THE MAGAZINE OF TULANE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | FALL 2015 THE MINUTES THAT MATTER MOST TULANE ADVANCES THE SCIENCE & TREATMENT OF STROKES THE NEW UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER NEW ORLEANS OPENS | TULANE SPORTS MEDICINE’S CLIMB TO SUCCESS TULANE |MEDICINE f you’re like me, every fall you VOLUME 42, ISSUE 2 2015 welcome not only the cooler Senior Vice President and Dean Iweather, but also the return of L. Lee Hamm, MD football season. When I have the Contributors chance, I like to spend my Sunday Sally Asher afternoons watching the giants of the Keith Brannon gridiron. Barri Bronston Cynthia Hayes I see our Tulane faculty in much the Mark Meister same way I see those larger than life Kirby Messinger football stars. They are dedicated, Arthur Nead determined and focused on winning. They battle day in and day out to Fran Simon become the best in their field. But, instead of injuries, our faculty are battling Zack Weaver funding challenges and research delays to ultimately succeed in their goals. It is Photography because of our faculty’s hard work and passion that we can be so proud of our Sally Asher accomplishments. Frank Aymami Paula Burch-Celentano Guillermo Cabrera-Rojo “ I see our Tulane faculty in much the same way I see Cheryl Gerber those larger than life football stars. They are dedicated, Craig Mulcahy determined and focused on winning.” Editing and Design Zehno Cross Media Communications In this issue of Tulane Medicine you will read about two of our programs that represent the best of the best. If you are in New Orleans and have had a stroke, chances are you have asked to receive care from Tulane Medical Center. You will President of the University learn more about why our program is scoring big with patients. Michael A. Fitts Vice President for University You will also read about the great momentum in our sports medicine program. Communications and Marketing Our sports medicine team is truly in a league of its own. These talented Deborah L. Grant physicians, trainers and nurses are bringing care to former NFL players Vice President for School of throughout the country. Medicine Development David W. Kinahan And to achieve greatness, of course, you must have excellent facilities. This fall our students and faculty helped open the doors to the new University Medical Tulane Medicine magazine is published semiannually Center New Orleans. We are excited to be a part of this world-class facility. for Tulane University School of Medicine alumni, faculty, We have the ball, and we’re ready to make great things happen at Tulane residents, students, staff and friends. School of Medicine. Letters and comments should be sent to: Tulane Medicine magazine c/o Tulane University Public Relations 215 Gibson Hall 6823 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118 L. Lee Hamm, MD Phone: 504-865-5210 Fax: 504-862-8777 Senior Vice President of Tulane University Email: [email protected] Dean of the School of Medicine Website: tulane.edu/som Published letters and comments may be edited for length. Tulane University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. Contents © 2015 by Tulane University. All rights reserved. CONTENTS TULANE |MEDICINE DEPARTMENTS FEATURES 2 NEWS 8 n Tulane Travel Clinic Tailor-made for Globetrotters THE MINUTES THAT MATTER MOST n Selling Consumers on Healthy Eating Tulane Advances the Science & n National Expansion for Culinary Medicine Treatment of Strokes n New Study Verifies Accuracy of Rapid Ebola Test n Remembering Professor Emeritus Dr. Sam A. Threefoot Jr. n Making Airwaves for Social Justice n Offering New Orleans Youth a Helping Hand n Mastering the Business of Health Care n The White Coat: A Uniform and a Calling n Tulane Alumna Appointed Pennsylvania Physician General n Two Tulane Teams Win Big n VA Spotlights Research Opportunities 12 A LEGACY REBORN The New University Medical Center 22 New Orleans Opens REMEMBERING A LEGEND n Dr. Norman McSwain 24 A GOOD INVESTMENT n The Orestano Scholarship 26 N O T E S n Dr. Robert “Bobby” Brown receives award from the 18 College Baseball Hall of Fame TOUCHDOWN! Tulane Sports Medicine’s Climb to Success tulane.edu/som TULANE | MEDICINE FALL 2015 1 MEDICINE NEWS TULANE CLINIC TAILOR-MADE FOR GLOBETROTTERS f you’re jetting off to go camping in patterns of drug resistance and an increase the wilds of sub-Saharan Africa, it’s in travelers with chronic health conditions, Ia good idea to soak your clothes in she says. Staff members counsel patients on insecticide before you pack. And if you’re their itinerary, medical risks and all aspects really roughing it, you’ll need antimalarial of health while abroad. pills and mosquito netting. “We map that to the countries they are If this sounds like expert advice from a visiting to come up with comprehensive seasoned travel agent, think again. It’s part safety and prevention recommendations,” of a typical day’s work for doctors at the says Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels, the clinic’s Tulane University Travel Clinic, a one-stop associate director. shop where travelers get vaccinations, For example, a client may ask: what’s medications and expert advice about health different about planning for a trip to precautions for trips to exotic locales. The Cambodia or rural India versus an Tulane University Travel Clinic director clinic, which relocated to a new space on African safari? Dr. Susan McLellan and associate director the 15th floor of the Tidewater Building, “Every destination has specific risks Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels. caters to researchers working abroad and and conditions. If we just look at risks for tourists preparing for vacations. malaria, Cambodia has lower transmission Don’t swim in areas known for rough surf “Most people come to a travel clinic than, say, most parts of Africa, but the without a lifeguard. The advice ranges because they’ve heard they need some malaria you get in Cambodia is more likely from the mundane (wear sunscreen), to the ‘shots,’” says Clinic Director Dr. Susan to be resistant to treatment,” McLellan risqué. McLellan, associate professor of medicine. says. “Malaria risk in India is variable “If you are asking for a supply of Viagra “Most are surprised to learn that vaccine- depending on season and area.” for your travel, we are first going to have preventable illnesses make up only a small Since most think of travel as a carefree, a nice long chat about safe sex,” McLellan [percentage or portion] of illness related adventurous time, doctors spend a lot says. Wherever travelers plan to go, and to travel.” of time talking about avoiding risky whatever they plan to do, a stop by the Travel medicine has become behaviors. Thinking about bungee jumping Tulane University Travel Clinic is an ounce increasingly complex due to changes in off a cliff? Don’t unless you’re around a of prevention that may save them many global infectious disease epidemiology, new region with at least a Level 3 trauma center. pounds of cure. SELLING CONSUMERS ON HEALTHY EATING hile food and nutrition are at self-regulation, but researchers have Sujan says. “It really, really drives their the focus of the Goldring not systematically studied what good ability to self-regulate.” W Center for Culinary self-regulators actually do in life,” says Sujan says that individuals who have Medicine at Tulane University, the center Mita Sujan, who holds the Malcolm S. difficulty self-regulating can significantly also incorporates research from other Woldenberg Chair of Marketing. “We’re improve their outcomes by focusing disciplines, including business. trying to figure out what people who are not on distant goals—such as lowering Dr. Timothy Harlan, Goldring Center good self-regulators do to regulate their cholesterol or losing weight—but rather executive director, is working with eating and then build those skills and on specific short-term strategies. Those Harish Sujan and Mita Sujan, marketing strategies into the curriculum.” tactics include planning ahead (packing a professors at the A. B. Freeman School of Sujan co-authored a study in the lunch instead of dining out), substitution Business, to use insights from consumer Journal of Consumer of Psychology that (fresh fruit instead of cake), moderation behavior research to help doctors looked at what successful participants (ordering a small instead of a large), communicate health recommendations in an exercise program did to achieve restraint (eating only half a dessert or to patients more effectively. Their their goals. She discovered that good self- entree), and developing intrinsic interest most recent study investigates how fit regulators also tend to be good planners. (resolving to find a recipe to make a individuals achieve health-related goals. “What we show in the paper is that healthier dessert). “There’s a lot of research that looks giving people planning aids is really big,” 2 TULANE | MEDICINE FALL 2015 tulane.edu/som NATIONAL EXPANSION FOR PIONEERING CULINARY MEDICINE PROGRAM s more medical schools across the country adopt Tulane University A School of Medicine’s pioneering culinary medicine program, organizers are making sure the curriculum’s core ingredients—recipes, course modules and nutrition research—stay fresh as they travel. The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine hosted a two-day retreat for 13 universities and healthcare centers that license its curriculum to teach medical students culinary skills, which they use Kelsey Downey (Johnson & Wales Culinary Nutrition, Providence), center, an intern with the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University, discusses using fresh vegetables with, from to counsel patients about nutrition. The left, Emine Ercikan Abali (Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School), Linda Knol (University of goal was to get feedback to improve and Alabama) and chef Maria Palma (Christus Children’s Hospital of San Antonio).