Archives 2009

Florida Super Doctors 2009
Eduardo de Marchena M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.P., Associate Dean for International Medicine, Director of Interventional Cardiology and Medical Director of UHealth Atherosclerosis Prevention and Treatment Center at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine was recognized in the 2009 edition of Florida Super Doctors.  This publication asks more than 15,000 South Florida physicians to identify peers they themselves would turn to for medical care. 

To view the Florida Super Doctors 2009 edition click here.

Scientific Awards Committee Leadership 2009-2010
Leopoldo Raij, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Director of Hypertension and Nephrology Research of the International Medicine Institute, Director of Hypertension, Nephrology and Hypertension Division, and Chief of Nephrology and Hypertension Section at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been elected Chair of the Scientific Awards Committee for the academic year 2009-2010.  Along with Vice Chair, Vinata Lokeshwar, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Department of Urology they will spearhead the Committee’s efforts in making vital recommendations for the distribution of research funds and the review of research grant programs for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The Scientific Awards Committee performs a valuable service for the University.  It is composed of senior faculty members with a broad range of expertise spanning the basic, translational, and clinical biomedical sciences.  It supports new research initiatives as well as existing activities.

International Lectures Bring University’s Latest Technologies and Clinical Applications to Wales, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines
Keith A. Webster, Ph.D., professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology; director of the University of Miami Vascular Biology Institute (VBI) and holder of a Walter G. Ross Distinguished Chair of Vascular Biology will deliver a series of invited lectures on gene and engineered stem cell therapy for the treatment of peripheral and coronary artery disease starting with two plenary lectures at the Universities of Cardiff and Swansea in Wales and continuing to the National University of Singapore, the Mahidol University in Bangkok, and the University of the Philippines in Manila.  The August-September lecture tour is part of an international scientific collaboration headed by Dr. Webster in cooperation with Dr. dr Marchena of the International Medicine Institute. During this visit, Dr. Webster will also give informal talks and tour the facilities at Gleneagles, Mount Pleasant Hospital and the Raffles Hospital Group in Singapore.  In addition to the formal lectures, Dr. Webster will meet with medical groups at Bangkok Hospital, the Bangkok Heart Hospital and the Bungram Hospital in Bangkok.  This important visit will also include discussions with British Consulates in Bangkok and Singapore.  The tour is organized by the Welsh Assembly Business Development Group and is a follow-up to a highly successful introduction series of gene therapy lectures given by Dr. Webster in Wales earlier this year. The presentations include descriptions of a novel therapeutic approach developed here at the University of Miami, wherein stem cells are bioengineered with growth factor genes that in turn are regulated by a UM proprietary gene switch before delivery to the diseased muscles.  A concerted effort is being undertaken being by Dr. Webster and Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., associate dean for international medicine, to translate this technology into clinical applications that will be the first of their sort to use bioengineered stem cells in this setting, and will be a landmark in the progress of stem cell therapy for cardiovascular and other conditions of chronic tissue ischemia.

International lectures such as these expand our global mission, putting the University’s wealth of education, technologies and translational research within reach of physicians, researchers, educators and students worldwide.

Visa Card Promotes Travel to South Florida Hospitals
In collaboration with the top medical institutions in South Florida, the Bank of the Bahamas has launched a Visa card that provides 30 to 60 percent discounts to Bahamians who travel to the Greater Miami area for their healthcare needs.

Among the hospitals who will accept the Visa card are UHealth -- University of Miami Health System, Mercy Hospital, Baptist Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Broward General, Miami Children's and Jackson Memorial.

For the Bahamas Weekly article of July 22, 2009 click here.

Bascom Palmer Rated No. 1 Eye Hospital in the Nation
For the sixth year in a row, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the country for ophthalmology in the 20th annual survey of "America's Best Hospitals," published by U.S. News & World Report. Two other specialties at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center were also ranked among the nation's best: ear, nose and throat, ranked 20th, and geriatrics, ranked 35th.

For the complete article, click here.

A Review of the U.S. Healthcare System
Physicians, insurance providers and healthcare administrators convened in Trinidad and Tobago to discuss the management of rising healthcare costs on Saturday, July 11th.  The event, The Winds of Change - A Fundamental Review of the U.S. Healthcare System, was attended by UHealth International to share current developments, evolving technology, the latest procedures and the financial impact the economic downturn is having on global healthcare.  

Drs. Jorge Diego and Jose Quesada from the International Medicine Institute of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine collaborated with colleagues from John Hopkins, Elite Imaging, Health Design Plus and Global Excel Management to address these important issues.   

To learn about international conferences and programs, please contact the International Medicine Institute  at 305-243-9200.

Miami as an International Healthcare Destination
Six years after the death of an ambitious joint effort to make Miami a major healthcare destination for wealthy foreigners, a new group has formed to try to do the same thing -- for less money and without any attempts to disguise the fierce competition among local hospitals to lure well paying international patients. The University of Miami has started an ambitious program to attract not only foreigners but also Americans wanting quality care.

''We have an opportunity to become a medical destination,'' says Pascal Goldschmidt, the medical school dean who has brought in scores of specialists and engineered the purchase of a hospital to accomplish that goal. ``And that will upgrade the quality of medicine for everybody.'' Emilio Nuñez, executive director of international medicine at UHealth, says its international traffic has gone up about 20 percent since Goldschmidt's expansion.

For the Miami Herald article of June 8, 2009, click here.

William O'Neill, M.D., (left) executive dean for clinical affairs, presented Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery, with the American Heart Association's 2009 Cor Vitae award at the annual Miami-Dade Heart Ball.
William O’Neill, M.D., (left) executive dean for clinical affairs, presented Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery, with the American Heart Association’s 2009 Cor Vitae award at the annual Miami-Dade Heart Ball.
 


Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., Receives AHA Cor Vitae Award
Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery in the Cardiovascular Division and associate dean for international medicine, was presented with the American Heart Association’s Cor Vitae award at the American Heart Association’s 41st annual Miami-Dade Heart Ball on Saturday, May 30.

The Cor Vitae award is given to recognize an outstanding physician in Miami-Dade County whose focus is in cardiovascular medicine or stroke.  De Marchena said it was “humbling and a great honor to be recognized by the American Heart Association and to be nominated by such excellent cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and neurologists.”

De Marchena is an internationally renowned cardiologist who has spearheaded key programs for the heart transplantation program, interventional cardiology unit and the Atherosclerosis Prevention and Treatment Center, and the International Medicine Institute.  With more than 25 years of clinical experience in South Florida, de Marchena is now leading the charge to enhance cardiovascular treatments overseas, including in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In addition to his clinical and leadership roles, de Marchena is widely recognized for research in interventional cardiology, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure, with studies in more than 200 publications including The New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.   He also holds several patents on new cardiac innovations.

In presenting the award, William O’Neill, M.D., executive dean for clinical affairs at the Miller School, described his colleague as a “leader in every facet of cardiology, from research, to education, and treating patients.  Dr. de Marchena is a physician and scientist who continues to set the bar for all of us working to conquer heart disease.”

For the complete article click here. 

Photographed to the right of the screen are Drs. Antonio Marttos (UM) and Paulo Cupello of AMIL, on the screen deliverying his presentation on allergies and asthma is Dr. Andrew Colin.

 

Video Conference Brings the Latest in Pediatric Allergy and Asthma to Brazil
Antonio Marttos, M.D., assistant professor of surgery and director of tele trauma research at the William Lehman Injury Research Center teamed up with Andrew Colin, M.D., professor of clinical pediatrics at to present a live video conference on May 30. Through a collaboration between the University’s International Medicine Institute and Assistencia Medica Internacional Ltda. (AMIL), the second largest insurer in Brazil, an audience of over 100 attendees in Rio de Janeiro was able to participate in a program designed to present the latest topics in pediatric allergy and asthma including case studies of latest advances. 

The work of physicians like Colin and Marttos expand the reach of the University’s educational programs, putting our wealth of education and experience at the finger tips of practitioners worldwide.


Ramzi Younis, M.D. Removes Massive Tumor
Little Jordan Jamal Smith was born with a massive tumor on his head.  Four months into her pregnancy, doctors had told his mother, Kimberly Robinson, that her unborn child had a tumor protruding from his mouth, millimeters from his brain and said the baby was not likely to survive birth. But Dr. Ramzi Younis, Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon at The University of Miami UHealth System did not give up on Robinson's baby. 

For the USA Today article of May 27, 2009, click here.
For the NBC Miami article of May 28, 2009 click here.

Annual Paff Teaching Awards Honor J. Donald Temple for the 21st Year in a Row
The George Paff Teaching Awards, named for one of the Miller School’s founding faculty members, George Paff, Ph.D., are presented each year to faculty members whose dedication to students and excellence in teaching are unparalleled. 

Each medical school class selects three faculty members to honor, compiling a catalog of noteworthy characteristics and accomplishments that served as an introduction for each winner, and applauded wildly as each award recipient approached the podium. The applause was especially loud for J. Donald Temple, M.D., associate professor of medicine and director of the William J. Harrington Medical Training Programs for Latin America, who has made an impression on students 21 years in a row – a record since the inception of the awards.

For the complete article on April 27, 2009, click here.

World-renowned Neurosurgeon Among Florida's Top 100 Individuals
Barth Green, M.D., world-renowned neurosurgeon, was featured in Florida International Magazine’s April issue as one of 100 individuals pushing Florida into the future.  Dr. Green is the co-founder and chairman of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, the largest and most advanced spinal cord injury center in the world.

For complete article click here.  Prospective international patients, please call 305-243-9100 or 1-877-442-8676 (toll free in the U.S.A).  Email:  UHealthInternational@med.miami.edu

Ankara University and the International Medicine Institute Collaborate on Education and Research
Ankara University is a public university located in the capital of Turkey. It was the first higher education institute of the Republic and enjoys world-wide recognition in all areas including:   Agriculture, Communication, Dentistry, Divinity, Educational Sciences, Forestry, Health Education Services, History and Geography, Languages, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Political Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine.

Ankara University has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the International Medicine Institute expanding its international collaborations which include cutting-edge research, biomedical projects, international law and agriculture.  Its teachings are offered to a diverse, international student body. Ankara University feels the future of Turkey and all international entities relies on its most valuable resource: the youth of the world.

In addition to its academic and research mission, Ankara University provides quality health services to thousands of people through its clinics and hospitals. 

To learn more about Ankara University, please visit their website:  http://arsiv.ankara.edu.tr/english

To learn about other international programs, please contact the International Medicine Institute  at 305-243-9200.

International Physicians and Political Ambassadors Brainstorming Session
The International Medicine Institute (IMI) had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Marta Ferrer, Associate Dean of the Universidad de Navarra School of Medicine, during a visit to Miami.  Dr. Ferrer is a world-renowned allergy and immunology specialist who is active in academic, clinical and research activities at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain.  The Institute liaised with City of Miami Commissioner Javier Souto member of the Health, Public Safety and Intergovernmental, Housing and the Community Development Committees to explore ways in which the two universities and the Greater Miami area can work together on future international educational exchanges and research collaborations. 

 
Photographed above:  Emilio Nuñez (Executive Director, IMI), University of Miami faculty - Francisco Tejada, M.D. (Voluntary Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Public Health), Nancy Klimas, M.D.  (Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases), Eduardo de Marchena, M.D.  (Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Associate Dean for International Medicine), Hilda Pantin, Ph.D. (Vice-Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health), Dade County Commissioner Javier Souto, Marta Ferrer, M.D.  (Universidad de Navarra), Azorides Morales, M.D.  (Professor or Surgery, Pathology) and Joseph Rosenblatt, M.D.  (Professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology). 

Please contact the International Medicine Institute to learn more about all international programs: 305-243-9200.

UHealth Cardiology at the Cutting edge in U.S.A.
University of Miami heart doctors got to show off a new suite of heart-repair labs they say is one of the most advanced in the country. There were X-ray machines that swung on robot arms, providing a 3-D, full-color, rotating picture of a patient's heart. And there were other robotic instruments using that improved view to guide the tip of a catheter or tube around and through the chambers of the heart, burning away damaged tissue without harming adjoining areas.

For the Miami Herald article of March 21, 2009, click here

UHealth Surgeon Revolutionizes Abdominal Surgery
When Alan Kornbluh had his gallbladder removed in January, there was little fuss. He went home the same day of the procedure and was back at work in a week. ''And I never took anything stronger than Tylenol,'' says Kornbluh, 75, of Miami Shores. Until recently, the removal would have involved more incisions, more blood, more days in the hospital and a longer recovery time, doctors say. Dr. Jose Martinez of UHealth, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, who performed the surgery, argues that the traditional way -- four or five additional half-inch incisions through the skin, tissue and muscle of the abdomen -- is much more invasive than the new way.

For the Miami Herald article of March 16, 2009, click here

Cyber Consultations   
The Hospital Herrera Llerandi in Guatemala City, Guatemala is ready to launch a program that will make telemedicine available to patients via the internet.   The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine was selected to participate in this endeavor which would broaden the reach of its international clinical care programs. 

Access to treatment in specialty areas such as diabetes, dermatology, asthma, and others will be offered.  Utilizing the latest technology, the two institutions can bridge physical boundaries making available the best in medical care and research applications the University has to offer. 

For the article in Spanish, click here.

World-renowned Fetal Surgeon Joins University of Miami
World-renowned fetal surgeon Rubén A. Quintero, M.D. has joined the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and professor of obstetrics and gynecology where he will launch a unique fetal therapy program that will treat previously untreatable, life-threatening disorders discovered in unborn babies.

“The addition of Dr. Quintero to our team of maternal-fetal medicine specialists will result in a true transformation of the services we will be able to offer our pregnant patients,” said Leo B. Twiggs, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

For the complete news release, click here. 

Developing Medical Leaders Around the Hemisphere
When William J. Harrington, M.D., became the University’s chair of medicine in 1964, he envisioned the medical school as an international educational resource. That vision inspired him to lay the groundwork for The William J. Harrington Medical Training Programs for Latin America and the Caribbean. Now a part of the International Medicine Institute, the Harrington programs include medical student rotations, continuing education for practicing physicians, and a highly competitive internal medicine residency program.

Read more...

The Best CardioCare
Gilberto Huguet, has been treated by several doctors over the past 26 years and says he has found the best:  Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., chair of the University of Miami Medical Group, former chief of cardiology, and now director of the International Medicine Institute. “He has a tremendous amount of warmth,” says Huguet, 77, of Miami. “He’s not just a very good doctor, he’s a very good human being.”

Read more...

Extending our Global Reach
With the 2007 launch of the University of Miami International Medicine Institute, the University now extends its reach worldwide, with facilities and affiliations as far away as Asia and the Middle East. The new institute, which handles clinical care as well as research and education, is directed by Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery, director of interventional cardiology, director of the Cardiovascular Center, and chairman of the University of Miami Medical Group. “Since the launch there have been so many calls from people in different countries who want to establish partnerships,” says de Marchena. “We have been having talks with people in the Bahamas, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico. There’s interest from people in Asia and the Middle East and all over Latin America.”

Read more...

The International Medicine Institute, its staff and fellow faculty is deeply saddened at the sudden loss of Dr. William J. Harrington, Jr. from a cerebral hemorrhage.  He was an astonishing physician, a world-renowned scientist, a great human being and dear friend.  He was an inspiration to many young doctors, to his colleagues and to all whose lives he touched.  Like his father, Dr. William J. Harrington, and his brother, Dr. Thomas Harrington, he reached out to all of Latin America through his teachings, tireless research and the mission of the Harrington Programs. He will be greatly missed.

Donations in his memory may be sent to:

The Dominican Center in Milwaukee established and run by aunt, Sister Ann Halloran at  http://dominicancenter.tripod.com/

Heifer International - an organization that provides animals for poor villages http://www.heifer.org/

Seventh Annual Miami International Revascularization Summit
The University of Miami Cardiovascular Center celebrated its 7th annual Miami International Revascularization Summit February 19-21, 2009 at the Alexander All-Suite Oceanfront Resort in Miami Beach, Florida.   The three-day course was webcast to over 100 locations around the world, sharing cutting-edge technologies and treatment of coronary artery disease, emerging technologies for the percutaneous treatment of structural heart disease, non-cardiac endovascular therapies, electrophysiologic ablations and devices, robotic surgery and the latest in cardiac imaging.

Internationally renowned physicians such as University of Miami Miller School Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., Drs. William O’Neill, Eduardo De Marchena, Tomas Salerno, Alexandre Ferreira, Juan Pablo Zambrano, Joshua Hare, David Allie, Augusto Pichard, Igor Palacios and many other world-renowned clinical leaders presented the latest breakthroughs.   

Click here to view brochure.

New Frontiers in Hospital Medicine
Following the footsteps of their U.S. counterparts, Spanish and Latin American hospitalists from places as diverse as Pamplona and Valencia, Spain, Porto Alegre, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile have established hospitalist programs to better serve their patients and educate physicians through groundbreaking hospital medicine congresses and symposia.

Efren C. Manjarrez, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of Clinical Operations for UHealth's Division of Hospital Medicine was selected by the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) past-president and current editor of the Journal of Hospital Medicine, Mark Williams, M.D., to represent the Society and act as ambassador to Spanish-speaking countries.

In October, 2007, Dr. Manjarrez represented the SHM and UHealth/Miller School of Medicine at the I Symposium “Manejo del Paciente Hospitalizado” (Management of the Hospitalized Patient) at the Clinica de la Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona. In November 2008, he presented the latest developments in hospital medicine at the Primeras Jornadas Chilenas de Medicina Interna Hospitalaria (First Chilean Congress of Hospital Internal Medicine) at the Pontificia Universidad Católica, in Santiago, Chile. He is currently preparing a talk that will be presented in Porto Alegre in the Spring of 2010.

These groundbreaking conferences have enticed the same level of enthusiasm in the international specialists that American hospitalists have about their ability to make a major difference in the way that healthcare is practiced. The discussions have provided insights in challenges shared world-wide:

  • Identification of optimal staffing ratios 
  • Creation and implementation of evidence-based protocols and order sets  
  • Demonstrating the value of the hospitalist program, reimbursement co-management,   participation in research, and measurement of metrics

These lectures covered a wide spectrum of topics, exposing attendees to a broad background in hospital medicine:

  • History of the initial formation of hospital medicine and coining of the term “hospitalists” in the 90’s
  • Data from early studies showing the positive outcomes in cost, length of stay, readmission, hospital mortality, and patient satisfaction in patients admitted by hospitalists
  • Benefits of hospitalists' intervention/management in perioperative patients
  • Examples of standardized evidence-based protocols created by hospitalists to enhance patient safety
  • Benefit of the introduction of hospitalist medicine by clinician-educators in academic settings
  • The evolution of this new, distinct specialty as evidenced by: the Core Competencies in Hospital Medicine, the Journal of Hospital Medicine, the areas of research undertaken by hospitalists and the new recertification in Internal Medicine with special credentials as a hospitalist
  • Objective measurement of the metrics by which hospitalist work is gauged
  • SHM task force recommendations on transitions in care i.e. handoffs of hospitalized patients and discharge of elderly patients
  • The growth in numbers of hospitalists over a short period of time

The last frontier in the growth of organized hospital medicine is its world-wide expansion.  SHM CEO,  Larry Wellikson, M.D. has asked Dr. Manjarrez to chair the SHM International Hospitalists Interests Section at the SHM Annual Meeting in Chicago in May, 2009. This role will allow Dr. Manjarrez to perform a needs assessment that will enable SHM to serve and educate hospitalists all over the world.

 For additional information on hospitalist medicine, please contact Ms. Dora Maya at 305-243-1952 or dmaya@med.miami.edu

Alzheimer's Research at University of Miami Flags Key Genes
University of Miami medical researchers on Monday announced they have identified nine genes that may increase susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease. They expressed hope that within a decade they can create better ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating the debilitating, mind-robbing condition.
''We now have some exciting new directions to explore,'' said Margaret Pericak-Vance, director of the Miami Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Medical School.

She called it a ''small but significant interim step.'' In the early 1990s, Pericak-Vance was the first to identify a protein connected to Alzheimer's, the first step in trying to determine its genetic causes. About five million Americans live with Alzheimer's, a neurological condition.

For the Miami Herald article of January 6, 2009 click here.

University News
The Office of Communications is the official source of news and information at the University of Miami School of Medicine. The office serves as a resource for the media and for medical school faculty, staff, and administrators. In addition, it produces three periodicals: University of Miami Medicine magazine (published three times a year), Scrip faculty and staff newsletter (published nine times a year), and e-Update online news service (published weekly).

University Health System News

Current IMI News, click here.
Archived IMI News 2008,  click here.