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2007 and Earlier News Archive

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Current News Releases 2006 News Releases 2005 News Releases 2004 News Releases 2003 News Releases Archived releases from 2002 and earlier (can only be accessed from the U-M network)

December 2007

• Videophones at University of Michigan Health System benefit deaf visitors, patients (12/03/07)
  The University of Michigan Health System is one of the first hospitals in the country to provide a Sorenson VP-200® videophone for its patients and staff who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, and who use American Sign Language to communicate. Recently, UMHS also became one the first American hospitals to offer access to such communication in patients’ rooms and in the emergency department.

 

• Videophones benefit deaf visitors, patients (12/03/07)
  The University of Michigan Health System is one of the first hospitals in the country to provide a Sorenson VP-200® videophone for its patients and staff who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, and who use American Sign Language to communicate. Recently, UMHS also became one the first American hospitals to offer access to such communication in patients’ rooms and in the emergency department.

 

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November 2007

• Dr. Eva Feldman to head Taubman Institute (11/29/07)
  Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., has been selected to direct the U-M Medical School's new A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, which was established through a $22 million gift from the retail pioneer whose name it bears.

 

• U-M receives 45 medical history paintings from Pfizer (11/29/07)
  U-M will become the new home to a well-known series of 45 paintings depicting great moments in medical history, thanks to a gift from Pfizer. The paintings, by Michigan painter Robert A. Thom, were commissioned in the 1950s by Parke-Davis.

 

• Gene study supports single main migration across Bering Strait (11/27/07)
  A U-M analysis of genetic variation among more than two dozen native populations bolsters the theory that the ancestors of modern native peoples across the Americas came via a northwest land bridge some 12,000 years ago.

 

• Study: More young Americans with diabetes hospitalized (11/27/07)
  A new study from researchers at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital finds a significant increase in the rate of hospitalizations among young Americans with diabetes. And, they say, this growing trend is costing Medicaid and private insurers billions each year in hospital fees.

 

• Violent TV, games pack a powerful public health threat (11/27/07)
  Watching media violence significantly increases the risk that a viewer or video game player will behave aggressively in both the short and long term, according to a University of Michigan study published today in a special issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

 

• Cancer drug works by stimulating cancer gene (11/20/07)
  A University of Michigan study shows the novel way in which bortezomib, a promising new cancer drug, actually works. It revs up a key oncogene enough to cause tumor cells to self-destruct, suggesting a new strategy for developing cancer treatments in melanoma and other cancers.

 

• A cheap, safe treatment for sinus problems (11/19/07)
  An inexpensive, safe and easy treatment is an effective method for treating chronic nasal and sinus symptoms - more effective, in fact, than commonly used saline sprays, according to a new study from University of Michigan Health System researchers..

 

• Older workers stress less, U-M study suggests (11/19/07)
  Older workers generally report low levels of work-related stress, according to a University of Michigan study of a nationally representative sample of older workers.

 

• Pedometers motivate people with diabetes to walk more (11/19/07)
  The use of a pedometer and a Web site that tracked physical activity levels proved to be powerful motivators for people with diabetes who participated in a recent walking study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan Health System and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

 

• Diabetes patients face multiple health woes (11/14/07)
  As if diabetes weren’t enough, a new study shows that 92 percent of older people with the disease have at least one other major chronic medical condition - and that nearly half have three or more major diseases besides diabetes. The sheer number, severity, and type of these other conditions all appear to decrease patients’ ability to manage their diabetes.

 

• Study questions quality indicator for colon cancer surgeries (11/13/07)
  Detecting cancer in lymph nodes following surgery lets doctors determine how advanced the cancer is and whether chemotherapy is appropriate. Using the number of lymph nodes examined after colon cancer surgery, or colectomy, as a hospital quality indicator is gaining momentum. But is more necessarily better?

 

• Caregivers benefit from cancer support programs (11/12/07)
    Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that a targeted intervention aimed at prostate cancer patients and their caregiver spouses provided significant improvements for the spouse in physical and emotional quality of life.

 

• College students not well-prepared to treat food allergies (11/12/07)
  In one of the few studies ever to focus on food allergies among college students, University of Michigan Health System researchers have found that a surprising number of these young adults are not prepared to rapidly treat themselves in case of an allergic reaction and often are not vigilant about avoiding foods that contain allergens.

 

• Lung-on-a-chip leads to new insights on pulmonary diseases (11/12/07)
  A new "lung-on-a-chip" developed at the University of Michigan mimics the fluid mechanics of the real thing on a plastic wafer just bigger than a quarter. It allows researchers to grow lung airway cells that act more like they're in a human body instead of a Petri dish.

 

• U-M poll: Pain at the pump could hurt kids’ health (11/12/07)
    A new report by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health indicates that higher gas prices this year are putting the squeeze on how parents are managing health care for their children - either in getting to health care visits or purchasing medications. And U-M experts say a possible solution may be a gas card program for patients.

 

• November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month (11/09/07)
  Lung cancer will kill more Americans this year than any other cancer, claiming more lives than the next four leading cancer killers -- breast, prostate, colon and pancreas cancers -- combined. The facts about lung cancer are startling, and few people realize the true scope of the disease. University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center expert provides the top nine facts to know about lung cancer.

 

• Chronic disease programs receive prestigious certification (11/05/07)
  The Medical Management Center at the University of Michigan Health System now has seven programs that have received Disease-Specific Care Certification by The Joint Commission, the same accrediting body that examines and accredits hospitals to ensure safe and effective medical care.

 

• CVC doctors to perform operation live on the Web (11/05/07)
  On Tuesday, Nov. 6, a University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center team will perform such a minimally invasive procedure, called an endovascular repair, with cameras capturing their every move for live broadcast over the World Wide Web.

 

• Fear of weight gain may keep women from trying to quit smoking (11/05/07)
    Is a fear of getting fatter partly to blame for the fact that nearly one in five American women still smokes, and many don’t try to quit? According to U-M researchers, smokers are more likely to have unrealistic body image and eating problems, and women who had weight problems as girls are more likely to start smoking early.

 

• Labels like ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ on test results affect patients’ decisions (11/05/07)
  Patients whose physicians place labels on their test results - such as normal or abnormal, positive or negative - are inclined to make different decisions about their health care than those who receive the same results solely in terms of numbers and other quantifiable measures, according to a new study.

 

• Less sleep may expand kids’ waistlines (11/05/07)
  Diets high in fat and sugar may not be the only things contributing to American children’s expanding waistlines. According to a new study published by researchers at U-M C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, kids who aren’t getting enough sleep also may be at an increased risk for being overweight.

 

• Make Thanksgiving dinner healthy without the loss of flavor-packed foods (11/05/07)
    A traditional holiday meal could be on the menu for you as long as you make some slight modifications to cut back on fat and sodium, and to add more vegetables and whole grains. U-M nutrition experts say doing so could save the typical person a staggering 50 to 60 grams of fat during the Thanksgiving meal.

 

• Lung cancer researcher honored (11/01/07)
  A University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center doctor is part of a team that was awarded the Michigan Cancer Consortium’s highest honor. The Lung Cancer Early Detection Workgroup, which Gregory Kalemkerian, M.D., co-chaired, received the MCC Spirit of Collaboration Award.

 

• Predicting survival after liver transplantation (11/01/07)
  Patients awaiting liver transplantation who also suffer from coronary disease, diabetes, COPD, connective tissue disease or renal insufficiency may face poorer survival after liver transplantation, a new study finds. Researchers say these study results, published in Liver Transplantation, will be useful when counseling patients with comorbidities about outcomes after transplantation.

 

• Two new U-M studies emphasize the need for speed in helping stroke victims (11/01/07)
  Sixty-nine percent of stroke victims still don’t reach the hospital in the first three hours after their stroke symptoms begin, a new study finds. More public education about the need for speed in responding to a stroke could help - - including a middle-school education effort shown successful in another new study.

 

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October 2007

• MVN announces flu shot clinics (10/31/07)
  Visits to flu clinics run by the University of Michigan Health System’s Michigan Visiting Nurses and other health care providers across the country are down this year, a decrease that MVN attributes to a current lack of a widespread flu outbreak and a subsequent complacency among the public. But the threat of a flu epidemic is as real as ever. MVN's flu shot clinic schedule for November and December is now available.

 

• One in 7 Americans over age 70 has dementia (10/30/07)
  One in seven Americans over the age of 70 suffers from dementia, according to the first known nationally representative, population-based study to include men and women from all regions of the country.

 

• Study of suicide among veterans yields key findings (10/30/07)
  The largest and most up-to-date study of suicides among depressed veterans provides important new data that may help guide screening and treatment for all veterans. The study, conducted by VA and U-M researchers, finds that the predictors of suicide among veterans in depression treatment differ from those seen in the general American population.

 

• Treadmill training helps Down syndrome babies walk months earlier (10/30/07)
  Starting Down syndrome infants on treadmill training for just minutes a day can help them walk up to four or five months earlier than with only traditional physical therapy, a new study from the University of Michigan says.

 

• 5 Halloween safety tips for kids (10/29/07)
  Halloween's right around the corner. To keep your little goblins and ghosts safe, pediatric and trauma burn experts with the University of Michigan Health System have put together a list of the top 5 to make sure the haunted house is the only thing that is scary this Halloween.

 

• New Web site makes eating better easier (10/29/07)
  dding more fruits and vegetables to your next meal is now easy thanks to a new Web site from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center that offers healthful and delicious recipes searchable by the ingredients you like.

 

• Nov. 9: 15th annual Save A Heart Celebration (10/29/07)
  On Nov. 9, U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital will host the 15th annual Save A Heart celebration. The event - which features food and wine from some of the finest local restaurants - provides funds for the young patients at the U-M Congenital Heart Center, many of whom face life-threatening heart defects.

 

• $42.9 M in medical imaging projects approved (10/25/07)
  Today, the U-M Board of Regents approved three major projects to expand UMHS medical imaging and image-guided procedures. Together with a project approved by the Regents in July, the total investment in interventional neuroradiology, MRI, CT, nuclear cardiology and breast imaging is $42.9 million.

 

• Inflammatory breast cancer more rare, more lethal (10/23/07)
  Inflammatory breast cancer represents up to 3 percent of breast cancer diagnoses in the United States, but it is a particularly aggressive form of the disease that can be fatal in a few months if untreated. The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center has opened a new clinic specifically dedicated to inflammatory breast cancer.

 

• Buckeye vs. Wolverine organ donor registry drive (10/22/07)
  Now through Nov. 16, the U-M Students for Organ Donation will host the Buckeye vs. Wolverine Challenge for Life. As part of the event, the two universities will compete off the football field to register as many new organ and tissue donors in each state’s respective registry before the big brawl at Michigan Stadium.

 

• Wolverines Against Prostate Cancer Challenge (10/22/07)
  The University of Michigan Center for Translational Pathology and The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and have joined forces to raise $2 million to accelerate research towards developing targeted therapies for prostate cancer.

 

• Crazy justice (10/19/07)
  A Nov. 5 event at the U-M Depression Center will explore the “criminizalization” of mental illness that has taken place in the United States in recent years, due to deinstitutionalization, lack of appropriate services, rigid legal systems and other factors. A panel of speakers, including author Pete Earley and state Sen. Liz Brater, will discuss the issue involve, and possible solutions.

 

• Heart device recall info for U-M patients (10/18/07)
  The recall of a wire "lead" from implanted heart-rhythm devices affects about 500 of the 5,000 adults and children who have received such devices as part of their treatment at U-M. This announcement can help patients understand if they might be affected by the recall, and what to do if they are.

 

• Study explores med school/industry ties (10/16/07)
  The first study of ties between industry and medical school departments or department heads finds that such ties are just as common as links between individual faculty members and industry. The study's senior author is the head of the U-M Bioethics Program.

 

• U-M pediatrician, actress take part in national pertussis education campaign (10/16/07)
  Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases (PKIDs) today announced the launch of its national educational campaign “Silence the Sounds of Pertussis” with actress and new mom Keri Russell. 

 

• UMHS geriatrics researcher honored (10/16/07)
  A U-M Geriatrics Center investigator is a recipient of a new award recognizing promising research in the science of aging. Robert J. Wessells, Ph.D., is one of 25 scientists in the nation recently selected to receive an unsolicited, $50,000 Glenn Foundation Award for Research in the Biological Mechanisms of Aging. The Glenn Award will enhance Wessells’ studies of age-related deterioration of cardiac function using a fruit fly model.

 

• U-M Transplant Center receives HHS Organ Donation Medal of Honor (10/15/07)
  For the third consecutive year, the University of Michigan Health System Transplant Center has been awarded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ distinguished Medal of Honor for its success in raising organ donation rates. U-M earned the recognition by collaborating with its Gift of Life Michigan partners to achieve the national goal of converting at least 75 percent of eligible deaths into actual organ donors.

 

• 2 UMHS researchers selected to prestigious institute (10/12/07)
  Two researchers from the Universityof Michigan Health Systemwere among the 15 top physician-scientists nationally who were appointed as Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators.

 

• Survival Flight wins national critical care competition (10/12/07)
  At the sixth annual Air Medical Transport Conference Survival Flight's Michael Chesney, RN, and David Roberts, RN, had the opportunity to showcase their medical expertise in life and death situations using patient simulator technology. Their expert poise and skill earned them the top honor for the event’s Medical Education Technologies, Inc-sponsored critical care competition.

 

• Best Doctors lists include hundreds from U-M (10/10/07)
  Hundreds of UMHS physicians are being recognized as among the best in the country, or among the best in metropolitan Detroit, by two different independent ratings.

 

• Marker predicts success of breast cancer chemotherapy (10/10/07)
    Researchers have found they can potentially target chemotherapy for breast cancer to only those women most likely to benefit, sparing the majority of patients from unnecessary side effects.

 

• $1.5M Towsley grant funds eye-imaging center (10/09/07)
  The U-M Kellogg Eye Center has received a $1.5 million grant from the Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation to build a state-of-the-art Ophthalmic Imaging Center within its new facility, which is scheduled to open in 2010.

 

• Researchers find new gene linked to breast cancer (10/08/07)
  Researchers in a multicenter international study have identified a new gene that, if mutated, may increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer by more than a third.

 

• Whites take supplemental breast cancer therapy more often than blacks (10/08/07)
  A new study finds that white women more frequently take more of the life-prolonging supplemental therapies used to treat breast cancer than African-American women.

 

• Early school success protects against teen and young adult drug use (10/04/07)
  Adolescents who do well in school are less likely to smoke, drink or do drugs. But which comes first: drug use or school failure?

 

• Stomach stem cell discovery could bring cancer insights (10/04/07)
  U-M researchers have for the first time identified progenitor cells in mouse stomachs in a region where cancer often begins. The ability to see and trace these cells gives a green light to efforts to understand the origins of one of the world’s most common cancers.

 

• Davenport Lecture delivers tales of hope and despair from AIDS workers (10/02/07)
  Ronald Bayer, Ph.D., and Gerald Oppenheimer, Ph.D., MPH, have compiled an oral history of how South Africa’s doctors and nurses struggle to provide care for AIDS patients in an environment of scant resources, and professional and political barriers. The pair will discuss their book at the seventh annual Davenport Lecture.

 

• Hunters: Don’t let heart trouble ruin your season! (10/01/07)
    Every year, an unknown number of hunters never make it back home because their hearts suffer problems brought on by the strenuous exercise and dramatic bursts of activity that hunting can bring. Fortunately, U-M experts says, hunters can take steps now to protect themselves from heart problems during the hunt – and to make sure they know what to do if a fellow hunter goes down.

 

• Pregnancy after breast cancer is possible (10/01/07)
    Alyssa Tushman was a new mother when she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. After aggressive treatment – including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery – Tushman was happy to learn from experts at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center that another baby would be possible. And today, she’s pregnant with her third child.

 

• Problems with insulin folding may lead to diabetes (10/01/07)
  A glitch in the production and folding of molecules deep within the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas may be responsible for the death of those cells and the onset of diabetes, new animal research suggests.

 

• Record number of kids expected to get flu vaccine this year (10/01/07)
    According to results from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, 65 percent of parents plan to have their children, ages 6 months to 5 years, vaccinated against the flu this season. The U-M poll also finds that parents more likely to vaccinate their kids if they plan to vaccinate themselves against the flu.

 

• The latest in breast cancer research and care (10/01/07)
  As October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here are some of the hot topics in breast cancer research and patient care from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

 

• Winner named in Up to Bat with Inges contest (10/01/07)
  After a week of online voting, 7-year-old Jake Krzyzaniak of Adrian has been named the winner of the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital’s “Up to Bat with the Inges” room-naming contest.

 

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September 2007

• Free depression screenings Oct. 10 (09/28/07)
  On the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 10, the University of Michigan Depression Center will offer members of the community a free opportunity to find out if they might have depression, and to volunteer for research studies.

 

• MVN announces flu shot clinics (09/28/07)
  Clinics will be offered throughout the area. Flu shots are $33 this year, and pneumonia shots will be offered for $84. Payment options include cash, check and credit card, as well as Blue Care Network, CareChoices, Health Alliance Plan, M-Care, Medicare Part B and Priority Health, all of which cover the entire cost of the flu shot.

 

• Oct. 10 lecture on steroids & other sports-ethics issues (09/28/07)
  On Wednesday, October 10, Thomas H. Murray, Ph.D., a noted medical ethics expert will speak at the U-M Health System on steroids & other sports-ethics issues.

 

• Local events teach kids how to be safe pedestrians (09/27/07)
  As part of International Walk to School Day - observed Oct. 3 and Oct. 4 - the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Pediatric Trauma Program has partnered with Safe Kids Washtenaw County and FedEx volunteers to lead local activities that will teach kids how to be safe pedestrians.

 

• Candle lighting event remembers those who have died (09/27/07)
  The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center will hold its 10th annual Candle Lighting for Hope and Remembrance on Saturday, Oct. 6. The ceremony is designed to celebrate the lives of those who have died and bring hope to their families and loved ones.

 

• Why don't painkillers work for people with fibromyalgia? (09/27/07)
  People who have the common chronic pain condition fibromyalgia often report that they don’t respond to the types of medication that relieve other people’s pain. New research from the University of Michigan Health System helps to explain why that might be: Patients with fibromyalgia were found to have reduced binding ability of a type of receptor in the brain that is the target of opioid painkiller drugs such as morphine.

 

• $22M Taubman gift creates new research institute (09/26/07)
  A new and extraordinary $22 million gift to UMHS from retail pioneer A. Alfred Taubman is making possible a new and extraordinary institute - one with a mission of supporting fundamental research to advance the understanding of the causes, treatment and prevention of human diseases.

 

• U-M launches vehicle crash study (09/26/07)
  The University of Michigan Medical School, General Motors and OnStar have launched a study that collects crash and injury data. The information could guide emergency responders and doctors who treat auto crash victims, and help to engineer safer cars and trucks. Stewart Wang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of surgery and director, U-M Program for Injury Research and Education, is leading the study.

 

• Domestic violence, depression predictors of low birth weight infants among low-income mothers (09/25/07)
  Low-income women with mental health problems and a history of domestic abuse were 12 times as likely to give birth to a low birth weight child, a new University of Michigan and University of Pittsburgh study shows.

 

• Studies: Children obese due to a host of unhealthy pressures (09/25/07)
  Unhealthy options and pressures influence nearly every part of children's daily lives, according to studies released this week in a special supplement of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

 

• Blacks, Latinos still lag in diabetes control, U-M/VA study finds (09/24/07)
    Despite decades of advances in diabetes care, African Americans and Latinos are still far less likely than whites to have their blood sugar under control, even with the help of medications, a new national study by U-M and VA researchers finds. That puts them at a much higher risk of blindness, heart attack, kidney failure and other long-term diabetes complications.

 

• UMHS holds Nursing Career Fair Oct. 21 (09/24/07)
  The University of Michigan Nursing Career Fair, to be held on Oct. 21, will showcase the range of careers possible for nurses at the U-M Health System. The event runs from noon to 3 p.m., with tours at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

 

• Dine at Charlie's to raise funds for Urology (09/20/07)
  Charlie’s La Shish Restaurant in Ann Arbor - soon to be Charlie’s Mediterranean Cuisine - is sponsoring a benefit to support Urologic Cancer Research at the U-M Department of Urology. This third-annual fund-raiser will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 23, and 100 percent of the restaurant’s proceeds for the day will go toward urology research at U-M.

 

• Cancer patients, spouses report similar emotional distress (09/20/07)
  A cancer diagnosis affects more than just the patient. A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds spouses report similar physical and emotional quality of life as the patient.

 

• Parents' participation in medical decisions linked to self-efficacy (09/20/07)
  In a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, 86 percent of parents report that they participate in decisions made about their hospitalized child’s medical care. Researchers found that parents who feel confident communicating with physicians - as well as those parents whose child has been previously hospitalized - are more likely to participate in medical decisions.

 

• Vote for "Up to Bat with Inges" winner (09/20/07)
  Detroit Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge and wife Shani have narrowed the playing field to five finalists. And now they need your help to choose the MVP of the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Women’s Hospital “Up to Bat with the Inges” room-naming contest.

 

• National patient safety award for Dr. Campbell (09/19/07)
  For nearly a decade, Darrell A. Campbell, Jr., has worked to make surgery a safer experience for patients around the country, and spearheaded a broad patient-safety and quality-improvement campaign at UMHS. Now, he has been recognized on a national level for this work, with an Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award.

 

• University of Michigan receives $55 million NIH grant (09/19/07)
  National Institutes of Health Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., has announced that the University of Michigan will receive a $55 million Clinical and Translational Science Award. The CTSAs are part of a national initiative to encourage and speed collaboration and interdisciplinary research for therapies that improve human health. The announcement places U-M with 23 other academic medical centers around the country who are members of an expanding national CTSA consortium.

 

• U-M Back and Pain Center opens (09/18/07)
  The Center for Interventional Pain Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System now has a new name and new physicians who specialize in headache treatment, the management of pain medications, and beginning later this fall, acupuncture. Now known as the University of Michigan Back and Pain Center, the clinic also will move in early 2008 to a new location, from the Med Inn building in the main UMHS medical campus to the Burlington Building at 325 East Eisenhower Parkway.

 

• Generic prostate drug helps find high-risk cancers early (09/12/07)
  Finasteride, a well-known generic drug that shrinks an enlarged prostate, also reduces men’s risk of getting prostate cancer. A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute strongly suggests finasteride also increases the chances that physicians will find fast-growing prostate cancers early. The study comes from the Southwest Oncology Group, a large clinical trials network headquartered at the U-M.

 

• Men's Event for prostate cancer is Sept. 25 (09/11/07)
  The Sixth Annual Men’s Event to benefit prostate cancer research and education at the Universityof Michiganwill be held Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007, at the new Fleming’s Steak House & Wine Bar at 323 North Old Woodward Ave.in Birmingham. This event provides philanthropic support for the U-M Prostate Cancer Research Program.

 

• University Research Corridor creates 68,803 Michigan jobs (09/10/07)
  Urging lawmakers to "invest in what works for Michigan," the University Research Corridor presidents today released an independent analysis showing the state's three research universities helped create 68,803 Michigan jobs and produced $12.8 billion of net economic benefit in 2006.

 

• 3 free car seat inspections scheduled (09/07/07)
  Safe Kids Washtenaw Country and the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital’s Buckle Up! program are partnering this fall to host three free community car seat checks. These events are designed to increase awareness and proper use of car seats. When used correctly, car seats are one of the most important child safety tools.

 

• Black women more likely to have aggressive breast cancer (09/07/07)
  A large analysis of racial differences in rates of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer finds that black women in the United Statesare more likely than white women to have breast tumors that are ER-negative, researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center report.

 

• U-M study indicates frail elders vulnerable to mental health problems (09/07/07)
  Meals and personal care services are often brought to frail elders living at home, but a University of Michigan researcher says mental health care should be delivered, too.

 

• Sept. 24: Blood, bone marrow, organ donor drive (09/06/07)
  The U-M Comprehensive Pediatric Sickle Cell Program and the Ann Arbor Community Center, along with the American Red Cross, will host a community blood, bone marrow and organ donor drive to commemorate Sickle Cell Awareness Month. The event will take place from 1 - 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 24, at the Ann Arbor Community Center.

 

• Women stopping breast cancer drug because of side effects (09/06/07)
  More than 10 percent of women with breast cancer stopped taking a commonly prescribed drug because of joint and muscle pain, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

 

• Enzyme alerts cell's powerful army to repair DNA damage (09/05/07)
  University of Michigan researchers have come up with a new paradigm for how cells protect themselves from cancer-producing damage to DNA. Understanding the role of a powerful detection enzyme sheds valuable light on what goes wrong in cancer.

 

• Ovarian cancer: The not-so-silent killer (09/05/07)
  Advocates and researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center hope Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, which is September, will get people talking about ovarian cancer. What’s there to say? Start with these eight things you need to know.

 

• African-American men and prostate cancer: Higher risk and understudied (09/04/07)
    African-American men face a higher risk of developing prostate cancer in their lifetime, but researchers do not fully understand why. But researchers at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center are dedicated to changing that, and are focused on learning what genetic factors lead to this disparity for prostate cancer.

 

• Are cleanlier lifestyles causing more allergies for kids? (09/04/07)
    In today’s super-clean world, vaccinations, anti-bacterial soaps, and airtight doors and windows are keeping dirt and disease-causing germs at bay. While staying germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, U-M experts say our cleanlier lifestyle may be responsible for an increase in allergies among children. .

 

• Crossing the line between tired and fatigued (09/04/07)
    Is feeling tired all day normal? When does fatigue turn into a health concern? U-M experts say poor sleep habits, stress and illness can trigger debilitating fatigue. Fortunately, treatments including acupuncture, physical therapy, dietary changes, increased exercise, meditation, and getting enough sleep, can help.

 

• The power of fruit juice (09/04/07)
    U-M experts say that many fruit juices provide powerful health benefits. In fact, recent research has identified ways that beverages such as pomegranate, orange and cranberry juices can help to prevent or cure diseases.

 

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August 2007

• Heart device helps transplant candidates survive, thrive (08/30/07)
  A new generation of implanted heart-assisting pump does very well at helping severely ill heart-failure patients survive, and thrive, until they receive a heart transplant, according to a new study led by U-M Cardiovascular Center experts. The device, called HeartMate II, also helped patients’ original hearts regain function and allowed their other organs to heal by restoring blood flow.

 

• U-M researchers dispute widely held ideas about stem cells (08/29/07)
  How do adult stem cells protect themselves from accumulating genetic mutations that can lead to cancer?

 

• New “M GO BLUE for Mott” rally scarves (08/27/07)
  Whether you decide to wear it or wave it, U-M coaches Lloyd Carr, Red Berenson and John Beilein say the new “M GO BLUE for Mott” rally scarf is sure to become a staple at every Wolverine athletic home game. The 60-inch maize and blue scarves will make their debut at Michigan Stadium, beginning with Michigan's first home football game on Sept. 1. The scarves are $10, with a portion of the proceeds going to the U-M C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Women’s Hospital fund-raising campaign.

 

• Mott only children’s hospital in state to make U.S. News' "best" list (08/24/07)
  The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital ranks among the best pediatric hospitals in the nation and is the only children’s hospital in Michigan to make U.S. News & World Report’s first stand-alone “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” list. C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital ranks 22 on the magazine’s list of the 30 best pediatric facilities in the United States.

 

• Small bits of “junk” RNA aid master tumor-suppressor gene (08/23/07)
  A University of Michigan study reveals that the p53 gene, a key protector mutated in half of all cancers, gets help from a trio of little-known micro RNA genes. Drugs that mimic their benefits could become important tools in cancer therapy someday.

 

• Event marks milestone in children's, women's building project (08/21/07)
  On Wednesday, Aug. 22, the U-M Health System will mark yet another milestone in its new $523 million children's hospital and women's hospital building project: The construction of tallest free-standing crane in North America. At a special event, young patients will not only celebrate the erection of the 300-foot crane, but also the flag that flies atop it that was created by a local 2-year-old patient.

 

• More than half of American support S-CHIP for low-income families (08/20/07)
  More than half of Americans support the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or S-CHIP, for uninsured families who earn an annual income of up to $32,000, according to the latest report from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. The report also found that two of every three adults also would support government-sponsored health coverage for children in families with incomes as high as $48,500.

 

• $6M grant to fund research on prolapse, incontinence (08/16/07)
  A group of researchers from the University of Michigan Health System has been awarded a $6 million federal grant to study the serious injuries that afflict millions of women as a result of childbirth. More than 300,000 women require surgery each year for problems such as incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse that arise from injuries sustained during vaginal birth.

 

• Anthrax vaccine uses nanoparticles to produce immunity (08/16/07)
  A nasal vaccine shows strong promise in initial animal studies conducted by U-M researchers at the Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and the Biological Sciences. After further studies in animals and people, the result could be a better anthrax vaccine that requires no shots, is effective with only one or two immunizations, needs no refrigeration and could be used effectively after a bioterrorism attack to boost immune response in exposed people.

 

• Are drunk girls more promiscuous? Perception is not always reality (08/16/07)
  Teens' perceptions of adolescent girls' flirtatiousness is based on what girls are drinking, as well as what their romantic male partners are drinking, according to a new University of Michigan study.

 

• U-M oncologist wins inaugural breast cancer award (08/16/07)
  The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the ASCO Foundation announced U-M's Daniel F. Hayes, M.D., is the winner of the inaugural Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Award. The award recognizes an active clinical or translational researcher with a distinguished record of accomplishments in advancing the field of breast cancer.

 

• Heart-healthy event for hunters, Aug. 25-26 at Cabela's (08/15/07)
  In just a few weeks, the first of Michigan's hunting seasons will begin, so hunters should start getting their hearts in shape now, U-M Cardiovascular Center experts say. They offer tips for hunters and, on Aug. 25 and 26 at Cabela's outfitters in Dundee, they'll offer free screenings and information at the first-ever Heart of the Hunter Health Fair.

 

• A heart pioneer: Total artificial heart patient nears first anniversary (08/13/07)
  A year ago, 42-year-old Phillip Hall was facing near-certain death, perhaps within weeks. But today, he's about to celebrate his birthday, his tenth wedding anniversary - and the one-year anniversary of the day he was rushed into a U-M operating room and implanted with a temporary total artificial heart that saved his life.

 

• New newborn screening technology revives old controversies (08/13/07)
  New technology has increased the ability to detect genetic diseases in newborns, but it also has rekindled much of the debate that has plagued newborn screening for more than 40 years. In a published paper, a U-M pediatrician outlines the controversies surrounding newborn screening, and provides insight into the issues that must be addressed for the continued success of this public health screening program.

 

• Most seniors now have drug coverage, U-M study shows (08/09/07)
  More than 90 percent of Americans age 65 and older now have prescription drug coverage, compared to more than 75 percent who were covered in 2004, according to a University of Michigan analysis. And poor seniors are as likely to have coverage as the rich.

 

• U-M emergency research enters new phase (08/09/07)
  For patients who suffer strokes, heart attacks, seizures, trauma and other medical emergencies, the treatment they receive in the first minutes can be a matter of life and death. But discovering new and better treatments for these emergencies can be difficult. Now, U-M has embarked on a new phase of advanced research in emergency medical care.

 

• Reasons, remedies for underinsurance for childhood vaccines (08/07/07)
  In an editorial appearing in the Aug. 8 issue of JAMA, U-M pediatrician Matthew Davis, M.D., explains the reasons why many privately insured children are not covered for recommended vaccines. He also offers remedies to increase child and adolescent vaccinations by making national vaccine priorities explicit and consistent across the country.

 

• U-M study supports value of quarantines to lessen effects of flu pandemics (08/07/07)
  In a study published in the Aug. 8 Journal of the American Medical Association, a team of University of Michigan medical historians and epidemiologists from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that social restrictions allowed 43 U.S. cities to save thousands of lives during the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918-1919.

 

• Detecting small movements during cancer treatment (08/07/07)
  Radiation for cancer treatment involves targeting intense beams in a very precise fashion to a relatively small area. But despite efforts to align a patient beforehand, a cough, a wiggle, a deep breath or any other number of small movements could dramatically alter where the treatment is being delivered. To help eliminate the error associated with treating a moving target, the University of Michigan's Radiation Oncology department has begun using a new system designed to detect in real time the location of a tumor.

 

• Geriatric health conditions have major effect on half of all seniors (08/07/07)
  A broad study of adults ages 65 and older has found that half of them have one or more conditions that can affect their ability to participate in activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing on their own.

 

• 5 things to know about the HPV vaccine (08/06/07)
    Millions are parents are struggling to decide if the HPV vaccine is right for their child. To help, a University of Michigan pediatrician looks into the fact and fiction of this controversial vaccine, and offers parents some advice and guidelines.

 

• A parent's guide to understanding tonsils and strep (08/06/07)
    When is a tonsillectomy the right choice for your child? And, why are some children more prone to chronic throat infections? To help answer those questions, a U-M Health System expert offers parents a seven-step guide to better understand tonsils, tonsillitis, strep and tonsillectomies before the start of the school year.

 

• Back-to-school season can be tough on kids with asthma (08/06/07)
    Many of the 9 million children in this country who have asthma need more than just pencils and notepads when they return to the classroom each fall. According to U-M pediatric allergy specialists, these children require easy access to their inhalers and other medications, and the awareness of teacher and school officials about their condition.

 

• Living with dangerous food allergies: A safe place to learn the boundaries (08/06/07)
    Testing children with serious food allergies can be an extremely stressful and even dangerous situation. These concerns have prompted the U-M Health System to create an innovative Food Allergy Clinic that offers families a safe and relaxing facility to test or challenge for food allergies.

 

• Study finds heart attack treatment lacking (08/03/07)
  Far more of today's heart attack patients receive emergency angioplasty treatment or clot-busting drugs to re-open their clogged heart arteries than even a decade ago, a new U-M/Yale study finds. But 10 percent of patients who could benefit from this urgent treatment - which is known to save lives and prevent lasting damage to the heart muscle - don't get it at all, the study shows.

 

• U-M lab receives grant to prep artificial lung for clinical trial (08/03/07)
  The U-M Medical School laboratory working to develop an implantable artificial lung that can serve as a bridge to lung transplantation is entering the home stretch. Thanks to a new $5 million, five year grant from the National Institutes of Health designed to fund animal studies that will move the prototype through the final details of readiness for patients, a small clinical trial of the artificial lung may be just three years away.

 

• Marianne Udow will direct UMHS/BCBSM joint venture (08/01/07)
  The board of directors of the Center for Healthcare Quality & Transformation -- a joint venture between the U-M Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan created as part of the sale of M-CARE -- has named Marianne Udow as the organization's first director. The joint venture is dedicated to improving the quality of Michigan's health care, and transforming the way patient care is delivered in the state and beyond.

 

• Researchers find 'on switches' that cause prostate cancer (08/01/07)
  Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered how genes turn on the switch that leads to prostate cancer. The team discovered that pieces of two chromosomes can trade places with each other and cause two genes to fuse together. The fused genes then override the "off" switch that keeps cells from growing uncontrollably, causing prostate cancer to develop.

 

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July 2007

• Service project empowers kids in U-M's NeuroRehab program (07/31/07)
  The University of Michigan Health System's NeuroRehabilitation summer program is taking part in a service project aimed at empowering kids with disabilities while helping kids in Africa. The project includes a study skills group that puts together boxes of school supplies to be sent to Kijabe Hospital in Kenya, a creative writing group that writes letters to the recipients of the packages and a newspaper group that puts out a newspaper about Africa based on their research.

 

• Taming the anthrax threat (07/31/07)
  U-M scientists have done the first complete analysis of genes active in the anthrax microbe as it invades the lungs. The work should pave the way for better drugs in the event of an attack.

 

• Second Chance at Life event is Aug. 11 (07/30/07)
  On Saturday, Aug. 11, the University of Michigan Transplant Center will host the seventh annual Second Chance at Life event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hines Park in Westland to promote organ donation.

 

• U-M nanotech team to study better pain relief in battle zones (07/30/07)
  With a $1.3 million defense grant, a large interdisciplinary team of University of Michigan scientists will create and test nanoparticles that may be able to deliver morphine to wounded soldiers faster and avoid the drug's tendency to suppress breathing.

 

• Alzheimer's patients sought for fish oil study (07/27/07)
  Every day, millions of Americans take fish oil, hoping that the omega-3 fatty acids inside will protect their brains against memory loss and dementia. But no one knows for sure whether it really works. That's why a new national study has been launched at 51 sites, including UMHS, to test the effects of omega-3s in people with a high immediate risk of brain decline: those in early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

 

• Researchers ID gene involved in breast cancer (07/26/07)
  Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a gene linked to the development of an aggressive form of breast cancer.

 

• Study points to new way to predict risk from torn aorta (07/26/07)
  Each year, thousands of Americans suffer a sudden tear in the body's largest blood vessel, the aorta. It's often misdiagnosed, can kill if not treated immediately, and survivors face a high and unpredictable risk of dying. Now, a new U-M-led study points to a new way to predict which patients are most at risk, and introduces a new model to explain why.

 

• U-M team identifies gene that regulates blood-forming fetal stem cells (07/26/07)
  In the rancorous public debate over federal research funding, stem cells are generally assigned to one of two categories: embryonic or adult. But that's a false dichotomy and an oversimplification. A new University of Michigan study adds to mounting evidence that stem cells in the developing fetus are distinct from both embryonic and adult stem cells.

 

• UMHS named one of 2007 "Most Wireless" (07/26/07)
  UMHS has been named to the list of the nation's Most Wireless hospitals, according to the results of the 2007 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study. The study was released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

 

• Patterns of work and welfare linked to children's behavior problems, lower test scores (07/20/07)
  Among mothers who left welfare for work, older children score lower on math and reading tests than their peers, a new study from the University of Michigan indicates.

 

• UMHHC ends 2007 with 3.9% operating margin (07/20/07)
  The University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers have finished fiscal year 2007 with a positive operating margin, marking the 11th straight year in the black.

 

• PET scans track lung cancer treatment (07/19/07)
  Lung cancer patients may not need to wait till their radiation treatment is over to know if it worked. A PET scan several weeks after starting radiation treatment for lung cancer can indicate whether the tumor will respond to the treatment, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

 

• Great expectations: U-M study looks at placebo effect (07/18/07)
  Why do some people experience a "placebo effect" that makes them feel better when they receive a sham treatment they believe to be real - while other people don't respond at all? A new study from the U-M Health System may help explain why.

 

• Art fair goers get a glimpse of science (07/17/07)
  Scientists at the U-M Center for Organogenesis are back this year with eye-catching photos of the luminous cells they see through their microscopes. At Booth 145 at the South University Art Fair, fair goers find large prints and note cards of mouse, fly, worm and human cells. There's also the chance to talk about science issues in the news.

 

• U-M again named among nation's best hospitals by U.S.News & World Report (07/13/07)
  The U-M Hospitals and Health Centers once again has earned a place among the best hospitals in the nation, according to rankings compiled by U.S.News & World Report. In its 12th straight year of making the upper echelon of the magazine's honor roll of "America's Best Hospitals," U-M comes in at 14th among the top 18. No other Michigan hospitals made the honor roll, which signifies across-the-board excellence in multiple medical specialties.

 

• UMHS shows that improving quality, coordination of care can cut Medicare costs (07/11/07)
  In just the first year of a special effort organized by the federal agency that runs the Medicare system, the University of Michigan Health System was able to significantly improve both the quality and efficiency of care that Medicare beneficiaries received at its hospitals and health centers, while also saving the Medicare system millions of dollars.

 

• Bacteria suggest new approach to Alzheimer's therapy (07/09/07)
  New insights into how bacteria form fibers called curli offer intriguing clues to the formation of harmful protein tangles in diseases such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's, University of Michigan researchers report. Their results will be published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of July 9-13.

 

• Major advance in colon cancer genetics (07/09/07)
  An international team of researchers is reporting on a 10-year study of colon cancer among Israeli Jews and Arabs. The researchers, led by a team from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, discovered a genetic marker that increased a person's risk of colon cancer by 23 percent. At the same time, three other research teams are reporting similar findings involving the same gene, strengthening the likelihood that this particular marker plays a role in colon cancer.

 

• New 'asthma gene' could lead to new therapies (07/05/07)
  A gene that is strongly associated with a risk of developing childhood onset asthma was identified by an international team of scientists, whose findings are published today in the journal Nature.

 

• Sarcoma Stroll set for July 7 (07/05/07)
  The University of Michigan Team Sarcoma Stroll, which begins at 10 a.m.July 7, is designed to raise awareness of sarcoma, a cancer of the connective tisse, and money to fund research. The event will feature a 1K to 5K stroll around central campus.

 

• Detroit Tiger Inge hosts contest to benefit new C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital (07/03/07)
  Detroit Tiger third baseman Brandon Inge and wife Shani want the community to step up to the plate and hit a home run for the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital.

 

• Video game play among teens affects school work, not socializing (07/03/07)
  Kids who spend a lot of time playing video games are finding time to socialize with friends too -- though thats not the case when it comes to doing homework.

 

• Camp creates summer memories for kids with special needs (07/02/07)
    It's every kid's summer dream to climb and swing from trees, go fishing, play outdoors, take boat rides, and have slumber parties with friends. While those dreams may seem impossible for children with disabilities, a very special camp called Trails Edge Camp has been them a reality for more than 25 years.

 

• Control acid reflux to prevent esophageal cancer (07/02/07)
    Esophageal cancer rates are on the rise and the increase may be due to the rise in obesity. Fortunately, U-M experts have rediscovered a procedure thats helping many patients battle this often silent form of cancer.

 

• Dont get burned this summer! (07/02/07)
    As the summer weather heats up, there are many ways to get burned. To help you stay safe this summer, a U-M expert offers tips avoid some of the more common summer burns, including those from the sun and fireworks.

 

• Invisible ink: The removal of unwanted tattoos (07/02/07)
    Behind every tattoo is a story. But for a growing number of people, the story behind their tattoo is something theyd like to erase like the tattoo itself. While laser technology is making it easier to remove most tattoos, it can still be a painful and costly process.

 

• New program helps patients transition from hospital (07/02/07)
  A new program launched by the University of Michigan Geriatrics Center is helping patients transition from the hospital into skilled care settings quicker and with fewer complications than before. The unique program provides seamless, high-level care through hospital discharge to less intensive-or sub-acute-care facilities.

 

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June 2007

• University of Michigan offers new Japanese health podcast (06/28/07)
  UMHS has launched its first Japanese language podcast. "Dr. Jimbo's Japanese Health Podcast" focuses on contemporary health issue pertinent to Japanese living in the U.S. and around the world, hosted by Masahito Jimbo, M.D.

 

• Prechter lecture on bipolar genetics July 13 (06/27/07)
  Around the globe, scientists are hunting for the specific genes that make millions of people vulnerable to the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. On July 13, the U-M Depression Center will offer the public an update on that gene hunt, with the first-ever Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Fund Lecture.

 

• U-M bioethicist named to AMA panel (06/27/07)
  For seven years, Dr. Susan Goold has headed the U-M Bioethics Program. This past weekend, she was named to one of the nations preeminent ethics panels: the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association.

 

• U-M effort tackles nursing shortage, reaching out to state (06/27/07)
  A University of Michigan initiative is tackling the nation's nursing shortage by reaching out to discouraged nurses and the large number who left the profession without considering a host of other uses for their nursing skills.

 

• Clinical Simulation Center earns distinguished endorsement (06/26/07)
  The University of Michigan Medical Schools Clinical Simulation Center has been awarded accreditation as a Level 1 Comprehensive Education Institute by the American College of Surgeons. This is the highest level of accreditation and is only awarded to those institutions that offer state-of-the-art surgical education to surgeons, surgical residents and members of surgical teams.

 

• Survival Flight nurse receives AAMS Crew Member of the Year award (06/26/07)
  Paul Mazurek, RN, flight nurse specialist with the University of Michigan Health Systems Survival Flight team, has been named the 2007 Crew Member of the Year by the Association of Air Medical Services. The award recognizes an individual that has made significant contributions to enhance the development or promotion of improved patient care in the emergency medical transport community.

 

• Students with symptoms of mental illness often don't seek help (06/25/07)
  Studies show that the incidence of mental illness on college campuses is rising, and a new survey of 2,785 college students indicates that more than half of students with significant symptoms of anxiety or depression do not seek help.

 

• University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center receives gift of $50 million (06/25/07)
  Today, the U-M Health System announces that it has received an extraordinary gift of $50 million to recognize and encourage the Centers innovative model of caring for people with cardiovascular disease.

 

• Gene discovery aids understanding of common inherited neurological disorder (06/20/07)
  U-M scientists have discovered the gene mutation that causes one subtype of Charcot Marie Tooth disorder, a common inherited neurological condition.Thanks to a randomly appearing strain of "pale tremor" lab mice, the multi-university research team was rapidly able to track down the gene responsible for similar disability in people. The work, published online in the Journal Nature, paves the way for future genetic tests and later on, possible treatments for a small percentage of people with the disorder, which causes leg pain, muscle weakness and foot deformities.

 

• U-M poll: Parents support genetic testing, DNA biobanks