Gala for the HMPRG

On October 13, The HMPRG (Health Medicine Policy Research Group) will be holding a gala to celebrate HMPRG’s 35th Anniversary and to honor former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, Illinois activist and former APHA President Dr. Linda Rae Murray, and the Louise H. Landau Foundation. They’re offering tickets for anyone under 30 for reduced rates. Details are available on the event page:  http://hmprg.org/Events/35thAnniversaryGala 

In addition to being a fun event, this is a great networking opportunity for students (events are attended by hundreds of Chicago’s top public health, medical, and government officials). It’s the HMPRG's biggest fundraiser of the year, enabling it to carry out the mission of challenging inequity in health and healthcare in Illinois, helping  to strengthen the health care system and the important role that Health & Medicine has in creating health policy solutions, as well as educating and connecting together businesses, government, and stakeholders to bring about important health systems change.

Please send your questions to Magda Slowik at MSlowik@hmprg.org.

SPRINT blood pressure trial demonstrates that lower is better

 More intensive management of high blood pressure, below a commonly recommended blood pressure target, significantly reduces rates of cardiovascular disease, and lowers risk of death in a group of adults 50 years and older with high blood pressure. This is according to the initial results of a landmark clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health called the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). The intervention in this trial, which carefully adjusts the amount or type of blood pressure medication to achieve a target systolic pressure of 120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), reduced rates of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and heart failure, as well as stroke, by almost a third and the risk of death by almost a quarter, as compared to the target systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg.

“This study provides potentially lifesaving information that will be useful to health care providers as they consider the best treatment options for some of their patients, particularly those over the age of 50,” said Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the primary sponsor of SPRINT. “We are delighted to have achieved this important milestone in the study in advance of the expected closure date for the SPRINT trial and look forward to quickly communicating the results to help inform patient care and the future development of evidence-based clinical guidelines.”

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems. An estimated 1 in 3 people in the United States has high blood pressure.

The SPRINT study evaluates the benefits of maintaining a new target for systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, among a group of patients 50 years and older at increased risk for heart disease or who have kidney disease. A systolic pressure of 120 mm Hg, maintained by this more intensive blood pressure intervention, could ultimately help save lives among adults age 50 and older who have a combination of high blood pressure and at least one additional risk factor for heart disease, the investigators say.

The SPRINT study, which began in the fall of 2009, includes more than 9,300 participants age 50 and older, recruited from about 100 medical centers and clinical practices throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. It is the largest study of its kind to date to examine how maintaining systolic blood pressure at a lower than currently recommended level will impact cardiovascular and kidney diseases. NIH stopped the blood pressure intervention earlier than originally planned in order to quickly disseminate the significant preliminary results.

The study population was diverse and included women, racial/ethnic minorities, and the elderly. The investigators point out that the SPRINT study did not include patients with diabetes, prior stroke, or polycystic kidney disease, as other research included those populations.

When SPRINT was designed, the well-established clinical guidelines recommended a systolic blood pressure of less than 140 mm Hg for healthy adults and 130 mm Hg for adults with kidney disease or diabetes. Investigators designed SPRINT to determine the potential benefits of achieving systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mm Hg for hypertensive adults 50 years and older who are at risk for developing heart disease or kidney disease.

Between 2010 and 2013, the SPRINT investigators randomly divided the study participants into two groups that differed according to targeted levels of blood pressure control. The standard group received blood pressure medications to achieve a target of less than 140 mm Hg. They received an average of two different blood pressure medications. The intensive treatment group received medications to achieve a target of less than 120 mm Hg and received an average of three medications.

“Our results provide important evidence that treating blood pressure to a lower goal in older or high-risk patients can be beneficial and yield better health results overall,” said Lawrence Fine, M.D., chief, Clinical Applications and Prevention Branch at NHLBI. “But patients should talk to their doctor to determine whether this lower goal is best for their individual care.”

The study is also examining kidney disease, cognitive function, and dementia among the patients; however, those results are still under analysis and are not yet available as additional information will be collected over the next year. The primary results of the trial will be published within the next few months.

In addition to primary sponsorship by the NHLBI, SPRINT is co-sponsored by the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the National Institute on Aging. Loyola University Chicago is one of several sites throughout the U.S. that recruited and followed SPRINT participants.  Drs. Kramer and Bansal were the site investigators for Loyola University Chicago.

2 Research Opportunities for MPH/CPH students.

Please see the 2 research opportunities for MPH and CPH students below.

 

1)      Family-based Lifestyle Intervention Program (FLIP)

We are looking for students to assist with 4 community health screenings during the months of September and October and join an inter-professional research team to assist in lifestyle coaching (diet and physical activity). The health fairs will be on weekends. If you are interested please email: Demika Washingtondwashington6@luc.edu or Dr Lara Dugas ldugas@luc.edu for more information. All students need to have completed the mandatory CITI training.

 

2)      Office employees health program

We are looking for students to assist  with research testing in office-based employees. There are 2 locations, Maguire building (Loyola) and downtown Chicago. The testing will take place during the day, Mon-Fri. If you are interested in assisting please contact Dr Lara Dugas, ldugas@luc.edu. All students need to have completed the mandatory CITI training.

Thoughts from the PHS Chair

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the NIH is in the midst of developing a long-term plan – or what they call “Visioning”.  Scientists, physicians and the general public are being given the opportunity to offer opinions about future directions of research and implementation.  The post below is the material sent as a comment by Dr. Cooper.

            I have grave concerns about the outcome of the NHLBI “Visioning” exercise.  A vast array of new and important ideas have emerged from this exercise.  At the same time, however, I am left wondering whether we are still on course to extend the phenomenal success achieved by the NHLBI and the cardiovascular community in reducing heart disease and stroke over the last 50 years.  If anyone needed to be reminded, the figure below – charting a decline in CHD death > 80% - demonstrates the greatest advances in control of a major chronic disease ever observed.  In the US alone this trend represents ~ 600,000 fewer deaths each year. A similar massive decrease in stroke has occurred.  As demonstrated by Ford et all in the NEJM in 2007, the majority of that decline resulted from control of basic risk factors.  While it is certainly true that better drugs and better interventional tools have helped, particularly in the latter years, there are still have huge potential gains in primary and secondary prevention.  It is hardly worth mentioning that reductions in tobacco use have rapidly driven down rates of lung disease – and is the primary reason death from cancer has fallen 30% in the last 2 decades.  

            Unfortunately – as I read it – the Visioning document does not adequately build on this unparalleled record of success.  A “word scan” retrieves topics that are heavily weighted toward research on mechanisms rather than etiology and prevention – viz, pathobiology, ‘omics, prevention linked to gene therapy, mechanistic interactions, systems biology, developmental biology.  I do not want to enter into a debate over the relative merits of genomics – or all ‘omic’s – vs. population-based research, prevention and translation.  I recognize that the case could be made that we now know what we need to know about etiology, and in the words of Claude Lenfant, Director of the NHLBI during the “golden age” captured in the figure, the challenge is to “use what we know”.   Using medical knowledge in the care of patients is not the mission of the NHLBI.  However, while taking advantage of the powerful new tools of genomics, we should not lose sight of the needs of patients.  Most patients at risk of CVD will never benefit from genomics or the offspring of genomic research.  My point is simply to state that the debate between “’omics” vs “prevention” is heavily weighted toward the latter by the most fundamental evidence in biomedicine – the health experience of our population over he last 50 years.  No matter what perspective one brings to planning for the future of CVD science, extending the success of the past must rank as the highest priority. 

            I, for one, do not see how the proposals for genomics and system biology in this Visioning statement can achieve that goal.  As the erstwhile Director of the NCI said, “genomics is a good way of doing science, but not medicine.”  I understand that population cohorts and trials are expensive, and that we currently face a dearth of exciting new ideas for prevention.  But the degree of difficulty of challenge does not diminish its importance.  As I suggested before, the Institute appears to have made a dramatic shift in direction from advancing prevention and treatment to research on mechanisms and genomics.  This shift from etiology to biology ignores the lessons of success that we have learned from the period when we did make huge progress toward reducing disease burden.  Basic research has a crucial role, there is no dispute on that point, but the integrity of our enterprise requires that we evaluate the relative merit of a field research against the potential to reduce disease burden.  Control of heart disease, stroke and lung disease are not, in my view, where they should be – at the center of any vision of the future of the Institute.  

Ford ES, Ajani UA, Croft JB, Critchley JA, Labarthe DR, Kottke TE, Giles WH, Capewell S. Explaining the decrease in U.S. deaths from coronary disease, 1980-2000. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:2388-98.

Student Volunteers Needed for Maywood Fine Arts Events!

 Student volunteers are needed for:

Friday Fun Nights

• Sept 18th
•  October 30th
•  January 22nd
• February 19th

and

Fall Fitness Testing

• Tumbling - Tuesday September 22nd & Saturday September 26th
• Dance - Monday October 12th and Tuesday October 13th

Contact Dr. Amy Luke (aluke@luc.edu) for more information and to get involved!

Physical Activity and Cancer: The Evidence Step by Step

A research conference at UIC for clinicians, researchers, fellows, and students. 
Thursday, October 8, 2015 • 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Click here for more information.

Information Sessions for the Summertime International Service Immersion trips

For students interested in participating in service trips sponsored by Campus Ministry next summer there will be 4 upcoming information sessions.

These are:

• Sept 10 at 12:30 pm in SSOM 345
• Sept 14 at 11:00 am in SSOM 460
• Sept 14 at 5:00 pm in SSOM 460
• Sept 17 at 12:30 pm in SSOM 345

Border Justice Engagement

October 2 (evening) through October 7 (evening)

The Border Justice Engagement is an interprofessional educational immersion at the US-Mexico border that provides diverse informational sessions and direct engagement to students, faculty, and staff from health professions at Loyola. This experience presents two primary objectives: 1) introduce participants to the first-hand realities of border health and justice, and 2) provide an interprofessional cohort with a shared experience in immigration that serves as a point of entry to advocate for social justice and human rights in the Chicagoland area. The immersion takes place in Tucson and Nogales, Arizona. All meetings are held in the United States; the trip does not cross into Mexico. BorderLinks (www.borderlinks.org) serves as the educational broker, scheduling all programming and organizing all meals and transportation. Group reflection activities are also coordinated by BorderLinks; HSD Ministry leads reflections that seek to locate the experience within our identity and mission.  The reflection sessions serve as the cornerstone of the experience.

Trip participants: The eligible student, faculty, and staff member is interested in interprofessional education, has shown ongoing commitment to health disparities and the underserved, and feels comfortable adopting a stance of cultural humility and presence. Before travel, each student is responsible for communicating with all necessary individuals regarding permission and alternative arrangements required for 1-2 days of missed class and/or program requirements.

Composition of the trip: 12-13 total participants, ideally 2 students and one faculty/staff member from each school. Composition varies somewhat depending on interest and expertise of participants.

Application: Each student will apply through their school/program of study (School of Nursing, Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine, Center for Human Rights of Children) by the internally assigned application deadline.

Funding: The overall cost of the trip is roughly $1200-$1500. ($800-1000 program fees and lodging, $300-$500 for flights) Each school will communicate the corresponding levels of sponsorship to student, faculty, and staff participants.

Trip preparation: The group will meet 1-2 times before departure in order to meet one another, set goals for the trip, and to determine individual interests in conjunction with the development of a group agenda. Suggested readings will be offered.

Post-trip requirements: Each school will require a post-trip project or presentation. The trip group will present 1-2 times to the larger Loyola community. Trip participants will be invited to continue work in immigration and in immigration health issues in the local community.

Please direct questions within your program, or to Ginny McCarthy, Director, University Ministry, Health Sciences Division: vmccarthy@luc.edu.

Climate Health Summit: Creating Health Leaders on Climate Change

 Join hundreds of health professionals on Sept. 20-21 (Sun/Mon) in Washington D.C. to learn about the health threats of climate change and how to achieve the health benefits of climate solutions. Engage with expert speakers in fields of climate impacts on health, health impacts of fossil fuels as well as solutions. 

 

You’ll learn the best communications strategies to educate your legislators about the Clean Power Plan – an EPA Rule recently endorsed by the AMA along with other actions to take in your hospital and community. CME/CNE application pending. You won’t want to miss this event!  Find out more and register here. Co-sponsored by APHA, American Lung Association and many others.

 

Center for Community and Global Health Upcoming Events

Topics in Global Health: Ethics of Short-term Medical Trips

Led by CCGH and University Ministry

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

3:00 - 4:00p

SSOM 460

Careers in Global Health: Caring for Patients at the US-Mexico Border

Presented by Carolyn Quigley, MD

Stritch Class of 2013 Graduate and Global Health Scholar

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

12:00 - 1:00p

SSOM 360

Global Health Honors Interest Session (M1s)

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

10:30 - 11:30a

SSOM 460

Topics in Global Health: Health Literacy and Education

Presented by Celine Woznica, PhD

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

2:00 - 3:00p

SSOM 150

M3 Global Health Honors Programming Meeting

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Time TBD

SSOM 190

Careers in Global Health: International Emergency Medicine

Presented by Theresa Nguyen, MD

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

11:30 - 12:30p

SSOM 460

Visiting Student Presentation: Ghana and the US – Medical Education and Healthcare

Friday, October 2, 2015

12:30 - 1:30

SSOM 360

Mission of Our Lady of the Angels Health Fair

Saturday, October 3, 2015

7:00a – 10:00a

Kelly Hall

3808 W. Iowa St, Chicago, IL, 60651

Topics/Careers in Global Health

Presented by Toni Lullo, MD

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

3:30 – 4:30p

SSOM 360

Poverty Simulation

Saturday, October 17, 2015

9:00a - 12:00p

St. Eulalia Parish, Maywood

Careers in Global Health

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

3:30 - 4:30p

SSOM 360

Topics in Global Health: Ebola and Partners in Health

Presented by Krutika Kuppalli, MD

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

11:30 - 12:30p

SSOM 460

Careers in Global Health: Correctional Medicine

Presented by Elizabeth Feldman, MD

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

12:00 - 1:00p

SSOM 360

Topics in Global Health: TB- Practical Diagnosis

Presented by Carrie Cox, MD

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

12:00 - 1:00p

SSOM 360

  

Center for Community and Global Health

Loyola University Chicago

Stritch School of Medicine

Room 276

http://hsd.luc.edu/global_health/

Lara Dugas, PhD, physical activity researcher with LUC MPH

Temporary position available - Downtown Chicago

TEMPORARY POSITION AVAILABLE – DATA MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY – DOWNTOWN CHICAGO CAMPUS

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL SOCIAL SCIENCES

Position: Temporary Full-time Data Management Specialist

Hours: This is a full-time position (40 hours per week/M-F)

Campus: Chicago

Approximate start date: ASAP

Approximate end date: 12/31/15

Northwestern University is seeking a temporary Full-time Data Management Specialist for the Chicago campus.

Temporary Job Description:

The temporary Data Management Specialist position is housed in the Developmental Mechanisms Program in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University and will work across several large datasets. Additionally, the temporary Data Management Specialist responsibilities include:

Cleaning of complex survey data using SAS programming language by reviewing data input for accuracy, addressing skip patterns, coding, and other information under the direction and guidance of the Data Documentation Supervisor.

Assisting in maintaining Qualtrics database where research participants complete online surveys, including monitoring to ensure completeness of surveys.

Providing technical assistance to research participants who are having difficulty using the Qualtrics surveys.

Maintaining the tracking database which is housed in REDCap, making adjustments and creating reports as needed.

Qualifications Required:

At least 2 years of college or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience;

Basic programming skills in statistical software (STATA, SAS, R, SPSS);

Excellent documentation skills and habits;

Experience working with survey data and REDCap is a plus;

Detail-oriented, responsible, punctual, flexible, and collegial;

Experience working in a team environment with in-house and remote members with excellent communication skills.

Software Required:

MS Office suite 2010 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook);

Basic programming skills in statistical software (STATA, SAS, R, SPSS).

Please apply through the Northwestern University Careers website (Job ID: 26165)

http://www.northwestern.edu/hr/careers/

Public Health Job Opportunity

Project Manager - LUCENT Primary Care Training Program

LUCENT: Leadership for Urban Primary Care Education and Transformation

The purpose of this newly funded program is to create, implement and evaluate a new multidisciplinary primary care leadership training program at the University of Chicago. The goal of
the program is to develop effective leaders for primary care transformation across two levels of
training, including primary care residents and faculty development. Transforming primary care
clinics into high performing patient-centered practices requires building cohesive teams,
improving clinical operations, effectively using Electronic Medical Record (EMR), promoting
patient self-management, and linking patients to community resources to support healthy
lifestyles. Leading primary care transformation requires a robust understanding of health systems
and new models of care, patient centered practices, and data-driven population health
management. A diverse, well prepared workforce is needed to care for our increasingly diverse
patient populations. In addition, primary care leaders need strong skills for working with multidisciplinary teams, aligning incentives, leading quality improvement, change management, and
building collaborative networks.

SUMMARY
Working with the program leadership, the LUCENT Project Manager will oversee the following
main program components:

• Develop and manage a multi-disciplinary primary care track in internal medicine, pediatrics, medicine-pediatrics, and family medicine residency programs
• Design and manage the faculty development program,
• Helps implement Primary Care symposia, including engaging speakers, publicizing schedule, and tracking evaluations. 
• Manages internal and external program communications to publicize LUCENT program events to UC trainees, staff and faculty and to community primary care practice leaders
• Coordinate all aspects of the LUCENT training program, including:
• Assists with recruitment, selection, tracking and support of program trainees
• Scheduling didactics, events, and resident rotations
• Supporting recruitment and evaluation process
• Managing travel and reimbursement
• Maintaining regular communication with partner-site administrative staff
• Coordinating with other Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Medicine-Pediatrics, and Family Medicine Residency activities
• Assist with partnership development, participant recruitment, program building, and program evaluation
• Develop strong professional relationships with leadership and administrative staff of allcore residency training programs and departments.
• Develop and manage program budget, including:
• Preparing annual operating budget
• Ensuring that funds are spent according to budget while maintaining fiscal compliance with all applicable institutional and grant requirements

Job Description – LUCENT Program Manager 2

• Reviewing and submitting all invoices and reimbursements for payment
• Preparing annual report(s)
• Manage LUCENT program administration, including:
• Developing and monitoring of work plans, managing team priorities, and forecasting upcoming needs
• Working with the GIM Section Administrator to manage human resource and space issues
• The Project Manager performs complex program execution and tracking tasks.
• Collects, records and analyzes program data.
• Conducts relevant literature reviews.
• Participates in writing reports and manuscripts.
• Ensures compliance with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies, procedures,
• directives, and mandates.
• Responsibilities may include the following duties: 
• transcribing and coding program data;
• developing data collection instruments; presenting program findings at staff meetings,
• seminars, and scientific conferences; assisting with building databases.
• Provide as-needed support across a range of activities

Interested applicants can apply online at
http://jobopportunities.uchicago.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=228997

RESEARCH ASSISTANTS NEEDED

We are looking to hire research assistants for a study on nutritional labeling. The overall purpose of the study is to examine the impact of nutritional information on restaurant menus on dietary patterns at the population level. The study is being led by Dr. David Hammond in the School of Public Health & Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. The study involves conducting 7-10 minute oral surveys with restaurant patrons in four cities, including Chicago. Surveys will collect information regarding food purchases, nutrition information awareness, as well as demographic information. Surveys will be completed using iPads.

Duties:

• Site and equipment set-up each shift
• Approaching and surveying patrons after they have finished their meals
• Cleaning and storing study supplies, relaying data at end of day.

Qualifications:

• Good organizational skills
• Responsible and reliable
• Strong communication and people skills
• Attentive to detail
• Previous research/survey experience is an asset.

Pay: $15/hour

Work Period:
September 15th – October 9th (~20 hours per week, including evenings and some weekend hours)
Contact details:

If you are interested, please forward your resume and unofficial school transcripts to Christine White. Please include details about your hours of availability on weekdays and weekends.

Email: c5white@uwaterloo.ca

Telephone: 519 888 4567 ext. 36525

No Safety, No Health: A Conversation About Race, Place and Preventing Violence

Webinar #2 | No Safety, No Health: A Conversation About Race, Place and Preventing Violence August 4, 2015 | 2 p.m. EDT Community violence is a preventable public health issue shaped by many factors, including racism. Violence impacts our overall health and well-being and prevents communities from realizing their full potential. Hear from APHA Past President Linda Degutis, former director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Howard Pinderhughes of UC San Francisco, Policy Link, and the Prevention Institute for an important discussion about race, place and preventing violence. We’ll explore the role of public health in preventing this epidemic and the value of engaging many sectors in the solution. The second webinar of a four part series: #1 Naming and Addressing Racism:  A Primer Shiriki Kumanyika, PhD, MPH, and Camara P. Jones, MD, MPH, PhD View the recording #2 No Safety, No Health: A Conversation About Race, Place and Preventing Violence August 4, 2015 | 2 p.m. EDT Register Now! #3 Unequal Treatment: Disparities in Access, Quality and Care August 18, 2015, 2 p.m. EDT Registration link coming soon #4 Racism: The Silent Partner in High School Dropout and Health Disparities September 1, 2015, 2 p.m. EDT Registration link coming soon 1 free CPH credit is available for this activity. Participants must register, attend the entire webinar and complete the evaluation online to obtain a CE certificate. A recording of each webinar will be made available after the live event occurs. Complete the registration process to receive notification of when it becomes available.

Potential paid practicum/job opportunity

Evanston Department of Health and Human Services

Job posting

Interim Emergency Response Coordinator

Goal

To complete grant requirements and maintain current level of public health emergency preparedness planning at the Evanston Department of Health and Human Services

Job Duties

·         Complete grant requirements as indicated by the emergency preparedness grants from Illinois Department of Public Health (e.g., expense reports, quarterly status reports)

·         Attend local and regional emergency preparedness planning meetings in person or via webinar/conference call, depending on the meeting

·         Participate in regional notification drills

·         Host local or regional notification drills as indicated by grant requirements

·         Address inquiries for the department’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC); communicate with MRC regarding volunteer opportunities or trainings

·         Other duties as assigned or as they arise.

Experience and Qualifications

·     Master’s degree in Public Health or similar field, or current student in Master of Public Health program or similar program.

·     Must be familiar with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

·     Must be a self-starter and able to work independently.

·         Ideal candidate would have some background in public health emergency preparedness.

Additional Information

·         The Interim Emergency Response Coordinator position is based at the Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave, Evanston, IL 60201.

·         A driver’s license and easy access to a car is needed for this job posting.

·         Position length: early September 2015 through the end of December 2015 or early January 2016. Exact start and end dates to be determined.

·         Hours per week: 18-20

·         This is a paid position.  Pay is based on experience.

To apply:  Please send resume and cover letter to Elizabeth Lassiter at elassiter@cityofevanston.org by August 7, 2015.