2003 Press Releases

12/24/03

James E. Young has been named Senior Vice President of Finance/Chief Financial Officer at Howard County General Hospital: A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, effective January 5, 2004.

12/23/03

Christmas Eve Caroling Under the Hopkins Dome, Billings Administration Building

In one of Baltimore’s oldest holiday traditions, the memorial Baptist Church choir will gather under the Johns Hopkins dome on Christmas Eve to continue its long-term legacy of bringing comfort and cheer to the patients of The Johns Hopkins Hospital with their beautiful music. The choir, under Pastor Calvin Keene, will gather under the Dome at 7 p.m. and then bring its cheer throughout The Hospital with visitors invited to join in the procession.

12/19/03

A PAIR OF DISCOVERIES HELPS UNRAVEL COMPLEX GENETICS OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have linked versions of two different genes with the inflammatory bowel diseases known as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.  The discoveries are a crucial step in developing new treatments and prevention strategies for these disabling conditions that together afflict one million Americans, the scientists say.

12/19/03

With permission from the family given  December 17, Johns Hopkins can now, and with deep regret, sadness and apology, publicly report and take responsibility for  the untimely death December 4, 2003 of Brianna Cohen, 2, the child of Mark and Mindell Cohen of Owings Mills, Maryland. Brianna was, at the time of death a child with cancer followed by the staff at the Johns Hopkins Childrens Center.

12/18/03

KEY APPETITE REGULATOR MAY BE IDENTIFIED, SCIENTISTS REPORT

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered the first direct evidence in mammals that a chemical intermediate in the production of fatty acids is a key regulator of appetite, according to a report in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

12/18/03

"HAPMAP" SCIENTISTS PROVIDE DETAILED PLANS

The international team of scientists working to determine the most common variations of the human genome report the details of their plans, known as the "HapMap" project, in the Dec. 18 issue of Nature.

12/18/03

HOPKINS RESIDENCY PROGRAM REGAINS FULL ACCREDITATION

The Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine's internal medicine residency program has received full accreditation for three years from the Residency Review Committee for Internal Medicine (RRC-IM) of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)

12/11/03

HOPKINS HOSPITAL, UNION NEGOTIATING TO ACHIEVE NEW CONTRACT

The Johns Hopkins Hospital and District 1199E-DC/Service Employees International Union --  AFL/CIO --  currently are in negotiations for a new contract for the 1,700 union members at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.  While the current agreement between the Hospital and the Union was to expire on Monday, December 1, 2003 at 7:00 a.m., Hospital officials have agreed to extend the contract until January 31, 2004, at the Union’s request.

12/9/03

ATKINS DIET MAY REDUCE SEIZURES IN CHILDREN WITH EPILEPSY

Along with helping some people shed unwanted pounds, the popular low-carbohydrate, high-fat Atkins diet may also have a role in preventing seizures in children with epilepsy, say researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

12/8/03

EARLY TREATMENT CAN PREVENT SEVERE VISION LOSS IN PREMATURE INFANTS

A new study by specialists at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and 25 other institutions nationwide for the first time gives eye doctors a precise way to identify premature babies at the highest risk of abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina and subsequent blindness. The computerized risk assessment tool they used should lead to treatment of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) at its earliest stages, stopping or limiting both loss of vision and structural damage to the eye.

12/3/03

Origin of Multiple Myeloma Found in Rare Stem Cell

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists have identified the cell likely to be responsible for the development of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow that destroys bone tissue. The research, published in Blood online, suggests that therapies designed for long-term cure of the disease should target this stem cell, which, unlike other cells, can copy itself and differentiate into one or more specialized cell types.

12/3/03

Whites, African-Americans Better Rate Their Medical Care Experiences When Seeing Same-Race Physicians

White and African-American patients who see physicians of the same race rate their medical visits as more satisfying and participatory than do those who see physicians of other races, even when the nature of the conversation in both types of visits is similar, a Johns Hopkins study finds. 

12/2/03

Chromosomes are "Nibbled" Before They Fuse, Researchers Report

Overturning 60 years of scientific presumption, new evidence from Johns Hopkins scientists shows that enzymes nibble away at chromosomes when the chromosomes'  protective tips, called telomeres, get too short.

12/2/03

Lloyd Minor Named Otolaryngology Chief at Hopkins

Lloyd B. Minor, M.D., an expert in hearing and balance disorders, has been named the new Andelot Professor and Director of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins.

11/26/03

New Standard for Voice-Saving Care of Larynx Cancer Patients

Results of a national clinical trial confirm that simultaneous treatment with chemotherapy and radiation preserves the voice of patients with advanced larynx cancer without compromising survival rates.  The findings, reported in the November 27, 2003, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine are compelling enough to have the combination treatment become the standard of care for such patients, the study's authors report.

11/25/03

Scientists Discover How Brain Draws and Re-Draws Picture of World

Children usually spill if trying to drink from a full cup, but adults rarely do. How we learn to almost automatically complete complex movements -- like how to lift a cup and tip it so the liquid is right at the edge when we're ready to drink -- is one of our brain's mysterious abilities.

11/24/04

Johns Hopkins Nursing Achieves Exclusive "Magnet" Designation in Maryland

The Johns Hopkins Hospital's Department of Nursing has earned the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) highest honor, the so-called "Magnet" status, recognizing national excellence in nursing. The designation is awarded to select hospitals following an intensive review of documentation, data, and clinical practices, followed by lengthy on-site visits. Fewer than 100 hospitals in the U.S. have magnet status, and The Johns Hopkins Hospital is the first hospital in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Delaware to achieve it.

11/20/03

Johns Hopkins Medicine Establishes Academic Division in Singapore

Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) of Singapore have established the Johns Hopkins Medicine Division of Biomedical Sciences in Singapore. The move marks the first time JHM has created such a full division outside its home base in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Stents Combined with Clot-Busting Drugs Effective in Limiting Impact of Deadly Form of Stroke

A small but promising study suggests that coupling the insertion of stents with injections of clot-busting tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) directly into blocked blood vessels that serve the brain is an effective way to either prevent or limit the damage from acute vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke, according to a team from Johns Hopkins.

11/11/03

C-REACTIVE PROTEIN A STRONG PREDICTOR OF POOR FITNESS

C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation circulating in the blood, may also be an indicator of poor physical fitness, a Johns Hopkins study indicates.

11/11/03

FORMAL SCREENING MAY BETTER IDENTIFY DEPRESSED HEART ATTACK SURVIVORS

A formal screening program for depression among heart attack survivors might help health care providers better identify and treat the condition in this population, improving survival rates, a Johns Hopkins study suggests.

11/10/03

Daily Vitamins Could Prevent Vision Loss Among Thousands

If every American at risk for advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) took daily supplements of antioxidant vitamins and zinc, more than 300,000 people could avoid AMD-associated vision loss over the next five years, according to results of a new government study led in part by researchers at Johns Hopkins' Wilmer Eye Institute.

11/10/03

Aspirin May Not Be Strong Enough To Prevent Clots in Some Heart Patients

While an aspirin a day helps keep a heart attack at bay, it may need reinforcement to totally prevent blood clots among patients with chest pain, a Johns Hopkins study shows.

11/10/03

Surgery Reconstructs Hearts in Failure

A Johns Hopkins cardiac surgeon is one of only a handful in the country performing an uncommon procedure to reshape enlarged, damaged hearts in heart failure patients, restoring efficiency and potentially preventing the need for a transplant.

11/10/03

WOMEN WITH MILD HYPERTENSION HAVE WORSE HEART FUNCTION OVER TIME

Women with even mild hypertension may be at risk for more severe heart problems down the road, according to a Johns Hopkins study

11/10/03

SKIN CHOLESTEROL INDICATES PRESENCE OF PLAQUE BUILD-UP IN THE HEART

The amount of cholesterol found in skin cells may be a good indicator of the presence of plaque build-up in the heart, a Johns Hopkins study shows

11/8/03

Region of Chromosome 1 Important in Blood Pressure Regulation

Scientists are closing in on genetic contributors to high blood pressure and other causes of heart and cardiovascular disease. At the American Society for Human Genetics annual meeting in Los Angeles, Hopkins research associate Yen-Pei Christy Chang, Ph.D., will present evidence that a region of chromosome 1 is involved in appropriately regulating blood pressure. Her talk is scheduled for 10:15 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 8.

11/6/03

Genetic Aberration Helps Explain Variation in Cystic Fibrosis

At the annual meeting of the Americal Society for Human Genetics in Los Angeles, Hopkins researchers will reveal the existence of specific short repeats of particular genetic building blocks in the gene at the root of cystic fibrosis, an inherited and often fatal lung disease. The researchers will also show how the repetitious pattern may help predict the disease's severity.

11/6/03

Cellular Problem Discovered Behind Syndrome of Obesity, Learning Disabilities

A research team led by Johns Hopkins scientists has discovered a potential new contributor to obesity -- faulty cilia.

11/10/03

Panel: Clinical Use of Embryonic Stem Cells Jeopardized by Bush's Policy on Federal Funding

The human embryonic stem cell lines currently eligible for research with federal funds are not suitable for use in future clinical trials, nor would they ensure fair access to new stem cell based therapies, according to the scientists, philosophers and lawyers on a panel convened at Johns Hopkins.

11/3/03

Children with HIV More Likely to Utilize Health Services than Infected Adults

Although more American adults than children are infected with the HIV virus, children with the disease use more HIV-related health care services, a Johns Hopkins Children's Center researcher reports.

10/30/03

Excellent Survival Rates for Liver Cancer Patients Undergoing Transplant

More than 60 percent of liver transplant patients with advanced liver cancer are still alive after five years, compared to nearly zero survival for those patients who did not undergo transplant, according to a study by Johns Hopkins researchers.

10/27/03

"A WOMAN’S JOURNEY” NEWS TIP SHEET 

Listed below are selected story ideas that focus on topics to be discussed by Johns Hopkins faculty physicians during “A Woman’s Journey” symposium on Saturday Nov. 8.

10/26/03

BIOLOGICAL TRICK REVEALS KEY STEP IN MELATONIN'S REGULATION

Johns Hopkins researchers have uncovered a key step in the body's regulation of melatonin, a major sleep-related chemical in the brain. In the advance online section of Nature Structural Biology, the research team reports finding the switch that causes destruction of the enzyme that makes melatonin -- no enzyme, no melatonin.

CEPAR Receives $3.5 Million in Federal Grants to Create National Disaster Response Plans  

The Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) has received federal grants totaling $3.5 million to develop plans for health system response to bioterrorism and other disasters, including infectious disease outbreaks.

10/24/03

IT’S NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER’S BUILDING!

Three years in the making, the $140 million, 372,000-square-foot Broadway Research Building opened on the East Baltimore campus of The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

10/24/03

Eileen Vining to Direct Pediatric Epilepsy Program  

Eileen P.G. Vining, M.D., has been named director of the John M. Freeman Pediatric Epilepsy Center at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Professor of neurology and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins, and former associate director of its pediatric epilepsy center, Vining oversees a comprehensive treatment program that incorporates medications, vagal nerve stimulation, diet, and surgical techniques.