December 20, 2007

What's Happening

Change in Hotline schedule
Due to the Christmas holiday, MGH Hotline will not publish Dec. 28. The regular schedule will resume Jan. 4.

Senior HealthWISE screenings
MGH Senior HealthWISE will offer free hypertension screenings and blood pressure checks Jan. 7, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm at the Hill House, 127 Mt. Vernon St. For more information, call (617) 724-6756.

Smoking cessation programs
The MGH Tobacco Treatment Service will offer seven-week smoking cessation programs Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 15, from noon to 1 pm; Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 2, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm; and Thursdays, beginning Jan. 10, from 2 to 3 pm. Topics will include preparing to quit, coping with stress without cigarettes, preventing weight gain and maintaining a smoke-free lifestyle. Low-cost nicotine patches and/or gum will be available with written approval from a primary care physician. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call (617) 726-7443.

Partners Physicians Day
The annual Partners Physicians Day will be held Feb. 2, from 8 am to 5 pm at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. All Partners physicians are invited to attend. The keynote address, "The Good, the Great, and the Rest: The Problem of Performance in Medicine" will be given by Atul Gawande, MD, MPH. Online registration is available until Jan. 1. Registration after Jan. 11 will be completed on site. To register, visit clinicalaffairs.partners.org. For more information, e-mail
Grace Bommarito at gbommarito@partners.org.

Call for Macaluso Award nominations
Nominations now are being accepted for the Stephanie M. Macaluso, RN, Excellence in Clinical Practice Award, which is presented annually to recognize direct care providers throughout MGH Patient Care Services whose practice exemplifies the expert application of values personified by the late Stephanie M. Macaluso, RN. Nurses, social workers, speech and language pathologists, chaplains, and occupational, physical and respiratory therapists who spend a minimum of 50 percent of their time in a direct care role are eligible. Nominations forms are available at the Gray Lobby information desk and all nominations must be submitted by Jan. 14. Recipients will be announced in March 2008. For more information, contact Mary Ellin Smith, RN, MS, at (617) 724-5801.

Basic Biostatistics for Clinical Investigators
The MGH Clinical Research Program and the MGH Biostatistics Center are offering "Basic Biostatistics for Clinical Investigators" Jan. 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 3:30 to 5 pm in the Simches Research Center, Room 3110. The course qualifies for 6 hours of AMA Category 1 credit for physicians. Pre-registration is required. The registration fee is $50. To register, visit
hub.partners.org/catalog/crp-2005-basic-biostats. For more information, contact Lauren Michaels at (617) 726-5010 or lmichaels@partners.org.

Global Health Seminar Series
As part of its Global Health Seminar Series, the MGH Center for Global Health will host "Panel Discussion on Humanitarian Emergencies" Jan. 10, from
5 to 6:30 pm in the O'Keeffe Auditorium. Susan Briggs, MD, MPH, FACS; Frederick Burkle Jr., MD, MPH; Lydia Mann-Bondat, MS, MPH; and Michael VanRooyen, MD, MPH, FACS; will be the panel participants. For more information, e-mail Roy Ahn at rahn@partners.org or visit
www2.massgeneral.org/globalhealth.