May 17, 2002

As a world-class leader in health care, the MGH often isfeatured in the news Ñ from the latest in cutting-edge research to state-of-the-art technology to excellence in the delivery of patient care to commentary about health policy. To present a more in-depth look at some burgeoning technologies, the MGH recently hosted a group of 10 reporters from local print and broadcast outlets who were participating in the Health Coverage Fellowship, sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation.

James Mueller, MD; Thomas Brady, MD; John Parrish, MD; Brett Bouma, PhD; and I.K. Jang, MD, spoke to the group about diagnosing and treating vulnerable plaques, responsible for many of the heart attacks that result in sudden death. Lee Schwamm, MD, along with colleagues from Telemedicine and Radiology, presented a demonstration of telestroke technology, which allows physicians at academic medical centers to work collaboratively with physicians in community hospitals to assess and manage patients presenting with symptoms of stroke.

Peter Slavin, MD, chairman and chief executive officer of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, hosted a luncheon for the group that featured guest speaker Michael Dukakis, former governor of Massachusetts.

The journalists also heard a panel discussion about sports medicine, featuring Bert Zarins, MD, of MGH Orthopædics, who is the team physician for the New England Patriots and the Boston Bruins, along with the team physicians for the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Celtics.

Earlier in the week, James J. Mongan, MD, MGH president, participated in a panel discussion offering the reporters information and opinions about the challenges of insuring the uninsured.

Schwamm talks with medical reporters.