January 2012

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Published monthly for CC employees by the Office of Communications, Patient Recruitment, and Public Liaison. News, article ideas, calendar events, letters, and photographs are welcome. Submissions may be edited.

Clinical Center News
National Institutes of Health
Building 10, 10 Center Drive
Room 12C440,
Bethesda, MD 20892-1504
Tel: 301-496-6787
Fax: 301-402-1982

PAST ISSUES:
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2011

UPCOMING LECTURES:
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Lipsett Amphitheater, 12 noon
Lectures will be videocast.

January 4
Changing Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Using Genomics

Louis M. Staudt, MD, PhD
Deputy Chief, Metabolism Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI
Lecture will not be videocast

That's a Fact, Jak: Inhibitors of Janus Kinases as a New Class of Immunomodulatory Drugs
John J. O'Shea, MD
Scientific Director, NIAMS
Lecture will be videocast

January 11
Contemporary Clinical Medicine: Great Teachers
Controversies in the Management of Low Back Pain

Richard A. Deyo, MD, MPH
Kaiser Permanente Professor of Evidence-Based Family Medicine, Oregon Health and Science
University Director, Community and Practice-Based Research Program, Oregon Clinical & Translational Research Institute

January 18
Ankylosing Spondylitis in 2012: From Genetic Discovery to Better Outcome

Robert A. Colbert, MD, PhD
Senior Investigator and Chief, Pediatric Translational Research Branch, NIAMS

Michael M. Ward, MD
Senior Investigator, Office of the Clinical Director, Intramural Research Program, NIAMS

January 25
MicroRNAs and Human Retroviruses: What We are Learning

Kuan-Teh Jeang, MD, PhD
Chief, Molecular Virology Section, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, NIAID
Lecture will not be videocast

Bioinformatic Approaches to Track HIV Epidemics
Frank Maldarelli, MD, PhD
Staff Clinician, HIV Drug Resistance Program, NCI

Lecture will be videocast

NEW CLINICAL
RESEARCH PROTOCOLS:

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The following protocols were approved in November:

  • Imaging Biomarkers in Parkinson Disease; 12-N-0031; Dr. Codrin I. Lungu; NINDS
  • Measuring Effects of Acute Ethanol on Human Brain Metabolites using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; 12-AA-0032; Dr. Reza Momenan; NIAAA
  • Non-Invasive Study of Brain Connectivity Using Combined EEG and NIRS; 12-CH-0011; Dr. Amir Gandjbakhche; NICHD
  • Evaluation of Whether the Selective Progesterone Receptor Modulator CDB-2914 Can Reduce Bleeding in Premenopausal Women with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding: A Pilot Study; 12-CH-0015; Dr. Alicia Y. Armstrong; NICHD
  • A phase two Clinical Trial of Buspirone Therapy in localization-related Epilepsy; 12-N-0033; Dr. William H. Theodore; NINDS
  • Pilot Study of Bilateral Pedunculo-Pontine Nucleus (PPN) Deep Brain Stimulation for Patients with Parkinson Disease (PD) Who Have Persistent Gait Disturbance, Despite Bilateral Subthalamic Nucleus (STN) Deep Brain Stimulation; 12-N-0012; Dr. Mark Hallett; NINDS
  • Real-time MRI Pericardiocentesis Using Passive Needles;; Dr. Robert J. Lederman; NHLBI

QUICK LINKS:
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Radiation Oncology takes first place in gingerbread contest

Award-winning team accepts prize from Dr. Gallin.
Clinical Center Director Dr. John I. Gallin (fourth, from left) presented the winners of the 2011 Gingerbread House competition with a certificate noting their first place entry titled "Santa's Radiation Workshop." Representing the team were (from left) Arlene del Mundo, Matthew Masciocchi, Ava Stevens, Pete Guion, Theresa Cooley-Zgela, John Ondos, Kristopher Van Amburg, and Elena Lita.

Frosting, fondant, and sprinkles adorned the Clinical Center's atrium in December for the eighth annual gingerbread house competition hosted by Nursing and Patient Care Services.

Designed in 2004 as a way to foster teamwork during the move to the new Hatfield Building, the competition has since increased in size, both number of participants and scale of submissions.

The contest opened to the entire NIH community for the first time this year and pulled a record 42 entries and more than 2,400 casted paper votes.

"This year we also wanted to give patients and friends who couldn't be here a chance to vote, so we have an award for the Facebook favorite," announced Dr. John I. Gallin, CC director.

With 41 votes cast, the online community chose the NIH Office of Science Education's "Bridge to the Future."

Much-coveted first place went to "Santa's Radiation Workshop" created by a team from CC Radiation Oncology. The team's first entry into the contest depicted a frosting-filled Rudolph complete with a glowing red nose undergoing radiation therapy.

"Not everyone is familiar with radiation oncology so we wanted to design something that would help others recognize us and what we do," said team member Arlene del Mundo.

The second place award went to the team from the Rehabilitation Medicine Department that recreated a candy-coated scene from the popular game Angry Birds. The 7SE patient care unit won third place for their gingerbread re-creation of the NIH Building 1.

"The houses are amazing and what I think they signify is the creativity and teamwork of our staff," said Maureen Gormley, CC chief operating officer.

Second place team for gingerbread houses. Gingerbread house version of Building 1.
Representing the second place winners—for a candy coated replica of a game of Angry Birds—were (from left) Swetha Sundar, Sylvain Brochard, Juliana Heimur, Ali Siddiqui, and Chris Stanley. Not pictured members of the team include Abrahm Behnam, Leora Comis, Lindsey Curatalo, Tosha Davis, and Meghan Gleason. The 7SE patient care unit won third place in the annual competition for their gingerbread re-creation of Building 1.

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Hamlisch performs annual holiday concert in atrium

Marvin Hamlisch
World famous composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch filled the atrium with holiday cheer and music on December 20 at his seventh annual holiday concert.

Renowned composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch presented his seventh annual holiday concert at the NIH—and his first in the Clinical Center's atrium—on December 20.

He delighted the packed house of patients, families, visitors, and members of the NIH family with his talents. Joining him in the performance was vocalist Gary Mauer, who has appeared in Broadway's "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables."

NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins welcomed the accomplished composer, praising his commitment to music as a healing art.

"That is what this place is about," he said, "bringing the healing arts that are so amazingly represented here by the dedicated staff and the many people that come here putting their trust in the cutting edge medicine that takes place here at the CC … and to put that all together with this other healing art called music seems like a wonderful way to prepare ourselves for a holiday celebration."

Previous performances have been held at the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge. "We would play off Broadway at the lodge," Hamlisch joked to the packed audience. "But now we are on Broadway, this is big time."

Gary Mauer sings.
Broadway star Gary Mauer joined Hamlisch in the annual holiday performance, singing festive holiday songs and selections from his most recent role in "The Phantom of the Opera."

Hamlisch's friend, Mrs. Lily Safra, along with the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation, provided the principal private funding for the Family Lodge construction.

She invited him to the Family Lodge's opening celebration on May 26, 2005, and he's been returning every holiday season since.

Hamlisch has received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. He wrote the music for the groundbreaking musical, "A Chorus Line," which received the Pulitzer Prize, and holds the position of principal pops conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and Pops, Seattle Symphony, and San Diego Symphony.

The event was jointly organized by the CC and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.

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Project SEARCH Success Attracts County Leadership Attention

County Executive talks to graduate.
County Executive Isiah Leggett visited the CC on December 5 to learn more about NIH's Project SEARCH. He also met program graduate Ricky Day (left), who now has permanent employment at the CC in the Office of Hospitality Services.

Leaders from Montgomery County including County Executive Isiah Leggett and Director of Human Resources Joe Adler, visited the Clinical Center December 5 to learn more about the NIH Project SEARCH program, a 30-week unpaid internship and work immersion program for young adults with intellectual disabilities.

The CC piloted Project SEARCH in 2010 with 12 interns. In 2011, the CC expanded the program to several additional institutes and centers.

Denise Ford, NIH Project SEARCH team lead and chief of the CC Office of Hospitality Services, explained that although the program is still in its early years for the NIH, it has proven successful in several ways, including expanding the CC's perspective of diversity by accepting persons with intellectual disabilities as part of the CC team.

"This program has not only drawn in a previously untapped pool of resources, but has made our culture better by creating an openness to seeing the person behind the disability," said Ford.
The primary goal of the program is to secure competitive employment for each student graduate. Eight of the CC's 2011 graduates received permanent positions at the CC, including Ricky Day, who works for Hospitality Services.

Day said, "If they see my smile, they would be like: ‘this guy is pretty normal. He smiles. He talks. He can do stuff just like anybody else. So what could be the difference? I don't see a difference.'"

Learn more online at clinicalcenter.nih.gov/projectsearch.

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CC Director's Awards celebrate exceptional staff and teams

The 2011 Clinical Center Director's Awards honored more than 150 individuals whose commitment, creativity, and collaboration have benefited patients, strengthened community, and furthered the mission of the CC.

"Thanks to the continuing efforts of the exemplary staff honored here today, as well as to their coworkers, we have furthered the nation's health and that of the world," said CC Director Dr. John I. Gallin at the December 19 ceremony. "All of you have helped make our achievements possible ... 2011 was a year of remarkable change, remarkable accomplishment, and remarkable recognition."

Administration
Kathy Arnold, CCMD; Dr. Craig Barker, RIS; Bobby Gibson, NPCS; Mary Hall, CCMD; Carolea Logun, CCMD; Lula Russell, RMD

  • CC Purchasing Online Tracking System (POTS) Administrators (OPC): Joe Tewes, Malinda Dehner, Janice Brunson

Jesse Ferguson Customer Service Award
Monique Arnett, Nutr; Becky Chen, Bioethics; Dr. Adrienne Farrar, SWD; Mukesh Khatri, DCRI; Holly Parker, RMD; MPO Brad Rupert, NIH ORS; Bernice Stapleton; OAM

  • Bedside to Bench Grants Management Team (NIH NIDDK): Carey Beckley, Dee Doherty, Karin Mastrangelo, Robert Pike, Marilyn Rosendorf
  • Media Operations Team (OCPRPL): Kelli Carrington, Ellen Crown, Nicole Martino, Maggie McGuire
  • Phlebotomy Management Team (DLM): Linda Arnett, Maria Fagoaga, Michael Guyah, Gina Mattia, Tarsha Price, Veronica Washington
  • 5SE 5 NW Research Support Assistants (NPCS): Gina Cobb-Martinez, Theodore Crowder

Mentoring
Joan Aaron, NPCS; Lisa Duncan, NPCS; Colleen McGowan, OAM

Patient Care
James Wade Atkins, DTM; Sara Bergerson, Nutr; Amy Callahan, NPCS; Deborah Chen, DTM; Naoza M. Collins-Johnson, DTM; Leora Ellen Comis, RMD; Jenifer Dwyer, NPCS; Robert Evers, RIS; Fortin Georges, Pharmacy; Brad Moriyama, Pharmacy; Myra Woolery, NPCS; Jennifer Zlott, NPCS

  • Language Interpreters Program (SWD): Maria Elena Guzman, Heidi Hobson, Maria Radulovic, Brenda Robles
  • MRI Technologists (RIS): Ann Anderson, Huy Bui, Bonita Damaska, Robert Evers, Chris Hollingsworth, Paul Jones, Sandra McKee, Michael Miller, Mastaneh Owhadi, Hugo Sandoval, James Sedlacko, Theresa Tyler, Ronald White

Patient Safety Champion
Special Clinical Studies Unit: Raymond T. Bowen, OSFM; Debra A. Byram, OSFM; Risa Eckes, NIH NIAID; Reza Jafari, NIH ORF; Ann Marie Matlock, NPCS; Robin Odom, HES; Ann Peterson, NPCS; Bill Ridenhour, NIH ORF; Colleen Rodak, NIH NIAID; Mary Sparks, OD

Quality of Worklife/Diversity
Belinda Avila, DPM; Sonja Bartolomei; NPCS

Science
Dr. Francesco Marincola, DTM; Dr. Tara Palmore, HES; Dr. Susan Robertson, RMD; Dr. Bradford Wood, RIS

  • Characterization of a New Immune Dysregulation Disorder Team: Dr. Thomas A. Fleisher, DTM; Dr. Michael Lenardo, NIH NIAID; Julie Niemela, DLM; Dr. Joao Oliveira Filho, DLM; Dr. V. Koneti Rao, NIH NIAID
  • Clinical Center Acinetobacter Infection Investigation Infection Team: Dr. Julie Segre, NIH NHGRI; Dr. Evan Snitkin, DLM; Frida Stock, DLM; Dr. Adrian Zelazny, DLM
  • RMD Compassionate Allowance Team (RMD): Dr. Aaron Heuser, Dr. Pei-Shu Ho, Dr. Minh Huynh, Dr. Elizabeth Rasch

Strategic Initiatives
Elaine Ayres, OD; Karen Kaczorowski, NPCS; Deborah Kolakowski, NPCS; Mei-Chiun Lee, DCRI

  • CDV Implementation Team: Nancy Ames, NPCS; Dr. Amisha Barochia, NIH NHLBI; Dennis Brown, CCMD; Dr. Peter Eichacker, CCMD; Pamela Horwitz, NPCS; Ryan Kennedy, DCRI; Connie Kotefka, NPCS; Minnie Raju, DCRI; Patricia Sengstack, DCRI; Dr. Richard Sherry, NIH NCI; Dr. Anthony Suffredini, CCMD; Windy Wallin, CCMD
  • Outpatient Pharmacy Information System Team: Stephen Blackwell, DCRI; Mark Bradley, DCRI; Michael Brown, Pharmacy; Seth Carlson, DCRI; Jason Chan, DCRI; Gary DiPatrizio, Pharmacy; Barry Goldpiel, Pharmacy; Nadia Guirguis, Pharmacy; Justine Harris, Pharmacy; Hon Lam, Pharmacy; Yenshei Liu, DCRI; Fred Manuel, OSFM; Jharana Patel, Pharmacy; Jeanne Preuss, DCRI; Isolina Vargas, DCRI
  • Referring Physician Communication Technical Team: Tricia Coffey, MRD; Yuliya Broydo, DCRI; Seth Carlson, DCRI; Steven D. Moore, DCRI; Michael Nansel, DCRI; Victoria Skahill, DCRI; Marisa L. Starr, MRD
  • 3SW-S / 3NE Model of Care Implementation Group (NPCS): Neil Barranta, Nicole Ritzau

Teaching/Training
Louise Balligan, NPCS; Karen Byrne, DTM; Hillary J. Fitilis, OWMD; Deldelker James, NPCS

  • Clinical Fellows Education Team (SWD): Deborah Dozier-Hall, Patricia Prince, Brenda Robles
  • Clinical Research Nursing Competencies and Education Team (NPCS): Dr. Nancy Ames, Georgie Cusack, Cheryl Fisher, Julie Kohn, Chad Koratich, Elizabeth Ness (NIH NCI), Dr. Gwenyth Wallen
  • SWD New Employee Orientation Program Team (SWD): Elaine De Benedetto, Courtney Duncan, Melissa Fuchs, Joan Galil, Marilyn Innis, Molly McKenna

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Faithful blood and platelet donors support CC patients

Judy Miller giving platelets donation.
Judy Miller gives platelets at the NIH Blood Bank where apheresis specialists like Juan Salgado collect the life-saving donation.

Judy Miller doesn't consider herself a hero. Although she has helped more than 200 patients at the Clinical Center, Miller isn't a doctor, nurse, or CC staff member. She's a Bethesda community member who faithfully comes to the NIH campus to donate platelets, giving more than 100 units at the NIH Blood Bank, which is managed by the Department of Transfusion Medicine.

"Most times when I tell people I'm going to donate platelets, they say, ‘what's that?' So they haven't heard about it or they think I know someone who needs platelets," Miller explained.

Platelets are small cells that help the blood to clot. Many people can donate platelets once a month and donations typically take about two hours.

Miller isn't donating her platelets because she knows someone personally who is being treated at the CC. She is donating because she said that without, "having any particular talent or special training," she can show her support and hopefully make a difference.

"To have a world-class research center in our backyard is a gift to all of us in the area," said Miller. "The people being treated wouldn't be there if they weren't in great need. To be able to help them in such an easy way is, to me, a no-brainer."

Blood and platelet donors like Miller sustain the CC's mission. Virtually 100 percent of the blood and platelet donations at the NIH Blood Bank go to CC patients. Each year, more than 30,000 units of platelets are transfused at the CC to treat patients undergoing cancer therapy, stem cell transplants, and other diseases that require platelet therapy.

"We call ourselves a blood bank, but we're really a blood pipeline because you need fresh platelets every day, 365 days a year," said Dr. Harvey Klein, chief of the DTM. "We're just so grateful to those people who come in and donate all kinds of blood components and particularly platelets because there is no substitute. You simply can't get anything else that functions like a human platelet."

Miller said donating is also kind of relaxing. For two hours, you can sit back and watch a movie or television. Sometimes, she just chats with staff or other donors. Afterwards, she enjoys a snack.

"It amazes me that blood banks always have to beat the bushes to find people to donate because it's so easy. I would say give it a try. Why not? I mean, people bend over backwards to make you feel comfortable. These guys are experts at putting needles in your arm. Give it a try and see if you like it," encourages Miller, who adds that she is now trying to work on her goal of 200 platelet donations.

The staff at the NIH Blood Bank welcome Miller's generosity, and they're always looking for new donors to meet their daily and monthly needs.

"We really rely on people coming in during good times and bad, good weather and bad weather, during holiday weekends and non-holiday weekends, to donate what we call the gift of life," said Klein. "We think that those who do go away with a gift as well."

Learn more about donating at the NIH Blood Bank online at clinicalcenter.nih.gov/blooddonor. Make an appointment to donate by calling (301) 496-4321. Daytime, evening, and weekend hours are available.

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CC aquariums bring people closer to exotic water worlds

Deep within the aquariums at the Clinical Center is another world. Patients and staff are drawn to the five aquatic environments throughout the CC, each designed as its own natural water habitat.

In one water world, a neon-colored goby, stands guard for a crab. A male and female shrimp, an obvious couple, engage in a lover's quarrel over food. A large female orange clownfish, the celebrity of her domain, dominates center stage with an array of anemone as her backdrop.

A person could get lost in there and, according to aquarist Joe Farmer, many do."They're a good diversion for the waiting areas," said Farmer. "I think it's something that can occupy their attention and provoke their curiosity." The CC's aquariums have become a part of the living, breathing environment of the hospital community.

A large aquatic environment in the admissions area is cleverly designed to resemble a seagrass meadow in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and includes starfish and sea urchins. Radiology's aquarium is set up to resemble an Indonesian coral reef with clownfish, gobies, coral, and anemones.

Farmer, who owns his own company called Aquaterra Environments, has been caring for the water life here since 2007. His most recent project is to work with the CC art committee to create signage outside each aquarium so observers can learn about what they are viewing.

"The more they know about them—where they live, where they're from—the more attached they become to them and the more affection they have for them," Farmer explained. "And since they're pretty active animals and they can see out of the aquariums, they'll actually interact with people."

Caring for the fish also means setting rules, such as "no tapping on the glass." As for naming them, that is allowed as long as everyone recognizes that there's more alive in the aquarium than just the fish. Farmer added, "I'm trying to encourage an attachment to the whole environment."

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Super corridor increases efficiency and safety on B2 level

Tuggers drive through the super corridor.
Marshall Bennett of Housekeeping and Fabric Care Services drives a tugger through the new super corridor with enough room for James Rowe of Materials Management to pass by safely.

Clinical Center staff can now move materials more efficiently and safely with the completion of the B2 level "super corridor," a new hallway that connects the west end of the Magnuson Building with the east end Magnuson loading docks in support of the Building 10 complex.

Before contractors completed construction in December, pedestrian, freight, trolley, and vehicle traffic shared one eight-foot hallway. "We have streamlined access to the loading dock and eliminated the potential for accidents caused by high traffic in a small space," said project officer Marty Haghjou of the NIH Office of Research Facilities.

Michael Sandifer, chief of the CC Materials Management Department's storage and distribution section, said that moving materials and supporting the Hatfield Building used to be extremely difficult logistically because of so much traffic in a small area. Forklifts, laundry carts, and automated vehicles called tuggers shared the corridor with pedestrians, who had the right-of-way. Movement from the loading dock through the Magnuson building was slow and inefficient.

Sandifer reports that feedback on the super corridor from CC employees and outside contractors has been incredibly positive. "It allows for more flexibility, no obstruction, and improved flow," he said. "This hallway is really helping us make sure that we can support the building in a safe and efficient way for many years to come."

The corridor resides in former mechanical space; unused mechanical rooms and equipment were removed and relocated to make space for the 24-foot-wide hallway. The old hallway is also undergoing a renovation, and once completed will be reserved for pedestrian traffic only, while the super corridor will be only for mechanical and logistical support of the building.

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Former NHLBI Clinical Director Harry Keiser mourned

Dr. Harry R. Keiser, clinical director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute from 1976 until his retirement in 1998, died November 23 at age 78 of a progressive neurological disorder.

Harry R. KeiserA Chicago native and 1958 graduate of Northwestern University School of Medicine, Keiser came to NHLBI in 1960 as a clinical associate in medicine and subsequently joined the Hypertension-Endocrine Branch, working on renal mechanisms of hypertension.

He developed an interest in neurohormonal contributions to hypertension, which became his research focus throughout his career at the NIH. His research activities included determining the pathophysiological relevance of kinins, prostaglandins, renin-angiotensin system, atrial natriuretic peptide, and catecholamines to hypertension. Keiser became a world authority on testing for pheochromcytoma, a rare but potentially curable cause of hypertension.

He wrote or co-wrote more than 200 professional articles and received a career award from the Washington Academy of Sciences. He was also a mentor and research supervisor to dozens of aspiring clinical investigators.

Keiser was appointed clinical director of NHLBI's Division of Intramural Research in 1976. He directed the institute's clinical associate program in internal medicine, not only recruiting, interviewing, and selecting the six annual associates, but also meeting with them weekly to discuss interesting and challenging cases.

"I thought he was one of the pillars of the NIH clinical research programs with total dedication to improving the interface between quality patient care and quality clinical research," said Dr. John I. Gallin, CC director. "He consistently championed the focus on the patient as a partner in the research process. We miss his wisdom."

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Office Olympians compete in support of CFC

Staff compete to fill faux prescriptions.
Bob DeChristoforo, Pharmacy Department chief, competed to fill a faux prescription against Bekah Geiger (middle), general manager of the Family Lodge, and Dr. Adrienne Farrar, Social Work Department chief as Dr. Leighton Chan (left), Rehabilitation Medicine Department chief, admired the competition.

Clinical Center employees and administrators supported the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) in a display of teamwork, competition, and skill at the Office Olympics challenge November 29. The CFC is the annual philanthropy drive conducted by federal employees in the workplace.

The competition tested technique and speed in hospital-oriented tasks, including such feats as correctly typing an involved paragraph on a blackberry and donning a gown, gloves, booties, and a mask. Thirteen contestants represented departments such as clinical research informatics, communications and patient recruitment, and administrative management.

Masur Auditorium was filled with the sounds of excited cheers and enthusiastic bell ringing from staff encouraging their department representatives. The Social Work Department and the Medical Record Departments won recognition for their particularly spirited efforts.

Gold medal winner and CC Chief Operating Officer Maureen Gormley was pleased with her place on the podium, but said, "The prize really goes to the CFC team. They work so hard for the people in need, and it really shows that I am not first, they are."

Tricia Coffey, director of the Medical Records Department, and Joe Hendry, chief of the Office of Credentialing Services, shared the silver medal. Dr. Adrienne Farrar, chief of the Social Work Department; Chad Koratich, nurse consultant with Nursing and Patient Care Services; and Lee Unangst, dietitian informaticist with the Nutrition Department, tied for the bronze.

The Office Olympics challenge was hosted by the CC CFC core committee and raised $550 for the CFC general fund.

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Longtime CC employee dies

James Kinsey, a longtime Clinical Center employee and material manager in the Materials Management Department, died on November 7.

Kinsey served in the Air Force for 23 years before retiring in 1976 with the rank of technical sergeant and worked at the CC for more than 30 years.

"Mr. Kinsey was a devoted employee, his main concern was to ensure that patients at the CC received the best care that they could," said his supervisor Michael Sandifer, head of supplies and distribution in MMD. "He was the person who everyone liked, and although he was a man of few words, when had something to say, he said it."

Kinsey was a lead supply specialist in the MMD storage and distribution section and acted as deputy chief and lead employee. "He made sure that patient support was always first," Sandifer said.

Kinsey loved basketball and golf, and is survived by his wife, mother, son, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

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Medical Research Scholars Program welcomes new leadership

Bruce Baum
Dr. Bruce Baum joined OCRTME as director of the Medical Research Scholars Program in November.

NIH researcher Dr. Bruce Baum joined the Clinical Center's Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education as director of the Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP) in November.

Baum's primary role will be to develop the academic curriculum that participating student scholars follow during their one-year tenure on the NIH campus.

The MRSP, which begins in September, is a year-long, residential training program in basic, clinical, or translational research for medical, dental, and veterinary students. The program is made possible through a partnership with the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health supported by a grant from Pfizer Inc and contributions from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Baum comes to this position after concluding a 35-year research career at the NIH in October. Baum began in 1976 as a post-doctoral fellow in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and joined the National Institute on Aging as a senior investigator in 1978. He was recruited in 1982 to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research as its clinical director, and then chief of its Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch. Baum also has years of experience with translational research, including a recently completed gene therapy trial to repair radiation-damaged salivary glands.

In addition to his research, Baum has had a continuous interest in the training of health professionals. A member of the original board of tutors for the NIH Clinical Research Training Program and past chair of the NIH-Duke Masters in Clinical Research Program admissions committee, he also has made a considerable effort to increase the relevancy of biological science in dental education.

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Clinical Center news briefs

'Annies' support NIH Blood Bank

CPR teacher and Al Decot pose with practice dummies.The NIH Blood Bank and the Clinical Center Department of Transfusion Medicine teamed up with the NIH Office of Research Services, Division of Occupational Health and Safety's CPR training office to outfit the class's "Annies," or CPR practice dummies.

Pictured is CPR teacher Juli Egebrecht with the Blood Bank's Al Decot with the Annies and some of their T-shirts featuring the NIH Blood Bank.



Pharmacy Department deputy chief recognized

Dr. Barry GoldspielDr. Barry Goldspiel, Clinical Center Pharmacy Department deputy chief and chief of the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist section, was awarded the Donald E. Francke Medal from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists in December. The Francke Medal is one of ASHP's highest awards and is given to a pharmacist who has made significant international contributions to health-system pharmacy. Goldspiel is the 16th recipient of the award since 1971.

The award honors Goldspiel's role in founding the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, his contribution to the growth of the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners, and his work gaining approval of oncology pharmacy as a recognized Board of Pharmacy Specialties specialty.


Senator Brown of Massachusetts visits CC

Senator Brown and Dr. GallinSenator Scott Brown (R-Mass) visited the Clinical Center on December 13 for conversations about the successes and future of clinical research.

CC Director Dr. John I. Gallin gave him an orientation to the CC before Brown met with NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins and patients participating in the Undiagnosed Diseases Program and in a National Cancer Institute protocol.



Clinical Center launches free email updates

Gov Delivery. Get the word out.The Clinical Center is now offering free email updates through GovDelivery's electronic news service. The new email updates will deliver updates on various CC information, including topics such as new research protocols, news, events, and more. Subscribers choose their topic preferences, selecting as few or many options as they want.

To begin receiving CC's new email updates, subscribe online at clinicalcenter.nih.gov. Look for the red envelope.


Clinical Center nurse consultant retires

Jean BooneLongtime Clinical Center employee Jean Boone, most recently a recruitment specialist in the Office of Communications, Patient Recruitment, and Public Liaison, retired in December shortly after celebrating 40 years of federal service.

Boone started at the CC as a clinical nurse educator in 1975. She went on to become the chief of the Cancer Nursing Service and also worked with the then Hospital Administration Department as a quality assurance coordinator. She also was a nurse consultant in the CC Office of Financial Resources Management and the Medical Records Department.

Of all of her experiences at the CC, Boone says she has enjoyed her last appointment—in the OCPRPL contact center where she responds to patient inquires—the most. "It is such a good feeling to be able to help patients find the best study and the help that they need."

In retirement, she is looking forward to spending time with her husband and family.

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