SUMC in the News (11/27/06)

Print media coverage

San Francisco Chronicle, 11/27/06
Strike to partly shut blood centers
The effects of a strike by a group of Bay Area American Red Cross nurses set to begin today are discussed in this article. The strike will partly close two of the East Bay's four blood centers. The Red Cross says it will not hamper the supply of blood to hospitals. The Stanford Blood Center will not be directly affected by the strike, but is mentioned.

San Mateo County Times, 11/27/06
There's no adrenaline blocker
This article mentions how Stanford researchers have found that people who exercise four times a week for 30-40 minutes fall asleep in half their normal time and manage to sleep an hour longer..

Not enough doctors for kids
This article discusses how clinics in the south part of San Mateo County struggle to care for almost half of the county's low-income children. Lucile Packard Children's Hospital is mentioned here.

Salt Lake City Tribune, 11/27/06
Hypnotic childbirth emphasizes the power of the mind
This article discusses the growing popularity of hypnobirthing to ease the pain of childbirth. The story mentions that hypnosis courses are offered to students at the medical school.

St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.), 11/27/06
Leave me alone, my PS3 is curing cancer
This article discusses how the new PlayStation 3 can help Stanford researchers analyze complex human protein structures and perhaps find cures for cancer, Alzheimer's and other ailments.

New York Times Magazine, 11/26/06
One spoonful at a time
This article recounts the experiences of the parents of a 14-year-old anorexia sufferer. James Lock, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the eating-disorders program at Packard is referenced.

San Jose Mercury News, 11/26/06
Health research hurt by cutbacks
This article discusses the recent downturn in federal funding for medical research. Stanford is one of several medical schools affected by the cutbacks. Dean Philip Pizzo is quoted here.

Transplant dilemma grows
The ethical issues associated with the growing trend of people donating organs to patients whom they don't know are discussed in this article. John Scandling, professor of medicine and director of the adult kidney and pancreas transplant program, and David Magnus, director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, provide comment.

Times-Picayune (New Orleans), 11/26/06
Free pharmaceutical samples hook doctors
This article on pharmaceutical companies giving free samples to doctors references Stanford's policy aimed at limiting the potential influence of pharmaceutical and other biomedical companies in its day-to-day clinical and educational activities.

New York Daily News, 11/25/06
The curse of Internet addiction
This article on Internet addiction references a recent Stanford study that found more than one out of eight Americans exhibited at least one possible sign of problematic Internet use.

Washington Post, 11/24/06
Shop-til-you-drop season scary for some
Lorrin Koran, emeritus professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses how the holiday is the most difficult time for people suffering from compulsive shopping disorder. The HealthDay article also appears on drKoop.com, Forbes.com, iVillage.com and several newspapers across the country, including the Austin American-Statesman (Austin, Texas), Daily Advance (Elizabeth City, N.C.), Greenville Reflector (Greenville, N.C.), Grand Junction Sentinel (Grand Junction, Colo.), Lufkin News (Lufkin, Texas), Marshall News Messenger (Marshall, Texas), Middleton Journal (Middleton, Ohio), Palm Beach Post (Palm Beach, Fla.), Philadelphia Inquirer, Rocky Mount Telegram (Rocky Mount, N.C.) and Springfield News-Sun (Springfield, Ohio).

San Jose Mercury News, 11/24/06
Emergency care emerges quickly
This article discusses the Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), a non-profit organization that provides emergency medicine and training programs in India. Swaminatha Mahadevan, assistant professor of surgery and associate chief for the emergency medicine division, provides comment.

Los Altos Town Crier, 11/24/06
Thanksgiving - help others, help ourselves
This article mentions "Kids Fun Run", a program sponsored by Lucile Packard Children's Hospital that teaches fun and fitness to kids.

Palo Alto Weekly, 11/24/06
Council weighs in on Stanford rebuild
This article discusses a plan to rebuild Stanford Hospital in order to meet state mandated seismic safety requirements, as well as create more private rooms for patients. Packard is also part of the project. Dean Philip Pizzo and Mark Tortorich, vice president of facilities at Stanford, are mentioned here. Pizzo and hospital spokesperson Anthony Marek are quoted in the San Jose/Silicon Valley Business Journal. The rebuild project is also mentioned in a letter to the editor, which appears in the Burlingame Daily News, San Jose Mercury News, San Mateo Daily News, Palo Alto Daily News and Redwood City Daily News.

Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.), 11/23/06
Big study of sciatia inconclusive on treatment
This article discusses a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association that found people with ruptured disks in their lower backs usually recover whether or not they have surgery. Eugene Carragee, professor of orthopaedic surgery, is quoted in this article, which originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune. Carragee is quoted in an Associated Press piece which appears in the Atlantic City Press (Atlantic City, N.J.), Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Sarasota, Fla.) and Tacoma News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.). A brief item also appears in the Globe and Mail (Canada). Carragee is also quoted in a Reuters article, which appears in the Macon Telegraph (Macon, Ga.).

Detroit News, 11/23/06
Sleep breaks help doctors on all-night shifts
Doctors and nurses who were allowed a short nap while working the night shift in an emergency room showed improved mood, a higher alertness level and the ability to complete a simulated I.V. insertion more quickly, according to a new Stanford study. Steven Howard, associate professor of anesthesia, is quoted in this article. A HealthDay article also appears on CBCNews.com (Canada).

Contra Costa Times, 11/23/06
'Blankets for Babies' provides for the most vulnerable among us
This Q&A features an interview with Cleo Foster, who heads Pleasanton's "Blankets for Babies" project. The program provides blankets and quilts for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Packard. Kate Teague, a nurse at Stanford, is also mentioned here.

Monterey County Herald, 11/22/06
Progress on Alzheimer's treatments seen
Stanford researchers have discovered a molecule that may hold the key to understanding and eventually treating Alzheimer's disease. Tony Wyss-Coray, associate professor of neurology and lead author, is quoted in this article.

San Francisco Chronicle, 11/22/06
Robots aid stroke victims, autistic kids
This Associated Press article explores studies on rehabilitating stroke patients using a robot described as a cross between an exercise machine and video game. Researchers say patients made gains in recovery that they couldn't achieve with other therapies. Sebastian Thrun, director of Stanford's artificial intelligence laboratory, is quoted. Although SUMC is not mentioned, this article may be of interest to readers.

Broadcast media coverage

60 Minutes (CBS), 11/26/06
This segment discussed a pill that may be able to alter painful memories or mental trauma such as post-traumatic stress disorder. David Magnus was interviewed.

Paula Zahn Now (CNN), 11/24/06
Emmanuel Mignot, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was featured in this program, "Mysteries of the Mind," which looked at teens suffering from narcolepsy.