NEWS

Economic Stimulus Funds to Help Research and Community Services at BMC

Baystate Medical Center has been awarded five projects funded by the new Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, also known as Federal Stimulus Funds. These five projects will bring in nearly $1.4 Million over the next two years beginning Oct 1, 2009. ARRA created an opportunity to access new, one time, federal research and public/community service grants. The research and community services faculty at Baystate Health vigorously responded to this funding opportunity by submitting 17 proposals during the Spring 2009.

• Dr Peter Lindenauer, the leader of the Center for Quality of Care Research, received an award as part of the “COPD outcomes-based Network of Clinical Effectiveness and Translational Research,” known as the CONCERT project, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Dr. Lindenauer’s team will collaborate with a national network including the; University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Washington, Kaiser Portland, and University of North Carolina to develop an national warehouse and registry of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients that can be used for observational studies and can catalyze the conduct of clinical trials. In addition to Dr. Lindenauer’s role as a study and site Principal Investigator, Dr. Mark Tidswell of Critical Care and Dr. John Landis of Pulmonology will each play a significant role in the CONCERT project at Baystate Medical Center.




• Two Pediatric based projects have been awarded. Dr. Matt Sadoff in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, will head up the READY program, “Reducing Environmental Asthma Disparities in Youth” program that integrates home based environmental and educational interventions into clinical practice to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the burden of asthma.  Dr. Stephen Boos of Pediatrics has the leadership role in the new funding for Victims of Child Abuse (VOCA) program awarded via the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance, which will fund medical and social services to victims free of charge.




• Marypat Toye, RN, in her collaboration with the Harvard School of Public Health will administer the IMPAACT-PROMISE protocol. The “Promoting Maternal and Infant Survival Everywhere” program addresses strategies to improve the survival rates for HIV/Aids among mothers and infants.




• Dr. Ari Kugelmass, Chief of the Cardiology/Vascular Division at Baystate Medical Center, has been awarded a subcontract from St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, MO to be the local Investigator in the PRISM study that is funded by the National Health, Lung, Blood Institute (NHLBI). The “Transforming PCI Informed Consent into an Evidence-based Decision-making Tool,” or PREDICT, project seeks to evaluate the impact of an enhanced informed consent for cardiac procedures as implemented during the PRISM study.

Dr. Hal Jenson, Chief Academic Officer, notes that, “Many of the collaborating institutions involved in these awards have national leadership in these areas, and the Baystate collaboration on these projects raises our prominence with these groups and the funding sources. We are thrilled at our success rate of over 25%, and we congratulate the investigators who worked so hard on the proposals, many of which had very short turn-around deadlines.

Sandra Bellantonio MD Spurs Initiation of American Geriatrics Society Student Chapter at TUSM

The American Geriatrics Society recently recognized TUSM's Geriatric Special Interest Group as an AGS affiliated Student Chapter and will provide a stipend to support chapter activities for the 2009-2010 academic year. Dr. Bellantonio, Chief of the Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, was instrumental in helping to establish TUSM's student chapter, and is the faculty advisor.

As a recipient of the Geriatric Academic Career Award, a 3 year award totaling more than $200,000, Dr. Bellantonio's objective was to help integrate geriatrics into the undergraduate curriculum at TUSM. She initiated a Geriatrics Student Interest Group at TUSM in 2007 through the Office of Student Affairs, which has led to the AGS affiliated Student Chapter. The Chapter had its first meeting recently with about 20 attendees.

AGS considers medical students to be important contributors to its goal of enhancing the field of geriatrics and the quality of life of older persons, and has a website dedicated to medical student resources.

Baystate Presents 4 Workshops at the Annual New England Hospice and Palliative Care Federation Education Conference

Baystate's 8 presenters—2 faculty, 1 resident and 5 nurses— participated in 4 workshops at the annual meeting held October 20 and 21 in Norwood,MA. Only one institution participated in more teaching sessions than Baystate. Dr. Mayu Sekiguchi was the only resident presenting at the conference.

• Lucinda Palmer RN, MEd,CHPN and Karen Blair RN, BSN, Clinical Operations Manager, Baystate VNAH
  "Designing and Implementing a Clinical Recognition Program for Nurses and Hospice Aides in Hospice and Palliative Care"

• Maura Brennan MD, Medical Director, Hospice, Director, Geriatric Consultation Program and Michele Giles RN, Case Manager, VNAH
  "Decreasing Risk for Frail Elders at the End of Life: An Introduction to Geriatric Drug Selection and Dosing for Palliative Care Clinicians"

• Mayu Sekiguchi MD, MPH, Internal Medicine Residency Program and Jennifer Norton RN, Case Manager, Baystate VNAH
  "Terminal Delirium"

• Oren Brody DO, Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, and Robin Tracy RN, Case Manager, Baystate VNAH
  "Dementias in Palliative Care"

The New England Hospice and Palliative Care Federation Education Conference is the major annual regional conference for hospice providers in the area, and was attended by more than 700 clinicians.

Anonymous Faculty Member Donates TV for BMC Residents and Fellows

The new flat screen TV has been installed in the Physicians' Dining Room in the main cafeteria. Other amenities have also been added in order to provide additional respite space for residents and fellows.

Softer, more comfortable furniture, a microwave and a refrigerator are now available. The refrigerator will be stocked by Food Services each evening. The food, available to any physician on a first-come first-served basis.

The Physicians' Dining Room will now be accessible at all times. Please call Security to unlock the door if you find it locked.