March 6, 2003
Health Sciences News Briefs
Ramsey on advisory board
Dr. Paul G. Ramsey, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, is one of 10 deans from medical schools around the country named to serve on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Improvemment in Medical Education, a new project of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Over the next year, the board will coordinate a comprehensive review of the current state of medical education across the nation and release a report based on the findings. The report will provide the base for future projects. Dr. Joseph Martin, dean of Harvard Medical School, chairs the group of 10 deans. Among the others is Dr. Steven Gabbe, now dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and former chair of the UW’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Faculty workshop
Patient safety is the topic for a faculty training workshop scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 18 and 19, in South Campus Center. Jointly sponsored by the School of Medicine and School of Nursing, the two-day workshop will be led by Dr. Pamela Mitchell of the School of Nursing and Dr. Lynne Robins of the School of Medicine. The Faculty Leadership in Interprofessional Education to Promote Patient Safety project is organizing the sessions, and they are open to all faculty members in health sciences schools. For more information, contact Bertine Easterling, program coordinator, at 206-221-7697. There is no charge but preregistration is required. Applications are available online at http://interprofessional.washington.edu/fliepps/application.asp
Communicating risks
“Risk Communication: Going Beyond ‘Right to Know’ to ‘Right to Understand’ “ is the title of a day-long continuing education course to be offered on Thursday, April 3, by the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety. the course will address appropriate use of risk information and how to overcome the challenges with communicating various types of risk information to diverse audiences. The cost is $175 before March 13 and $205 after. Call the center at 206-543-1069 or see the Web site at http://depts.washington.edu/ehce
Grief counseling
The Journey Program at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center is seeking caring and compassionate volunteers for training. The program provides services to families when they have experienced the death of a child, and facilitators are needed for parent and sibling loss support groups. A two-day training is set for Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12. Call Jackie Kite or Leslie Wright at 206-987-2062.
Preeclampsia Summit
Dr. Thomas Easterling, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, is medical director for the Seattle-based Preeclampsia Foundation, a non-profit group formed in 2000 to support research and raise public awareness of preeclampsia, a condition that can develop rapidly in late pregnancy. It can be dangerous for both mother and baby, and it is one of the reasons infants are delivered prematurely. With a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the group is sponsoring an international Preeclampsia Summit in Seattle April 4 to 6, bringing together experts on the condition and representatives from global health organizations. The Preeclampsia Foundation Web site is at http://www.preeclampsia.org
