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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2008 High And Rising Health Care Costs: Demystifying U.S. Health Care Spending [November 26, 2008] Joint Commission's Annual Report On Improving America's Hospitals [November 25, 2008] Economic Crisis Taking Its Toll On Patients And Hospitals [November 20, 2008] Healthcare Policy In An Obama Administration: Delivering On The Promise Of Universal Coverage [November 19, 2008] The Chilling Effect: How Do Researchers React To Controversy? [November 18, 2008] International Students On U.S. Campuses At All-Time High [November 17, 2008] Minimal Growth In International Graduate Enrollment In 2008 [November 14, 2008] U.S. Residents With Chronic Illnesses More Likely To Experience Medical Errors, Forgo Medical Care Because Of Cost [November 13, 2008] Genetics In The Physician Assistant's Practice [November 12, 2008] Factors Associated With Learning In Higher Education [November 10, 2008] ASAHP Awards Presented At The 2008 Annual Conference [November 7, 2008] Barriers And Drivers Of Health Information Technology Use For The Elderly, Chronically Ill, And Underserved [November 6, 2008] New NIH Policy Establishes Goals To Support Scientists Early In Their Careers [November 5, 2008] Health Care Opinion Leaders' Views On Payment System Reform [November 4, 2008] Patients' Perception Of Hospital Care In The United States [NOVEMBER 3, 2008] Challenges To Adoption Of Health Information Technology [October 27, 2008] New Complementary And Alternative Medicine Research Centers Target Stress-Related Illnesses, Obesity, Cancer, and Other Conditions [October 24, 2008] Health ID Numbers Would Facilitate Improved Health Care Quality And Efficiency [October 23, 2008] 2008 Medical School Applications And Enrollments [October 22, 2008] Use Of Biomarkers In Predicting Health And Mortality [October 21, 2008] New Ideas About Human Behavior In Economics And Medicine [October 20, 2008] The World Health Report 2008: Primary Health Care—Now More Than Ever [October 17, 2008] The American Public On Health Care: The Missing Perspective [October 16, 2008] Nurses Have Lowest Job Satisfaction Among Health Professionals [October 15, 2008] MedPAC Panel Addresses Medical Education Training [October 14, 2008] Generational Gains In Postsecondary Education Appear To Have Stalled [October 13, 2008] Americans Flunking Math In A Big Time Way [October 10, 2008] Ranking Systems Clearinghouse For Educational Institutions [October 9, 2008] U.S. Postsecondary Institutional Data [October 8, 2008] Public Health Schools To Establish Preparedness Research Centers [October 7, 2008] Urban Institute Analysis Of Obama And McCain Health Care Proposals [October 6, 2008] Commonwealth Fund Report On McCain And Obama Health Care Proposals [October 3, 2008] From Molecules To Minds: Challenges For The 21 st Century [October 2, 2008] Do Community Colleges Provide A Viable Pathway To A Baccalauareate Degree? [October 1, 2008] High And Rising Health Care Costs: Demystifying U.S. Health Care Spending Concern about high and rising health care costs in the United States has increased sharply in recent years. Indeed a popular topic of discussion in health policy circles is whether steps can be taken to expand insurance coverage without simultaneously taking steps to slow rising health care costs. This topic is explored in a report stemming from the Synthesis Project of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/101508.policysynthesis.costdrivers.rpt.pdf . Joint Commission's Annual Report On Improving America's Hospitals Joint Commission-accredited hospitals have steadily improved quality over a six-year period, saving lives and improving the health of thousands of patients. Improving America´s Hospitals: The Joint Commission´s Annual Report on Quality and Safety 2008 provides scientific evidence of this improvement and also reviews hospital performance regarding National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs). The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.jointcommissionreport.org/pdf/JC_2008_Annual_Report.pdf . Economic Crisis Taking Its Toll On Patients And Hospitals As the economy falters and unemployment rises, hospitals' role as health care safety net and major economic employer becomes even more important, according to a new report released by the American Hospital Association (AHA). The report shows elective procedures and admissions are falling, the credit crunch is making it harder and more costly for hospitals to finance building and technology improvements, and their investment gains are turning to losses. According to DATABANK, which tracks hospital trends in 30 states, uncompensated care rose 8% between third-quarter 2007 and third-quarter 2008, while total margins fell from positive 6.1% to negative 1.6%. As a result of these financial pressures, 60% of hospitals responding to an AHA survey this month indicated they would make or consider reducing administrative costs, while more than half had reduced staff or are considering such reductions. The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.aha.org/aha/content/2008/pdf/081119econcrisisreport.pdf . Healthcare Policy In An Obama Administration: Delivering On The Promise Of Universal Coverage President-elect Obama has indicated that his administration will reform the American health system to expand access and make health care more affordable. His administration, however, will need to address how these programs will be paid; the impact of expanding health insurance coverage; and the potential shortages or strains these reforms could pose for the existing health care system. A report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers examines the challenges the President-elect faces, explains how these reforms may be enacted, the potential impact for employers as well as those in the health industry and provides five ideas for making health care more affordable. The report can be accessed by clicking http://pwchealth.com/cgi-local/hregister.cgi?link=reg/Healthcare_policy_in_an_Obama_administration.pdf . The Chilling Effect: How Do Researchers React To Controversy? Can political controversy have a “chilling effect” on the production of new science? It is a timely concern, given how often American politicians are accused of undermining science for political purposes. Yet little is known about how scientists react to these kinds of controversies. Drawing on interview and survey data, this study examines the reactions of scientists whose National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded grants were implicated in a highly publicized political controversy. Critics charged that these grants were “a waste of taxpayer money.” The NIH defended each grant and no funding was rescinded. Nevertheless, this study finds that many of the scientists whose grants were criticized now engage in self-censorship. The findings provide evidence that political controversies can shape what scientists choose to study. Debates about the politics of science usually focus on the direct suppression, distortion, and manipulation of scientific results. This study suggests that scholars must also examine how scientists may self-censor in response to political events. Additional information can be accessed by clicking http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050222 International Students On U.S. Campuses At All-Time High The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 7% to a record high of 623,805 in the 2007/08 academic year, according to the Open Doors report published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This 2007/08 growth builds on a 3% increase reported for 2006/07, and the total number now exceeds by 6% the previous all-time high of 586,323 reported in 2002/03. Open Doors data show an even stronger increase in the number of “new” international students, those enrolled for the first time at a U.S. college or university in fall 2007. New international student enrollments rose by 10%, following on increases of 10% and 8% for the previous two years. Open Doors 2008 reports increases in foreign student enrollments from eight of the ten leading places of origin, and 16 of the top 20, with double-digit increases from the top three countries. India remains the leading sending place of origin for the seventh consecutive year, increasing by 13% to 94,563, following an increase of 10% the previous year. China was again the second leading sender, showing an increase of 20% for a total of 81,127 students in the United States. Students from third place South Korea increased 11% to 69,124. There was a continued drop in numbers of students from Japan, the fourth leading sender, down by 4% to 33,974, declining for the third consecutive year. Canada, the only non-Asian country in the top five, saw a 3% increase to 29,051 students in the United States. Taiwan dropped from #5 to #6, with a very slight decrease (less than 1%) in the total number of students, to 29,001. The number of students from Mexico, the seventh leading sender, increased by 7% this year, to 14,837. Additional information can be accessed by clicking http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p=131590 . Minimal Growth In International Graduate Enrollment In 2008 The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is reporting that total enrollment of international students at U.S. graduate schools increased 3% from 2007 to 2008, after rising 7% last year. The report on Fall 2008 enrollment also shows that first-time enrollment of international graduate students rose 3%, the second consecutive year of a slowdown in the rate of growth; following a 12% gain in 2006, first-time enrollment increased only 4% last year. (Trends in total enrollment differ from those in first-time enrollment due to the varying length of time required to complete graduate degrees, particularly doctorates.) The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.cgsnet.org/portals/0/pdf/R_IntlEnrl08_III.pdf . U.S. Residents With Chronic Illnesses More Likely To Experience Medical Errors, Forgo Medical Care Because Of Cost U.S. residents with chronic diseases are more likely to forgo medical care because of high costs and experience medical errors than residents of other nations with such conditions, according to a study published today in the journal Health Affairs . Researchers surveyed 7,500 adults, each of whom had at least one of seven chronic diseases -- high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and depression. Participants included residents of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Britain and the U.S. Fifty-four percent of U.S. residents with chronic illnesses said that they did not receive recommended medical care, fill prescriptions, or visit a physician at some point because of high costs, compared with 7% of participants in the Netherlands, the country with the lowest rate of foregone care. In addition, 41% of those in the U.S. said that they spent more than $1,000 on out-of-pocket medical costs last year, compared with lows of 4% in Britain and 5% in France. One-third of U.S. residents with chronic illnesses said that they had experienced a medical or medication error, received incorrect laboratory test results, or experienced delays in test results, the highest rate among participants in any nation involved in the research. Almost half those in the U.S. said that they wasted time because of disorganized care or had received care of limited or no value during the past two years. The article can be accessed by clicking http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/hlthaff.28.1.w1v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=chronic+Cathy+Schoen&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=date&resourcetype=HWCIT . Genetics In The Physician Assistant's Practice An auto tutorial on genetics in the physician assistant's practice is available from the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG). This tool can be accessed by clicking http://pa.nchpeg.org/ . Factors Associated With Learning In Higher Education The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA )has emerged in the last year or two as a key response for colleges facing demands that they demonstrate the “learning outcomes” and “value added” that take place on their campuses. Students who take the CLA are asked to complete a series of exercises to measure critical thinking, analytic thinking and written communication. The test is offered to small, representative groups of students as freshmen and to other groups later in their college careers, in an attempt to measure growth in learning. Current research emerged from the Social Science Research Council's collaborative partnership with the Pathways for College Network, with technical assistance in data collection provided by the Council for Aid to Education. The project has followed over 2,300 students at 24 institutions over time to examine what factors are associated with learning in higher education. Students were initially tested at the beginning of their freshman year (Fall 2005) and then followed up at the end of their sophomore year (Spring 2007). In addition to the CLA measures of learning, supplementary data were collected from student surveys, college transcripts, and secondary sources of institutional data to generate a Determinants of College Learning longitudinal dataset. The scale and scope of this project offers a unique opportunity to explore factors associated with learning in higher education. The initial report of the findings of the CLA study can be accessed by clicking http://programs.ssrc.org/ki/pathwaystocollege/CLA_Report.pdf . ASAHP Awards Presented At The 2008 Annual Conference The following awards were presented at the 2008 Awards Dinner of the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, held on October 30, 2008 at the ASAHP Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD: Darrell Mase Presidential Citation Cecil B. Drain, PhD (Virginia Commonwealth University) Distinguished Service and Achievement Award Marcia Brand, PhD (Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA) Outstanding Member Board Award David D. Gale, PhD (Eastern Kentucky University) Cultural Pluralism Award Randall S. Lambrecht, PhD (University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee) Fellows Awards Richard E. Talbott, PhD (University of South Alabama) Lori Stewart Gonzalez, PhD (University of Kentucky) James B. Erdmann, PhD (Thomas Jefferson University) J. Warren Perry Distinguished Author Award Charles R. Fox, PhD (Wichita State University) The following students have been selected as recipients of the ASAHP Scholarship of Excellence Award : Tracy M. Adams Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus Diana Janett Alvarado The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Richelle Beckman University of Kansas Amanda G. Hayes Western Carolina University Allison W. Krebs Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Maria C. McKee University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Robert W. Parrett, Jr. The Ohio State University Emily Parsons University of Missouri Barriers And Drivers Of Health Information Technology Use For The Elderly, Chronically Ill, And Underserved A review was conducted at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) of the evidence on barriers and drivers to the use of interactive consumer health information technology (health IT) by specific populations, namely the elderly, those with chronic conditions or disabilities, and the underserved. The effort resulted in the identification and review of 563 full-text articles and included 129 articles for abstraction. Few studies were specifically designed to compare the elderly, chronically ill, or underserved with the general population. Systems described in the studies depended on the active engagement of consumers and patients and the involvement of health professionals, supported by the specific technology interventions. Questions remain as to: (1) the optimal frequency of use of the system by the patient, which is likely to be condition-specific, (2) the optimal frequency of use or degree of involvement by health professionals, and (3) whether the success depends on repeated modification of the patient's treatment regimen or simply ongoing assistance with applying a static treatment plan. It is clear, however, that the consumer's perception of benefit, convenience, and integration into daily activities will serve to facilitate the successful use of interactive technologies for the elderly, chronically ill, and underserved. The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/hitbarriers/hitbar.pdf . New NIH Policy Establishes Goals To Support Scientists Early In Their Careers The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced a new policy establishing goals to encourage funding for scientists new to NIH and those who are at an early stage in their careers. The involvement of new investigators is considered essential to the vitality of health-related research and has been the focus of several critically important NIH initiatives. NIH expects this new policy will level the playing field, allowing new investigators to achieve success rates comparable to those of established scientists submitting new grant applications. Achievement of a comparable success rate should permit the NIH to support 1650 or more New Investigators across all Institutes and Centers in FY 2009, a number equivalent to that achieved in FY 2008. An Early Stage Investigator is defined as a New or First-time investigator who is within 10 years of completing his/her last research degree or is within 10 years of completing medical residency (or the equivalent). Beginning with R01 research grant applications received in February 2009, NIH will identify Early Stage Investigators and take into consideration their career stage at the time of review and award. Additional information can be accessed by clicking http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-121.html . Health Care Opinion Leaders' Views On Payment System Reform The 16th Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey asked a diverse group of experts about health care payment system reform. Survey participants are fundamentally dissatisfied with the way health care is paid for in the United States, with more than two-thirds reporting the fee-for-service system is not effective at encouraging high quality and efficient care and more than three-quarters preferring a move toward bundled per patient payment. Shared accountability for resource use was favored as a means for improving efficiency and at least two-thirds supported realigning provider payment incentives to improve efficiency and effectiveness, using strategies including increasing payments for primary care under Medicare and paying for transitional care services. Opinion leaders also supported Medicare negotiation of pharmaceutical prices and competitive bidding for durable medical equipment. A majority expressed support for creation of a Medicare Health Board to make Medicare payment and benefit decisions, subject to congressional guidelines. A data brief can be accessed by clicking http://www.commonwealthfund.org/usr_doc/Stremikis_HCOL_payment_sys_reform_1189_db.pdf?section=4039 . Patients' Perception Of Hospital Care In The United States The quality of U.S. health care generally, and in hospitals specifically, varies widely. Although efforts are being made to collect and publicly report hospital quality data, patients' perceptions of care are not well known—even though the Institute of Medicine has identified patient-centered care as a key element of a high-quality health care system. An article in the October 30, 2008 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine sheds light on this issue. A copy of the full text of the article can be accessed by clicking http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/359/18/1921 . Challenges To Adoption Of Health Information Technology According to an October 2008 issue brief from the non-partisan, non-profit Alliance for Health Reform, privacy worries, investment costs, and a lack of electronic standards remain obstacles to the wide-spread adoption of health information technology (HIT). The new issue brief, "Health Information Technology: More than the Money" features examples of public and private "innovation and experimentation" to promote HIT adoption, including state electronic prescribing initiatives and provider partnerships with Google and Microsoft. According to the issue brief, many policy experts continue to believe the federal government should consider "financial incentives to drive broader scale HIT adoption." It states that small financial incentives may not be effective, but advises that "larger incentives" could prove "too costly to the government." The issue brief can be accessed by clicking http://www.allhealth.org/publications/Health_information_technology/Health_Information_Technology_More_Than_the_Money_86.pdf . New Complementary And Alternative Medicine Research Centers Target Stress-Related Illnesses, Obesity, Cancer, and Other Conditions The National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has added four new Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CERCs) to its research centers program. The new additions will add to knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches and their potential in treating and preventing diseases and conditions that are common among Americans. The grants provide five years of support and bring the total number of CERCs to 11. The new centers and their projects are as follows. Wisconsin Center for the Neuroscience and Psychophysiology of Meditation Metabolic and Immunologic Effects of Meditation CAM as Countermeasures Against Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center for Herbal Research on Colorectal Cancer Additional information about NCCAM's research centers can be accessed by clicking http://nccam.nih.gov/training/centers/ . Health ID Numbers Would Facilitate Improved Health Care Quality And Efficiency Creating a unique patient identification number for every person in the United States would facilitate a reduction in medical errors, simplify the use of electronic medical records, increase overall efficiency, and help protect patient privacy, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Although creating such an identification system could cost as much as $11 billion, the effort would likely return even more in benefits to the nation's health care system, according to researchers from RAND Health. Federal legislation passed over a decade ago supported the creation of a unique patient identifier system, but privacy and security concerns have stalled efforts to put the proposal into use. As adoption of health information technology expands nationally and more patient records are computerized, there have been increasing calls to create a system that would make it easier to retrieve records across varying systems such as those used by doctors and hospitals. A copy of the study can be accessed by clicking http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG753.pdf . 2008 Medical School Applications And Enrollments U.S. medical schools continue to expand their enrollment to meet the country's increasing demand for physicians, according to new data released yesterday by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). First-year enrollment at the nation's medical schools this year increased nearly 2 percent over 2007, to more than 18,000 students—the highest enrollment in history. In a boon to the medical education community's efforts to increase diversity in medicine, the number of Latino first-year enrollees rose by more than 10 percent this year; Latinos represent 7.9 percent of the 2008-09 entering medical school class. The number of Native American first-year enrollees increased by more than 5 percent, and the number of African American first-year students remained nearly the same as in 2007. Native Americans and African Americans represent 1.0 and 7.2 percent, respectively, of this year's entering medical school class. Overall, the percentage of women first-year enrollees held steady again this year at about 48 percent. After a five-year increase in applicants to medical schools, the number of applicants leveled off this year at more than 42,200. While the overall applicant pool is one of the largest in more than a decade, the number of first-time applicants decreased by 3 percent. On average, there were more than 2 applicants for every available opening at a medical school. The three medical schools that have just established—or are planning to establish—branch campuses were responsible for most of the enrollment increase (Mercer University School of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, and University of Arizona College of Medicine). These data do not reflect the anticipated enrollment at new schools expected to open within the next few years. Enrollment and applicant data charts can be accessed by clicking http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/pressrel/2008/enrollmentdata2008.pdf . Use Of Biomarkers In Predicting Health And Mortality Biomarkers, or biological indicators, are increasingly employed in empirical studies of human populations to understand physiological processes that change with age, diseases whose onset appears linked to age, and the aging process itself. The Behavioral and Social Research Program at the National Institute on Aging supports research investigating the link between biological risk factors and health or mortality in the older populations. A recent issue of a newsletter from the Population Reference Bureau is on the topic of biomarkers. The newsletter can be accessed by clicking http://www.prb.org/pdf08/TodaysResearchAging14.pdf . New Ideas About Human Behavior In Economics And Medicine Peter Orszag, Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), made a presentation on October 16 at the 8th Annual Marshall J. Seidman Lecture at Harvard Medical School. Slides from the lecture can be accessed by clicking http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/98xx/doc9887/10-16-Seidman_Lecture.pdf . The World Health Report 2008: Primary Health Care—Now More Than Ever Why a renewal of primary health care (PHC), and why now, more than ever? Globalization is putting the social cohesion of many countries under stress and health systems are clearly not performing as well as they could and should. Individuals are increasingly impatient with the inability of health services to deliver. Few would disagree that health systems need to respond better – and faster – to the challenges of a changing world. PHC can do that, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.who.int/whr/2008/whr08_en.pdf . The American Public On Health Care: The Missing Perspective Health care is one of the most pressing issues on the minds of Americans today. It's at the center of debate at every level of the political arena and one of our nation's most critical public policy concerns. Yet, in the debate regarding health care today, we the perspective of real people is rarely heard—consumers, patients, and average citizens. Until now. A new report explores the challenges facing health care in America—the problems and the trade-offs—through the lens of individuals most touched by it. What are their experiences, their expectations, their worries? What information do they want and need in order to make more informed decisions about their own care? What is their agenda for health care reform? The report can be accessed by clicking http://ceg.files.cms-plus.com/TownHalls/The_Missing_Perspective_%28full%29.pdf . Nurses Have Lowest Job Satisfaction Among Health Professionals According to a survey by Press Ganey Associates, registered nurses have the lowest job satisfaction among health care professionals, followed by technicians and other types of nurses. The survey of more than 200,000 employees at 423 U.S. health care facilities, 75% of which were hospitals, found that employees were least satisfied with the pay, participation, and staffing aspects of their organizations' operations. Employees' willingness to recommend their organization as a place to work and receive care rose with their involvement in decision making and the degree to which they felt promotions were handled fairly, senior leadership listened to employees, responded promptly to problems, and could be trusted to be straightforward and honest. The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.pressganey.com/galleries/default-file/Employee_Nurse_Check-Up_10-08-08.pdf . MedPAC Panel Addresses Medical Education Training At its October 2 meeting, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) heard from a three-person panel on the topic "Is medical education training our physicians for health care delivery in the 21st century?" Over the last several years, the commission has expressed concern that while Medicare provides significant funding to teaching hospitals for their teaching and clinical care missions, there is little accountability for how those funds are used. MedPAC also has raised the question whether future physicians are being trained to be leaders in shaping and implementing needed changes in the health care delivery system. The commission plans to have further discussions on this topic at upcoming meetings. The transcript of the panel discussion, as well as the presentation slides, can be accessed by clicking http://www.medpac.gov/transcripts/GME%20panel%20Dr%20Benjamin%20Chu.pdf . Generational Gains In Postsecondary Education Appear To Have Stalled The tradition of young adults in the United States attaining higher levels of education than previous generations appears to have stalled. Far too many young individuals of color, the percentage of young adults with some type of postsecondary degree compared with older adults has actually fallen, a new report by the American Council on Education (ACE) concludes. According to the Minorities in Higher Education 2008 Twenty-third Status Report , the percentage of young adults aged 25 to 29 and older adults aged 30 and above with at least an associate degree in 2006 was about the same, approximately 35 percent. For Hispanics and American Indians, young adults have even less education than previous generations. The full report will be available later this month. Advance orders can be placed via the ACE web site by clicking http://store.acenet.edu/showItem.aspx?product=311884&session=9A325D21CE924021B00B71A2B8917E42 . \Americans Flunking Math In A Big Time Way Cultural attitudes in the United States discourage the most talented students in mathematics — especially female students — from advancing in the field, according to a study that will appear today in the Notices of the American Mathematical Society. Unlike many previous studies that have focused on the poor performance of American students overall, this report examined participants in top mathematics competitions for students. One bit of evidence cited in the report: Eighty percent of female and 60 percent of male faculty members hired in recent years by the very top research university mathematics departments in the United States were born in other countries. In the future "flat world," the U.S. may no longer be able to depend upon hiring foreign workers to fill its jobs in the mathematical sciences and related fields. The report suggests that the economic well-being of the U.S. is at risk, and that it is crucial that steps be taken now to correct this problem. The current issue of Notices of the American Mathematical Society can be accessed by clicking http://www.ams.org/notices/200809/200809-full-issue.pdf . Ranking Systems Clearinghouse For Educational Institutions Ranking of higher education institutions is one of the most debated issues in higher education, emerging as a major force in the dialogue about higher education's role and impact on students and society. These efforts to rank and order what higher education does are popular and clearly here to stay. Currently, over 30 different nations now have some form of ranking that is regularly published, with more being added each year. In addition, international ranking systems have emerged to compare institutions across countries. The Institute for Higher Education Policy's (IHEP) Ranking Systems Clearinghouse provides a road map of this complex rankings landscape, offering annotated links to these national and international ranking systems and to research about rankings world-wide. Clearinghouse resources can be accessed by clicking http://www.ihep.org/Research/rankingsystemsclearinghouse.cfm . U.S. Postsecondary Institutional Data New findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2007 data collection by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) includes two survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2007-08 academic year, and Completions covering the period July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007. It also presents data on 12-Month Enrollment for the 2006-07 academic year. These data were collected through the IPEDS web-based data collection system. The report can be accessed by clicking http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008159.pdf . Public Health Schools To Establish Preparedness Research Centers The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded $10.9 million to establish Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers at seven schools of public health. The new research centers were mandated by the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006 to improve federal, state, and local public health preparedness. The schools will conduct research to evaluate the structure, capabilities, and performance of public health systems for preparedness and emergency response. The seven schools receiving funding and their research priorities are:
Urban Institute Analysis Of Obama And McCain Health Care Proposals In two new in-depth reports, Health Policy Center researchers at the Urban Institute analyze the health care proposals of John McCain and Barack Obama. Both campaigns recommend bold changes to the nation's health care system, but as the reports describe, the two candidates' approaches are vastly different, as are their plans' implications. An analysis of the Obama proposal can be accessed by clicking http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411754_obama_health_proposal.pdf . An analysis of the McCain proposal can be accessed by clicking http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411755_mccain_health_proposal.pdf . Commonwealth Fund Report On McCain And Obama Health Care Proposals The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=707948 . From Molecules To Minds: Challenges For The 21 st Century Neuroscience has made phenomenal advances over the past 50 years and the pace of discovery continues to accelerate. On June 25, 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders hosted more than 70 of the leading neuroscientists in the world, for a workshop titled From Molecules to Minds: Challenges for the 21 st Century. The objective of the workshop was to explore a set of common goals or “Grand Challenges” posed by participants that could inspire and rally both the scientific community and the public to consider the possibilities for neuroscience in the 21 st century. The progress of the past in combination with new tools and techniques, such as neuroimaging and molecular biology, has positioned neuroscience on the cusp of even greater transformational progress in an understanding of the brain and how its inner workings result in mental activity. This workshop summary highlights the important issues and challenges facing the field of neuroscience as presented to those in attendance at the workshop, as well as the subsequent discussion that resulted. An online version can be accessed by clicking http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12220#toc . Do Community Colleges Provide A Viable Pathway To A Baccalauareate Degree? According to a new Working Paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), community colleges have become an important entryway for students intending to complete a baccalaureate degree. However, many question the viability of the transfer function and wonder whether students suffer a penalty for starting at a two-year institution. This paper examines how the outcomes of community college entrants compare to similar students who initially entered four-year institutions within the Ohio public higher education system. Using a detailed dataset, outcomes for nine years are tracked and multiple strategies are employed to deal with selection issues: propensity score matching and instrumental variables. The results suggest that straightforward estimates are significantly biased, but even after accounting for selection, students who initially begin at a community college were 14.5 percent less likely to complete a bachelor's degree within nine years. The study was conducted by Bridget Terry Long of Harvard University and Michal Kurlaender of the University of California at Davis.
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