News Releases

A fast-acting compound that appears to improve cognitive function impairments in mice similar to those found in patients with progressive Alzheimer’s disease has been identified by scientists at WFUSM and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program in Drug Discovery.

Nurses from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center are hosting a kickoff event called “Celebration of Caring” on Friday, Jan. 1, part of the 2010 International Year of the Nurse.

 Wake Forest University School of Medicine students will hold the 11^th annual “Share the Health” fair on Jan. 9, 2010, at the Marketplace Mall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The 2009-2010 Best Doctors in America^® database includes 214 physicians from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, an 18 percent increase from the 2007-2008 list.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center’s primary care clinics are offering the H1N1 vaccine to established patients over the age of 6 months, through the normal patient appointment process.

The Comprehensive Stroke Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center added another hospital to its telestroke network to help patients in rural communities receive state-of-the-art stroke therapies.

David W. Busija, Ph.D., professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been awarded the prestigious Doctorem Medicinae Honoris Causa by the University of Szeged Medical School (formerly Albert Szent-Györgyi Faculty of Medicine), Hungary, one of the prominent medical schools of Europe.

Rieker Elected Secretary Treasurer of National BoardWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – Michael Rieker, DNP, CRNA, director of the Nurse Anesthesia program at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been elected secretary treasurer of the National Board on Certification and Recertification

Min Pu, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the Heart Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center as a professor of Internal Medicine – Cardiology.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will develop plans for a medical complex in eastern Davie County as a result of an agreement with Novant Health and the CON Section of the Department of Health and Human Services of North Carolina.

The J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will offer free health assessments and presentations about aging on Saturday, Dec. 5, as part of its sponsorship of the “Amazing Feats of Aging” exhibit currently on display at SciWorks through Jan. 2, 2010. 

Jeffrey Carter, M.D., and Luke Neff, M.D., general surgery residents at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, are the recipients of this year’s Carl A. Moyer Resident Award. This award is given annually by the American Burn Association for the best research paper submitted by a resident or medical student.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to Hold Annual Star Lighting ServiceWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will hold its annual Christmas star lighting and worship service Thursday Dec. 3, at 5 30 p.m. at the

 Wake Forest Baptist Recreational Therapist Receives High Honor

The Heart Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has received the highest possible recognition for quality cardiac surgery from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).  

December Events at BestHealth®NOTE The phone number for BestHealth has changed. To register or for more information, call BestHealth at 336 713 BEST (713 2378), or visit www.besthealth.com. Tuesday, Dec. 1 Never Too Late The Benefits of Exercise and Weight

For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that stem cells found in amniotic fluid meet an important test of potential to become specialized cell types, which suggests they may be useful for treating a wider array of diseases and conditions than scientists originally thought.

The Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has been awarded a grant from the National Cancer Institute to partner with community cancer centers across the country to improve cancer-related health care disparities in underserved, disadvantaged and uninsured populations.

Three New Physicians Join Family and Community Medicine DepartmentWINSTON SALEM, N.C.— Alicia C. Walters, M.D., Sandra B. Farland, R.N., M.D., and John L. Turner, M.D., have joined the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Wake Forest University School of

As many software companies work to create programs that will give uniform structure to the way radiological test results are reported, a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine shows that such a system does not improve, but rather decreases the completeness and accuracy of the reports.

The Digestive Health Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has been recognized by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) for quality and safety.

When Sebastian Leder, a medical student from the University of Vienna in Austria, came to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine to complete his clinical education, he found not the usual student apartment but an inviting house waiting for him.

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine have used tissue engineering techniques to completely replace penile erectile tissue in animals.

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that some elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men may be caused by a hormone normally occurring in the body, and are not necessarily a predictor of the need for a prostate biopsy.

 Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has been named the “2009 Corporate Donor of the Year” by Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina.

Quality Oil Co. is collecting $1 donations at each of its Quality Mart, Quality Plus and Shell Station stores throughout North Carolina during November to raise money for the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

As health insurers require people to base more treatment decisions on out-of-pocket costs, physicians should learn to talk to patients about money, according to researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Fourth Annual Nursing Education Fair to be Held at Wake Forest BaptistAn Education Fair for all employees and members of the public to learn more about nursing as a career will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 7 a.m.

A sparkling winter village full of shops, a snowy gingerbread village, sounds of the holidays and a collection of more than 40 beautifully decorated Christmas trees will highlight the 22nd annual Festival of Trees, a holiday tradition that benefits patients and programs at Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests that many patients are dissatisfied with the way they receive results of radiology tests and want more access to information in their medical records, specifically, detailed, lay-language results from those tests.

Diners at two local Chili’s restaurant locations can support Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, with their meal purchases on Monday, Nov. 2.

Beverly Essick, R.N., M.S.N., of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been elected to the North Carolina Board of Nursing. 

Hite Appointed Section Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Immunologic Diseases at Wake Forest University School of MedicineWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – R. Duncan Hite, M.D., director of medical intensive care at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been

Psychiatrist Receives Prestigious AwardWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – Vaughn McCall, M.D., M.S., chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been presented the Eugene A. Hargrove, M.D., Award by the Psychiatric Foundation of North Carolina

November Events at BestHealth®NOTE The phone number for BestHealth has changed.  To register or for more information, call BestHealth at 336 713 BEST (713 2378), or visit www.besthealth.com Monday, Nov. 2Teen Speak Out6 p.m. Free support group for ages 13

The Comprehensive Stroke Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center launched a tele-stroke network to help patients in rural communities receive state-of-the-art stroke therapies. Wake Forest Baptist’s stroke network provides access to physicians that are nationally recognized for stroke care. Through the network, patients in rural areas will now have rapid access to stroke experts and to the latest state-of-the-art stroke therapies and interventions. Wake Forest Baptist was one of the first to set up this type of program in North Carolina for stroke patients.

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have received a $2.9 million federal grant to study smokeless tobacco use among college students and plan to follow them over three years of school.

Studies by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have shown that blocking the NMDA receptor in immature rats leads to profound, rapid brain injury and disruption of auditory function as the animals mature.

Adult male monkeys exposed to cocaine while in the womb have poor impulse control and may be more vulnerable to drug abuse than female monkeys, even a decade or more after the exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The findings could lead to a better understanding of human drug abuse.

The director of Respiratory Care Services at WFUBMC was awarded Lifetime Membership by the North Carolina Society for Respiratory Care. Through the years, only 11 respiratory care practitioners in the state have received this honor, one of the highest honors of its kind.

A video created in the new Human Performance and Biodynamics Laboratory has won an award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons/American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Wake Forest University School of Medicine Participates in H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Trial WINSTON SALEM, N.C. – An important H1N1 vaccine study that will look at the high risk population group of asthmatics will be conducted by the Center for Genomics

The Program for Complementary and Integrative Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist has been renamed the Center for Integrative Medicine, reflecting the program’s growth and increasing significance at the Medical Center.

 Louis C. Argenta, M.D., F.A.C.S., professor and chairman emeritus of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, is being honored for his work developing negative pressure wound therapy and for his continuing contributions to surgical patient care.

Eugene R. Bleecker, M.D., has been appointed professor of genomics and personalized medicine and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research at Wake Forest University Health Sciences and Wake Forest University School of Medicine, effective Oct. 1, 2009.

A newer, less expensive drug used to suppress the immune system and prevent organ rejection in kidney and pancreas transplant patients works just as well as its much more expensive counterpart, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Ashok K. Hemal, M.D., a professor of urology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, is one of five Indian scientists selected to receive a prestigious national honor from the National University Grants Commission, which coordinates, determines and maintains standards of university education in India.

Some invasive procedures that are becoming increasingly common as a first line of treatment for patients diagnosed with narrowed arteries in and around the kidneys may not be necessary, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

 Michael Cartwright, M.D., a neurologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, was presented the President’s Research Initiative Award by the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) on Oct. 9, 2009.

 The Northwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC) of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Special Olympics of North Carolina have collaborated to sponsor a conference to address issues affecting developmentally disabled individuals and the challenges they face living in mainstream society.

Wake Forest University School of Medicine honored eight of its researchers with awards for excellence at the 13th Annual Research Awards Day Oct. 1. The School of Medicine established the Basic and Clinical Sciences Research Awards in May 1996 to recognize research excellence.

 Paul Sagerman, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been appointed to serve on the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD).

Richard Childress Racing (RCR) will celebrate its 40th anniversary October 22 with a Fan Day celebration and an anniversary dinner at its headquarters in Welcome, N.C. Proceeds from both events will benefit the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

By providing outstanding care to older adults, Kathy Long, R.N., of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been awarded the 2009 Excellence in Gerontological Nursing Award.

For the third year in a row, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has received the American Heart Association’s (AHA) highest level of recognition for promoting physical activity and health for employees within the workplace.

 The second annual Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, a national awareness effort by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), will be held Oct. 5-9, and North Carolina’s program is being led by Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids. To ensure children have a safe holiday, Brenner Children’s Hospital and the American Academy of Pediatrics offer the following safety tips:

 Kidneys recovered from deceased donors with acute renal failure (ARF) – once deemed unusable for transplant – appear to work just as well as kidneys transplanted from deceased donors who do not develop kidney problems prior to organ donation, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.  

Lexington Memorial Hospital, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Novant Health’s Forsyth Medical Center, Medical Park Hospital and Thomasville Medical Center jointly announced changes to their visitation guidelines as a precaution against the spread of influenza, including H1N1, among patients.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will require that all faculty, staff, students, post-doctoral trainees and volunteers within the Medical Center and its subsidiaries be vaccinated for influenza, as part of a new policy that was announced today. The new policy applies both to seasonal and H1N1 influenza (“swine” flu) vaccines. The Medical Center provides the vaccine free of charge to all employees, and the seasonal flu vaccinations were scheduled to begin Sept 24. The first deliveries of H1N1 vaccine were expected to arrive by early October.

A safety fair organized by the Pediatric Emergency Department at Brenner Children’s Hospital will be held Saturday, Sept. 26. Brenner Children’s Hospital is part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

The announcement of individuals who have been promoted from assistant professor to associate professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

The announcement of individuals who have been promoted from assistant professor to associate professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

 Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center’s Heart Center has received the American College of Cardiology Foundation’s NCDR ACTION Registry–GWTG Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2009.

Windsor Jewelers Event to Benefit Childress Institute for Pediatric TraumaWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – Windsor Jewelers is partnering with the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to raise funds to help save the lives of

Brenner Children’s Hospital has closed the sixth floor (intensive care units) to visitors under the age of 18 -- including siblings -- and is asking parents not to bring their children to visit patients at the children’s hospital this flu season.

A popular stomach-acid reducer used to prevent stress ulcers in critically ill patients needing breathing machine support increases the risk of those patients contracting pneumonia threefold, according to researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

 Marking a substantial change in the organizational structure of the Wake Forest University Translational Science Institute (TSI), Charles E. “Cash” McCall, M.D., has been appointed director as well as professor of translational science at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. This is the first primary appointment in the TSI. Stephen B. Kritchevsky, Ph.D., will join McCall as deputy director.

An auction at The Art Shop in Greensboro, a Corvette Cruise-In in Winston-Salem for car enthusiasts, and the annual Brett’s Ride for Rhabdo in Hickory for cyclists are among upcoming events, benefitting Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Isai Gopalakrishnan, M.D., a kidney specialist, joined the section on nephrology faculty of the Department of Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center on Sept. 7. She is an instructor.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center adds to its faculty.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is one of the first health systems in America to team with The Joint Commission’s new Center for Transforming Healthcare to use systematic methods to identify and prevent breakdowns in patient care and safety. The Center’s first initiative focuses on hand hygiene, a critical step in preventing many of the health care-associated infections that annually cause nearly 100,000 deaths and cost U.S. hospitals $4 billion to $29 billion to combat.  

Safe Kids Northwest Piedmont urges parents and caregivers to make sure their child safety seats are properly installed at the third annual “National Seat Check Saturday,” on Saturday Sept. 12.  Certified child passenger safety technicians will be available to provide hands-on instruction for installing car seats and booster seats at Babies “R” Us on Hanes Mall Blvd. from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Gopal Badlani, M.D., a professor of urology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, will present a free talk on the latest treatments for erectile dysfunction and urinary stress incontinence in men on Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Hawthorne Inn and Conference Center, 420 High Street.

 Doctors at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center’s Heart Center have implanted one of the first wireless pacemakers in the country and the first in the Triad.

The Emergency Department of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has won a Thomson Reuters 2009 Healthcare Advantage Award for performance efficiency by improving patient throughput by decreasing the length-of-stay time and the number of patients who left without being seen by a physician.

 Seven nurses at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have been named to the 2009 “Great 100” list in North Carolina that recognizes some of those providing excellent health care.

A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine reveals a key component in the development of preeclampsia in pregnant women, a condition that can result in miscarriage and maternal death.

 One of the country’s foremost experts on the effect of Taser^® use has published a new study that evaluated the immediate cardiac and cardiovascular effects on a group of volunteer police officers, finding that Taser exposure overall was safe and well tolerated.

People with type 2 diabetes are not consuming sufficiently healthy diets and could benefit from ongoing nutritional education and counseling, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is sponsoring free screenings for prostate cancer on Thursday, Sept. 17 and Saturday, Sept. 19 at Downtown Health Plaza, 1200 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

 Brenner Children’s Hospital is partnering with other health agencies throughout the state to provide a Shaken Baby syndrome prevention program to parents and caregivers, called Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina.

Sheila M. Sanders has been selected as the new vice president for information services and chief information officer of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. She will begin work at the Medical Center on Oct. 5.

In new animal research done by investigators at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, scientists have discovered a treatment effective in mice at blocking the growth and shrinking the size of lung cancer tumors, one of the leading causes of cancer death in the world.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will host a Healthy Food in Hospitals Open House Tuesday, Aug. 18, with attendees from other medical centers named by the North Carolina Prevention Partners (NCPP) as Centers of Excellence for promoting healthy foods in the state.

ECMO Program Recognized as Center of ExcellenceWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – The Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has received the Excellence in Life Support Award from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). This award

Steven C. Elbein, M.D., an endrocrinologist recognized internationally for type 2 diabetes genetics research, has joined Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center as a professor of internal medicine and chief of the Section on Endocrinology and Metabolism, bringing with him a five-person research team.

Burn Center Receives Gift From ADK         WINSTON SALEM, N.C. – Alpha Delta Kappa (ADK), an international honorary organization of women educators, has raised almost $25,000 for the Burn Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, the organization’s altruistic project beneficiary

Researchers Unravel Mystery Behind Long Lasting MemoriesWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine may reveal how long lasting memories form in the brain. The researchers hope that the findings, now available

Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma marks first anniversaryWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – On July 30, 2008, Richard and Judy Childress announced an ambitious plan to launch the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. A year

Wake Forest Baptist Neurologist Hopes to Improve Diagnosis of Focal Nerve DiseaseWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – A neurologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center recently received a $700,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to explore using neuromuscular ultrasound

 A new study done by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine shows that social stress could be an important precursor to heart disease by causing the body to deposit more fat in the abdominal cavity, speeding the harmful buildup of plaque in blood vessels, a stepping stone to the number one cause of death in the world.

Richard F. Loeser, Jr., M.D., chief of the section of molecular medicine and professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been named chairman of the Skeletal Biology Structure and Regeneration Study Section of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR).  His term as chairman of the CSR is effective immediately and will end June 30, 2011.

 By injecting man-made, microscopic tubes into tumors and heating them with a quick, 30-second zap of a laser, scientists have discovered a way to effectively kill kidney tumors in nearly 80 percent of mice. Researchers say that the finding suggests a potential future cancer treatment for humans.

 Researchers have known that aggressive forms of cancer are often driven by the abnormal over-expression of cancer promoting genes, known as oncogenes.  Now, scientists have identified a new gene that may contribute to aggressive breast cancer.

Rates of severe childhood obesity have tripled in the last 25 years, putting many children at risk for diabetes and heart disease, according to a report in Academic Pediatrics by an obesity expert at Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Class of 2013 Arrives at Wake Forest University School of MedicineWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – One hundred and twenty new students, the class of 2013, arrived Thursday at Wake Forest University School of Medicine for orientation before beginning courses on August

 Wake forest university Baptist Medical Center announced today that it had successfully performed laparoscopic total hysterectomies requiring only one incision. Wake Forest Baptist is the first in western North Carolina to do the single-incision procedure.

 A particular class of medication used to treat high blood pressure could protect older adults against memory decline and other impairments in cognitive function, according to a newly published study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

 Wake Forest University School of Medicine has established the Center for Applied Learning (CAL), a major new initiative to enhance patient care and safety through immersive learning (learning by doing). The center will use advanced instructional technologies to increase the clinical capacities and skills of health care providers.
James E. Johnson, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology and anatomy at the medical school, has been appointed director.

Sixteen  rising 10^th grade students in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools who are at risk of failing the North Carolina End-of-Course Test (EOCT) of Biology are participating in a college-level biology enrichment course on the Wake Forest University campus. Now in its third year, the program – including the summer course and follow-up program during the school year – has resulted in 100 percent success on the Biology EOCT for students who have completed the program.

Thomas E. Ingram of Clemmons has been named director of facilities planning and construction at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. He began work in his new position on June 29.

 Secondhand smoke (SHS) is not only a nuisance, but a potential health concern for many college students, and administrators should be taking steps to reduce students’ exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

 Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is listed as one of “America's Best Hospitals” in five categories in rankings to be published in the 2009-2010 edition of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.

 The Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, part of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, will benefit from a private fundraiser called “Cocktails and Conversations,” hosted by Neiman Marcus of Charlotte. Maya Angelou will be the featured guest of the event, which will be held in Charlotte on Thursday, July 16.

 Prolonged use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to treat people infected with both HIV and hepatitis B (HBV) helps to better control the hepatitis B infection and could delay or prevent liver complications, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Environmental Manganese Good in Trace Amounts But Can Correlate to Cancer Rates  WINSTON SALEM, N.C. - In the first ecological study of its kind in the world, a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researcher has uncovered the unique finding that

Kidney Specialist Joins Faculty at Wake Forest Baptist WINSTON SALEM, N.C. - Mariana Murea, M.D., joined the faculty at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center on July 1. She is a clinical instructor in internal medicine nephrology. Murea is an expert

Antidepressants Aid Electroconvulsive Therapy in Treating Severe Depression WINSTON SALEM, N.C. - Combining antidepressant drugs with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) does a better job of reducing symptoms of severe depression and causes less memory loss than using ECT alone, according to a

Koman Honored for Scientific Contributions and International Collaborations WINSTON SALEM, N.C. - L. Andrew Koman, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has received an honorary degree from the University of

Preventive Measure for Identify Theft Goes Into Effect at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center  WINSTON SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is enhancing its medical identify theft program, and patients will be asked to show a

Center Receives Grant Renewal for Hypertension and Vascular Disease Studies WINSTON SALEM, N.C. - The Hypertension and Vascular Research Center at Wake Forest University School of Medicine has received renewal of a multi million dollar grant from the National Heart, Lung

Brain Malformations Significantly Associated with Preterm Birth, Research ShowsWINSTON SALEM, N.C. - New research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine provides for the first time a solid scientific answer for the long standing question of whether there is

Young Black Women Prone to Gain More Unhealthy Abdominal Fat than Hispanics, Study ShowsFor immediate release, Wednesday, July 1 Young Black Women Prone to Gain More Unhealthy Abdominal Fat than Hispanics, Study Shows WINSTON SALEM, N.C. -  Black women ages

MedicalCenter Hires First Institution Wide CFOWINSTON SALEM, N.C. - Edward G. Chadwick has been selected as executive vice president for finance and chief financial officer of WakeForestUniversityBaptistMedicalCenter, a new position created as part of the MedicalCenter reorganization that began two

Wake Forest University School of Medicine biochemist and nutrition researcher Floyd H. "Ski" Chilton, Ph.D., has written a new book, The Gene Smart^TM Diet, which explains how science has shown that a precise diet can regulate gene expression and activate the body's "adaptive stress response," to fight what some scientists think is the underlying cause of our most terrible afflictions, including heart disease, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, digestive and skin disorders, as well as certain kinds of cancer.

  Robot-assisted surgery can be used to successfully repair abnormal openings between the uterus and the bladder, according to a report by Ashok K. Hemal, M.D., a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center urologist who is the world's most experienced surgeon in the procedure.
The openings, known as vesicouterine fistulas, can be the result of cesarean section surgery as well as prolonged obstructed labor. The main symptoms are menstruation through the bladder, known as cyclical hematuria, with or without urinary incontinence.

 The following students received Doctor of Philosophy or Master of Science degrees in biomedical sciences on May 18 from Wake Forest University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Robert Schwartz, M.D., a pediatrician at Brenner Children's Hospital, has been awarded a grant from the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) for a pilot study to prevent childhood obesity.
The $70,000 grant will be administered through the North Carolina Pediatric Society Foundation's "Healthy, Fit and Strong Program." This program will support a childhood obesity prevention pilot project at four different community-level sites across the state.

"Our goal is prevention," said Schwartz, lead project coordinator. "We want to provide communities with an inexpensive but effective plan to help families make better choices and live healthier lives."

 Vickie Russell, M.B.A., has been named associate vice president of Wake Forest University Physicians (WFUP), an operational role that will include business development and direct liaison work with the clinical departments. 

 A nursing veteran of 38 years from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has been awarded the 2009 North Carolina Perioperative Nurse of the Year Award. Brenda Davis, R.N., was honored at the April 4 meeting of North Carolina Council of Perioperative Registered Nurses, the state level of the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses.

 July Calendar of Events at BestHealth®

    J. Jeffrey Carr, M.D., M.Sc., has been inducted as a fellow in the American College of Radiology (ACR). The induction took place at a formal convocation ceremony during the recent 86 ^th ACR Annual Meeting and Chapter Leadership conference in Washington.  

 After a national search, Linda J. Porrino, Ph.D., has been named chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The appointment is effective July 1, 2009.
Porrino joined the medical school faculty in 1990 and has been professor of physiology and pharmacology since 1997. She was named interim chair of the department in 2008.

 A total of 99 nurses were honored at the 19th Annual Nursing Excellence Awards Ceremony recently held at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Wake Forest Baptist nurses were nominated for this award by their peers or managers. The nominations were reviewed blindly by members of the Medical Center's Professional Development Council. The award is based on how the nurse exemplifies the Medical Center's key values: excellence, compassion, innovation, integrity and collegiality. Also considered in the selection is their educational preparation, national certification, Medical Center involvement and involvement in the community.

 Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center provided $110.6 million in community health benefits in the fiscal year July 1, 2007- June 30, 2008. The sum represents $69,674,240 reported by North Carolina Baptist Hospital and $40,965,466 reported by Wake Forest University Health Sciences to the North Carolina Medical Care Commission.

As the region's sole academic medical center, Wake Forest Baptist contributes uniquely to the health of Forsyth County residents and the wider Piedmont Triad community, said CEO John McConnell, M.D. "While every not-for-profit hospital and medical center provides charity care and health outreach, an academic medical center delivers additional, profound community health impact through its research and education mission."

 The third annual Bike Safety Day, which is supported by Safe Kids Northwest Piedmont at Brenner Children's Hospital, will be held Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Little Stars of Bethlehem Preschool.

Eye surgeons will soon have a new surgical tool to help make a complicated eye surgery less labor intensive while providing significant advantages for corneal transplant patients, as a result of an invention by a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center physician.

 The Burn Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has received verification by the American Burn Association (ABA), making it one of only five verified burn centers in the Southeast.

  K. Bridget Brosnihan, Ph.D., a professor in the Hypertension and Vascular Research Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, received an honorary degree from the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Neb., on May 18.

 Christopher J. Godshall, M.D., a vascular surgeon at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been awarded the Brooks Scholarship in Academic Medicine.

The Northwest Area Health Education Center (Northwest AHEC) of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and part of the N.C. AHEC Program will host the last official celebration of its 35 ^th anniversary on Thursday, May 21, at the new Wake Forest University Deacon Tower at BB&T Field.

 Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will hold a baby shower for the local chapter of Newborns in Need on Thursday, May 28, from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the Medical Center's Ardmore cafeteria.
The community is invited to attend and bring a new, unwrapped gift which will go to help needy newborns in the area. Clothing items needed for preemies and newborns consist of cotton hats, mittens, onesies, and socks. Other items include diapers, BPA-free baby bottles, nursing pillows and covers, receiving blankets, powdered baby formula, car seats, strollers and baby beds.

Richard Childress Racing's winning team in last week's NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge will donate $10,000 from its effort to the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

The Heart Transplant Program at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has received certification for three years from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

David L. Kelly Jr., M.D., professor of neurological surgery at WakeForestUniversityBaptistMedicalCenter, received the 2009 Distinguished Practitioner Award during the annual meeting of the Southern Neurosurgical Society, held March 25-28 in Greensboro, Ga.

Kathryn McConnell Greven M.D., a radiation oncologist in the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been named vice chairwoman of the Radiation Oncology Department.

  Wake Forest University and the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz, Bolivia are one of four pairs of recipients of a Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award (FIRCA) grant that will fund their international research collaboration.

Weight Gain Early in Life Leads to Physical Disabilities in Older AdultsWINSTON SALEM, N.C. - Carrying extra weight earlier in life increases the risk of developing problems with mobility in old age, even if the weight is eventually lost, according

 Thomas B. Clarkson, D.V.M., professor of comparative medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, has received the 2009 American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) Mentor Award. This award recognizes individuals who have contributed substantially to the membership of ACLAM by mentoring postdoctoral fellows, graduate students or junior level ACLAM diplomats during the course of their professional careers.

The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has been named to the NASCAR Foundation's Family of Charities, joining 31 other charitable organizations affiliated with drivers, race teams or tracks within the motor sports community.

"The Childress Institute is privileged to be a member of the NASCAR Foundation," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing, who co-founded the Childress Institute with his wife Judy in 2008. "During our 40 years of racing, we have always been dedicated to the fans. Now we have the opportunity to give back by saving the lives of seriously injured children across the United States."

  Potential visitors to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center who are sick should stay home to help protect patients and staff and prevent the potential spread of swine influenza, warns an infectious disease specialist.

May is Neurosciences month at BestHealth. The public is invited to attend these free health seminars and screenings.The Cutting Edge of Epilepsy

 All seminars and screenings are held at BestHealth in Hanes Mall unless otherwise noted and require preregistration unless otherwise indicated. To register for any of these seminars, please call Health On-Call® at 716-2255 or 1-800-446-2255 or visit the website at www.besthealth.com .

Stephen L. Robertson, M.B.A., former chairman of the board trustees of both Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and North Carolina Baptist Hospital, was one of five exemplary hospital trustees who received Trustee Service Awards during the N.C. Hospital Association's Annual Trustee Institute on April 18 at the Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach.

In a passionate effort to reach young people who might be contemplating suicide, a clinical nurse specialist for psychiatric and behavioral health sciences at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has created an avatar on a national suicide prevention Web site.

Kim Hutchinson, Ed.D, is a psychiatric and mental health clinical nurse specialist, who created the avatar on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Web site "in an effort to engage a broader audience of young people who are technically savvy," she said.

Predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) might offer physicians a better way to prevent stroke in blacks, according to a new study done by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
AF is an irregular and often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow to the body, as well as symptoms of heart palpitations, shortness of breath and weakness. Despite low reported prevalence of AF - one of the major risk factors for stroke - in black patients, they suffer strokes five times more often than white patients and die from them two times more often.

Dermatologists from across the community will conduct free skin cancer screenings on Thursday, May 7, in the dermatology clinic at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
The screenings will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the dermatology clinic on the ninth floor of the Richard Janeway Clinical Sciences Tower at Wake Forest Baptist. No appointment is necessary.

The cardiothoracic ICU 5A team at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has achieved the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) for excellence.

Dean Assimos, M.D., a professor of urology, has received the Distinguished Past Scholar Award from the AUA.

Newly published research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine finds that a popular class of anti-inflammatory inhalers significantly increases the risk of pneumonia in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The study appears in the current issue of Archives of Internal Medicine and focuses on the incidence of pneumonia in patients with COPD who were exposed to inhaled corticosteroid drugs, either alone or in combination with other drugs.

Physicians teaching at medical schools and doctors who have just completed their first year out of medical school disagree about which procedures are necessary to learn before graduating, according to a new survey done by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Participating physicians were asked to rate 31 basic clinical procedures - from throat culture to spinal tap - based on their importance in the first year after graduation from medical school. Faculty physicians rated 14 procedures as "must know," while new physicians agreed on only six of those 14 clinical procedures and placed five additional, completely different procedures in the "must know" category. 

A discovery made by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine while studying mice may help explain how some people without a genetic predisposition to epilepsy can develop the disorder.

  A dessert auction and silent auction to benefit the Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure will be held Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Belk Court at Hanes Mall.

 Leaders of the Cancer Challenge, an organization of young professionals in the Triad, kicked off their 2009 fund-raising effort this spring looking to exceed their $50,000 goal for the second straight year to benefit cancer research at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

 The Breast Care Center of the NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is one of only two centers in the state and one of 27 nationally to be granted full accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons.  The other accredited center in North Carolina is located in Greenville.
 Accreditation by the NAPBC is given only to centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.

The Wake Forest University Health Sciences Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME) has received notification of its four-year, national CME reaccreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). 

  Chronic kidney disease patients face a greater risk of cardiovascular events such as stent thrombosis after being treated for heart attacks, even if their kidney disease is moderate, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

 L.N. Dorairajan, M.D., a urologist from India, has received a prestigious scholarship from the Indian American Urological Association to spend two months studying robot-assisted and laparoscopic surgery at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center's Department of Urology.

Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine Forms Partnership with Institute in KoreaWINSTON SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and a university hospital in Korea have formed a partnership with the goal of accelerating the development

A fashion show featuring models of all ages showing off the latest styles and sharing their stories of surviving heart disease will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6, 2009, in Belk Court at Hanes Mall.

The Red Dress Fashion Show will be presented by BestHealth®, Belk department store and the Heart Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Television anchor Rosemary Plybon from WFMY-TV, the CBS affiliate in Greensboro, will host the show.

The Downtown Health Plaza’s Radiology Department has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as the result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

March is Urology Month at BestHealth® March is Urology Month at BestHealth® Inclement weather policy: When Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools are closed due to weather, BestHealth events are cancelled. Tuesday, March 3 Daring to Go Dairy 12 to 1:30 p.m. Celebrate National Nutrition Month with Chef Nikki Mi

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is the first hospital in the Triad offering single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), a technologically-advanced form of laparoscopic surgery in which procedures such as gallbladder removal can be performed through a single small incision.

Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital, in conjunction with SAFE KIDS of Forsyth County, is promoting awareness of Burn Prevention Week, Feb. 1-7.

A new outpatient diagnostic imaging center has been opened by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center's Department of Radiology to better serve patients and provide state-of-the art imaging services within the greater Winston-Salem area.

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Imaging is offering MRI, CT, ultrasound, digital mammography screening, bone densitometry and digital X-ray.  The center will also offer limited pediatric services.

 A grant in the amount of $52,333 has been awarded to Wake Forest University School of Medicine by the St. Baldrick's Foundation to help run childhood cancer research protocols.
The grant will fund the hiring of a new employee whose primary responsibility will be to open new research protocols for children with cancer. Running these research protocols correctly requires a lot of paperwork and data management, and physicians usually don't have time to handle those duties. The grant will allow the physicians to focus on patient care.

 In an effort to improve workers' health and quality of life, Wake Forest University School of Medicine has established the Center for Worker Health (CWH).
 The overall goal of the CWH is to provide a connecting point for a variety of research focused on all aspects of the work-health relationship. The center will bring together investigators, health care providers, community members and business leaders interested in protecting and promoting worker health and quality of life, as well as creating workplace solutions that are beneficial for employers, workers and their families.

Improving their patients' experience with prescription drugs is the purpose of a new online course for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and medical students, called SmartPrescribe.

The course was developed by Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Northwest Area Health Education Center of the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers Program.

Daeihagh Receives Promotion at Wake Forest BaptistWinston Salem, N.C. Pirouz Daeihagh, M.D., a nephrologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has been promoted from assistant professor to associate professor of internal medicine (nephrology). He is the medical director of

Ultraviolet light may help relieve pain in fibromyalgia syndrome patients, according to a preliminary study at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center conducted by dermatology, rheumatology, and public health sciences researchers.

Area Emergency Medical Groups Combine to Strengthen Services Area Emergency Medical Groups Combine to Strengthen Services WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Guilford Emergency Physicians, a group of 24 doctors that staffs the emergency rooms at Moses Cone Health System, will combine with the Emergency Medicine Department

Grant Funds New Latino Community Health Project Grant Funds New Latino Community Health Project WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Researchers at the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, part of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, have received a $300,000 grant to fund a community project to reduce health dispari

A geriatric mental health award has been established in honor of Deirdre Johnston, M.D., who worked at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center for many years and served as the inspiration for the establishment of the Kate Mills Snider Geriatric Outreach (GO) Program at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

February is Heart Month at BestHealth® February is Heart Month at BestHealth® Inclement weather policy: When Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools are closed due to weather, BestHealth events are cancelled. Monday, Feb. 2 Becoming Mindful: Nutrition, exercise & self-care 1 p.m. Distractions and discourage

Wake Forest University School of Medicine students will hold the 10th annual “Share the Health” fair on Jan. 10, 2009, at the Marketplace Mall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.