Still Life
Commencement across Penn State: Spring 2012
Spring commencement 2012 under way
Penn State, Moroccan students problem-solve together
Finals Week Spring Semester 2012
Children explore career options at University Park
Painting the Lines at Beaver Stadium
Did They Get It Right? - RedTails
Iconic Penn State elm taken down over spring break 2012
We ... are Penn State (December 19, 2011)
Disease stricken matching elm tree slated for removal
Penn State's creamery, from the cow to the cone
Reducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study. Researchers say that 57.6 percent of patients prescribed antipsychotic medications in data from 2003 did not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the conditions for which the drugs were approved for use. Use of medication for treatments that is not FDA-approved is called off-label use. (more)
Sleep-deprived surgeons can perform a previously learned task or learn a new task as well as surgeons who are rested, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. However, in sleep-deprived surgeons, the brain must work harder, which could lead to problems during unexpected events. The researchers reached these conclusions using simulations to study the effects of sleepiness on surgeons. "Particularly in surgery, simulation has become the introduction to many procedures for new residents," said Jonathan Tomasko, a research fellow involved in surgical resident training. "Coupled with an 80-hour work week restriction, simulation is becoming increasingly important to ensure an adequate level of skill prior to operation on a patient." (more)
Linda Patterson Miller, the 2011-12 Penn State laureate and professor of English at Penn State Abington will present "Hemingway and Medicine, Diagnosing Texts both Physically and Emotionally," at noon on Wednesday, April 25 in room C2860 (BMR Anesthesia Library)at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. This event is hosted by the Department of Humanities and the Doctors Kienle Center for Humanistic Medicine. (more)
People with Parkinson's disease swing their arms asymmetrically -- one arm swings less than the other -- when walking. This unusual movement is easily detected early when drugs and other interventions may help slow the disease, according to Penn State researchers who used inexpensive accelerometers on the arms of Parkinson's disease patients to measure arm swing. (more)
Pediatric medical residents from Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital visited Penn State's Law School to participate in "Treating Medical Errors: A Colloquium," on Oct. 31. Nurses and nursing students served as jurors; residents served as expert witnesses; and Penn State Law students tried elements of a civil medical malpractice case. (more)
Penn State's Center for Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems (CIHDS) will host its third annual workshop on March 28 at the Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus. The 2011 CIHDS Workshop is designed to bring together experts from academia, medical industry and health care providers.
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Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has taken the first step in a complete renovation of its food services by cutting the ribbon on a new restaurant. The new Au Bon Pain Cafe Bakery replaces the Courtyard Cafe in the College of Medicine. (more)
A $1 million National Science Foundation (NSF) award will create a Penn State research center focusing on health systems. The new center for Health Organization Transformation (CHOT) will be housed in Penn State's Center for Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems and will be an NSF Industry/University Collaborative Research Center (I/UCRC).
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Studies have not conclusively linked cell phones to health issues,
said Joshua Muscat, professor of Public Health Sciences. "To date, two dozen studies on brain and other types of cancer have been published. Almost all of those have shown that there is no increased risk," Muscat said. (more)
Knowledge is power, and is empowering, especially when facing a diagnosis of cancer. The primary questions are about the type of cancer and treatment options. The Alumni Library, available at http://alumni.libraries.psu.edu, offers links to a multitude of resources available to patients and their health care providers. The current issue also features an explanation of a variety of holistic medicine resources. (more)
