November 2002 A periodic round-up of news from Johns Hopkins Medicine designed to give busy executives easy-to-read reports and useful information from one of the region's largest private employers.
Johns Hopkins Medicine is in the process of leasing large blocks of space in two buildings in the Central Business District and at Fells Point. We’re not putting labs and clinics in that space. But we are moving many administrative groups there to make room for more laboratories on campus. The space crunch comes as our faculty continues to lead the nation in winning government research grants – funding more jobs for scientists and all levels of workers who assist them in that research. While realtors and the entire business community benefit financially, the downstream benefit to patients from this research is improved care. You’ll read about some major new grants -- and the outcomes of some old ones – below. Improving the high caliber of patient care remains our overarching goal, as you’ll see from the articles, as well as from an important commentary on incorporating quality into Maryland’s hospital rate-setting process. Please let us know if you have questions or comments about any of these topics. We welcome your suggestions.
HOPKINS WINS $18 MILLION FOR PROTEOMICS RESEARCH CENTER.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute awards Hopkins a seven-year contract to open the first of its ten centers nationwide dealing with the role of proteins in the development of cells, tissues and organisms. At least 22 new jobs will be created here. INTERNATIONAL PROJECT HUNTS FOR GENES IN COMMON DISEASES
The McKusick-Nathans Institute for Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins will share in a $37 million National Institutes of Health grant to catalogue human genetic variation, a project crucial in the hunt for genes involved in such common diseases as asthma, heart disease and diabetes. HOPKINS NO. 2 IN PATENTS FILED
Among 300 academic institutions, Hopkins ranked No. 2 in number of patents filed in the last fiscal year and No. 3 in number of patents issued. Licensing revenue reached $7.2 million for School of Medicine technologies, with 185 reports of inventions filed. CHINESE RESEARCHERS IN GENETICS TO BE TRAINED AT HOPKINS
Funded by a five-year, $2 million grant, Hopkins is creating an international program in conjunction with two of China’s premier academic institutions, bringing students, researchers and clinicians to Baltimore for training in genetics, medical genetics and bioethics.
INTENSIVE-CARE SPECIALISTS CUT HOSPITAL DEATH RATES BY 30 PERCENT
Physicians specially trained in critical-care medicine – “intensivists” – can reduce death rates in intensive care units (ICUs) by 30 percent and shorten the length of stay, too, according to a Hopkins-led study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. NEW PROCEDURE CUTS RISK OF DEATH OR DISABILITY FROM BRAIN ANEURYSMS
Coils inserted into burst aneurysms in the brain decrease the risk of death or disability by 25 percent, say Hopkins researchers. The results were so favorable that the trial was ended ahead of schedule.
MILD AEROBIC EXERCISE NO PROTECTION FROM OSTEROPOROSIS
While light, day-to-day physical activities or aerobic exercises may be good for your heart, they do nothing for your bones. Extra weight, though, benefits bone health, a recent Hopkins study finds.
TIME TO FOCUS ON QUALITY, NOT COST CONTAINMENT
University President Bill Brody explains why state regulators should shift their emphasis from cost-containment to quality in setting hospital reimbursement rates.
For news and information from The Johns Hopkins University:
http://www.alumni.jhu.edu If you would like to subscribe to the e-mail version of JHUpdate, send an e-mail message to lyris@list.alumni.jhu.edu with the subject line "Subscribe JHUpdate." The e-mail address will be added to the list.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, send an email with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line to: jhmedicine@jhmi.eduComments and questions may be sent to: jhmedicine@jhmi.edu | 
