Around BIDMC

Conference Helps Patients Breathe Better
Aiding the Fight Against Cancer
Holiday Ornament Contest Winners
Employee Creations Craft Fair
"Talk Turkey" Days A Success
Holiday Appreciation Event
Forum Examines Racial Disparities in Cancer Care
Summer Program in Clinical Effectiveness
One-on-One Counseling with Fidelity Investments and TIAA-CREF
Rabkin Fellowship in Medical Education
Spreading the Word About Cardiac Care
BIDMC Inspirational Singers
Staff Appointments
New Physicians
Caring for Honduras
BIDMC Honored for Community Support
First Walsh Award Presented

Conference Helps Patients Breathe Easier


Armin Ernst, M.D., (right) observes a demonstration of new bronchoscopy equipment during the conference.


Thirty pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons from across the country gathered at BIDMC on Jan. 8 and 9 for a conference on the latest advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy procedures. Led by Armin Ernst, M.D., director, interventional pulmonology at BIDMC, the conference featured hands-on sessions to review endoscopic staging procedures and detection techniques using state-of-the-art equipment for bronchoscopic examinations. One highlight of the conference was a Webcast in which conference participants observed a live thoracic procedure being performed on a patient in Germany. "Participants said that they were extremely impressed with how we at BIDMC are at the leading edge of medical technology, and with the quality of our teaching," Ernst noted.

Aiding the Fight Against Cancer

Members of the ACR pose with LCMB staff and Brenda Prescott, director of corporation and foundation relations, development
office, BIDMC

On Dec. 18, members of Aid for Cancer Research (ACR) stopped by BIDMC’s Laboratory for Cell & Molecular Biology (LCMB) to dedicate a new plate reader, digital camera with image capture software and an incubator. ACR funds purchased the camera and plate reader for the lab, and the organization gave its consent for a researcher who was leaving BIDMC to transfer to the LCMB an incubator that had been purchased for him with ACR funds. A volunteer organization made up of 25 women from the greater Boston area, ACR has raised millions of dollars to support vital research programs and medical grants during its 55 years in existence – including research programs at BIDMC. “Previously ACR funded a postdoctoral fellow and provided other equipment to our lab,” notes Arthur J. Sytkowski, M.D., director, LCMB. “We are extremely grateful for their generosity to BIDMC over many years, which has helped us speed our research efforts.”


Holiday Ornament Contest Winners

What's made of clean, disposable medical surgical supplies, glue, tape and staples? The winning ornament in this year's "Deck The Halls" Holiday Ornament Contest! First prize winner Judy Moscatel, R.N., OR (below, with BIDMC President and CEO Paul Levy), beat out stiff competition from other staff in Perioperative Services to take home two Red Sox tickets for her "Wisemen" ornament.

Other winners were:
Second place ($100):
Peter Stramski, R.N., staff nurse, for "Dove"

Third place ($80):
Steve Bedugnis, surgical technician, for "Reindeer"

Honorable Mentions:
Heather Tibor, OR core technician; Barbara Ouimette, R.N., staff nurse; Pat Lisle, R.N., staff nurse; Kim Moretti, staff nurse, OR; and Ann-Marie Austin, clinical advisor

Employee Creations Craft Fair
Draws Holiday Shoppers

Tables full of glittering jewelry, colorful soap and other handmade crafts greeted shoppers at the second annual BIDMC Employee Creations Craft Fair, held Nov. 20 in the east and west campus cafeterias. The wide assortment of items ranged from holiday decorations and handbags, to Afro-centric items, dreamcatchers and stained glass. There were even homemade dog biscuits! All of the crafts were made by the 22 talented BIDMC and CareGroup staff members displaying them.

"Talk Turkey" Days A Success
Staff from BIDMC and the New England Organ Bank (NEOB) distributed approximately 900 Massachusetts health care proxies and almost 300 New England Organ Bank donor pamphlets and discussion sheets in BIDMC's cafeterias during "Talk Turkey" Days, Nov. 24-26. Coordinated by BIDMC's Steve O'Neill, L.I.C.S.W., B.C.D., J.D., assistant director, Ethics Support Service, Barbara Sarnoff-Lee, L.I.C.S.W., director, department of social work, and Nancy Julian, Ethics and Palliative Care Program coordinator, the annual event encourages health care workers and others to speak with family members about their wishes if they become medically incapacitated. Many BIDMC staff commented this year that they had filled out a Massachusetts Health Care Proxy as a direct result of past "Talk Turkey" distribution efforts. There were also several requests to send out forms to those who were unable to stop by the information tables during the event.

The Ethics Support Service and Social Work Department would like to extend their appreciation to the following volunteers who distributed Massachusetts Health Care Proxies and New England Organ Bank donor pamphlets:

Katy Agarwal Beth Amis Mary Anne Badaracco Sam Bagchi Terry Bard Noelle Dimitri Lachlan Forrow Theresa Freis Beth French Andrea Goldberg Lauren Gabovitch Susan Klein, New England Organ Bank Julie Knopp Ellen Kolton Linda Lentz Barbara Levine, New England Organ Bank

Marion Longo Jane Matlaw Marsha Maurer Wendy McHugh John Murphy Bonnie Nicholas, New England Organ Bank Tammy Russ Jennifer Schwartz Sheleagh Somers-Alsop Diane Sweeney, New England Organ Bank Amy Tarcher Andrea Williams Anne Lebowitz Sylvia Quatrale

Holiday Appreciation Event

A snowflake sculpture and punch bowl carved from ice helped turn this year's Holiday Appreciation Event into a festive winter wonderland. Staff mingled in both cafeterias while munching on pastries and enjoying the music of the BIDMC Inspirational Singers, Stephanie Stone Quartet and Ivan Martirena Trio. Later, night staff received visits from nurse managers Welman Aquino, R.N., and Jane Smallcomb, R.N., on the east campus, and Food Services Manager Kevin Senior and Environmental Services supervisor Walter Dudley, on the west campus, carrying trays of holiday treats.



Forum Examines Racial
Disparities in Cancer Care

Photo by Justin Allardyce Knight

(L-r) Lowell Schnipper, M.D., Otis Brawley, M.D., and The Rev. Ray A. Hammond, pastor of Bethel AME Church and founder of the TenPoint Coalition, at the DF/HCC breakfast forum.

Otis Brawley, M.D., a nationally known expert on cancer in minority groups, recently addressed racial differences in cancer care at “Building a Dialogue and Partnership with Communities of Color,” a breakfast forum hosted by the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), of which BIDMC is a founding member. BIDMC's Lowell Schnipper, M.D., chief, hematology/oncology, served as co-host of the event, which brought together 75 community leaders and members of DF/HCC institutions.

Brawley argued that socioeconomic factors and problems with quality of and access to care, rather than genetic differences based on race, are behind racial health disparities in the United States. He later spoke during an Ethics Rounds presentation about African-Americans’ attitudes toward biomedical research.

“There are a variety of commonly believed reasons that people of color do not receive adequate cancer care in the United States,” noted Brawley, a professor of medicine, hematology and oncology, at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Among the most commonplace factors, he noted, are subtle biases by caregivers; lack of transportation to health-care institutions; and distrust among certain racial or ethnic groups about the country’s health-care system.

While it’s difficult to track precisely how the aforementioned factors influence the care that minorities receive, Brawley noted that there is no evidence that biological differences between African-Americans and whites account for disparate cancer death rates between the two groups. Cancer, in other words, is the same disease, regardless of race.

Brawley pointed to a Department of Defense study of five-year mortality rates from breast cancer. In an environment – the military – where most women have equal access to health care, the breast cancer-related mortality gap between blacks and whites is much smaller than that in the general population.

In Brawley’s view, such evidence points to the fact that health disparities among the races are “not so much a race thing, but it’s a socioeconomic thing…"

He added, “The most important question is how can we provide high-quality care to populations that so often have not received it. Cancer-prevention trials and treatment programs need to make information convenient and accessible to underserved populations.”

For additional information regarding the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Minority Initiatives Program, contact Karen Burns White at (63)2-3244 or at karen_burnswhite@dfci.harvard.edu.

-- The above article is extracted from an article written by Joe O’Shea that first appeared in Inside the Institute, a publication of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It is reprinted with permission.


Rabkin Fellowship in Medical Education
The Rabkin Fellowship in Medical Education is pleased to announce a Request for Applications (RFA) for one-year fellowships in medical education for the period of July 1, 2004-June 30, 2005. The Rabkin Fellowship in Medical Education was established in 1998 to provide faculty with the opportunity to develop the expertise and skills needed to launch or advance academic careers in medical education and/or academic administration. The Rabkin Fellowship is open to faculty based at all Harvard-affiliated clinical institutions. The goals of the fellowship are: to assist faculty in the development and further enhancement of their skills as clinician educators; to provide faculty with the opportunity to conduct scholarly research in an areas of interest and importance within medical education; to support the fellows as educational leaders and change agents within the academic medical center; and to create a community of clinician-educators who continually strive to improve clinical teaching and enrich the field of medical education overall. The deadline for receipt of applications is Fri., Feb. 6, 2004, at 5 p.m.

Application materials may be downloaded from the Shapiro Institute for Education and Research Web site at http://Institute.bidmc.harvard.edu (see Faculty Programs). Inquiries may be directed to Lori Newman, program manager of the Rabkin Fellowship, at (66)7-4742 or via e-mail at lnewman@bidmc.harvard.edu.


Spreading the Word About Cardiac Care
Randy Joyce Averback, M.D., cardiology, BID-Needham, is on a campaign to promote healthy hearts. Averback and Joseph P. Kannam, M.D., a cardiologist at BIDMC and chief of cardiology at BID-Needham, are currently appearing in a series of broadcast public service announcements promoting heart health strategies and the benefits of exercise. Look for the announcements on Channel 68 (PAX –TV) and the New England Cable News channel.

Averback has also been named medical director of the Cardiac Recovery Program at Dedham Health and Athletic Complex, in collaboration with BID-Needham. The highly structured, medically-supervised program offers physical activity and exercise for individuals with cardiac risk factors, as well as for graduates of cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Recently Averback also took part in cardiac risk factor screening programs in Walpole and Needham in conjunction with women's preventive health screening events. More than 60 women participated in the screening programs that provided valuable information on their total cholesterol, HDL, cardiac risk ratio, blood glucose and blood pressure measurements. Averback was later recognized at a special awards ceremony held at BID-Needham for her outstanding efforts on behalf of the Boston Heart Party.

Summer Program in Clinical Effectiveness
Application Deadline Feb. 1, 2004
The Program in Clinical Effectiveness, July 1 to Aug. 13, 2004, is a Joint Program of Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. It is designed for clinicians seeking the quantitative and analytic skills needed for clinical research or who are interested in health care administration.

The Program begins with an intensive seven-week, 15-credit program of summer-long core courses in Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Participants also select two half-summer courses from offerings in Decision Analysis, Current Issues in Health Policy, Medical Informatics, Health Care Ethics, Quality Improvement in Health Care, Development of Questionnaires to Measure the Outcomes of Health Care, Implementing Prevention, Survey of Methods and Applications in Health Services Research and Using Large Databases for Research. Students with previous experience may enroll in second-level courses in Analytic Issues of Clinical Epidemiology, Principles of Clinical Trials, and Survival Methods in Clinical Research.

Students are limited to 15 credits for a single summer but can take additional courses in a second summer. Qualified students may apply to a degree-granting program at the Harvard School of Public Health, before or after completion of the summer program. Accepted students can apply their summer credits to either a Master of Science degree or a Master of Public Health degree.

Information and application: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/clineff
or Barbara C. Rosen at 617-732-5648
or brosen@partners.org.


One-on-One Counseling with Fidelity
Investments and TIAA-CREF
Do you know about the free of charge, one-on-one consultation that is offered to our employees by our 401(k) and 403(b) vendors - Fidelity Investments and TIAA-CREF? Some things you might discuss are long-term investment strategies, the importance of protecting your assets against inflation, or how to find the right investment allocation for you. All appointments are in Human Resources at 169 Pilgrim Road. Individual consultations with Fidelity are available:·

Mon., Jan. 26 & Tues., Jan. 27, 2004 (8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.) Thurs., Feb. 19, 2004 (8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
Thurs., March 25, 2004 (8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.)

To schedule your 30-minute appointment, please call Fidelity at 1-800-642-7131.

Individual consultations with TIAA-CREF are available:·

Thurs., Jan. 8, 2004 (9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
Thurs., Feb. 12, 2004 (9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
Thurs., March 11, 2004 (9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

To schedule your 45-minute appointment, please visit http://www.tiaa-cref.org/moc or call Sarah Sutherland at TIAA-CREF at 800-842-2004.


BIDMC Inspirational Singers
Welcome New Members

The BIDMC Inspirational Singers are a Gospel Choir comprised of staff and friends throughout the BIDMC community. The Inspirational Singers perform a diverse repertoire of music at a variety of medical center events. The choir is open to all, regardless of background. Rehearsals are generally held during lunch times once or twice per week over the course of a few weeks leading up to an event.

As we prepare for the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, now is an excellent opportunity to get involved. To be added to the choir's e-mail distribution and to recieve a schedule of upcoming rehearsals, please contact Geoff O'Hara at (66)7-1594 or at gohara@bidmc.harvard.edu.


Staff Appointments
Christopher A. Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., the Bullard Professor of Neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, has been appointed director of the Harvard Medical School M.D./Ph.D. Program. Walsh became a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator in 2002, in addition to serving on the clinical staffs of BIDMC and Children's Hospital Boston and directing the Comprehensive Brain Malformation Program. He received a combined M.D./Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and completed a neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in Genetics at Harvard.

Ihab John Isaac Ibrahim, M.D., has joined BIDMC as interventional spine physiatrist in the department of surgery, division of neurosurgery, and as an interventional pain management specialist in the department of anesthesia and critical care. He comes to the medical center from Louisiana State University, department of anesthesiology, where he completed a fellowship in interventional pain management. In the division of neurosurgery, Ibrahim is responsible for coordinating outpatient evaluation and treatment of pain management issues with a focus on spinal disorders including axial-neck and low-back pain, muscle spasm, and cervical and lumbar radiculopathy. He is also a member of the Arnold Pain Management Center, providing comprehensive pain management care, including spinal injections, Botox injections, radiofrequency ablation (RFTC), and intra-discal therapies. Referrals: (63)2-7246.


Anand Mahadevan, M.D., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.R., has joined BIDMC’s department of radiation oncology and been named an instructor in radiation oncology at HMS. His areas of specialty are radiation therapy of the head and neck, central nervous system and gastrointestinal malignancies. He has also conducted research on protein isolation and gene sequencing. He came to Boston and BIDMC in 2000 as a Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy Fellow. Referrals: (66)7-2345

The following physicians have joined BIDMC’s division of general medicine and primary care:

Jennifer Beach, M.D., and Janet Buccola, M.D., Healthcare Associates: (66)7-9600

Maria-Teresa Cuddihy, M.D., Healthcare Associates, and Wendy Stead, M.D., Healthcare Associates and Infectious Disease: (63)2-7702

Aaron Benson, M.D., Benjamin Keidan, M.D., and Jennifer Ting, M.D., Hospital Medicine Program: (75)4-4677


Caring for Honduras
Physicians from BIDMC and Honduras Medical Center have formed a network to ensure that Hondurans have access to the best medical care. In August, BIDMC physicians Lawrence Garcia, M.D., interventional cardiology, and
J. Jacques Carter, M.D., M.P.H., general medicine/Healthcare Associates, were the latest contingent of BIDMC physicians to travel to Honduras, where they provided specialized medical training. Recently, Honduras Medical Center physicians Ricardo Roberto Aguilar, M.D., and José Efraín Fernández Paz, M.D., reciprocated by visiting BIDMC, which will care for Hondurans requiring services unavailable in their home country.

(l-r): Garcia, Paz, Aguilar and Carter


BIDMC Honored for Community Support
BIDMC was the proud recipient of the Corporate Award at Dimock Community Center’s annual Steppin’ Out event. The award, which was accepted by BIDMC Vice President of Ambulatory and Emergency Services Jayne Carvelli Sheehan, M.S.N., R.N.,C., recognizes a corporation whose support has helped shape Dimock’s success.


First Walsh Award Presented
In celebration of BIDMC’s imaging technologists, BIDMC’s radiology department presented the first annual Deborah J. Walsh Award during a recent Imaging Technologist Recognition Dinner. Named in memory of Deborah J. Walsh, R.T. (R), (CV) (M) (CT), a BIDMC clinical instructor until her death in December 2002, the award recognizes an imaging technologist who has demonstrated professionalism, mentoring, compassion and a commitment to quality patient care. This year’s recipient is MR technologist Ines Cabral-Goncalves, R.T. (R).

The award is named for the late Deb Walsh

Cabral-Goncalves