SPH News Jan. 2, 2007
SPH News is a school-wide electronic newsletter distributed every other week. Please send news items to SPHNews@umn.edu. The submission deadline for the Jan. 16 issue is Wednesday, Jan. 10. From the DeanTomorrow (January 3) marks the beginning of the 2007 legislative session. As a result of the November elections, new DFL management will be in charge and more than 25 percent of members will be new. University analysts predict this session will focus on education, health, transportation, and other "bread and butter" issues important to the state's future. Here is a brief rundown on some key issues. Biennial Budget - The University is requesting $123.4 million in new state funds, a 10 percent increase to its base. The request is divided into two parts: "Sustaining Quality and Competitiveness," and "Creating Minnesota's Future." You can get a full rundown on the request at this link: http://www1.umn.edu/groots/pdf/BiennialBudget.pdf Investment in the health sciences is a key part of the request as is science and engineering, the environment, renewable energy, and agriculture. How the Legislature responds to the request and all higher education investment will be important in reversing the state's flat funding of less than a 2 percent increase over the past five years.Few would disagree that investment in higher education and especially in the University of Minnesota are crucial to the state's future. The University's goal of becoming one of the best public research universities in the world is at the same time important to the state's own future in the world economy. Yet during the past decade, Minnesota has been losing its edge in higher education investment while southern states have been making double-digit percentage increases.Failure to invest now puts Minnesota's economic engine at risk.Critical to the health sciences are investment in health work-force development, clinical sciences, and a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Health Care - Minnesota has been a leader in providing health care access. Among the states, it ranks low in uninsured as a percentage of the population. Nevertheless, many families in poverty, the working poor, and children go without health care coverage. When they get sick, they often wait until their conditions are truly bad and often seek care in hospital emergency departments, the most expensive acute care delivery system we have. Someone pays--and that is us, the taxpayers--so we aren't saving big money by keeping people uninsured. Many health experts agree that Minnesota is capable of eliminating this inequity. There is enough money in the "system" and the time has come to do something. Smoke-Free Workplaces - Minnesota also has an opportunity to regain some of its leadership in tobacco control by supporting a statewide ban on smoking in the workplace. Led by an alliance of the state's major managed care organizations, and with the support of others such as the Cancer Center and the School of Public Health, the state has its best shot in years of doing what 17 other states have already done. Biosciences Research Finance Authority - Last year, the University supported a bold initiative to establish a separate state bonding authority to support biosciences research. Other issues on the legislative agenda prevented its passage last session despite good political and business support. The proposal is based on the reality that Minnesota needs to make more robust investments in biosciences facilities and research than the current bonding arrangement permits. A separate approach to biosciences would reduce competition for bonding of other important higher education needs. University-Mayo Partnership - The partnership is seeking an additional $15 million in recurring funds to invest in the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics that unites the two institutions in this important research. For more information on the upcoming session and the University's requests, check out the University Legislative Network Web site at: http://ga4.org/campaign/biennialrequest08 And, oh yes, be sure to contact your legislators. --John R. Finnegan, Jr., Ph.D. Media newsDecember 2006 media coverage featured the following SPH faculty and staff: Coverage was featured in local media as well as on ABC News and in Reuters, the Associated Press, Earth Times, and Wall Street Journal. Visit http://www.sph.umn.edu/news/ to read more about SPH faculty in the news and find links to the complete stories, or e-mail SPHNews@umn.edu to request hard copies of the stories Faculty newsGurumurthy Ramachandran has been appointed to the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) Board of Scientific Counselors. William Riley is the lead investigator on hospital simulation safety research that won a national award on health care quality. The Institute of Healthcare Improvement named the study as one of the Top 10 Improvement Ideas of 2006. Kathleen Thiede Call and Donna McAlpine, along with community partners, sponsored a forum on Dec. 7, "Working Together to Achieve Results: Implementing Community Recommendations to Reduce Healthcare Barriers in Minnesota." Members of various racial and ethnic community groups and leaders of government, health care agencies, and institutions shared their recommendations to reduce barriers in the health care system. William Toscano was one of five University of Minnesota professors named a 2006 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. Election as a fellow of AAAS is an honor bestowed upon faculty for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications. The University of Minnesota had more faculty elected this year than any other public research university except the University of California-Berkeley. Student newsCLARION will host SPH professor Gordon Mosser, who will speak on interprofessionalism and quality improvement in health care. The event will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 in 2-650 Moos Tower. For more information, contact Allison Prusak (prus0022@umn.edu). Mount Sinai International Exchange Program for Minority Students is accepting applications for a unique experience. Travel to another country to conduct community-based research. Work with international scientists. Boost your research skills. Broaden your cultural and linguistic abilities, all while contributing to an international scientific collaboration. Applications and supporting materials are due Jan. 31. Call for papers. Context, the journal recognizing student health professionals engaged in their communities, seeks original student papers to be published bi-annually. Manuscripts received by February 16 are eligible for the summer 2007issue. Context is the nation's first student-run, online, peer-reviewed journal that highlights the exceptional work of health students in the community. Papers are accepted on a rolling-basis. New Spring Semester Courses: State Health Policy and Politics will be taught by Senator Sheila Kiscaden, who spent four terms (1992 -2006) in the Minnesota State Senate and has been a state policy leader on health care financing and health reform. Space is limited. PubH 6780 Topics: Public Health Administration and Policy (Sec 002), Mondays 5:45 p.m.-9:05 p.m., 2 credits. Decision Analysis, a new four-credit course, will be held from 3:35 to 7:35 p.m. on Mondays in 221 Mechanical Engineering. Professor Diwakar Gupta (guptad@me.umn.edu) will teach the class. Seminar: Policy, Politics, and Ethics of Public Health Decision Making. Alumni newsChristine Goertz Choate (Ph.D. ‘99) has accepted a position as executive director with the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research in Washington, D.C. Trisha Wood, M.P.H. graduate, helped mark World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 by continuing her work as a Peace Corps volunteer. She has helped train 85 of 135 Peace Corps volunteers in Panama to provide outreach to more than 10,000 rural Panamanians at risk of HIV infection. School newsThe University will show its support for a statewide smoking ban at the Minnesota Capitol on January 30. University students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to register for Smoke-Free Minnesota Day. Participants who register to take part in the day’s activities will gather at St. Paul RiverCenter, 175 West Kellogg Blvd., for morning programs before traveling to the capitol to show their support for comprehensive smoke-free workplace legislation. Experienced advocates will lead group meetings with state legislators in which people will be given the opportunity to express why they think Minnesota should be smoke-free. Participation in Minnesota Smoke-Free Day at the Capitol is open to the public and free of charge. Registration is required. Gates Foundation Expands Scholars Program. The deadline for submission of nomination materials is Jan. 12, 11:59 p.m. (EST). The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will add $58 million to expand its $1 billion Millennium Scholars program to target low-income and minority students seeking a graduate degree in public health.The new scholarship money will be used to increase the number of minorities pursuing graduate degrees in epidemiology, biomedical science, tropical disease, public health practice, and nutritional science. New Report from SHADAC. "Universal Coverage:The Role of Government in Health Care Reform" is available from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center. The report is from the Midwest States Health Reform Summit that SHADAC recently co-sponsored. Penny Wars has been underway for two weeks and the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health is leading the pack. Nearly $100 has been raised to pay for meals at the Ronald McDonald House. To make a difference and show team spirit for your division, drop pennies into jars located in the Student Services Office (D-305 Mayo) or at the front desk in WBOB. The contest, sponsored by the SPH Student Senate, runs through Jan. 22. If you are interested in helping preparing the meal for Ronald McDonald House email Emily Abbott at abbot093@umn.edu. Event listingsPamela Johnson, research associate, Division of Health Policy and Management, and a medical school faculty candidate will address "Neighborhood Poverty and American Indian Infant Death: Are the Effects Identifiable?" from noon to 1 p.m. on Tues. Jan. 9 in room 2-520 Moos Tower. For more information, contact sbialka@umn.edu. The Lunch Series on the Societal Implications of the Life Sciences presents David Relman. He will present "Dual Use and National Security" Thursday, Jan. 25, 12:15-1:30 p.m. in the Coffman Memorial Union Theater. Relman is associate professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University. He is also chief of the Infectious Diseases Section at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Lunches are provided to those who RSVP by Jan. 19 to lawvalue@umn.edu or 5-0055 (please indicate if vegetarian/vegan). Registration is required if you wish to receive continuing education credits (CLE, CME, CNE). Those without reservations are welcome to attend, but should bring a lunch. SAVE THE DATE for PAMOJA! It’s an evening of "togetherness" with food, drink, music, and entertainment. PAMOJA will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 at the Weisman Art Museum. The evening is sponsored by the School of Public Health Student Senate. For questions, please email sphss@umn.edu. Ground-breaking Stem Cell Conference. A full-day conference sponsored by the Academic Health Center Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences Joint Degree Program in Law, Health and the Life Sciences Stem Cell Institute will be held on Feb. 26. The University of Minnesota will lead a national audience in exploring the implications of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), also known as research cloning. This conference will convene top researchers and experts to explore the issues raised by SCNT, the options open to universities, and how policy should progress. To register for the conference, "Creating Stem Cells by Research Cloning: Scientific, Ethical, Legal and Policy Challenges," visit the Web site or e-mail lawvalue@umn.edu. Division of Epidemiology and Community Health Seminars take place Fridays, 10-11 a.m. in WBOB, room 364. Learn more at the Epi Web site. Upcoming CPHEO Courses Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Training 8-Hour Refresher Risk Communication: Public Engagement in Public Health Practice will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wed. Jan. 17 at the Coffman Memorial Union. The featured speaker will be University of Minnesota professor Will Hueston. Evacuation Coordination: Train the Trainer Visit cpheo.sph.umn.edu/institute for the complete three-week schedule including new courses offerings in a workshop format.The print catalog will be available in early January. If you are not on our mailing list, please call 6-4515 or e-mail cpheo@umn.edu to request a copy. To sign up to receive SPH News, send your name and e-mail address to SPHNews@umn.edu. • Read past issues of SPH News SPH News is sent by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware Street, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455. www.sph.umn.edu. |