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The current health care reform bills approved by the House and the Senate seek to expand health insurance coverage while containing costs; however, the proposed policy changes are not guaranteed to improve health for individuals or society, according to a “Perspective” article by faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College in the Jan. 6 New England Journal of Medicine.

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While medical students are required to know the names of every body part and disease, most graduate with only a cursory understanding of how the health care system actually works, and some of the ways it doesn’t.

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Dr. Joseph J. Fins has been elected president of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) in recognition of his major contributions to bioethics and broad expertise in the field. He will assume the presidency in 2011, when he will begin a two-year term. Dr. Fins is chief of the Division of Medical Ethics in the Departments of Public Health and Medicine and professor of medicine, professor of public health and professor of medicine in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is also director of medical ethics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and chairs its ethics committee.

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War is hell, as the old saying goes -- with loss of life and limb, destruction of infrastructure and the environment, and devastating costs. Recent biomedical research has shed light on another pernicious consequence of military conflict: psychological and neurological conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. At the same time, researchers have worked to uncover some of the motives and meanings of war.

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Virtual visits with Santa, cookies & milk and a story read by one of Santa's elves for children not able to leave the hospital this holiday season.

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When the heart is stopped and restarted, the patient's life may be saved but their brain is often permanently damaged. Therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment in which the patient's body temperature is lowered and maintained several degrees below normal for a period of time, has been shown to mitigate these harmful effects and improve survival in adults.

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Minimally invasive techniques have become standard for many procedures, from the removal of the gallbladder to angioplasty, but the approach is now only beginning to be available to patients with spinal conditions. The surgical team at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center's Spine Center aims to bring the benefits of minimally invasive surgery for patients with intractable back pain, stenosis, spinal deformity, even spinal cancer.

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The Center for Digestive Care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center has been established with a mission to provide high-quality patient care, research and education for all aspects of digestive disease. It offers innovative treatments and coordinated care for conditions ranging from gastrointestinal reflux and hepatitis C to colon cancer and metabolic surgery, a new field that focuses on reversing Type 2 diabetes.

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NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, in affiliation with the New York State Psychiatric Institute, announced the creation of an integrated eating disorders center.

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A first-of-its-kind consensus statement on diabetes surgery is published online today in the Annals of Surgery. The report illustrates the findings of the first international consensus conference -- Diabetes Surgery Summit (DSS) -- where an international group of more than 50 scientific and medical experts agreed on a set of evidence-based guidelines and definitions that are meant to guide the use and study of gastrointestinal surgery to treat type 2 diabetes.

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Physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered a molecular mechanism that may prove to be a powerful target for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes, or white blood cells. By exploiting this mechanism, researchers have been able to powerfully suppress tumor formation in lab testing and in animal models.

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1) Designing Speedier Lab Tests; 2) Reducing Neurodegeneration in Parkinson's Disease; 3) Body's Own Cholesterol Processing May Lead to Innovative Therapies; 4) Making a Better Vaccine; 5) New Way to Get a Boost in Energy Disorder.

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Neurosurgeons from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center performed the world's first intra-arterial cerebral infusion of Avastin (bevacizumab) directly into a patient's malignant brain tumor. This novel technique may expose the cancer to higher doses of the drug therapy, while possibly sparing the patient common side effects of receiving the drug intravenously or throughout their body.

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As the number of women having twins has increased, so has the odds of developing a serious pregnancy complication called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). This disorder affects as many as 15 percent of identical twin pregnancies, and results in uneven blood flow between the fetuses. Until recently the outcome was usually death or disabilities for the surviving babies.

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Laparoscopic surgery has been used in the treatment of intestinal disorders for close to 20 years, but its benefits have only recently begun to be extended to people with rectal cancer. In a prospective study of 103 patients who underwent straightforward or "hand-assisted" laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer, a team of colon and rectal surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center has shown that the minimally invasive approach can be as effective as traditional open surgery in treating rectal cancers.

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NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is celebrating the 25th anniversary of pediatric heart transplantation. In 1984, the Hospital's surgeons performed the world's first successful heart transplant, giving the gift of life to a 4-year-old boy. In the intervening quarter century, more than 350 children have received new hearts at the Hospital, which today has among the country's top three largest pediatric heart transplant programs.

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Demonstrating its commitment to clean energy and cost savings, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has switched on the first hospital-based co-generation plant in Manhattan. Located at 70th St. and York Ave. and unveiled today in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the plant promises to reduce the emission of 20,000 tons of pollutants each year, the equivalent of taking 3,600 automobiles off the road, while adding millions of dollars in annual cost savings.

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A 50-year-old New York woman who was diagnosed with a progressive blinding disease at age 13 was implanted with an experimental electronic eye implant that has partially restored her vision. A team led by Dr. Lucian V. Del Priore at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center performed the June 26 surgery -- the first case of its kind in New York.

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Halloween is approaching, and many parents may wonder if trick-or-treating is safe. Dr. Luz Adriana Matiz, pediatrician and medical director of Win for Asthma at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, suggests that with a few precautions, Halloween can be a happy and safe occasion for all. Dr. Matiz suggests that children limit trick-or-treating to familiar neighborhoods and neighbors. "It's important not to create too much fear in your children when you speak to them about Halloween safety," says Dr. Matiz. "But it's also essential that they understand that precautions must be taken."

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New research by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers looks at the specific ways parents and peers influence teenagers to smoke, drink and use marijuana in combination.

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NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center has established a new Prostate Cancer Institute, dedicated to pursuing aggressive and innovative prostate cancer treatments while providing patient care in a comfortable and compassionate setting. Dr. Ashutosh Tewari, a leading robotic urologic surgeon, has been appointed as its director.

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A simple test could reinvent how scoliosis is cared for in adolescents. NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is among the first centers nationally to offer ScoliScore, a new DNA-based molecular test that helps predict the risk of spinal curve progression. In other words, the test provides doctors with actionable information about the likelihood that an abnormal spine curve will get significantly worse or stay the same.

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The Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division announced today it has received the largest grant in its 20-year history.

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Lawrence H. Schwartz, M.D., a radiologist best known for advancing the use of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in oncologic imaging, has been named chair of the Department of Radiology of Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and radiologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

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In honor of the centennial celebration of The Neurological Institute of New York, part of Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, a daylong neuroscience symposium is being held on Friday, Sept. 25, 2009.

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Genes previously known to be essential to the coordinated, rhythmic electrical activity of cardiac muscle -- a healthy heartbeat -- have now also been found to play a key role in thyroid hormone (TH) biosynthesis, according to Weill Cornell Medical College researchers.

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A team of scientists led by researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College has identified compounds that inhibit that mechanism -- without damaging human cells.

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QRS duration (QRSd) is one of several measures of heart function recorded during a routine electrocardiogram (ECG). It is a composite of waves showing the length of time it takes for an electrical signal to get all the way through the pumping chambers of the heart. Prolonged QRSd is a sign of an abnormal electrical system of the heart and is often found when the heart isn't pumping efficiently.

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More than 850 burn survivors and their families, firefighters and specialists in burn treatment from across the country are expected to attend the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors' 21st Annual World Burn Congress to share their experiences and practical advice about how to continue on the road to recovery after severe burn injury. This year's conference -- which has its largest attendance to date -- will also include a large group of U.S. servicemen and women who were injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center will create a New York City Elder Abuse Center in order to improve intervention and treatment for elder abuse cases in the New York City area.

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After visiting the emergency room with fainting spells and shortness of breath, a 17-year-old Morningside Heights boy was diagnosed with rare, life-threatening blood clots blocking his pulmonary arteries. To address the problem, surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital successfully performed a pulmonary thromboendartectomy (PTE) surgery -- reportedly, the first time it has been performed on a child in the New York City area.

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When planning for surgery, patients too often don't consider the kind of anesthesia they will receive. In fact, the choice of anesthesia can improve recovery, even outcomes.

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A new cost-effectiveness study led by scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College has determined that so-called pretreatment pharmacogenetic testing is only beneficial if dose-reduced treatment is shown to be nearly as effective as the full dose. If the lower dose is as effective, the test could prevent many cases of severe neutropenia, an abnormally low count of an important type of white blood cells known as neutrophils. It would also mean better life expectancy and lower cost of care.

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A large attack on a major metropolitan area with airborne anthrax could affect more than a million people, necessitating their treatment with powerful antibiotics. A new study finds that in order for a response to be effective, quick detection and treatment are essential, and any delay beyond three days would overwhelm hospitals with critically ill people.

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Your high school graduate is off to college to embark on a newly independent life. But they're not the only ones making a transition: parents, too, face emotional and lifestyle adjustments. With advice on empty-nest syndrome and how to handle the college transition, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital physicians offer tips on how to overcome the sadness, helping your child become a financially responsible adult, and staying connected without overstepping limits.

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The first day of school always requires preparations -- notebooks, pens and a new set of clothes. But don't forget to prepare for your child's health, says Dr. Luz Adriana-Matiz, pediatrician and medical director of Win For Asthma at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

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Millions of children returning to school this fall will struggle under the weight of an overstuffed backpack, putting themselves at risk of injury, according to Dr. Michael Vitale, chief of pediatric spine and scoliosis surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

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Researchers from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center have discovered a new gene fusion that is highly expressed in a subset of prostate cancers.

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Over the last four years, heart specialists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center have implanted an innovative aortic heart valve replacement using a catheter-based approach that does not require open-heart surgery in a total of 100 patients -- the most of any U.S. medical center to date.

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NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is #1 in the New York City metropolitan area and #6 in the nation, according to U.S. News Media Group's 2009-2010 edition of America's Best Hospitals. This is the sixth consecutive year the Hospital ranks among the top 10 in the nation.

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Physician-scientists from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center believe that a heightened level a certain growth factor in the blood may explain why blacks have a greater prevalence of hypertension and kidney disease compared to whites. Results from a new study are the first to show that an elevated level of a protein, called transforming growth factor B1 (TGF-B1), raises the risk of hypertension and renal disease in humans.

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Every summer, the seaside town of Ulcinj, Montenegro, swells to more than 10 times its off-season size due to an influx of European tourists that has grown since the end of the Yugoslav Wars in 2001. The result -- more emergency patients than the town's small clinic can handle. To address this challenge, physicians and nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx are traveling to the region to teach and assist in emergency medicine and help organize a long-term response.

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A new study of obese adolescents has shown that laparoscopic gastric banding surgery -- the "Lap-Band" procedure -- not only helps them achieve significant weight loss but can also improve and even reverse metabolic syndrome, reducing their risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

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Depression in older adults too often goes unrecognized and untreated, resulting in untold misery, worsening of medical illness, and early death. A new study has identified one important remedy: Adding a trained depression care manager to primary care practices can increase the number of patients receiving treatment, lead to a higher remission rate of depression, and reduce suicidal thoughts.

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New research shows that physicians failed to report clinically significant abnormal test results to patients -- or to document that they had informed them -- in one out of every 14 cases of abnormal results. In some medical groups, the failure rate is close to zero; in others it is as high as one in four abnormal results.

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A ribbon-cutting ceremony today officially opens the newly dedicated Con Edison Fast Track Suite at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/The Allen Pavilion. Made possible through a $100,000 gift from Con Edison, the Fast Track Suite is designed to improve and speed emergency care for patients with urgent yet uncomplicated medical problems.

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NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is the only tri-state-area hospital listed on the 2009 U.S.News & World Report "America's Best Children's Hospitals" "Honor Roll" and one of only 10 children's hospitals in the nation to be ranked in all 10 clinical specialties. NewYork-Presbyterian provides children's health services at two major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and the Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children's Health.

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Weill Cornell Science Briefs is an electronic newsletter published by the Office of Public Affairs that focuses on innovative medical research and patient care at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The newsletter is sent electronically to journalists and available to all on this Web site. To read Science Briefs on the Web, please visit: http://med.cornell.edu/science.

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For many people, the chance to come to the United States means pursuing the dream of a better life for themselves and their children. Now, six students from Washington Heights and Inwood are a part of this dream. They are preparing to enter college with the assistance of the Lang Youth Medical Program for middle and high school students at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital -- the only hospital-based medical mentoring program of its kind in New York City.

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Six students from Washington Heights and Inwood are preparing to enter college with the assistance of the Lang Youth Medical Program for middle and high school students at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital -- the only hospital-based medical mentoring program of its kind in New York City.