Reporter April 18 2014

VICC’s Arteaga assumes presidency of AACR

Apr. 17, 2014—Carlos L. Arteaga, M.D., professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology and Donna S. Hall Professor of Breast Cancer Research at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), assumed the presidency of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for 2014-2015 during the group’s annual meeting last week in San Diego.

Redesign of nursing workflow seeing success

Apr. 17, 2014—In 2008, Vanderbilt nurses participated in a nationwide survey to determine how they spent their time, and it revealed that only 16 percent was spent on direct patient care, while 28 percent was spent on documentation.

Competition showcases commercial viability of ideas

Apr. 17, 2014—A strategy for commercializing an optical 3-D scanner that can ensure all cancerous breast tissue is removed during surgery, thereby avoiding the need for a second operation, has won top honors at this year’s TechVenture Challenge.

LifeFlight ready for new FAA air ambulance rules

Apr. 17, 2014—Vanderbilt LifeFlight is applauding new rules issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that will have a dramatic impact for all air ambulance operators and make the industry much safer.

Adolescent health society honors Pediatrics resident

Apr. 17, 2014—Maria Rahmandar, M.D., a third-year resident in the Department of Pediatrics, recently received the 2014 Career Development Award in Adolescent Health from the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.

Free head and neck cancer screening event set for April 25

Apr. 17, 2014—Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Vanderbilt Department of Otolaryngology will hold the annual head and neck cancer screening event Friday, April 25, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. The screenings are free, open to the public and require no appointment.

Team coordinates care for patients with many needs

Apr. 17, 2014—When Eddie Dotson arrived at Vanderbilt University Medical Center last September, he weighed 627 pounds and truly embodied the label “morbidly obese.” He had so much fluid in his chest it was hard to breathe and his heart, liver and kidneys were failing.

Physical signs of depression common among ICU survivors

Apr. 17, 2014—Depression affects more than one out of three survivors of critical illness, according to a Vanderbilt study released in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and the majority of patients experience their symptoms physically rather than mentally.

Nutrient-absorbing surface’s assembly revealed: study

Apr. 17, 2014—Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered how intestinal cells build the "brush border" -- a specialized surface structure that is critical for absorbing nutrients and defending against pathogens.

New heart pump allows minimally invasive approach

Apr. 17, 2014—Sometimes smaller is better. This is especially true of left ventricular assist devices, the mechanically operated heart pumps that are implanted in heart failure patients to bridge them to transplantation.

Tennessee, Vanderbilt launch novel autism intervention program

Apr. 15, 2014—Vanderbilt University’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) and the Tennessee Department of Education are partnering to bring a novel intervention program to families of young children with autism in Middle Tennessee. Called the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), this new intervention method is aimed at early treatment of toddlers with autism...