Available to anyone in Nebraska with Satellite Downlink Capability

UNMC, Partners Across Nebraska Sponsor Free April

Mini-Medical School Series; Genes & Chips: Combining New Science, New

Technology for a Healthier Tomorrow

The University of Nebraska Medical Center invites the public to its

free April Mini-Medical School series titled, Genes & Chips: Combining

New Science, New Technology for a Healthier Tomorrow. The series will

show new ways of diagnosing and preventing disease through the merging

of computer science, engineering and medicine. These fields are working

together to create gigantic leaps in medical knowledge, tools and research.

Anyone who attends even one Mini-Medical School session will receive

a UNMC Mini-Medical School diploma for attending. Seating is limited.

The series is scheduled every Thursday evening in April April 5, 12,

19 and 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. (CDT) and 6 to 8 p.m. (MDT). It will originate

on the UNMC campus in Omaha and be transmitted live to west Omaha, Columbus,

Dakota City, Grand Island, Kearney, Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte, ONeill

and Scottsbluff (see details on last page of news release).

Topics include: the development of new drug delivery systems which direct

drugs to the targeted area; computerized medical records and their impact

on health; patient simulators used in teaching UNMC students; ways to access

legitimate health information on the Internet; and surgery with the da

VinciTM Surgical System — a new robotic system used for surgeries at UNMC

and Nebraska Health System.

The da VinciTM Surgical System was used at UNMC/NHS for the first time

last August to perform a computer-assisted procedure on a patient who needed

a bowel resection. To date, 12 clinical procedures have been performed

for various conditions. Compared to traditional surgery, computer-assisted

surgery sometimes referred to as robotic surgery benefits patients

because the incision made during surgery is as little as one inch. This

significantly reduces the patients pain, recovery and rehabilitation time.

Today, the speed of biotechnology helps researchers move their discoveries

quickly to the patient, said James Linder, M.D., professor of pathology/microbiology

at UNMC. Results of medical uses of biotechnology include new drugs, new

tests to better predict risk for disease, and computer-assisted surgical

systems that significantly reduce patient pain, recovery and rehabilitation

time.

The satellite broadcast can be received by any facility across Nebraska

that has NebSat (Net 2) with TeleStar5 satellite downlink capability. For

the channel number, call UNMC at (402) 559-5190.

UNMC Mini-Medical School dates, topics and presenters:

April 5 Tapping into technology

From black bag to laptop — Learn how computer technology is leading

us to a healthier future, how medical records will be managed and how computers

support the decisions of health-care providers, presented by James Linder,

M.D., professor of pathology/microbiology, and visiting professor, Peter

Kiewit Institute of Information Science, Technology and Engineering, University

of Nebraska.

Technology to tailor treatments — Discover how computers measure gene

expression and distinguish differences in diseases, which may help explain

why some people respond to treatments and others dont, presented by Wing

(John) C. Chan, M.D., UNMC professor of pathology/microbiology.

April 12 What technology can teach us

Practicing on virtual patients — Find out how computer equipment and

simulators in the classroom are teaching the next generation of health-care

professionals, presented by John H. Tinker, M.D., UNMC chairperson and

professor of anesthesiology.

Doctor.com medical advice on the Web — Study ways to access medical

information on the Internet and learn how to identify legitimate health

Web sites, presented by John Windle, M.D., section chief and associate

professor of cardiology, and director of UNMC Health Informatics Program.

April 19 — Directions to a healthier tomorrows

Fighting cancer on the genetic level — Learn how cancer occurs when

certain genes are turned off, how UNMC researchers use technology to detect

these changes and how new treatments are being developed, presented by

Judith K. Christman, Ph.D., UNMC Chairwoman and Stokes-Shackleford Professor

of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Special delivery drugs — Discover how researchers are developing new

drug delivery systems that will act like magic bullets, presented by Alexander

(Sasha) Kabanov, Ph.D., Dr.Sc., UNMC associate professor of pharmaceutical

sciences.

April 26 — Surgery, computers and robots

Technology and touch: A joint effort — Find out how engineering, robotic

surgery and computers are assisting orthopaedic surgeons in the operating

room, presented by Hani Haider, Ph.D., UNMC associate professor of orthopaedic

surgery.

On the cutting edge — Explore the world of computer-assisted surgery

and see how UNMCs new da VinciTM Surgical System works, presented by Byers

W. Shaw, Jr., M.D., UNMC chairman and Musselman Professor, Regents Named

Chair.

While the program is free to the public, Nebraska and Iowa nurses who

wish to receive eight contact hours of continuing nursing education credits,

can do so at a cost of $40, through the UNMC College of Nursing, which

is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission

on Accreditation, Iowa provider number 78. Call Sue Wisnieski for more

information, (402) 559-7487.

This is the 11th UNMC Mini-Medical School Series. Some previous topics

included: brain disease, cancer, womens health, genetics, heart disease,

geriatrics, diabetes and respiratory systems.

Locations of FREE UNMC Mini-Medical School Series

Genes & Chips: Combining New Science, Technology for a Healthier

Tomorrow

Four consecutive Thursdays, April 5, 12, 19 & 26

7-9 p.m. CDT

6-8 p.m. MDT

Columbus

Contact: Jeri Howard, Central Community College Columbus Campus, North

Education Building, Room 904, 4500 63rd St. To register, call (402) 562-1252

or via internet at www.unmc.edu

Dakota City

University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, Commissioners Meeting

Room, Courthouse (lower level)

To register, call (402) 987-2140 or via internet at www.unmc.edu

Grand Island

College Park, Fonner Park Room, 3180 W. Highway 34

To register, call (308) 385-5014 or via internet at www.unmc.edu

Kearney

Rural Health Education Distance Learning Center, Communications Center

Building, Room 101, University of Nebraska at Kearney, 1918 University

Drive

To register, call (308) 865-8055 or (308) 865-8065 or via internet

at www.unmc.edu

Lincoln

UNMC College of Dentistry, 40th and Holdrege Streets, Dixon Lecture

Hall

To register, call (402) 472-9993 or via internet at www.unmc.edu

Sponsors: UNMC College of Nursing and UNMC College of Dentistry

Norfolk

Northeast Community College, Lifelong Learning Center

University Classroom, 601 E. Benjamin Ave.

To register, call (402) 370-4000 or via internet at www.unmc.edu

North Platte

Nebraska Plains Higher Education Center

McKinley Education Center, Room 106, 301 West F Street

To register, call (308) 532-3611, ext. 167 or via internet at www.unmc.edu

Omaha

UNMC College of Nursing, Cooper Auditorium, 42nd Street and Dewey Ave.

To register, call (402) 559-4315 or via internet at www.unmc.edu

and

NHS Clarkson West Medical Center, 144th & West Center Road, Conference

Room, 2nd Floor (seating limited)

To register, call (402) 559-4315 or via internet at www.unmc.edu

ONeill

University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, Courthouse Annex, 128

N. 6th St.

To register, call (402) 336-2760 or via internet at www.unmc.edu

Scottsbluff

UNMC College of Nursing West Nebraska Division, University Complex

Panhandle Station

4502 Ave. I, Room 201

Call (308) 632-0410 or via internet at www.unmc.edu

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