Health & Wellness
Healthbeat
Vascular surgeon
given academic award
Dr. Christopher J. Godshall, a vascular surgeon at
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, has
been awarded the Brooks Scholarship in Academic
Medicine. Is;
Dr. GodskmU
The award is intended to
recognize early-career faculty
members who demonstrate
exceptional promise as educa
tional scholars and to protect
faculty members' time for the
development of their scholarly
talents. The Brooks
Scholarship is endowed by
Jean Bailey Brooks, M.D., a
Wake Fewest University
School of Medicine alumna.
and her late husband Taylor Brooks, MX)., to support
junior faculty in both research and teaching.
Godshall is an assistant professor of vascular and
endovascular surgery at Wake Forest Baptist. He has
been with Wake Forest Baptist since 2008 and is cer
tified by the American Board of Surgery in both
General Surgery and Vascular Surgery. He received
his medical degree from Temple University School of
Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa., and completed his resi
dency at University of Louisville in Kentucky and his
fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis.
Godshall is currently enrolled in a Master's pro
gram in Adult Education at Pennsylvania State
University.
Wound care work earns
WSSU instructor recognition
Geleana Drew Alston, a Winston-Salem State
University laboratory coordinator and instructor in
the Department of Clinical Laboratory Science in the
School of Health Sciences, was presented the Young
Investigator's Award during a symposium on
advanced skin and wound care.
The award recognizes Alston's discoveries
described in an article titled, "Low frequency ultra
sound (35 KHz) reduces prokaryotic and eukaryotic
growth, alters cell wall structure and colonial charac
teristics in vitro."
WSSU physical therapy graduate students who
contributed to the award are Alex Stovall, Tracy
Vernon and. Devin Winter. Also taking part was Dr.
Teresa Conner-Kerr. the Department of Physical
Therapy Chair and a professor.
w3?3 -
Zumba-Thon is Saturday
William G. White Jr. Family YMCA and FiF
Element (Fitness is Fun!) will host a two hour
Zumba-Thon on Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. -
noon at the Y,
775 West fcnd
Blvd. The
White YMCA
is formally the
Central
Family Y.
Zumba is
a Latin
inspired
dance aero
bics featuring
international
rhythms and
dances with
interval party
style aerobics
designed to
burn between
500 and 1,000
calories per
hour. The
Pile Photo
Cortney Hill leads a class.
event is 55 tor
YMCA mem
bers and $8
for non-mem
berg. Only cash will be accepted at the door.
The event will benefit the YMCA Scholarship
Fund, which supports summer camps, children's pro
grams, day care workers' compensation and financial
assistance programs for families.
The Zumba-Thon will be led by instructors
Cortney H. Wilson, Carlotta Wilkerson,
Lisa Harrison and Kay Pate. Special guests will
include Renee Vaughn of 97.1 WQMG; DJ Juan
Eckerd; and the Winston Lake Y Jazzy Jumpers.
There will be prize giveaways every 30-minutes.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Robert Furchgott, the
Nobel prize-winning scientist whose research on a
gas's effect as a blood vessel relaxant paved the way
for revolutionary impotence treatments such as
Vkgra, has died at age 92.
The pharmacologist died last Tuesday in the
northwestern city of Seattle, his daughter said in
Sunday's New York Times.
Research led by Furchgon and colleagues Louis
Ignarro and Ferid Murad showed that nitric oxide -
known primarily as an air pollutant from cigarettes
car engines that contributes to smog - plays a
I role in the human cardiovascular system and
regulating blood pressure and circulation.
The three researchers earned the Nobel prize for
physiology in 1998
The discovery of the effect of nitric oxide, a col
and odorless gas. on the relaxation of blood
s marked a key step in laboratory company
|.u??'s development of the erectile dysfunction
I drug sildenafil, which it markets under the name
I Viagra
Study: Doctors not as willing to
diagnose minorities with depression
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Feeling down or out of
sorts?
If you are white, your doc
tor is more likely to diagnose
you with depression.
According to a study by
Consumer Health Sciences
(CHS), 76 percent of whites
with self-reported depression
symptoms are officially diag
nosed, compared to just 58,7
percent of blacks, 62.7 percent
of Hispanics and 47.4 percent
of Asians.
Consumer Health Sciences
conducts surveys and other
services designed to help drug
companies better sell their
products. The results of this
survey were released at the
recent 14th Annual ISPOR
(International Society for
Pharmacoeconomic and
Outcomes Research)
Conference in Orlando, Fla.
CHS says the findings vary
greatly from the numbers of
Americans who actually report
suffering from depression
symptoms. About 53.8 million
Americans report they suffer
from depression - a quarter of
the US population. Among
those, 25.8 percent are white,
19.8 percent are black, 27.7
percent are Hispanic and 16.1
percent are Asian.
"Although the differences
in prevalence are significant,
the wide variations in diagno
sis rates are particularly criti
cal and alarming, since
patients must be diagnosed to
be treated. Steps must be taken
to provide both patient and
physician education programs
that support increased diag
noses and more timely ffierapy
for minority, patients, said
Michael Fronstin, CEO of
CHS. "One of the issues the
research uncovered is that
patients don't associate depres
sion symptoms with the actual
condition. We must provide the
tools and training for medical
providers and patients to be
able to discuss depression, as
well as its specific symptoms,
m culturally relevant terms
that ensure those who are suf
fering get the help they need."
AHEC
thanks its
supporters
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Northwest Area Health
Education Center (Northwest AHEC)
of Wake Forest University School of
Medicine handed out honors last week
during a 35th anniversary celebration
at the new Wake Forest University
Deacon Tower at BB&T Field.
Part of the N.C. AHEC Program,
Northwest
Dr. Janeway
AHEC is an edu
cational out
reach and train
ing program
designed to
enhance the
health of the
public in its 17
c o u n t y
Northwest North
Carolina region.
The agency
works to improve the supply, distribu
tion, and quality of health and human
service personnel - especially in pri
mary care - through diverse communi
ty/academic partnerships.
During last Thursday's event.
Mayor Allen Joines issued a proclama
tion regarding Northwest AHEC. The
Northwest AHEC staff will also recog
nize several of its partners, collabora
tors and supporters with the following
awards:
- Visionary Leader Award to
Richard M. Janeway, M.D., professor
or neuroiogy
emeritus, Wake
Forest University
School of
Medicine and
executive vice
president of
Health Affairs
emeritus, Wake
Forest
University, who
as the dean in
1974 provided
Sen. Garrou
signmcani leaaersnip in me aeveiop
ment of the entire N.C. AHEC system.
- Advocate Award to N.C. Sen.
Linda D. Garrou for her support of
education and health care professional
development and services.
- Long-Term Partnership Award to
Forsyth Technical Community
College/Health Technologies Division
for collaborative support of nursing
and allied health programs.
- Long-Term Partnership Award to
Winston-Salem State
University/School of Health Sciences
for collaborative support of nursing
and allied health programs.
- Horizons Partnership Award to
the Piedmont Triad Partnership - new
partner for collaborative support of
nursing and allied health programs.
- Horizons Partnership Award to
WFU School of Medicine students
"Share the Health Fair" Committee -
new partner for collaborative develop
ment of an annual student-led and
implemented community health fair
that impacts lives of the underinsured
and uninsured.
Photo by Uoyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/MCT
Cleveland Brown QB Derek Anderson yells in pain after being tackled by Baltimore
Raven Justin Bannan during a 2008 game.
Blood pressure is real
issue for big NFL players
LINDSEY TANNER
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO - Supersized pro football play
ers are prone to high blood pressure, but fare
better on some other health measures than more
average-sized men, new NFL-sponsored
research shows. The mixed results suggest that
intense physical conditioning can help reduce
but not wipe out ill effects excess weight has on
heart disease-related risks:
Compared with other men their age, the
National Football League players studied were
more than twice as likely to have high blood
pressure - 14 percent versus 6 percent for non
players.
Among the biggest players - linemen with a
body mass index in the obese range - about 90
percent had either high blood pressure or pre
hypertension, which is less dangerous but still
risky.
The biggest players also had worse levels of
"good" cholesterol and blood fats called triglyc
erides. but fewer signs of pre-diabetes than non
players.
The NFL and study authors downplayed the
negative findings from a pool of 504 players of
all sizes. Except for high blood pressure, the
authors said, players on average faced no
greater heart disease risks than men their same
age in the general population.
But heart disease experts not involved in the
study said grouping lean quarterbacks with big
beefy linemen doesn't make sense.
"It's mixing apples and oranges," said
Cleveland Clinic heart specialist Dr Steven
Nissen. He said the results show "it's unhealthy
to have excess body fat whether you're an ath
Sfee NFL on A9
? ? ^
Grant to aid patients in need
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Cancer Services has been awarded a $445,805 grant by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
of Winston-Salem.
Anna Cohn, the development coordinator at Cancer Services, said the funds will be used to pro
vide medications, medical supplies, nutritional
supplements, and emergency assistance for those
cancer patients who need financial help in
Forsyth County.
In 2008, Cancer Services made a difference in
the lives of 13,000 individuals in our community.
The grant from Kate B. Reynolds Charitable
Trust will give Cancer Services additional
resources to insure anyone facing cancer can
receive vital cancer treatment medications and
support. Cancer Services has served thousands of
people with emotional, financial and physical
support in the community. Keith Vest is presi
dent of the board of directors.
The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust was
created in 1947 by the will of Mrs. William N.
Reynolds of Winston-Salem. Three-fourths of the
Trust's grants are designated for use for health
related programs and services across North
Carolina and one-fourth for the poor and needy
of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Cancer
Services is a United Way partner established in
1955 with a mission "To enhance the quality of
life for those living with cancer, and to provide
the gift of life through education ."
The agency provides hope for those facing
cancer and for those supporting them through a
File Photo
Some of the products thai are offered at
Cancer Services to clients.
variety of community-based programs and services including Patient Advocacy; Medication &
Financial Assistance; Pink Broomstick Breast Cancer Support; Equipment, Supplies, Wigs &
Prostheses; Peer Support from Survivors; Transportation to Treatment; Library of Information &
Inspiration. "Survive and Thrive!" Wellness Groups & Programs. Healing Hands Program, and
Lifestyle Programs for Prevention & Survivorship.
All of these programs are free of charge to cancer patients and their families.