Hershey Medical Center welcomes new president
8/29/18
Penn State Health has appointed Deborah A. Berini to the role of president of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, effective Sept. 17.
Hershey Medical Center
Hershey Medical Center
Sanitizing hospital sewage
4/9/18
Researchers at Penn State have developed a water filtration system that removes contaminants and reduces toxicity in hospital wastewater.
Fixing Ribs
2/6/18
Because of how much it impairs the ability to breathe, a seemingly simple injury--a broken rib--is the second leading cause of trauma deaths. A team of Penn State surgeons and a biomedical engineer have invented a better way to help broken ribs heal.
Inflammation may precede sleep apnea, could be treatment target
8/31/17
Inflammation may precede the development of sleep apnea, instead of only showing up after the disorder develops. The findings could lead to new options for treating and diagnosing sleep apnea, according to researchers.
Theater professor’s play serves as springboard for medical students’ discussion
9/15/15
Penn State theater professor Bill Doan and collaborators Andy Belser and Elisha Clark Halpin took their play, “Drifting,” on the road to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center on Sept. 15, where master of fine arts acting students Megan Pickrell and Aaron Densley performed scenes for an ethics and professionalism class. The play, about siblings who find a way to connect after one of them suffers a traumatic brain injury, was used as a springboard for discussions about the ethics surrounding end-of-life decisions.
Penn State World Campus graduates first class in online nursing master’s degree
5/5/15
The first class from Penn State’s online master of science in nursing degree will graduate May 10. “These are very high-quality students who want to be in jobs that will help train a new generation of nurses,” said Lisa Kitko, an assistant professor of nursing at Penn State. “That really speaks to their commitment to the profession and to nursing.”
Lion Mascot brightens the day for patients at children's hospital
9/25/14
Doctors and nurses coming and going, needles, diagnostic tests– time in a hospital can be daunting for most who stay there, especially if that patient is a child. In these cases it can be daunting as well as scary. Patients at the Milton S.
Free clinics reduce emergency department visits, say researchers
1/23/13
People who receive primary care from free clinics are less likely to use the emergency department for minor issues, according to a team of medical researchers including Wenke Hwang, associate professor of public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, and his colleagues.
New method of resurfacing bone improves odds of successful grafts
9/24/12
Coating a bone graft with an inorganic compound found in bones and teeth may significantly increase the likelihood of a successful implant, according to Penn State researchers. The researchers -- collaborators from the College of Medicine's Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and the College of Engineering's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics -- also believe this method could be used for soft musculoskeletal tissue implants and orthopedic device implants.
Study of tribe could help find East Asian skin color genes
8/30/12
Genetic investigation of a Malaysian tribe may tell scientists why East Asians have light skin but lower skin cancer rates than Europeans, according to a team of international researchers. Understanding the differences could lead to a better way to protect people from skin cancer. While the genetics of skin color is largely unknown, past research using zebrafish by Penn State College of Medicine's Keith Cheng, M.D., Ph.D., identified the gene in Europeans that differs from West Africans and contributes to a lighter skin color. Mutations in the genes SLC24A5 and SLC45A2 are largely responsible for European pigmentation, showing only single amino acid differences between Europeans and West Africans. Each version of a gene is called an allele.
Continuous oral contraceptive pills offer women earlier pain relief
8/16/12
Taking oral contraceptives continuously, rather than as traditionally prescribed for each cycle, provides earlier relief for moderate to severe menstrual cramps -- dysmenorrhea -- according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine.
"Between 50 and 90 percent of women suffer from this condition, and it can really limit work, school, or athletic performance," said Dr. Richard Legro, professor of obstetrics and gynecology. "Previous studies have estimated that dysmenorrhea accounts for 600 million lost work hours and $2 billion annually."
Reducing off-label use of antipsychotic medications may save money
5/15/12
Reducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study. Researchers say that 57.6 percent of patients prescribed antipsychotic medications in data from 2003 did not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the conditions for which the drugs were approved for use. Use of medication for treatments that is not FDA-approved is called off-label use.
Sleepiness may affect surgeons' ability to deal with the unexpected
5/8/12
Sleep-deprived surgeons can perform a previously learned task or learn a new task as well as surgeons who are rested, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. However, in sleep-deprived surgeons, the brain must work harder, which could lead to problems during unexpected events. The researchers reached these conclusions using simulations to study the effects of sleepiness on surgeons. "Particularly in surgery, simulation has become the introduction to many procedures for new residents," said Jonathan Tomasko, a research fellow involved in surgical resident training. "Coupled with an 80-hour work week restriction, simulation is becoming increasingly important to ensure an adequate level of skill prior to operation on a patient."
Laureate to speak at Penn State Hershey Medical Center April 25
4/20/12
Linda Patterson Miller, the 2011-12 Penn State laureate and professor of English at Penn State Abington will present "Hemingway and Medicine, Diagnosing Texts both Physically and Emotionally," at noon on Wednesday, April 25 in room C2860 (BMR Anesthesia Library)at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. This event is hosted by the Department of Humanities and the Doctors Kienle Center for Humanistic Medicine.