L to R: Chief Travis Hatten of the local Navy Recruiting Office and USF first-year medical student Meghan NeSmith with Navy doctor Andrew Baldwin, MD, who appeared on the ABC TV show The Bachelor.

USF medical students got a chance to visit with one of the stars of ABC's hit show "The Bachelor" when he came to campus Dec. 12 to speak about his life as a Navy doctor.

U.S. Navy Lt. Andy Baldwin, MD, an undersea medical officer stationed at the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington, DC, appeared on the tenth season (2007) of the reality dating show The Bachelor dubbed "The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman." Dr. Baldwin proposed on the season finale to Tessa Horst, who accepted his proposal but broke up with him eight months later when he was deployed in the Pacific.

Now a spokesperson for Navy medicine, Dr. Baldwin, a Navy diver and Ironman triathlete, visited the USF College of Medicine, Tampa General Hospital and met with wounded veterans at James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital while in Tampa. His presentation to USF medical students focused on the adventures of his Navy career and the value of service to the community.

Dr. Baldwin earned the Humanitarian of the Year award from Triathlete and Competitor magazines for participating on a military mission in Laos, where he treated more than 600 Laotians in remote mountain villages. He has established a fund to help raise funding for pancreatic research.

Dr. Baldwin spoke to USF medical students about his Navy career and humanitarian work.

- Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications/Media Center

- Researchers advocate including imaging technology as diagnostic test -

Tampa, FL (Dec. 19, 2008) -- MRI scans that detect shrinkage in specific regions of the mid-brain attacked by Alzheimer’s disease accurately diagnose the neurodegenerative disease, even before symptoms interfere with daily function, a study by the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) in Miami and Tampa found.

The study, reported earlier this month in the journal Neurology, adds to a growing body of evidence indicating MRI brain scans provide valuable diagnostic information about Alzheimer’s disease.

The findings are important in light of many new disease-modifying drugs in trials -- treatments that may prevent mild memory loss from advancing to full-blown dementia if administered early enough.

"We advocate, based on these findings, that the criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease should include MRI scans,” said the study’s lead author Ranjan Duara, MD, medical director of the Wien Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders at Mount Sinai Medical Center who is affiliated with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and University of South Florida College of Medicine. "By incorporating MRIs into the assessment of patients with memory problems, early diagnosis can be standardized and done far more accurately."

"This study demonstrates that MRI brain scans are accurate enough to be clinically useful, both in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease itself at an early stage and in identifying people at risk of developing Alzheimer's," said Florida ADRC Director Huntington Potter, PhD, a neuroscientist at the Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida.

The normal MRI brain scan above, showing no atrophy, depicts the three areas of interest in the brain's medial temporal lobe: hippocampus (outlined in red); entorhinal cortex (blue) and perirhinal cortex (green). MRI scan below shows severe atrophy indicative of Alzheimer's pathology in all areas, except the right perirhinal cortex, which has moderate atrophy.

Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia, is characterized by memory loss, disorientation, difficulty with reasoning and the decline of language and thinking skills. Alzheimer’s is diagnosed by a process of elimination since many other diseases and related disorders can mimic its symptoms, and autopsy is currently the only definitive way a diagnosis can be confirmed. The diagnosis often includes a medical history, mental status tests, neurological evaluations and blood tests. Physicians typically use brain scans only to exclude conditions that can also cause memory deficits, such as strokes and brain tumors.

The Florida researchers used a new visual rating system to evaluate the severity of shrinkage, or atrophy, in the brain's medial temporal lobe – specifically in three structures essential for the conscious memory of facts and events. They compared the MRI brain scans of 260 people -- a group with probable Alzheimer’s disease, two groups with varying degrees of mild cognitive impairment (mild memory problems), and a control group of normal elderly with no discernable memory loss. They found that scores generated by this MRI-facilitated test accurately distinguished each group from the other and correlated with the types of memory problems most frequently caused by Alzheimer's disease. The more extensive the brain atrophy, the more advanced the clinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease.

Ranjan Duara, MD

The researchers even found brain atrophy in some people without memory complaints at the study's onset who demonstrated memory decline when assessed a year or two later. This suggests MRIs could predict who will get the disease well before signs of dementia become apparent by other diagnostic methods as well as rule out an Alzheimer's diagnosis in people experiencing memory problems, Dr. Duara said.

“If you don’t have changes in these three particular areas of the brain, then you don’t have Alzheimer’s, Dr. Duara said.

Huntington Potter, PhD

Researchers at centers like Miami's Wien Center and USF's Byrd Institute are developing new Alzheimer's drugs that attack mechanisms leading to the death of nerve cells and their connections. The emergence of these disease-modifying treatments has made an earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s increasingly important, Dr. Duara said. "Having an accurate diagnosis will allow us to start using drugs earlier. The earlier treatment begins, the more likely you are to stop disease progression and benefit the patient."

Most participants in the MRI study were enrolled in the clinical arm of the Florida ADRC, which is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging.

The Florida ADRC, the first statewide, multi-center ADRC in the United States, was critical for the successful implementation of the study, said Dr. Potter, the study's senior author. "To validate any new diagnostic test or treatment, you need a large number of diverse volunteers for good comparisons. Alzheimer's research is a partnership between the scientific community and study volunteers; we need both to solve the complexities of Alzheimer’s disease."

- USF Health -
USF Health is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida's colleges of medicine, nursing, and public health; the schools of biomedical sciences as well as physical therapy & rehabilitation sciences; and the USF Physicians Group. With $360 million in research funding last year, USF is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of Florida’s top three research universities.

- National NASDAQ forum attracts healthcare industry leaders -

USF Health's Dr. Stephen Klasko (fourth from right) was among the speakers at the recent NASDAQ OMX Group healthcare forum. The group participated in the NASDAQ closing bell ceremony with Miss Universe 2008 (center).

Among the biggest impacts on healthcare information technology over the next five years will be the emergence of personalized medicine and consumer demand for greater coordination of care, Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO for USF Health and dean of the College of Medicine, said at a recent forum addressing health care and the capital markets.

“The average diabetes patient can see as many as nine different health providers who don’t coordinate their tests and other care. Think of the tremendous potential for cost savings, reducing medical errors and improving quality of care there,” Dr. Klasko said.

Dr. Klasko was one of the speakers for the panel discussion “The Healthcare IT Opportunity: What’s Real and What’s Yet to Be Harnessed?” The panel was part of a Dec. 8 healthcare conference hosted by the NASDAQ OMX Group, the world’s largest exchange company, and Leerink Swann, a leading healthcare investment banking firm. The form was held at the NASDAQ site in Times Square, NY.

Joining Dr. Klasko on the panel were Glen Tullman, CEO of Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions Inc, a leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions that physicians and other health professionals use to improve healthcare; Ken Ferry, president and CEO of iCad Inc, a firm providing advanced image analysis and workflow solutions to help radiologists pinpoint cancer earlier; and Martin Young, vice president of corporate development and marketing for Phase Forward, a provider of integrated data management for clinical trials and drug safety.

USF Health has worked with Allscripts to develop an integrated electronic health records system, including an e-prescribing network, for its South Tampa and Morsani Centers for Advanced Healthcare. Illegible prescriptions are a leading cause of medical errors in the United States.

The focus of health care technology up to this point has primarily been to collect and manage patient demographics, billing information, clinical trials and test results, and other data. What’s needed now, the panelists agreed, are smarter ways to mine the overwhelming amounts of patient data – solutions to quickly help physicians and other health professional make decisions that will reduce costs and improve quality of care.

“Health providers need the right information at the right time to make the right decisions about diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. They need meaningful decision support tools with accurate evaluation components,” iCad’s Ferry said.

One promising area where information technology systems could have a big impact in shaping decisions is advancing the transition to personalized medicine, which uses a patient’s genetic profile to tailor medical care to the individual’s needs, Dr. Klasko said.

Such information could be used to select between different medications and/or customize their dosage, provide a specific therapy for an individual's disease, or initiate a preventative measure suited to a particular patient.

Another area would be narrowing the gap between science and medical practice, Dr. Klasko said. “We need to harness health information technology to reduce the variability in medical practice across the country. There’s a 17-year lag before a best practice comes adopted as the standard of practice.”

Lack of connectivity, reimbursement issues, cutbacks in information technology infrastructure are among the challenges that could limit healthcare IT progress, the panelists said. But the rise in consumer demand for portability of personal health records, social networks to compare provider cost and quality, and online communication with their health practitioners will drive changes in health information technology dynamics, they added. Once study cited by the panel reported that 90 percent of patients under age 35 expect to have two-way communication with their health practitioners through computers and mobile devices by 2010.

- Story by Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications

L to R: USF charter CRNA students LaSonya Malbrough, Latanya Lawrence, Anita Lee, Tae Garrison, and Georgia Vong at a clinical rotation.

At the Dec. 13 commencement ceremony, 100 percent of USF’s charter class of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, or CRNAs, graduated with a job lined up -- proof that the demand for this specialized health professional remains strong even in a slow economy. The 12 graduates, who received Master of Science degrees, are working in hospitals across the greater Tampa Bay area including Tampa General Hospital, Morton Plant Mease Hospital, University Community Hospital in Carrollwood and Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

CRNAs are anesthesia professionals who administer nearly 65 percent of the 26 million anesthetics given to patients each year, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. CRNAs are the sole anesthesia providers in nearly half of all hospitals and more than two-thirds of the rural hospitals in the United States.

USF’s CRNA program, the first such certified program in the Tampa Bay area, began in fall 2006 as a response to the nationwide demand for more anesthesia providers.

It was only the third public university to offer the CRNA certification out of seven accredited nursing programs in Florida.

USF’s CRNA program, directed by Sierra Gower, MS, CRNA, was designed to provide a high-quality, competitive program that combines extensive education with practical clinical experience.

“The need for CRNA's nationally and in the Tampa Bay community has never been greater and we are extremely proud that 100 percent of the charter class of nurse anesthetists secured employment upon graduation well before completing their degrees,” Gower said. “These 12 very skilled people will become Certified Registered Nurses Anesthetists and provide much needed safe, competent anesthesia care.”

A 1990 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services drew attention to a national shortage of nearly 5,400 nurse anesthetists. Recognizing the increasing numbers of healthcare procedures requiring anesthesia, many retiring CRNAs, and decreasing graduation rates of nurse anesthetists, the study concluded that nurse anesthesia educational programs must produce between 1,500 to 1,800 graduates annually to meet expected demands for nurse anesthetists by the year 2010. Currently, about 1,000 nurse anesthetists graduate annually.

The graduates from USF's charter CRNA class were: Joshua Beason, Thomas Benafield, Mary Bergin, Julia Cramer, Kimberly Durham, Jason Edwards, Tae Garrison, Kathleen Harley, Lisa Hollett, Dean Jani, Lasonya Malbrough, and Anita Lee-Newkirk.

- Story by Sarah Worth, USF Health Communications

Patricia Kruk, PhD

Patricia A. Kruk, PhD, whose promising research could lead to a simple, more sensitive screening test for ovarian cancer, was selected the recipient of the 2008 USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy Faculty Research Award. The award recognizes one faculty member each year for “productive research or creative work to better the lives of women around world.”

Dr. Kruk, a professor in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, is the third annual recipient of the $5,000 award and the first from USF Health.

Dr. Kruk studies molecular changes responsible for early stages of ovarian cancer – a deadly disease with vague symptoms and no sufficiently accurate early screening test. She and colleagues at USF and Moffitt Cancer Center found that the level of a protein in urine called Bcl-2 is ten times higher in women with ovarian cancer than it is in healthy women. The researchers demonstrated that the enzyme telomerase not only promotes cancer cell survival but confers resistance to chemotherapy by boosting expression of the protein Bcl-2. This research recently expanded from bench to bedside with the development of a potential clinical test for ovarian cancer based on urinary levels of Bcl-2.

After receiving her Ph.D. in Medical Sciences in 1992 from the University of British Columbia, Canada, Dr. Kruk pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. She joined the Department of Pathology at USF in 1996 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 2003 and to full professor in August of this year.

With more than 25 years research experience as a cell and molecular biologist, more than 17 years experience in ovarian cancer research, 40 publications and more than 35 trainees, Dr. Kruk has become established as an excellent mentor and expert in the area of ovarian cancer.

- He will also direct Musculoskeletal Research bridging basic and clinical sciences -

David Birk, PhD

David E. Birk, PhD, has been appointed vice chair of the University of South Florida Department of Pathology and Cell Biology. Dr. Birk, a professor in the department, is the scientific director for USF Health’s Muma Advanced Microscopy & Cell Imaging Core Facility, featuring state-of-the-art resources for biological imaging.

A National Institutes of Health-sponsored researcher, Dr. Birk focuses on the cell and developmental biology of connective tissue. He was also recently appointed director of Musculoskeletal Research for the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.

Musculoskeletal research pertains to the wide variety of tissues that support the body, including bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Dr. Birk will work with Chair Robert Pedowitz, MD, and Gianluca Del Rossi, PhD, ATC, director of Sports Medicine Research, on this interdisciplinary research initiative intended to bridge the basic and clinical sciences.

“David is an accomplished and seasoned academician, a collegial player, a superb microscopist and an internationally recognized expert in collagen biology and the developmental biology of the extracellular matrix and electron microscopy,” said Santo Nicosia, MD, Distinguished USF Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology. “In the short time since joining our department, his contributions have significantly enhanced our research capacity and infrastructure as well as our educational mission.”

“Dr. Birk’s appointment will enhance interdisciplinary research between basic and clinical departments” said Dr. Steve Klasko, CEO of USF Health and Dean of the College of Medicine.

“He will catalyze translational research involving medical and graduate students, residents, fellows and junior faculty. I am very excited about this joint appointment and consider this as a model for future integration of basic and clinical sciences”.

“Dr. Birk’s scientific leadership will help advance the core missions of the Department, the College and USF Health,” said Abdul Rao, MD, MA, DPhil, senior associate vice president for USF Health and vice dean for research and graduate studies for the College of Medicine. “As vice chair he will work with faculty in his department and with his peers in other departments/schools/colleges at USF Health and USF to strengthen our research collaborations in cell biology, a field that uses cutting-edge experimental techniques and integrates approaches from structural and developmental biology, biochemistry, molecular genetics and immunology.”

Dr. Birk came to USF in April 2008 from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where he was a professor of pathology, anatomy and cell biology. Prior to joining Jefferson Medical College, he held joint appointments as a professor of anatomy and cellular biology and a professor of ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. At Tufts, he directed the Electron Microscopy Laboratories in the Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology.

Dr. Birk uses tendon and cornea models in his studies. He investigates what regulates the assembly of proteins like collagens and elastins and other extracellular substances that allow connective tissue to hold together parts of the body.

“If we better understand what developmental steps give rise to connective tissue structure and function, we may be able to regenerate tendons, ligaments or corneas after injury or disease,” Dr. Birk said. “The questions we ask lay the foundation for research that may lead to better treatments for connective tissue disorders such as arthritis, brittle bone disease and Marfan syndrome.”

Dr. Birk received his PhD in anatomy from Wayne State University, and conducted research fellowships in pathology at Shriners Burns Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, NJ. He has served on several NIH scientific committees, including the Anterior Eye Disease Study Section; the Arthritis, Connective Tissue and Skin Study Section; the Skeletal Biology, Regeneration and Repair Study Section; and the Orthopedics Study Section. He chaired the 2007 Collagen Gordon Research Conference and serves on several editorial boards. He has received several teaching awards.

- Story by Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
- Photo by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications/Media Center

When near paralysis ended his thriving clinical practice, Dr. Fred Slone embraced a new career track educating aspiring young nurses, physicians and physical therapists at USF Health.

If not for a devastating health hurdle that nearly paralyzed him, Frederick Slone, MD, probably wouldn’t be teaching. His career as a gastroenterologist before joining the University of South Florida was quite prosperous; however, an unexpected backache led to major back surgeries and the retooling of his medical career. It all seemed to happen in a flash.

Dr. Slone was a very dedicated physician who ran his own successful private practice in Tampa. He worked an average of 100 hours a week, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and spent every third and fourth weekend at the hospital. Even with such a hectic schedule, he still fit in time for his family and extracurricular activities.

In his 26 years, he estimated he saw over 100,000 patients, and completed about 20,000 colonoscopies. He loved taking care of patients.

Fortunately Dr. Slone has found another passion – teaching. Today, he is the Medical Director for the Center for Advanced Clinical Learning and Assistant Professor at the USF College of Medicine.

At a glance, he may seem like any other person walking down the hallway, but what people don’t know is that he is likely experiencing some discomfort. Yet he works with a smile and good spirit because he considers himself lucky to still be doing something he loves. The hurdles he has faced seem small compared to the cases he has seen throughout his career.

It all began in 1997 on the first day he ever experienced a backache -- a common discomfort eased by an aspirin or ibuprofen for many people. However, for Dr. Slone this was not the case. It was very unusual.

Dr. Slone was diagnosed with severe spinal stenosis and herniated discs. The damage was extensive. “It turns out I had a congenital abnormality. That basically caused everything in my back below that level to become abnormal,” he recalled.

As the year progressed, his condition deteriorated. Eventually he lost all motor function in his right leg. He was practically unable to walk, and required major back surgery.

Afterwards, he managed to return to work in about a month! His busy routine resumed until October 2003 when his condition took a turn for the worse.

“I was doing great… normal activities… everything normal,” he recalled.

Then suddenly, he felt a strange tingling sensation down his leg as he was sitting in his office. By evening, Dr. Slone could not walk.

“I was unable to do anything other than sit. I couldn’t even lie down. The pain was excruciating!” he said as he recounted that dreadful day.

He needed back surgery again.

But pain and limited mobility didn’t stop him. He drove a motorized cart around the office as he finished dealing with his patients before undergoing surgery.

Dr. Slone is medical director for the College of Medicine's Center for Advanced Clinical Learning.

The second operation provided immediate relief, and the results seemed favorable for recovery. Dr. Slone was able to stand and walk again for short periods.

He remained optimistic and determined. He wanted to recover enough to return to his practice and do what he loved – taking care of people instead of being a patient in need of care. When he returned to work after a few weeks, he faced a harsh reality.

“I physically couldn’t make it from one end of the hospital to the other. The pain was terrible. At that point I realized… Wow… I’m not getting better,” he said.

Dr. Slone was devastated. His career as a clinician was over.

He did everything to restore as much function as possible, including physical rehabilitation for a year. He improved to the point where he could stand for about an hour or walk a mile.
Still undefeated, eight months after his second major back surgery, Dr. Slone tried once again to go back to work. “Within two days of being in my office I realized that there was no way. I was in worse pain than my patients,” he said.

A year after his second surgery, he was stable. He sought the opinions of some of the best orthopedic surgeons in the country. All agreed that another surgery would carry a 50-percent risk for a worse outcome. He decided it wasn’t worth the risk.

Dr. Slone came terms with his back condition and segued into a new career.

Hoping to make the most of his clinical capabilities in a fresh setting, Dr. Slone applied to the USF College of Nursing for a part-time job and was hired as a Visiting Assistant Professor. With his qualifications and background in medicine, he was able to teach a wide array of classes.

Dr. Slone wasn’t back to his old self, but once he puts his mind to something few things can stop him. He wheels around a chair so he can sit down in the classroom if he feels any discomfort. “I still can’t feel the ground correctly with my right foot and my right leg. My lower back hurts all the time, but if I am sitting in a comfortable position then I’m OK,” he said.

Physical therapy students Samantha Michael and Phillip Ivanou practice a CPR technique on a patient simulator with the assistance of Dr. Slone.

Dr. Slone has since transitioned from one college to another. At the USF College of Medicine he juggles many titles and jobs. His most impressive role is teaching medical students using simulators – computerized mannequins that mimic the breathing, blood pressure, heart rate and other physiologic responses of living patients under varying medical scenarios.

He joined USF with no experience or knowledge about patient simulators. Now he is a self-made expert in the field.

Drawing upon his extensive experience as a physician, Dr. Slone comes up with various cases for the students to diagnose and evaluates whether students have made the correct diagnoses or provided the appropriate treatments.

“I have been very fortunate, because I found a job that I really love. Even when I was a practicing physician, I taught the nurses how to do things if they were unsure. Teaching to me is a very natural thing,” he said. “I love working with students. I feel like I have a lot of experience to give to them and they appreciate it.”

Though he has weathered some ups and downs in his career, Dr. Slone has managed to rise above everything and remain active.

“When you can’t walk, it puts everything into perspective,” he said.

He knows that every small action counts and is grateful he is still able to teach future doctors his passion – medicine.

- Story by Monique Salazar, USF Health Communications
- Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications/Media Center

Another wellness opportunity is coming to USF Health and the timing with our New Year’s resolutions couldn’t be better.

The USF Health Wellness initiative is offering a Weight Watchers at Work program that includes meetings held at USF for a 17-week session that starts in January. Two informational meetings will be held Dec. 3 and 11. Running these meetings, as well as the session meetings, is Mandelyn Hutcherson, a USF Health employee in Development and a Weight Watchers success story.

Hutcherson lost more than 65 pounds on the program and is lending her success and enthusiasm to USF Health employees eager for to lose weight.

“Today I am proud to say I have lost 65 pounds, discovered a new found sense of accomplishment, confidence and a healthier body and mind than I’ve ever had,” Hutcherson said. “I hope by bringing Weight Watchers at Work to USF Health, we can all lead healthier lifestyles and embrace USF Health’s new wellness initiatives.”

The two informational sessions are scheduled as follows:
• Wed., Dec. 3, 12:15 to about 1 p.m., room 2002 in the College of Nursing (bring a brown bag lunch).
• Thurs., Dec. 11, 4 to about 4:45 p.m., room 2005 in the College of Nursing.

Faculty, staff and students are welcome to these information sessions to hear more about the Weight Watchers at Work program, payment options, and to sign up to start the program in January. The Weight Watchers at Work program will begin with its first meeting the first week of January (5 to 9). Weekly meetings will be held on Wednesdays from January through April with confidential weigh-ins starting at 11:45 a.m. and the meetings beginning at 12:15 p.m. (these times might change depending on feedback from the information sessions and, depending upon interest, additional meetings may be offered).

Attending an info session is not required to sign up for the Weight Watchers at Work program. Send an e-mail to USFWellness@health.usf.edu and your space in the program beginning Jan. 7 will be reserved.

An additional promotion for USF members includes discounted registration! A 50% off registration will be raffled at the first meeting in January, as long as 25 members sign up, and if 30 or more join, 75% off registration will be offered for one lucky member!

Pricing information on the 17-week at Work series with 19 weeks of free eTools can be found at the USF Wellness Website: www.health.usf.edu/nocms/wellness/

Questions, contact Mandelyn Hutcherson at 974-0890 or mhutcher@health.usf.edu.

Story by Sarah Worth, USF Health Communications

People living with HIV/AIDS and the physicians caring for them have a lot to celebrate Dec. 1, 2008. This World AIDS Day is the 20th anniversary of the event, first staged by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1988. Living with HIV in 2008 is worlds apart from the death sentence associated with an HIV diagnosis at the beginning of the pandemic in 1981.

In the early days of the pandemic, those infected faced a lack of treatment options, stigmatism, fear and isolation. It was six years before the first anti-HIV drug was approved by the FDA in 1987.

In an age where people are living longer with HIV/AIDS, the critical factors are early recognition and testing, early treatment and medication adherence. If these three factors are met, patients can live happy, full, and long lives as HIV-positive.

Testing for HIV has not been routine in medical practice, and more than 20 percent of Americans are unaware of their status. Since Fall 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been pushing to make HIV testing a routine part of medical visits. It is well recognized that the vast majority of people are asymptomatic for many years despite their infection.

Importance of Early Treatment

Early treatment is beneficial for many reasons. People living with HIV/AIDS live healthier, longer lives while on anti-retroviral therapy. HIV treatment lowers the viral load, which also lowers the chances of infecting others. Treating those infected earlier preserves their health and rather than waiting until they show evidence of the disease clinically. Recently, the guidelines were updated to start treatment earlier to promote these added health benefits.

In 2008, the landscape of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has a host of new issues. Physicians managing the disease currently struggle with getting patients to adhere to their medication. If medication schedules are not properly maintained, resistance and virus replication can occur. These factors may cause a patient to progress from undetectable HIV levels in the blood to full-blown AIDS.

There are now over 20 HIV medications available, allowing for more treatment options and better management of side effects. Programs, such as Ryan White, provide access to treatment for those with limited or no health insurance. Research opportunities allow earlier access to medications and additional care for patients. Consistent treatment and care are important in managing HIV/AIDS and lead to longer, healthier lives.

World AIDS Day 2008 Local Events

The World AIDS Campaign supports, strengthens and connects campaigns that hold leaders accountable for their promises on HIV and AIDS. “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise” is the slogan for the World AIDS Campaign from 2005-2010. USF has several events scheduled in support of World AIDS Day:

Monday, Dec. 1

World AIDS Day Commemoration – Who is Fighting the Pandemic in Tampa?

1 to 3pm, USF Marshall Center, Room 2709.
Learn about research at USF to develop a new way to reduce the rate of HIV in women around the world. View In Women's Hands and hear an update on international efforts to curb the spread of HIV. Refreshments will be served.

World AIDS Day Remembrance Ceremony

5pm, USF Marshall Center Ballroom

Tuesday, Dec. 2

United States Healthcare Through the Lens of Hillsborough County

1 to 5 p.m., USF Marshall Center, Room 2708
Have your voice heard at an interactive, student-run conference that will help to educate the USF community on current U.S. health policy themes, and how these themes prevail in our county. Refreshments will be served.

Friday, Dec. 5

REACH Out Tampa Bay. Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.

Hillsborough County Health Department. 1105 E. Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, Florida 33602

This all-day event is open to the public. Free HIV testing, a health fair in the main lobby, and public talks throughout the day. The educational programs from 11am to 1pm, sponsored by USF, will include talks from Dr. Charurut Somboonwit, Dr. Beata Casanas, Tony Stull, RN, and Michael Ruppal of the AIDS Institute. Come learn about efforts to educate the community about HIV/AIDS, the importance of the clinical research being conducted at the USF HIV Clinical Research Unit and the care being provided at the Specialty Care Center.

For more information on events in your area and for HIV/AIDS treatment resources, visit the following sites:

World AIDS Day site
USF HIV Clinical Research Unit
Hillsborough County Health Department

If you are an HIV provider and require consultation or technical assistance with complex HIV care issues, the Florida/Caribbean AIDS Education and Training Center is available to assist in the educational needs for HIV providers.

- Story by Julian Corvin, Division of Infectious Disease, Angela Lloyd, USF HIV Clinical Research Unit and Dr. Jose Montero, Division of Infectious Disease

- The student exchange, beginning in 2010, will allow for joint medical training -

Dec. 1, 2008 (Tampa and Bangkok) -- President Judy Genshaft of the University of South Florida and President Wiroon Tangcharoen, of Srinakharinwirot University completed on Nov 26 the signing of an Academic Collaboration and Student Exchange Program agreement. The agreement outlines an exchange of undergraduate and graduate students and plans for joint medical training. The initial exchange of students is expected in 2010.

“This is an exciting and important agreement for global education in medicine and other fields for both institutions. This marks the first affiliation of a Thai institution and an institution in the State of Florida,” said President Genshaft.

President Genshaft travelled to Thailand Nov 22 to 29 with a group including Rhea Law, chair of the USF Board of Trustees. The president's group returned on their scheduled date of Nov 29, but left Thailand through the U-tapao military air base instead of Bangkok's international airport, which was shut by anti-government protests. "We had a great trip that allowed us to discuss our shared commitment to student opportunities and build an already strong relationship," President Genshaft said.

Prior to the signing ceremony, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakrl Sirindhorn presented the Global Leadership Award to President Genshaft and Stephen Klasko, CEO for USF Health and Dean of the College of Medicine. The Global Leadership Award is the first such award given in recognition of leadership and commitment to excellence in global education.

The team attended an international medical summit at Srinakharinwirot University College of Medicine, where Dr. Klasko made a presentation along with several faculty members from USF Health.

“International medicine is more than a trend - it is a force to contend with,” Dr. Klasko said. "We've had a deep and fulfilling relationship with SWU and our hosts could not have been more gracious and helpful during this visit. They made certain that the political issues evolving in Bangkok at the time had only a minimal effect on our trip."

Other members of USF's team stayed in Thailand for further discussions, including Dr. John Sinnott, associate dean for international affairs at the USF College of Medicine, Dr. Lynette Menezies, and Dr. Charurut Somboonwit. For more information on the team, see the USF College of Medicine International Affairs website.

- USF -

USF Health is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of medicine, nursing, and public health; the schools of biomedical sciences as well as physical therapy & rehabilitation sciences; and the USF Physicians Group. With more than $360 million in research grants and contracts last year, USF is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of 39 community-engaged, four-year public universities designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.