Morgantown was recently named one of the “most walkable” cities in the United States and the “most walkable” in the state of West Virginia. For more information on the complete list, click here.

An implementation team has been formed to help improve student health on campus. To find out who is on the implementation team or for more information on changes at Student Health Services, click here.

Last month President Mike Garrison held an open forum called “Telling their stories: WVU’s health care impact and the people who make it possible”. The article features School of Medicine faculty, staff, and future students. Click here to read an article on this forum.

If you are a smoker and would like to quit, there are one-time, 3-hour sessions available to help you. The sessions are conducted by trained smoking cessation facilitators and are available on April 21 and May 19 from 10:30am-1:30pm, free to all HSC, WVUH, and UHA faculty and staff, and students on the HSC campus. To register or learn more about this program click here.

Chestnut Ridge Center is currently seeking applicants for its annual Grassroots Grants Program, which provides money for community projects relating to mental health, mental illness, substance abuse and dependence, and family preservation. For more information on this program, click here.

The Charleston Division is providing simulation training at CAMC’s General Division. This simulation gives medical students, doctors, and other medical professionals more practice before performing some procedures on actual patients. Click here for more information.

Morgantown Campus:

Medical Students are collecting the recycling bins in the HSC on Tuesdays. Contact Elliot Palmer epalmer1@mix.wvu.edu for more information.

The WVU Relay for Life will be held on April 11-12 from 6pm-6am at the WVU track. The M.D. degree class of 2011 has formed a team and if you would like to join them or find out more information on Relay for Life, click here or e-mail Carl Seynnaeve or Adam Ross.

Student volunteers are needed at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center exhibit during the WVUH Kids Fair at Morgantown Mall on Saturday, April 12, from 10 am to 5 pm. To volunteer call Sherry Stoneking at (304) 293-4599 or e-mail her at sstoneking@hsc.wvu.edu.

On May 10th from 9am-3:30pm the M.D. degree class of 2011 will be working with Habitat for Humanity to construct a house. For more information on participating, contact Eric High.

June 15-June 21 are the dates for a muscular dystrophy camp. If you would like more information, you can contact Nurse Jeannie Brick at 304-216-5190 or pick up an application in the School of Medicine Student Services office or call 304-293-2408.

Charleston Campus:

The Charleston Division M.D. degree class of 2009 is sponsoring a double elimination softball tournament on April 20th at 9am to benefit Manna Meal, a local Charleston Charity. For more information on this event, contact Maryaam.

COMING

Stephan Paul, M.D. has joined the Department of Pediatrics as a Professor. Dr. Paul specializes in pediatric hematology/oncology and will serve as section chief.

Lisa Marcucci, M.D. has joined the Morgantown Division of the School of Medicine in the Department of Surgery as an Associate Professor. Dr. Marcucci specializes in trauma and critical care and will serve as the Director of the Intensive Care Unit.

GOING

Tarun Kumar, M.D. is leaving the Morgantown Division of the School of Medicine Department's of Surgery.

Stephen Davis, MPA, MSW, Department of Emergency Medicine, recently completed a study with the University of Melbourne on the repercussions of delayed care in stroke patients. He used data collected at WVU to help physicians find efficient ways to enhance the treatment of stroke victims. Click here to find out more information on this study.

Charles Rosen, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery was recently awarded a $1.6 million grant from the National Institute of Health to investigate the role of aging in stroke injury. Click here to read more about this grant.

Last month Hassan Arshad, M.D., third year Otolaryngology resident and Tanya Fancy, M.D. fourth year Otolaryngology resident, competed in a research competition with residents from Case Western Reserve and UPMC. Dr. Arshad studied three tissue markers in the primary tumors of patients with papillary thyroid cancer to try to determine if a combination of these markers would predict metastatic disease. Dr. Fancy presented her research project reviewing the role of Helicobacter Pylori in otitis media. She placed second in this competition.

Last month the M.D. Degree class of 2011 visited the Charleston and Eastern Divisions. Click on the link to see photos from the campus visits.

If you would like more information or are interested in participating in the next SAFE clinic please contact the Office of Student Services at 293-2408 or send an e-mail to MPHRSAFEClinic@gmail.com.

Last month the M.D. degree class of 2011 hosted a charity dinner for the Rosenbaum Family House.

Also last month, medical students coordinated the second annual Run for Cover 5K race to raise money for the Bartlett House. Daniel Vanderbilt and Audrey Jajosky (both Class of 2011) came in first and second.

Elliot Palmer, M.D. Degree class of 2009 recently had an abstract accepted at the Society of Education in Anesthesia and will present the poster at the meeting in Miami, Florida.

Rachel Williams, M.D. class of 2011, recently had a research publication accepted to “The Laryngoscope”. Rachel’s research involved a comparison of different methods of harvesting tissue for fat autografts into vocal folds to recover phonation.

That the Van Liere Convocation is named after Edward J. Van Liere, PhD, MD who became Dean of the School of Medicine in 1935. He was known nationally for his research in altitude physiology, which is the affect of low oxygen pressure on the body.

That it was Dean VanLiere who established the Medical Technology undergraduate degree program under the College of Arts and Sciences.

Can you guess who these two faculty members are?

(Click Images to enlarge)

The answers will appear in next month’s issue.

Last month’s faculty members were
Dr. Rodney Kovach and Dr. Maria Kolar.

Julian Bailes M.D., Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, weighed in on NFL player Samari Rolle’s risks of playing football with epilepsy. Dr. Bailes said that the football player has no added risk to his health if he continues to play the game. Click here to read this story.

Michael Hendryx, Ph.D., M.S., Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, recently completed a study that links chronic illness with coal mining pollution. Click here for more information on this study.

Greg Rosencrance, M.D., Chair, Department of Medicine, Charleston Division, was recently named to The American Journal of Medicine’s editorial board. He will be providing peer reviews, suggesting topics for publication, writing articles, and encouraging others to submit articles for publication.

Charles Werntz, DO, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, recently helped develop a 40-year health screening plan for individuals living near a zinc-smelting plant owned by DuPont in Harrison County, WV. Click here to read about the comprehensive health monitoring plan.

Last month fourth year medical students across America celebrated ‘Match Day’ when they learned where they would be completing their residency training. To read an article on the Charleston or Morgantown campuses ‘Match Day’ click on the links.

To see photos from the Charleston, Eastern, or Morgantown campuses' celebration click on the links.

To learn where the WVU School of Medicine class of 2008 will complete their residency training click here.

The Joint Commission's Certificate of Distinction for Primary Stroke Centers, which recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care, recently gave a two year certification to the WVU Stroke Center. Click on these links for more information on the Joint Commission or the WVU Stroke Center.

The WVU School of Medicine is one of fourteen institutions offering summer courses for medical students. WVU offers three such courses, all typically taken during the second year of medical school: Pathology, Medical Pharmacology, and Immunology, Infection, and Disease. To register for these courses click here and select WVU School of Medicine.

Jorie Ftorek, a breast cancer survivor, who was diagnosed at Betty Puskar Breast Care Center at WVU, shares her survival story and how she helps other breast cancer patients. Click here to read this story.

WBOY’s Courtney Dunn recently came to the Health Sciences Center to explore Merlin, WVU Healthcare’s new program that is taking patient care to a new level. Click here to read her article.

The Charleston Area Medical Center recently started a new program to give parents more support and comfort when their babies are being cared for in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at CAMC. This program is in conjunction with the March of Dimes. Click here to read more about this program.

University Health Associates recently received the United Way’s Partners in Service Award. UHA was recognized for partnering with the United Way beyond the annual giving campaign. Congratulations to everyone at UHA who helped make this award possible.

The reach and depth of programs at the WVU School of Medicine continue to grow. In the realm of education, just as in the business world, that growth is crucial to the future of the organization and to all who benefit from it.

Future innovations for the medical education process can be affected through an avenue open to all of us. Personal support of the School of Medicine can occur in a variety of ways. One that is attractive to many is to make the WVU Foundation the after-death beneficiary of a retirement account (an IRA or an employment-related tax-deferred account) to benefit the School or a specific department. This does not change the account owner’s lifetime use of retirement funds.

Making such a beneficiary designation allows the donor to specify how the gift funds from the retirement account will be spent after he or she passes away. Whether a scholarship, program enhancement fund, faculty support, library resources, or other fund is chosen is the option of the individual. An agreement about the use of the funds will be prepared to assure the best results.

This and other support options are available, and the Development Office (304-293-3980) can assist you to make it work.

In Memoriam
George W. Weinstein, M.D.

In May 2007, the WVU Eye Institute learned that former WVU Department of Ophthalmology Chair, George W. Weinstein, M.D. had died. Dr. Weinstein became chair of the department in 1980 and served in that role for 15 years. He was the second chair of the department, following in the footsteps of Dr. Robert Trotter.

In addition to serving as chair, Dr. Weinstein served on essentially every prominent American ophthalmologic organization. Some of his appointments included: President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (1991), Board of Directors of the American Board of Ophthalmology, chair of the Ophthalmology Residency Review Committee, and editor of several journals.

His legacy of service to ophthalmology is greatly remembered by many. Residency education and contact with professional service organizations by residents were two of Dr. Weinstein’s passions. Members of Dr. Weinstein’s family, his former residents, and colleagues recently instituted a memorial fund to benefit residency education and advocacy at the WVU Eye Institute.

For information about making a gift in memory of Dr. Weinstein, please contact Paul Daugherty, director of development for the WVU Eye Institute Development Office by calling 304-598-4843 or via email: daughertyp@wvuh.com.