May 11, 2007

What's Happening

Update on Medical Service Blood Drive Challenge
During the month of May, nurses and physicians in the Department of Medicine are invited to participate in the annual Medical Service Blood Drive Challenge. After the first week, the nurses are in the lead. The Blood Center is located in the Gray Lobby and is open for donations Tuesday through Thursday, from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm and Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. For more information, call (617) 726-8171.

Senior HealthWISE hypertension screenings
MGH Senior HealthWISE will offer free hypertension screenings and blood pressure checks May 21, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm at the West End Civic Association Community Room, One Emerson Place. For more information, call (617) 724-6756.

2007 Collins Lecture Series
As part of the 2007 Collins Lecture Series, the MGH Department of Radiation Oncology will host "Biology as Information: Genomics and Medicine in the 21st Century" May 15, from 5 to 6 pm in the Ether Dome. Eric Lander, PhD, founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, will present. For more information, call Julie Finn at (617) 724-1155.

Neurorestoration Symposium
The MGH and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary are co-sponsoring a Neurorestoration Symposium June 7 and 8 at the MGH. The symposium will
focus on new and emerging technologies for nervous system augmentation or repair and will explore techniques for restoration of vision or hearing, cortical implants to treat motor system disease and deep brain stimulation for the treatment of movement disorders, epilepsy and psychiatric disorders. Attendees are eligible for a maximum of 12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. For more information or to register, visit brain.mgh.harvard.edu/Neurorestoration.

Medical Billing open house
The MGH will host a Medical Billing open house May 15, from 7 am to 7 pm at CNY, 62 13th St. The open house will feature job opportunities in the Professional Billing Office, and managers will be available to meet with candidates. Applicants must have a minimum of one to three years of related work experience. Other professional and managerial positions also are available. For more information, visit www.mghcareers.org.

Wellman Center lecture
The MGH Wellman Center for Photomedicine lecture series will offer "Photobiomodulation of Primary Neurons Functionally Inactivated by Toxins: Role of Cytochrome C Oxidase," May 15, from 2:15 to 3:15 pm in the Thier Conference Room. A coffee reception will begin at 2 pm. Margaret Wong-Riley, PhD, of the Medical College of Wisconsin, will present. For more information, contact Nicole DeVoe at ndevoe@partners.org.

Emergency Preparedness Day at MGH Revere
The MGH Revere HealthCare Center is hosting an Emergency Preparedness Day May 16, from 9 am to 7 pm. Information will include tips for developing a family disaster plan, as well as plans for communication, children, pets, and special
needs populations. For more information, contact Craig Cochran at (617) 726-0312 or ccochran@partners.org.

Loan forgiveness program for PCPs
MGH primary care physicians (PCPs), medical students, residents and interns now can apply for a new loan forgiveness program, the Primary Care Physician Loan Repayment Program, managed by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and funded by a Bank of America-Partners HealthCare Primary Care Physician Initiative. Applicants must agree to work in primary care in community health centers for at least two years and will receive up to $25,000 a year for three years toward the repayment of medical school loans. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and are due by June 1. Decisions will be announced July 1. For more information, visit www.massleague.org.

National Women's Health Week
In honor of National Women's Health Week, the Women's Health Coordinating Council, in collaboration with the MGH Heart Center and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at MGH, will host an information table in the Main Corridor May 16, from 11 am to 2 pm. Staff will be available to answer questions and share information about HPV vaccines and testing, new cardiac guidelines for women and mind/ body health for women.

Thomas F. Deutsch Memorial Symposium
The MGH Wellman Center for Photomedicine and CIMIT will co-host the Thomas F. Deutsch Memorial Symposium May 18, from 4 to 6 pm in the Thier Conference Room. A reception will follow. For more information, contact Suzanne Harvey at seharvey@partners.org or (617) 726-1588.

Schwartz Center "Celebration of Women in Health Care"
The Kenneth B. Schwartz Center will host a "Celebration of Women in Health Care" May 23, from 5 to 7:30 pm at Tufts Health Plan, 705 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown. Guest speaker Mara Aspinall, president of Genetics at Genzyme, will discuss "Mixing Compassion and Science is Truly the Best Medicine." Admission is $75. For more information, call (617) 724-4746.