http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hral6GvClMk

It isn’t your typical classroom. But for students in the colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health at USF Health, the Contemporary Art Museum may be the place where they fine-tune their observation skills.

A new interdisciplinary program, led by Megan Voeller, associate curator of education at the USF Contemporary Art Museum, is teaching USF Health students skills in critical art observation — skills transferable to clinical contexts that may lead to better observations and more accurate diagnoses, according to research.

The nine-hour program, the inaugural project of the Klasko Institute for an Optimistic Future in Healthcare, was inspired by programs at Yale, Harvard, Northwestern and the University of Miami.

Students in the program, which includes an art studio-based workshop with hands-on visual exercises, a museum-based workshop with interactive discussions of contemporary photographs and a dance-based movement observation workshop, focus on visual thinking strategies and noticing visual phenomena — skills often underdeveloped in a field increasingly reliant on technology.

“The skills of attentiveness, observation, looking and looking again, flexible thinking, tolerance of ambiguity, critical thinking and empathy are important whether working with a community of people or in an examination room,” Voeller says. “The point,” she adds, “is to take the visual capacities students acquire back to the clinical setting.”

For professionals in training, it’s a new kind of education — being awakened to the idea of noticing phenomena like depth, movement and visual illusions — in a course with no right answers.

For their patients and future clients, it could be one of the most valuable courses these students ever take.

This interdisciplinary workshop series for USF Health graduate students will begin again in early September.  New for fall semester, the workshops will conclude with reflective conversations led by USF Health faculty members help connect the art-based observation exercises to clinical and research scenarios like patient interviews.

In August, Voeller will offer USF faculty members a workshop in visual thinking strategies, providing a tool for  image-based classroom teaching.  The faculty program will integrate the same type of discussions of visual artworks used during the workshops for USF Health students.

For more information, please contact Voeller at mvoeller@usf.edu or (813) 974-4199.

This story by Ann Carney appeared in the Spring 2013 issue of USF Magazine.
Video by Danielle Barta.  Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Joel Momberg, Peter R. Baronoff and Dr. Stephen Klasko discuss the Promise Healthcare gift to USF Health.

TAMPA, FL (June 14, 2013) - As America struggles to find doctors to care for senior citizens, USF Health is starting a program to educate new geriatricians – prompted by a $3.6 million gift from Promise Healthcare, Inc.

The training program will get started in The Villages, the nation’s largest community of Americans over 55.

Promise Healthcare, one of the largest organizations of long-term acute care hospitals in the nation, is dedicating the gift to fund an Endowed Directorship in Geriatrics for USF Health. The director will be hired to teach young doctors – internal medicine residents and geriatric fellows – in providing specialized care for older patients.

The Promise Healthcare gift provides the opportunity for a dynamic partnership, said Dr. Stephen Klasko, dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and CEO of USF Health.

“Sometimes everything just comes together beautifully,” Dr. Klasko said. “If you could take the country’s premier company for long-term acute care, the country’s largest retirement community, and the country’s coolest medical school – on this or any other planet — and put them all together to create a geriatric fellowship, you would say, ‘Wow.’ And in essence, that’s what we are doing with Promise, The Villages and USF.”

Dr. Klasko said he’s grateful to Peter R. Baronoff, chairman and CEO of Promise Healthcare and a new member of the board of the USF Foundation, for seeing the possibilities that the company’s gift will provide. Baronoff also is a USF alumnus and a three-term past president of ALTHA, the Acute Long-Term Hospital Association.

“America desperately needs more physicians especially trained to care for our senior citizens,” Dr. Klasko said. “We are so glad that Mr. Baronoff not only recognizes that need, but envisioned how USF Health, The Villages, and Promise could come together to address this critical need.”

The innovative partnership’s efforts and collaboration to improve geriatric care will have far-reaching opportunities, Baronoff said.

“Serving as a progressive model, this demonstrates how vital it is for a national healthcare system like Promise Healthcare to partner with a university healthcare system in coordinating their efforts to enhance geriatric healthcare on a national basis,” Baronoff said. “And as hospitals across the country look to improve on quality initiatives in a values-based healthcare environment, this partnership will provide enhanced direction to not only our physicians, employees and health systems that refer us patients, but also the national healthcare community.”

Promise’s gift – a part of the USF: Unstoppable Campaign – to USF Health will help residents in The Villages immediately and make an impact far beyond its borders, said Dr. Elliot Sussman, chair of The Villages Health.

“We all know that the number of seniors in the U.S. is rapidly increasing. Their health related needs are numerous and complex,” Dr. Sussman said. “Yet, one of the most scarce resources in the U.S. is the number of physicians with specialty training in geriatrics. Peter Baronoff clearly recognizes this; he is both talking about it and doing something about it!! Establishing a USF Health geriatric training fellowship in the largest community for seniors in the entire U.S. is a bold and wonderful gift that will provide dividends to both the local and national community.”

The new Director of Geriatrics will also be a Chief Medical Officer with Promise Healthcare, overseeing physician practice and patient care. Promise Healthcare operates 13 hospitals across the nation, including Promise Hospital of Florida at The Villages.

The U.S. will need about 25,000 geriatric physicians by the year 2025 to treat its aging population, according to the American Geriatrics Society. But only about 7,000 certified geriatric physicians now practice in the U.S.

The new program will become a pipeline to provide geriatric physicians for Tampa Bay patients and hospitals, said Jim Burkhart, the new president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital.

“As the CEO of USF Health’s primary teaching hospital, any new residency or fellowship is exciting to both institutions,” Burkhart said. “This important gift will pave the way for specialist doctors to care for our seniors in Tampa Bay and for the seniors in The Villages.”

Promise Healthcare has a deep appreciation for the problem, as 95 percent of its patients are geriatric. Most are hospitalized for 25 days or longer and suffer from life-threatening conditions. Promise became interested in helping USF Health after seeing its role in partnering with The Villages to help create “America’s Healthiest Hometown,” and seeing the opportunity for a unique synergy.

Joel Momberg, CEO of the USF Foundation and senior vice president of USF Advancement, thanked  Baronoff and Promise for their contributions to better healthcare.

“We at the USF Foundation are so pleased that Peter Baronoff, our newest board member, has generously invested in USF Health through such a special gift,” Momberg said.

-          USF Health –

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu

-          USF: Unstoppable –

The USF: Unstoppable Campaign is a comprehensive fundraising effort by the University of South Florida System to celebrate the energy, vision, and future of one of the country’s most exciting and engaged universities. Our people and programs, our ideas, our research, and our solutions comprise an ambitious plan to enhance healthcare, science, technology, education, business, the arts, and global partnerships.

Media contact:  
Lisa Greene, USF Health Communications, 813-974-4312 or lgreene@health.usf.edu

Taking active roles on a national stage earned several high-profile awards for students at the  USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, including showcasing the comprehensive range of involvement by the USF chapter of the American Medical Association’s Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS).

At the AMA’s recent national meeting in Chicago, USF was named AMA-MSS School of the Year.

In addition, the USF chapter’s recent Fitness Bootcamp earned Event of the Year.

“Many other schools applied to be considered for these awards, so it was a huge feat to win both simultaneously,” said Phillip Zegelbone, a second-year student and chair of the USF AMA-MSS. “We’re extremely proud to have received two of the highest possible honors a medical school in the AMA-MSS can achieve.”

Applicants for the School of the Year were judged in several areas, including membership, community service, advocacy, innovation and collaboration.  USF won a $500 grant to be used toward the local medical student section’s activities.  For more on the USF AMA section’s achievements over the past year in the various award categories, click here.

The student-run Fitness Bootcamp  promoted teamwork and exercise in health professions students across disciplines, which made the event stand out among competitors, Zegelbone said. “We believe the bootcamp’s interprofessional nature boosted its popularity with the AMA.”

Some USF AMA Section members show off their recent high-profile awards. Kneeling: Elise Diamond, MS2. Front row, l to r: Jessica Deslauriers, MS4; Jennifer Chevinsky, MS3; Kanchi Batra, MS3; and Monique Konstantinovic, MS2. Back row, l to r: Aresh Ramin, MS3; Cameron Paterson, MS2; R. David Graham, MS4; and Phillip Zegelbone, MS2.

Several USF medical students were also elected to national and regional AMA positions at the national meeting:

• R. David Graham (Class of 2014) was elected Speaker of the national medical student section
• Jessica Deslauriers (Class of 2014) was elected At Large Officer
• Zegelbone (Class of 2016) was elected Regional Community Service Chair.

Winning another nationally-competitive honor was medical student Chelsea Frost (Class of 2016), who was selected as a 2013 Orthopaedic Summer Intern,  a program co-sponsored by both Nth Dimensions and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery. Frost is one of 15 medical students selected nationwide to be Nth Dimensions/AAOS scholars. She was selected among 65 applicants nationally.

Jennifer Chevinsky

And continuing with the news of USF medical student involvement on national platforms, Jennifer Chevinsky (Class of 2015) edited the June issue of the Virtual Mentor, AMA’s online ethics journal. Each issue of Virtual Mentor has a theme—a medical specialty field or topic of concern or debate in medical ethics. Invited medical students and residents apply to serve as theme issue editors and for the June issue Chevinksy offered a slate of articles on team-based learning, including the lead article called “Redefining Leadership and Medical Teams”. There are several articles by USF Health faculty, as well as a podcast of an interview with Dr. Stephen Klasko produced by Chevinsky.

By Sarah A. Worth, USF Health Communications

Tampa, FL – (June 20, 2013) – Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and CEO of USF Health, has been named as the new president of Thomas Jefferson University and president and CEO of TJUH System.

Dr. Klasko, who presided over the creation of USF Health and is the longest-serving dean in the College of Medicine’s history, is known as a healthcare innovator.  Under his tenure, USF Health has opened the world’s largest simulation center, aimed at improving patient safety; opened new healthcare centers designed with patients at the center; and started a new physician leadership program with a new vision for teaching future doctors.

“We will miss Steve and his innovative and energetic presence at USF and we are grateful for the work and vision he brought to us over the past nine years,” said USF System President Judy Genshaft. “Steve did not just bring a transformative philosophy about what health care should and could be to the Tampa Bay Region, but put his ideas into action.”

Thomas Jefferson University announced Dr. Klasko’s appointment Thursday in Philadelphia. Dr. Klasko is taking on a new role as the first person to lead both Thomas Jefferson University and the TJUH System.

“It has been 15 years since the University and the Hospital have shared a common leader, but, in a quickly changing healthcare environment, there is a real advantage to having the academic and clinical missions of a major medical center like Jefferson truly intertwined,” said David Binswanger, chair of Thomas Jefferson University’s Board of Trustees.  “Steve Klasko brings dynamic and innovative leadership to take advantage of Jefferson’s rich history, vast expertise and extraordinary patient care and drive it in amazing new directions.  Steve’s experience as a physician and business leader who transformed USF Health makes him uniquely qualified for this exciting opportunity.”

“I am truly honored to be leading one of the finest academic health centers in the nation,” said Dr. Klasko, “with a rich medical history and stellar reputation for academic excellence, innovative research and compassionate patient care.  This is by far one of the greatest opportunities to come along in a decade, to forge Thomas Jefferson University, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital System and Jefferson University Physicians into the model for healthcare revolution.”

At the same time, Dr. Klasko said, he is proud of the work that his USF Health colleagues have accomplished, and believes that USF Health will continue to act as a leader in transforming health.

“At USF Health, we believe that we can – and must – shape a vision of the future that promotes better health,” Dr. Klasko said.

Dr. Klasko also praised President Genshaft’s leadership.

“None of what we have done at USF Health would be possible without President Genshaft’s energy, drive and vision of what USF can become,” he said.

A national search to replace Dr. Klasko will begin shortly, President Genshaft said.

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.

Media contact:
Lisa Greene, USF Health Communications, (813) 974-4312  or lgreene@health.usf.edu

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

 Elliot Sussman, MD, Chairman, The Villages Health and Professor of Medicine, USF Health, and former Chairman of Board of AAMC, former President and CEO of LeHigh Valley Health Network, and former faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania:

“Steve Klasko has been a force for change for the better in his 9 years at USF Health. His creativity in building partnerships, which embrace the classic academic triad of education, patient care and research, has been key to his success. These partnerships, exemplified by CAMLS, SELECT and The Villages Health, mark USF Health’s emergence as an innovator in American health care. Bringing Steve’s energy and creativity to Philadelphia, William Penn’s City of Brotherly Love, can only benefit Thomas Jefferson University and the greater Philadelphia community.”

Jona Raasch, CEO, The Governance Institute:

Medicine needs more thinkers like Steve Klasko. He is a forward thinking leader who values change and understands the importance of transforming the healthcare industry by keeping the patient in the center and engaged in the process. Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital has solid foundation and excellent faculty that will benefit from Steve’s leadership in moving to the next plateau of medical education, population health and value.

Robert L. Brent, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Pathology, Radiology, Jefferson Medical College, A. I. DuPont Hospital for Children:

“The Jefferson Community will be welcoming their new President, Steve Klasko, who has unlimited enthusiasm, a wealth of new ideas and a charismatic and warm personality. An added benefit is his wonderful first lady, Colleen.”

Steven A. Wartman, MD, PhD, MACP, President/CEO, Association of Academic Health Centers:

“Dr. Klasko is an outstanding choice to lead Thomas Jefferson University.  He brings a critically important skill to the position, one that is even more vital in today’s challenging times for academic health centers: The ability to bring academic and business components together to create something far larger than the sum of their parts.  This “virtuous cycle” is essential in order for academic health centers to thrive in an environment where new models and new ideas are a high priority.  I look forward to his accomplishments in his new position.”

Joel Momberg, Senior Vice President for Advancement, CEO USF Foundation, University of South Florida:

“Steve Klasko describes himself as a birther of babies. Truth is he is both the creator of USF Health and the OBGyn who transformed the delivery and teaching of medicine in the Tampa Bay Area. Steve is a renaissance man. He can run a marathon, DJ a party, write a few books and do a great impression of Jake from the Blues Brothers, helping his students raise money for their Clinic. Steve Klasko will be missed.”

Jeffrey Lowenkron, MD, CEO, Doctors of USF Health:

“At my first meeting with Steve I was impressed with his futurist perspective. He said, ‘If we know something will happen in 5-10 years, why would we wait for it to occur before we planned.’ This perspective drove some of the recent programs that are in process now: SELECT, CAMLS, Villages, the Heart Center for Genomics Research, etc. The other part of Steve’s legacy will be molded by the people he has recruited, virtually all looking to be part of Steve’s vision for an optimistic future for health care.”

Paul Sanberg, PhD, DSc, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, University of South Florida:

“Steve Klasko has a laser focus on the future, and as a result on innovation and creativity. He gave us that focus at USF, and will do the same in Philadelphia.”

Kevin B. Sneed, PharmD, Dean, University of South Florida College of Pharmacy:

“Dr. Klasko ignited a vision and passion here within USF Health for the future of healthcare in this country.  He championed the notion that health is better served by interprofessional teams, and was a strong advocate for our pharmacy program.  He has challenged the health and academic systems to think much bigger than the past 25 to 50 years of health in this country…. USF, and the entire Tampa Bay region, is better because of his vision and passion for progressive healthcare in the future.”

Jim Burkhart, President and CEO, Tampa General Hospital:

“I’ve known Dean Klasko for just three months, but in that time we’ve established a very positive working relationship. While I’m sorry to see him move on, I understand that this is an exciting opportunity for him. I wish him nothing but success.”

Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Families filled the USF College of Public Health auditorium earlier this month, eager to see their second-graders walk across the stage to receive their first white coat as part of graduation from King’s Kids Academy of Health Sciences (KKAHS).

The young learners are the inaugural class for the newly formed charter school, which places an emphasis on health sciences and is helping build a pipeline for healthcare professionals who will help ease the shortage of healthcare providers, especially minority professionals.

The school, which started with kindergarten, first and second grade and targets underserved low-income school-age students of the East Tampa area, had a successful first year, said Maria Stroud, director of KKAHS.

Lennox Hoyte, MD, associate professor in USF’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Morsani College of Medicine, acts as a mentor to the program and, on graduation day, congratulated the graduates on their accomplishment, giving them words of support as they move forward.

USF supports the school with faculty and students, who help coordinate mentors and /or tutors, plug into the school as guest speakers, help on career days, offer support for various science and health projects, etc.

And hopefully inspire students to consider health careers.

KKAHS Principal Maria Stroud helps put a white coat on Thomas Scott, who was instrumental in helping start the school when he was on the Tampa City Council.

Dr. Lennox Hoyte (left) with KKAHS Principal Maria Stoud.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xIMEFvU3ds&feature=youtu.be

Tampa, FL (June 28, 2013) – A cardiac hormone signaling receptor abundantly expressed both in inflamed tissues and cancers appears to recruit stem cells that form the blood vessels needed to feed tumor growth, reports a new study by scientists at the University of South Florida Nanomedicine Research Center. 

The research may lead to the development of new drugs or delivery systems to treat cancer by blocking this receptor, known as natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA).

The findings appeared online recently in the journal Stem Cells.

“Our results show that NRPA signaling by cancer cells produces some molecular factors that attract stem cells, which in turn form blood vessels that provide oxygen and nutrients to the tumor,” said the study’s principal investigator Subhra Mohapatra, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine. “We showed that if the NPRA signal is blocked, so is the angiogenesis and, if the tumor’s blood supply is cut off it will die.” 

Subhra Mohapatra, PhD

Using both cultured cells and a mouse model, Dr. Mohapatra and her team modeled interactions to study the association between gene mutations and exposure to an inflammatory tissue microenvironment.

The researchers demonstrated that cardiac hormone NRPA played a key role in the link between inflammation and the development of cancer-causing tumors. Mice lacking NPRA signaling failed to induce tumors. However, co-implanting tumor cells with mesenchymal stem cells, which can turn into cells lining the inner walls of blood vessels, promoted the sprouting of blood vessels (angiogenesis) needed to promote tumor growth in NPRA- deficient mice, the researchers found. Furthermore, they showed that NRPA signaling appears to regulate key inflammatory cytokines involved in attracting these stem cells to tumor cells.

Dr. Mohapatra’s laboratory is testing an innovative drug delivery system using special nanoparticles to specifically target cancers cells like a guided missile, while sparing healthy cells. The treatment is intended to deliver a package of molecules that interferes with the cardiac hormone receptor’s ability to signal.

Dr. Mohapatra collaborated with Shyam Mohapatra, PhD, and Srinivas Nagaraj, PhD, both faculty members in the Nanomedicine Research Center and Department of Internal Medicine, on genetic and immunological aspects of the study.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and a Florida Biomedical Research Grant.

-USF Health-

 USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu

Media contact:
Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
abaier@health.usf.edu, or (813) 974-3303

The Department of Defense study is testing how well multifunctional prosthetic feet work for rigorous, agile maneuvers soldiers must perform on the battlefield

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OyPBSPn7B8

Whenever he leaves for the airport on vacation, Joshua Sparling carries along a bag full of legs and feet.  There are different prosthetic components for running, others for swimming, bicycling or golfing, and yet another for everyday walking.

Sparling, 31, who lost his right leg to an improvised explosive device (IED) while serving as an Army sergeant in Iraq in 2005, has experienced the discomfort of prostheses not particularly well suited for his high-intensity athletic endeavors. So he was enthusiastic about enrolling in a U.S. Department of Defense-funded study at the University of South Florida School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences – traveling from Michigan to Florida to participate in the research.

The project is evaluating how well different multi-functional prosthetic feet work for rigorous and agile maneuvers soldiers must perform on the battlefield – from running and jumping to dodging, crawling and climbing.

The advanced prosthetic research involving military amputees may ultimately benefit civilian amputees with physically challenging occupations or recreational pursuits, such as firefighters, police officers, construction workers, triathletes, marathon runners or rock climbers.

“Our findings will have implications not only for the rehabilitation of soldiers who seek to stay on active duty, but also for civilians with amputations who want to participate in activities at a more intense level,” said Jason Highsmith, PhD, DPT, the USF Health assistant professor of physical therapy leading the study.  The knowledge researchers gain from evaluating high-end prostheses that can help soldiers move more efficiently across war zone terrain can also be applied to developing prosthetics “for common movements like walking or jogging at a comfortable pace,” he added.  

Army Staff Sgt. Brian Beem, a partcipant in the DOD-supported prosthetic research study, hoists himself over one of the many obstacles at the Walter C. Heinreich training site.

Beem races agains the clock to finish a course that pushed participants to complete the same physically-demanding maneuvers soldiers must perform on the battlefield.

The USF researchers enrolled 28 physically fit people in the DOD double-blind randomized trial. Half are soldiers and veterans who wear prostheses for below-the-knee amputations, the most common kind of lower limb loss. The other half are non-amputees from the local law enforcement SWAT team.

This spring, the military amputees were evaluated wearing each of three different commercially-available high-tech prostheses. The study participants were tested in USF’s Human Functional Performance Laboratory, where they walked and ran on treadmills while researchers measured performance parameters, including range of joint motion, prosthetic foot power, oxygen consumed and energy expended. At the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office training facility, the researchers evaluated obstacle course completion times, heart rates and perceived difficulty of performing such tactical maneuvers as charging up inclines, climbing ropes and slalom running requiring a combination of speed, agility and balance. Each participant was asked to rate the preferred prosthetic foot – both in the lab and in the field.

Non-amputees are presently completing the same testing. Researchers will compare the physical performance of the amputee group to the non-amputee control group, with the aim of identifying which prosthetic foot may be best suited for military applications.  They expect to have results by the end of this year.

Jason Highsmith (left), PhD, DPT, assistant professor of physical therapy leading the DOD study, adjusts the oxygen mask of Joshua Sparling.

In the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Human Functional Performance Laboratory, study participant Sparling, wearing one of the hi-tech prosthetic feet being tested, runs on a split-belt treadmill as researchers monitor his gait and various performance indicators.

Scientifically determining which prosthesis comes closest to an anatomic foot when performing battlefield maneuvers is important, Highsmith said, because a person with an amputation uses more energy than someone with a natural foot for comparable movements at the same speed.

USF’s prosthetic research has the potential to transform the lives of a growing number of young wounded warriors, like Army Staff Sgt. Brian Beem, by giving them the option of returning to active service – possibly even the war zone – if they desire and can perform the functions required by the job.

While deployed in Iraq in 2006, Beem, 35, lost his right leg below the knee following a roadside blast that claimed the life of a fellow soldier and friend.  Despite the injury, he re-enlisted for the third time November 2011 at Forward Operating Base in Frontenac Afghanistan and continued to serve his country with other Calvary scouts.  Beem, who calls himself a “career soldier,” now tests night-vision goggles, scopes and other devices at the Army’s Research and Development Center in Fort Belvoir, VA.

“I take it as a badge of pride that at one place I worked it took three months for my boss to figure out I was an amputee,” Beem said.  “It’s easy to forget you’re ‘disabled’ when the technology we have now can make the prosthesis comparable to a fully functioning foot.”

Sparling is impressed with the latest-generation prosthetics he’s been asked to help evaluate – all integrating varying degrees of rotational, shock-absorbing and energy-returning characteristics. “The advances made to this point have been pretty amazing,” he said.  “Nothing leads me to think it won’t get even better.”

Dr. Highsmith specializes in research to improve prosthetic options for those who lose limbs from traumatic injury or diseases – including soldiers and veterans reintegrating into society. He works with USF physical therapy and engineering colleagues.

USF’s Highsmith is equally impressed with the wounded warriors and veterans like Beem and Sparling who volunteered for the DOD study and push themselves to perform at levels comparable to SWAT team members without amputations.

“They’re extremely inspirational,” he said. “They’ve left parts of their bodies overseas defending our freedom… It’s personally rewarding to spend time with these heroes, hear their stories, contribute in some way to their ongoing rehabilitation, and, hopefully, we’ll find out which prosthesis works best so they can continue to stretch their limits.”

Brian Beem

Joshua Sparling

Video by Allyn DiVito, USF Health Information Systems, and photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

L to R: Tillman scholars Richard Mendez, Alicia Irvin and Anthony DeSantis.

Three University of South Florida students recently named 2013-14 Tillman Military Scholars all  aspire to become physicians and were selected for their service, leadership and academic excellence.

Richard Mendez, Alicia Irvin and Anthony DeSantis were among the 60 scholarship recipients nationwide announced by the Pat Tillman Foundation.  Mendez and Irvin are students in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s Medical Science master’s program; DeSantis is a second-year MD student in the college.

Other Tillman scholarship winners at the Morsani College of Medicine include students  Josiah Hill, Grey Leonard and Ed Woodward.

Read more….

Twenty-four students by summer 2015.

That’s the first target for David Kotun, PA-C, EdD.

Second and third marks for the founding director of USF’s Physician Assistant (PA) degree program are to build a program that helps meet the high demand for primary care professionals, and to offer a viable career opportunity for the many veterans returning home.

“There has always been the need for more primary care and the transition into the Affordable Care Act will increase the demand even more,” Dr. Kotun said. “To help meet that demand, we’ll be mirroring the national push to consider our returning veterans who gained medical and healthcare experience while serving.”

PAs are nationally certified and state-licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret lab tests, perform procedures, assist in surgery, provide patient education and counseling, and make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes. All 50 states and the District of Columbia allow PAs to practice, order tests and procedures, and prescribe medications.

Approved by the USF Board of Trustees in March 2013, USF’s new master’s degree program in Physician Assistant Studies is based in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. The two-year program will incorporate a range of courses that link naturally across all of the colleges in USF Health, making it a “truly inter-professional program providing a well-rounded and robust clinical education,” Dr. Kotun said, adding that co-learning with medical, nursing, pharmacy, athletic training, and physical therapy students is a must.

“A magical thing happens when you get medical, nursing, pharmacy and PA students together and task them with reaching a diagnosis,” he said.

****

The first class for the two-year PA program will start the summer of 2015, initially accepting 24 students, with plans to increase that number later to a yet-to-be-determined capacity.

The first year will be mostly academics in classroom settings and the second year will be mostly clinical, with mandatory rotations (family medicine, internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, women’s care, and emergency department) with the opportunity for additional elective rotations. USF’s PA graduates will be generalists, at least for the first few years but, Dr. Kotun said, there might be opportunities to get post-graduate fellowships for specialties in future years.

****

But before the first student takes a seat in the first class, the program must undergo several key steps to assure the program is on target for accreditation by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), Dr. Kotun said. That process starts with earning provisional accreditation, which in and of itself has three steps: a feasibility study to show how well this institution can support the program (due in August), submission of a comprehensive application that gets into specifics, like the number of people supporting the program, the clinical experience, curriculum, clinical rotations, etc. (due in December), and an ARC-PA team visit to confirm the program’s offerings (set for February).

Then the ARC-PA commission meets in September 2014, taking about 30 days to review applications in detail and determine approval.

“We should hear in October 2014 and be able to take applications from prospective students after that, providing a target starting date of summer 2015 for our charter class,” Dr. Kotun said.

Dr. Kotun is already reaching out to veterans, having connected with the USF Office of Veteran’s Affairs for recruiting USF undergraduates, as well as contacting both the Haley VA and Bay Pines VA hospitals for providing information about the PA program to the veterans being seen at the two hospitals and rehab programs.

****

USF is not completely new to Dr. Kotun. He earned his doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from USF, as well as worked as a physician assistant in the in the USF Department of Family Medicine. Prior to joining USF, Dr. Kotun was the director of clinical education for the four physician assistant programs at Nova Southeastern University while based in Orlando.

He earned his bachelor’s PA degree from Oklahoma University and his master’s PA degree from the University of Nebraska. Dr. Kotun is a retired major in the U.S. Air Force. He has taught physician assistant education for more than 15 years in the military, at the University of Nebraska, at the University of Florida, at USF, and at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Kotun has also provided medical support to the USF football, men’s soccer and women’s volleyball teams, as well as the Tampa Bay Storm arena football team and the Tampa Bay Mutiny soccer team.

David Kotun (left) with USF Health’s Larry Collins, a PA who helped develop the USF PA degree program.

Although Dr. Kotun is building a new program, he’s quick to point out he’s using the foundation laid by a team of USF Health faculty and administrators.

“I cannot take the credit for where we are now with this PA program,” Dr. Kotun said. “It’s (Stephen) Klasko, (Gretchen) Koehler, (Alicia) Monroe, (Larry) Collins, (Toni) Anderson, (Allan) Goldman. They all worked very hard to build the program to the point when I came in. I’m just continuing their work from here.”

Story by Sarah Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications

The USF researchers unexpected finding has implications for treatment of PTSD and related disorders

Low doses of a psychedelic drug erased the conditioned fear response in mice, suggesting that the agent may be a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions, a new study by University of South Florida researchers found.

The unexpected finding was made by a USF team studying the effects of the compound psilocybin on the birth of new neurons in the brain and on learning and short-term memory formation. Their study appeared online June 2 in the journal Experimental Brain Research, in advance of print publication.

Psilocybin, which exerts psychoactive effects, has been isolated from certain mushrooms.

Psilocybin belongs to a class of compounds that stimulate select serotonin receptors in the brain.  It occurs naturally in certain mushrooms that have been used for thousands of years by non-Western cultures in their religious ceremonies.

While past studies indicate psilocybin may alter perception and thinking and elevate mood, the psychoactive substance rarely causes hallucinations in the sense of seeing or hearing things that are not there, particularly in lower to moderate doses.

There has been recent renewed interest in medicine to explore the potential clinical benefit of psilocybin, MDMA and some other psychedelic drugs through carefully monitored, evidence-based research.

“Researchers want to find out if, at lower doses, these drugs could be safe and effective additions to psychotherapy for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders or adjunct treatments for certain neurological conditions,” said Juan Sanchez-Ramos, MD, PhD, professor of neurology and Helen Ellis Endowed Chair for Parkinson’s Disease Research at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Dr. Sanchez-Ramos and his colleagues wondered about psilocybin’s role in the formation of short-term memories, since the agent binds to a serotonin receptor in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that gives rise to new neurons. Lead author for this study was neuroscientist Briony Catlow, a former PhD student in Dr. Sanchez-Ramos’ USF laboratory who has since joined the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, a translational neuroscience research center located in the Johns Hopkins Bioscience Park.

The USF researchers investigated how psilocybin affected the formation of memories in mice using a classical conditioning experiment. They expected that psilocybin might help the mice learn more quickly to associate a neutral stimulus with an unpleasant environmental cue.

                        Dr. Juan Sanchez-Ramos

To test the hypothesis, they played an auditory tone, followed by a silent pause before delivering a brief shock similar to static electricity. The mice eventually learned to link the tone with the shock and would freeze, a fear response, whenever they heard the sound.

Later in the study, the researchers played the sound without shocking the mice after each silent pause. They assessed how many times it took for the mice to resume their normal movements, without freezing in anticipation of the shock.

Regardless of the doses administered, neither psilocybin nor ketanserin, a serotonin inhibitor, made a difference in how quickly the mice learned the conditioned fear response.  However, mice receiving low doses of psilocybin lost their fearful response to the sound associated with the unpleasant shock significantly more quickly than mice getting either ketanserin or saline (control group). In addition, only low doses of psilocybin tended to increase the growth of neurons in the hippocampus.

“Psilocybin enhanced forgetting of the unpleasant memory associated with the tone,” Dr. Sanchez-Ramos said. “The mice more quickly dissociated the shock from the stimulus that triggered the fear response and resumed their normal behavior.”

The result suggests that psilocybin or similar compounds may be useful in treating post-traumatic stress disorder or related conditions in which environmental cues trigger debilitating behavior like anxiety or addiction, Dr. Sanchez-Ramos said.

Article citation:

“Effects of psilocybin on hippocampal neurogenesis and extinction of trace fear conditioning,” Briony J. Catlow, Shijie Song, Daniel A. Paredes, Cheryl L. Kirstein and Juan Sanchez-Ramos; Experimental Brain Research, published online June 2, 2013; DOI 10.1007/s00221-013-3579-0.

Tampa, FL (July 25, 2013) – Many experts believe that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has several root causes including some viruses. Now, lead scientists Shara Pantry, Maria Medveczky and Peter Medveczky of the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine, along with the help of several collaborating scientists and clinicians, have published an article  in the Journal of Medical Virology suggesting that a common virus, Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), is the possible cause of some CFS-like cases.

Over 95 percent of the population is infected with HHV-6 by age 3, but in those with normal immune systems the virus remains inactive. HHV-6 causes fever and rash (or roseola) in infants during early childhood, and is spread by saliva. In immunocompromised patients, it can reactivate to cause neurological dysfunction, encephalitis, pneumonia and organ failure.

“The good news reported in our study is that antiviral drugs improve the severe neurological symptoms, including chronic pain and long-term fatigue, suffered by a certain cohort of patients with an inherited form of HHV-6,” said Medveczky, who is a professor of molecular medicine at USF Health and the study’s principal investigator. “An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 patients with this CFS-like disease in the United States alone may ultimately benefit from the application of this research including antiviral drug therapy.”

The USF Molecular Virology Research Group includes, l to r, Peter Medveczky, Jesse Arbuckle, Maria Medveczky and Shara Pantry.

The link between HHV-6 infection and CFS-like illness is quite complex. After the first encounter, or “primary infection,” all nine known human herpesviruses become silent, or “latent,” but may reactivate and cause diseases upon immunosuppression or during aging. A previous study from the Medveczky laboratory showed that HHV-6 is unique among human herpesviruses; during latency, its DNA integrates into the structures at the end of chromosomes known as telomeres.

Furthermore, this integrated HHV-6 genome can be inherited from parent to child, a condition commonly referred to as “chromosomally integrated HHV-6,” or CIHHV-6. By contrast, the “latent” genome of all other human herpesviruses converts to a circular form in the nucleus of the cell, not integrated into the chromosomes, and not inheritable by future generations.

Most studies suggest that around 0.8 percent of the U.S. and U.K. population is CIHHV6 positive, thus carrying a copy of HHV-6 in each cell. While most CIHHV-6 individuals appear healthy, they may be less able to defend themselves against other strains of HHV-6 that they might encounter. Medveczky reports that some of these individuals suffer from a CFS-like illness. In a cohort of CFS patients with serious neurological symptoms, the researchers found that the prevalence of CIHHV-6 was over 2 percent, or more than twice the level found in the general public. In light of this finding, the authors of the study suggest naming this sub-category “Inherited Human Herpesvirus 6 Syndrome,” or IHS.

Medveczky’s team discovered that untreated CIHHV-6 patients with CFS symptoms showed signs that the HHV-6 virus was actively replicating: determined by the presence of HHV-6 messenger RNA (mRNA), a substance produced only when the virus is active. The team followed these patients during treatment, and discovered that the HHV-6 mRNA disappeared by the sixth week of antiviral therapy with valganciclovir, a drug used to treat closely related cytomegalovirus (HHV-5).  Of note, the group also found that short-term treatment regimens, even up to three weeks, had little or no impact on the HHV-6 mRNA level.

The investigators assumed that the integrated virus had become reactivated in these patients; however, to their surprise, they found that these IHS patients were infected by a second unrelated strain of HHV-6.

The USF-led study was supported by the HHV-6 Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

Further studies are needed to confirm that immune dysregulation, along with subsequent chronic persistence of the HHV-6 virus, is the root cause of the IHS patients’ clinical symptoms, the researchers report.

Article citation:
“Persistent human herpesvirus-6 infection in patients with an inherited form of the virus; ” Shara N. Pantry, Maria M. Medveczky, Jesse H. Arbuckle,  Janos Luka,Jose G. Montoya, Jianhong Hu, Rolf Renne, Daniel Peterson, Joshua C. Pritchett, Dharam V. Ablashi, andPeter G. Medveczky; Journal of Medical Virology; published online July 25, 2013; DOI: 10.1002/jmv.23685

For more information about USF Health, visit www.health.usf.edu.    For more about the HHV-6 Foundation, go to www.hhv-6foundation.org

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Media contacts:

Anne Delotto Baier, USF Health Communications, 813-974-3303 or abaier@health.usf.edu
Kristin Loomis, HHV-6 Foundation, 805-969-1174 or  Kristin_Loomis@hhv-6foundation.org

Harry van Loveren, MD, chair of the Morsani College of Medicine Neurosurgery Department, and Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the College of Public Health, have been selected as interim leaders for USF Health effective Aug. 12.

Dr.van Loveren will serve as interim dean of the Morsani College of Medicine and Dr. Petersen will serve as interim CEO of USF Health as Dr. Stephen Klasko prepares to begin his new position as president of Thomas Jefferson University and president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital System in September.

“I am confident these two individuals will provide steady and visionary leadership for USF Health, our students, faculty, staff and, of course, the thousands of patients who depend on USF Health for excellent and life-saving care,” said USF System President Judy Genshaft.

Dr. van Loveren is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top and most innovative neurosurgeons, as well as a prolific researcher and author of 28 book chapters and contributor to more than 75 papers on neurosurgery and microneurosurgery. Dr. van Loveren has lectured at more than 200 conferences around the world, as well as participating in numerous visiting professorships, organizing dozens of professional symposia and conducting scores of clinical research projects.

Dr. Petersen is a nationally-recognized leader who is the author of dozens of publications and book chapters and a textbook on needs assessment in public health. She is a frequent lecturer on topics related to maternal and child health, health care reform, and systems change and leadership, and has provided extensive technical assistance and training to more than 25 state health departments in the areas of needs assessment, data system development, systems level accountability and the development of population-based indicators. She is immediate past editor-in-chief of the Maternal and Child Health Journal, immediate past president of the National Board of Public Health Examiners and chair of the Education Committee for the Association of Schools of Public Health.

“The search for new leadership is already underway, and I have no doubt this position will attract excellent candidates,” President Genshaft said.

The search committee is being led by Karen Holbrook, PhD, senior advisor to the President, with John Sinnott, MD, chairman of the College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine, serving as vice chair. Frank Morsani, a major supporter of USF and namesake of both the College of Medicine and the nationally-leading Morsani Center for Advanced Health Care, represents the Tampa Bay community on the search committee.

The  committee also includes: Jim Burkhart, Tampa General Hospital; Dr. Javier Cuevas, USF Health, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology; Dr. Jeffrey Krischer, USF Diabetes Center and Pediatric Epidemiology Center; Steve Mitchell, Squire Sanders Legal Counsel Worldwide;  Dr. Alicia Monroe, USF Health, Office of Educational Affairs;  and Dr. Dianne Morrison-Beedy,  dean of the USF College of Nursing;  Dr. Elliot Sussman, chair of The Villages Health; Dr. Thomas Whalen, LeHigh Valley Health Network;  Dr. Sarah Yuan, USF Health, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology; and Trevor Lewis, USF Health student.

USF Health continues to set a national standard for excellence in research in such areas as diabetes, heart disease and physical therapy; to lead the nation in patient-centered efforts such as the Joining Forces veterans’ health care initiative; and to develop forward-thinking academic programs such as the SELECT program and the growing College of Pharmacy.

“Our presence in the community through exciting initiatives such as USF Health in the Villages and the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation, and partnerships with other leading healthcare providers, have never been stronger,” President Genshaft said.

Two USF Health students were major contributing authors to a new book providing a comprehensive description of current treatment options for Parkinson’s disease.

Madeline Snyder, a third-year medical student at the Morsani College of Medicine, and Michael Carranza, who recently graduated from MCOM with a M.S. degree in neuropharmacology and is now a student at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, helped write Parkinson’s Disease: A Guide to Medical Treatment  published in May by SEEd.

“It’s very unusual for students to produce a book this specialized.  That says a lot about their commitment and dedication to Neurology and Parkinson’s disease patients,” said neurology professor Theresa Zesiewicz, MD, director of the Frances J. Zesiewicz Center and Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease at USF, named in memory of her mother who suffered from the disease.

 
USF medical student Madeline Snyder was one of the book’s student authors

The book’s other authors were Dr. Zesiewicz and Jessica Davenport Shaw, MPH, a research support specialist in the USF Department of Neurology and a 2011 graduate of the USF College of Public Health specializing in epidemiology.

Snyder, 25, was not new to publishing. As a USF medical student and an undergraduate majoring in biology at the University of Pennsylvania, she had already authored several papers on neurological topics in peer-reviewed journals.

But those experiences weren’t as all-encompassing as producing the book, which required extensive literature reviews and other secondary research, documentation, collaboration among the authors, writing and re-writing, massive editing and re-editing.

“I read hundreds of papers,” said Snyder, who tackled the project between the first and second year of medical school as part of her ongoing scholarly concentration program in research. “The whole process gave me a lot of hope for patients, because I became aware of all the studies done over the past decades and advances in treatment being made.”

USF neurology professor Dr. Theresa Zesiewicz, right, with her mother. The Frances J. Zesiewicz Center and Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease at USF, is named in honor of Dr. Zesiwicz’ mother, who suffered from the movement disorder.

The book is intended as a resource for a wide audience, including patients and caregivers as well as neurologists and primary care physicians.  Its eight chapters cover everything from diagnosis and pathophysiology to the pharmacology of anti-Parkinson’s drugs and medical treatment of motor and non-motor symptoms. 

The book’s final chapter – a question-and-answer section addressing common patient concerns – was an idea Snyder developed with the help of Dr. Zesiewicz.  Snyder says she kept note of the questions frequently asked by patients while she was in the clinic shadowing Dr. Zesiewicz, including inquiries about the potential benefit of complementary therapies like Tai Chi and yoga.

Snyder also leads a pilot study at USF investigating whether subtle changes in handwriting may be an early biomarker for Parkinson’s disease – one that may help detect those at risk for the progressive movement disorder before symptoms of tremor, rigidity and imbalance appear.

Snyder credited Dr. Zesiewicz — known as “Dr. Z” by students, colleagues and patients — with being a role model who encourages research and other scholarly pursuits seeking to improve patient care and quality of life.

“Dr. Z was definitely our guide in the adventure of putting together this book,” she said. “She brings light and energy to everything she does… She spends a lot of time with each of her patients, and they all smile when she enters the room. That’s the kind of physician I want to be.”

With diverse backgrounds and experiences, they look forward to beginning the journey toward their advanced healthcare professions together

More than 200 strong, they nearly filled the LVHN Auditorium in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine on their first day of student orientation, Monday, August 5.  They smiled and chatted and checked cells phones as they took their seats, charging the space with their energy.

USF Health leaders, faculty and staff welcomed a record number of new medical students, 177, and an incoming Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) class with more men than ever, 11 out of the 40 students.

“This is really a celebration – the first day of a new journey for each and every one of you,” said Alicia Monroe, MD, vice dean for Educational Affairs at the Morsani College of Medicine.

New USF medical students check out their appearance before getting first-year photos taken for a class composite.

The MD and DPT students plunged into the first week of orientation together and will spend much of their first year learning the basic sciences alongside one another.

“You worked hard to get here, but now the competition is over,” said Heather Hartsell, PhD, PT, associate professor in the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences.

“You will all benefit from learning to work well together with your colleagues and embrace the different perspectives you each bring to the table… because as health professionals you won’t be working in isolation.  Look to each other for support and you’ll get through the difficult times.”

Dr. Alicia Monroe, vice dean for Educational Affairs at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, welcomes the record number of students.

The first-year MD and DPT students are a diverse group, as reflected in the demographics below:

GENDER:

MD Class of 2017:  177 students (accepted)

-          120 CORE:   59 women (49%); 61 men (51%)

-          57 SELECT:   31 women (54%) ; 26 men (46%)

-          11% underrepresented minorities (African-American, Puerto Rican, Native American, Mexican)

DPT Class of 2016:  40 students (out of 873 applications)

-          29 women (72.5%); 11 men (27.5%)

RESIDENCY: 

-          Three-fourths of all the students are Florida residents; the rest came from out of state.

-          Born in 29 U.S. states, ranging from Alaska to Wisconsin, and two U.S. territories (Guam and Puerto Rico). 

-          Strong representation of international students as well.  Foreign-born DPT students are from India, Japan and Ukraine, while  the international places of birth for MD students include  Bulgaria, Egypt,  France, Ghana, Hong Kong,  Mexico, Poland, and the Republic of Moldova , to name a few.

At a “Big Sibling” lunch, second-year DPT student Ashby Bridges, left, was paired with first-year DPT student Jillian Taricsa.

Their educational backgrounds are varied.

UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS:

-          While Florida universities dominate where the students did their undergraduate work, the non-Florida universities attended include such prestigious institutions as Emory, Cornell, Duke Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Tulane and UCLA.

UNDERGRADATE MAJORS:

-          MD students:  Biology and the biomedical sciences are still the primary majors, but educational backgrounds encompass a wide range of undergraduate degrees, including anthropology, business, economics, energy engineering, history, philosophy and religious studies, public health and Spanish.

-          DPT students:  Health science and exercise science dominate, but other undergraduate degrees include athletic training, biomedical science, business, kinesiology, psychology and sports medicine.

And, finally, the stories that brought them to the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine are uniquely their own.

Lto R: Mike Forster, a second-year DPT student, gives the thumbs up to first-year DPT students Chris Homes and Brian Manarte.

* * *

New DPT student Nima Sobhani, 34, said the integration of medical and physical therapy students is something that attracted him to USF Health.  “It’s fantastic that we can draw on each other’s strengths and experiences to help make a difference in the lives of patients.”

Sobhani moved with his family from Atlanta, GA, to Iran at an early age and lived in the Middle Eastern country for 20 years before moving back to the United States. in 2000. He studied English as a second language, earned an associate degree at Hillsborough Community College, and then transferred to USF where he earned two bachelor’s degrees, one in microbiology and another in chemistry. 

Sobhani worked in a grocery store stockroom and drove a taxicab to support himself while in school and to help pay off a student loan.  He spent 120 hours shadowing physical therapists in various hospital and outpatient settings before deciding on a career in the advanced health profession.

DPT student Nima Sobhani worked in a grocery stockroom and drove a taxicab for several years to pay his way through undergraduate school.

At last week’s “fall preview” at the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, the new DPT students each received a backpack packed with supplies – including a stethoscope, gait belt, blood pressure monitor, reflex hammer and pen light. 

“It was a great feeling to get that gift,” Sobhani said.  “I felt like now I’m really on my way to becoming a doctor of physical therapy.”

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For incoming medical student Jennifer Carrion, 23, the first official day at medical school “was like a dream come true.”

Medical student Jennifer Carrion says she wants to be a physician who cares for underserved patients.

Carrion, a first-generation Mexican American, was a young girl when her mother, Myrna DeLeon, sent her to Mexico to visit an aunt, who worked in a rural clinic.  Seeing the physicians interacting with patients, Carrion says she decided she wanted to do the same thing when she grew up. Reared in Greenacres, FL, Carrion and her younger sister Jessica worked alongside their mother in the family-owned ice cream truck, sometimes finishing their homework there.

“My mother instilled in us the value of education and hard work,” said Carrion, who earned her bachelor’s degree in microbiology and cell science at the University of Florida on a full scholarship. 

Carrion, who says she is grateful to an Orlando businessman and donor helping to pay her medical school tuition, plans to complete a scholarly concentration in health disparities during her tenure as a medical student.  Whatever physician specialty she ultimately chooses, she’s sure of one thing:  “I want to work with underserved populations, people who lack access to health care.”

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Andrew Napier, 25, joined the Army National Guard right out of high school and was deployed to Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009 as a combat medic, The seventh Tillman Military Scholar to join the Morsani College of Medicine, he applied and was accepted to SELECT, the college’s physician leadership program in partnership with Lehigh Valley Health Network of Allentown, PA.  

Medical student Andrew Napier, a Tillman Military Scholar, served as a combat medic in Afghanistan and was awarded a Purple Heart.

As a medic on the front lines, Napier trained, performed and taught advanced medical procedures, delivering primary care and emergency treatment to a platoon of soldiers and various NATO troops in rural Afghanistan.

During an ambush on a combat mission, Napier sustained superficial shrapnel wounds and a concussion when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded inside the truck he was riding in.  He treated an injured fellow soldier while still under enemy fire, and was later awarded a Purple Heart Medal and Combat Medical Badge.

Napier has experienced battle-tested hands-on training and already mastered some of the clinical skills he’ll be taught later in the medical school curriculum. “Now,” he said, “I’m excited about starting anatomy and physiology and gaining the  knowledge base I need to make sense of the procedures I performed as a medic,” like stopping bleeding or opening airways.

A native of Somerset, KY, Napier earned his bachelor’s degree in biology at USF last year and has served as a student veteran a policy adviser at USF.

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The new MD and DPT students will celebrate with family and friends at White Coat Ceremonies marking their entry into the profession of medicine and the profession of physical therapy.

The medical students’ White Coat Ceremony will be held 1:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 16, in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom.   The physical therapy students will receive their first white coats at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 17, at the same location.

-Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Tampa, FL (August 13, 2013) – Clear Health Alliance, a Medicaid plan with a designated specialty for HIV/AIDS, offered by Simply Healthcare Plans, has partnered with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida, to provide coordinated, quality care to the HIV/AIDS population in the Tampa Bay area and Central Florida.  The new alliance, joining academia and managed care, will work with community providers and grassroots organizations, including the Hillsborough County Health Department (DOH-Hillsborough), to effectively meet the comprehensive and specialized needs of underserved Medicaid patients living with HIV/AIDS.

The extensive network of specialists at the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, will consult with Clear Health Alliance to help guide the integrated treatment of Medicaid patients with HIV/AIDS.  USF infectious disease faculty attending physicians will be the primary care physicians for Clear Health Alliance HIV/AIDS patients visiting the DOH-Hillsborough Specialty Care Clinic.

Clear Health Alliance is the first and only Medicaid plan with a designated specialty for HIV/AIDS in the region.   The plan’s provider network includes HIV/AIDS trained primary care physicians and specialists. Members also receive “high-touch” service from individually assigned, experienced HIV/AIDS care coordinators who guide them in their medical treatment and provide assistance in meeting many other needs specific to their disease.  Earvin “Magic” Johnson, HIV/AIDS advocate and Simply Healthcare investor, has made several visits to Florida meeting with local community based organizations and HIV/AIDS providers in efforts to ensure medical services reach ethnically diverse urban communities with high rates of new cases of HIV/AIDS. “Expanding access to comprehensive quality care for people living with HIV/AIDS will help ensure these patients get tested, know their status, get into treatment and stay in treatment,” said Johnson.

Dr. Douglas Holt, director of USF Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine and director, Hillsborough County Department of Health

“USF has long been an academic leader in advancing HIV research and care, including contributing to discoveries that have led to more effective antiretroviral therapies,” said Dr. Douglas Holt, director of the USF Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine and director of DOH-Hillsborough. “We look forward to sharing our expertise with Clear Health Alliance and their providers to further improve the health of Floridians living with HIV/AIDS.”

“Together, we have created a team that provides a unique managed care partnership focusing on high-touch, high-quality medical services that maintain the health of Medicaid patients living with HIV/AIDS and help to reduce transmission of the disease,” said Marianne Finizio, Clear Health Alliance’s Executive Vice President. “Clear Health’s expertise and knowledge of Medicaid, and ability to coordinate the social, healthcare and behavioral healthcare needs of HIV/AIDS patients, is absolutely critical.”

In addition to regular Medicaid benefits such as prescription drugs and doctor visits, members of the Clear Health Alliance health plan receive expanded services tailored to their treatment needs such as non-emergency transportation, adult dental care, over-the-counter medications and supplies, eyeglasses and vision care, home delivered meals and nutritional counseling.

In the last three months, Clear Health Alliance has received approval from the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to expand its services from Miami-Dade County, to Broward, Palm Beach and eight additional Florida counties in the Tampa Bay area and Central Florida area – Brevard, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Orange,  Osceola and Seminole.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that federal funding for HIV/AIDS in 2012 was approximately $28 billion. Florida ranks third in the nation in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS, according to the Florida Annual Report published by the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of HIV/AIDS. The Florida Department of Health also reports that 135,000 people with HIV/AIDS are living in Florida, and 75 percent of the state’s HIV/AIDS cases are reported in Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk and St. Lucie counties.

For information on how to enroll in Clear Health Alliance, Broward County residents can call Florida Reform Choice Counseling toll-free at 1-866-454-3959 or go to www.floridamedicaidreform.com; residents in all other counties can call Medicaid Options toll-free at 1-888-367-6554 or go to www.medicaid options.net.

* * *

Clear Health Alliance, a Medicaid plan with a designated specialty, offered by Simply Healthcare Plans, includes a wide array of benefits and services and care coordination for individuals with HIV/AIDS. In addition to regular Medicaid benefits such as prescription drugs and doctor visits, members receive bundled services tailored to their treatment needs such as non-emergency transportation, adult dental care, over-the-counter medications and supplies, eyeglasses and vision care, home delivered meals and nutritional counseling. For more information, visit www.clearhealthalliance.com.

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Simply Healthcare Plans, Inc. is a Florida licensed health maintenance organization headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida with additional offices in Sunrise and Tampa. Established in 2010, Simply Healthcare and its affiliates, Clear Health Alliance and Better Health, LLC,  serve approximately 250,000 Medicaid and Medicare  recipients in 40  Florida counties with the support of 7,000 healthcare providers. For more information, visit www.simplyhealthcareplans.com.

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USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.usfcenter.org.

Media Contacts:
Pam Gadinsky, Director of Communications, Simply Healthcare
305-921-2652, or pgadinsky@simplyhealthcareplans.com

Anne DeLotto Baier, Director of Public Affairs, USF Health Communications
(813) 974-3303, or abaier@health.usf.edu

As fashion statements go, the coats aren’t anything special.

Plain vanilla. Hip length, loose fit. Roomy pockets, big enough for papers and stethoscopes.

But what these garments symbolize is extraordinary: a mix of privilege and trust, honor and responsibility.

The new medical students of the class of 2017 were asked to think about that symbolism Friday, as they put on their white coats for the very first time in this year’s White Coat Ceremony.

“This coat is a license – and this coat gives you license,” said Dr. Harry van Loveren, acting dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “When you put this coat on, you suddenly get the right to ask the most intimate questions.

Dr. van Loveren dons his own white coat as he talks about the privileges it conveys.

“Sometimes you get a trust you haven’t earned. And an admiration you may not yet deserve,” Dr. van Loveren told the 177-member class. “So you have to take great caution when you put on this coat. People will think that you are their doctor. And you will have to live up to that.”

Student Francisco Alvarado, 23, a Clearwater native and FSU graduate, couldn’t quite believe what he was wearing.

“The blood, sweat and studying to get to this point – It feels surreal right now,” he said. “It almost feels like a costume still. But when I see my first patient, then I’ll know what it will symbolize: that they are here to see me and I’m here to provide their care.”

Student Neil Manimala, president of the MCOM Student Council, advises students to stay close to the people who matter most to them.

The focus on patient care drew Kathryn Kass, 22, a Davidson College graduate who grew up in St. Petersburg, to USF Health for medical school.

“USF is treating the entire individual, not just the disease,” she said. “I want to be able to get on the patient’s level, and to realize that this is someone’s family member.”

Taking the Oath of Commitment at the end of Friday’s ceremony was a big moment for Shea Taylor, 23, who grew up in New Port Richey and graduated from UCF.

“Next to the vows I take with my future wife one day, this may be the most important oath I ever make,” he said.

Students in the Class of 2017 take the Oath of Commitment.

Taylor said he took the advice of Dr. van Loveren and other speakers to heart.

“That really struck me hard, that patients are not going to make a distinction” between students and attending physicians, he said. “We may not be making a diagnosis, but we’re going to be there for going to be there for emotional support and developing trust.”

The bottom line, he said: with the white coat on, his new role starts now.

President Judy Genshaft and faculty leaders applaud the Class of 2017.

Parents and friends offer congratulations.

Members of the Class of 2017 don their white coats.

Dr. Alicia Monroe administers the Oath of Commitment to the Class of 2017.

With 177 students, members of the  largest class ever to enter the Morsani College of Medicine fill the atrium of the Marshall Student Center.

-Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Behind the adventure and magic found in the Harry Potter series is a mentor-building practice actually used in many boarding schools, colleges and medical schools – sorting new students into various “houses” with students from all years to help the newcomers immediately feel welcomed into the fold of an institution, regardless of its size.

The same approach is being started at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM).

As 177 first-year medical students start classes this fall, they will be forming nine collegia – smaller groups that contain members from all four classes of medical students, with an aim to also integrate more faculty and alumni in the future. Numerous medical schools across the country have similar programs for mentorship and social interaction, including Vanderbilt and the University of Miami.

Creating smaller communities allows for students across all years to connect and create positive, supportive environments that result in a better college experience and a better likelihood for academic success, said Neil Manimala, second-year medical student and the USF Medical Student Council President.

“Collegia can be an answer to a few critical challenges a student body faces today: growing class size and geographically divergent students, whether they be a few miles south at Tampa General or a thousand miles north in Allentown, Pennsylvania,” Manimala said. “Being a member of a collegium gives each student an opportunity for cross-class and cross-program collaboration. There will be outstanding opportunities for mentorship both from upperclassmen and from practicing physicians.”

With the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine continuing to grow – over the past decade, it has nearly doubled its incoming class – the collegia was just one way to make a growing student body feel more personal, he said.

***
Manimala said the MCOM group started after students worked with MCOM administration, MCOM Career Advising and the USF Medical Student Council.

“The collegium provides a structure to allow not only faculty mentoring and advising, but ‘near mentoring’ of students by students,” said Allesa English, MD, PharmD, director of MD Career Advising in the MCOM Office of Educational Affairs.

“Being able to make these connections across the years while in school will facilitate students’ performance in school and career decision making, particularly as residency placement becomes more competitive across the country.”

Last year, medical students from all four years were randomly divided up into nine collegia.

But the real kickoff event was held this August during the medical school’s orientation week, when new first-year students socialized and met their second-year mentors. There were also told they were initiating the first year of a new tradition.

“We told them they have both the responsibility and privilege of being the first class fully immersed in the collegia,” Manimala said.

The first-years were tasked with creating a symbol for their respective collegium.

“Some were more lighthearted and some were serious, but they all conveyed personality,” Manimala said. “We are working with the Office of Educational Affairs to polish these symbol drawings for presentation to all four classes in each collegium. We are glad so many second-year leaders were there to advise the first-years during orientation week. We are looking forward to getting third- and fourth-year mentors involved in the next few weeks as well.”

Over the next few weeks, first-year students will present finalized names for each collegium to their upperclassmen.

“I can tell you that there was a lot of energy in each of those nine rooms as they drew symbols,” Manimala said. “It was a great way to harness the innovation and creativity that is abundant in our student body. We’re excited to keep that momentum moving forward into the year.”

Dr. English agrees.

“We’ve been so pleased with the student response to the program,” she said. “The student leaders have been particularly receptive to the idea, and see this as an opportunity to further develop the culture of MCOM.”

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Once established, the group is planning connection opportunities, including encouraging faculty and alumni advisors to have events and meetings off campus for a richer experience, intramural sporting events and other aspects of student life here on campus, Manimala said.

“We will also be changing up the Bullympics tradition to complement the Collegia program,” he said. “Every year before this, Bullympics was a competition between classes, but this year, it will be a competition between Collegia, and may even involve other USF Health programs. Members of each Collegia will get a chance to win points by winning Bullympics sporting events, cook-offs, charity runs, fundraising, and more throughout the year. They will get a chance to chart their progress at a common area on campus. It will be lots of fun, and I’m excited to see students engaged in a shared community.”

Story by Sarah A. Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis toured the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences Aug. 20 as part of a visit to learn more about the University of South Florida’s comprehensive research and educational initiatives to benefit veterans and active military.

The Congressman met with physical therapy faculty members engaged in leading-edge Department of Defense-funded studies – including testing advanced prosthetics for military amputees, evaluating an exercise training regimen intended to protect soldiers against low back injury, and recruiting USF student veterans exposed to blasts while in the military but not diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, to determine whether balance, gait and hearing problems may be early signs of TBI.  He was accompanied by Lt. General Martin Steele (USMC retired), executive director of USF Military Partnerships, and William S. Quillen, DPT, associate dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and director of the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences.

USF’s physical therapy school is home to a Center for Neuromusculoskeletal Research, with research sponsored by the DOD, Federal Emergency Management Agency and corporate partners, as well as support from recurring state funding.

Bilirakis, vice chair of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, also met with USF President Judy Genshaft, Larry Braue, EdD, director of veterans services at USF, and several of the university’s Tillman Military Scholars, including some from the Morsani College of Medicine. USF’s college of medicine has one of the largest concentrations of Tillman scholars of any medical school in the country.

Jason Highsmith, DPT, PhD, assistant professor in the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, shows Congressman Gus Bilirakis a couple of the multifunctional prosthetic feet his team is evaluating as part of a DOD-funded research project.

John Mayer, DC, PhD, Lincoln College Endowed Chair in Biomechanical and Chiropractic Research, explains the project he leads investigating whether a specific exercise training regimen may protect against low back injury in combat soldiers. They study enrolled healthy medics at Fort Sam Houston, TX.

Jeannie Stephenson (left), PT, MS, instructor, and Dolly Swisher, PT, PhD, professor, demonstrate the neurocom sensory organization test that will be used to help isolate balance difficulties that may be a preclinical indicator of mild traumatic brain injury.

Seok Hun Kim, PhD, PT, assistant professor of physical therapy, is among the USF researchers involved in federally-funded research to benefit soldiers and veterans, with applications for civilian amputees as well.

L to R: Vietnam War veterans Rudy Salas and Jim Daniels, advocates of the advanced prosthetic research conducted at USF, chat with Bilirakis.

 Photos by Amy Blodgett, USF Communications & Marketing

That’s evidence the randomized clinical trial system works, USF researcher reports in Nature

USF Distinguished Professor Benjamin Djulbegovic, MD, PhD, has studied the ethics of randomized clinical trials and their effectiveness in evaluating the outcomes of new treatments for decades.

Now, in a paper published Aug. 22 in the top journal Nature, Dr. Djulbegovic and colleagues report that on average new treatments work better than existing ones just over half the time. On scientific and ethical grounds, they say, the randomized controlled trial (RCT) system’s little more than 50-50 success rate over the past half century is evidence that the system is working as intended.

The researchers analyzed 860 phase III published and unpublished RCTs performed by academic institutions or pharmaceutical companies.  These trials collectively involved more than 350,000 patients. 

“Our retrospective review of more than 50 years of randomized trials shows that they remain the ‘indispensable ordeals’ through which biomedical researchers’ responsibility to patients and the public is manifested,” the researchers conclude. “These trials may need tweak and polish, but they’re not broken.”

Dr. Benjamin Djulbegovic

People who consent to participate RCTs are willing to be randomly allocated to new or existing treatments.  While RCTs are considered the gold standard for comparing the effects of one treatment to another, the gradual progress they yield can seem frustratingly slow — particularly for patients with poor standard treatment options.

Yet, the genuine uncertainty associated with individual RCTs has been vital to the gains in therapeutics, said Dr. Djulbegovic, professor of medicine and oncology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Moffitt Cancer Center.  If there was significant likelihood that one treatment in a comparison was better than the other, it would be unethical to deny some patients the superior treatment, and well-informed patients would probably refuse to participate in the study, he said.

Incremental advances in treatment generated by RCTs over time – such as childhood leukemia cure rates moving from zero to 80 percent even though only 2 to 5 percent of new treatments provided a breakthrough – have translated into important improvements in health and lifespan, the authors say.  However, they suggest trials could still benefit from more rigorous design, implementation and reporting –with widespread publication of trial results, including negative findings.

The Nature paper is one of a series of publications that Dr. Djulbegovic and colleagues have authored this year (25 so far), including a clinical therapeutics case study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Article citation:
“Medical research: Trial unpredictability yields predictable therapy gains;”  Benjamin Djulbegovic,Ambuj Kumar, Paul Glasziou, Branko Miladinovic^, and Iain Chalmers, Nature, August 22, 2013, pp 395-96.

Not sure what to expect, Alison Winters walked into the new USF Health Diabetes Home for Healthy Living in the Westshore area of Tampa.

What she found was a relaxing, home-like environment that offered every aspect of care she would need to successfully manage her Type 2 diabetes.

“The atmosphere is really nice, like a home, and they even have a dog, which is an added touch that really makes a difference,” Winters said.

USF Health celebrated the grand opening of its Diabetes Home for Healthy Living Aug. 26, ushering in a new approach to diabetes care: A caring environment offering all-encompassing, 24/7 diabetes management care.

“We knew we had to create a place that offered a sense of support more than a sense of a clinic,” said Michele Laine, ARNP, the nurse practitioner director of the USF Health Diabetes Home.

“Happy patients are more likely to be compliant so our main goal is to have a whole bunch of happy patients.”

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Set with several other businesses at the busy intersection of Westshore Boulevard and Kennedy Boulevard, the 2,000-square-foot facility presents itself first as a storefront. Inside, home-like environment conveys a feeling of calm and comfort and look nothing like typical healthcare clinics. A closer look finds the services necessary for patient with diabetes — on-site laboratory for speedy glucose, A1C, lipid panel and other lab results, retinal scanning to monitor issues faced by many diabetics, customized diet planning based on patient preferences, and diabetes education classes, to name just a few.

And they are all under one roof.

“The USF Health Diabetes Home for Healthy Living is a one-stop experience for care that makes managing diabetes much simpler for patients and their families,” Laine said.

“We have created a medical home, bringing state-of-the-art medical technology, advanced diabetes management techniques, continuous monitoring and an intensive focus under one roof to offer convenient, effective, innovative and all-embracing diabetes care.”

Primarily for adults with Type 2 diabetes or adults with Type 1 who have been diagnosed for at least one year, the USF Health Diabetes Home helps patients proactively manage diabetes and control its many associated illnesses.

The USF Health Diabetes Home is also where anyone diagnosed with pre-diabetes can get guidance for turning their diagnosis around and potentially preventing its progression to Type 2 diabetes. Pre-diabetes is when blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. In the United States, about 79 million people have pre-diabetes.

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The USF Health Diabetes Home expands its basic tenet to help patients by also reaching into the business community.  More employers are becoming more involved in managing the behaviors of employees with chronic health conditions to improve their health, curb absenteeism and reduce healthcare costs and hospital readmissions.

USF Health will be collaborating with health plans and employers to develop employee incentives for individuals with diabetes to follow recommended care guidelines, which may prevent a self-insured employer paying two to four times more in healthcare expenses for these individuals,” said Seena Salyani, MBA, MHA, administrator for the USF Health Diabetes Home.

“Offering a facility that provides employers with a resource for their employees with diabetes is just one way to help them continue to be productive employees,” Salyani said.  “We believe having our first clinic in Florida’s largest office community (the Westshore Business District) complements our business model of providing convenient access to a medical home providing one-stop diabetes care with innovative technology platforms.”

***

Such innovation was echoed at the USF Health Diabetes Home ribbon-cutting ceremony, held Aug. 26.

USF President Judy Genshaft provided the cut that opened the USF Diabetes Home for Healthy Living.

“This is a great service to our community and is a great addition to USF Health’s leading research, clinical practice and education initiatives,” said USF President Judy Genshaft.

“This facility shows that we can still live a healthy life if we’re given the right tools,” said Interim CEO for USF Health, Donna Petersen, ScD, MHS, dean of the USF College of Public Health. “The USF Health Diabetes Home is a model for care and what we learn here can be applied to other chronic illnesses.”

“Thanks go to so many people who helped put this together,” said Robert Nelson, MD, associate vice president for Children’s Health for USF Health and the Morsani College of Medicine and medical director for the USF Health Diabetes Home. “We’ve spent a year and a half working on this and I’m really excited and very pleased to have been a part of this effort.”

Dr. Bob Nelson gave a heart-felt thank you at the USF Health Diabetes Home ribbon-cutting.

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At its core, the USF Health Diabetes Home for Healthy Living helps patients take better control of their own diabetes and successfully manage the sometimes daily fluctuations in blood sugar, as well has delay or even prevent its many associated illnesses.

Part of that means letting patients tap into only select services.

“Many patients just need support, others need a more in-depth approach to treatment,” Laine said.

For example, she said, some patients just need help with understanding how to use their insulin pumps, “so we provide focused education on just that,” she said.

Other patients, like Winters, are seeking more hands-on care.

“My physician was hesitant to change the approach for treating my diabetes,” Winters said. “I knew I wanted to take a more aggressive approach to managing my diabetes but he seemed adamant that I stay the course with my current treatment. The USF Health Diabetes Home listened to my concerns, formulated a plan and, within two visits, I saw improvement in my lab levels.”

Anthony Markum, who has Type 1 diabetes, appreciates the all-in-one approach at the USF Health Diabetes Home.

“I’ve been to a million and a half endocrinologists since being diagnosed as a child and the visits involved drawing blood from my arm and then waiting about two weeks for my A1C results,” Markum said. “At the USF Diabetes Home, they were able to get my A1C from a finger prick in only 35 seconds. And in that same visit, I also had a retina scan and results of my average blood sugars, all in one visit. And the atmosphere is very welcoming and the staff is very knowledgeable. The nurse practitioner and physician don’t just talk to you about your numbers. They ask how I’m doing, what’s going on in my personal live, what stresses I’m feeling. They took the time to get to know me personally as a patient. I love it.”

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USF Health Diabetes Home for Healthy Living

128C S. Westshore Blvd. in Tampa

(in the Town Square Center at the intersection of Kennedy and Westshore Boulevards

(813) 974-2201

Office hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday

Among the program’s features:

- A medical home model that moves diabetes management from the academic setting closer to the places where people live and work, but still gives patients coordinated access to the comprehensive range of specialists in the USF Physicians Group.

- Targets adults with Type 2 diabetes, or adults with Type 1 diabetes who have been diagnosed for at least one year.  Diabetes is increasing in epidemic proportions across the U.S.

- Services and routine tests under one roof to improve patient compliance and quality outcomes, including an in-house laboratory offering same-day results for tests such as A1C and lipid profiles, customized nutrition and exercise plans, and ancillary services like retinal scans and metabolic testing.

- Leverages technology in a way that makes personalized self-management of diabetes easier for patients.  Continuous monitoring of glucose readings with mobile platforms will be available.

- Staffed by a nurse practitioner and certified diabetes educator, and physicians focused on a comprehensive, more holistic approach to diabetes treatment.  From the décor and the conversational arrangement of furniture to computer tablets available for online education, the community-based center was designed with more of a welcoming, home-like feel than that of a clinical setting.

- Hershey, a Labrador/Husky mix specially trained to detect fluctuations in blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes, who greets patients with a wag of her tail, which adds to the comfortable, home-like environment.

Michele Laine, nurse practitioner director for the USF Health Diabetes Home, with Hershey.

Story by Sarah A. Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications