News from the Executive Vice Chancellor’s Office

There are two upcoming CenterNet Conferences. The first will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 8 in Lied Auditorium. The topics will be "Why Study Rare Diseases: Nephropathic Cystinosis as an Example," with William Gahl, MD, PhD, head of the section on human biochemical genetics, heritable disorders branch, at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and "Molecular Oncology" with Edison Liu, MD, director of the division of clinical sciences at the National Cancer Institute. The second, "Asthma Therapy Adherence: Physician/Patient Partnership for Improved Outcomes," will be at noon Oct. 9 in Lied Auditorium.

News from the School of Medicine-Kansas City

Debra Collins, MS, clinical assistant professor of medicine, has been selected as a member of the advisory committee of the HuGEM II (Human Genetics Education Model II) Project. She attended the organization’s meeting Sept. 29 in Washington. This NIH-funded project at Georgetown University will develop educational materials, manuals and fact sheets on the ethical, legal and social implications of the human genome project and genetic testing for allied health professionals, including occupational therapists, psychologists, speech therapists, audiologists, social workers and dieticians over the next three years. For additional information, see "Genetic Discrimination: Perspectives of Consumers," Science, 1996; (274): 621-624.

Faculty from gastroenterology and hepatology at KU Medical Center and the molecular gastroenterology and pancreatic cancer research unit at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kansas City, Mo., are the co-authors of "A Two-Step Enriched-Nest PCR Technique Enhances Sensitivity for Detection of Codon 12 K-ras Mutations in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma," which was published in Pancreas, 1997; 1 (15): 16-24. The authors are: Sushanta Banerjee; Walid Makdisi, MD, assistant professor; Allan Weston, MD, assistant professor; and Donald Campbell, MD, associate professor.

News from the School of Nursing

Several faculty from the School of Nursing gave presentations at the seventh Kansas Nursing Research Exchange Sept. 26 at Wichita State University. Phoebe Williams, RN, PhD, FAAN, professor, and Sandra Hanson, RN, MEd, assistant professor, et al, presented "Outcomes of a Nursing Intervention for Siblings of Chronically Ill Children." Williams, Kathleen Ducey, MSN, AOCN; Arthur Williams, MA, MPA, PhD; Angela Sears, MSN, OCN; Susan Tobin, MSN, CPON; and Paula Bunde, BSN, RN, presented "Therapy-Related Symptom Checklist (TRSC) for Oncology Patients." Melissa Harber, MSN, CNOR, and Williams presented "The Effectiveness of Preoperative Usage of Acetaminphen to Manage Postoperative Pain in Pediatric Patients."

Faculty and staff from KU Medical Center are the authors of "Outcomes of a Nursing Intervention for Siblings of Chronically Ill Children," which was published in the Journal of the Society of Pediatric Nurses, 1997; 2 (3), 127-137. The authors are: Phoebe Williams, PhD, FAAN, professor; Sandra Hanson, MEd, RN, assistant professor; Robyn Karlin Setter, MSN, RN, clinical nurse specialist; Lavonne Rider, MSN, MA, RN, clinical nurse specialist; Adrienne Liebergen, MN, ARNP, clinical nurse specialist; Joyce Olson, MN, RN, former clinical nurse specialist; Susan Tobin-Rommelhart, former clinical nurse specialist; and Martha Barnard, PhD, RN, clinical associate professor of pediatrics.

News from the School of Allied Health

Chukuka Enwemeka, PhD, FACSM, professor and chair of physical therapy education, presented "Laser Photostimulation of Collagenous Tissues" at the European Medical Laser Association meeting Sept. 18-21 in Florence, Italy. He also chaired a research session on "Laser Therapy in Rehabilitation Medicine."

Physical therapy education hosted the annual Academic Administrators’ Special Interest Group meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association Sept. 26-28 in Kansas City.

Paul Mathews, EdS, RRT, FCCM, associate professor; L. "Micky" Mathews, RN, CEN, adjunct assistant professor; and Michael Czervinske, RRT, instructor, all in respiratory care education, presented "Ventilator Associated Infections" for Medivision, a continuing education network. The program was videotaped and edited for an hour-long production, which will be distributed nationally and internationally. The released date for the video is Oct. 15, 1997.

Paul Mathews, EdS, RRT, FCCM, associate professor or respiratory care education and physical therapy education, and Perri Cagle, MS, RPT, assistant professor of physical therapy education, authored chapter sections for the chapter on "Infection Control and Safety in Special Areas" for Safety and Infection Control in the Health Care Professional Guides series, which was published by Springhouse Publications.

Pete Beyer, MS, RD, associate professor of dietetics and nutrition, presented "Professional Development and Recertification in Dietetics" at the Sept. 13 meeting of the New Mexico Dietetic Association in Albuquerque, N.M.

News from KU Hospital

Norman Estes, MD, chief of staff, has been elected president-elect of the Kansas chapter of the American College of Surgeons. His two-year term as president will begin in September 1998.

News from the Center on Aging

Joan McDowd, PhD, associate professor of occupational therapy education, will present the next Center on Aging Research Seminar from 4 to 5 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Clendening Amphitheater, 2004 Robinson. She will discuss "IDS 2 -- Kansas Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center" and "Attention and Motor Learning After Stroke."

The topic of the next Ethical Analysis Seminar, which will be via televideo, will be "Long-Term Dilemma: Consensual Sexual Relationship in an Unmarried, Demented Couple." The discussion will be from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 8 in G567 KU Hospital.

News from Student Services

Kim Scarbrough, coordinator of wellness, diversity and research programming/learning resources, has been chosen by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators as the Region IV-West Rising Star. She will receive the award at the organization’s meeting in November in Albuquerque, N.M., Region IV-West comprises 10 states and two providences in Canada.

News from Health Careers Pathways

Arturo Robles, coordinator of the Junior Health Careers Opportunity Program (JRHCOP), and three students from the program presented "Growing Our Own Migrant Farm-Worker Primary Health Care Providers" at the seventh annual Midwest Farm-Worker Stream Forum Sept. 12 in Indianapolis. The student presenters were: Luis Ortega, a KU, Lawrence, student; Jennifer Diaz, a Kansas City, Kansas, Community College student; and Esmeralda Contreras, who has completed certification as a medical assistant. April Wakefield, who taught biology for the last three years in the JRHCOP summer program, also participated in the presentation.

News from the Benefits Office

Open enrollment for group health insurance and flexible spending accounts has begun and continues through October 31. Benefit options booklets for 1998 have been sent to all departments for distribution to employees. This enrollment allows the opportunity to make changes in coverage and/or enroll for next year. Those interested should complete a form only if they want to change insurance providers, add or drop coverage, add or drop dependents from medical or dental coverage, change tobacco user status or change pretax status. Also, those wanting to participate in the health care or dependent care flexible spending accounts in 1998 must complete the new KanElect enrollment form. Participation will end Dec. 31, 1997, unless a new form is completed for 1998. Changes made during open enrollment will be effective Dec. 28, l997, for health insurance and Jan. 1, l998, for flexible spending accounts. The following providers of medical insurance will again be offered: Blue Select, Blue Cross Traditional, Cigna HealthCare, Healthnet Excel, Kaiser, Premier Blue, Principal Gold-10, Principal Maximum Choice, and Principal Preferred Provider Organization. Dental benefits will be provided by Delta Dental Plan of Kansas and United Dental Care. Prescription drugs will be provided by Advance Paradigm. The Medical Center (hospital and physicians) will continue to waive co-payments and deductibles for employees and their dependents who are covered on a state of Kansas insurance plan. Explanations of the plans will be provided at the following 90-minute informational meetings:

Oct. 3
10 a.m. in Sudler Auditorium
1 p.m. in the Clendening Amphitheater

Oct. 23
10 a.m. in Sudler Auditorium
2 p.m. in Sudler Auditorium

Representatives from the state division of personnel services, KU Medical Center’s benefits office and each of the insurance plans will be on hand to answer questions. Open enrollment is being held in the Benefits Office, 1040 Wescoe, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., through the end of the month. For more information, call extensions 5142, 5088 or 5087.

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