Cloacal exstrophy

Each year, nearly 2,500 women in Oklahoma are diagnosed with breast cancer and 200 more are diagnosed with cervical cancer. And according to the American Cancer Society of Oklahoma, ours is the only state in the nation where Medicaid does not provide screenings and treatment for breast cancer and cervical cancer.

Therefore, the society is making it a top legislative priority to extend Medicaid coverage for Oklahoma women who cannot afford screening and treatment, said cancer society member Tim Mauldin.

Early detection and treatment can mean a long and productive life. There are women who have survived breast cancer for over 50 years, he said.

Gov. Brad Henry has recommended state funding for breast and cervical cancer treatment in his executive budget presented on the opening day of the legislative session.

According to the society, Henry's recommendation would match federal Medicaid money available for breast and cervical cancer treatment. State Rep. Danny Hilliard and state Sen. Debbe Leftwich introduced House Bill 2552 to appropriate money.

In 2000, Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, which allowed states to expand Medicaid to provide treatment for women detected with cancer through the state's early detection program.

In 2001, Oklahoma did pass a measure to expand our Medicaid, Mauldin said. Unfortunately, Oklahoma, like many states across the nation, began to see tough economic times. Consequently, breast and cervical cancer treatment was never funded for Oklahoma's Medicaid patients. This is a top priority for the American Cancer Society and our 9,000 Oklahoma volunteers.

Doctor gets published

William Reiner, University of Oklahoma Children's Physicians urologist, is co-author of the lead article in the Jan. 22 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The article stemmed from a seven- year study conducted by Reiner and John P. Gearheart, while both were at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The study included 16 children, ages 5 to 16, who were born with the birth defect cloacal exstrophy, which involves deformities of abdominal organs, such as the intestines, bladder and genitals. The defect occurs in one out of 400,000 live births. The most pronounced deformity is the absence of normal male genitals in children who are otherwise genetically male.

Study investigators concluded that doctors should exercise extreme care to correctly identify the genders of children prior to performing any surgery on genitalia. Investigators further recommended that determining the appropriate gender may require delaying corrective surgery to allow time to observe a child's early growth and development.

Reiner is board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry, general psychiatry and urology. He treats children and adolescents with sexual or psychosexual development issues, particularly those issues associated with physical abnormalities or birth defects of the genitals or genito-urinary system.

Dietitian joins OSU

LaDonna Dunlop, registered dietitian, has joined the Oklahoma County Oklahoma State University Extension Center as family and consumer sciences educator. She will concentrate on addressing issues such as obesity and nutrition deficiencies.

She also will serve as the coordinator of Oklahoma County's more than 15 home and community education groups, which concentrate on community service and group education.

Dunlop served a tri-county area as the OSU Extension community nutrition education program coordinator and worked as a consulting dietitian for various assisted-living centers in the area.

Dunlop received both her bachelor of science and master of science degrees in nutrition and food management from the University of Central Oklahoma. She was president of the Oklahoma Dietetic Association from 2002 to 2003.

Nurses certified

A team of registered nurses at Mercy Hospice have been certified by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

According to Cheryl Medawattage, Mercy Hospice manager, having 100 percent of its hospice nurses certified is rare.

In Oklahoma, there are only 73 certified hospice nurses, and Mercy has seven, Medawattage said. With 68 hospice programs in the state, at the most, the 67 remaining hospices average one certified hospice nurse per agency.

OU doctors on board

Susan Palmer and J. Rodman Seely, both specializing in pediatric genetics, have joined OU Physicians.

Palmer is board certified in clinical genetics, clinical molecular genetics and pediatrics. She has experience in inherited metabolic diseases, neurogenetics and molecular, pediatric and adult genetics.

Palmer previously worked at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Seely is board certified in pediatrics. He is the former director of the Oklahoma City branch of the H.A. Chapman Institute of Medical Genetics. He completed a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology and metabolism at the University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, where he received his medical degree and Ph.D. in biological chemistry.

Feroz Maqbool, vascular and interventional radiologist, also has joined OU Physicians. Maqbool is board certified in diagnostic radiology. He completed a fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology through the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.

Previously, Maqbool worked as a clinical research associate with the Oklahoma Cardiovascular Institute and an associate clinical research fellow in clinical pharmacology at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. He completed his radiology residency at the OU College of Medicine.

New hires at OFMQ

Deborah Porras has been named the Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality's chief financial officer.

A former management consultant and hospital administrator, Porras will direct OFMQ's activities in finance, purchasing, human resources, risk management, information services and contract compliance.

Porras is a certified public accountant and earned both her bachelor's degree in accounting and master's degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University.

OMFQ also named Edie Berenberg as internal quality control coordinator and inpatient review coordinator; Kathryn Furrh as a beneficiaries/case review specialist; Tara Hart as human resources assistant; Wanda Johnson as pneumonia interventions specialist; Sadie Marzett as Medicaid review specialist; and Lisa Wynn as registered nurse and health care quality improvement specialist.

'Us Too!'

The prostate cancer survivor support group Us Too! of central Oklahoma will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Spencer Conference Center at Deaconess Hospital, 5501 N. Portland Ave.

Local urologist J. Samuel Little will present Hormone Therapy Applications for Prostate Cancer.

Us Too! meetings provide a forum for medical experts to provide information pertaining to diagnosis, treatment options, research and a positive mental outlook.

Most men research their options for treatment after being diagnosed. Often they are presented with more than one treatment option and must choose. This can be frustrating, said Dulce Bramblett, group facilitator. Us Too meetings offer those recently diagnosed the chance to learn more about prostate cancer, as well as interact with men who have had various treatments and ask questions that they may not have found addressed in books.

Subsequent meetings will on the third Monday of each month, and sites will alternate between Deaconess and Integris hospitals. This is a free, public program. For more information, call 604-4298.

'Outside the Box'

Three Oklahoma organizations will join in offering a one-day workshop to help health care organization tap into new markets for workers and to help educators inspire a more diverse group of students to consider health care.

Looking 'Outside the Box' for Tomorrow's Health Care Heroes will focus on creative programs designed to bring more minorities, men and other nontraditional workers to health careers. The workshop will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Clarion Meridian Convention Center.

Topics include Creative Strategies for Recruitment: Tapping New Markets with Dennis Sherrod; Nursing is for Girls: Overcoming the Stigma with Kevin Balance; Retaining Men in Nursing: The Role of Nursing Educators with Ann Strong Anthony; and Developing a Culturally Competent Work Force with William J. Mott Jr.

Registration is $35 and includes continental breakfast, lunch and program materials.

For more information, call 427-9537 or 424-2282.

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