Pulse

Volume5/1993_July19July 19,1993 PULSE UNIVERS1TY OF UTAH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER Helga E. Kolb Kolb Receives Governor's Medal For Science And Technology Helga E. Kolb, Ph. D., research professor of ophthal-mology and physiology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, will receive a 1993 Governor's Medal for Science and Technology at a special luncheon on July 29, 1993. Kolb is one of 11 individuals selected for this year's award by the State Advisory Council on Science and Technology. Kolb, who in May also received ophthalmology's most prestigious honor, the 1993 Proctor Medal, will join other 1993 recipients at the luncheon in their honor hosted by Utah Governor Mike Leavitt. The Governor's Medal is presented to individuals who have provided distinguished service to the State of Utah for five years or more in the fields of physical sciences, life sciences, math-ematics and engineering. Awards also are given to outstanding educators in the same fields, whether from public secondary schools or higher education. More than 60 nominations were submitted for the 1993 award. " What a marvelous award for an internationally known researcher," said Randall J. Olson, M. D., professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the U School of Medicine. " This is a just reward for her many years of hard work and expertise in the field of vision research. It is a very prestigious honor to have Dr. Kolb in our department." Kolb came to the U as a research associate professor in 1979 from the National Institutes of Health. She started her scientific career as a technician in a vision research laboratory in England and soon became an independent researcher. She continued to expand her education and research and received a Ph. D. in medicine from the University of Bristol in 1971. She immigrated to the United States in 1966 and worked at the Wilmer Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of W Medicine, National Eye Institute and the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke before joining the U faculty. • University of Utah Hospital has been recognized as one of the nation's best hospitals in the areas of gynecology and orthopedics in the July 12,1993 issue of U. S. News & World Report. The magazine's fourth annual hospital ratings report recognized the nation's top three percent of hospitals ( approximately 40) in 16 specialty categories, ranging from AIDS to urology. For 1993, Univer-sity of Utah Hospital ranked 39 in gynecol- University Hospital Named Among America's Best In U. S. News & World Report ogy and 30 in orthopedics. This year, the National Opinion Research Center ( NORC), a social science research group at the University of Chicago, examined the nation's 1,488 tertiary care centers and collected information in a number of areas. Among those areas evaluated were the ratio of registered nurses, residents and board- certified M. D. s to the number of beds; the ratio of inpatient operations to the number of beds; discharge planning; the ratio of registered nurses to licensed practical nurses; community services; geriatric services; and death rates. This year, NORC surveyed a geographic cross section of 150 physicians in each of the 16 specialties, or 2,400 physicians. They were asked to nominate the five hospitals they consider best from among the nation's major academic institutions and specialized medical centers. Johns Hopkins Hospital topped the list with recognition in 15 categories. The Mayo Clinic was second with 13 specialties and the University of California at Los Angeles was third with 12 specialties listed in the report. • Hospital Picnic Just One Week Away The 1993 University Hospital Picnic is scheduled for Wednes-day, July 28, at its new location- Murray Park. This year's picnic includes more than 20 games ( for children as well as adults), magicians, ponies, a kids' train, sky divers, hot air balloon rides and lots of free food provided by Red Flame Restaurant. There's fun for the entire family. Registration forms should be completed in each department and returned to Cheryl Henson in room AR133. Additional tickets can be purchased for $ 5. Also, the picnic committee is looking for volunteers who would like to help throughout the day. If you would like to volunteer for a few hours, call Xydell Hobbs at x 1- 2324. The picnic will be located at the east end of Murray Park and will begin at 11 a. m. and continue until 10 p. m. Also, T- shirts are available in the Cashier's Office for $ 8. • Pulse is published weekly by the Office of Public Affairs and is edited by Doug Boudreaux. If you have information you need pub-lished or know something worth telling, let us know at x 1- 7387. • Apprenticeship Program In Environmental Services Begins Training New Class Environmental Services has selected the third class of University Hospital's Health Care Sanitary Apprenticeship program. Left to right: Maria Speer, Vasile Lupu, Dennis Nicholl and Afton Phillips are the four apprentices selected from more than 40 applicants. Linda Rogers, center, a manager in Environmental Services, coordinates the apprenticeship program. UH Art Exhibit Features Weber State Faculty Selected works by Weber State University's art depart-ment faculty will be on exhibit during the next two months in the lobby of University of Utah Hospital. The exhibit will run through Aug. 31. • Great Ttirnout For Employee Blood Drive Thanks to everyone who responded to the employee blood drive, July 6- 9. More than 77 donors responded to the need for blood following the Fourth of July weekend. The Department of Radiology had the largest number of donors with 11. Remember, keep giving the gift of life. • SICU Nurse Creates U Cardiologist Reports New Drug Reduces Heart- failure Deaths Results of a six- month clinical study of a new oral drug, vesnarinone, at 22 medical centers, including the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, show a 50 percent reduction in risk of death or hospitalization for severe heart failure. The U was the third largest among the participating centers, according to Edward M. Gilbert, M. D., associate professor of cardiology in the Department of Internal Medicine at the U medical school and director of the Heart Failure Treatment Program in the Division of Cardiology. The study findings are reported by a group of scientists in behalf of the Vesnarinone Study Group in an article published in the July 15 New England Journal of Medicine. " In this study, we added vesnarinone to the best treatment for heart failure-diuretics, digitalis and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors- and found that significantly fewer patients died or experienced worsening heart failure in the vesnarinone treatment group compared to those in the placebo group. The reduction in risk of death or hospitaliza-tion for severe heart failure was 50 percent," Gilbert said. The U Health Sciences Center will serve as a resource for the drug for patients in the Intermountain area. The drug has already been released in Japan and is waiting approval by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. • Printed on Recycled Paper Join The Fun At The Research Park Neighbor Fair Join your friends at the Research Park Neighbor Fair, Wednesday, July 21, from 11: 30 a. m.-- 3 p. m. All University Health Sciences Center employees are invited to attend the neighbor fair and get acquainted with our friends to the south. The fair will feature free lunch, music, stress and cholesterol testing, body- fat checks and much more. For more information, contact Sherry Moyes at 583- 2500. • Musical Piece For Utah Symphony Ann S. Hankinson, R. N., a nurse in University Hospital's Surgical Intensive Care Unit, recently composed a piece of music for the Utah Symphony. Her piece, ' Earth Songs,' was performed at the Utah Arts Festival by the symphony under the direction of conduc-tor Robert Henderson. This is the third consecutive year the Utah Arts Festival and the US West Foundation have jointly commissioned a Utah com-poser to create an orchestral piece. • Volunteers Still Needed For Utah Open The 1993 University Hospital- Utah Open is sched-uled Aug. 2- 8, and tourna-ment officials need the help of University Hospital employ-ees. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 3,4 and 5, volunteers are needed from approximately 7: 30 a. m. to 6 p. m. Volunteers will enjoy great golf, sunshine and free drinks, compliments of Pepsi- Cola. To volunteer for a few hours on any of those days, call Dianne Hunt, x 1- 5660.