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In Vivo

CUMC At Large


The 7th Annual Coogan's Run

The 7th Annual Coogan's Run Draws Thousands On March 6 more than 2,000 runners, including about 50 from CUMC, participated in the 5K race from the Armory to the Cloisters and back. With the CUMC and NYPH teams competing against one another, CUMC runners Alex Montero, assistant clinical professor of medicine, and Maryann Fiebach, a student at Mailman, carried CUMC to victory. CUMC runners and friends gathered on the steps of Hammer before the run.

Gloria SteinemGloria Steinem Extols Women's Role in Health Care In a speech on campus called "Women as Healers: An Ancient Tradition in Modern Times," noted feminist Gloria Steinem told a packed audience in Alumni Auditorium that in many traditional cultures throughout history women have been primarily responsible for the health of their people. In American Indian culture, for example, women had great sophistication and wisdom about what plants could be used medicinally, Ms. Steinem said. Addressing the women in the audience, she said, "As women, you have a great and long tradition as healers and you have as much to teach as you have to learn."

Louis SullivanLouis Sullivan at CUMC: More Minorities Must Enter Health Care Professions One way to reduce the disparity in access to health care in the United States is to train more minority health professionals because they are more likely to practice in minority and medically underserved communities, said Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., former secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In his lecture, "Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions," hosted by CUMC's Center for Community Health Partnerships and the Pipeline, Profession & Practice: Community-Based Dental Education program, Dr. Sullivan called for more scholarships and financial aid for minority students.

-CUMC Helps "Give Kids a Smile"CUMC Helps "Give Kids a Smile" As part of the American Dental Association's national Give Kids a Smile Day in February, the School of Dental and Oral Surgery provided children in Washington Heights and Harlem with free dental care and a visit by Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast Carly Patterson in Columbia's pediatric dental clinic. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reports greater oral health disparities among New York children compared with the rest of the country. Ms. Patterson is at center in photo.


Take the First Step Toward Healthier Living

As one of the largest employers in New York City, CUMC is committed to the improved health & wellness of its faculty and staff. A new workplace health promotion and wellness initiative has begun here in collaboration with New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. This initiative is part of a research grant.

A worksite team of senior management and staff has been formed to develop a program to allow employees to learn more about their health, receive educational materials and perhaps participate in behavioral changes. In the coming weeks information will be rolled out and everyone will be able to enroll in the health risk assessment (HRA) component of the initiative, a voluntary, confidential basic health profile to assess health risk. The HRA will provide employees with immediate personalized feedback about preventive health services to think about and discuss with a health provider. This survey will be available mid-April and will take about 15-20 minutes to complete. Those who opt to participate in the HRA will be eligible to participate again in April 2006 and April 2007.

In addition to the activities of "Be Fit to Be‘ne‘Fit" – an initiative to help employees, their families and students maintain a healthy body weight – the following will be available to the CUMC community: DOHMH health bulletins and newsletters; email (and print) broadcasts; a calendar of events of onsite programs and activities; and tips for living healthier, including physical activity, nutrition, cancer and disease prevention.

Look for further information or log on to www.cumc.columbia.edu in the coming weeks to learn more.



Nursing Clinical Doctorate Approved

Columbia's School of Nursing has completed the New York State Regents approval process for its new doctor of nursing practice (DrNP) program, the first clinical doctorate for nursing in the country. The program can now begin teaching its first regular class of students in September. Columbia University trustees approved the new degree in June 2004. The School of Nursing faculty developed the DrNP degree to educate nurses for the highest level of clinical expertise, including sophisticated diagnostic and treatment competencies. Mary Mundinger, DrPH, dean of the School of Nursing, says the program will provide more primary care practitioners – an area that is understaffed because fewer physicians are choosing to specialize in it – and make nursing a more attractive career choice, reducing the nationwide nursing shortage. Eight other nursing schools are developing programs based on Columbia's model.



New Subway Signs Reflect Medical Center's Changed Name

New Subway Signs Reflect Medical Center's Changed NameThe Metropolitan Transportation Authority has updated the signs at the 168th Street subway station to read Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, instead of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. CUMC's Strategic Plan includes such steps to improve signage to assist the 15,000 to 20,000 people who visit the medical center each day.


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