Dartmouth Medical School Digest
September 2009
News for our community
In this issue
- Inauguration
- New arrivals
- Back fix choices
- Information networks
- End-of-life care benefits
- Streamlined MBA
- Pay for performance
Inauguration
Physician, educator and global health pioneer Dr. Jim Yong Kim will be inaugurated as Dartmouth's 17th president September 22. The ceremony takes place at 11 am on the Dartmouth Green, followed by a community celebration. Related events include a panel discussion, "Reflections on Leadership for Social Change," September 21 with President Kim and other prominent leaders.
New arrivals
Ushering in a new academic, year Dartmouth Medical School welcomed 84 first-year medical students who converged August 10 for orientation. The class of 2013, who range in age from 45 to 21, are well prepared for the rigors and rewards of their chosen profession, broadly educated and with diverse experiences in work and service from around the globe.
Back fix choices
Two new studies questioning the merits of a common surgical procedure highlight the value of comparative effectiveness, according to a DMS back expert. Dr. James Weinstein commented on studies that found no significant benefit from the surgery (vertebroplasty) where bone cement is injected into a fractured vertebra to stabilize the spine and reduce pain, compared to sham treatment. His editorial appeared in the August 6 New England Journal of Medicine.
Information networks
Dartmouth researchers will collaborate to enhance information technology, thanks to national economic stimulus funding.
- Dartmouth receives $3 million from the National Science Foundation for Trustworthy Information Systems for Healthcare (TISH)
A multidisciplinary team will undertake research to develop secure and trustworthy healthcare computer systems with a $3 million award from the National Science Foundation. - Stimulus Funds Awarded to Support Northern New England Fiberoptic Backbone
The Dartmouth-New Hampshire lung diseases partnership will build a fiberoptic backbone for Northern New England to provide connectivity for large-scale regional studies, with a supplement of almost $2 million from the National Institutes of Health.
End-of-life care benefits
Advanced cancer patients who received palliative care counseling for physical and psychosocial issues and care coordination with their cancer treatment reported improved quality of life and mood. The intervention, however, did not change hospital days or symptom severity, , according to a Dartmouth study in 322 patients. Dr. Marie Bakitas and colleagues of the Norris Cotton Center published the results August 19 in JAMA.
Streamlined MBA
Newly minted Dartmouth scientists will be able to obtain an MBA though an accelerated dual degree program between the College and Tuck. The pathway paves the way for recent PhD recipients to earn their MBA, and will prepare scientific entrepreneurs ready to lead a modern, high-technology workforce.
Pay for performance
Dartmouth-Hitchcock improved care and saved millions in an innovative Medicare demonstration, announced the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which sponsored the pay for performance project. As a result, Dartmouth-Hitchcock and four other physician groups in the Group Practice experiment that offered incentives for better Medicare coordination will receive performance payments for savings generated.
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