Health

As Demand Rises, UA Offers Speedy Nurse Schooling

jfitzen — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:01:04 -0700

The UA accelerated nursing program – a special master's degree program at the College of Nursing in which people with degrees in other fields enroll – is designed to help fill the rising demand for nurses. National figures show nursing jobs will grow by 26 percent in the next eight years.

Where the Germs Are: Office Kitchens, Break Rooms

Jeff Harrison — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The place where U.S. workers eat and prepare their lunches topped the list of office germ hot spots, with the sink and microwave door handles found to be the dirtiest surfaces touched by office workers on a daily basis. UA microbiologist Charles Gerba advised the study.

UA Program Provides Sunscreen at Tucson Attractions

jfitzen — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:56:59 -0700

With temperatures in the triple digits, and summer's official start looming around the corner, it's time to start thinking about protecting your skin. The UA Skin Cancer Institute is doing this with its Protect Your Skin program, which provides sunscreen and sun safety information at some of Tucson's outdoor attractions.

AHSC: Helping People Live Better, Longer

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

J. Lyle Bootman, UA senior vice president for health sciences, has a vision for the Arizona Health Sciences Center: to help Arizona become a health destination. A significant focus for AHSC is contributing to healthy lifestyles for a growing population of seniors.

UA to Study How Children With Autism Utilize iPads

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dr. Sydney Rice, associate professor of pediatrics at the UA College of Medicine and member of the Steele Children's Research Center, has received a $15,000, one-year grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona to research how children who have autism use Apple iPads.

Professor Links Gene Mutations With Heart Disease Precursors

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

It may be easier in the future to test and provide early treatment for the heart disease known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, according to new research published by the UA's Jil Tardiff. HCM affects one in 500 people and can lead to sudden cardiac arrest and sometimes early death.

Dr. Peter Rhee Named to Martin Gluck Endowed Chair

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dr. Peter Rhee, chief of trauma, critical care and emergency surgery in the UA department of surgery, is the inaugural recipient of the Martin Gluck Endowed Chair. The endowed position was created with a $1.7 million commitment by Tucson Foundations.

Three UA Faculty Members Named 1885 Distinguished Scholars

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Three UA faculty members have been selected to receive the first-ever 1885 Distinguished Scholars Awards, created by President Eugene G. Sander to acknowledge outstanding mid-career faculty whose contributions promise to catapult their disciplines to new levels of innovation.

Dr. Peter Rhee to Undergrads: Travel, Today's a Good Day

Rebecca Ruiz-McGill — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dr. Peter Rhee, chief of trauma, critical care and emergency surgery at The University of Arizona Medical Center-University Campus, told students about his travels and explained why today is a good day during his speech at the May 12 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony.

Second UA College of Medicine-Phoenix Class Graduates

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The second group of full-time Phoenix-based UA medical students walked out of the Phoenix Convention Center on May 9 as physicians. Forty students made up the second class of UA College of Medicine-Phoenix graduates.

Students Head to Mexico-Guatemala Border to Study Migration

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

For nine days in May, a team of UA graduate students from the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture School of Landscape Architecture and Planning will study the effects of migration on health in the border communities of Chiapas, Mexico and San Marcos, Guatemala.

Pharmacy Industry Leader, UA Alumnus Earns Achievement Award

Rebecca Ruiz-McGill — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Costco pharmacy head and devoted philanthropist Charles V. Burnett will be honored with the UA Alumni Association Alumni Achievement Award during the Graduate Commencement Ceremony on May 11. This is the highest honor the alumni association bestows upon alumni.

Study: Texting Increases Turnout to Campus Blood Drive

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

As part of a class, UA students designed and carried out an experiment to see if sending text message or email reminders to blood-drive volunteers would improve turnout. The reminders increased donor turnout by 11 percent.

UAMC Offering New Procedure to Treat Severe Asthma

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The Alair® Bronchial Thermoplasty System uses radio-frequency waves to treat patients at The University of Arizona Medical Center-University Campus. The procedure can be extremely helpful in controlling severe asthma in patients who have not seen results using other treatments.

UA Expert Advises Against High Doses of Supplements

jfitzen — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:45:42 -0700

The vitamin D and calcium you're taking could be causing more harm than good, a new article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute says. The paper, co-authored by the UA's Elizabeth Jacobs, cites evidence that high doses of some supplements increase cancer risk.

Mother Donates Part of Liver to 1-Year-Old Daughter

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The first adult-to-pediatric living liver transplant in Arizona has been performed at The University of Arizona-University Campus. Vanessa Negrete, 26, from Yuma, donated a section of her liver to her 1-year-old daughter, Aliyah.

UAMC-South Campus Earns Provisional Level III Trauma Designation

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The University of Arizona Medical Center-South Campus has been named a provisional Level III trauma center by the Arizona Department of Health Services, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System. The 245-bed teaching hospital is managed by The University of Arizona Health Network.

UA Basketball Visits With Hospitalized Youth

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Members of the men's basketball team visited The University of Arizona Medical Center-Diamond Children's recently to share words of encouragement with kids in the hospital. Player Solomon Hill encouraged the young patients to "stay strong" and to keep a positive outlook.

Southwest Arizona Farmers Betting on Olives

jfitzen — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:26:00 -0700

Growers in the Southwest are turning their attention to olives – an ancient agricultural product with a promising new future. With Americans in pursuit of healthier living, there's a growing demand for high-quality olive oil, said Glenn Wright, a UA researcher with the Yuma Agriculture Center: "I think there's a big future here, based on what I know so far."

UA Researchers Aim to Predict Hip Fracture Risk

Jennifer Fitzenberger — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

UA engineers and public health professors are developing an Internet-based computer model to identify those most at risk for hip fractures. The model will help patients make medication and lifestyle changes to reduce their vulnerability to fractures, potentially reducing suffering and insurance costs.

UA Surgeon, Nobel Laureate to Speak at Commencement

Rebecca Ruiz-McGill — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Dr. Peter Rhee of The University of Arizona Medical Center-University Campus and Brian Schmidt, a Nobel Laureate and UA alumnus, will serve as the 2012 Spring Commencement speakers. Schmidt will speak during the graduate ceremony on May 11, and Rhee will speak during the undergraduate ceremony on May 12.

Read to Your Babies - It's Never Too Soon

cruzj — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:51:44 -0700

Dr. Michael Cohen, a clinical professor of pediatrics at the UA College of Medicine, is a longtime advocate of reading to babies as a way to improve early childhood literacy. He has been recognized for his volunteer work with Reach Out and Read, a nonprofit organization that recommends parents read to their children daily starting at age six months.

UA Professor Leading Research for Autism Drug

cruzj — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:53:40 -0700

Linda Restifo, a professor of neuroscience at the UA, is leading a first-of-its-kind experiment to find a drug to treat autism and developmental disabilities. Researchers are comparing fruit flies’ behaviors and brain cells to autistic children.

Old Human Tissue Answers New Scientific Questions

jfitzen — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:42:07 -0700

Old human tissue can help shed light on historic public health events such as the proliferation of the AIDS virus. “It is amazing to be able to step back in time and look at the genesis of such an important part of human history and human health,” said Michael Worobey, a UA evolutionary biologist who studies the lineage of HIV, which causes AIDS.

Robotics Provide Surgical Aid

jfitzen — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:32:42 -0700

The third-generation da Vinci Surgical System robotic device helps surgeons training at The University of Arizona Medical Center learn their craft. The device provides a better HD image than previous models, is slimmer and has two surgical consoles, which allow for two surgeons to actively participate in a surgery.