Med Flight officials say the new base gives them a big advantage to get to people north of Madison.
UW Med Flight shows off new base in Portage
WKOW-TV 27
Category: Health
Wisconsin Sees Drop In Opioid Deaths
Wisconsin Public Radio
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Family Medicine also oversees a statewide network where peer counselors in emergency rooms around the state urge overdose patients to consider treatment. Since 2017, the ED2 Recovery program has discussed treatment with 559 individuals; most were willing to try efforts to break their addiction; 4 percent were not.
Bone Marrow Transplants
Wisconsin Public Radio
Interview with Dr. Mark Juckett.
Meet the Author: Transplant surgeon Joshua Mezrich on new book How Death Becomes Life
The Sunday Post
American transplant surgeon Joshua Mezrich is a fun guy with a love of all things British. His disarming humour belies his gruelling work, creating life from loss. The 48-year-old, who is based at the University of Wisconsin, confesses to growing up on a diet of M*A*S*H and dinnertime tales from the ER, told by his engineer dad, who was training to become a doctor.
State Health Officials Confirm New Cases Of Vaping-Related Lung Disease | Wisconsin Public Radio
Wisconsin Public Radio
Doug Jorenby, the director of clinical cervices for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Tobacco Research, says the cases are unusual and it might be difficult to find out what products the patients used.
UW Study Indicates Brain Bounces Back After Anesthesia
Wisconsin Public Radio
General anesthesia allows those having surgery not to feel pain or remember what occurred on the operating table. Both functions are controlled by the brain so no matter what part of the body is being operated on, the brain also is affected. To what degree has been unclear. Past studies have had mixed results.
How Exercise Lowers the Risk of Alzheimer’s by Changing Your Brain
Time
Noted: To find out, for nearly a decade, Ozioma Okonkwo, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and his colleagues have studied a unique group of middle-aged people at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Through a series of studies, the team has been building knowledge about which biological processes seem to change with exercise. Okonkwo’s latest findings show that improvements in aerobic fitness mitigated one of the physiological brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s: the slowing down of how neurons breakdown glucose. The research, which has not been published yet, was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association on Aug. 9.
Can Major Surgeries Cause a Long-Term ‘Brain Drain’?
Health Day
“Our data suggest that, on average, major surgery is associated with only a small cognitive ’hit,’ and while there was a doubling in the risk of substantial cognitive decline, this only affected a small number of patients,” said senior study author Dr. Robert Sanders. He’s an assistant professor in the department of anesthesiology at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison.
UW study: Major surgery’s impact on brain is smaller than feared
Wisconsin State Journal
Robert Sanders, UW assistant professor of anesthesiology, said on average people’s cognition is “pretty much the same” after a major operation as compared to before, according to a study he authored that was recently published in the British Medical Journal.
Major surgeries linked to small decline in mental functioning in older age
Reuters
“Our data suggest that, on average, major surgery is associated with only a small cognitive ‘hit,’” said Dr. Robert Sanders, an assistant professor in the department of anesthesiology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the study’s senior author.
UW Program launches first US cell-therapy trial for kidney transplant patients
NBC-15
The UW Program for Advanced Cell Therapy (PACT) will use the treatment to study its effects on a viral infection faced by around 30-40% of kidney and/or pancreas transplant recipients.
The Talk Seniors Need To Have With Doctors Before Surgery
WGCU News
At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Margaret Schwarze, an associate professor of vascular surgery, has developed a tool called “best case/worst case” to help surgeons communicate more effectively with older patients.
‘Time lost is brain lost’: Stroke patients face dangerous delays in receiving critical surgery.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: Azam Ahmed, a thrombectomy specialist at the University of WisconsinHospital, said delays in stroke treatment are widespread because hospital systems are not cooperating with each other. If a doctor in one system refers a patient to another system, that system might miss out on revenue that could come from the patient’s care.
“Sometimes the best care isn’t being provided — knowingly,” Ahmed said. “It sounds unpalatable to say hospitals are competing for patients but the fact of the matter is they are.”
UW Hospitals ranks in national top 20 list
NBC-15
UW Health officials said the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics are among the 20 most highly ranked hospitals in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings.
Exact Sciences Expanding Through $2.8B Deal
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: Dr. Joshua Lang of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center said he hopes the merger would mean more practical tools for oncologists.
“As we’ve learned more, we’re starting to understand just how many different types of cancers there are,” he said. “We need better tests. And if (I’m) smarter as a clinician, because I have better information, it means I’m going to be able to deliver better care.”
UW Hospital makes list of top 20 best hospitals in U.S. for first time
Wisconsin State Journal
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics are now among the 20 best hospitals in the entire nation for the first time ever, according to U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings released Monday.
Q&A: Dr. Petros Anagnostopoulos, chief pediatric heart surgeon at UW Hospital, discusses pediatric heart surgery and the importance of transparency
The Capital Times
Dr. Petros Anagnostopoulos, the chief surgeon at American Family Children’s Hospital, spoke to the Cap Times about his work, its challenges and how he strives to improve outcomes for patients.
How SSM Health, U of Wisconsin are tackling the rural healthcare shortage
Becker's Hospital Review
A partnership between the Monroe (Wis.) Clinic-SSM Health and University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing has been helping to address the state’s rural healthcare shortage.
All feelings welcome
Isthmus
Noted: Barcelos, who relocated to Madison from Massachusetts in January, is a UW-Madison professor of gender and women’s studies. Barcelos — who uses they/their pronouns — researches public health through queer, race and feminist perspectives. A yoga teacher since 2012, Barcelos leads the class with an intentional, yet light, demeanor, inviting yogis to take movements rather than telling them to.
In Milwaukee County, hundreds are hurt every year by reckless drivers. This is one victim’s story.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: Preliminary data show there were 299 car crash injuries related to speed in Milwaukee County through Monday, compared with 224 through roughly the same period in 2010, according to the Community Maps database, an online tool developed by the state Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Safety and the Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That’s a 33% increase.
An examination of intramural sports at UW
Badger Herald
Intramurals provide an opportunity to create new friendships and lower stress during the school year
The Vaccine That Could Prevent Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
Vice
Quoted: One single risk factor will never explain the entirety of psychiatric problems, wrote Chuck Raison, a psychiatrist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in a special report on the topic in Psychiatric Times. But “inflammation turned out to be a common denominator and likely risk factor for every manner of psychiatric disturbance, from schizophrenia to obsessive compulsive disorder, from mania to depression,” he wrote.
Madison’s medical interpreters set standard for patient care
WISC-TV 3
Norberta Garcia is increasingly familiar with the oncology department waiting room at UW Hospital. The terminology used once she’s in the doctor’s office is still a little foreign. Dannika Lewis reports.
Medical director remembers ‘calmness’ of explosion response
WISC-TV 3
As the section chief for EMS for the University of Wisconsin Department of Emergency Medicine, part of Lohmeier’s responsibilities include responding to major emergencies or disasters.
UW doctor sued for sexual exploitation, medical malpractice
Badger Herald
Maganti, a UW professor, neurologist has been sued by a former patient for medical malpractice and inappropriate behavior
Patient sues UW doctor for negligence, sexual exploitation
Wisconsin State Journal
A Reedsburg woman has sued a UW-Madison doctor, accusing him of medical negligence in treating her epilepsy and of sexual exploitation, including kissing her and calling her “hot” and “baby doll” in texts and Facebook messages.
Three things you should know about a new autism technician program that could be coming to Waukesha County Technical College
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: In Wisconsin, the number of children with an ASD continues to increase each year, the agenda notes said. Currently, one in 71 children in Wisconsin has been diagnosed with an ASD, according to data cited in the notes from the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The center also called for planning for ASD services and training.
Scientists use algorithm track deadly pig virus
Nova Next
Kristen Bernard, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine who was not involved in the latest study, says genomic sequencing studies of PEDV suggest it originated in from a viral strain in China in 2012. Experts suggest that PEDV may have spread to the U.S. through animal feed ingredients from China.
Researchers Develop Plant-Based, Eco-Friendly Method to Produce Tylenol
Smithsonian
Acetaminophen—the active ingredient in many Americans’ go-to pain reliever, Tylenol—typically stems from a surprising source: coal tar, a viscous liquid produced when oxygen-deprived coal is subjected to high heat.
UW-Madison Ordered To Release Records Tied To Public Health Grants
Wisconsin Public Radio
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has been ordered to turn over records used in determining how millions of dollars in public health grants were awarded. UW-Madison must also pay legal fees accrued during a two-year battle by the university to keep the records private.
Pain relievers from plants: Wisconsin researchers invent renewable way to make acetaminophen
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: “At some point, it may be the case that we are completely prevented from using fossil fuels,” said John Ralph, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison whose lab conducted the research.
To Improve Care, Veterans Affairs Asks Patients Their Life Stories
Wall Street Journal
Some Madison VA medical departments, such as the heart-and-lung transplant unit, recommend providers read patients’ stories to develop a bond before major procedures. One primary-care doctor sends his patients a note to let them know he has read their story. And the University of Wisconsin medical school now offers an elective for students to staff the program as part of preparing for their medical careers.
UW to launch first study of cell therapy for kidney transplant complication
Wisconsin State Journal
UW Hospital plans to launch the first study in the country of a cell therapy for a potentially serious complication of kidney transplants, the most common type of organ transplant.
Sleep headband could cut down sleep times, make rest more efficient
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison is one of two test sites in a NASA-funded study starting in coming weeks to see if the headband can help astronauts sleep more deeply and improve their cognitive performance.
UW-Madison may expand physician assistants program to another UW campus
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison is exploring a partnership with another University of Wisconsin System campus to address a shortage of physician assistants in rural areas, the university announced Wednesday.
Under a program offered through UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health, students would earn a degree through UW-Madison’s physician assistant program by taking classes at UW-Platteville.
Why Your Sunscreen Probably Isn’t Protecting You
Wisconsin Public Radio
Apple Bodemer, a dermatologist and assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says the problem with sunscreen is that sunbathers aren’t applying enough of it and not as frequently as needed.
Blue-Green Algae Blooms Frequent On Madison’s Lakes This Summer
Wisconsin Public Radio
Emily Stanley, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology and Department of Integrative Biology, said although they haven’t yet seen large blooms she describes as “epic” in Madison’s lakes, they are seeing frequent blooms. She said people should stay away from water that looks like it has white, blue or green foam floating on the top.
Some Democrats Talk About Cosmetic Surgery Insurance. It Doesn’t Exist.
The New York Times
Quoted: “It’s taking people who are basically normal and would like to look better and feel better about themselves, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” said James Grotting, a plastic surgeon on the clinical faculty at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “But there might be no end of what patients might request if it’s covered by a third party.”
Tips For Protecting Yourself Against Ticks This Summer
Wisconsin Public Radio
With the Fourth of July weekend around the corner, more people are heading outdoors and into the territory of bugs with infectious diseases. We talk with a UW-Madison researcher (Lyric Bartholomay) about protecting yourself from ticks and Lyme disease, and what scientists are learning about these pests.
Chemicals In Clothing Is Common. How Do You Mitigate Reactions?
Wisconsin Public Radio
While for the most part manufacturers have moved away from formaldehyde in clothing, it does show up occasionally, said Majid Sarmadi, design studies professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Judge finds UW health and wellness grant review team violated open government laws
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A University of Wisconsin committee tasked with awarding public health grants violated state open records and open meetings laws when it denied a request for information about the grant-awarding process, a Dane County judge has ruled.
Inspired by his grandfather’s battle with Alzheimer’s, a New Berlin man went from living in his car to med school
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: After graduation, Steck received a full ride to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he will attend medical school this fall at the School of Medicine and Public Health.
Midwest health system UnityPoint Health launches $100M venture fund
Milwaukee Business Journal
UnityPoint Health, one of the largest health systems in the Midwest and the 13th-largest nonprofit health system in the U.S., recently launched a $100 million venture fund to invest in startup companies focusing on digital health, medical devices, and therapeutic and healthcare services.
Shared decision-making could help you choose best medical treatment
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Johnson became part of a study at UW Health on what is known as shared decision-making — a process in which physicians and patients work together to help patients decide on the treatment options that best align with their priorities, concerns and values.
7-year-old girl stays strong while battling rare form of cancer
WISC-TV 3
The family went to their family doctor to get it checked out, and eventually they went to University of Wisconsin Health’s American Family Children Hospital.
What fitness option is right for you? How much should you pay for a good workout?
WISC-TV 3
News 3 Now’s Josh Spreiter caught up with clinical exercise physiologist Jude Sullivan at UW Health. He says fitness is and will always be different for each person.
Annual Health Equity Leadership Institute Focuses on Increasing Researchers of Color Doing Health Equity Research
Madison365
Twenty-five attendees from 16 institutions from 15 states will convene at UW-Madison June 17-21.
Popular statin shows promise for treating fragile X syndrome
Spectrum
Lovastatin is already approved for use in children with high cholesterol, so if proven effective for fragile X, it could quickly be prescribed for people with the syndrome, says Xinyu Zhao, Jenni and Kyle Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
With New Senior Center, Wausau YMCA Seeks to Expand Definition of Health
Wisconsin Public Radio
Noted: Dr. Amy Kind is a physician and Ph.D.-trained researcher in geriatrics with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She studies the way people’s environment affects their well-being. That can mean the ways housing or income-levels in a neighborhood can affect population health. She said another big factor in her aging patients’ health is their ability to maintain social connections.
In wake of Trump’s fetal tissue clampdown, scientists strain to adjust
Science
Megan Sykes, an immunologist at Columbia University, has spent years using human fetal tissue to develop a mouse with a humanlike immune system, which mimics how type 1 diabetes develops in humans. The tissue is donated after elective abortions, and the mice are testbeds for potential diabetes treatments.
Concerning nicotine statistics cause legislators, administrators to revise policies
Daily Cardinal
Following a consistent decline of cigarette use among UW-Madison students, a third-generation vaping trend has taken its place and surpassed previous smoking statistics.
The Elderly Are Getting Complex Surgeries. Often It Doesn’t End Well.
The New York Times
Without clear understandings, things can go very wrong in the hospital. Consider this account from Dr. Gretchen Schwarze, a vascular surgeon and ethicist at the University of Wisconsin.
Trump’s Misguided Ban on Federal Fetal-Tissue Research Can Only Hurt Science
Gizmodo
Quoted: Bioethicist R. Alta Charo from the University of Wisconsin–Madison said the new measures are significant for two reasons. “First, it is a clear indication that this administration values symbolic statements over research aimed at saving lives,” she wrote to Gizmodo in an email.
Trump Administration Sharply Curtails Fetal Tissue Medical Research
New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Wednesday that the federal government would sharply curtail federal spending on medical research that uses tissue from aborted fetuses, mainly by ending fetal-tissue research within the National Institutes of Health.
Trump administration restricts fetal tissue research in win for anti-abortion groups
Inside Higher Education
The Trump administration on Wednesday said it would bar scientists at federal agencies from pursuing research using fetal tissue and add new hurdles for researchers on college campuses to renew funding for research using the materials. It also said it would drop a contract with the University of California, San Francisco, to research HIV infection using the tissue.
Pushed by anti-abortion groups, HHS restricts fetal tissue research
Politico.com
The Trump administration Wednesday imposed new restrictions on federal use of fetal tissue obtained from abortions, barring government scientists at NIH from doing such research, and canceling an existing HIV research contract with the University of California, San Francisco.
“There is no evidence that the use of donated tissue from fetal remains has any effect on whether women choose abortions, and no evidence that decades of research using donated tissue has ever led to an increase in the number of abortions,” said Alta Charo of the University of Wisconsin.
Helen Sarakinos: Madison and its anchor institutions can do more to build a healthy food system
Capital Times
By leveraging a small part of its purchasing power, UW Health has been building a system that upholds community health, minimizes pollution of air and water that diminishes health, and improves economic well-being of our rural residents.
Trump’s HHS Bans Government Scientists From Fetal Tissue Research
Buzzfeed News
WASHINGTON — Government scientists must stop research that uses human fetal tissue, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday in a series of new restrictions.
“It is a clear indication that this administration values symbolic statements over research aimed at saving lives,” Alta Charo, a bioethics professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, wrote to BuzzFeed News in an email Wednesday. “Indeed, in one of the greatest ironies, this tissue might be used for research on the Zika virus that can cause devastating birth defects, so a policy aimed at symbolically valuing fetal life may end up devaluing the lives of actual children.”
Man with severe autoimmune disease gets stem cell transplant at UW
Wisconsin State Journal
Charles Beschta developed heartburn, and his breathing became so difficult he had to quit singing in his church choir.
‘Odd wording’ in law leads to dismissal of felony sexual assault charge against former UW doctor
Wisconsin State Journal
Dane County prosecutors dismissed a felony sexual assault charge against a former UW doctor Tuesday, agreeing with the doctor’s attorneys that a “poorly drafted” state law under which the charge was filed doesn’t apply to the facts of the case.