NEWS

Academic & Research Center March Construction Update

The construction of the Academic & Research Center, a joint project sponsored primarily by OU-COM and the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, is proceeding “at an acceptable pace,” says Dick Planisek, assistant university planner, despite some delays caused by unusually wet winter and early spring weather. “Oftentimes construction progress can be made during the winter on frozen ground, but the lack of a sustained period of freezing exasperated the problems associated with a wet, muddy site.”

For the complete update click here and a new photo of the construction progress. You should maximize your Web browser and be prepared to scroll around the photo — it’s very large. Photo by John Sattler.

 

Spring Caregiver Series begins April 2

OU-COM’s Caregiver Series returns to the Athens Public Library after many requests from the community, providing information about and examining a variety of issues facing the elderly, ranging from power of attorney, living wills, what is healthful exercise for the elderly to what Medicare/Medicaid will pay for and not, and how to get the most out of physician visits. The series’ programs takes place every Monday in April from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

“The topics we chose were the topics that were most asked for,” says Ellen Peterson, OU-COM’s geriatric education coordinator. “We’ve devised this series for the elderly, but it’s just as valuable for caregivers that could be part of the sandwich generation — those who are still raising children but have aging parents.”

The series is co-sponsored by the Athens Public Library, College of Health and Human Services and the Western Reserve Geriatric Education Center.

 

Spring Fling

OU-COM, Doctors Hospital, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation and the Columbus Osteopathic Association are holding the inaugural Spring Fling, a reception and dinner with a dance and silent auction, Saturday, April 5. The Spring Fling is in support of the Academic & Research Center and Doctors Hospital Osteopathic Medical Education Fund. The event takes place at Easton Grand Ballroom at the Hilton Columbus at Easton.

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

A Reminder for First- and Second-Year Students: Hospital Day is Wednesday, April 2

On Wednesday, April 2, is Hospitals for Graduate Medical Education Day, which takes place in Baker University Center Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is the opportunity for first- and second-year students to discuss graduate medical education programs with representatives from CORE hospitals and others. Representatives from more than two dozen hospitals will be here to speak to students.

If you have any questions regarding the day, please contact Nell Ann Kittle, 597-1565, or Joanne Bray, 593-2513. A $7 lunch card for the Baker Center Food Court is provided for students after registration.

 

April is Minority Health Month

April is Minority Health Month, a 30-day campaign of high-visibility health promotion for minorities, designed to encourage healthy lifestyles and to provide vital information on disease prevention and cure. During Minority Health Month, the Office of Student Affairs and Multicultural Programming are sponsoring four speakers to address minority health care issues. The program will begin Wednesday, April 9, with Melissa Rosado de Christenson, M.D., whose discussion will be on mentoring. Later that week, Friday, April 11, Albert Mosley, Ph.D., a former Ohio University philosophy professor now at Smith College, will lead a lively discussion on affirmative action and health care. On Wednesday, April 23, Tony Sallar, Ph.D., will present his research on HIV in the rural south. On Wednesday, April 30, Adan Fuentes, D.O. (’03), will share his non-traditional journey to osteopathic medicine. All presentations will be from noon to 1 p.m. in Irvine 194.

For more information, please contact Colette McLemore (593-2465 or mclemore@ohio.edu).

 

Support the Kenyan Children’s Fund Dinner on April 17

For the sixth year, the Kenyan Children’s Fund Dinner will be held to raise money to support the education of Kenyan children who have been orphaned by the Sub-Saharan HIV/AIDS epidemic. The plight of these children has been exacerbated by the ongoing political crisis in Kenya. The dinner will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 17, on the Irvine Bricks and is being held in conjunction with the African Health Summit on April 18.

This popular dinner event is $5 for students and $10 for non-students. There also will be a raffle for prizes donated by local businesses. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five tickets for $20. Donations are welcomed.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will buy the uniforms required for children to attend school. This year uniforms are needed for about 2,000 Kenyan school children. For more information, contact Gillian Ice, Ph.D., M.P.H., who heads the Kenyan Children’s Fund (593-2128 or iceg@ohio.edu). The event is co-sponsored by the Department of African Studies.

 

Medicine Run/Walk and Health Fair to be held April 19

OU-COM’s Medicine Run and Community Health Fair takes place 8 a.m. Saturday, April 19, at Grosvenor Hall. A five kilometer run opens the event, followed by a one mile walk at 8:15. Awards are given to the top runners and age group winners. The free health fair — which includes Little People’s Hospital — runs 8 to 11 a.m., features blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol screenings, osteopathic manipulative treatment, blood and bone marrow drives and health education.

            “Initially the Medicine Run was a way to give the Athens community a local race and to get the community more familiar with OU-COM,” says race director and former OU-COM Distinguished Professor of Microanatomy Robert Hikida, Ph.D. “Over the years the race has become a student event. The medical students have been doing a great job putting together the race. Local merchants contribute greatly to the run, donating so many prizes that the Medicine Run has more prizes for placing and raffles than any other race I have encountered.”

            Those participating in the run and walk contests must register. Registration is $15 for adults, $8 for seniors (55 years and older) and $5 for children 12 years and younger. To learn more or to register for the event, please go to www.oucom.ohiou.edu/studentgov/medrun/.

 

Join the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge and an Exercise Ball Class

Starting April 2, OU-COM begins a Healthy Lifestyle Group for all those wanting to get lose weight and get in shape. As a bonus, the person who implements the most health lifestyle changes (as measured by a point system) over spring quarter will be Challenge Winner, who is awarded cash. Registration for the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge costs only $10 and will be refunded to you if you score 150 points or more. For more information, please contact Michael Yeager (593-2523 or yeager@ohio.edu) or see the attachment in this email.

Anyone interested in an exercise ball class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon? Contact Yeager. All participants must belong to WellWorks and have their own exercise balls. Classes will begin on April 1. You do not need to be part of the Healthy Lifestyles Group to participate in the exercise ball class.

 

Faculty Development Tidbit: “Be enthusiastic!” (Adapted from Walker Teaching Resource Center)

“Come into your class dragging, and chances are your class will drag.” Be enthusiastic about your topic and your class will catch that enthusiasm. Try to convey your love of your discipline to your students. 

SEE THE NEW FD WEBSITE RESOURCE: “What Students Want In a Teaching Professor.” Grade yourself, make a plan, execute, re-grade yourself, make a plan, execute, re-grade….

If you have a great strategy that seems to always work, send it to me, and I’ll include it in a future Faculty Development Tidbit. (All Faculty Development Tidbits courtesy of Steve Davis, Ph.D., director of faculty development.)

 

 

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

NBOME Item-Writers of the Year

The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) selected Andrea Clem, D.O., as a 2007 Item-Writer of the Year for Osteopathic Principles and Practice (COMLEX Level 1) and Tim Hogan, D.O., as a 2007 Item-Writer of the Year for COMLEX Level 3 (Emergency Medicine). In honoring Clem and Hogan, the NBOME’s Production Committee noted that they had “submitted the best test items for COMLEX-USA” for their Levels and that their questions were “a model for the type and format of items needed to produce the COMLEX-USA for the osteopathic profession.” Clem and Hogan were chosen from a field of hundreds of item-writers who contributed to the COMLEX-USA.

 

 

CALENDAR

Minority Health Month

Month of April (see the ANNOUNCEMENTS section)

  

Hospital Day

April 2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Baker University Center Ballroom

 

Resources for the Caregiver (April 2008 Spring Caregiver Series)

April 2, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Athens Public Library

 

Residency Programs Educational Day: FP RPAC (Family Practice)

EBM (ALL) — Lenard Presutti, D.O.

April 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fawcett Center (Columbus)

  

“The Impact of Caregiving on the Health and Well-being of Kenyan Luo Grandparents” (COM Research Seminar)

April 4, Noon to 1 p.m., Grosvenor West 111

  

“Business of Healthcare: The Healthcare Value Chain & Impact on Physicians” (Business of Medicine)

April 4, Noon, Irvine 194

  

Spring Fling

April 5, 6:30 p.m., Hilton Columbus at Easton

 

 

I encourage you to send me your news/announcements each week by Wednesday, 3 p.m., which will help make up the following week’s ROUNDS. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at 593-0896 or sanders@oucom.ohiou.edu.