UW News

November 29, 2001

Health Sciences Brief News

Martin edits Web site



Dr. George Martin, professor of pathology, has been named editor-in-chief of the new Science of Aging Knowledge Environment (SAGE KE) in the Web version of Science magazine. Martin is an international expert on applying genetic concepts in studying the biology of aging. He is an adjunct professor of genome sciences and associate director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. SAGE KE is the second in a series of “knowledge environments” that the American Association for the Advancement of Science is developing. The first was the Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment (STKE). The Science of Aging Knowledge Environment will initially emphasize basic biological research. A sister Web site is being planned for clinicians who work with the elderly. See the site at http://sageke.sciencemag.org.




Coit joins UWPN



After an extensive national search, the UW Physicians Network (UWPN), which runs the UW Physicians Neighborhood Clinics, has named Dr. Henry “Rennie” Coit Jr., its new chief operating officer. Coit joins the UWPN staff on Dec. 1.


“At a time when we need to continue to provide excellent patient care, increase our visit volumes, and maintain cost efficiency, the COO will play a critical role,” said Dr. Tom Norris, associate dean and executive director and medical executive of UWPN. “Dr. Coit’s experience in primary care, as well as solid business education and experience, make him well-suited for this task.”


For the last year Coit served as the medical director for Regence BlueShield in Seattle. He practiced general pediatrics for 10 years at Virginia Mason Medical Center, where he was also the clinic chief for the hospital’s Lynnwood Clinic. Coit received his M.D. from the University of California, San Diego, and his M.B.A. from the executive program at the UW. He completed his residency at Children’s in Seattle.




Fujimoto gets Lifetime Award



Dr. Wilfred Fujimoto has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Fujimoto, emeritus professor of medicine in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, is a pioneer in research recognizing the high incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Asian American community.


In 1978 Fujimoto and a Japanese colleague noted a dearth in data for the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese Americans. In Japan the rates of type 2 diabetes were known to be low. Since that time Fujimoto has researched type 2 diabetes in second- and third-generation Japanese Americans in the Seattle area. His research and studies on other Asian groups have found that, as Asian Americans become more Westernized, their diets and physical activity levels change-leading to increased insulin resistance.




Legislative Conference



The 16th annual Washington Health Legislative Conference, the largest gathering of health policy experts and stakeholders in Washington’s health system, is set for Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Sea-Tac Airport DoubleTree Hotel. The daylong forum features 48 speakers and attracts more than 500 participants. The theme this year is “Civic Engagement and Health System Change.” The event is hosted by the Health Policy Analysis Program of the UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine.