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| January 6, 2009 | |
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New in this IssueFunding Opportunities2009 RSNA/AAPM Fellowship for Graduate Study in Medical Physics Application deadline: January 9, 2009 2009-2011 AAPM Support for Clinical Residency in Imaging Application deadline: February 3, 2009 2009 Research Seed Funding Initiative Application deadline: February 16, 2009 2009 Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program Application deadline: February 2, 2009 2009 Minority Undergraduate Summer Experience (MUSE) Program Application deadline: February 6, 2009 ASTRO/AAPM Offer Grants for Radiation Oncology Physics Residency Training Programs Application Deadline: June 15, 2009 ImagingLaser Technique Could Unlock Protein Imaging ResearchAdvancing Prostate Cancer: Combo Treatment Best TechnologyQuickly Vetted, Treatment Is Offered to Patients PACS Systems Expand With Government Support New Imaging Technique Tracks Cancer-Killing Cells Over Prolonged Period Science debateObama hits a double for U.S. Science 4 Top Science Advisers Are Named by Obama GeneralNRC DEPLOYS NATIONAL SOURCE TRACKING SYSTEM; MILESTONE IN SECURITY OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS FDA Approves Drug for Patients with Advanced Prostate Cancer AIP Increases the Number of Congressional Fellows for 2009 Women at High Risk of Breast Cancer May Benefit From Alternating Mammography and MRI Lawmakers May Wrap Major Health Provisions Into Stimulus Without Holding Hearings |
To submit articles for future e-News, please email Meetings CalendarRAMPS January Meeting January 20, 2009 ASTRO Symposium 2009 Advances in Technology: Practical Aspects on IMRT and Proton Therapy Symposium January 22-24, 2009 Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa, Chandler, Ariz. Southern California Chapter’s Midwinter Symposium January 23, 2009 in Universal City, CA AAPM Residency Training Program Workshop - Organization and Completion of CAMPEP Self-Study February 6-7, 2009 in Dallas, TX SPIE Medical Imaging 2009 Conference February 7-12 2009 in Orlando, FL XXXI Winter Institute of Medical Physics February 7-11 2009 in Frisco, CO Bringing Technology to Life: Translational Research for Medical and Biological Engineering- AIMBE 2009 Annual Event; February 11-13, 2009 in Washington, DC Medical Physics, Radiation Protection, and Radiobiology; February 11-13 in Jaipur, India email Operations Research in Radiation Oncology Workshop; February 16-18, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia SPECT/CT Hands-on Short Course; February 27 - March 1, 2009 in Houston, TX 30th Int’l Acoustical Imaging Symposium; March 1-4 2009 in Monterey, CA Spring 2009 Florida Chapter Meeting March 5 - 7, 2009 in Kissimmee, FL SEAAPM 2009 Annual Symposium and Scientific Meeting; March 12-14 2009 in Chapel Hill, NC Annual Congress & Workshop of the South African Association for Physicists in Medicine and Biology (SAAPMB); March 24-28, 2009 in Bloemfontein, South Africa AAPM Website Updates
New Website feature! - Compilation of Links on Response to Radiation Incidents |
Placement & Committee AdsPlacement Service Ads as of January 1, 2009 AAPM Committee Classifieds as of January 1, 2009 |
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ImagingMBI Shows PromiseMolecular breast imaging (MBI) has promise as an adjunct test for some women, according to a recent study, comparing MBI to mammography with the goal of establishing an additional detection tool for women with dense breasts who are at higher risk of developing breast cancer... [see full article] Laser Technique Could Unlock Protein ImagingPhysicists at Argonne National Laboratory have demonstrated the world’s first X-ray microprobe of laser-aligned molecules. The technique may be used to better understand human proteins when studying drug interaction... [see full article] ResearchAdvancing Prostate Cancer: Combo Treatment BestRadiation plus hormone therapy should become the standard first-line treatment for locally advanced prostate cancer, according to researchers from Umea University, Sweden... [see full article] Nationwide Clinical Trial to Determine Effectiveness of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Prostate CancerEDAP Technomed, Inc. announces the launch of a phase II/III clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of a non-invasive medical device designed to target and treat prostate cancer with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)... [see full article] TechnologyQuickly Vetted, Treatment Is Offered to PatientsAfter a surgeon removed a cancerous lump from Karen Medlock’s breast in November, he recommended radiation...referred her to a center in Oakland, Calif., specializing in a newer form of treatment where radioactive “seeds” are inserted in the tumor site... [see full article] PACS Systems Expand With Government SupportPicture archiving and communications systems (PACS) were once used only in a hospital’s radiology department but they are now becoming components of departmental, local, and national radiology networks... [see full article] New Imaging Technique Tracks Cancer-Killing Cells Over Prolonged PeriodCoaxing a patient’s own cells to hunt down and tackle infected or diseased cells is a promising therapeutic approach for many disorders. But until now, efforts to follow these specially modified cells after their reintroduction to the body have relied on short-term monitoring techniques that don’t give a complete picture of the cells’ status... [see full article] Science DebateObama hits a double for U.S. ScienceWe want to congratulate President-elect Obama on continuing to assemble an outstanding science team. A few days ago we told you about the appointment of Steven Chu as Energy Secretary. Today we have two more outstanding appointments to announce: John Holdren and Jane Lubchenco... [see full article] A New Respect for ScienceThough Barack Obama’s cabinet appointments have received the big headlines, it is worth noting two important sub-cabinet choices. Both are scientists, committed to using rather than abusing science to address issues like climate change, and a welcome departure from the many ideologues and lobbyists that Dick Cheney assembled to advise President Bush on environmental matters... [see full article] 4 Top Science Advisers Are Named by ObamaIn his selection of four top scientific advisers, President-elect Barack Obama has signaled what are likely to be significant changes in policies governing global warming, ocean protections and stem cell research... [see full article] GeneralNRC DEPLOYS NATIONAL SOURCE TRACKING SYSTEM; MILESTONE IN SECURITY OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALSThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission has deployed its National Source Tracking System (NSTS), a centralized national registry to provide cradle-to-grave accounting of certain high-risk radioactive materials used in industry, medicine and research... [see full article] FDA Approves Drug for Patients with Advanced Prostate CancerThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the injectable drug degarelix, the first new drug in several years for prostate cancer. Degarelix is intended to treat patients with advanced prostate cancer. It belongs to a class of agents called gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor inhibitors... [see full article] AIP Increases the Number of Congressional Fellows for 2009The American Institute of Physics will be selecting an additional Congressional Fellow to work on Capitol Hill starting in the Fall of 2009. The expansion of the AIP Congressional Fellowship program from one Fellow to two Fellows is made possible due to increased support from two of the AIP Member Societies: the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and AVS: Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces and Processing... [see full article] CMS Recognizes Joint Commission Ambulatory Surgery Center Accreditation - Deemed Status Option Renewed, USAThe Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has again granted The Joint Commission deeming authority for ambulatory surgical centers for its maximum six-year period... [see full article] Women at High Risk of Breast Cancer May Benefit From Alternating Mammography and MRIUniversity of Texas Prof. Huong Le-Petross and his team recently found that alternating MRI and mammogram screenings every six months can increase the number of breast cancers not detected by mammography alone... [see full article] Lawmakers May Wrap Major Health Provisions Into Stimulus Without Holding HearingsHouse Energy & Commerce health subcommittee Chair Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) told Inside Health Policy on Monday that committee hearings are unlikely on the health care provisions to be included in lawmakers’ upcoming economic stimulus package. The committees of jurisdiction in both chambers have been meeting to work out the health care section, which could comprise as much as a quarter of the stimulus bill and cover such high-ticket items as comparative effectiveness, health information technology, SCHIP reauthorization and Medicaid funding hikes, sources say. The ideal situation is to have the bill on the floor between Jan. 6 and Jan. 20, Pallone says, adding, “As much as I’d like to have hearings, I don’t want to interfere with the need to move quickly.” A congressional staffer also said there will probably be little time to hold hearings due to the push to get the package to the president and signed as soon as possible. Majority Leader Harry Reid’s chief of staff last week sent an e-mail to the Democratic Senate Conference, asking lawmakers to send recommendations to the appropriate committees on items they want included in the expected $850 billion package. The e-mail noted that the Obama transition team is soliciting policy recommendations in five specific areas: energy, infrastructure, education, health care and protecting the most vulnerable. Sources suspect the health care provisions could make up between one fifth and one quarter of the massive package, and insiders on Monday confirmed the transition team is considering $80 billion to $100 billion in enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) to help states deal with the increased Medicaid enrollment they have already been reporting due to the economic crisis. Boosting FMAP, Pallone said, really is a stimulus because it creates jobs by providing additional money for health services and prevents states from cutting funding for needy residents. He suggested the end result could be a 2-percent to 5-percent match-rate increase for Medicaid. He added that enhanced payment rates for the state Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) should be included in the stimulus as well. Both provisions would fall under a “hold harmless” clause under which no state that receives the extra funding could cut services, Pallone noted. He said that ideally he’d like to see the stimulus package include the SCHIP reauthorization language included in the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act passed by the House in 2007. The SCHIP expansion under CHAMP was estimated to cost about $50 billion and was paid for by an increase in the tobacco tax. Insiders have questioned whether a funding offset would be included in the stimulus were SCHIP to be attached, but Pallone suggested there is no reason to do so. Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) is also on record supporting SCHIP in a stimulus package. Baucus also strongly backs including funds for the adoption of health information technology, as does Pallone. But Pallone said he wonders whether the health IT provision will go beyond simply offering funding to providers and also address privacy or other issues that his committee has been grappling with. He did not discuss figures, but sources have suggested that $15 billion to $25 billion could be allocated toward health IT. The congressional staffer said the SCHIP strategy is unclear, although everyone wants to get the program reauthorized before the March 31 expiration date. The congressional staffer also indicated health IT would be likely, and indicated that some funding will go toward laying the foundation to produce comparative effectiveness research, perhaps by pumping $100 million to $200 million into the existing entities that are already conducting research -- such as AHRQ and NIH -- but have not been properly funded. The transition team has indicated that the administration would prefer boosting existing facilities than starting something from scratch, the staffer said. Funding for prevention measures will also be a high priority, the staffer notes. To that end, sources have suggested that many of the provisions tucked into Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D-IA) Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention Act (S. 1342), such as grants to help fight childhood obesity and improve school nutrition, as well as tax breaks for corporations who provide wellness programs to employees, are also candidates for the economic stimulus package. The congressional staffer however says the tax break aspect of the bill is less likely to move in the stimulus. Noting that half of the stimulus package is supposed to be dedicated to “infrastructure” projects, Pallone noted there are several hospital and community health center projects that are shovel-ready and could be included in that category. In addition, Pallone said, the package could include funding to train people to work in health care, which is suffering a shortage of workers. Those dollars could be used to retrain people who have recently lost their jobs due to the souring economy. Workforce issues and funding for community health centers had also been listed as top priorities, the well-placed staffer said. Even before the transition team and Senate Democratic leaders began openly seeking ideas, stakeholders were rushing to get their priorities heard, as experts and academics offered suggestions about what the final stimulus package should entail. During a Dec. 12 health reform forum, Ken Thorpe of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease suggested that building a foundation for clinical effectiveness, creating a universal wellness and prevention benefit that could be available immediately for adults without insurance, and providing grants to states to develop community health teams that could collaborate with physicians could all either be included in the stimulus package, or pass early on in the session. These initiatives do not cost very much, he said, and they’re not that controversial compared to other aspects of health reform. The Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC) in a recent memo to members said it would be asking Congress and the administration to incorporate three efforts into the stimulus: substantial investment in health IT; NIH funding to speed drug development and personalize medicine; and pilot projects addressing quality and cost issues. “Combined,” PMC writes, “these three efforts will supply jobs, support innovation, and remove barriers to personalized medicine while improving health care quality at lower cost systemically.” Craig Kennedy, of the National Association of Community Health Centers, said NACHC was urging lawmakers to include funding for community health centers in the stimulus. That would provide an economic boost in several ways, Kennedy said: It would create infrastructure jobs through the construction of new centers that must be staffed, provide money for doctors and provide greater access to the medically underserved. Karen Ignagni, president of the Americas Health Insurance Plans, earlier this month told Inside Health Policy that AHIP’s proposed “essential benefits plan” should also be considered for the stimulus. According to AHIP, the plan “would provide coverage for prevention and wellness as well as acute and chronic care, but to maintain affordability would not be subject to varying and conflicting state benefit mandates.” The plan would be available for people who are going through a job transition or who have lost their job and may be eligible for COBRA. Jeff Harris, president of the American College of Physicians, in a Dec. 17 letter to HHS Secretary-nominee Tom Daschle said that at the very least the stimulus package should include direct financing to help people who have lost their jobs and thus their insurance, and should provide funding to boost the federal share of both Medicaid and SCHIP. Harris also wants the stimulus to include a 10 percent Medicare payment bonus for primary care physicians “as a first step toward reversing a growing trend” that could lead to a “potentially cataclysmic” primary care workforce shortage. He also suggests funding to assist in the adoption of health IT. In addition, Planned Parenthood is considering asking lawmakers to include a piece of legislation that would restore nominal drug pricing to college health centers and certain health clinics that were blocked from receiving deeply discounted prescriptions due to a glitch in the Deficit Reduction Act. President-elect Barack Obama co-sponsored legislation last year that would have reversed the policy. The Prevention Through Affordable Access Act (S. 2347) received 36 well-placed co-sponsors, including Majority Leader Harry Reid, Baucus and Senate health committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and sister legislation introduced in the House by Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) garnered 176 co-sponsors. The legislation was also included in the economic stimulus package (S. 3604) the Senate attempted to pass in September, but was blocked by Republicans. -- Amy Lotven (alotven@iwpnews.com) Date: December 23, 2008 ‘Survivor’ winner goes to head of the class Physics teacher Bob Crowley takes home the million-dollar prizeChallenge king wins it all: Bob joked to the cameras that he could be a spokesman for AARP as he went on his five-challenge winning streak, and the 57-year-old physics teacher may be getting calls from the group... [see full article] |
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