patients admitted on her service as she is the one who is responsible for their care. Quismorio also receives great support from the attending physicians, all of whom hold faculty appointments at the Keck School. She describes them as being very approachable and eager to teach. “It’s comforting being in training

Behind t he Scenes

1 p.m. She sees a patient who recently had gastric bypass surgery and now has gallstones in her gallbladder. Because of the previous surgery, the typical way of removing gallstones won’t work, and Grumley admits the patient to the surgical service in the hospital. 2 p.m. She sees a patient with a poking sensation pain in her abdomen. Grumley checks her abdomen and feels a small hernia. 2:30 p.m. She sees a patient with gastric cancer who suffers from episodes of advanced bleeding. Grumley confers with attending physician Ashkan Moazzez, M.D., assistant professor of surgery at the Keck School, about this case, suggesting that the patient needs a gastrectomy (surgical removal of all or part of the stomach). Moazzez agrees and goes to the examining room to discuss the risks of surgery with the patient and his family. 3 p.m. – onward. Grumley sees patients until about 4 p.m. After clinic ends, she follows up on the studies pending from her morning hospital rounds.

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8:30-9:30 a.m.

9:30-11:30 a.m. Teaching

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Cynthia Herrington, M.D., says lung transplant patients come in gasping, and “you transplant them and you give them their life back.”

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(Continued from Page 12) thoroughly discuss all 17 patients on the list with Kang, who joins them on their second round of seeing patients. During this time, they examine patients, ask them how they’re feeling − if they have pain, if they have an appetite − and then huddle in the hallway to discuss treatment options. Noon-2 p.m. Quismorio attends a review course for her upcoming exam for certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She learns that four new patients have been admitted.

3-6:45 P.M. She begins to see patients again (about 10 in total during this almost four-hour block), but this time she is by herself. One patient is having seizures and has tested positive for PCP, a hallucinogenic drug also known as angel dust. She asks him if he knows where he is and what year it is; he responds, albeit slowly, with the correct answers. Another patient has a cough and a vague history of tuberculosis and diabetes. He was initially admitted to the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. Quismorio puts on a facemask and latex gloves (as is required for patients who are suspected of having tuberculosis) and orders a sputum sample to detect active tuberculosis in his body. 6:45 p.m. Quismorio stops to eat dinner (soup and another salad) and then prepares for a long night of “call,” which will last until 6 a.m. the next morning, when her team stops admitting patients. She says it was the second busiest on-call she has ever experienced, with eight new patients admitted to her team. She stops again to eat at 12:45 a.m., opting for a veggie burger.

She sleeps for 20 minutes in the on-call room assigned to her in the hospital. Her ringing cell phone – a call from the hospital – wakes her and she continues working.

5:30 a.m.

Noon.

Quismorio goes home and to bed.

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A Passion for Helping Patients

Surgery resident Janie Weng Grumley discusses a patient with Keck medical student Eugene Kang. mode,” she says. If she has a question or a concern about a patient, it’s easy for her to ask an attending physician for advice. “There’s a tremendous sense of teamwork here,” Quismorio says. It is through this camaraderie that residents are able to cope with the demands of their job. “What I love most is taking call with other residents. They are my buddies in battle. We are a true team,” says Grumley. She has worked with the same seven surgical residents for five years. “We eat together, we operate together, we celebrate a huge save together and we even grab a beer together,” she says. The atmosphere on the floor can be very informal and even jovial at times. Despite the portrayal of residents on popular TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” none of the shows quite captures the real essence of a resident’s job. While there are dramatic moments to the job, there is also a fair share of uneventful, routine work. Of course, when serious or traumatic events occur, the tone can change in an instant. “There are certain patients’ cases that touch everybody,” Susim says. “It’s especially hard when it involves sick children and babies.” Given the intensity of their jobs, it’s important that residents take advantage of their time off. With the four weeks of vacation they get each year, some residents spend this time traveling to exotic places, while others choose to spend it at home with their families. “I used to travel a lot, but my hobbies and priorities have changed with kids,” says Susim, who has an 18-month-old child and a baby on the way. Quismorio still finds the time to be adventurous. She spent her last two-week vacation block traveling to Hong Kong and India and recently mustered the stamina to go to Las Vegas after a night on-call. While she may no longer have the energy to run 26.2 miles, Quismorio still finds the strength every day to meet and examine new patients, impart wisdom and guidance to medical students and experience the many emotions that come along with the powerful job of saving lives. •

Doctors at the new USC Transplant Institute work together to improve patient outcomes By Sara Reeve

Cynthia Herrington, M.D., is passionate about the patients she is trying to help. As the founding director of the new USC Transplant Institute, she is working to integrate different organ transplant programs into a seamless administrative unit that will ultimately improve patient care. Photo by Greg Mancuso (top); Photo by Guy Mossman (bottom)

2 p.m. Quismorio eats a salad as her pager goes off every three minutes. She returns calls either on a house phone on the wall or on her cell phone. She doesn’t give many orders over the phone, as most calls require that she see the patients in person.

“Transplantation is not something we do to improve someone’s lifestyle,” she says. “This is something we do because the patient is dying. All of our transplant patients are dying – that’s why they need the transplant.” USC has a long history of organ transplantation at both USC University Hospital and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Currently, USC offers transplantation for heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas. Herrington, who came to USC from the University of Minnesota in 2009, is associate professor of clinical cardiothoracic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine and surgical director of pediatric thoracic transplantation at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “As a thoracic surgeon, I just connected with lung

transplant patients, because when you think about it, trying to breathe is a horrible way to die,” says Herrington. “These patients come in and they are gasping, and you transplant them and you give them their life back.” For Robbyn Foxx, of Venice, Calif., it seemed like the end of the line. Unable to breathe, Foxx, who suffered from cystic fibrosis, knew she was dying. “I was really running out of time,” Foxx says. “I think I had between 48 and 72 hours.” But it was not the end for her. She came to USC University Hospital, where doctors performed a living-related lobar transplant. Five years out from her transplant, Foxx is thank-

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Living lung transplant recipient Robbyn Foxx is grateful to USC surgeons and her two brothers, each of whom donated a lobe of his lung.

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Cynthia Herrington, M.D., says lung transplant patients come in gasping, and “you transplant them and you give them their life back.”

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She sleeps for 20 minutes in the on-call room assigned to her in the hospital. Her ringing cell phone – a call from the hospital – wakes her and she continues working.

5:30 a.m.

Noon.

Quismorio goes home and to bed.

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Doctors at the new USC Transplant Institute work together to improve patient outcomes By Sara Reeve

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Living lung transplant recipient Robbyn Foxx is grateful to USC surgeons and her two brothers, each of whom donated a lobe of his lung.

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John Donovan, M.D., says that increased cooperation between transplant physicians and surgeons leads to better patient outcomes.

ful for the lifesaving intervention. The toys in her living room are a testament to the more recent and happy change in her life. “And now we have a twoyear-old,” she says. “He’s very two!” The living-related lobar lung transplant was pioneered at USC University Hospital in 1990. In this complex surgery, two individuals each donate the lower lobe of one lung. These two lobes are then implanted into a patient, providing relatively normal lung function. Other living donor surgeries performed at USC include kidney and liver transplants. USC University Hospital and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles are the only medical centers in Southern California that perform both live donor lung and liver transplants. At USC, administration of organ-specific programs had been run separately for years, but at a physician retreat held by Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., in 2009, discussions arose about the possibility of integrating the practices. With the university’s acquisition of USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital in April 2009, clinical leaders carefully examined how different programs could be strengthened and patient care improved. “We were operating in silos,” Herrington says. “Each program operated independently of other programs, and there was a loss of collaboration. It really just made sense that in the process of the rebirth of these hospitals, this program would be getting some attention and some changes would be made.” An idea that began a slow rise in popularity about 10 years ago, the institute model has gained momentum recently for transplant programs. By combining administrative functions that are applicable across the different organ transplant systems, the institute model promises increased efficiency, better commu-

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Kidney transplant patient shares his new lease on life By Nick Charles

nication among physicians, more timely response to patient needs, and, ultimately, better patient care. “The institute gives our patients the best chance for the best outcome,” says John Donovan, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School and physician who specializes in liver transplants. “As transplant physicians, we are now able to better share the clinical knowledge and expertise that crosses the traditional boundaries between experiences in heart, lung, kidney and liver transplantation.” Coordinating business and administration aspects of the institute is the job of transplant administrator Mike Donnell, who has extensive experience in the management and organization of transplant programs. Donnell emphasizes the overall care offered at the USC Transplant Institute.

David Rosenbloom may only weigh 135 pounds, but he possesses a special kind of strength. The 5’9” 64-year-old is filled with determination and a strong will to live. After developing end-stage renal disease in 2002 at the age of 56, Rosenbloom joined the ranks of dialysis patients whose bodies − and lives − are tethered to a machine. “My kidneys were performing at less than 10 percent capacity,” says Rosenbloom, who lives in Boyle Heights. “Actually, I should say ‘kidney’ singular because it turns out that I only had one functioning kidney my whole life. … So, my only kidney stopped working.” Rosenbloom’s progression from illness to dialysis happened very quickly. “I went in to see my primary care doctor, he sent me to a nephrologist, and in three weeks I was on dialysis,” he says. After six years of both clinic and home hemodialysis, Rosenbloom was matched with a donated kidney and received a transplant at USC University Hospital in August 2008. Rosenbloom’s experiences with kidney disease, transplant and recovery changed his life and his career. A custom furniture designer prior to surgery, Rosenbloom became involved

ORGAN DISEASE MANAGEMEN T “We should be recognized as an organ disease management center,” he says. “Transplantation is just the end treatment of that care continuum, and really, a very miniscule number of the total population ever gets to transplantation. The fact is that there is an organ shortage, so for us, the real win is if we can intervene earlier and keep those patients from ever needing a transplant.” The shortage of healthy organs available for transplantation is never far from the minds of the doctors and staff of the USC Transplant Institute. According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, more than 7,000 patients die every year across the country – or 19 per day – while waiting on the list for an organ donation. “One thing we always have to be cognizant of is the wait list mortality,” Donnell says. “We know that while we have patients on the wait list, some of them are going to die. Our goal needs to be to reduce that, diminish that number as much as we can. One of the

things about having an integrated, multidisciplinary transplant institute is, collectively, we should be able to do a better job caring for patients both before and after transplantation.” With the move under one administrative umbrella, one thing that hasn’t changed for the doctors and staff of the USC Transplant Institute is the commitment to the organ donor. Institute staff and doctors work with the university’s organ procurement partner, OneLegacy, to match donated organs with the bestmatched recipient. “Whether it’s a live donor or a cadaveric donor, they have given us a gift,” says Donnell. “The USC Transplant Institute gets to be the steward for that gift for a very short period of time. But our responsibility as the steward of that gift is to be sure we are giving it to the next best steward that we can find.”

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Photo by Brook Photography

PhotoPhoto by Mark by Greg Harmel Mancuso

That commitment to the donor is exemplified by the USC Heart Transplant Program, which has been recognized for exceptional patient outcomes by the independent health care ratings organization Health Grades. The program was ranked among the top 1 percent of hospitals in the United States that perform heart transplants. Bringing together all solid organ transplants under one administrative umbrella encourages USC Transplant Institute doctors and staff to share information about best practices that will help all departments while improving patient care. “I am confident that bringing together multiple disciplines and different expertise, and utilizing best

TO P ON E P E R C E NT

A dded specia l is t s he l p av o id side e f f ec t s

A recent study published in the Archives of Dermatology showed that more than 46 percent of heart transplant patients studied developed skin cancer during the 19 years of post-surgical care. The result of intense immunosuppressive regimens, skin cancer is the most common cancer affecting solid organ transplant recipients. One of the tenets of the institute model is the bringing together of experts from a variety of fields who can provide specialized care designed for organ transplant recipients. The USC Transplant Institute has invited in specialists from fields such as dermatology to be part of the continuum of care for transplant patients. “By having dermatology join the evaluation process early and give a risk assessment to these patients – you can categorize them into different risk areas, and then educate them and teach them so you can diminish that post-transplant incidence of skin cancer,” says Mike Donnell, transplant administrator at the institute. “People weren’t even looking at that 10 years ago – we were just focused on transplanting the organs.”

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in working as a volunteer kidney patient consultant at USC to educate patients on the importance of staying compliant after surgery. David Rosenbloom “Being compliant means listening to the doctors and educating yourself about kidney disease so you can regain control of your life,” he says. Rosenbloom started mentoring patients informally because he was one of the first people in the area to use a home hemodialysis system. “I was approached by USC about a year and a half ago when they wanted to start a mentoring program. I went through a formal mentor training program at the National Institutes of Transplantation in Los Angeles.” Rosenbloom recently published his autobiography, Becoming Me, about his life, his seven-year battle with kidney disease, and his successful transplant at USC. “Having a transplant is the next best thing to having your own healthy kidney,” he adds. “If you take care of it, you can live a very normal life.” Visit his website at www.uarts.com/kidney.

practice principles, will help to improve the transplant service line for our medical center,” says Mark Barr, M.D., co-director of cardiothoracic transplantation and associate professor of surgery at the Keck School of Medicine. “Organ transplant programs have a huge potential halo effect for an academic medical center in terms of teaching and research. Support for transplantation encourages the development of end-stage organ failure programs and the development of subspecialty liaison services, such as transplant infectious disease, that will benefit everyone here at USC.” As the USC Transplant Institute continues to grow and develop, Herrington expects great things to happen, such as an increase in the number of transplants performed and the addition of a larger research component. But she is adamant that the institute is building on already strong transplant programs at USC whose outcomes are a testament to the hard work and determination of the staff and physicians. “A lot of the care and talent was already here,” says Herrington. “The surgeons are amazing here and the medical doctors are amazing, and the staff that takes care of the patients, the coordinators, it was all here. This is going to create an infrastructure and bring everyone together so we can take that next step to be an even larger and even better program.” • For more information about the USC Transplant Institute, visit http://www.uscuniversityhospital.org/uscuh/services/ transplant-programs or call 1-800-USC-CARE.

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A P A S S I O N FO R H E L P I N G P A T I E N T S

John Donovan, M.D., says that increased cooperation between transplant physicians and surgeons leads to better patient outcomes.

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Kidney transplant patient shares his new lease on life By Nick Charles

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Photo by Brook Photography

PhotoPhoto by Mark by Greg Harmel Mancuso

TO P ON E P E R C E NT

A dded specia l is t s he l p av o id side e f f ec t s

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Vaughn A. Starnes, M.D., center, pioneered minimally invasive cardiac surgery for valve repairs and replacements, benefitting patients with fewer complications, less pain and faster recovery than open-heart surgery.

Cut to the Heart

USC surgeons lead the way with minimally invasive cardiac surgery

By Jon Nalick

In quiet moments, especially after going to bed, Rob Hertel could hear that something was wrong with his heart. “There was a whooshing sound loud enough that my wife could hear it too,” says Hertel, a 54-year-old South Pasadena resident who works in medical sales. That sound accompanied every heartbeat and hinted at what his doctors would later confirm—his aortic valve was failing and he required open-heart surgery to repair it. But after being referred to Vaughn A. Starnes, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine, surgeon-in-chief of USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, and director of the Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute, Hertel soon received some good news: he

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qualified for minimally invasive valve replacement surgery. The surgery, developed in the last 10 years, promised a faster recovery time, fewer complications and less pain than standard open-heart surgery. “To me, that was an answered prayer,” Hertel says. USC cardiothoracic surgeon Craig Baker, M.D., explains that standard heart surgery typically requires exposure of the heart and its vessels through median sternotomy, in which the sternum is divided to provide access to the heart—considered one of the most invasive and traumatic aspects of open-chest surgery.

MUCH LESS TRAUMA However, the minimally invasive approach that was pioneered and refined at USC relies on much smaller incisions and specially adapted surgical instruments to provide access to the heart with much less trauma to the body. Surgeons are able to open a small port into the chest cavity to expose the heart to view and allow just enough space for the surgeons’ hands and instruments to complete the repairs. Dr. Baker notes that because the procedures are done though a single, small incision between the ribs, the patient benefits from significantly less blood loss and faster recuperation times. Patients can often return to their normal activities in two weeks rather than the typical six to eight weeks with conventional surgery. The cost of minimally invasive cardiac surgery may be approximately 25 percent less than the cost of conventional surgery. Hertel, a USC alumnus (’78) and a former college baseball and football player who went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and take the field in Superbowl XV, says he can vouch for the efficacy of the minimally invasive approach. Diagnosed with severe aortic regurgitation—a condition in which the leaking valve allows blood to slosh from the aorta back into the heart and can lead to a life-threatening enlargement of the heart muscle—Hertel underwent his surgery at USC University Hospital on Memorial Day 2009 and went home after just five days in the hospital. “The next day, I was able to do three 20-minute walks a day with no real fatigue and I never needed any pain medication after leaving the hospital,” he says. He was back to work less than four weeks later with a barely noticeable four-inch scar between his right collarbone and right nipple. USC cardiothoracic surgeons perform about 150 minimally invasive surgeries each year, which Baker says is a “much higher number than is traditionally done at academic medical centers. The reason is that we have an active minimally invasive surgery program and we serve as a training site for others who come and learn the techniques from us.”

dures, aortic valve replacements and multi-valve operations, Baker says. The approach is especially applicable in elderly patients and patients at high risk for sternal complications. It is less well suited for patients who have had multiple operations that resulted in the accumulation of scar tissue around the heart. Starnes, who is also the H. Russell Smith Chair for Cardiovascular Research, says that USC’s Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute employs minimally invasive procedures as a standard procedure, not an extraordinary one, “and we’re constantly striving to improve the technique and continue our record of excellent clinical outcomes.” For example, he noted that the institute was the first in the Los Angeles area to employ robotassisted heart valve surgery, which allows slender robotic instruments—controlled by a surgeon seated at a nearby console with a video screen—to enter the body and effect repairs without cracking open the chest. Starnes emphasizes that for all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery, it is not a one-size-fits-all approach; every patient’s case is different. “We never compromise the quality of what we do, so we educate the patient about the optimal approach to achieve the best outcome, whether it is through a minimally invasive approach or other technique,” he says. Baker says that apart from USC’s state-of-the-art surgical approach, what sets USC’s Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute apart from other care providers “is our use of the institute model, which breaks down the barriers [between departments] that many academic organizations have. The institute brings together surgeons, cardiologists, pulmonologists and basic scientists to provide comprehensive patient care. All our physicians, nurses and caregivers collaborate and we always keep the needs of the patients foremost in mind.” Based on his own experience, Hertel says he agrees. “I have only good things to say. Anyone who goes to USC just needs to know they’re in good hands.”

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Photo by Greg Mancuso

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Photo by Philip Channing

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Valve repair patient Robert Hertel calls the minimally invasive surgery “an answered prayer.”

For more information about the USC Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute, visit http://uschospitals.com/heart.

FLEXIBLE AND PRECISE The current technology’s high degree of flexibility and precision have allowed USC surgeons to successfully perform difficult cases involving coronary bypass, mitral valve repair and replacement procewww.usc.edu/keck

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Cut to the Heart

USC surgeons lead the way with minimally invasive cardiac surgery

By Jon Nalick

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

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Photo by Greg Mancuso

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Photo by Philip Channing

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Valve repair patient Robert Hertel calls the minimally invasive surgery “an answered prayer.”

For more information about the USC Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute, visit http://uschospitals.com/heart.

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Karyn Embrey provides spinal anesthesia in the Israeli Defense Force hospital as Kara Hammons provides light.

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HELPING HAITI

Help for Haiti

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Photo by Sara Reeve

Three days after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti on Jan. 12, a team of 10 surgeons and nurses from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the County of Los Angeles Health Services was on its way to the nation’s capital of Port-au-Prince to provide surgical and medical assistance.

Photo Courtesy of Ramon Cestero, M.D.

Keck School responds to earthquake disaster with rapid aid and long-term support By Leslie Ridgeway

Three months later, planning was under way to help establish a trauma health system in Haiti, in cooperation with international partners. The quick response to the crisis was spearheaded by Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A.; Demetrios Demetriades, M.D., director, Trauma and Surgical Critical Care for Keck; and Ramon Cestero, M.D., a Keck School fellow in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care and team leader. Henri Ford, M.D., vice dean for medical education for Keck and chief of surgery at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, also traveled to Port-au-Prince to offer his help. A native of Haiti, Ford’s experience went beyond the professional to the deeply personal as he witnessed his homeland facing staggering devastation and uncertain prospects for recovery. “As the images began to be transmitted, it became clear to me that I had to be there,” he said at one of two town hall meetings organized for the Keck School and the USC University Park Campus upon the team’s return. At the town hall meetings, Ford sounded a call to action, stating, “There will be opportunities for the Keck School and the entire Trojan Family to really play a pivotal role in the building of a new Haiti.” The USC/LA County Haiti Medical Aid Team, among the first medical personnel to arrive in Haiti, worked in two different areas of the country. Ford worked with a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Disaster Medical Assistance Team and International Medical Surgical Response Team that set up a field hospital on the campus of the GHESKIO Clinic, three miles from the epicenter of the earthquake. The GHESKIO Clinic, a Haitian nongovernmental organization that normally specializes in the treatment of AIDS and tuberculosis, had suddenly become the site of a tent city comprising more than 6,000 refugees with a wide range of medical and surgical problems following the earthquake. Ford stayed in Haiti for two weeks. The group led by Cestero worked with the Israeli Defense Force at the Israeli field hospital near the soccer stadium in Port-au-Prince, and later at a hospital called Double Harvest several miles outside of Port-au-Prince. The team included trauma and orthopedic surgeons, emergency medicine and intensive care unit specialists, a nurse anesthetist, surgical ICU nurse, and a physician assistant. The team was in Haiti for five days. Amputations and debridements (to clean infected wounds after days without treatment) were common. Cestero estimated his team, working alongside the Israeli hospital personnel, triaged more than 350 patients and performed more than 50 external fixations and amputations over five days. The surgeons and nurses also tended to internal and head injuries from falling bricks, many sustained by children. Soon after landing in Haiti, Ford was enlisted to perform surgery on a six-year-old boy who had suffered a pelvic fracture and ruptured bladder after a brick wall fell on his abdomen. The boy needed to be airlifted to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson, and despite his own apprehension about flying in helicopters, Ford went where he was needed. “While on the ship, the Chief Medical Officer asked me to stay to help with a young girl with penetrating head trauma,” Ford wrote in one of several USC/LA County Haiti Medical Team blog entries. “A roof collapsed on her and a piece of brick was embedded in her skull with extension to the brain.” Ford was able to remove most of the brick, but it was clear that the girl needed a partial craniectomy. A call went out to CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, M.D., who was in Haiti and is also a neurosurgeon. Ford worked side by side with Gupta and naval surgeon Lieutenant Commodore Kathryn Berndt,

John Mahajan, community service chair for the Graduate and Professional Student Senate, and Jessica Bear, co-president of Associated Students of the School of Medicine, help sell T-shirts in a student effort to raise money for medical care in Haiti. How You Can Help Please consider supporting the ongoing Keck School of Medicine Haiti Relief Medical Aid Team being staffed by USC/LA County trauma and medical personnel. Since the initial mission in January, the Keck School of Medicine has been sending teams of surgical and medical personnel bi-weekly to Haiti to provide care at an established field hospital in Port-au-Prince. The critical care surgeons and nurses report that while the situation has improved and many patients have been stabilized, there is still urgent need for specialized medical attention. Henri Ford, M.D., vice dean for medical education at the Keck School of Medicine and chief of surgery at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, is leading an effort to establish the first permanent trauma center in Haiti. Ford has been meeting with federal and Haitian officials, as well as representatives from nongovernmental organizations. Please consider sponsoring a physician or physician-led team traveling to Haiti to provide surgical and medical services. Your contribution will help our specialists reach those still in need in Haiti. Thank you for your contribution to the Keck School of Medicine Haiti Relief Fund. To make a donation, you may contribute online with a credit card by visiting http://uscsom.convio.net/Haiti, or call Elliott Law at 626-457-4066.

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Karyn Embrey provides spinal anesthesia in the Israeli Defense Force hospital as Kara Hammons provides light.

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HELPING HAITI

Help for Haiti

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Photo by Sara Reeve

Photo Courtesy of Ramon Cestero, M.D.

Keck School responds to earthquake disaster with rapid aid and long-term support By Leslie Ridgeway

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Expanding Surgical Options for Breast Cancer By Bob Kronemyer

From right, Andrew Tang, M.D., David Dromsky, M.D., and Howard Belzberg, M.D., consult with a Haitian orthopedic surgeon as they prepare to assess a lower extremity fracture in a patient.

P erseverance is a t rademark b o t h pr o f es -

and personally for Stephen Sener, M.D. His commitment to cancer research and marathon running – having completed the first of 55 marathons in 1968 – demonstrates unfailing tenacity and followthrough. A renowned breast surgeon, Sener joined the Keck School of Medicine in September 2009 as professor of clinical surgery, chief of the division of surgical oncology and a member of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital. Sener hails from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, where he earned his medical degree and taught for 25 years, most recently as a professor of surgery. While at Northwestern, he created the first breast cancer clinical longitudinal database at the institution. “We started enrolling every patient and putting every tumor into a central repository, or tumor bank,” Sener says. “That’s how I really got my start in doing clinical research. I think as a cancer model, the biology is fascinating. “We know more about breast cancer than about most solid tumors,” he says. “I actually believe that in my lifetime we’ll be able to elucidate the cause of breast cancer. Once we identify the lock-and-key mechanism, we can probably start addressing how to fix it.” Sener’s commitment to cancer research extends out of the lab and into the community. He has been a long-term volunteer for the American Cancer Society (ACS), serving as national president from 2004 to 2005. “This was a transformational event in my life,” he says. “I learned a lot about what leadership is and how it evolves.” For five years prior to assuming the national presidency, Sener was volunteer chairman of the ACS research committee, during which time he and his colleagues created a program in which “all of our research money was devoted to young investigators. As a result, we wound up becoming the major funding agency for young investigators interested in cancer in the United States.” He is currently involved with the American Cancer Society’s Charity Runners for its DetermiNation Pro-

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Photo by Geoff Johnson

future support in the rebuilding of Haiti, particularly M.D., and together they saved the girl’s life. in follow-up care for the sick and injured. At the For all of the heart-wrenching moments, team town hall meeting on the University Park Campus, members also witnessed the resolve of the Haitian Ford talked about problems with directing resources people. Cestero’s team worked with a woman who where they are needed most. had been trapped in rubble for six days. She was In an effort to address that concern, in February, found by her husband, who had continued to search Ford returned to Haiti for one week to explore how for her even after officials told him there was no USC, in collaboration with Project Medishare and hope. Some of her fingers had to be amputated, but the University of Miami, could play a long-term role there was no mistaking the look of gratitude and rein enhancing the quality and availability of critical lief on the faces of the couple as the woman was dissurgical care in Haiti. Ford met with charged from the IDF field hospital. representatives of various hospitals Ford was in the GHESKIO field hos“ There will be opportuin Port-au-Prince, the Ministry of pital when a 31-year-old man who had nities for the Keck School and the Health, the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti survived in a collapsed building for 14 entire Trojan Family and representatives of the United days was brought in. The man reportto really play a pivotal States Agency for International Deedly had access to water and had only role in the building velopment to discuss the requiresuffered a broken thigh bone. of a new Haiti.” ments for establishing a trauma health “This is the most remarkable story – Henri Ford, M.D. system in Haiti including a centralI have seen in these past two weeks,” ized trauma/critical care and rehabiliFord wrote. tation hospital. Such a facility would be the first of its The humanitarian mission was not just an opporkind in the entire nation. tunity to help. It was a chance to learn valuable les In mid-March, the Keck School and Childrens sons about emergency medicine and treatment. “We Hospital sent two teams of surgical and medical perlearned the value of being organized,” said team sonnel back to Haiti to provide care at the University member Karyn Embrey, certified registered nurse of Miami/Project Medishare field hospital in Portanesthetist. “We learned that when it came to getting au-Prince. Three members of the USC/LA County resources where they were needed, good intentions Haiti Medical Aid Team traveled to Haiti to conduct were not enough. So many people wanted to help, an assessment of surgical and medical needs in prepbut they didn’t know where they were needed.” aration for sending teams to Haiti on a regular basis. For LAC+USC Medical Center surgical ICU Dean Puliafito has commended the USC/LA nurse Claudel Thamas, who like Ford is a native of County Haiti Medical Aid Team for their courage Haiti, the trip was a sobering experience, but also a and commitment, encouraging others to support chance to help people in desperate need. “It was a Haitian relief efforts. “Individuals can make a tretremendous opportunity to serve and be an ambasmendous difference, even when their effort seems sador for the American people, and to show kindness like a drop of water in a vast ocean. How you answer and compassion to the Haitians,” he said. “There that call will make all the difference in the world.” • was a tear in my eye when we had to leave.” In a series of podcasts posted on the USC/LA County Haiti Medical Aid Team blog, team memFor more information, see the Haiti medical team blog at bers expressed concern about the immense need for www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/haiti_blog/

Top: Photo Courtesy of Ramon Cestero, M.D.; Left: Photo Courtesy of Henri Ford, M.D.

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CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, M.D., left, and Henri Ford, M.D., just before leaving the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, where they performed surgery together on a young girl with a critical head wound.

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gram (a nation of athletes determined to end cancer) and will run his next marathon on their behalf. That marathon will take place back in Chicago in October, after a 16-week training regimen. “The training is long and requires dedication, but finishing the marathon is a glorious thing,” he says. At USC, Sener has been charged with creating a new division of surgical oncology. “This division needs to augment and integrate cancer care programs,” he says. “Basically, we need to take patients from screening through diagnosis through treatment. For example, we need to create a much more robust screening program for breast and colorectal cancer, and integrate them with clinical care.” Sener also believes the elevated clinical care platform should be linked to a clinical and basic research program, part of which already exists. “We also need to create a breast cancer database in the cancer center within the division of surgical oncology.” Although a tumor bank already exists, “it cannot function in a vacuum,” Sener explains. “The investigators need to know what happens to those patients – who’s alive five years from now, what treatment they received, how does that impact their survival. Unless all that information is linked to that tumor in that bank, the tumor is not nearly as important.” Sener has been married to his wife, Sherri, for 39 years, and they have twin adult sons. As for the move to Southern California from the Midwest, “there’s not a day so far that the weather in LA hasn’t trumped the weather in Chicago,” Sener says. •

Stephen Sener, M.D., is leading the new division of surgical oncology with the aim of augmenting and integrating cancer care programs.

To make an appointment with Dr. Sener or any of The Doctors of USC, call 1-800-USC-CARE. For more information about innovative breast cancer surgical options available at USC, visit http://uschospitals.com/breastcancer.

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Expanding Surgical Options for Breast Cancer By Bob Kronemyer

From right, Andrew Tang, M.D., David Dromsky, M.D., and Howard Belzberg, M.D., consult with a Haitian orthopedic surgeon as they prepare to assess a lower extremity fracture in a patient.

P erseverance is a t rademark b o t h pr o f es -

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Photo by Geoff Johnson

Top: Photo Courtesy of Ramon Cestero, M.D.; Left: Photo Courtesy of Henri Ford, M.D.

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Stephen Sener, M.D., is leading the new division of surgical oncology with the aim of augmenting and integrating cancer care programs.

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Tracking Cells to Help Cure Cancer

Finding Sweet Rewards in Treating Children

By Katie Neith

By Aaron Dalton

came in t eres t ed in medicine during his

Preet Chaudhary, M.D., Ph.D., brings a keen interest in translational medicine to his new position as chief of the Jane Anne Nohl Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases.

high school years in India. In New Delhi, he pursued his degree at the prestigious Maulana Azad Medical College, following in the inspirational footsteps of his older sister, who is also a physician. In medical school, Chaudhary became intrigued with the complexities of the human body at both cellular and organ levels and also in the emerging field of molecular biology. “In particular, in the final year of medical school, I read about the prospects of human gene therapy and its potential for curing a number of diseases. This captivated my imagination and inspired me to obtain research training in cellular and molecular biology,” says Chaudhary, who obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Today, he is an internationally renowned physician-scientist, recently recruited to serve as chief of the Jane Anne Nohl Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital. His appointment is a major step toward fulfilling the promise of a $60 million gift from the estate of Jane Anne Nohl in late 2007. USC Norris and the division of hematology were chosen as beneficiaries based on the outstanding care that her longtime friend and estate trustee Larry Kelly received from Donald Feinstein, M.D., hematologist and professor emeritus of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. At the Keck School Department of Medicine, Chaudhary is also professor of medicine, and at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, he is coleader of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Program and associate director for translational research. Chaudhary came to USC from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, where he was professor

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

of medicine, director for translational research, leader of the hematologic malignancies program and coleader of the cancer stem cell program. As a physician-scientist dedicated to hematologic oncology, Chaudhary has research interests in several areas of cancer, including AIDS-associated cancers, cancer drug resistance, biology of normal and leukemic hematopoietic stem cells, programmed cell death and cellular signaling. He is also interested in molecularly targeted and biological therapies and novel strategies to improve the outcome of stem cell transplantation. “I am most proud of my first major scientific discovery,” says Chaudhary, who used retroviral vectors carrying the human multidrug resistance (MDR1) cDNA for the purpose of gene therapy during his initial project as a graduate student. The MDR1 gene codes for P-glycoprotein (Pgp), which prevents some chemotherapy agents from entering cells. “I discovered that certain subsets of cells in the human bone marrow – including pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells (which give rise to all the blood cell types) and some lymphocytes – express Pgp naturally,” he says. “This unexpected discovery not only provided a method for purifying stem cells but also helped to explain why certain types of leukemia are resistant to chemotherapy. It also has had a broad impact on our current understanding of normal and cancer stem cells from diverse tissues.” As chief of the Jane Anne Nohl Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases, Chaudhary hopes to employ strategic recruitment in key areas and build on existing strengths of current members of the hematology division. He also plans to expand the hematology practice at the USC Norris Cancer Hospital. “USC has a combination of factors which make it a very exciting place to be right now,” Chaudhary says. “The dynamic and experienced leadership team is doing everything right to make it a powerhouse in patient care, education and research.” • To make an appointment with Dr. Chaudhary or any of The Doctors of USC, call 1-800-USC-CARE.

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Photo by Brook Photography

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Photo by Van Urfalian

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Nashville bakeries he owns or treating patients, D. Brent Polk, M.D., is making an impact. “One of my mottos is that life is too short to eat bad food,” he says. That is an apt motto for a physician-scientist who focuses on digestive diseases. In April, Polk joined USC as chair of the Department of Pediatrics and vice dean for clinical affairs at the Keck School of Medicine, and chair of pediatrics and vice president of academic affairs at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “It is very rewarding,” Polk says, “to see a child or adolescent with debilitating inflammatory bowel disease go from being hospitalized back to playing basketball, performing in a piano recital or simply hanging out with friends and family. “The combined strengths of the University of Southern California, the Keck School of Medicine, Childrens Hospital and the Saban Research Institute at the hospital, coupled with the level of community commitment demonstrated by the Childrens Hospital Board of Trustees, convinced me that this was the one place where I could serve and make the biggest difference in children’s lives,” Polk says. Prior to joining USC, Polk served at Vanderbilt University in Nashville as chief of the D. Brent Polk Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, director of the Digestive Disease Research Center, and a tenured professor of pediatrics and cell and developmental biology. In his new position, Polk is focused on developing synergies between the Keck School and Childrens Hospital, strengthening partnerships between the two institutions in research, education, advocacy and health care delivery. He plans to recruit investigators capable of building on existing research strengths to develop more effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment options for pediatric health disorders. Polk’s primary research focus is on understanding the normal healthy state of the gastrointestinal tract and how it repairs significant injuries or ulcerations in just a matter of days. He anticipates collaborating in the laboratory with Keck, Childrens Hospital and Saban scientists on stem cell and regenerative medicine

research that could someday offer hope to patients with diseases such as Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, in which the usual gastrointestinal repairs are interrupted. A Presidential Scholar at Ouachita University in Arkansas, Polk went on to obtain his medical degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed both his internship and residency in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas and Arkansas Children’s Hospital before moving on to a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Stanford University. Even while building his illustrious medical career, Polk found time to co-found a bakery and café, called Provence, with his partner Terry Carr-Hall. With handcrafted artisanal breads and pastries like French macarons, Provence has become a popular fixture on Nashville’s café scene and expanded into six locations. Polk and his partner are now on the hunt for the perfect Los Angeles location for their seventh café. This commitment to excellence characterizes all of Polk’s work. Above his desk, Polk keeps a plaque given to him by a patient. The plaque states: “In 100 years, no one will care about your car, your house or your wealth, but that the world may be different because you were important in the life of a child.” Polk says, “It’s a simple but powerful message. I try to instill that vision in those with whom I work and train, because it basically sums up my approach to patient care, research and education.” •

As a pediatric gastroenterologist, D. Brent Polk, M.D., is fascinated by what he calls “this complex and remarkable system.”

“ In 100 years, no one will care about your car, your house or your wealth, but that the world may be different because you were important in the life of a child.”

To make an appointment with a physician at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, call 1-888-MD1-CHLA (or 1-888-631-2452).

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F A C U LTY P R OF I L E

Tracking Cells to Help Cure Cancer

Finding Sweet Rewards in Treating Children

By Katie Neith

By Aaron Dalton

came in t eres t ed in medicine during his

Preet Chaudhary, M.D., Ph.D., brings a keen interest in translational medicine to his new position as chief of the Jane Anne Nohl Division of Hematology and Center for the Study of Blood Diseases.

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

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W he t her serving cus t o mers in o ne o f t he

Photo by Brook Photography

P ree t C haudhar y, M . D . , P h . D . , f irs t be -

Photo by Van Urfalian

F A C U LTY P R OF I L E

As a pediatric gastroenterologist, D. Brent Polk, M.D., is fascinated by what he calls “this complex and remarkable system.”

“ In 100 years, no one will care about your car, your house or your wealth, but that the world may be different because you were important in the life of a child.”

To make an appointment with a physician at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, call 1-888-MD1-CHLA (or 1-888-631-2452).

www.usc.edu/keck

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SUPPORT

Development News

Jae Jung installed as first Fletcher Jones Foundation Chair By Katie Neith Jae Jung, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Immunology at the Keck School of Medicine, has been installed as the inaugural Fletcher Jones Foundation Chair of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. “This is a great honor and a great pleasure for me,” said Jung during a reception at the Harlyne J. Norris Research Tower. “This chair is our stepping stone to build a number one program in infectious disease and immunology.” The Fletcher Jones Foundation, a grant-making organization that supports private, higher educational institutions, created the endowed chair with a gift last year. The foundation was created

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Wallis Annenberg

The Annenberg Foundation has donated $10 million to establish the Wallis Annenberg Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students at the Keck School of Medicine and the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. Divided evenly between the schools, the gift will provide scholarships that give the schools a competitive edge when competing for the best student scholars.   The Wallis Annenberg Endowed Scholarship Fund will cover a substantial portion of the tuition costs for recipients, awarding up to $35,000 per year to recipients at the Keck School of Medicine and $25,000 per year to recipients at the Annenberg School for Communications & Journalism. By its third year of existence, the fund will help support the educational costs for as many as 17 Annenberg Scholars.   “The ability to provide scholarship support is a vital component of USC’s quest to attract the most talented students,” said USC President-elect and Provost C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D. “This generous gift will not only provide a strong incentive for those students to come to USC, but will also help ensure both schools’ legacy of educating and training world leaders in their respective fields.”    Wallis Annenberg, chairman of the board of the Annenberg Foundation and the longest serving trustee on USC’s Board of Trustees, said scholarships are crucial “to leveling the playing field and offering access to higher education to a broader range of people, regardless of any one person or family’s financial circumstances.” The establishment of this fund comes at a pivotal time for the Keck School, according to Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A. “We are on the forefront of medical education, with a recently redesigned curriculum that is integrated and hands-on. With the generosity of the Annenberg Foundation, we will ensure that generations of Keck students receive the financial assistance they need to continue their academic pursuits.”

John M. Peters, M.D., Sc.D. To make a donation to the John Peters Fund for Research and Education at the Keck School, contact Clara Driscoll, 323-442-1346 or clara.driscoll@usc. edu, or visit uscsom. convio.net/JohnPeters.

John M. Peters, M.D., Sc.D., 75, the Hastings Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine and a renowned authority on the effects of air pollution on health, died May 6 of pancreatic cancer. Peters, the founding director of the division of environmental health in the Department of Preventive Medicine, also founded

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center and directed it for 10 years. Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., hailed Peters as “one of the legends of environmental and occupational health. His work took him from the freeways of Los Angeles to the tire factories of Akron to the granite mines of Vermont. The focus of his research was to investigate and quantify environmental risks and then contribute to strate-

gies to mitigate those risks in the workplace and in everyday life.” Perhaps his most important scientific contribution was to systematically address the question of chronic effects of air pollution on California’s children. The findings have had a significant impact on public health and policy. Peters received numerous honors and awards, most recently receiving the HaagenSmit Clean Air Award from the California Air Resources Board.

The Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC will open in the Fall of 2010. The $80 million building, designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca architects, is the product of a public-private partnership between voter-created California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the Keck School of Medicine and a $30 million gift from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. The five-story stem cell center will house basic and clinical researchers working collaboratively on stem cell research. The facility will become an integral part of a “research triangle” on USC’s Health Sciences Campus, along with the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, at right, and the Harlyne J. Norris Cancer Research Tower, in the background.

Photo by Steve Cohn (top)

Environmental Health Leader Dies

Stem cell center to open this fall

Building Photo by Don Milici; Photo by Pam Francis for The Broad Foundations (middle) Photo by Jon Nalick (top right)

Gift of $10 Million from Annenberg Foundation establishes scholarship funds in Medicine and Communication & Journalism By Sam Lopez

in 1969 by the estate of Fletcher Jones, co-founder of Computer Sciences Corporation. Peter K. Barker, a member of the Board of Overseers for the Keck School, is also president of the Board of Trustees for the Fletcher Jones Foundation and was instrumental in funding the chair. “We are privileged and delighted to provide the funds for this chair,” said Barker, on behalf of the trustees. The reception included a welcome from Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., dean of the Keck School, and an unveiling of the chair. “We’ve come to know Jae over the past few years as an incredibly creative scientist and someone who has really shown himself to be an academic leader,” Puliafito said. “Jae came to USC with a record of tremendous success, and we are super enthusiastic about his future here.”

Eli and Edythe Broad

From left, Peter K. Barker, Jae Jung, Ph.D., and Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., celebrate with a symbolic chair.

D E V E LO P M E N T

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SUPPORT

Development News

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Wallis Annenberg

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Photo by Steve Cohn (top)

Environmental Health Leader Dies

Stem cell center to open this fall

Building Photo by Don Milici; Photo by Pam Francis for The Broad Foundations (middle) Photo by Jon Nalick (top right)

Gift of $10 Million from Annenberg Foundation establishes scholarship funds in Medicine and Communication & Journalism By Sam Lopez

Eli and Edythe Broad

From left, Peter K. Barker, Jae Jung, Ph.D., and Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., celebrate with a symbolic chair.

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Keck Parents Association hosts first event for medical student parents Keck School of Medicine Parents Association board members, from left, George Stoneman, M.D., Barbara House and John Reid pause as they welcome more than 75 participants in the first association event for parents of medical students. The program featured lectures by faculty members, a fourth-year student panel, and tours of the Health Sciences Campus and Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center. Erin Quinn,Ph.D., associate dean for admissions, served as Master of Ceremonies, and Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., was also on hand to welcome the parents and answer questions.

CLINICAL TRIALS

Ann Braun

Braun came to USC from the University of Florida (UF) College of Medicine, where she served as associate dean of development and alumni affairs. Braun and her team at UF increased giving to medicine by 350 percent over the past four years as compared to the previous fouryear period.

Anthony El-Khoueiry, M.D., and Janice Hall at a Dine and Dance under the Stars benefit that Hall organized.

By Alana Klein Prisco Janice Hall, 62, and her husband planned to spend the summer of 2006 traveling through Europe, with their adventure culminating in Moscow and St. Petersburg. But Hall, a mother of three, never made it to Russia that summer. After returning home early from Europe to meet with clients (she and her husband own an accounting firm), she says she felt funny. A colonoscopy confirmed more than just a “funny” feeling – it revealed she had a malignant tumor in her colon. A CT scan later uncovered that the tumor had spread to her liver. She was promptly diagnosed with the deadliest stage of colon cancer and was given six months to live. “That diagnosis was not an option for me. I was going to do whatever I needed to do to stay alive,” she says. Her research led to the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she met Anthony El-Khoueiry, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine-oncology at USC, who specializes in new drug development through clinical trials. Every year, USC Norris conducts about 200 to 250 clinical trials, in which about 1,000 patients participate in testing new drug treatments.

“Clinical trials are the heart and soul of improving cancer care, and Janice was an excellent candidate for a large, national phase III clinical trial,” El-Khoueiry says. Phase III trials test the efficacy of new drugs in comparison to standard treatments. “I told Dr. El-Khoueiry, ‘I don’t need a lot; I just need to know I have a chance,’” Hall says. She had an excellent response to the chemotherapy treatment on the clinical trial, and in May 2007 she underwent a successful liver resection, surgical removal of the cancerous portion of the liver. She finally took that trip to Russia in May 2008. To show her gratitude and support for the care and treatment she received at USC Norris, Hall hosted a fundraiser in August 2009 at the Health Sciences Campus quad, just steps from where her life was saved. The event raised more than $60,000 for clinical trials for colon cancer. “She has been one of the most inspiring human beings that I have encountered,” El-Khoueiry says. “These kinds of partnerships between patients and the university community are essential to finding a cure for cancer.”

Women’s Cancer Research Fund benefits research at USC Norris

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Photo by Alex J. Berliner

Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., right, poses with Grammy winners Tim McGraw and Faith Hill at the 13th Annual Unforgettable Evening in Beverly Hills. The star-studded event raises funds for the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. The USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, directed by Peter Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc., is one of the primary beneficiaries of funds raised for innovative cancer research. Norris Cancer Center Advisory Board members Marion Laurie and Quinn Ezralow are among the founders of the Women’s Cancer Research Fund.

For more information on the Keck Parents Association, visit www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/school/people/parents/ or contact Connie Wagner, 323-442-3292 or crwagner@usc.edu.

M E D I C A L S C H OL A R S H I P S

Dinner honors students and supporters, raises money for scholarships By Ina Fried

Photo by Hilarie Withers (top); Photo by Don Milici (center); Photo by Steve Cohn (right)

Ann Braun has joined the Keck School of Medicine as executive director of development and senior associate dean for resource development, signaling a new era of unified fundraising efforts for the newly integrated USC academic medical center.

‘Funny’ feeling leads to successful treatment

Photo by Janet Morgan (top); Photo by Alex J. Berliner (bottom)

Keck School names executive director of development

Eighteen students from the Keck School of Medicine and longtime student supporters were honored by Salerni Collegium and Medical Faculty Wives and Friends (MFWF) at the Annual Scholarship Benefit Dinner at the Jonathan Club. More than 200 Keck School faculty, students, alumni and supporters attended the dinner. Approximately $50,000 in rev- Althea Alexander, director of the Office of Dienue will be split between MFWF and versity at the Keck School of Medicine, reacts Salerni Collegium to fund scholaships to a surprise announcement by Keck School Dean Emeritus Allen W. Mathies, M.D., that for Keck School medical students. Salerni Collegium would donate $10,000 to Althea Alexander and the late Fred- a minority medical student scholarship fund ric E. Alexander, M.D., leaders on is- in memory of her late husband. sues of diversity in the field of medicine, were honored by Salerni Collegium, an organization of Keck School alumni and others who provide financial support to the medical school. MFWF honored former co-president Stephanie Patterson. As director of what is now the Keck School Office of Diversity for the past 40 years, Althea Alexander has shepherded hundreds of students into the field of medicine. Her late husband, Fredric E. Alexander, was a Keck School alumnus and a former intern at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center. He became medical director of Kaiser West Los Angeles and was inducted to the Kaiser Hall of Fame for his contributions to issues of diversity. Stephanie Patterson, the wife of former acting chairman of the Keck School Department of Psychiatry, Charles Patterson, M.D., has been a member of MFWF for 20 years. She has served in many positions on the executive committee and is currently chair of the Endowment Fund. Charles Patterson served as director of graduate education in psychiatry for 25 years and recently retired after 34 years on the faculty. For more information or to make a donation to support scholarships for medical students, contact Michael Mayne, 323-442-1084 or mmayne@usc.edu.

Philanthropist Flora L. Thornton Dies Flora Laney Thornton, 96, a philanthropist with a lifelong interest in higher education, the arts, pre- Flora L. Thornton ventive medicine and numerous charities, died May 7 of pulmonary disease. She was a member of the Keck School of Medicine’s Board of Overseers and a founding member of the board of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Through the Flora L. Thornton Foundation, she made a number of generous gifts to health-related programs at USC, including $1.5 million to endow the Flora L. Thornton Chair in Preventive Medicine; $1 million to support a floor in the Dr. Norman Topping Tower at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, which houses the Department of Cancer Prevention; and $2 million to establish the Flora L. Thornton Chair in Vision Research at the Doheny Eye Institute and the Keck School. Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., said Thornton’s longstanding support of diverse USC medical programs “exemplifies the depth of her commitment to improving the health and extending the lives of her fellow citizens.” After the death of her husband, USC trustee Charles B. “Tex” Thornton, in 1981, a floor of the USC Norris Cancer Hospital was named in his honor through a gift from Litton Industries. Flora Thornton and her second husband, Eric Small, established the Eric Small Centers for Optimal Living for people with multiple sclerosis and similar challenges, including a center at USC.

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

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CLINICAL TRIALS

Ann Braun

Anthony El-Khoueiry, M.D., and Janice Hall at a Dine and Dance under the Stars benefit that Hall organized.

Women’s Cancer Research Fund benefits research at USC Norris

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2010 Issue

Photo by Alex J. Berliner

For more information on the Keck Parents Association, visit www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/school/people/parents/ or contact Connie Wagner, 323-442-3292 or crwagner@usc.edu.

M E D I C A L S C H OL A R S H I P S

Dinner honors students and supporters, raises money for scholarships By Ina Fried

Photo by Hilarie Withers (top); Photo by Don Milici (center); Photo by Steve Cohn (right)

‘Funny’ feeling leads to successful treatment

Photo by Janet Morgan (top); Photo by Alex J. Berliner (bottom)

Keck School names executive director of development

www.usc.edu/keck

KECK MEDICINE

The Doctors of USC are among the nation’s leaders in innovative clinical care, research and education of future physicians. They are more than 500 physicians who are faculty members of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. The Doctors of USC provide care in a wide range of medical specialties from the most complex diagnoses and treatments to primary care for the entire family. The Doctors of USC practice in numerous locations throughout Los Angeles and Southern California, including the seven locations featured below.

1-800-USC-CARE

1450 San Pablo Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

333 South Hope Street, Suite C-145 Los Angeles, CA 90071

The Doctors of USC Downtown offers general and specialty medical care for people who live or work in the downtown Los Angeles area. Services include internal medicine, women’s health, gerontology, dermatology and imaging – all provided in a comfortable, modern facility. The center features an Executive Health Program with comprehensive, highly personalized disease detection and prevention exams. It also houses the USC Faculty/Staff Health Center.

HE A LTH C A RE C O N S U LT A T I O N C ENTER S I & I I

U S C U N I VER S I T Y H O S P I TA L

L A C + U S C ME D I C A L C ENTER

1510 San Pablo Street (HCC I) & 1520 San Pablo Street (HCC II) Los Angeles, CA 90033

1500 San Pablo Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

1200 North State Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

The Doheny Eye Institute is recognized as a world leader in basic and clinical vision research and advanced patient care. It was recently ranked seventh in the nation by U.S News & World Report. Staffed by faculty of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the institute includes the Doheny Eye Clinic, where Keck physicians provide outpatient services for a variety of vision-related conditions.

Private practice offices for many USC faculty physicians are located at Healthcare Consultation Centers (HCC) I & II adjacent to USC University Hospital. These facilities give patients easy access to a variety of services, including family medicine, gynecology, urology, orthopaedics, psychiatry, cardiothoracic surgery, head and neck surgery, otolaryngology, neurology and neurosurgery, and PET scan. The HCC I features a fullservice outpatient pharmacy. The HCC II features the CardioVascular Thoracic Institute, plus diagnostic imaging services, including MRI and CT scanning, physical therapy, and a clinical laboratory.

USC University Hospital is a private, 411-bed referral, teaching and research hospital staffed by faculty of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Opened in 1991, the hospital offers some of the most sophisticated technology available. Among the hospital’s advanced services are neurointerventional radiology, cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology. Surgical specialties include organ transplantation and neurosurgery, as well as cardiothoracic, esophageal, orthopaedic, and plastic and reconstructive surgeries.

Photos 1, 2, 3 and 5 by Jon Nalick; photos 4 and 6 by Pat Davison.

D O HEN Y E Y E I N S T I T U TE

THE D O C T O R S O F U S C D O W NT O W N

U S C N O RR I S C O M P RE HEN S I VE C A N C ER C ENTER A N D H O S P I T A L

4650 Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90027

1441 Eastlake Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90033 6

A partner of the Keck School of Medicine of USC since 1885, LAC+USC Medical Center is among the largest teaching hospitals in the country. Staffed by more than 700 full-time faculty of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and more than 1,000 medical residents and students, LAC+USC serves 39,000 inpatients and 1 million outpatients annually. Among its specialized facilities are a state-of-the-art burn center, a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a Level I trauma service and a HIV/AIDS outpatient center.

C H I L D REN S H O S P I T A L LOS ANGELES

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of only 41 centers in the United States designated as “comprehensive” by the National Cancer Institute. USC Norris clinical researchers are leaders in the development of novel therapies for the disease. The USC Norris Cancer Hospital, one of a few hospitals dedicated exclusively to treating cancer patients, offers advanced treatments in an intimate setting.

To learn more, or to make an appointment, call The Doctors of USC at 1-800-USC-CARE.

Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles began with four beds and served 14 patients in its first year. Today, the 317-bed nonprofit hospital receives approximately 300,000 visits from patients ranging in age from newborn to 18. Through its multidisciplinary leadership in pediatric and adolescent medicine, Childrens Hospital has become a pioneer in family-centered care, and is ranked among the top 10 pediatric facilities in the nation. The hospital’s internationally noted research program has made significant contributions to children’s health care worldwide.

Eila C. Skinner, M.D., professor of clinical urology and program director, Urology Residency Program

Photo by Don Milici

Where can you find The Doctors of USC?

1-800-USC-CARE

1450 San Pablo Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

333 South Hope Street, Suite C-145 Los Angeles, CA 90071

HE A LTH C A RE C O N S U LT A T I O N C ENTER S I & I I

U S C U N I VER S I T Y H O S P I TA L

L A C + U S C ME D I C A L C ENTER

1510 San Pablo Street (HCC I) & 1520 San Pablo Street (HCC II) Los Angeles, CA 90033

1500 San Pablo Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

1200 North State Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

Photos 1, 2, 3 and 5 by Jon Nalick; photos 4 and 6 by Pat Davison.

D O HEN Y E Y E I N S T I T U TE

THE D O C T O R S O F U S C D O W NT O W N

U S C N O RR I S C O M P RE HEN S I VE C A N C ER C ENTER A N D H O S P I T A L

4650 Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90027

1441 Eastlake Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90033 6

C H I L D REN S H O S P I T A L LOS ANGELES

To learn more, or to make an appointment, call The Doctors of USC at 1-800-USC-CARE.

Eila C. Skinner, M.D., professor of clinical urology and program director, Urology Residency Program

Photo by Don Milici

Where can you find The Doctors of USC?

Keck in the News

Hochman In March U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, Nature and Scientific American featured a study by Michael Hochman and a Harvard colleague which found that only 32 percent of medication studies published in top medical journals compared the effectiveness of existing treatments. The story also was covered by the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, Newsweek, Reuters, Modern Healthcare, MedPage Today, and a widely carried HealthDay News story. American Public Media “Marketplace” broadcast an interview. The nine-member medical team of Keck School doctors and Los Angeles County nurses who provided medical aid in earthquake-devastated Haiti received extensive coverage, including USA Today, L.A. Times, LIFE Magazine, AP, KABC-TV, KTLA-TV, KCBS-TV/KCAL-TV, KCSI-TV, Fox-11, Univision, La Opinion, KNX-FM, KFWB-FM, KPCC-FM, National Public

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2008 Issue 2010 Issue

The New York Times reported that Jonathan Samet chairs the Food and Drug Administration’s new Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which will address the issue of regulating menthol cigarettes. Also covering the story were AP, WebMD and the Washington Post. Discovery News quoted Samet about thirdhand smoke. CNN quoted Thomas Hicklin and highlighted USC research on how exposure to suicide increases the likelihood of a suicide attempt

Hodis ABC News interviewed Howard Hodis about his research, which found that L.A. residents living near freeways experience a hardening of the arteries that leads to heart disease and strokes at twice the rate of those who live farther away. The study was featured by the L.A. Times, KABC-TV, KTLA-TV, FOX-11, KCBS/ KCAL-TV, KPCC-FM, Telemundo, KNX Newsradio, Times of India, Mail Today (India), HealthyCal.org, Futurity.org and Xinhua News Agency (China). The Times of India covered live demonstrations of robotic surgeries by Inderbir Gill, Mihir Desai and Monish Aron. KCBS/KCAL-TV featured Gill and a surgery he performed in which a boy received a kidney transplant from his father. U.S. News & World Report, Discover magazine and the L.A. Times quoted Robert Kloner about a new study showing that erectile dysfunction

Carden and Julianne Awrey celebrate during the 2010 Match Day festivities. 2. Hospital employees Linda Redinius and Fernando Najera, right, assist USC hospitals CEO Mitch Creem, M.H.A., at a celebration of the hospitals’ one-year anniversary. 3. Medicine and pharmacy students compete together in a medicine-themed game of “Family Feud.” 4. At the Sheila Kar Health Foundation annual Valentine Dinner in Beverly Hills are, from left, Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., talk-show host Larry King, CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper, and Keck School Vice Dean for Medical Education Henri Ford, M.D. 5. U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) speaks about the passage of health care reform at an event hosted by Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., and the Dean’s Council on Health Reform.

Medical News Today, Asian News International and SoCal Minds featured research by Henry Sucov that identified a key cellular mechanism that guides embryonic heart tissue formation and that, if disrupted, can lead to a number of common congenital heart defects. Michael Cousineau was a source for discussions of health care reform on KNBC-TV, KCRW-FM, KABC-TV and KTLA-TV. NBC News “The Today Show” interviewed Peter Singer about accurate diagnosis of thyroid problems. MSNBC featured research by Amytis Towfighi which found that women ages 45 to 54 are now three times more likely than their male counterparts to report having had a stroke, with abdominal fat appearing to be the culprit. Also covering the story were WebMD, La Opinion, Science News and SoCal Minds. Previously, the New York Times featured research by Towfighi which found that while rates of heart attacks – as well as risk factors for cardiovascular disease – have dropped in middle-aged men over the last 20 years, women’s rates and risk factors have increased. This study was also covered by the Wall Street Journal, WebMD, the L.A. Times, Chicago Sun-Times, The Times (U.K.), MedPage Today, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia (Italy), Asian News International and Xinhua News Agency (China).

Towfighi

Joyous events mark the life of the expanding USC academic medical center.

1. Keck School students Anthony

is a strong predictor of fatal heart ailments.

Continuing Medical Education Photos 1, 3 and 5 by Jon Nalick; Photos 2 and 4 by Steve Cohn

Lon Schneider was quoted about pharmaceutical companies and about drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease by USA Today, Forbes, BusinessWeek, Bloomberg News, HealthDay News, ABC News and the Washington Post.

Radio and Jewish Life TV.

Photos this page: Don Milici

NBC Nightly News and MSN featured Donna Spruijt-Metz and the KNOWME NETWORK, a mobile device aimed at fighting childhood obesity. The project was also covered by the New York Times, USA Today, La Opinion, Telemundo, Associated Press (AP), KTLA-TV and KNBC-TV.

Spotlight

Every week the news media cover stories from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Here is a sampling of coverage. For complete listings see www.usc.edu/uscnews/usc_in_the_news/.

18th Annual Educational Meeting: A Midsummer Night’s Wheeze SPECIALTIES: Allergy COURSE NUMBER: 2621 DATES: July 9-11, 2010 LOCATION: St. Regis San Francisco, San Francisco, CA FEES: to be determined CREDIT HOURS: Category 1 – 11.5 Sixth Annual International Head and Neck Symposium SPECIALTIES: Lecture and Cadaver course – Otolaryngologists, Head and Neck Surgeons, Residents and Fellows in Otolaryngology; Symposium – Physicians, Scientists and other Medical Professionals Working with Oral Cancer DATES: July 8-11, 2010 LOCATION: USC Health Sciences Campus, Los Angeles, CA FEES: $1,800 for lecture, cadaver course and symposium; $350 for voice and swallowing plus symposium; $175 for symposium only; free to

residents and medical and dental students with ID CREDIT HOURS: Category 1 – 15 for lecture and cadaver course; 5.75 for symposium 53rd Annual USC Refresher Course in Medicine SPECIALTIES: Internal Medicine, Family Medicine COURSE NUMBER: 2600 DATES: August 2-6, 2010 LOCATION: Wailea Beach Marriott Hotel, Maui, HI FEES: $745 – M.D., D.O., Pharm.D.; $575 – R.N., Allied Health CREDIT HOURS: Category 1 - to be determined 17th Annual USC Trauma/Critical Care Medicine SPECIALTIES: Critical Care, Emergency Medicine DATES: August 2-6, 2010 LOCATION: Langham Hotel, Pasadena, CA FEES: $500 – M.D., D.O., Pharm.D.; $400 – R.N., Allied Health CREDIT HOURS: Category 1 - 14

13th Annual Max R. Gaspar Vascular Disease Symposium: Vascular Emergencies and Complications SPECIALTIES: Vascular Surgery, Surgery COURSE NUMBER: 2622 DATES: September 23, 2010 LOCATION: Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, CA FEES: to be determined CREDIT HOURS: Category 1 - to be determined Contact the USC Continuing Medical Education Office at: Telephone: 323-442-2555 or 800-USC-1119 Fax: 323-442-2152 or 888-665-8650 Web site: www.usc.edu/cme Register: www.peopleware.net/0128

Keck in the News

KECK MEDICINE | Summer 2008 Issue 2010 Issue

Towfighi

Joyous events mark the life of the expanding USC academic medical center.

1. Keck School students Anthony

is a strong predictor of fatal heart ailments.

Continuing Medical Education Photos 1, 3 and 5 by Jon Nalick; Photos 2 and 4 by Steve Cohn

Radio and Jewish Life TV.

Photos this page: Don Milici

Spotlight

Every week the news media cover stories from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Here is a sampling of coverage. For complete listings see www.usc.edu/uscnews/usc_in_the_news/.

USC Health Sciences Public Relations & Marketing 1975 Zonal Avenue Keith Administration Building, Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90033-9029 www.usc.edu/keck

The Magazine of the Keck School of Medicine of USC | Summer 2010 Issue

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MEDICINE

XXX-XXX-000

Get to know a doctor. Visit a patient support group. Watch a medical miracle unfold.

The Resident Is In

INSIDE

It’s all happening at DoctorsofUSC.com

PA G E 1 5 - 1 7

Giving Life Back

The new USC Transplant Institute brings doctors together to improve outcomes for patients. PA G E 2 0 - 2 2

Help for Haiti

Keck School responds to earthquake disaster with rapid aid and long-term support.

1510 & 1520 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles • 333 South Hope Street, Suite 145C, Los Angeles (Downtown) • 1-800-USC-CARE

Residents at LAC+USC bring skills and heart to patient care