Dear Dr. Gerhart: I read a report on CNN?s website last week that Americans are sicker and die younger than people in other countries. On what is that based?
Category: Health
New Brain Monitor Aims to Alert Doctors When Patients Wake During Surgery
ABC News
Dr. Giulio Tononi, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, believes that the electrical signals ? sight, sound and pain ? spreading across the brain create consciousness. During surgery, anesthesia stops the signals from spreading, making a person completely unconscious.
Marshfield Clinic, University of Wisconsin Health join Medicare
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Marshfield Clinic and University of Wisconsin Health have won approval to participate in a Medicare program designed to test new ways of paying hospitals and doctors.
Dr. Jacqueline Gerhart: Loss of focus isn’t necessarily an attention disorder
Wisconsin State Journal
Dear Dr. Gerhart: I wake up with energy, but never get done what I want to each day. Before I know it, it?s 8 p.m. and I haven?t accomplished what I?d hoped. Do I have an attention disorder?
Motorbike activism helps Kenyans
Appleton Post-Crescent
MADISON, Wis. ? For Araceli Alonso, something great began with a simple pen pal relationship.
Dean Clinic, UW Health doctors rank high in Consumer Reports ratings
Wisconsin State Journal
Dean Clinic doctors are tied for third, and UW Health doctors rank seventh, in a snapshot of care provided by 19 doctor groups in Wisconsin.
Aspirin Linked to Rare Form of Vision Loss
Time Healthland
The wonder drug that relieves everything from headaches to joint pain, and lowers the risk of heart disease may come with risks for the eyes.
Services aim to soothe stressed-out students as finals begin
Wisconsin State Journal
Final exams began Sunday in Madison, and college students across the city are cramming for tests, typing out essays and downing enough caffeine to keep campuses buzzing. So to cut down on some of the stress their finals can cause, local schools are offering a little pampering, whether it?s with massages, free coffee or visits from therapy dogs….According to Rob Sepich, a stress management specialist at UW-Madison’s University Health Services, a small amount of stress can help students at finals time. Too much of it, however, can hurt their ability to concentrate and compromise their immune systems.
Cancer patient’s wish of meeting idol comes true after Twitter campaign
The Oshkosh Northwestern
Biebs will, in fact, be meeting Aly today at the B96 Jingle Bash in Chicago. After a flood of support from friends, family, strangers and celebrities via Twitter and other social media outlets, Aly Wolff?s dream of meeting pop star Justin Bieber will come true. Wolff, a 20-year-old McFarland native, was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer shortly after completing her first year at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
State board sanctions 11 more doctors for sick notes
Wisconsin State Journal
The Wisconsin Medical Examining Board on Wednesday sanctioned 11 more doctors for writing questionable sick notes to protesters demonstrating at the Capitol in February 2011. The board reprimanded six doctors, who also took classes in medical record keeping or physical exams as part of their discipline. The board said the doctors provided the notes without adequate documentation. “It appears that the entire sick note writing episode is finally closed,” said Dr. Sheldon Wasserman, chairman of the medical board.
Health Sense: Advance care planning can ease difficult decisions
Wisconsin State Journal
When patients near the end of life, many doctors say there?s nothing more they can do. But ?there is so much we can do for people at the end of life,? said Dr. Jim Cleary, UW Health?s director of palliative care. Doctors can provide pain relief, comfort care and guidance to families, Cleary said.?For a physician to say, ?There is nothing else I can do,? is really, I think, a neglect of their physician duties.? Cleary?s comments are from ?Consider the Conversation: A Documentary on a Taboo Subject.? The 2011 film by two Wisconsin men has sparked an initiative to expand advance care planning around the state.
Students attend stress fair to relax
Badger Herald
There were stress balls, tai chi, Shrinky Dinks and free massages, and Stress Reduction fair at the University of Wisconsin?s Education Building was in full force Tuesday evening.
Catching up: Brain pressure monitor heads to trials
Wisconsin State Journal
An innovative device that will allow doctors to externally monitor brain pressure in children with hydrocephalus ? thereby avoiding invasive and dangerous surgery ? is inching its way toward commercial use. The tiny implant was invented at UW Hospital by a neurosurgeon who loves to tinker with electronics and cobbled the prototype together on a coffee table in his basement with parts from Radio Shack.
Student leaders address mental health concerns
Badger Herald
In wake of the semester?s second student suicide last Wednesday, student government officials met with the dean of students to highlight campus initiatives on mental health and other issues.
On Campus: UW will offer flexible degrees in nursing, other high-demand fields
Wisconsin State Journal
Starting next fall, working adults will be able to earn degrees online, at their own pace, in nursing, diagnostic imaging and information technology from UW-Milwaukee. They?re the first degrees offered under a new University of Wisconsin System effort, announced with Gov. Scott Walker in June, to make college more accessible and affordable to state residents.
Health Sense: Benefits, harm of aspirin therapy unclear
Wisconsin State Journal
Cardiovascular diseases cost $444 billion in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Taking low-cost aspirin to prevent heart disease and strokes seems like a no-brainer. In some cases, it is. But even aspirin, as harmless as it seems, illustrates an important maxim of health care: Every drug or procedure carries potential risk. Aspirin helps prevent dangerous clotting of the blood but increases the risk of bleeding, especially in the intestines. Too few Wisconsin residents who could benefit from preventive aspirin therapy are taking it, but so are too many people who could be harmed, a UW-Madison study found.
Family donates skin cells for eye disease research
Daily Herald
Tim Reese and his sister, Theresa Selzer of Woodstock, recently donated skin cells in a University of Wisconsin laboratory. The cells were turned into stem cells and then used to create retina tissue. It is the first time research like this has been done to create a model of the eye disease.
Siedschlag, Margret
Madison.com
Margret Siedschlag, age 90, passed away peacefully on Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, at Agrace HospiceCare with her family at her side.
Chris Rickert: Governor could learn from my 8-year-old
Wisconsin State Journal
We all know Walker’s not a fan of the health reform law. But pretty much every group that will be affected by it ? including his strong ally Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce ? was telling him that if the law is to be a reality, let’s at least pick the kind of exchange we want by designing it ourselves.
….Granted, Walker?s primary argument against the state setting up the exchange would be good if it were true. He thinks that because federal money to help states set up their own exchanges will dry up ? it?s allocated only through 2014 ? those states will end up having to flip the bill for a service that years from now (presumably) has become established and popular. But Donna Friedsam, a UW-Madison health policy researcher and expert on the new law, said the exchanges ? no matter who runs them ? have to be self-sufficient by Jan. 1, 2015. “There is no bait-and-switch plan by the federal government here,” she said.
On Campus: UW-Madison to host human rights power couple
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison will play host to a power couple in international human rights on Monday, as Carrie Hessler-Radelet, the acting Peace Corps director, and her husband, Steve Radelet, chief economist of USAID, the U.S. international aid program, visit campus. Hessler-Radelet will give a free public lecture from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26 in room 158 in the Education Building, 1000 Bascom Mall. She?ll discuss the Peace Corps? role in promoting sustainable solutions in global health.
Advair boomed amid health risks
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The chairman of the panel, William Busse, is a doctor and professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, whose financial relationships with asthma drug makers include years of work as a paid adviser, speaker and consultant.
At the time the guidelines were issued, Busse disclosed that he worked as a speaker and adviser for GlaxoSmithKline and several other drug companies, though specific amounts of money were not listed.
UW doctor: Infuse wasn’t the problem
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Scientists and journalists share an overriding ethical obligation to treat the information they gather responsibly: to describe both positive and negative data in proper context so that the “consumers” of that information – whether it be other scientists or newspaper readers – receive a fair presentation of the facts, in a way that allows them to draw their own conclusions. (A guest commentary by UW-Madison physician Thomas Zdeblick.)
Health Sense: Amish birthing center has low C-section rates
Wisconsin State Journal
The LaFarge Birthing Center, which opened in 1993 as an alternative to home births for Amish women, has had a 3.8 percent cesarean section delivery rate, according to a UW-Madison study released Monday.
State health survey to seek participants from Madison’s Far East Side
Wisconsin State Journal
Madison?s Far East Side residents shouldn?t be surprised if they?re asked to participate in a statewide health survey in the coming weeks. The Survey of Health of Wisconsin (SHOW), an ongoing project of the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, will be recruiting participants on the Far East Side for interviews this week and the weeks of Nov. 26 and Dec. 10. Randomly selected households could receive a letter asking them to participate in the study, which is used to create a general portrait of health in Wisconsin.
UW Health requires employees to get flu shots
AP
UW Health is trying to reduce the number of influenza cases caught in hospitals by requiring employees to get flu shots.
UW Health Requires Employees To Get Flu Shots
NBC-15
UW Health is trying to reduce the number of influenza cases caught in hospitals by requiring employees to get flu shots.
UW Health requires flu shots
Wisconsin State Journal
UW Health is requiring employees to get flu shots this year, as more health care organizations say mandates ensure workers and patients are protected from infection. ?It makes sense to do whatever we can to implement the one measure we know will reduce hospital-acquired influenza,? said Dr. Nasia Safdar, head of infection control for UW Hospital. SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin, which represents UW Hospital nurses and therapists, is asking UW Health to consider an exemption for personal beliefs. The policy allows medical and religious exemptions.
Health Sense: Film evaluates health care system
Wisconsin State Journal
A woman had a heart attack at 34. Doctors did open-heart surgery and put stents in her arteries more than two dozen times. But her diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure remained out of control.
Hospitals seek to decrease attacks on health professionals | News – Channel3000.com
WISC-TV 3
Patients assaulting doctors and nurses at hospitals has been an issue for years, and the problem is getting worse.
Doctors and nurses are assaulted on the job more times than any other professional, and three times more than police officers and firefighters.
ASM promotes mental health
Badger Herald
The Associated Students of Madison?s University Affairs Committee has recently launched a mental health campaign focused on helping students manage their stress levels.
Infectious disease reaches 17 in Dane County
Badger Herald
Public Health Madison and Dane County confirmed 17 cases of an infectious disease in Dane County, spokesperson for PHMDC Amanda Kita-Yarbro said.
Lab develops bacterial test to help fight infant deaths
Daily Cardinal
A University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemistry professor has developed a simple bacterial test that could be used to save infants? lives in developing countries, after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation granted him $100,000 for the project, according to a UW-Madison news release. UW-Madison biochemistry professor Douglas Weibel?s laboratory created a cartridge test to determine if the type of bacteria in a newborn?s stomach must be treated to prevent a common, often deadly, bacterial infection that kills intestinal tissue.
Bo Ryan puts on charity challenge
Badger Herald
More than 1,600 students came together on the Kohl Center court to participate in an event supported by University of Wisconsin men?s basketball head coach Bo Ryan and his wife that ultimately raised $41,279 for cancer research.
Students show up to ?make Bo pay?
Daily Cardinal
University of Wisconsin-Madison men?s basketball coach Bo Ryan issued the Charity Stripe Challenge to UW-Madison students Thursday, and over 1600 responded to ?Make Bo Pay.?
US Senate investigation finds prominent UW surgeon failed to report risks
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison surgeon Thomas Zdeblick told some doctors that a type of spinal surgery using a bone-growth substance carried a risk of sterility in men, according to documents released Thursday from a U.S. Senate investigation.
Senate panel says Medtronic workers ghostwrote papers
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Over the course of 15 years, Medtronic paid $210 million to a group of 13 doctors and two corporations linked to doctors, including more than $34 million to University of Wisconsin orthopedic surgeon Thomas Zdeblick, who co-authored a series of papers about the product.
Health Sense: New study boosts hormone replacement therapy
Wisconsin State Journal
Millions of post-menopausal women were taking hormones to protect their hearts, bones and minds a decade ago when a major study revealed shocking findings: hormone replacement therapy increased the risk of heart disease, strokes and memory loss, along with breast cancer and blood clots. Now a new study, involving UW-Madison, reinforces advice that emerged after the troubling discoveries: hormone therapy makes sense for women with severe symptoms of menopause, but only for a few years and not for other reasons.
Quoted: Dr. Sanjay Asthana, a UW-Madison geriatrician who led the cognitive arm of the study
Committee addresses Responsible Action Bill
Badger Herald
Student government members brainstormed methods for furthering the future of a state bill that would encourage underage individuals to call authorities in emergency medical situations.
Campus Connection: Nobel Prize winner to deliver public lectures at UW-Madison
Capital Times
University of Utah professor Mario Capecchi, co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, will give free public talks on the UW-Madison campus both Monday and Tuesday. Capecchi?s first lecture is Monday at 1 p.m. in room 1325 of the Health Sciences Learning Center, 750 Highland Ave. This event is geared toward students and the general public, and is titled, “The Making of a Scientist — An Unlikely Journey.”
Parisi, UW tackle drugs
Badger Herald
Dane County and figures at the University of Wisconsin are striving to successfully treat drug and alcohol addiction in Madison with a new anti-abuse programs from both institutions.
Playing it safe: New standards in place to protect young athletes from repeat concussions
Madison.com
Even with increased focus on concussions, football remains by far the most popular high school sport. In Wisconsin, 29,807 football players compete at about 420 schools in Wisconsin ? nearly double the number of track and basketball players. But greater awareness of the effects of head injuries has prompted much conjecture about the viability of the game, said Dr. David T. Bernhardt, a pediatrician in primary care sports medicine at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.
UHS rolls out new after-hours line
Badger Herald
University of Wisconsin University Health Services is looking to expand its student services with a new after-hours nurse line that would allow students 24-7 access to medical advice on a wide range of health issues.
Scrapbook: Student honors, scholarships, class reunions
Wisconsin State Journal
Mary Rouse, former director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service, UW-Madison assistant chancellor for academic affairs and a longtime dean of students, received the 2012 Freedom Fund Award as an Unsung Heroine at the annual NAACP local branch dinner, held Friday. The award recognized Rouse?s work coordinating blood drives for those dealing with sickle cell disease.
UW-Madison Uses Video To Keep Students Safe
NBC-15
The University of Wisconsin has launched a new imitative to prevent sexual assaults on campus. It?s an interactive online program called “Tonight”.
Seely on Science: Seeing, without sight, is believing
Wisconsin State Journal
Recently, at a unique fund-raising dinner for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and retinal research on the UW-Madison campus, I had the strange experience of eating a meal in the dark. It was an event designed to plunge participants into a sightless world. To say the least, the dinner was effective.
Hormone Therapy in Early Menopause May Benefit Some Women: Study
US News and World Report
In another part of the study, hormone replacement therapy did help with mood and depression, researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found. It
UW-Madison launches sexual assault prevention program
WKOW-TV 27
The National Institute of Justice reports as many as 95 percent of sexual assaults on college campuses go unreported.
Students, UHS promote mental health
Badger Herald
University of Wisconsin?s student government is looking to work in conjunction with University Health Services to spread awareness on mental health issues and resources and improve mental health organizations on campus.
Benefits seen in hormone use early in menopause
Dr. Sanjay Asthana, a geriatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, led a separate analysis that found estrogen pills and patches improved depression and anxiety but had no effect on cognition or memory. The National Institute on Aging paid for that study.
Madison company Echometrix gets OK to sell ultrasound technology
Wisconsin State Journal
Echometrix, a Madison medical technology company, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell its EchoSoft ultrasound technology.”We?re very pleased to have reached this critical milestone,” said chief executive Sam Adams. The application was submitted in spring 2011. Founded in 2007 based on UW-Madison research, Echometrix has three employees. Adams said he plans to hire at least one more by the end of the year.
Students check cattle arriving at dairy expo
WISC-TV 3
Checking the health of 2,500 show cows arriving in Madison for the World Dairy Expo is a tall task.
Student group to raise awareness on LGBTQ health care
Daily Cardinal
While the majority of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison do not think twice about facing discrimination upon entering a doctor?s office, some students do, particularly members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer community. PRIDE in Healthcare for Undergraduates, a new student organization at UW-Madison, is determined to change that.
Brief: Stem cell research aims to answer how tissue develops
Daily Cardinal
New research done at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery is helping to explain how stem cells create the differing tissues which make up the human body. University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor Randy Ashton has been working with two molecules dealing with cellular communication?sonic hedgehog and ephrin ligands. These two molecules determine what cell type stem cells develop into.
Seely on Science: Twisted path to understanding stem cells
Wisconsin State Journal
Years ago, the idea of growing healthy tissues in the laboratory to treat human illnesses still seemed more science fiction than reality. But on the UW-Madison campus researchers have, through years of tedious and complex research, moved the science of stem cells incrementally forward, from theory to the doorstep of clinics where doctors are on the verge of being able to treat everything from blindness to heart disease with healthy cells grown from a patient?s own tissues. The work provides valuable insight into how science gets done.
Mentioned: Professors James Thomson and Randolph Ashton
Healthcare providers to offer end-of-life talks
Badger Herald
Madison?s local medical community will begin providing end-of-life planning discussions for patients and their families.
Campus Connection: UW researchers to test if mobile apps can help addicts
Capital Times
UW-Madison researchers have landed a $3.5 million grant to examine whether smartphone applications can be used to help trim health care costs while still delivering quality treatment and relapse prevention tools to those with substance abuse problems.
Wisconsin obesity rate among adults on the rise, study finds
Badger Herald
A study published this week showed Wisconsinites may need to watch their weight if they do not want to see more than half the state?s adults obese by 2030.
Bucky Badger, UW football players visit young patients
WKOW-TV 27
Young patients at American Family Children?s Hospital got a special visit Thursday afternoon.
Bucky Badger and several University of Wisconsin-Madison football players stopped by to talk with the patients and pose for pictures.
Donata Oertel and Peter Lipton: Harassment of researchers must stop
Wisconsin State Journal
Almost everyone at some time receives medical care that improves the quality of life, extends it or even saves it. Health care is effective because the underlying causes of diseases are understood, often because treatments have been developed and tested on experimental animals. Our children are protected from polio by animal research. The veterinary care of our pets and farm animals, too, has benefited from experimental work on animals. But the development of new treatments for humans and animals here in Madison is being threatened by the actions of animal rights activists, notably People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and their subsidiary, the Alliance for Animals.
(Oertel and Lipton are both professors in the UW-Madison Department of Neuroscience. The column was written by them on behalf of 65 UW-Madison faculty members.)
UHS receives accreditation from national association
Badger Herald
A national healthcare association reaccredited the University of Wisconsin?s University Health Services after the program proved to meet countrywide care standards.