News
MPH’s Schaffner: Antibodies in blood plasma from Ebola survivors still may be a treatment
Jan. 7, 2016—Reuters: Treating Ebola victims with blood plasma donated by Ebola survivors failed to significantly increase the odds of recovering from the deadly virus, according to a field test of the experimental treatment. The conclusion is based on the cases of 84 people treated with plasma in Conakry, Guinea, in the hope that the antibodies in...
MPH study one of Vanderbilt’s most popular research stories of 2015
Jan. 6, 2016—A study on ankyloglossia from MPH faculty member Melissa McPheeters, Ph.D., M.P.H., ranked among Vanderbilt's most popular research stories of 2015. MPH graduates Richard Epstein, Ph.D., M.P.H. (Psychiatry); and Sahar Kohanim, M.D., M.P.H. (Ophthalmology); were also co-authors on the report.
MPH alum urges prostate surgery patients to not only focus on surgeon experience
Jan. 4, 2016—Men who get prostate cancer surgery at hospitals that do a lot of these procedures may have better results, and those better outcomes might help offset the added cost of care at specialized facilities, a U.S. study suggests. Patients should be careful not to focus on the surgeon's experience level until after they determine whether...
MPH’s Schaffner emphasizes need for funding as new TFAH outbreak report is released
Dec. 18, 2015—Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TFAH devised a scoring system with metrics such as flu vaccination rates, food safety and HIV/AIDS surveillance — and then evaluated each of the 50 states to see how they stacked up. The report details ways in which the whole nation could be doing better...
On NBC Nightly News: MPH’s Schaffner weighs in on tuberculosis exposure in CA hospital
Dec. 14, 2015—William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and health policy, weighs in about hundreds of people, including newborns, who may have been exposed to tuberculosis in the maternity wing of a California hospital after a nurse was diagnosed with an active case.
Hypertension-related visits to emergency rooms on rise in U.S. says MPH alumna
Dec. 10, 2015—The number and percentage of patients treated at emergency departments for hypertension are on the rise across the United States, according to a Vanderbilt study published recently in The American Journal of Cardiology. “We found that around 25 percent of all emergency department visits involved patients with hypertension, and that the rate of hypertension-related visits...
MPH alum named Nashville Health Care Council fellow
Dec. 8, 2015—The Nashville Health Care Council is delving into innovation, consumerism and retail health care for its 2016 Council Fellows, which is stitching together a diverse collection leaders from around the city's health care community. Headed by former Sen. Bill Frist and Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management health care and economics professor Larry Van Horn,...
WSJ: Schaffner’s advice for staying healthy during flu season
Dec. 4, 2015—Should you sleep off a flu? When should you seek a doctor's help? What should parents of sick children with the flu do? National Foundation for Infectious Diseases director Dr. William Schaffner joins Tanya Rivero with advice for staying healthy.
In the New York Times, Schaffner weighs in on the fight against HIV and AIDS in the US
Dec. 2, 2015—Vanderbilt's William Schaffner, M.D., is quoted in the New York Times' recent article about the war on AIDS in the United States.
New diagnoses of prostate cancer decreased according to study from MPH alum
Dec. 1, 2015—New prostate cancer diagnoses declined by almost 30% in the first year after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against routine screening PSA tests, a review of a national database showed. An analysis by disease stage at diagnosis showed that the number of new diagnoses of intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer also decreased,...
MPH Program faculty led study links opioids, infection risk for patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Nov. 20, 2015—Use of opioid analgesics is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for serious infections among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a Vanderbilt study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology. “Future studies will examine the association between specific opioids and the risk of infections. Identifying opioid formulations that are particularly problematic would be important to...
On NPR, MPH graduate says new law may keep women from getting medical care
Nov. 20, 2015—Vanderbilt MPH alumna Jessica Young, M.D., M.P.H., speaks with NPH on All Things Considered about how a new law could prevent women struggling with addiction seek the medical care they need for themselves and their children.
NYT: MPH’s Penson recommends to “screen smarter” for prostate cancer
Nov. 17, 2015—Fewer men are being screened for prostate cancer, and fewer early-stage cases are being detected, according to two studies published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. An editorial accompanying the articles, by Dr. David F. Penson, the chairman of urologic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, acknowledged that too much screening can...
MPH Program’s Schaffner honored with APHA 2015 John Snow Award
Nov. 12, 2015—William Schaffner, M.D., professor of Preventive Medicine, is this year’s recipient of the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) 2015 John Snow Award, a longstanding award given in recognition of “enduring contributions to public health through epidemiologic methods and practice.”
CEPH invites comments on proposed revised criteria for schools and programs of public health
Nov. 6, 2015—The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) invites comments on its proposed revised criteria for schools of public health and public health programs. Comments must be submitted using the designated form and are due by the close of business on January 8, 2016. The Council will review comments at its January 2016 meeting and...