October 2007
The following headline stories are re-printed from Tufts Medical Center News, Tufts Medical Center's monthly publication.
Kenneth Miller, MD, Rejoins Medical Center as Associate Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology
Kenneth Miller, MD, a nationally recognized leader in hematopoietic malignancy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, rejoined the medical staff of Tufts Medical Center in October. Many employees may remember Miller from his previous tenure at the Medical Center. Highly respected by his peers and beloved by his patients, Miller will serve as the Associate Chief of the Hematology/Oncology Division. He joins Drs. Rick Van Etten, Kellie Sprague, Andreas Klein, and Virginia Zaleskas in the Bone Marrow and Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Program headed by Dr. Hans Klingemann. This is the strongest clinical and translational BMT team in New England.
"This is indeed an exciting development for the Medical Center," said Ellen Zane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital. "I want to thank the many staff members who worked extremely hard to prepare for Dr. Miller’s arrival. This is truly a growth opportunity for our cancer program."
Along with Miller’s arrival, approximately 30 employees have been added to Tufts Medical Center’s Cancer Center to handle the increase in patient volume that will result from his work. Among these are several of Miller’s associates, including senior administrator Yvie Claiborne and nurse practitioners Dianne Feeney and Francois Toka. Miller can be reached by calling 617-636-2600 or via email at kmiller@tufts-nemc.org.
Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Presents at October Medical Grand Rounds
Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the NIH, was the guest speaker for the Sheldon Wolff Lecture held last month at the Medical Center. Fauci presented "HIV/AIDS in 2007: Much Accomplished, Much to Do" to the standing-room only crowd, which included department chiefs and chairs, medical students, physicians, office staff as well as friends and family of the late Sheldon Wolff, MD. Wolff served as Tufts Medical Center’s physician-in-chief from 1977 to 1994 and was mentor to many in the room, including Fauci himself.
"I owe much of where I am in this field today to the opportunities that Shelly gave me," said Fauci. "I didn’t make a professional decision without consulting him first."
Fauci went on to discuss the great work that has been done since the early 1980s in regard to researching the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS and the advances that have been made in treating the disease. He also stressed that there is so much more work to be done by way of treatment and even more so regarding prevention of the disease globally.
"It has been projected that by the year 2015, approximately 60 million people will be infected with HIV/AIDS and that the number could be cut in half if proper prevention education and methods were available to everyone," said Fauci. "It is projections like this one that put a much heavier weight on the ‘Much to Do’ rather than the ‘Much Accomplished.’"
Fauci joined the NIH in 1968 as a clinical associate in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation (LCI) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and was named Director of NIAID in 1984. He serves as a key advisor to the White House and Department of Health and Human Services on AIDS related issues happening around the world and on programs to promote public health preparedness against infectious disease threats like the pandemic influenza.
Employee We Care Campaign Breaks Record!
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s We Care Campaign. The grand total of nearly $100,000 is a 36 percent increase over the amount raised last year.
This year’s campaign was led by chairpersons Kevin Petit,MD, Sandra Robinson and Mary Sullivan Smith as well as Honorary Chair Ellen Zane and a campaign committee with representatives from various departments throughout the Medical Center.
Contributions to Tufts Medical Center or Floating Hospital support patient care, research and teaching, while contributions to the United Way of Mass Bay and Merrimack support a variety of community-based nonprofits. Those still interested in making a contribution should contact Kelly Gallagher at kgallagher1@tufts-nemc.org or 617-636-5991.
Hematology/Oncology Hosts Seminar on November 14th
Tufts Medical Center’s Department of Hematology/Oncology is hosting a Bone Marrow and Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Seminar on Wednesday, November 14th from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Grossman Conference Room, located on South 7. Guest speaker Michael Kleinberg, MD, PhD from the Marlene and Stewart Greenbaum Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, will give a lecture on "Designing Effective Anti-fungal Treatment Strategies in the Rapidly Changing World of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant." All are invited to attend. A light breakfast will be provided. For more information, contact Dolores Ercole at 617-636-2520.
Jim LeClair is November’s Saltonstall Award Winner
Jim LeClair from the Medical Center’s Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy is this month’s recipient of the Saltonstall Employee Excellence Award.
In addition to his role as a senior physical therapist for the PT/OT Department, LeClair serves as a mentor to co-op students and less experienced physical therapists. Although he primarily works on the inpatient side, he provides a tremendous amount of support to the outpatient department as well. He has been with the Medical Center for more than 12 years.
"Thorough and succinct in evaluations and treatment as well as in communicating with other medical staff personnel, Jim is an incredibly knowledgeable health care professional," said Megan Whitmore, a colleague of LeClair’s who nominated him for the award. "His work ethic and devotion to our patients day in and day out have made Tufts Medical Center both a better place to receive care and a better place to work."
The Saltonstall Award honors employees who exhibit the highest standards of service and performance in their work and their interactions with staff members, patients and visitors.
Medical Center Employees Give Back to the Community
Many employees gave their time and talents this fall to represent the Medical Center at several community events, which were organized by Sherry Dong, associate director of Tufts Medical Center’s Office of Community Health Programs. Employee participation is essential to give the Medical Center a strong presence in the community and to give back by providing helpful screenings and health information for both adults and children.
• Tufts Medical Center was a co-sponsor for the Dorchester Health Fair, which was held in Fields Corner.
Drs. Lawton Shick, Hannah Lee and their team Tania Chacon and Patricia Delisca from GI/Hepatology provided Hepatitis info and offered Hepatitis C screenings; Sandy Arabian provided blood pressure screenings; Bill Briggs provided information on injury prevention; Jon Freeman was on hand with materials on the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute; Drs. Larry Lutner and Lynne Karlson offered information about the services provided at Floating Hospital’s Department of General Pediatrics; and Hoa Ngo from Interpreter Services, was there to interpret for Vietnamese speaking attendees
• The Oak Street Fair, sponsored by Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, was held outside on the grounds of the Josiah Quincy Elementary School in September. Sandy Arabian and Bill Briggs provided blood pressure screenings and offered information on injury prevention and also provided information about the Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Department; Mark Patron handed out information regarding services offered at the New England Eye Center; Betty Yau and several volunteers conducted health surveys on behalf of the Cancer Center; and Sue Ann Leong-Tsan from Interpreter Services, provided services for Chinese speaking patrons.
• The Latino Health Fair, sponsored by El Planeta, was held at the end of September with much success as well. Drs. Lawton Shick and Hannah Lee and their team, Tania Chacon, Patricia Delisca, Thea Tharp, Linda Davidson, Dr. Kathleen Viveiros and Kathleen Downs from GI/Hepatology, as well as phlebotomists Amslet Berhe and Josue Castillo provided information and screenings for Hepatitis B, C, and cholesterol. Dr. Larry Lutner from General Pediatrics provided information on the Floating Hospital’s pediatric services and conducted a handwashing demonstration to help others stop the spread of germs; Dr. Michelle Palella provided bilingual asthma information; and Evelyn Reyes helped to coordinate and the event and served as the point person for the booth throughout the day.
Russian Delegates Visit Medical Center’s
International Adoption Clinic
Several Russian delegates visited the Medical Center’s International Adoption Clinic last month and met with clinic director Laurie Miller, MD, to discuss the situation of children in Russian orphanages as well as the level of medical care and developmental support available for children in this country.
The overall goal of their visit to the United States is to examine the operations of private U.S. adoption agencies that facilitate the adoption of children from Russia; learn about the charitable organizations for children in the United States; review the medical and social services available to adopted orphans and their families; to explore the role of the Russian Embassy in the adoption process; and meet with American families who have adopted children from Russia.
Those visiting the Medical Center included: Konstantin Ignatov - Judge, Oblast Court (District Court), Yaroslavl; Vladimir Kabanov, Chief of the Orphans Protection Section, Ministry of Education and Science, Moscow; Tatyana Kel, Chief of the Adoption Section, City Administration, Perm; Sergey Knyazev, Senior Specialist, Department of Education and Science, Oblast Administration, Arkhangelsk; Tatyana Kozlova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Oblast Administration, Samara; Olga Salnikova, Chief Prosecutor, Juvenile Crime, General Prosecutor’s Office, Moscow; Galina Shevchenko, orphanage/boarding school director, Ivanovo; Tatyana Ustyugova Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Information TV Agency Panorama, Vladivostok; Dmitriy Vershinin, Regional Duma (Parliament) Deputy, Deputy Head, Commission on Social Policy, Yekaterinburg.
Tufts Medical Center’s International Adoption Clinic offers both pre-adoptive and post-adoptive services. The Clinic provides comprehensive family preparation, as well as nutritional, medical, and developmental evaluations and support for internationally adopted children throughout all stages. For more information on the Medical Center’s International Adoption Clinic, call 617-636-4285.
Tufts University to Host Research Day at Tufts Medical Center
The Office of the Vice Provost at Tufts University is hosting a series of research days to showcase work currently underway on Tufts’ three campuses and at its affiliated hospitals, including Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children.
The next event entitled "Translational Research: Applying Discovery" will feature talks on four aspects of applied research - identification, implementation, intervention and prevention. The day will also feature research presentations by Diana Bianchi, MD, Christina Economos and Barry Trimmer, followed by poster presentations and a reception. The event will take place on Thursday, November 29, from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, 711 Washington Street, Boston.
Those interested in attending should respond by Wednesday, November 14 to ovp-rsvp@tufts.edu or by calling 617-627-3834. For more information, please go to http://www.tufts.edu/central/research/researchdays/.
Tufts Medical Center Funds Six Grants for Dorchester Community Health Organizations Totaling $200,000
Tufts Medical Center, through the Dorchester Health Initiative (DHI), awarded six Dorchester community organizations grants totaling $200,000 to address the health needs of the community. The grants were presented during a reception at Kit Clark Senior Services Center on October 24.
"These grants will help strengthen the mission of each organization and the positive impact that they continue to make within the Dorchester community," said Ellen Zane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital. "Each organization plays a significant role in promoting the health and well being of Dorchester residents, in particular addressing youth and community violence. It is essential to support the community organizations where our patients live and work."
Tufts Medical Center identified health priorities to consider for funding: obesity prevention/healthy lifestyles and violence prevention. Through a request for proposals process, Tufts Medical Center awarded the grants to Bird Street Community Center, Kit Clark Senior Services, Neponset Health Center, Project R.I.G.H.T., the Vietnamese American Civic Association and the Association of Haitian Women in Boston. Each organization selected to participate in the three-year initiative will focus its outreach on violence prevention in the community and improving residents’ health and lifestyles.
Details of the awarded grants include:
• Bird Street Community Center - for the expansion and continuation of their successful youth violence prevention program.
• Kit Clark Senior Center - for an obesity prevention program for seniors in the Fields Corner sub-neighborhood.
• Neponset Health Center - for a collaborative project with the St. Marks Main Street Program to address youth violence.
• Project R.I.G.H.T. - for the youth violence prevention effort that builds upon existing and new collaborations in the neighborhood.
• Vietnamese American Civic Association - for a new youth violence prevention project.
• Association for Haitian Women - for a one time technical assistance grant to assist in finalizing the development of a program to address the health issues caused by family or domestic violence.
"We are pleased to support these Dorchester organizations over the next three years through our DHI grant program," said Sherry Dong, Associate Director, Office of Community Health Programs at Tufts Medical Center. "We are proud to offer our support."