Congress Mental Health Caucus Hosts Session on Brain Imaging
Congresswoman Napalitano chats with Dr. Lieberman prior to the Brain
Imaging Panel
On May 13th Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, Chair of the Columbia University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry and Executive Director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute, moderated a panel for Congressional staff on brain imaging. Joined by colleagues from the Universities of Maryland and Pittsburgh, the panel examined the science behind mental health disease and how imaging can help scientists and clinicians identify their causes and possibly lead to treatments. The event was co-hosted by the House Mental Health Caucus and the American Psychiatric Association. Congresswoman Grace Napalitano (D-CA), Co-Chair of the Caucus, introduced the panel.
Dean Goldman Joins with Congressman Arcuri and Commissioner Daines to Announce new Partnership with Bassett Hospital
Congressman Arcuri, Dean Goldman, and Dr. Morris listen during the announcement
Commissioner Daines and Drs. Morris and Nickerson chat before the announcement of the new Columbia/Bassett partnership
On May 11th, Columbia University Medical Center Executive Vice President and Dean Lee Goldman traveled to Cooperstown, New York to unveil plans for a new medical school campus in partnership with Bassett Health Care. Dr. Goldman teamed up with William Streck, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bassett, to make the announcement. Intended to increase the number of medical students interested in practicing in rural areas, ten to fifteen students a year will enter the new Bassett track at the College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S). These students will spend the first eighteen months of their medical school careers at Columbia in New York City taking their basic science courses, but will spend the next eighteen months in upstate New York doing clinical rotations at Bassett Hospital and other area hospitals and clinics. The final year will consist largely of electives at one or both campuses.
Congressman Michael Arcuri (D-NY), who represents the area in Washington, was on hand, as was New York State Commissioner of Health Richard Daines. Both saw the new Columbia/Bassett program as an excellent opportunity to bring new doctors to underserved rural areas throughout New York. Also attending from Columbia was Thomas Morris, former Vice Dean of P&S, who is the current Chairman of the Bassett Board of Directors, Katherine Nickerson, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia, and also a Bassett Board Member and four current students, Ronald Galbraith, James Bordley, Vanessa Cervantes and Pelton Phinizy. There was significant local media coverage of the announcement.
Dean Goldman Meets with Senior White House Staff to Discuss Health Care Reform
CUMC Executive Vice President and Dean, Dr. Lee Goldman, was part of a select group of physicians who were invited to attend a meeting with senior White House staff to discuss Health Care Reform. Held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on March 24th, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel from the Office of Management and Budget and Dr. Dora Hughes from the Department of Health and Human Services convened the group to formulate ideas for the upcoming policy debate on health care reform.
Dr. Edward Gelmann Lobbies Congress on Cancer Issues
Dr. Gelmann and Congressman Steve Israel D-NY), Co- Chair of the House Cancer Caucus
On May 6th, Dr. Edward Gelmann, Deputy Director for Clinical Research at the Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, took part in the annual Association of American Cancer Institutes’ annual lobby in Washington. Along with researchers and clinicians from across cancer institutes across the country, Dr. Gelmann lobbied Congress on issues of importance to the cancer institutes, most notably funding for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, and regulatory and insurance coverage issues surrounding clinical trials.
Joined by representatives from the cancer centers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Dr. Gelmann met with several Members of the New York Congressional delegation and their staffs. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), along with Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) has introduced the 21st Century Cancer Access to Life-Saving Early Detection, Research and Treatment (ALERT) Act, was the keynote speaker at a luncheon held during the day. The ALERT Act, a bill to comprehensively address the challenges our nation faces in battling this disease, is the first sweeping cancer legislation introduced since the National Cancer Act in 1971.
Coogan's Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks
5K Race 2009
Medical Center 5K Challenge
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Coogan’s Race a Big Hit Again
Over 100 Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) faculty, staff, students, and friends took part in the 11th annual Coogan’s Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5K road race.
Held on March 1st, more than 6,000 runners of all ages, also a record, including world class competitors and local celebrities, celebrated the strong community ties and rich cultural diversity of northern Manhattan, by taking to the streets of Washington Heights. The race started and finished just up the street from the Medical Center and Armory National Track and Field Hall of Fame, heading up and back on Fort Washington Avenue with a loop around the Cloister and through historic and beautiful Fort Tryon Park. A collage of musical groups including gospel, bagpipes, merengue, klezmer, jazz, and salsa bands serenaded the runners along the route. Once again this year Roar-ee, the Columbia Lions mascot, and members of the Columbia University Dance Team were on hand to route the runners on. After the finish, runners and spectators adjourned to Coogan’s for good food and good fun.
Ian Driver, a graduate student in Cellular, Molecular, Structural, and Genetic Studies, was the top male finisher again this year for the CUMC team with a time of 18:05, while Allison Whitehead, a Mailman School of Public Health student, lead the way on behalf of the CUMC women with a time of 23:53. Full results can be found by visiting the New York Roadrunners.
The challenge was cosponsored by CUMC, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Seasons of Wellness Initiative, Plus 1 Fitness, and the Columbia University Athletic Department.
Dean Goldman Lobbies State Lawmakers on Health IT, Medical Malpractice Issues
"New York Deans Meet with Commissioner Daines, (l to r), Richard Fine -- SUNY Stony Brook, Michael Cain -- SUNY Buffalo, Robert Goldberg -- Touro, Steve Scheinman -- SUNY Upstate, Commissioner Daines, Tom Scandalis -- NYCOM, Tony Gotto -- Weil Cornell, Dean Goldman, Jo Wiederhorn -- AMS"
On February 3rd , Dean Lee Goldman participated in the annual Associated Medical Schools of New York lobby day in Albany. Deans and Government Affairs Representatives from medical schools across the state came to the State Capitol to meet with state government officials to advocate on several issues of importance to academic medicine.
The day started out with a meeting with New York State Health Commissioner Richard Daines. Dean Goldman expressed concern that medical schools were not eligible to apply for state Health Information Technology grants. Noting that Columbia’s Faculty Practice Organization was the largest medical group practice on the east coast and that medical schools were among the most innovative users of Health IT, Dean Goldman said it did not make sense that they were excluded from even applying for grant funds.
Dean Goldman also pushed heavily on medical malpractice reform. While acknowledging that the political lay of the land in Albany would make reform an uphill battle, Dean Goldman noted that at a time when New York is making a concerted effort to improve the health care delivery system and bring more doctors to underserved areas, high malpractice insurance rates were discouraging physicians, especially young physicians, from practicing in New York.
After the meeting with Commissioner Daines, the Deans headed over to the Legislative Office Building and the Capitol where they met with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried, among others. In addition to the Health IT and medical malpractice reform issues, they weighed in on several areas, including graduate medical education funding, stem cell research, physician workforce issues, and diversity programs. Dean Goldman also had the chance to meet with local legislators Assemblymen Adriano Espaillat and Herman “Denny” Farrell and Senator Eric Schneiderman.
Dental Screenings for Children in Upper Manhattan
“Gives Kids a Smile”
NEW YORK (Feb. 12, 2009) – Nearly 1,000 children from across Upper Manhattan received oral health education and more than 500 received free screenings and treatments from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine faculty, residents, students and staff as part of the American Dental Association’s national “Give Kids a Smile Day.”
 |
A dental student distributes free oral health care kits to students at Gregorio Luperon High School in Washington Heights. All photos credit: Michael Dames, CUMC. |
Nationwide, nearly 50,000 dental professionals and volunteers screened children from low-income families at 2,000 locations as part of the ADA’s Give Kids a Smile Day on Friday, February 6, 2009.
The New York event was part of Columbia’s Community DentCare program, which visited seven public schools in Harlem and Washington Heights, and saw children in CUMC’s pediatric dental clinic on Haven Ave.
Schools participating included Bea Fuller/I.S. 528, P.S. 79, P.S. 98, Harlem Promise Academy, P.S. 173, P.S. 189 and Gregorio Luperon High School. While at Gregorio Luperon, the office of New York State Senator David Schneiderman presented a Certificate of Proclamation to the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, hailing its commitment to the community.
 |
| A College of Dental Medicine resident examines a student |
A total of 579 children received dental examinations and 116 cavities were discovered. In all, 175 students had no obvious problems while slightly more -- 180 -- were told they had to a do better job brushing and flossing. Three were given emergency referrals.
An estimated 4 to 5 million children in America have dental problems so severe they have trouble eating, sleeping and learning, experts say.
 |
| Dr. Stephen Marshall |
The annual CDM event was sponsored by Henry Schein, Inc., and is part of a larger scale effort to ensure the next generation of youth have healthy mouths – and good overall systemic health – heading into adulthood, said Stephen Marshall, D.D.S., M.P.H., head of Community DentCare, associate professor of clinical dentistry and associate dean for extramural programs for Columbia University Medical Center's College of Dental Medicine. Some 51 million school hours are lost each year in the United States due to oral health problems.
 |
| Dr. Amarilys Jacobo seen here with a student, after her screening |
Dr. Amarilys Jacobo, President of Dominican Dental Association, said that efforts such as the one undertaken by CDM have improved the oral health of many students in the last decade. As part of that effort, CDM also takes its services to the community, with a mobile dental center van that travels to 65 day care, Head Start centers, and schools in Northern Manhattan, providing comprehensive dental care to 3,000 children, ages 3 to 5, during every school year.
 |
| CDM students and faculty pose with a "Give Kids a Smile" holding the Proclamation from the office of State Sen. Eric Schneiderman. A total of 95 students, five residents and 2 full-time faculty participated. |
- ### -
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) was established in 1916 as the School of Dental and Oral Surgery, when the School became incorporated into Columbia University. The College’s mission has evolved into a tripartite commitment to education, patient care, and research. The mission of the College of Dental Medicine is to train general dentists, dental specialists, and dental assistants in a setting that emphasizes comprehensive dental care delivery and stimulates professional growth; inspire, support, and promote faculty, pre- and postdoctoral student, and hospital resident participation in research to advance the professional knowledge base; and provide comprehensive dental care for the underserved community of northern Manhattan. For more information, please visit: http://dental.columbia.edu/
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians & Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree and is among the most selective medical schools in the country. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and state and one of the largest in the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.cumc.columbia.edu.
|
