Julie Vose, MD., professor and chief of UNMC's hematology/oncology division in the department of internal medicine, will deliver the keynote address on Nov. 19 at the Patient-Centered Oncology Care Conference in Baltimore for the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC).
Patient-Centered Oncology Care, now in its fourth year, highlights current issues that cut across the research, insurance, regulatory, policy, pharmacy, and technology realms. The event aims to bring together stakeholders from across the health care spectrum – who might otherwise not gather in one place – to find solutions for some of the biggest challenges facing cancer care delivery.
Earlier this year, Dr. Vose, who is the current president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), joined more than 100 oncologists to sign a commentary in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings that supported a patient-driven initiative to lower the cost of cancer drugs.
As researchers identify more and more breakthrough treatments for cancer, the rising cost of these therapies has generated debate over how much patients, families, and the health care system should pay to save or extend lives.
“A lot of times the physicians actually don’t know what the drugs cost,” Dr. Vose said in an interview with AJMC.
Library dedicates Special Collections Suite to Leo McCarthy, M.D.
The McGoogan Library of Medicine dedicated the Leo J. McCarthy, M.D. Special Collections Suite on the 8th floor of the library on Sept. 25.
A 1964 medical school graduate of UNMC, Dr. McCarthy is professor emeritus at Indiana University School of Medicine, where he served on the faculty from 1971-2003. At Indiana, Dr. McCarthy was professor of pathology/laboratory medicine and pediatrics, and also was the longtime director of the division of transfusion medicine.
During his academic career, Dr. McCarthy authored more than 300 publications and was the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the 2014 UNMC College of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Emily McElroy, director of the McGoogan Library of Medicine, said Dr. McCarthy has been a huge supporter of the McGoogan Library of Medicine and particularly the history of medicine.
McElroy and Brad Britigan, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine, spoke at the dedication ceremony.
Dr. Kielian receives grant from a family fighting Batten disease
Tammy Kielian, Ph.D., professor of pathology and microbiology, who took on the search for a treatment for Juvenile Batten disease when her niece, Olivia, was diagnosed with the rare, fatal disorder, has received funding support from a fellow family also fighting the disease. Dr. Kielian's research was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Batten Disease Support and Research Association and Drew's Hope. Drew's Hope is named for Drew Ferrandino, a Pennsylvania boy who died last year, at age 12, of the late infantile (CLN2) form of Batten disease. His foundation continues to raise funds for Batten research. This grant, written with Venkata Kakulavarapu, Ph.D., a senior scientist in the Kielian lab, will be used to study how neurons in the brain lose vital trophic support, leading to their death in JBD. Dr. Kielian, with UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC, also recently entered into a licensing agreement with a biopharmaceutical company to further develop a gene therapy approach discovered in her laboratory that holds promise as a potential therapeutic for Juvenile Batten disease.
Dr. Potter recognized by Marian High School
Jane Potter, M.D., professor of internal medicine-geriatrics and a 1969 Marian High School graduate, was presented with the 2015 Sr. Marcella Leadership Award at the high school's annual Esprit de Corps Awards Banquet. Dr. Potter was one of five Marian alumni honored at the event.
Jialin Zheng, M.D., professor, pharmacology/experimental neuroscience, and associate dean, graduate studies, was one of 42 U.S. scholars who were invited to attend the White House welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jimping on Sept. 25. The ceremony was attended by U.S. President Barack Obama. The scholars are Chinese-Americans from different U.S. higher education institutions who have helped in promoting U.S.-China educational collaboration.
James O’Dell, M.D., professor and chair of the rheumatology division of the department of internal medicine, will be inducted into the inaugural class of the Rheumatology Research Foundation’s Honorary Board of Advisors on Nov. 7 in San Francisco.
Ted Mikuls, M.D., professor, internal medicine – rheumatology, has been named vice chair for research for the Department of Internal Medicine.
Shannon Boerner, M.D., assistant professor, internal medicine – general medicine, has been named to the newly created position of director of faculty mentoring and development for the Department of Internal Medicine.
Mary Huerter, M.D., a third-year resident physician in the Department of Internal Medicine, was one of two people selected for a month-long internship with the American College of Physicians. The purpose of the program is to get medical students and residents interested in health policy and advocacy and to grow physicians who will be active in the ACP.
Troy Plumb, M.D., associate professor, internal medicine – nephrology, received the Sir William Osler Teaching Award from the Department of Internal Medicine.
Three internal medicine faculty members recently received honors or were named to national committee positions. They include:
- Rachel Bonnema, M.D., associate professor, general internal medicine, was selected to serve a three-year term on the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine.
- Cyrus Desouza, M.B.B.S., professor and chief of diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism, was appointed a member of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Research and Development’s Early Phase Clinical Science Research and Development Centralized Data Monitoring Committee.
- Sarah Richards, M.D., assistant professor, general internal medicine, was awarded the 2015 David E. Rogers Junior Faculty Education Award for giving one of the four best workshops at the annual meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine in Toronto.
The Department of Internal Medicine recognized seven individuals with Internal Medicine Research Awards. Winners included Carol Casey, Ph.D., Jennifer Cavalieri, Apar Ganti, M.D., Bryant England, M.D., Sarah Bligh, M.D., Murali Ganesan, Ph.D., and Brian Coburn.