Archived News and Events - 2009
May 14, May 28: Free Webinars to Cover Legal Issues Impacting CME and Stark Law
Two important webinars will be offered to UT Graduate School of Medicine and University of Tennessee Medical Center in May.
The Alliance for Continuing Medical Education (ACME) will present the two-session webinar series, “Legal Issues Impacting CME,” May 14 and May 28, from 2-3 p.m. Both webinar sessions will be broadcast in the Graduate School of Medicine Preston Medical Library conference room. Seating will be first come, first served, and attendees can attend one or both sessions.
Made available by the Graduate School of Medicine Office of the Dean, all Graduate School of Medicine faculty, staff, residents and fellows; University of Tennessee Medical Center physicians and staff; compliance officers; legal officers; and all partners with an interest in CME legal issues are invited to view these webinars at no cost.
Session I, “Federal (FDA, HHS, OIG) and State Regulation of Certified CME,” May 14, will be presented by John Kamp, JD, PhD, Executive Director, Coalition for Healthcare Communication.
Session II, “The Stark Truth,” May 28, will be presented by Arnold Friede, JD, Counsel, McDermott Will & Emory LLC, and Barbara Huffman, MEd, FACME, CME Manager, Carle Foundation Hospital.
For more information, contact Communications and Outreach at 305-9190 or cme@utmck.edu.
Posted: April 23, 2009
UT Graduate School of Medicine Dentists Know: Your Mouth Can Speak Volumes about Your Overall Health
Resident dentists and physicians at the UT Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, are identifying better ways to recognize signs in the oral cavity that may indicate their patients have problems in other areas of their bodies.
Dental professionals have long seen a correlation between the health of a patient’s gums and life-threatening conditions that later developed. Ten years ago, the American Academy of Periodontology began educating the public that a person’s periodontal, or gum, health could be an indicator of systemic disease, health problems that can affect organs and tissues or the body as a whole. Research studies suggest links between periodontal disease and risks for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, premature birth, respiratory disease and HIV. Studies about the effects of improved oral health on kidney disease are currently under way.
Associate Professor O. Lee Wilson, D.M.D., Director of the General Practice Residency Program in dentistry at the UT Graduate School of Medicine, says this new understanding places dentists on the front lines of disease detection. “Dentists have been able to see the impact of serious diseases, such as diabetes, on the condition of a patient’s gum health. But researchers examining how these signs in the mouth relate to the progress of diseases in the body have helped us understand that some of the first outward signs of disease may appear in the gums early in the disease cycle. This can mean earlier detection of health problems and preventive care for our patients. Equipped with this knowledge, our dentists consider the possible systemic side effects and refer patients directly to the appropriate medical expert.”
The link between gum disease and systemic disease is so strong that some health plan companies are promoting good dental hygiene by offering to cover additional preventive services for patients who have diabetes, are pregnant, who suffer from heart disease, or are considered high risk.
A free online gum-disease risk assessment designed by the American Academy of Periodontology is available at http://www.perio.org/consumer/4a.html# .
The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville is part of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the statewide academic health system. The school is home to more than 200 teaching physicians and researchers; more than 190 medical and dental resident physicians in 11 residency and 12 fellowship programs; and more than 180 volunteer faculty physicians and dentists. The school, together with clinical partner University Health System Inc., form the University of Tennessee Medical Center, the only academic medical center in the area. For more information about the UT Graduate School of Medicine, visit http://gsm.utmck.edu.
Posted: April 22, 2009
The Scope E-Newsletter April 2009
Read about bright spots at the Graduate School of Medicine in the April issue of The Scope, including the latest in research, minimally invasive procedures and physicians who earned Top Docs.
Posted: April 21, 2009
University of Tennessee Scientists’ Medical Research Patents Demonstrate Advances in Neurological Disorders and Nuclear Medicine
Two researchers at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, received patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for medical research that will improve the study of and search for cure for Huntington’s and other neurological disorders and will improve methods for using radioisotopes in nuclear medicine.
Valerie Berthelier, PhD, Assistant Professor and Director of the Conformational Diseases and Therapeutics Research lab, UT Graduate School of Medicine, developed new methods to study particular inherited neurological disorders, including Huntington’s disease. The invention will help researchers analyze specific proteins known to be associated with these devastating disorders and could lead to the development of new treatments or cures. Analogously to the situation in Alzheimer’s disease, in Huntington’s disease and seven other polyglutamine disorders, the disease protein forms insoluble protein aggregates that are toxic to neurons.
“Due to this development, we were able to identify a small number of promising compounds that affect protein aggregate formation,” said Dr. Berthelier.
George Kabalka, PhD, Robert H. Cole Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience, Director of Basic Science Research Department of Radiology, UT Graduate School of Medicine, received a patent for new methods for incorporating short-lived radioisotopes in molecules of use in nuclear medicine and biology. Short-lived radioisotopes are required by new nuclear medicine imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography and single photon tomography.
“The methods described in the patent offer entirely new approaches to preparing radiopharmaceuticals for use in nuclear medicine imaging. The advantages of the new methodology are that the pharmaceutical precursors have shelf lives of years and can be used in radiopharmacy ‘kits’ that provide for simple purification of the final pharmaceutical product,” said Dr. Kabalka.
Patents are awarded for unique technologies and ideas and serve to protect inventions that can benefit society. The process for receiving a patent is lengthy and difficult: fewer than 10 percent of the discoveries made at the University of Tennessee are eventually granted patents from the USPTO.
“The success of our researchers is an attestation to how seriously we take our commitment to serving our community,” said James J. Neutens, PhD, Dean, UT Graduate School of Medicine. “Through education of physicians and research to improve medical care, we impact the healthcare of our region, state and nation.”
Berthelier and Kabalka are among 20 Knoxville-area UT researchers who were honored recently by the UT Research Foundation (UTRF) for receiving patents from the USPTO on discoveries that could transform the lives of people in Tennessee and the nation. The researchers achieved a total of 15 patents for their intellectual properties over the course of 2007 and 2008.
UTRF President and CEO Fred Tompkins said the scientists responsible for the research that makes it through this process are among the most innovative and dedicated individuals in the university system. “Awarded patents are an indication of the innovative people and programs at the university,” Tompkins said.
Not only do patents benefit the university through external funding, but they also have the potential to stimulate economic development through the generation of licensing revenues, which can be the basis for starting new companies.
The remaining scientists who were honored include 11 researchers from UT Knoxville and seven researchers from the UT Institute of Agriculture (UTIA).
The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville is part of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the statewide academic health system. The school is home to more than 200 teaching physicians and researchers; more than 190 medical and dental resident physicians in 11 residency and 12 fellowship programs; and more than 180 volunteer faculty physicians and dentists. The school, together with clinical partner University Health System Inc., form the University of Tennessee Medical Center, the only academic medical center in the area. For more information about the UT Graduate School of Medicine, visit http://gsm.utmck.edu.
Posted: April 15, 2009
UT Genetics Center First in Region to Offer New DNA Tests
The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine Genetics Center is the first in the region to offer two new genetic tests in its laboratories. The two tests, Warfarin Mutation Panel and KRAS Gene Mutation Analysis, analyze DNA for variations to indicate how patients would respond to certain therapeutic drugs.
Specifically, the Warfarin Mutation Panel analyzes DNA variations to determine sensitivity to warfarin treatment (also called Coumadin©). Warfarin is an anticoagulant, which decreases the risk of blood clots for individuals at high risk for clot formation and is commonly given following surgery. Some patients, however, have genetic variants requiring warfarin doses different from those usually given to the general population. Sensitivity to warfarin may lead to increased and possibly life-threatening bleeding and often requires extra visits to physicians for changes in the dose of the drug.
The KRAS Gene Mutation Analysis analyzes DNA variations in colorectal tumor cells, which predict patients’ tolerance and possible success with specific types of chemotherapy.
“With these tests, the Genetics Center helps physicians make better informed decisions for their patients and increases patient understanding of their treatments, leading to improved outcomes,” said Karla Matteson, Ph.D., Co-Director, Genetics Center, Professor, Medical Genetics, UT Graduate School of Medicine.
Referrals for services at the Genetics Center are accepted from physicians, school systems and other public or private agencies at, toll free, 1-800-325-3894, or locally, 865-305-9030.
The UT Graduate School of Medicine Genetics Center is the only genetics center in the 16 counties of middle East Tennessee. It is the metabolic center for the 34 counties of East Tennessee and the sickle cell center for Middle and upper East Tennessee.
The Genetics Center provides clinical genetic care and genetic laboratory services to infants, children and adults with confirmed or possible genetic disorders; individuals with a family history of a genetic disorder including familial cancer syndromes; and preconception or prenatal counseling for couples at risk for the birth of a child with a genetic disorder. For more information about the UT Graduate School of Medicine Genetics Center, visit http://gsm.utmck.edu/genetics.
The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville is part of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the statewide academic health system. The school is home to more than 200 teaching physicians and researchers; more than 190 medical and dental resident physicians in 11 residency and 12 fellowship programs; and more than 180 volunteer faculty physicians and dentists. The school, together with clinical partner University Health System Inc., form the University of Tennessee Medical Center, the only academic medical center in the area. For more information about the UT Graduate School of Medicine, visit http://gsm.utmck.edu.
Posted: April 13, 2009
The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine
gsmnews@utmck.edu
865-305-9290
1924 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville, TN 37920