HealthBeat
Zhang to UNCG
Zhang
Dr. Qibin Zhang has joined the University
of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) as
co-director of the Center for Translational
Biomedical Research (CTBR).
Zhang, an expert in bioanalytical chemistry,
comes to UNCG after nearly a decade at the
U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Biological Sciences
Division.
"Our onttl ic frt KuiW
? ??? gv/MI IJ IV VU1IU
a first-class research
center around under
standing, diagnosing,
treating and preventing
human disease," said Dr.
Zhang. "The Center for
Translational
Biomedical Research
will use -cutting-edge
methodologies to identi
fy biomolecules crucial
to early diagnosis and
* * t ? x* _i:,- "
uctuiiiciii ui uisease.
Dr. Zhang's National Institutes of Health
funded research focuses on developing ultra
sensitive methods of measuring lipids, which
play a role in disorders such as diabetes and
cancer. His other major project centers on dis
covering biomarkers for early diagnosis of Type
1 diabetes, a devastating disorder occuring
mostly among children.
The CTBR's other co-director. Dr.
Zhanxiang Zhou, researches gut. liver, and adi
pose tissue interactions as they relate to liver
damage.
The CTBR is located at the North Carolina
Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis. The
350-acre campus houses corporations, universi
ties and healthcare organizations in a public
private partnerhip to better understand human
health, nutrition, and agriculture.
Increasing HPV awareness
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most
common sexually transmitted infection in the
United States and also causes various forms of
cancer. Yet most HPV-associated cancers could
be prevented with a vaccine that's been avail
able since 2006.
Then why aren't parents routinely getting
their preteens inoculated against HPV the same
way they do for measles or whooping cough?
Finding out why that happens and what can be
done to change it is the task of an interdiscipli
nary team led by faculty member Joan Cates in
the School of Journalism and Mass
Communication at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
"We want to raise awareness among parents
and preteens about the availability and benefits
of HPV vaccination," Cates said. "And we want
health care providers to be skilled in communi
cating with adolescents and parents about vac
cination."
Cates and her team from several disciplines
at UNC and the Duke University Medical
Center received a $2.4 million grant from the
National Institutes of Health to use and evaluate
methods like texts, games and web portals for
getting out the word about HPV and the vacci
nation to prevent it.
The team will work with 48 medical prac
tices and nearly 500 parents and preteens in
North Carolina over the next four years. The
long-term goal is to prevent HPV-related dis
ease through early intervention and protection.
Reaching the 80 percent national vaccina
tion goal set by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services for girls who are currently
12 years old or younger would prevent an esti
mated 53,000 future cases of cervical cancer in
women.
Health systems unite
McConneU
Three leading health systems in North
Carolina will be working together to improve
quality and affordability for patients across the
state. Vidant Health in Greenville. Wake Forest
Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem and
WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh are
forming a shared services operating company
ihrif vi;i 11 tillrui/ th?? tvrotin.
M,,v" ",v
izations to gain benefits
of scale while maintain
ing current governance
and independence. This
significant relationship
will not include a merger
or acquisition of organi
zations.
Leaders say the
model provides support
for health care reform
initial^.. - ;?/?!?.linn
lllllltlll Y VO IIIVIUUlll^l
Accountable Care Organization development
and implementation, care coordination for pop
ulation health - and creates business and clini
cal efficiencies. Opportunities such as supply
chain management, select IT infrastructure and
clinical protocols will be available to its mem
ber institutions by the new company.
The new company, which will be named in
the near future, will assist in meeting the chal
lenges posed by declining Medicare/Medicaid
reimbursement and technological changes
while creating a platform for innovation and
enhanced clinical care for patients.
"These three organizations have joined
resources to more quickly innovate care models'
and support infrastructure that reduce cost and
best meet the needs of the diverse patient, con
sumer and workforce populations that we serve
throughout the state," said Dr John D
McConnell, chief executive officer of Wake
Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Davis speaking at
domestic violence event
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
I I I
Nil I'tlKlf
Motivational speaker and consultant
Kendra Davis.
Kendra Davis will speak at the Rural Hall Branch Library's Domestic Violence
A iiiorunaee rtprtnrum ???? C ?> i >>>/!.. .
r\y\ ?i vnv r>.-? itivjiiui piu^iaili ull OtllUIUtiy,
Oct. 11. The program will begin at noon.
The branch is located at 7125 Broad St. in
Rural Hall.
October has been national Domestic
Violence Awareness Month since the
1980s. That is when several agencies joined
forces to make Americans more aware of
domestic violence, which can affect any
one, regardless of race, age, ethnicity, sex
ual orientation or economic status.
According to the National Coalition
Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20 peo
ple per minute are victims of physical vio
lence by an intimate partner in the United
States. During one year, that equates to
more than 10 million women and men. One
in three women and one in four men have
experienced some form of physical vio
lence by an intimate partner within their
lifetime. On a typical day, there are more
than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic
violence hotlines nationwide.
Davis is a popular, powerhouse speaker
who is committed to empowering individu
als with words and advice.
A trainer, professional development
coach and empowerment specialist. Davis
leads Kendra Davis Ministries, whose
motto is "Your Past Failures Will Not
Dictate Your Future."
Davis is a true Winston-Salem State
University Ram, earning her Bachelor of
Science Degree in Sociology (1999) and a Master of Science Degree in Rehabilitation
Counseling (2009) from the university.
WFU Photo
Students take part in last year's event.
Piccolo fundraiser is today
Piccolo
CHRONICLE STAFF RETORT
A Wake Forest University tra
dition continues today (Thursday,
Oct. 2) as students, faculty, staff
and members of the community
take part in the "Hit the Bricks"
fundraiser for the Brian Piccolo
Cancer Research Fund.
In 2003, students at Wake
Forest University started the
fundraiser, running an eight-hour
relay race along the brick path
ways on campus to raise money.
The race honors Piccolo, an alum
nus who attended WFU in the
1960s and became a running back for the
Chicago Bears. Piccolo had a well-publicized
battle with cancer; the disease claimed his life
at age 26 in 1970. His story is featured in the
1971 movie "Brian's Song."
"Hit the Bricks" will be held today on
campus from 11 a.m. and concludes at 7
p.m. at Hearn Plaza. A luminary vigil will be
held after the event in front of Wait
Chapel. Runners will compete to
see who can complete the most laps
;iround Hearn Pla/a and raise the
most money.
At the inaugural Hit the Bricks.
17 teams participated and raised
nearly $4,000. Twelve years later,
the total amount raised for the Brian
Piccolo Cancer Research Fund has
reached nearly $200,000. This
year's goal is to have 100 teams and
raise $30,000 to find a cure for can
cer. All of the funds raised support
the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake
Forest Baptist Medical Center.
For more information about Hit the Bricks
and the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund,
please visit littp //wfuhittliebricks com
Students engaged in walking battle
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT ? i
?
October is National Walk to School Month, and four Winston-Salem/Forsyth County ele
mentary schools are participating in a competition to have the largest percentage of students
walking to school this month.
Two of the schools - Sherwood Forest and Kimberley Park - have had ongoing walking
events since 2007. Smith Farm Elementary, which opened in 2013. is encouraging students to
walk regularly, and North Hills is celebrating Walk to School for the first time.
"While several schools have held successful Walk to School Days, few have seen a substan
nai increase in regular waiKers.
even when students live within
walking distance of the
school." Safe Routes to School
Coordinator Judi Wallace. "We
hope this competition will
encourage more families to
consider walking as a healthier
and more efficient transporta
tion choice."
Safe Routes to School is a
national program that strives to
make it safer for more children
to walk or bike to school. The group says kids who walk to school enjoy better physical fitness
and improved concentration, focus and reasoning skills. Walkers also decrease transportation
costs. Safe Routes claims.*
Safe Kids of Northwest North Carolina and the Forsyth County Department of Public Health
are also participating sponsors in the National Walk to School Month contest.
In conjunction with this competition. ChartweH's, which provides food service to local
schools, is holding the "Be a Healthivore" Challenge during October. Students who walk or bike
and make healthy food choices can win individual prizes. Two schools and teachers with highest
percentage of student walkers will also win prizes.
Fast Track
Act to help
poor students
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONIC LE
Hagan
Coons
U.S. Senators Kay Hagan
(D-NC) and Chris Coons (D
Del.) have introduced legislation
to help more low-income stu
dents access and complete a col-?
lege education.
The Fast Track to College!
Act supports state and locaF
efforts to implement early col
lege high schools and other dual
or concurrent enrollment pro
grams that enable students to
start earning college credits
while in high school - free of
cost.
"As
the cost of
college
continues
to rise, we
need cre
a t i v e ,
common
sense
solutions
to ensure
that col
lege stays
within
reach for
every stu
dent who
wants to
pursue
it." said
H a g a n .
"The bill
Senator
f'tutnv urwf
1 introduced today will help stu
dents get a jumpstart on a col
lege degree, saving them time
and money once they walk onto
campus and better preparing
them to succeed in college
coursework. College shouldn't
be a ptpedream. and 1 will con
tinue working to make college
more affordable and accessible
for students in North Carolina
and around the country."
The Fast Track to College
Act would authorize a competi
tive grant program to establish
and support early college high
schools and other dual and con
current enrollment programs
serving low-income students.
Research has shown that
early college high school stu
dents are significantly more like
ly to graduate from high school,
enroll in college, and earn a col
lege degree than other students.
Among early college students,
90 percent are awarded a high
school diploma, and 30 percent
earn an Associate's degree or
other credential simultaneously
with that diploma.
Specifically, the legislation
would:
? Authorize six-year grants to
partnerships of school districts
and institutions of higher educa
tion to support new or existing
early college high schools or
other dual and concurrent enroll
ment programs which allow stu
dents to earn a high school
diploma and one to two years of
college credit, including an asso
ciate's degree - tuition-free.
? Authorize five-year grants
to states to provide planning,
technical assistance, community
outreach, data collection and
evaluation, and other support
services to early college high
schools and other dual and con
current enrollment programs.
? Ensure students are
equipped with skills needed to
succeed in a 21 st century econo
my by encouraging cooperation
between schools, colleges and
universities, nonprofits, industry,
and labor.
? Evaluate student outcomes
by requiring the Secretary of
Education to conduct an inde
pendent evaluation of the pro- ;
gram. . >
Hagan, a member of the
Senate Health. Education. Labor
and Pensions (HELP)
Committee, has made it a priori
ty to ensure that college remains
affordable for North Carolina
students. Most recently, she
cosponsored legislation to allow
eligible student loan borrowers
to refinance their loans at
today's low interest rates. Last
year. Hagan introduced legisla
tion and worked across the aisle
to pass a compromise bill that
prevented student loan rates
from doubling for new borrow
ers.