From undocumented immigrant to medical student

Mauricio Soto arrived in the United States when he was 6 years old. Because he learned English quickly, he became his family’s translator. Years later, due to an expired visa, Soto’s status as an undocumented immigrant, prevented him from becoming a doctor serving the Hispanic community in South Georgia until a generous benefactor opened the door.

UCI to launch pre-health program with support from state of California

Irvine, Calif., Feb. 9, 2023 — Increasing underrepresented students’ access to careers in medicine is the focus of a new interdisciplinary, pre-health professional development program at the University of California, Irvine. A five-year, $3.6 million grant from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information will support UC PRIME Pre-Health Pathways, a resource for undergraduates from underserved communities who are interested in pursuing careers in healthcare.

Goutham Rao, MD, FAHA, Appointed Newest Member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Announcement of the addition of Goutham Rao, MD, FAHA, to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) to serve a four-year term, beginning this month. Dr. Rao will join fellow experts from primary care and prevention-related fields to rigorously review evidence and evaluate the benefits and harms of preventive services. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) convenes the Task Force and provides scientific, administrative, and dissemination support.

Jersey Shore University Medical Center Now Providing Innovative Group Healthcare for Families

Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s Jane H. Booker Family Health Center is now providing families with a CenteringParenting® healthcare model. The Centering model combines health assessment, interactive learning and community building to deliver better health outcomes and a better care experience for families.

A smartphone’s camera and flash could help people measure blood oxygen levels at home

Conditions like asthma or COVID-19 make it harder for bodies to absorb oxygen from the lungs. In a proof-of-principle study, University of Washington and University of California San Diego researchers have shown that smartphones are capable of detecting blood oxygen saturation levels down to 70%. This is the lowest value that pulse oximeters should be able to measure, as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Study shows family medicine physicians face many barriers to providing medical abortions

A study by UC Davis and UC San Francisco identified multiple barriers that family physicians navigate to provide abortion services to their patients. The barriers include lack of physician training and federal, state and institutional restrictions on providing medication abortion.

New NIH research study to investigate psychosocial determinants of cardiovascular disease risk among urban African American adults

The Biopsychosocial Health lab from Wayne State University has been awarded $3,590,488 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to conduct a project titled “Stress and Cardiovascular Risk Among Urban African American adults: A Multilevel, Mixed Methods Approach.”

UC San Diego Health Launches New Center to Spur Patient-Centered Technologies

From tele-monitoring patients with diabetes to using artificial intelligence to prevent sepsis, the newly launched Center for Health Innovation will seek to develop, test and commercialize technologies that make a real, measurable difference in the lives and wellbeing of patients.

Center Brings Doctors, Scientists Together to Improve Health of Mother and Child

The Center for Perinatal Discovery at UC San Diego brings doctors and researchers together for clinical, translational and basic research to better understand maternal health, environmental exposures, fertility, pregnancy and the health of children.

American College of Academic Addiction Medicine Announces Bruce Hammond, Jr., as Executive Director

The American College of Academic Addiction Medicine (ACAAM) today announced the appointment of Bruce E. Hammond, Jr., CAE, as Executive Director, effective January 1, 2021. Mr. Hammond will step into the new position following the long-planned end-of-year retirement of Kevin Kunz, M.D., M.P.H., DFSAM, founding ACAAM President (2008) and Executive Vice President since 2013. ACAAM was formerly known as The ABAM Foundation and The Addiction Medicine Foundation.

UNC School of Medicine Ranked First for Primary Care for Third Straight Year

For the third year in a row, the University of North Carolina School of Medicine was ranked first in the country for primary care education as a part of U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.”