October 2012

 

Celebration of Science Visits Rehab Medicine

Actor and "Dancing with the Stars" champion John O'Hurley demonstrated capabilities of equipment in the Clinical Movement and Analysis Laboratory with Rehabilition Medicine's Dr. Diane Damiano and NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins during a live feed to Celebration of Science attendees on Sept. 8.

Leaders from across the scientific and policy communities convened in the Washington area Sept. 7 – 9 for the Celebration of Science, a weekend dedicated to reaffirming America's commitment to bioscience.

Spearheaded by FasterCures and the Milken Institute, the event included panels and presentations, a full day of activities on the NIH campus, and a special evening at the Kennedy Center honoring major contributions to science.

"This gathering of experts aims to try to identify how academia and government and industry can work together, knocking down some of those traditional barriers, focusing more on open innovation that will benefit the public," said NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins.

As part of the NIH program, Collins livestreamed to those gathered in the Natcher Conference Center his visits to sites around campus, including the Clinical Movement Analysis Laboratory in the Clinical Center Rehabilitation Medicine Department.

Actor John O'Hurley (best known as J. Peterman on "Seinfeld"and the season one winner of "Dancing with the Stars") walked, pliéd, and waltzed on the treadmill while outfitted with state-of-the-art motion analysis equipment. Dr. Diane Damiano, chief of the Functional and Applied Biomechanics Section, explained how they use such equipment as sensors and cameras to quantify movement. These same methods are used in studies involving patients with neurological disorders and children with cerebral palsy, among other conditions.

"We really want to try to understand why they're moving differently than normal, because we want to try to figure out ways to help them move better," Damiano said. She showed the vast improvement in a child with cerebral palsy's walking after an exercise intervention where the patient trained on an elliptical machine for 12 weeks, focusing on increasing the speed and smoothness of the movement pattern.

To watch Collins' visit to the laboratory, visit http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=11868.

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Cancer institute investigator named
Distinguished Clinical Teacher

Dr. Antonio "Tito" Fojo (second from left) was honored with the 2012 Distinguished Clinical Teacher Award, presented on Sept. 12 by clinical fellows committee co-chairs Dr. Syed Ali (left) and Dr. Joel Stoddard, along with Clinical Center Director Dr. John I. Gallin (right).

Dr. Antonio Tito Fojo is a triple threat. His skills as a clinician, scientist, and mentor earned him the 2012 Distinguished Clinical Teacher Award from the NIH clinical fellows committee, presented Sept. 12.

Fojo was chosen from 12 nominees, who should all feel honored, said Dr. Joel Stoddard, co-chair of the clinical fellows committee. Stoddard, his co-chair Dr. Syed Ali, and 31 other fellows voted on the winner from submitted nominations.

Head of the Experimental Therapeutics Section of the Medical Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Fojo was born in Havana, Cuba. He moved to the United States with his family in 1960, and received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Miami. He completed three years of training in internal medicine at Washington University/Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, and after a year as chief resident came to the NCI as a clinical associate in the Medicine Branch, now the Medical Oncology Branch. Four years later he assumed the position of senior investigator in the Medicine Branch.

The words of the fellows speak of Fojo as an obvious choice for the Distinguished Clinical Teacher Award:

"His door is always open to all of us. He provides personalized teaching on a daily basis."

"Clinic with him is a lesson in how to provide hopeful and compassionate yet truthful counsel to patients."

"He sets an example of how to practice medicine based on strength of data rather than the weight of prevailing practice - how to practice above the 'standard of care.'"

Fojo said the award was icing on the cake, as he enjoys spending time with the fellows and helping them in this "make or break time."

"I see in them a lot of what I remember in myself, and I remember how much it meant to me when people helped me then," Fojo said. He commented on what he thought made a great teacher: "a combination of enthusiasm and experience."

Stoddard said he repeatedly read in the nomination letters about the effort on the teachers' part. "Good mentors make time and consider an individual's unique career path. They have an impressive fund of knowledge and the ability to communicate it," Stoddard said.

"I think to be a great teacher you really have to love it," Stoddard said. "That comes through."

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Downplaying a war victory to celebrating a yardage gain

Columnist and author David Brooks spoke in Masur Auditorium in September as part of the NIMH Director's Innovation Speaker Series.

Columnist explains psychological shift from modesty to self-congratulation

"Hello doctors of various sorts," David Brooks opened in Masur Auditorium on Sept. 11.

The New York Times columnist and "PBS News Hour" commentator got many resounding laughs from the crowd in his speech as part of the National Institute of Mental Health Director's Innovation Speaker Series. Poking fun at politicos, youth, and sometimes himself, Brooks kept the mood light while discussing a serious cognitive shift in self-image and entitlement.

Brooks recounted a replayed radio broadcast from World War II V-E Day he heard one night on National Public Radio. The 1945 commentators said they did not feel as if they had won; they were just happy the war was over, Brooks said. He turned off the radio and turned on a football game where a player celebrated a three-yard gain with a victory dance. It was then Brooks noted this self-effacement to self-expansion shift, he said.

"From ‘I'm no better than anyone else, but no one else is better than me' to ‘Look at me. Look how great I am,'" Brooks said.

He gave five impetuses for this change—a shift in psychology to emphasize value of self, the Civil Rights and feminist movements, workplace restructuring, a rise in social and economic individualism, and the technology boom.

This evolution is in part responsible for a rise in consumption and debt, Brooks said. "Historically, we didn't want to push debt on future generations. That moral horror has gone away, I think because we no longer see ourselves as part of that generational chain."

Brooks also opined about the general lack of modesty, that is awareness of the limits on what we can know about ourselves and the world, but praised scientists for their "metacognition" and called them "an isle of modesty in a sea of self-congratulation."

In the question-and-answer session following Brooks' presentation, a fellow asked when those building their careers like he was could be ambitious and when they should be humble. How to stay modest when the competition is fierce and they are looking to make great strides?

"When you reach the top job, then look down on ambition," Brooks joked.

Brooks' latest book is "The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement."

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Hospital housekeepers highlighted for service with a smile

Clinical Center housekeeper Rafael Castellano wipes down a lampshade and table in the common areas of the hospital where patients and visitors often sit in between appointments.

"Pristine."

That was the word used by the Joint Commission to describe the Clinical Center when the accreditation and certification organization made an unannounced visit in September. Compliments were paid to the hospital’s housekeeping team, part of the Materials Management and Environmental Services Department.

About 100 housekeepers comprise the research hospital’s three teams that work around the clock, including weekends, to keep the 240-bed hospital clean for staff, patients, and visitors.

One of those housekeepers is Rafael Castellano, who works his way all around the Hatfield Building most days.

Tracey "Luv" Walden, a housekeeper at the hospital for 14 years, pushes a trash bin to her next cleaning assignment

"I've worked in other places, but being at a research hospital is different. The training we get to work here is really good, and we have a great team," said Castellano.

Housekeeper Tracey Walden, known to most as simply "Luv" has been working here for more than 14 years. She considers herself a "jack of all trades" and the kind of person who makes other people happy.

Said Luv, "Patients say, ‘You always have a smile on your face. You make my day.' That's why I love my job."

Editor’s Note: National Housekeeping Week was Sept. 10 – 14.

 

 

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Employee recognition survey shows value of personal praise

The results of an NIH-wide survey on non-monetary recognition reveal that employees value acknowledgement and leadership support, as well as additional training and time-off awards. More than 3,000 NIH employees, including 200 from the Clinical Center (CC), responded to the survey in July.

Administrators reported that 80 percent of CC employees are "very interested" in receiving time off awards. Approximately 60 percent find value in personal praise from their supervisor and/or additional training.

The results were further analyzed by employee position type:

• Direct and indirect patient care employees are more interested in additional training than administrative employees.
• Indirect patient care staff are more interested in additional telework days and reserved parking spaces than clinical and administrative staff are.
• Administrative and indirect patient care employees rated assignments of interest more appealing than clinical staff.
• The majority of employees said they are very interested in time off awards and personal praise from supervisors.

CC employees expressed an interest in receiving more personal recognition and appreciation from their supervisors, whether verbally, by email, or in meetings. Such recognition includes more feedback, more open communication, and more involvement in decision-making and planning.

"I think it is very important to recognize staff who have been working with limited resources for extended periods and to meet with them to let them know how much they are appreciated," one survey responder wrote.

CC employees are also interested in more visibility and involvement from CC leadership. They would like leaders to foster an environment where people truly feel appreciated and empowered to make suggestions, according to the survey results.

Numerous studies report that monetary incentives are not as effective as one might think in generating employee satisfaction and retention. Dan Pink, author of “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us," found that it is not money, but rather autonomy, mastery, and purpose that motivate people the most. [See NIH videocast of Dan Pink’s Deputy Director for Management Seminar.]

A 2012 study by the Partnership for Public Service stated that, in their government-wide job satisfaction analysis, satisfaction with leadership was about five times more important than pay.

“Federal employees weigh the totality of their job experience, and if they admire the agency leaders, get along well with their supervisor, and feel their talents are being used well toward a compelling mission, they may remain engaged and motivated even if they are dissatisfied with pay," the report states.

The NIH Employee Recognition Survey results, coupled with these important studies, are important for supervisors to note given limits on cash awards and tight budgets. Often, verbal or written personal accolades and additional workplace flexibility are just as, if not more meaningful to employees. If you aren’t certain what forms of non-monetary recognition your employee values – just ask.

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Vaccine clinic arms staff against flu

Chief Nurse Officer Clare Hastings got her flu shot Sept. 14 from Hassatou Shaw. NIH ran its free flu vaccine clinic for staff during the month of September. For those who missed the clinic, vaccines are available through the Occupational Medical Service. Call 301-496-4411 to make an appointment. The Clinical Center offers free flu shots for all staff, and employees and contractors who work with patients are required to get immunized. The best way to reduce your risks of getting sick or getting others sick is to get the flu shot every year, said Dr. Tara Palmore, deputy hospital epidemiologist.

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NIH Research Festival celebrates quasquicentennial

The 2012 NIH Research Festival, the showcase for the NIH Intramural Research Program, is Oct. 9 – 12, and the theme is "The NIH at 125: Today's Discoveries, Tomorrow's Cures."

The opening plenary session on Oct. 9 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. in Masur Auditorium will feature dynamic "TED-style" talks by Dr. Gary Gibbons, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Dr. Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, chief of the Section on Organelle Biology in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and Dr. Ron Germain, chief of the Lymphocyte Biology Section in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Research Festival attendees also will hear a presentation from the late Joseph Kinyoun, himself, 93 years after his death. The NIH traces its roots to Kinyoun's one-room "laboratory of hygiene," begun in 1887 in the Marine Hospital at Stapleton in Staten Island, N.Y.

The plenary session concludes with a history panel discussion with Dr. Harold Varmus, director of the National Cancer Institute; Dr. Judith Rapoport, chief of the Child Psychiatry Branch in the National Institute of Mental Health; and Dr. William Paul, chief of the Laboratory of Immunology in the NIAID; and moderated by the Office of NIH History.

After the plenary session the action moves to the Natcher Conference Center (Building 45) for posters and concurrent symposia. See the full schedule at http://researchfestival.nih.gov.

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Upcoming Events

Annual Town Hall Meeting of the Medical Staff
October 9, 2012
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Lipsett Amphitheater

The Medical Executive Committee's annual meeting for credentialed medical staff will feature a discussion on "Opening the CC to Extramural Investigators," along with other timely topics. For more information, contact the Medical Executive Committee office at 301-402-2434.

Combined Federal Campaign Charity Bake-off
October 24, 2012
11:00 am – 1:30 pm
outside the second floor cafeteria

Mark your calendar for the annual Clinical Center CFC Charity Fair Bake Off! CC departments will be selling baked goods for $1 (or six for $5), with all proceeds going to local area food banks. In addition, judges will award honors to the best desserts. Can the Department of Laboratory Medicine win for a third year in a row? Contact Charlotte Pak at 301-827-5560 with questions.

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Grand Rounds

Clinical Center Grand Rounds Lecture Series
Lipsett Amphitheater, 12 noon – 1 pm
Lectures will be streamed and archived at http://videocast.nih.gov.

October 3
Ethics Rounds
How Should Clinicians Handle Cases of Misattributed Parentage?
Sally Haslanger, PhD
Professor of Philosophy, Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, and Director, Women's and Gender Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Case Presenter:
Lynne A. Wolfe, MS, CRNP, BC
Genetics Nurse Practitioner, Undiagnosed Diseases Program, NHGRI

October 10
No Grand Rounds
NIH Research Festival

October 17
Contemporary Clinical Medicine: Great Teachers
Clinical/Translational Research:  Separating Fact from Fiction
Crystal Mackall, MD
Senior Investigator and Chief, Pediatric Oncology Branch, NCI

October 24
The Genetic Basis of Kidney Cancer: A Metabolic Disease
W. Marston Linehan, MD
Chief, Urologic Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI

From Symptoms to Biomarkers: Modern Myeloma Treatment Strategies
Ola Landgren, MD, PhD
Senior Investigator and Chief, Multiple Myeloma Section, Metabolism Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI

 

October 31
Clinicopathologic Grand Rounds: Clinical Cases from the NIH Clinical Center
Novel, Insidious, Progressive, and Fatal: The Discovery of Aspergillus tanneri
Steven M. Holland, MD
Chief, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, and Chief, Immunopathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID

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