News
MPH’s Schaffner comments on fears of a major health crisis in Puerto Rico
Oct. 4, 2017—Experts fear a major health crisis will unfold in Puerto Rico as the island remains without electricity and clean water. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said without clean water or wastewater facilities, residents in Puerto Rico are at risk for waterborne diseases.
MPH’s Graves comments on Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill
Sep. 26, 2017—Senate Republicans, seemingly short on votes for their last-ditch plan to repeal Obamacare, are desperately tweaking the bill in hopes of winning over both their moderate and conservative wings.The result is a plan from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-SC) that would go even further in rolling back Obamacare’s protections for people with...
MPH’s Gonzales: LGBT community faces a variety of serious health problems
Sep. 26, 2017—Experts say stress and lack of healthcare causes more heart disease, high blood pressure, and other ailments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. “There is minority stress,” Gilbert Gonzales, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Healthline. “And it’s above the everyday stress. There’s also a...
MPH’s Buntin: Latest ACA repeal bill could hit those with pre-existing conditions
Sep. 20, 2017—The latest Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill in the U.S. Senate raises the possibility that Tennesseans with pre-existing diseases could see increased costs or change in coverage. Under the proposal, states could choose to set new regulations on how much can be charged to people with pre-existing conditions who buy insurance on the market, whether insurers can limit benefits over...
Vanderbilt University climbs ‘U.S. News & World Report’ rankings to reach No. 14
Sep. 14, 2017—U.S. News & World Report today named Vanderbilt University as one of the best universities in the country as part of the publication’s annual rankings of top universities. Vanderbilt rose to 14th place this year, its highest ranking to date, after holding at No. 15 the two previous years.
MPH’s Penson named to editorial post of major cancer journal
Sep. 11, 2017—David Penson, M.D., MPH, Paul V. Hamilton, M.D., and Virginia E. Howd Professor of Urologic Oncology and chair of the Department of Urologic Surgery, has been named an associate editor for The Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI).
New V-STTaR program to be led by MPH alumni Roumie and Talbot
Aug. 31, 2017—Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has established a new career development program for scientists in implementation research. The goal is to speed the uptake and translation of scientific discoveries into routine clinical practice. The program, called Vanderbilt Scholars in T4 Translational Research, or V-STTaR, is supported by a five-year, $3 million grant awarded this month...
MPH’s Heerman to collaborate on $1 million funding award by PCORI
Aug. 31, 2017—Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been approved for a $1 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study more efficient and feasible ways to validate electronic health records (EHR) and incorporate this information into medical studies. Co-principal investigator of the study is Pamela Shaw, Ph.D., associate professor of Biostatistics at the...
MPH’s Schaffner: Hurricane Harvey’s Public Health Impact Extends Beyond Flooding
Aug. 29, 2017—Since Hurricane Harvey hit Texas on Friday, 10 people have died and many others have been injured and trapped in their flooded houses. But beyond the immediate dangers posed by the flooding, experts are worried about the broader threats to public health. Vulnerable populations, like the homeless, the elderly and the chronically ill, are especially at...
MPH’s Etherington is the new Chair of the Metropolitan Board of Health of Nashville and Davidson County
Aug. 17, 2017—Carol Etherington, MSN, RN, FAAN was recently elected as Chair of the Metropolitan Board of Health of Nashville and Davidson County. Etherington established one of the first police-based counseling programs in the U.S. to serve victims of violent crime and has worked multiple disasters across the U.S. including earthquakes, hurricanes, school shootings and New York...
MPH’s Nikpay comments on the 340B drug discount program
Aug. 10, 2017—Federal health officials say a controversial program that allows hospitals to purchase drugs at deep discounts needs some fixing.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, worry hospitals are playing fast and loose with what’s known as the 340B program by buying more expensive drugs than they have to, putting the squeeze on Medicare...
Audet receives $3-million NIMH grant to reduce HIV transmission in Mozambique
Aug. 3, 2017—Carolyn Audet, Ph.D., M.Sc., has been awarded a five-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to study a novel “couples-centered” intervention to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Mozambique.
MPH’s Schaffner to focus on specific treatment course based on type of infection before recommendation change
Jul. 27, 2017—For the last 75 years, people with a bacterial infection have been told it is essential to finish all of an antibiotic prescription, usually seven to 10 days, to keep from getting sick again. But British researchers are now saying that patients may not need to “complete the course,” that it may actually be contributing...
MPH’s Graves: Hospitals that score better on patient satisfaction scores reduce mortality
Jul. 24, 2017—The relatively recent movements toward transparency and quality in health care have collided to produce dozens of publicly available hospital quality metrics. You might consider studying them in advance of your next hospital visit. But how do you know if the metrics actually mean anything?There is at least a bit of signal within the noise....
Shyr appointed chair of Department of Biostatistics
Jul. 20, 2017—Yu Shyr, Ph.D., Harold L. Moses Professor of Cancer Research and director of the Vanderbilt Center for Quantitative Sciences, has been named chair of Vanderbilt’s Department of Biostatistics. He will assume the post Sept. 1. As the new chair, Shyr will spearhead a department recognized internationally for its research and educational programs, with 33 full-time...