December 2008

November 2008

October 2008

Oct 30, 2008: School of Rural Public Health Presidential Health Care Discussion

Catherine Hawes, Ph.D., Regents Professor and policy analyst in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, will discuss the proposed health care plans by presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.

The discussion will be Thursday, Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. in Classroom 110 of the HSC-School of Rural Public Health complex. Audience questions are welcome.

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Oct 24, 2008: iThumb - I Don’t Think So

The iPhone recently launched to much fanfare around the globe, further highlighting our desire for constant electronic communication, at least for the younger generation. But with text messaging, instant messaging and email all at your fingertips, should you worry about getting “Blackberry thumb?”

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Oct 22, 2008: A&M Team Tackles Water

Institute for Public Health and Water Quality Chairman Paul Hunter stood in the foyer of the Reynolds Medical Building on the Texas A&M University campus and revealed a staggering statistic. Around the globe, he said, a child dies from a water-borne disease every eight to 10 seconds. But Hunter said he hoped to decrease that mortality rate with help from a new partnership between the institute and the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health.

Oct 22, 2008: HSC-School of Rural Public Health Dr. Sumaya selected among Top 100 influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business Magazine

Ciro V. Sumaya, M.D., M.P.H.T.M., professor and holder of the Cox Endowed Chair in Medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, recently was selected by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the Top 100 influential Hispanics nationwide for 2008.

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Oct 21, 2008: New Partnership Attracts Water Experts to Texas A&M

Hurricane Ike reminded all of us about the importance of our drinking water. Now some of the leading experts in the field of drinking water are relocating to our own backyard.

The Institute for Public Health and Water Research has announced a new partnership with the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health. That means it will be moving its headquarters from the University of Illinois at Chicago to Bryan/College Station.

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Oct 21, 2008: Texas A&M Studying Water to Improve World Health

It's something most of us don't even think about -- turning on the faucet anytime we need to.   But for plenty of people around the world it's not that easy. "The problem with water globally, is that a vast majority do not have access to safe water," said Dr. Paul Hunter, of Public Health and Water Research. But there's research starting right here in the Brazos Valley that could change that.

On Tuesday, the Texas A&M Health Science Center partnered with the Institute for Public Health and Water Research.   Now, the Center for Excellence in Public Health and Water Research will be housed in College Station

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September 2008

Sept 24, 2008: From research to real world: Study highlights successful physical activity programs for older adults

Researchers at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, in collaboration with researchers at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (HSC), recently looked at data from the Active for Life® program and found that physical activity programs developed and tested in research settings can be successfully implemented and diffused through community organizations.

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Sept 19, 2008: University of Texas SPH Reopens After Hurricane Ike

Faculty and staff of The University of Texas (UT) School of Public Health in Houston began returning to work on Thursday, September 18 following Hurricane Ike’s landfall in Galveston, TX on Friday, September 12. Classes were cancelled for the week, with students expected to return on Monday, September 22. "That’s when it will feel like we’re returning to normal – when our students come back," said Dean Guy Parcel, as he toured the building inspecting for damages. Although the damage to the coast and to the Houston area was significant, the school withstood the storm. There was no structural damage to the building; however, the school suffered a loss of power to some of the upper floors.

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Sept 8, 2008: Texas awarded $2 million Robert Wood Johnson Foundation childhood obesity prevention grant

Childhood obesity, a major national public health problem, is especially prevalent in Texas and other Southern states, and several policies have been enacted to tackle this problem. Texas is one of three states recently awarded $2 million by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to evaluate the effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention policies.

The Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health and the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living at The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus will collaborate with the Texas Health Institute and other partners in Live Smart Texas, a statewide coalition of more than 80 organizations, including state agencies, policy institutes, academic institutions, community organizations and advocacy groups committed to eliminating childhood obesity in Texas.

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August 2008

Aug 26, 2008: Single Rooms Becoming the Norm in New Hospitals

France is doing it. Britain, the Netherlands and Norway are on their way. And hospitals elsewhere should be doing it, too, namely moving toward all single rooms in newly built hospitals, argue the authors of a paper in the Aug. 27 issue of theJournal of the American Medical Association. 

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Aug 15, 2008: ASPH Communications Liaisons Meet at National Conference on Health Communication, Media and Marketing

On Thursday, August 14, representatives of early adopter schools of the ASPH Communications Toolkit met in Atlanta, GA to evaluate activities to date and to plan for next steps in the national initiative to brand public health and schools of public health. The early adopters program was designed to pilot how all of the accredited schools of public health can adopt a national messaging strategy, which is being developed in conjunction with ASPH’s partners at SS+K. 

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Aug 15, 2008: Run for your life

It may, in fact, be possible to outrun death — and even the creeping ravages of time — at least for a while. Research spanning two decades has found that older runners live longer and suffer fewer disabilities than healthy non-runners. And the findings probably apply to a variety of aerobic exercises, including walking, said the study authors, from Stanford University School of Medicine, whose findings are published in the August 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Aug 6, 2008: HSC-School of Rural Public Health receives federal funding for new Center for Health Organization Transformation

The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded funding to the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health and the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology to establish the Center for Health Organization Transformation (CHOT). Transformational change in health organizations can focus on issues related to implementation of information technology, quality and safety management, chronic disease management, clinical change initiatives and other evidence-based management approaches (such as Six Sigma and Toyota Lean Production Methods).

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Aug 5, 2008: HSC-School of Rural Public Health Dr. Sumaya to receive top award from Texas Rural Health Association

Ciro V. Sumaya, M.D., M.P.H.T.M., professor and holder of the Cox Endowed Chair at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, will receive the top award of the Texas Rural Health Association at its annual convention Wednesday, Aug. 6 in Austin. Dr. Sumaya will be honored with the Marion Zetzman Award, co-sponsored by The University of Texas System and given in recognition of an individual who has made a significant difference in improving the health of rural Texans. Dr. Zetzman was the first board president of the Center for Rural Health Initiatives (now Office of Rural Communities Affairs) and served in that capacity until his death in 1996.

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July 2008

Jul 29, 2008: HSC-School of Rural Public Health Dr. McLeroy to serve on NIH research review panel to find research to improve patient health

Kenneth McLeroy, Ph.D., professor in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, was appointed to a four-year term on the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) review panel, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Jul 14, 2008: Third of Elderly Patients Take Companion to See Doctor

More than one-third of elderly patients on Medicare take a companion with them for routine medical visits. And patients who are accompanied on such visits tend to be more satisfied with the visit, according to a study published in the July 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

 June 2008

Jun 27, 2008:ASPH Holds Annual Retreat for Associate Deans of Academic Affairs

This week, ASPH held the 16^th Annual Retreat of Associate Deans for Academic Affairs in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. The meeting started on the evening of Wednesday, June 25 with the associate deans’ consultation exchange. Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s agenda items included presentations and discussions on the DrPH degree, course evaluations, diversity at SPH, international field experiences, academic integrity and undergraduate public health education.

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Jun 27, 2008:ASPH Thanks Dr. Ciro Sumaya for His Work as Dean

Dr. Ciro Sumaya recently stepped down as dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (HSC-SRPH) after ten years. He was founding dean of the HSC-SRPH and a leader on ASPH’s practice activities during his tenure. Dr. Sumaya was chair of the ASPH Practice Committee, chair of the Academic Public Health Caucus in official relation with APHA and as the ASPH representative to the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice.

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Jun 27,2008: Are Medical Meetings Environmentally Unfriendly?

 Anyone who has arrived at Chicago O'Hare, Orlando or Dallas airports during one of the dozens of huge medical meetings held every year will no doubt encounter tens of thousands of specialists from all over world thronging the hallways, the Starbucks, the luggage claim area.Of course, the attendees use jet fuel to get to the meeting and gas to get from the airport to the hotel where, once they're checked in, they'll have the option or reusing or not reusing their towels.

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Jun 27, 2008: Dr. Roderick McCallum Appointed Interim Dean of Texas A&M HSC-SRPH

Dr. Roderick E. McCallum, vice president for academic affairs for the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC), has been appointed interim dean for the HSC School of Rural Public Health. He will work closely with the leadership of the school to continue the excellence in education, service and research for which the school is known. Dr. McCallum was recently the executive associate dean for the HSC College of Medicine, director of research for the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System and interim dean of medicine.

Jun 19,2008: Somerville Schools Clean-up After Toxin Scare

Somerville schools are weeks away from cleaning up elevated levels of toxins.Starting in July, a Bryan-based company will clean the school's attics, workplaces, and heavily travelled areas. The company will test for toxins before and after the clean-up, as an extra precautionary measure. Researchers with Texas A&M's School of Rural Public Health recommended the remediation to reduce the potential for future exposure to dangerous toxins.

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Jun 19, 2008: HSC-SRPH researchers find infrequent discussion of social activity in primary care

Researchers at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health have found physicians discuss social activities in only 31 percent of medical encounters with geriatric patients, and this lack of communication negatively affects overall patient satisfaction, can increase patient anxiety and could mean sacrificing potential health benefits.

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Jun 9, 2008: HSC-School of Rural Public Health faculty Dr. Tai-Seale receives prestigious AcademyHealth award for research on aging patients

Ming Tai-Seale, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, received the prestigious Article-of-the-Year Award from AcademyHealth at its annual research meeting, June 8-10 in Washington, D.C. AcademyHealth is a national organization for more than 3,500 individual health services researchers, public policymakers, business decision-makers, policy analysts, economists, sociologists, political scientists, consultants, clinicians and students. Its 132 organizational affiliates include academic institutions, private re­search organizations, health providers, health plans, health systems, associations, foundations and government agen­cies.

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May 2008

 May 30, 2008: HSC-SRPH Master of Health Administration program earns accreditation

The Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) program recently earned accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. The program is one of only seven in the state to be accredited and among the youngest ever to be accredited by the CAHME.

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May 23, 2008: Delta Omega Announces 2008 Student Poster Session Winners; Ms. Darcy Moudouni

The Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health will be sponsoring its 11^th Annual Student Poster Session through the Academic Public Health Caucus during the 136^th American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, CA. Local chapters of Delta Omega from accredited schools and programs of public health submitted many excellent nominations. Nineteen students were selected to present at the poster session, which will be held 10:30-11:30 a.m. (Western) on Monday, October 26, 2008 in the San Diego Convention Center.

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May 21, 2008: "Happy Birthday" for Handwashing

Everyday objects like the gas pump, shopping cart and door handles are prime locations for germs to live, but there are methods to limit their health threat. Sing “Happy Birthday” twice, and that’s how long it takes to properly wash your hands. While there are plenty of hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes and sprays, none compare to a 20-second scrub.

About 25,000 new workers needed ALARMS signaling an impending public health work force shortage are growing more urgent. New findings show that the U.S. shortage will grow increasingly worse over the next four years, but that few Americans are aware that a crisis exists.

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April 2008

Apr. 25, 2008: Texas A&M HSC-SRPH Students Lead President's Student Advisory Board

Ms. Katy Robertson and Ms. Nina Williams, students at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, (HSC-SRPH) are serving on the HSC President's Student Advisory Board, which serves in an advisory committee to Dr. Nancy W. Dickey, President of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs for the Texas A&M University System.

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Apr 25, 2008: Texas A&M HSC-SRPH Receives Gift from Chevron for Environmental Health and Safety

Chevron, the international energy company, recently gave $65,000 to the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (HSC-SRPH) for use by its Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.

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Apr 25, 2005: Texas A&M HSC-SRPH to Provide Training to U.S. Army Community Health Practice Branch

The Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (HSC-SRPH) and U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School have entered into an affiliation agreement for the HSC-SRPH to provide classes to students in the Community Health Practices Branch of the Department of Preventive Health Services in the Academy of Health Sciences.

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Apr 8, 2008: Tenth Anniversary Celebration

This past Saturday Evening SRPH held its Ten Year Anniversary Gala Celebration at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.The video which was shown at the event summarizes the history of the school and what it hopes to accomplish in the future.

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Apr 4, 2008: Texas A&M SRPH Celebrates 2008 National Public Health Week

The Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (HSC-SRPH) will celebrate National Public Health Week, April 7-13, beginning with a "Fun Run" and 10-year anniversary celebration on Saturday, April 5. Activities during the week include a rural health preparedness training seminar and research poster presentation.

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March 2008

Mar 17, 2008: Treating mental health issues with primary care physician

Mental health issues, including depression, are serious and treatable. With competent care by physicians and other mental health professionals, recovery is possible. Lack of effective treatment, though, could result in disability and mortality.

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Mar 8, 2008: Toxic Chemicals Found

Toxins at Somerville schools are within safe levels in classrooms, but samples taken from attics in the same buildings show amounts of dangerous chemicals higher than that in dust found after the World Trade Center collapse, according to a report released Friday.

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Mar 6, 2008: Sommerville Schools Declared Mostly Safe

After commissioning its own study not connected to the tie plant lawsuits, the school district said its buildings appear to be safe. Superintendent Charles Camarillo gave out a statement saying most of the spots tested in December had "very small concentrations of toxins," and that the most toxins were found in little-used attic areas.

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Mar 2, 2008: HPV shot causes a stir

If there were a vaccine that could prevent cancer, would you get it? That's the question families and health care professionals have struggled with ever since a shot that can prevent cervical cancer caused by a sexually transmitted virus was approved by federal agencies. The vaccine -- Gardasil -- was overwhelmed by controversy last year when Texas Gov. Rick Perry mandated that all girls entering sixth grade receive the vaccine.

February 2008

Feb 28, 2008: Investigation: Could Corn Tortillas Be Causing Cancer?

For nearly two years now, the News 4 Trouble Shooters have been investigating why people living near the former Kelly Air Force Base are dying of liver cancer at a rate twice as high as other parts of Texas. Trouble Shooter Jaie Avila tells us why health officials are now studying whether a very popular food here in South Texas could be responsible.

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Feb 27, 2008: HSC-SRPH dean on national panel addressing public health work force crisis

Ciro Sumaya, M.D., M.P.H.T.M., founding dean of the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, was one of four panelists at a Capitol Hill hearing today on the public health work force shortage. The hearing in Washington, D.C., follows a recently completed assessment of the public health work force by the Association of Schools of Public Health. The assessment found more than 250,000 additional public health workers are needed by 2020.

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Feb 27, 2008: Low Toxin Levels in Sommerville Schools

Tests show only “very small concentrationsâ€� of toxins in school buildings in an independent study on the effects of a wood treatment plant here, according to school Superintendent Charles Camarillo.

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Feb 15, 2008: PDAs Help Some Patients With Diabetes Self-Care

Patients who have diabetes can take more active roles in their care and improve glycemic control by using a personal digital assistant preinstalled with special software, according to Dr. Samuel N. Forjuoh. Dr. Forjuoh is leading a team of researchers who are examing the benefits of personal digital assistant (PDA) use with outpatients, with the goal of leveling the self-care playing field across socioeconomic groups.

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Feb 15, 2008: ASPH to Hold Hill Briefing on Confronting the Public Health Workforce Crisis

The Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) recently completed an assessment of the public health workforce shortage crisis and is hosting a briefing to present the findings and recommended actions. The briefing, which will be held Wednesday, February 27 from 1-2 p.m. (ET), will include an Expert Panel that will discuss significant health and safety impacts and what needs to be done to address those needs.

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Feb 12, 2008: Brazos Valley Garners National Award

A national award recognizing a commitment to healthy living will make the Brazos Valley a role model for communities hoping to become senior-friendly, local officials said Wednesday.The Brazos Valley was one of seven U.S. sites that received an award recently from the Environmental Protection Agency for its community-wide efforts to provide a healthy and welcoming environment for seniors.

January 2008

Jan 29, 2008: Many Older Americans Have Active Sex Lives

Many older Americans aren't letting age slow down their sex lives, a new study shows. The first comprehensive national survey of the sexual attitudes,behaviors and problems of U.S. adults age 57 and older finds many arehaving sex often. In fact, the frequency of sexual activity droppedonly slightly between the late 50s up to the early 70s.

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Jan 28, 2008: Diabetes Rates Continue To Soar

The number of Americans being diagnosed with and also living withtype 2 diabetes is soaring, presenting a major health and economiccrisis for the United States, a new study reports."What's alarming is we have 47 million uninsured people, but thesepeople [in the study, enrolled under Medicare] are all insured.

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Jan 17, 2008: HSC-SRPH Tai Seale joins national health services research organization

Ming Tai-Seale, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor at the Texas A&MHealth Science Center School of Rural Public Health, recently waschosen to serve as chair-elect within the AcademyHealth Organization,the premier professional organization in her field.

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Jan 8, 2008: Aging: Mental Health Overlooked in Care of Elderly Patients

Depression and other mental illnesses are common among the elderly, and when they get treatment, it usually comes from their primary care doctors. But a new study suggests that those doctors may devote too little time to talking about those ailments.

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