With Halloween candy behind us, it is time to think of what to put on the table for the upcoming Thanksgiving season. Even if you are not one who celebrates, what better way to wrap up the fall season than with some bountiful food? No matter your preferences or dietary needs, there is an abundance of options to choose from to add flavor to your meal.
Watching carbohydrates? Not a problem. This Cauliflower casserole with mixed seed crust is low in calories, carbs, and is a vegetarian dish! Maybe you are after a bit of color, something to stand out against the earthy starchy tones? What better way to impress than with this Beet & Goat Cheese salad? Another vegetarian option that is both gluten and soy free, this salad is an excellent source of potassium, and beets can even help lower blood pressure!
Maybe classic is more your flavor. Also free of nuts and soy, Eatingwell’s homemade cranberry sauce includes just a bit of orange peel which compliments the tart flavor of the cranberry. If you are seeking an appetizer to pair with some crackers or veggies, a Pear-Pecan Cheese Ball just may hit the spot.
For the main course, how exciting would it be to try Ina Garten’s Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast? If Thanksgiving traditions are new to you, Food Network offers a How to Carve a Turkey video that offers beginner-friendly tips. Tired of traditional turkey? Why not try some Turkey Spring Rolls? Or, if your dietary preferences are sans-meat, Vegan Wild-Rice Butternut Squash offers a burst of flavor with wild rice, sage, and cherries!
Lastly for dessert, who needs apple pie, when you can make an Apple Crisp? This sweet & crunchy treat also goes well with vanilla ice cream! You can warm up with a nice Hot Cider with Apple Brandy & Spices, and subtract the alcohol if you prefer.
We wish you all a safe, healthy and joyous end of November filled with savory meals and incredible shopping deals!
As viruses like flu, RSV, and COVID-19surge this November, it is critical that we also make every effort to take care of our lungs. November is Lung Cancer Awareness month and there are preventable factors that can contribute to the cause of this type of carcinoma.
Smoking is the most prolific and well known contributing factor that endangers even those who don’t smoke. If you are in an area that frequently contains cigarette smoke, leaving the area, or distancing yourself from it can greatly reduce your chances of contacting any type of harmful chemicals which may lead to cancer. Air pollution, exposure to asbestos, or diesel exhaust may also lead to this deadly type of cancer.
While the list of specific causes may be vast, it is important to educate yourself further on the condition so that you can communicate and adopt healthy habits to help reduce risks. There can also be genetic risk factors.
If you find yourself interested in spreading the word about Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the American Lung Association has stories on survival and experiences with lung cancer, several ways to speak out through social media and also their initiative: the Lung Force walk.
If you would like to explore more on what Himmelfarb has to offer on lung cancer, we have several resources available, here are a few examples from our catalog:
Many people believe that library collections only contain books and other media materials. But housed within many collections are strange and unique artifacts or exhibitions. From locks of hair from former politicians to undecipherable manuscripts to historical medical equipment, libraries across the world contain items that users may not typically associate with research institutions. In honor of Halloween, this article will discuss a few eerie and uncommon library and museum collections and exhibits!
A few weeks ago, many people learned that the Library of Congress is home to a large collection of musical instruments. But the Library also stores historical artifacts not found in any other institution in the world. For example, there is a collection of hair samples in the collection. The hair strands come from former presidents such as George Washington, James Madison and Ulysses S. Grant, musicians, writers and other artists like Walt Whitman and Ludwig van Beethoven and other figures. There’s even strands of hair from an unidentified person that was found in Clara Barton’s diary. “Nearly all of the hair stems from the 18th and 19th centuries, in the era before photographs were common and lockets of hair were seen as tokens that could be anything from romantic to momentous” (Tucker, 2022)
The Library of Congress also stores personal items from historical American figures. A bittersweet example is the list of personal effects that were in President Abraham Lincoln’s pocket on the night that he was assassinated. Some of the items include two pairs of spectacles, an embroidered handkerchief, several newspaper clippings, a single bank note and a pocket knife. While these items aren’t necessarily spooky or strange, they do offer a glimpse into the everyday life of an important historical figure and by extension reveal what was important to people in that time period.
The National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland is an institution dedicated to preserving and teaching the history of health sciences in the military. The museum is part of the Defense Health Agency Research and Engineering Directorate which falls under the Department of Defense. “The National Museum of Health and Medicine was established during the Civil War as the Army Medical Museum, a center for the collection of specimens and artifacts for research related to trauma and pathology.”(National Museum of Health and Medicine, 2022) There are several different exhibits on display including ‘The Legacy of Walter Reed,’ ‘Traumatic Brain Injury,’ ‘Civil War Medicine,’ and the virtual exhibit ‘Effects of Canister Shot in the Civil War: Skull of a soldier of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers.’ The museum contains skeletal fragments, photographs and more educational materials that highlight the history of military health sciences and how war impacts the body. The National Museum of Health and Medicine is open Wednesday through Sunday and is free to the public! If you’re interested in exploring the collection in person, be sure to plan a visit.
The Historical Medical Library and the Mutter Museum are two institutions that are affiliated with the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. The Historical Medical Library was founded in 1788 and includes “the archives of other Philadelphia medical institutions, College’s corporate archives, and letters, case books, and student notebooks that document the personal life and professional practice of doctors in the Philadelphia region and around the world.” (The Historical Medical Library, n.d.) The library maintains a virtual image library where visitors can look at digitized collection items. Their digital exhibits cover various themes such as health professionals during World War I, historical advertisements from drug manufactures and the evolution of human anatomy.
The Mutter Museum is a publicly available institution that “displays its beautifully preserved collections of anatomical specimens, models and medical instruments in a nineteenth-century ‘cabinet museum’ setting.” (The Mutter Museum, n.d.) The museum started when Thomas Dent Mutter, MD, an American surgeon, donated his personal collection in the hopes of inspiring others to learn about health sciences and the human body. The Mutter Museum is open everyday, except Tuesday, from 10 am until 5 pm. Exhibits include the Hyrtl Skull Collection, The Soap Lady, and the Spit Spreads Death exhibit which cover the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 in the Philadelphia area.
Historical manuscripts are often stored and preserved in libraries. These documents cover various topics such as medicine, botany, astronomy and religion and are carefully preserved to maintain the author’s work and colorful and imaginative paintings found inside. Medieval manuscripts still captivate modern viewers because of the manuscripts’ depictions of famous myths and religious stories. Medieval manuscripts also reveal an ancient world that was fascinated with the strange and magical. Manuscripts such as A Dialog on Werewolfism by Claude Prieur and Book of magical charms have intrigued scholars and casual readers for years. But one of the most mysterious manuscripts is The Voynich Manuscript located in Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Researchers know little about the purpose of the manuscript, the author or the text written inside. No one has been successful in deciphering the text inside, despite many attempts at uncovering the code. The artwork inside depicts real and imaginary plant life and people in strange pools of water.
The Voynich Manuscript remains a mysterious and prolific manuscript that will likely confuse researchers for years to come.
Library and museum collections contain the strange and the mysterious. Many items in collections are our only tangible connection to past historical figures and provide a gateway for users to learn more about a certain time period. As Neely Tucker explains in a blog post from the Library of Congress “These items came in as a part of larger collections and we kept them because the Library is also a history of us, of humankind, and that messy history can’t all be contained on paper, vinyl, film and tape. These are some of the items that help give the tactile sense of bygone people who were about our size and height, who lived with the same phobias and desires that we do today. They offer a bit of needed spice, of raw humanity.” (Tucker, 2022).
In celebration of National Medical Librarian Month, we’d like to celebrate all Himmelfarb staff and the important work they do each and every day! While working at Himmelfarb does have some similarities to working in other types of libraries, working in a health sciences library has some unique aspects. So we asked our staff to share a bit about their experiences at Himmelfarb. Here’s what they had to say:
What brought you to Himmelfarb? How did you end up working here?
“My spouse got transferred to DC and I needed a job in the area. I was working in an academic health sciences library previously and wanted to stay in that type of environment. I'd actually interviewed for another job at Himmelfarb the year before when he had another assignment to DC that subsequently got canceled.” ~ JoLinda Thompson, Associate Director of Library Operations (Interim), and Systems Librarian
“While I was in graduate school, I worked part-time for my campus' library. When I graduated, I knew I wanted to continue working with libraries. I sent out a lot of applications to various institutions in the area. Thankfully, I had a great interview experience with Himmelfarb and I knew it would be a good place to work for the foreseeable future.” ~ Brittany Smith, Metadata Specialist
“After 16 years of working in the Biomedical Communications Department of SMHS as manager of the print shop, I was asked by the VP of Himmelfarb Library and Biomedical Communications to consider helping the Library fill a much-needed vacancy. A plan was made to have me split time between the two departments. After one year, I was permanently moved full-time into Himmelfarb Library as the newly established Serials Manager.” ~ Lonnie Williams, Serials Manager
“I came to the DC area for a fellowship at NLM. I love the DMV, so wanted to stay in the area. I found the opening at Himmelfarb not long after the conclusion of my fellowship year and have been here since!” ~ Stacy Brody, Reference and Instruction Librarian
“I worked for a government contractor on an NCI (National Cancer Institute) project after I finished my master's, but really missed being in an academic setting. My husband found an ad for a reference librarian at Himmelfarb in the Washington Post's Sunday print(!) edition and I've been here ever since.” ~ Laura Abate, Library Director
“My husband and I had recently moved to DC from Fredericksburg, VA where I'd been working at a community college library. I reached out to Himmelfarb's former director, Anne Linton, whom I'd met about 6 months earlier. The reference department was short-handed at the time, and I ended up helping out at the reference desk a few days a week. During that time, a full-time position opened up, and I applied and got the job.” ~ Ruth Bueter, Serials Librarian
“I responded to a job ad in the Washington Post” ~ Yvonne Lee, Print Resources Specialist
“Prior to GW, I was working at the University of Maryland, College Park in the chemistry library. I actually applied and interviewed for two other positions at the Gelman library before being offered a job at Himmelfarb about 12 years ago.” ~ Tom Harrod, Associate Director of Reference, Instruction, and Access
If you’ve worked in non-health sciences libraries, how does working at Himmelfarb compare to your other experience?
“I worked in school library environments briefly (student teaching experiences). It was vastly different! Although during my early days at Himmelfarb (in the '90s), I applied some of the crowd management skills I learned in student teaching when we'd have large groups of students gathering on the first floor at certain times of the day.” ~ JoLinda Thompson
“When I was a student library worker, I worked for the general sciences branches of the library, like the Physics library and the Math and Engineering library, so I'm accustomed to working with library materials for specific departments and students. At first, it can feel intimidating to work with this population because I'm much more comfortable with the humanities. But ultimately, working at Himmelfarb is immensely rewarding and I learn about subjects that I would have never encountered before in my daily life.” ~ Brittany Smith
“Compared to my other library experience, Himmelfarb patrons are intelligent, motivated, serious about learning, and appreciative of the library.” ~ Yvonne Lee
“I've worked in public and special libraries. At Himmelfarb, I have more teaching responsibilities. I also have more opportunities to pursue my own professional projects and support researchers directly by conducting searches for systematic and other reviews.” ~ Stacy Brody
“The focus on recency with books and journals is very health science-specific and has forced me to reassess my understanding of collections in a couple of ways. First, it might be okay to get rid of a book just because it's ten years old. And second, while that ten-year-old book may not be of much value, a 30-year-old book may have some crucial historical information.” ~ Ian Roberts
“During grad school, I worked in the primary campus library on the reference desk. The range of questions that we received was huge. Answering a question could mean anything from showing someone where the encyclopedias were; to helping them search Lexis-Nexis via command language; to heading down to the huge, maze-like government document archives in the basement.” ~ Laura Abate
“I've worked in archives, law libraries, and scholarly publishing in the past. Himmelfarb is fun because it's so fast-paced. No two days are ever the same!” ~ Sara Hoover
“In a lot of ways, working at Himmelfarb is similar to my previous experiences in academic libraries. The biggest difference is that there's a whole other vocabulary that comes with working in a health sciences library. Not having a health science or medical background, there were a lot of terms that went way over my head at the beginning. Another pretty large change is that I get to be involved in CIS classes and get to know my students pretty well since I spend a year and a half with the same students. While I did get to interact with students and teach classes at my last library, I typically only saw students once in class and didn't have the opportunity to get to know them as well as I have here at Himmelfarb.” ~ Ruth Bueter
What do you enjoy most about working in a health sciences library?
“Knowing that what you're doing is making a very real and positive impact on the lives and health of others.” ~ JoLinda Thompson
“I enjoy seeing the unique items that are available to library patrons. I loved testing out the VR headset and using the anatomy software loaded onto the device. And it's always fascinating to hear how people use our 3D printer to print models for their research.” ~ Brittany Smith
“Working with such an expert staff!” ~ Lonnie Williams
“I love the diversity of research questions we receive in reference! I always learn something new in my searching.” ~ Stacy Brody
“The quantity and complexity of health sciences resources can be overwhelming - and I don't pretend to understand most of the medical jargon - but you pick up a lot of fascinating information working in this environment.” ~ Ian Roberts
“I've always loved the combination of working with people and systems. I love seeing our students progress toward their goals and working with all of our users to identify the right resources to support their work. And, I also love working with the library's systems and tools, and trying to keep up with the pace of change.” ~ Laura Abate
“Supporting the process of making health science research more widely accessible. The health sciences are a great place to support open science!” ~ Sara Hoover
“I love that I get to learn a lot of completely random health sciences knowledge just by virtue of interacting with Himmelfarb's resources, and our students, faculty, and staff! Every day there's something new to be learned! That said, the best part of working at Himmelfarb is getting to work with such amazing colleagues - I learn so much from my co-workers every day and I feel lucky to get to work with such great people!” ~ Ruth Bueter
“I like having access to so much health information at my fingertips.” ~ Yvonne Lee
“The range of patrons with whom we interact.” ~ Tom Harrod
Do you have a favorite and/or unique experience you’ve had while working in health sciences libraries?
“The library I worked in previously served patients and the public as well as the medical center community. This was prior to people having access to the internet at home and there was an enormous need for medical information at that level. They were often very grateful for having someone to help them find information and listen to them during a stressful and difficult time.” ~ JoLinda Thompson
“I've worked under six different Serials Librarians and have had to serve in the compacity of the Serials Librarian on a few occasions while the position was vacant.” ~ Lonnie Williams
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, I've had the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with health sciences librarians from around the world. That has been an amazing opportunity.” ~ Stacy Brody
“On a flight back from Seattle a few years back, I was seated with two women who were accompanying the first lady of Niger on a tour of the U.S. After they learned that I was a librarian and was traveling with other Himmelfarb staff, I found myself in the aisle mid-flight translating a conversation in French and English between the library director at that time, Anne Linton, and the first lady of Niger.” ~ Laura Abate
“Creating a catalog record for the Pandemic board game two months before the global pandemic.” ~ Sara Hoover
“While working at the reference desk, I received a call from the White House wanting information from a book in our reference collection.” ~ Yvonne Lee
What’s the funniest thing(s) you’ve overheard at Himmelfarb? (Because let’s face it, the health sciences can be pretty funny sometimes.)
“The view from students that Himmelfarb doesn't have a relevant resource, they get all their resources through Google searches!” ~ Lonnie Williams
“I love the April fools' and holiday articles and just the generally quirky articles that appear in the literature.” ~ Stacy Brody
“I flirted with infectious disease (said by a resident who chose another specialty).” ~ Laura Abate
“Discussion of style preferences for scrubs.” ~ Sara Hoover
“I recently overheard a student who'd just come from the anatomy lab apologize for smelling of "skull dust." I have to admit that it made me chuckle and was the highlight of my day. Things like that don't really happen in many other environments.” ~ Ruth Bueter
“The imaginative staff birthday posters are always so funny and fun!” ~ Yvonne Lee
What’s a favorite memory (or more than one) of working at Himmelfarb?
“As the librarian that maintains the Emergency Preparedness and Response Research Guide for Himmelfarb, I began closely following the news out of China about a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan in early January 2020. When the CDC began publishing information about the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) to its website mid-month I started adding information and links to trusted resources about it to the research guide. By end of February, there was so much information to share that a Research Guide dedicated to the novel coronavirus was developed for our users. This guide, along with the COVID-19 Situation Report that a number of Himmelfarb librarians contributed to, were shared with the GW SMHS community in the weekly GW Health Updates (now The Digest). Organizing the guide and keeping it updated was something I was able to do to help health sciences professionals on the front lines of the pandemic during that very tumultuous and heartbreaking time.” ~ JoLinda Thompson
“Having to change our Print Journals Collection, (over 7000 Volumes), into an electronic Collection in one month. All without having a Serial Librarian to create and manage the process. We experienced teamwork at its best as every unit worked to accomplish this task on time!” ~ Lonnie Williams
“Our colleagues put together an amazing virtual holiday party during peak COVID.” ~ Stacy Brody
“I love all of the beginnings at Himmelfarb - especially the new student and resident arrivals. It's rewarding to meet people who are passionate about what they're doing and are so excited about taking their next step.” ~ Laura Abate
“Match Day! Always so rewarding to see the med students go off and do great things in the world (complete with impeccable medical informatics skills)!” ~ Sara Hoover
“Some of my favorite memories are of student orientations when we get to meet the incoming class of medical students. There's always such a buzz of excitement in the air. I also have fond memories of when the first group of 1st-year med students I taught finally made it to their Match Day four years later - there's always a sense of being proud of students you've gotten to know who have finally reached such an important milestone. Himmelfarb staff have also done some pretty cool things together outside of work. I have fond memories of pre-Covid outings to Washington Nationals games, meeting up for dinner, and we even went Contra dancing at Glen Echo once!” ~ Ruth Bueter
“I enjoyed Himmelfarb's holiday parties, especially the delicious foods brought by staff.” ~ Yvonne Lee
“One that sticks out was a submission we created for the Art Show many years back with pictures provided by Himmelfarb staff of their experiences with a major snowstorm that we had had the prior winter. This was a massive storm that closed things down for several days and it was fun to see the pics people had taken when we were all trapped at home!” ~ Tom Harrod
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience at Himmelfarb or working in a health sciences library?
“I think this is an exciting time to work in a health science library and as an early career library professional, I am eager to learn as much as I can. I'm thrilled I was able to begin my career at Himmelfarb!” ~ Brittany Smith
“I love working with my coworkers and the schools we support!” ~ Lonnie Williams
“My colleagues have great taste in music :)” ~ Stacy Brody
“It can be intimidating and overwhelming, but it's rarely dull and there's always something new to learn.” ~ Ian Roberts
“While I didn't expect to end up working in a health sciences library when I was getting my library degree, I wouldn't want to work anywhere else! Himmelfarb is an amazing combination of amazing colleagues and wonderful opportunities to learn and grow both professionally and personally. I also think that working in a health sciences library, and specifically my involvement with CIS classes, has actually made me a better patient and advocate for my own health during my interactions with my own physicians. I'm more aware of questions to bring up with my doctor, or things I should mention that I may have thought were insignificant previously. Working in a health sciences library has greatly improved my own health literacy.” ~ Ruth Bueter
“Working at Himmelfarb has been a blessing - A truly GREAT place to work!” ~ Yvonne Lee
Happy National Medical Librarian Month!
We’d like to say thank you to each and every Himmelfarb staff member for all of the hard work and dedication you put in every single day! Without our amazing staff, we wouldn’t be able to provide our students, faculty, and staff with the great services and resources they need to pursue their important research, learning, and patient care every day. We hope you’ve enjoyed getting a glimpse into what it’s like working at Himmelfarb.
Halloween has become a celebrated time of the year when we welcome colder temperatures, costumes, and all the pumpkin spice we can get our hands on. What are your plans for this spooky season? Whether you are hosting a costume party or are staying in, there are fun recipes that can make this season all the more festive!
If you are looking for something that is both eye-catching and healthy, these green apple Monsters are not only easy to make, but also are an excellent source of fiber and protein! Pumpkin fans, we have got you covered. Granola cups with pumpkin yogurt are easily customizable, so feel free to choose your own toppings if you would like!
Stuck on what to serve as an entree? Why not some Jack-o’-lantern stuffed peppers? The best part of this recipe is that any color pepper can be used to achieve the jack-o’-lantern look! Want to test your skills? A butternut squash risotto is bound to impress. This recipe is also vegetarian-friendly, just substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Not into Halloween? No problem! Autumn gives us every reason to delve into these decadent and colorful Pumpkin cheesecake bars. If you need a side or something to drink along with it, you can never go wrong with a more traditional Spiced Cider.
We wish you all a safe and treat-filled holiday season! Do you have a favorite Halloween recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
Did you know that the two most common types of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cholangiocarcinoma are responsible for 12,000 deaths a year? It is critical that we take the time to not only research but also communicate the importance of these cancers so that you may encourage your patients to seek appropriate care.
Patients who have Hepatitis B or C are at a significantly higher risk of developing one of these types of cancer. They cause 80% of all liver cancers. You can find out more about screening, prevention, and treatment at the American Association for Cancer Research and information on viral hepatitis, including patient education materials from the CDC.
If you want to know how you can contribute and spread awareness for Liver Cancer, the Global Liver Institute launched the #OctoberIsForLivers initiative which is the first global campaign dedicated to public awareness, policy, education, and clinical practice needs to prevent and manage liver cancer.
It is also important for patients to know the risks and how they can take care of their liver health. Encourage healthy habits in your patients such as limiting their exposure to toxins, washing produce, and the value of a healthy diet and exercise.
In conclusion, it is critical that you make sure that you understand liver health, so that you can promote liver wellness to your patients. Additionally, below are some liver resources in Himmelfarb’s collections that you can use for research, and to help facilitate liver-related conversations with your patients.
"Salmonella Bacteria" by NIAID. This image is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
It was the largest bioterrorist attack in American history. In 1984, followers of the mystic Rajneesh contaminated salad bars at ten restaurants in The Dalles, Oregon with Salmonella. 751 people suffered food poisoning, 45 of whom had to be hospitalized.
The followers of Rajneesh lived in Rajneeshpuram, a religious commune. They hoped that by incapacitating voters in The Dalles, they could get their own candidates to win the upcoming Wasco County election and thereby gain political influence. Two Rajneeshpuram officials, Ma Anand Sheela and Ma Anand Puja, purchased Salmonella enterica Typhimurium from a medical supply company. The enterica subspecies of Salmonella accounts for around 99% of Salmonella-related diseases in humans (Chen et al., 2013). Several other Rajneeshees then helped spread the bacteria by sprinkling it on ingredients in salad bars.
As a result, 751 people suffered from acute gastroenteritis. The victims ranged in age from infancy to 87 years old. Symptoms included diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and abdominal pain. According to the IDSA guidelines, if you suspect a patient to have infectious diarrhea and they are presenting with fever or bloody diarrhea, you should evaluate the patient for enteropathogens including Salmonella and Shigella, typically by testing a stool sample (Shane et al., 2017). Doctors did just that and lab testing determined that Salmonella was the culprit.
Salmonella is “the most common bacterial pathogen causing gastrointestinal infection worldwide” (Chen et al., 2013). Salmonella can be divided into two types: those that cause nontyphoidal gastrointestinal illness and those that cause typhoid illness (FDA). S. Typhimurium, which was used in this case, belongs to the first category. Don’t get this confused with S. Typhi, which is typhoidal. We’re focusing on non-typhoidal Salmonella here when discussing symptoms and treatment.
Acute gastroenteritis can appear anywhere from four to 72 hours post-infection; fever is likely to subside naturally within 3 days and diarrhea within 3-7 days (Chen et al., 2013). When treating salmonellosis (i.e. salmonella infection), it is important to ensure the patient is not suffering from dehydration; fluid replacement is often necessary (Shane et al., 2017). Antimicrobial treatment is typically not necessary, but in severe cases ceftriaxone has been shown to be helpful (Chen et al., 2013). Additionally, antinausea and/or antiemetic agents can be considered (Shane et al., 2017). With proper treatment, mortality is less than 1% (FDA). All of the victims in this attack survived.
Oregon health officials initially believed that the poisonings were due to the restaurants’ unhygienic environments. But residents of The Dalles suspected the Rajneeshees of a deliberate attack. A year later, the Rajneeshees were confirmed to have committed the act when a sample of bacteria exactly matching the known contaminant was discovered in a Rajneeshpuram laboratory. Sheela and Puja, who had led the attack, were convicted of attempted murder (as well as other crimes unrelated to this story, including assault and wiretapping) and both served 29 months in prison.
Do you know of another interesting true crime case with medical connections? Email Rachel Brill at rgbrill@gwu.edu.
Food and Drug Administration. Bad Bug Book: Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins. Second Edition. [Salmonella spp., pp. 9-13]. 2012. https://www.fda.gov/media/83271/download
Shane AL, Mody RK, Crump JA, Tarr PI, Steiner TS, Kotloff K, Langley JM, Wanke C, Warren CA, Cheng AC, Cantey J, Pickering LK. 2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Diarrhea. Clin Infect Dis. 2017 Nov 29;65(12):1963-1973. doi: 10.1093/cid/cix959. PMID: 29194529. https://proxygw.wrlc.org/login?url=https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/65/12/e45/4557073?login=true
October 6-12 is PA Week, a chance to celebrate the Physician Associates/Assistants (PAs) profession and the countless contributions that PAs make to healthcare! As licensed clinicians, PAs practice medicine in every specialty and setting. In the mid-1960s, a shortage of primary care physicians inspired the creation of the PA profession as a way to improve and expand access to healthcare. Eugene A. Stead Jr. MD, often recognized as the founder of the PA profession, created the first PA curriculum, at Duke University Medical Center in 1965 (AAPA History, 2022). Dr. Stead based the curriculum on the fast-tracking of doctors during WWII. The first students were Navy Hospital Corpsmen with considerable medical training and graduated from the program in 1967 (AAPA History, 2022).
GW launched its PA program in 1972 and created a joint PA/Master of Public Health (PA/MPH) degree in 1986 - the first joint degree for PA students in the United States (GW SMHS PA Program, 2022). GW’s PA program has consistently ranked in the top five PA programs in US News and World Report.
Today, there are roughly 159,000 PAs in the United States, providing more than 500 million patient interactions per year (AAPA Infographic, 2022). PAs have a wide range of roles and responsibilities including performing patient exams, diagnosing illnesses, assisting in surgery, ordering and interpreting lab tests, prescribing medications, developing and managing treatment plans, and advising patients on preventative care practices.
Himmelfarb Library is proud to support the SMHS PA program by providing important resources and services to help our PAs achieve their learning, teaching, clinical care, and research goals! Our Physician Assistants Guide is a great starting point as it provides a comprehensive collection of PA-related resources all from a single site. Resources for physical examination, and diagnosis, as well as links to research databases and textbooks, are all conveniently located in a single guide. Are you preparing for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE)? Check out our study and review the resources available on the PANCE tab of the guide. You can find links to professional organizations and find resources for writing and citation support.
Looking for a great textbook? Check out Ballweg’s Physician Assistant: A Guide to Clinical Practice, which was co-authored by GW faculty member Tamara S. Ritsema, Director of PA Professional Practice and Associate Professor of PA Studies. If you’re looking for PA-focused journal articles, be sure to check out JAAPA (Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants). JAAPA is dedicated to supporting the ongoing education and advancement of PAs by publishing research on clinical, health policy, and professional issues. Another great journal available through Himmelfarb’s collection is the Journal of Physician Assistant Education (JPAE). This journal publishes articles applicable to PA educators and provides a forum for sharing ideas and innovations to enhance PA student education.
Himmelfarb Library celebrates PA Week and is honored to serve GW’s PA students, faculty and staff. Thank you for “going beyond” - Happy PA Week!
References:
AAPA: American Academy of Physician Associates. (2022). History of AAPA & the PA Profession. AAPA History. https://www.aapa.org/about/history/
Photo by Castorly Stock from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-bed-with-pillows-3755590/
Warning: This post contains discussion of murder.
Have you ever sleepwalked? It can be disconcerting to realize that you did something even though you were fast asleep. But you probably haven’t been as upset as Kenneth Parks, who woke up to discover that he had committed murder.
On an early morning in May 1987 in Ontario, Canada, Parks drove several miles to his in-laws’ house, opened the door, bludgeoned his mother-in-law to death and tried to suffocate his father-in-law – all while he was asleep. Upon waking up from this sleepwalking episode, Parks immediately turned himself into the police. (The victims’ names were not made public.)
Somnambulism is the fancy word for sleepwalking, derived from the Latin words somnus (“sleep”) and ambulare (“to walk”). It is classified as a type of parasomnia and primarily affects children (DynaMed). There are a number of potential causes including stress, sleep deprivation, alcohol use, and thyrotoxicosis (DynaMed). In one survey, 25% of adult sleepwalkers reported concurrent anxiety or mood issues (Zadra et al., 2013). A number of studies have reported that high levels of sleep deprivation can increase sleepwalking events by a factor of anywhere from 2.5 to 5 (Zadra et al., 2013). Sleepwalking can occur at any point in the sleep cycle, but most often happens during non-REM sleep (DynaMed). While sleepwalking, the person’s eyes are typically open and they appear awake. They can engage in normal-seeming behavior, but their movements may be awkward. More complex behaviors – for example, driving a car, as Parks did – is more common in sleepwalking adults than children (Zadra et al., 2013). The sleepwalker will have no memory of the events that occurred while they were sleepwalking.
Violence during somnambulism is usually reactive, occurring when the sleepwalker is confronted by another person. The sleepwalker will not recognize the person they are attacking “even if it is a very close family member,” thinking instead that the person is some sort of intruder (Stallman & Bari, 2017). There is little research on the etiology of violence during somnambulism, but Stallman & Bari suggest a biopsychosocial model with multiple potential risk factors. Diagnosis of somnambulism is typically based on the patient’s clinical history but polysomnography can also be employed. In Parks’ case, doctors took a thorough history and also administered two overnight polysomnograms (Broughton et al., 1994).
Broughton et al. (1994) unfold Parks’ story in their case report. In the months leading up to the attack, Parks had been facing high gambling debts and got fired because he was caught embezzling money from his workplace. The stress from this situation had been creating issues with his sleep schedule. Moreover, he and his wife had just welcomed their newborn daughter, which caused more stress and sleep deprivation. On the night of May 23, after an argument with his wife, Parks went to bed. He had made a plan to swallow his embarrassment and explain his financial situation to his parents-in-law, with whom he was close, the following day. But the next thing he knew, he was staring at the face of his dead mother-in-law.
Parks was charged with murder and attempted murder. In trial, he pleaded not guilty via the insane automatism defense, meaning that although he did commit murder, he did not consciously form the intention to do so (Popat & Winslade, 2015). The doctors and neurologists who testified at the case claimed that Parks had a history of sleepwalking and that his propensity toward it was likely exacerbated by sleep deprivation as well as emotional distress and anxiety (Popat & Winslade, 2015). Evidence for this included the fact that on several psychological tests, Parks had scored high for depression and anxiety (Broughton et al., 1994). Parks was acquitted of all charges.
Do you know of another interesting true crime case with medical connections? Email Rachel Brill at rgbrill@gwu.edu.
References
Broughton R, Billings R, Cartwright R, et al. Homicidal somnambulism: A case report. Sleep (New York, NY). 1994;17(3):253-264. doi:10.1093/sleep/17.3.253
Labor Day is a federal holiday that honors the accomplishments of the Labor Rights movement in the United States. The holiday first began on a smaller, local scale where community members would organize picnics, parades and other forms of celebration. Several states recognized these Labor Day celebrations and in 1894 after the Pullman Palace Car Company strike, where workers and federal troops clashed, the United States government designated the first Monday of every September as Labor Day, thus honoring the work of labor unions and workers who advocated for fair pay and a safer workplace.
General History of Labor Rights Movement:
Many people are accustomed to the existence of the 40-hour work week, a minimum wage and a safe workplace. But for years, there were few laws that regulated working conditions, child labor or that mandated breaks for employees. Workers banded together to demand safer working conditions, fair pay, financial benefits in case of injury or death on the job and other employment benefits. This led to the creation of labor unions where workers could meet to share their grievances and present a unified front against employee exploitation.
During the Industrial Revolution, which occurred from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s, it was common for factory workers to work lengthy shifts, every day of the week in factories or other industries where there were no safety measures in place. Young children worked alongside adults and manned powerful machines that could leave them severely injured or dead if there was an issue during production.
To address these workplace concerns, labor unions organized strikes and other forms of resistance in an effort to force employers to improve working conditions:
“Many of these events turned violent during this period, including the infamous Haymarket Riot of 1886, in which several Chicago policemen and workers were killed. Others gave rise to long standing traditions: On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history.” (History.com, 2022)
While industrial cities began to celebrate an unofficial ‘Labor Day,’ it wasn’t until 1894 that the United States government officially established the first Monday in September as ‘Labor Day.’ This federal designation occurred after the tragic events in Chicago when violence broke out between striking employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company and federal troops who were sent to break up the strike. The arrival of the troops caused riots to occur, which led to the deaths of some of the workers. After this incident, the United States government recognized the strength of American workers.
Labor Laws and HealthCare
There are three key pieces of legislation that protect workers in the workplace, with one law that is of particular importance for healthcare workers. The first law is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 which established the 40-hour work week, a minimum wage, overtime pay and ended child labor exploitation. Under this act, employers are also required to maintain accurate records of the number of hours an employee worked and the pay that they received as compensation. While teenagers can still be employed, the FLSA prevents young people from working in certain dangerous industries and limits the amount of hours they can work. These standards apply to the private sector and the Federal, State, and local governments.
Following the Fair Labor Standards Act is the Occupational Safety and Health Act which was signed into law in 1970. According to section 5 of the Act, “Each employer– 1.) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees; 2.) shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act” (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 1970). This act also established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also known as OSHA, which maintains and enforces workplace safety standards.
The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act is a federal law that provides an additional layer of protection to the workplace safety standards created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act. This act “revises the bloodborne pathogens standard, in effect under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to include safer medical devices, such as sharps with engineered sharps injury protections and needleless systems, as examples of engineering controls designed to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens through needlestick and other percutaneous injuries” (United States Congress, 2000). This particular law is important for healthcare workers who handle needles and other devices where they may come into close contact with pathogens or bodily fluids.
In ‘Protecting Labor Rights: Roles for Public Health’ by Bhatia et. al, the authors write “Laws and standards on working conditions, including those for the minimum wage, the eight-hour work day, workplace safety, child labor, and collective bargaining, exist to prevent involuntary hazards and to assure that compensation for workers is sufficient to meet their basic economic needs. These working conditions are also understood to be social, economic, and physical determinants of health and health inequalities” (Bhatia et al., 2013, p. 39). Labor Day is seen as one of the last summer holidays and a great time to rest in preparation for the remainder of the year. By understanding the hard fight labor unions and workers endured to create a more just and equitable work environment, we can continue to honor their legacy and advocate for additional employee protection and labor standards.
Bhatia, Gaydos, M., Yu, K., & Weintraub, J. (2013). Protecting Labor Rights: Roles for Public Health. Public Health Reports, 128(6_suppl3), 39–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549131286S307
