PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL MEDICINE NEWS BUREAU
Contact: Leonard N. Karp
lkarp@philadelphiamedicine.com
215-735-3989
For Immediate Release:
In this month’s issue:
1. PIM Institute of Education Brings CME, Advanced Training to the World
2. World Session on Alzheimer's Disease to be Held at University of Pennsylvania
3. Fox Chase Scientist Awarded Prestigious 2001 Fries Prize
4. Moss Awarded Grant to Train Physiatric Researchers
Philadelphia -- The home of many of the world's best hospitals is also the home to many of the best medical schools, nursing schools and other institutions of advanced professional healthcare training, and now, through the Philadelphia International Medicine Institute of Education, medical caregivers worldwide have easy access to continuing medical education and other advanced training. "With one out of every five physicians in the United States training in Philadelphia at one point in their career, we offer a comprehensive list of CME courses, fellowship opportunities, specialized training programs and teleconferencing capabilities," said Andrew Wigglesworth, president and CEO of PIM. For example, some of the CME courses scheduled in the next few months include "Endovaginal Ultrasound" offered by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital; "Intensive Course in Pediatric Emergency Medicine" offered by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; "Interactive Cardiology for the Primary Care Physician" offered by the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center; "Advanced ECG Interpretation and Arrhythmia Management" offered by Temple University Hospital, to name a few. A complete list is attached. "Philadelphia International Medicine offers a low cost way for international physicians and other health care practitioners to stay current. PIM offers a special package to international physicians including discounted tuition and accommodations," said Leonard Karp, PIM executive vice president and COO. "PIM also can arrange for customized training programs and course offerings for groups of 20 or more physicians. In addition, PIM's Institute of Education also can provide for faculty from Philadelphia to travel abroad for lectures, seminars and medical conferences. The Institute also operates a "rewards" program geared to insurers who may wish to send network physicians for CME and other training at PIM hospitals. Again, PIM will negotiate customized programs for insurers, government agencies or other groups who may wish to participate in the reward program. Other Institute programs are geared toward improving quality, medical outcomes and risk management in a managed care environment. Working with business administration programs in the many universities in the Philadelphia area, PIM can develop a curriculum for executive education seminars specifically tailored to the needs of its client. On a larger scale, because PIM is an organization of nine hospitals, three medical schools, three schools of nursing and three universities, it also has the capability to contract with government agencies for specific healthcare workforce improvement programs. For more information about the Institute of Education or to register for a course, please call Lucia Rosenberg, director, at 215-735-3269, or e-mail at lrosenberg@philadelphiamedicine.com
World leaders in Alzheimer's Disease research will converge on the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center Nov. 7, 2001 to discuss the future of Alzheimer's therapy. The retreat, organized by John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD, and Virginia M.Y. Lee, PhD, co-founders and co-directors of the Penn Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR), is open to students, researchers, clinicians and interested members of the press. The University of Pennsylvania Medical Center is a member of Philadelphia International Medicine. "This is an exciting time in Alzheimer's Disease research - in just the last few years we have made incredible advances in the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's," said Lee. "Because it is such a dynamic field, those of us in research have a great need to come together in order to share what we know." Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related and irreversible brain disorder that occurs gradually and results in memory loss, behavior and personality changes, and a decline in thinking abilities. These losses are related to the breakdown of the connections between nerve cells in the brain and the eventual death of many of these cells. AD is the most common cause of dementia among people age 65 and older. It presents a major health problem for the United States because of its enormous impact on individuals, families, the health care system and society as a whole. Scientists estimate that up to 4 million people currently suffer from the disease and that approximately 360,000 new cases will occur each year - a number expected to increase as the population ages.
Fox Chase Scientist Awarded Prestigious 2001 Fries Prize
Baruch S. Blumberg, MD, PhD, has been selected to receive the prestigious 2001 Fries Prize for Improving Health for the discovery of the hepatitis B virus and his subsequent devotion to reducing the virus' prevalence around the world. Blumberg, a Fox Chase Cancer Center Distinguished Scientist and senior advisor to the Center's president, won the 1976 Nobel Prize in medicine for his 1967 discovery of the hepatitis B virus and the development of the hepatitis B vaccine. Fox Chase Cancer Center is a member of Philadelphia International Medicine. Sponsored by the Healthtrac Foundation (www.heathtracfoundation.org), the Fries Prize is awarded each year to a person who, in the judgment of a distinguished Prize Jury, "has done the most to improve human health... the one who has done the greatest good for the greatest number." Blumberg's work with the hepatitis B virus - identifying the virus, developing the vaccine, and helping establish public vaccination programs worldwide-are what gained him the attention of the Prize Jury. In particular, the Fries Prize celebrates his continued dedication to these very causes after receiving the Nobel Prize. Since FDA approval of the hepatitis B vaccine in 1981, a number of nations where hepatitis B is a major public health hazard-from Mediterranean countries to the People's Republic of China, have launched vaccination programs in consultation with Blumberg and his colleagues. Targeted to infants, these prevention programs may reduce the incidence of primary liver cancer caused by the virus by as much as 80 percent or more, as well as preventing millions of cases of acute and chronic hepatitis. Blumberg noted that the Fries Prize recognizes the invaluable work done by all those who conducted pioneer research of hepatitis. "They laid the invaluable groundwork that myself, my colleagues, and virologists all over the world have relied on as we furthered the basic research, the application of which has resulted in a significant improvement of the public health." Blumberg was named to his current role as the first Fox Chase Distinguished Scientist in February 1989. He held numerous other academic positions over the years, including University Professor of Medicine and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1999, he was appointed director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astrobiology Institute headquartered at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. In 2000, he was chosen senior advisor to the administrator of NASA headquartered in Washington, D.C. Fox Chase Cancer Center, one of the nation's first comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute in 1974, conducts basic and clinical research; programs of prevention, detection and treatment of cancer; and community outreach.
Moss Awarded Grant to Train Physiatric Researchers
The National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research is awarding Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, a member of Philadelphia International Medicine through MossRehab, a five-year grant totaling $3.7 million to establish a national training program for rehabilitation researchers. The grant will increase the number of physiatric researchers who have rigorous training in a relevant basic science area and who are able to compete for extramural funding. "Through this program, we hope to increase the volume of high-quality rehabilitation research conducted in the United States," said John Whyte, MD, PhD, director of the Institute. Dr. Whyte and a panel of advisory board members will recruit candidates for the program and match them with mentors in research laboratories around the country. The program will also provide participants with overarching mentorship on rehabilitation research and work in an academic rehabilitation position. Grant funds will cover 75 percent of trainees' salaries for three years while they work in the mentor's lab.
Philadelphia International Medicine is an organization that provides medical and patient support services to international patients. It also provides continuing medical education and health care training and education to international physicians, administrators and other practitioners. As the international department of several Philadelphia-area hospitals, international patients gain access to physicians and hospitals rated among the best in the world through one telephone call to PIM. You can reach PIM by calling 1-215-735-3575; fax, 1-215-790-1267; or e-mail, physicians@philadelphiamedicine.com You can find out more about PIM through its Website at www.philadelphiamedicine.com
The following programs are offered through Philadelphia International Medicine’s Institute of Education and the PIM member hospitals listed. Included in the cost for continuing medical education seminars, workshops, and conferences is tuition and introduction to Philadelphia International Medicine as well as (for programs held in Philadelphia) a walking tour of Philadelphia, tours of Philadelphia International Medicine hospital facilities and lunch with a PIM faculty member in the participant’s field. All programs are conducted in the English language. Air and ground transportation, meals (except those included in the program), hotel accommodations and personal expenses are not included. Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits are available for most of these programs. Please contact the Institute for Education for information on CME credits. The Institute of Education will coordinate your program registration, itinerary for your visit and assist you with hotel reservations and information on local restaurants and events. Please call (215) 735-3269 for program registration, or email us at lrosenberg@philadelphiamedicine.com For more information, visit our website at www.philadelphiamedicine.com |
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Sponsoring Hospital
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Topic
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Dates
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MossRehab |
Incontinence Program, |
10/9/01 |
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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
Principles in Ob/Gyn Ultrasound |
10/10/01 – 10/13/01 |
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MossRehab |
Orthopaedics Orthotic/Gait Course |
10/12/01 |
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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
Prostate Ultrasound |
10/15/01 |
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Temple University Hospital |
Review and Update of Pediatric Emergency Medicine |
10/15/01 – 10/19/01 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Pediatric Trauma Tales |
10/18/01 |
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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
Vascular Interpretation |
10/18/01 – 10/19/01 |
|
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Diabetes in Children: Emerging Trends and Management |
10/20/01 |
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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
Fetal Echocardiography |
10/25/01 – 10/26/01 |
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Crozer-Keystone Health System |
Medication Errors |
10/26/01 |
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Fox Chase Cancer Center |
B-cell Malignancies and Chronic Leukemias: Advances in Biology and Therapy |
10/26/01 |
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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
Endovaginal Ultrasound |
11/2/01 – 11/3/01 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Intensive Course in Pediatric Emergency Medicine |
11/7/01 – 11/10/01 |
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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
Vascular Imaging and Doppler Ultrasound |
11/7/01 – 11/10/01 |
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University of Pennsylvania Medical Center |
Penn Neurology 2001: Management of Common Neurological Problems |
11/8/01 – 11/10/01 |
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Temple University Hospital |
Gynecology for Primary Care and Emergency Medicine |
11/12/01 – 11/16/01 |
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MossRehab |
Rehab Medicine in the Performing Arts |
11/13/01 |
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MossRehab |
7th Annual Rehabilitation Nursing Certification Review Course |
11/13/01 – 11/14/01 |
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Temple University Hospital |
Pediatrics for Practitioners and Emergency Medicine |
11/26/01 - 11/30/01 |
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Temple University Hospital |
Neurology for the Non-Neurologist |
12/3/01 – 12/7/01 |
Sponsoring Hospital
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Topic
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Dates
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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital |
29th Annual Course in Electrodiagnostic Medicine and Clinical Neurophysiology |
3/8/02 – 3/10/02 |
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Magee Rehabilitation Hospital |
Multiple Schlerosis Update |
3/14/02 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Templeton Trauma Conference |
3/16/02 |
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Temple University Hospital |
26th Annual Spring Family Practice Review |
3/17/02 – 3/22/02 |
|
MossRehab |
Neuropsychology |
3/19/02 3/26/02 |
|
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Audiology |
3/22/02 |
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Magee Rehabilitation Hospital |
Rehabilitation of the Patient with Limb Loss |
4/3/02 |
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Fox Chase Cancer Center |
International Seminar on Diagnostic and Interventional Bronchoscopy |
4/6/02 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
GI and Hepatology |
4/11/02 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Stabilization of the Pediatric /Neonatal Patient for Transport |
4/17/02 |
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Temple University Hospital |
Hemostasis and Thrombosis Update 2002 |
4/18/02 – 4/20/02 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Pediatric Dermatology for the Practitioner |
4/19/02 – 4/20/02 |
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MossRehab |
Neuralgliding |
2 days, Spring 2002 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Advanced Practice Nurse Conference |
5/9/02 – 5/10/02 |
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MossRehab |
Introduction to NDT: Achieving Functional Outcomes for Adults with Hemiplegia Using the Principles of NDT |
5/17/02 – 5/18/02 |
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MossRehab |
Getting Results Faster: Managing the Upper Extremity from an NDT Perspective |
5/19/02 – 5/20/02 |
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MossRehab |
Getting Results Faster: Using NDT to Increase Challenge of the Lower Extremities and to Improve Gait |
5/19/02 – 5/20/02 |
Sponsoring Hospital
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Topic
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Dates
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Pediatric Allergy Immunology and Infectious Diseases |
5/31/02 – 6/1/02 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Pediatric Emergency Medicine |
6/16/02 – 6/21/02 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Pediatric Refresher Course |
9/9/02 – 9/13/02 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Pediatric Surgical Nursing Update |
9/19/02 – 9/20/02 |
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MossRehab |
Prosthetic Intervention and Rehabilitation of People with Amputation |
2 days, Fall, 2002 |
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MossRehab |
Gait Analysis and Gait Training Techniques |
Fall, 2002 |
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MossRehab |
Assessment of Motor Processing Skills (AMPs) Workshop |
Fall, 2002 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Advances in Feeding, Swallowing and Growth |
10/3/02 – 10/4/02 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Pediatric Trauma Tales |
10/8/02 |
|
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Diabetes in Children: Emerging Trends and Management |
10/19/02 |
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia |
Intensive Course in Pediatric Emergency Medicine |
11/4/02 – 11/8/02 |
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MossRehab |
Orthotics and Gait Course |
12/5/02 – 12/7/02 |