Drill, baby, drill believers should help clean up Gulf: Maher

Drill, baby, drill! Or should we say, Spill, baby, spill.

Those who remember the 2008 GOP convention surely remember the chant of "Drill, baby, drill," led by then VP candidate Sarah Palin. As money seemingly always trumps the environment, high oil prices were making Americans think about more offshore oil drilling, despite the fact that any oil extracted that way would be a drop in the ocean of oil the U.S. needs.

It was also based on the fact that for two decades there had not been any large-scale accidents. That has radically changed, with the vast oil spill from the BP oil rig explosion begins to hit U.S. coastlines.

Bill Maher said it best in a tweet:

Every a**hole who ever chanted 'Drill baby drill' should have to report to the Gulf coast today for cleanup duty

Those who think technology is infallible are fools. It was 100 percent certain we would have another oil accident. The question was not if, but when.

Sarah Palin, head over to the Gulf Coast today, will ya?

Graduating MAT Students Present Capstone Projects

Students in the 2010 Saint Louis University Master of Athletic Training (MAT) class presented their capstone projects in an open house on April 28, 2010.  The capstone is the culmination of a scholarship sequence which is directed by Dr. Kitty Newsham, which takes place during the final year before graduation.

 Ilene Chambers presented a poster on Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) therapy.

 Heather King developed a Compendium of General Medical Conditions in Athletics.

 

 Eric Sass developed a instructional video on upper extremity Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF).

Kellie Black reported the findings of her research project on over-the-counter (OTC) medication use in intercollegiate athletes.

SLU ATEP Visits Busch Stadium

Faculty and students in the SLU ATEP had the opportunity to visit the St. Louis Cardinal facilities at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, April 27th.  Cardinals Athletic Trainers Barry Weinberg and Adam Olsen served as our hosts on a very interesting field trip. They gave us valuable insight into life as a major league baseball athletic trainer.

Group shot in front of the Cardinals dugout.

In the Cardinals Locker Room

 

 In the Cardinals Athletic Training Facility.

 

Cardinals Head AT Barry Weinberg shows the students the equipment they use when the team goes on the road.

Guide, not gay, dog booted from Australian restaurant

Generally speaking, guide dogs are allowed just about everywhere with their masters. In this case, however, a gay dog, even if a guide dog, got the boot.

In reality, Nudge, the dog of Ian Jolly, 57, is a guide dog. However, restaurant staff at the Thai Spice restaurant in Adelaide in May, 2009, misheard the woman with Jolly, and believed that his "guide dog" Nudge was in fact a "gay dog."

It is in fact, unclear what a "gay dog" truly is, but in a statement to South Australia's Equal Opportunity Tribunal, the owners said "The staff genuinely believed that Nudge was an ordinary pet dog which had been desexed to become a gay dog." Uh, that would be a neutered or perhaps spayed dog, one would think.

Jolly will receive a written apology and $1,400 in compensation. Ironically, the restaurant displays a "Guide Dogs Welcome" sign.

STLMoms: Could Your Student Athlete be at Risk for a Rare Heart Condition?

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - Within the last year, two St. Louis area student athletes have died of a rare heart condition. Each year, around 120 athletes under the age of 35 die from sudden cardiac death. Could your child be at risk? How do parents know what symptoms to look for? SLUCare Sports Medicine Specialist, Dr. Will Mitchell talks about the condition and its warning signs.  He also discusses the importance of having athletic trainers on site to manage the problem.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

SLU Programs Develop Poster Promoting the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletics

Supported by a grant from the Physician Assistant Foundation, the SLU Department of Physician Assistant Education and the SLU Athletic Training Education Program developed a poster designed to educate high school coaches, administrators, students and their parents on the prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletics.  The poster will be distributed to regional high schools in May 2010.

Successful SCD Conference Hosted at SLU

The SLU Athletic Training Education Program hosted a successful conference on Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) in Athletics on Friday, April 23, 2010 at the Allied Health Building on the Medical Center Campus.  The program was co-sponsored by the SLU Department of Physician Assistant Education, the Physician Assistant Foundation, the SLU College of Medicine, SLUCare and Saint Louis University Hospital.  The conference coordinators were Kitty Newsham PhD, ATC and Tyler Wadsworth MD.

Dean Charlotte Royeen greets the program attendees.

PROGRAM

Overview: Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletics

Michael Lim, MD, FACC

Controversies in Cardiac Screening

Tyler Wadsworth, MD

Pre-Participation Physical Exam

Jeremy Reed, DO

Genetic Risk Factors Identified For Sudden Cardiac Death

Gary S. Gottesman, M.D., FAAP, FACMG

Sickle Cell Trait in Athletics

Janiece Stewart, MD

Medical Evaluation of Exercise Associated Collapse

Will Mitchell, MD

Medical Management of Athletes with Cardiac Conditions

Matthew Bayes, MD, FAAP

Case Presentation and Panel Discussion: Cardiac Conditions in Athletes

Program Faculty at Panel Discussion: Dr. Will Mitchell, Dr. Tyler Wadsworth, Dr. Janeice Stewart, Dr. Matt Bayes and Dr. Jeremy Reed

Archie Comics to intro first openly gay character

Those who follow Archie Comics will know that Betty and Veronica have competed for Archie Andrews for decades. Starting this fall, they'll have competition of a different sort, as Kevin Keller, the first openly gay character in Archie Comics, will debut.

Realistically, there's no evidence that the new character will chase Archie, but Archie Comics announced in a press release Thursday that Kevin Keller, a blond hunk, will debut on Sept. 1st, in VERONICA #202, which will feature the full-issue story, "Isn't it Bromantic?" Interestingly, Kevin seems to have more in common with Jughead: Kevin defeats Jughead in a burger eating contest at Pop's Chocklit Shoppe.

While Veronica seems bent on getting Kevin Keller, he and Jughead commiserate. Kevin is open with Jughead, just coming right out and saying "It's nothing against her. I'm gay." No reaction from Jughead, except to perhaps wonder if he can use this to get back at Veronica.

In the press release, Archie Comics Co- CEO, Jon Goldwater said "The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive. Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books."

Archie Comics is the publisher a series of comic books about the teens of Riverdale. Archie's first appearance was in Pep Comics #22 on December 22, 1941. Archie Comics was also the title of the company's longest running publication. Starting with issue #114 the title of the comic book was shortened to just Archie.

SLU ATEP Hosts Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletics Conference

Sudden Cardiac Death Takes Lives of Young Athletes

SLU Conference to Address Deadly Health Issue

Fueled by the sudden cardiac deaths of two St. Louis-area young athletes last year, Saint Louis University experts are reaching out to educate health care providers, high school administrators and coaches alike about the condition.

A rare but tragic occurrence in young people, sudden cardiac death kills around 120 athletes under the age of 35 each year in the United States. Frequently caused by genetic conditions, such as structural heart defects, sudden cardiac death often occurs during physical activity.

Tackling this serious health risk, Saint Louis University Medical Center is hosting an educational program for health care professionals and high school coaches and administrators on April 23 to learn about screening and potential treatment for sudden cardiac death. The program is designed to help reduce the likelihood of sudden cardiac death for individual patients and within athletic programs.

In screening athletes, doctors look for warning signs in a patients' personal history, including chest pain upon exertion, unexplained fainting, excessive fatigue associated with exercise, heart murmur and high blood pressure.

Because of the strong genetic link, doctors also are on the lookout for a family history that includes relatives who died of heart disease before the age of 50, close relatives under age 50 with disability from heart disease and specific knowledge of certain cardiac conditions in family members.

"I recommend a physical examination and a complete medical history, including family history, as the first step in screening," said Will Mitchell, M.D., sports medicine specialist in the department of family medicine and assistant team physician for the SLU Billikens. "I may recommend further examination based on the results of those initial steps."

Beyond screening, having an emergency action plan and a qualified individual who is able to use an AED (automated external defibrillator), a device that administers electric shocks to the heart, is important preparation for an athletic program.

"The first step is to provide an accurate medical history to your health care provider," said Kitty Newsham, Ph.D., assistant professor of athletic training education at Saint Louis University. "The second part of the equation is to ensure that a qualified health care provider is available at every athletic event, including practices. Having a certified athletic trainer who is trained in emergency care, including using AED, can save lives."

SLU is at the forefront of education on medical issues that affect the health of athletes. For more information about "An Inter-Disciplinary Approach to Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes," sponsored by Saint Louis University, SLUCare, Saint Louis University Hospital, and the Physician Assistant Foundation, on April 23, call 314-977-8561.

Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first medical degree west of the Mississippi River. The school educates physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health care on a local, national and international level. Research at the school seeks new cures and treatments in five key areas: cancer, liver disease, heart/lung disease, aging and brain disease, and infectious disease.

Misprint in cookbook labeled racist by some

A misprint in "The Pasta Bible" will cost publisher Penguin Australia $20,000, according to the company. The misprint suggested that the dish tagliatelle with sardines and prosciutto required "salt and freshly ground black people" as ingredients.

Penguin Australia blamed the issue on a spell-checking program. Anyone who has used such software will know that it won't catch such an error. Apparently some saw the misprint, which obviously shouldn't be labeled a Freudian slip, but rather an honest mistake, as racist.

The error was revealed after a member of the reading public got in touch with Penguin Australia. All 7,000 copies of "The Pasta Bible" at the warehouse to be destroyed. Head of publishing Robert Sessions told the Sydney Morning Herald the destruction of those copies would cost $ 20,000.

There aren't any plans to recall the copies in stores. The company's website did say the following at the end of an item about the issue:

Penguin will also willingly replace a copy of Pasta Bible owned by anyone who feels uncomfortable about having a copy of the book in their possession.

The team at Penguin sincerely apologises for any offence this error may have caused.

Learning by Doing in the SLU ATEP

Classroom experiences are linked with experiential learning in many courses in the SLU ATEP.  In MAT 616 "Enhancing Athletic Performance", instructor Lori Khazen ATC, CSCS integrates her lectures with skill instruction.

The emphasis in MAT 616  this week for the students in lecture was to discuss the fitness component of power and its link to the sports of volleyball & basketball.  For both, they discussed the logistics/rules of the sports, technical skill and fitness necessities, and breakdowns of each position, including the special physical requirements and mechanics for each.  The students then went into the Chaifetz Arena Pavilion with SLU coaches to actually practice the skills they learned in the classroom.

 

SLU Men's Basketball Coach Alex Jensen and instructor Lori Khazen work with the class on their shooting technique.

 

Student Eric Sass takes a big swing at the volleyball net, from a feed by SLU Coach Andy Halaz.

Jonathan Burch, SLU Assistant Athletic Director/Athletic Trainer conducted demonstrations on the use of the Swim-Ex at Chaifetz Arena with students in MAT 550 "Rehabilitation in Athletic Training".  In these demonstrations, the students not only "got their feet wet"....they actually participated in aquatic exercise in the Swim-Ex.

Jonathan Burch explains the use of the Swim-Ex control to students Ann Schmerbauch and Emily Monahan.

SLU athletic training student Emily Monahan performs aquatic exercise guided by SLU athletic trainer Jonathan Burch.

Player signs jersey for teen; man steals it when thrown back

Humans are selfish creatures. This fact was emphasized at the last Pittsburgh Penguins game of the current regular season, when a man stole a teen's Penguins jersey.

Brian Burger, 14, had thrown his jersey to team captain Sidney Crosby. Crosby signed the jersey, and threw it back. Then a man stepped in, grabbed it, and ran off.

"He signed my jersey, he threw it. I was about to catch it, and some guy took it and ran away."

The jersey was worth $200. While some humans are selfish however, some are not. The Penguins and Crosby heard about Burger's loss. On Monday, a local news reporter from WTAE Channel 4 presented him with a new Crosby jersey, autographed by Crosby himself.

SLU Athletic Training Education Program Awarded CAATE Accreditation

On April 8, 2010, the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) awarded Saint Louis University accreditation as an Entry-Level Master's Program.  The five year accreditation is the maximum for newly accredited programs. The SLU program is one of 369 CAATE accredited programs programs nationally and one of only 23 accredited Entry-level Master's programs in the country.

Iota Tau Alpha Holds Initiation Ceremony

 

On Thursday, April 8, 2010, a second group of students was initiated into the Alpha Iota Chapter of Iota Tau Alpha, the National Athletic Training Honor Society.

 

 Alpha Iota Chapter President Kemba Noel-London and Vice President J.J. Hannigan conduct the initiation ceremony.

 

Iota Tau Alpha - Alpha Iota Chapter

Saint Louis University

New Initiates 2010

Back Row: Maggie Meier, Janese Evans, Adam Long and Libby Deiters

Front Row:  Heather King, Mollie Cole and Geanie Butts

Not pictured:  Scott Peters and Ann Schmerbauch

Nike to air new Tiger Woods commercial as advertisers begin returning

As Tiger Woods has come back to the PGA at the Masters, so, it seems, have advertisers come back to Tiger Woods. Nike is set to air a TV ad on Wednesday featuring Tiger Woods and the voice of his late father, Earl.

The new television commercial will air on ESPN and the Golf Channel on Wednesday night and Thursday. The black-and-white ad is more about Tiger's affairs then his return to golf (or about Nike shoes), as they feature Earl Woods' voice asking Tiger about responsibility, as Tiger stands looking somber.

"I want to find out what your thinking was; I want to find out what your feelings are. Did you learn anything?"

Watch the ad below. What do you readers think? Was this simply spin doctoring?

GOP D.A. Threatens Teachers for Following State Law

Juneau County (WI) District Attorney Scott Southworth sent out 24 letters to top officials in the county 5 school districts telling them to suspend sex education classes in their schools or face possible charges. At issue is the new state law, called the Healthy Youth Act, which took effect in March. It requires schools, starting this fall, to teach students medically accurate, age-appropriate information, in their sex-education course, including how to use birth control and prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

In his letter, Southworth told school district leaders that teachers who follow the law could be charged with misdemeanor or contributing to the delinquency of a minor, with maximum punishment ranging from nine months in jail to six years in prison.

Already part of previous law, parents will be permitted to remove their children from sex-education classes. Schools also will be allowed to decline to offer sex education, but must notify parents if they decide not to.

For those wondering: yes, Southworth is a Republican, as could be implied by his stance. As a DA, he's required to uphold the law, and state law would trump county law, as well.

"If a teacher instructs any student aged 16 or younger how to utilize contraceptives under circumstances where the teacher knows the child is engaging in sexual activity with another child - or even where the 'natural and probable consequences' of the teacher's instruction is to cause that child to engage in sexual intercourse with a child - that teacher can be charged under this statute" of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. [...]

"Forcing our schools to instruct children on how to utilize contraceptives encourages our children to engage in sexual behavior, whether as a victim or an offender. It is akin to teaching children about alcohol use, then instructing them on how to make mixed alcoholic drinks."

Unfortunately, if Southworth wants teens to never learn about sex, he's going to have to a) lock them in a room, b) not let them watch TV, read newspapers, magazines, books, and on and on.

Rep. Kelda Helen Roys (D-Madison), co-author of the legislation, said: "Using condoms isn't a crime for anyone. This guy is not a credible legal source on this matter, I'm sorry to say. His purpose is to intimidate and create enough panic in the minds of school administrators that they'll turn their backs on young people and their families."

AT Student Featured in "Day in the Life" on SLU Newslink

April 07, 2010

Carrie Bebermeyer

314.977.8015
bebermcl@slu.edu

March Madness is Over But Memories Remain

A Day in the Life of an Athletic Training Education Student

Recently, on March 28,  SLU athletic training education students worked at the NCAA Midwest Regional, assisting SLUCare doctors and athletic trainers who were on hand to provide health care to players and officials at the games. It was the culmination of a busy month, as SLU faculty and students helped provide care for three basketball tournaments in addition to their regular duties at SLU and promoted the profession across campus and at their clinical practicum sites for National Athletic Training Month.

Kelly Black practices in class. Photo by Chad Williams

Kellie Black, who will graduate in May with a master's degree in athletic training, writes about one of her most memorable days as an athletic training education student:

Arriving at the Dome
When I arrived at the Edward Jones Dome security was tight. I showed my photo ID at the media entrance, and then Tony Breitbach, director of the athletic training education program, picked me up on a gator. I hopped on next to an injured player from Michigan State, who I recognized from TV, who said hi.
After taking the player to his team, we went on to the athletic training room where we made sure everything was set up. Next, it was time to get the officials ready, with taping treatments before the game started.


Working the Game
During the game, I sat with SLUCare sports medicine docs, Scott Kaar and Will Mitchell, and dentist Paul Nativi, along with Mark Reinking, who is dual credentialed both as an athletic trainer and a physical therapist and is chair of SLU's department of physical therapy and athletic training. One of the great things about our program is the chance to work side-by-side with so many of SLU's professionals in the field.

Faculty and students at the NCAA Midwest Regional.

As a part of our first response plan, I was charged with the glamorous job of cleaning blood off the floor, if needed. There wasn't any blood during this game, but we had gloves, towels, disinfectant on hand just in case. At half-time, surprisingly, it's already time to start taking everything down so we headed to the locker rooms to take down some of the equipment, like the stationary bikes players use to warm up. It was a good game, with no injuries, and, the best part was watching it from courtside seats.


Impressions
It was definitely bigger than an every day game, with the crowd and cameras. But I did realize, when it comes to working with injured players, it's the same job no matter how big the game. Though I might get butterflies before a big game, I know how to do this job!


I will admit, though, that it was pretty exciting to be at the game. My parents saw me on TV and I bumped into Magic Johnson in the hallway on his way to visit Michigan State players in their locker room.


The Future
I'm graduating in May with my masters. Thanks to connections I've made from working events throughout my time at SLU, I know about some job openings around the country.

Instructor Jason Bennett teaches an assessment test.

I played soccer, volleyball and basketball in high school. I was an exercise science major at SLU, and I knew I liked sports and I wanted to work in health care. I met Tony, worked a few events and really I liked the fast paced, unique setting. I fell in love with athletic training. I'd tell other students - undergrads or students thinking about an advanced degree - that it's a great field to be in.

Graduates find jobs, not only with school and professional sports teams, but also in places like the military and performing arts.
It's always busy, it's different every day and nothing is ever the same. It's a really cool way to earn a living.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists athletic training among the top 10 jobs expected to grow over the next 10 years. SLU has one of only 20 entry-level masters programs in athletic training education in the country.

Women use wheelchair, sunglasses to try to smuggle dead body onto plane

Shades of the movie "Weekend at Bernie's." Two women were arrested at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport for trying to board an EasyJet plane with a dead body, police said on Tuesday.

Dead is 91-year-old Curt Willi Jarant. Arrested are 66-year-old Gitta Jarant, his widow, and 41-year-old Anke Anusic, his stepdaughter. All three are German nationals. However, the two women live in the U.K. The women were released on bail until June 1st.

The two women had put Jarant into a wheelchair and put sunglasses on him, and were trying check in for a flight to Berlin on Saturday, April 3rd. EasyJet workers became suspicious, and discovered the man to be deceased.

Authorities have charged the two women with "failing to give notification of death."

"Weekend at Bernie's" was a 1989 movie starring Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman. The premise, more or less, of the comedy is that the two pretend their boss is still alive during a weekend at his beach house, while a hitman continues to try to finish off Bernie.

Ignoring Hippocratic Oath, Dr. Refuses To Treat Obama Supporters

A Florida doctor has decided he doesn't want to treat Democrats, at least those who voted for Barack Obama. Florida urologist Jack Cassell posted a sign on his office door telling those voters to go away.

"If you voted for Obama ... seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your health care begin right now, not in four years."

William Allen, professor of bioethics, law and medical professionalism at the University of Florida's College of Medicine said that Cassell's sign is pushing the limits of professionalism.

Allen said doctors cannot refuse patients on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability, but political preference is not one of the legally protected categories specified in civil-rights law. By insisting he does not quiz his patients about their politics and has not turned away patients based on their vote, the doctor is "trying to hold onto the nub of his ethical obligation," Allen said.

"But this is pushing the limit," he said.

No big loss really. Vitals.com, which rates doctors via patient rankings, says Cassell has a 1 out of 4 star ranking. It seems that it might be a good idea to avoid him anyway; he might snip the wrong tube.

Of course, Jack Cassell did backtrack as knowledge of this reached the public. "I'm not turning anybody away — that would be unethical," he told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday. "But if they read the sign and turn the other way, so be it."

Right, sure. At any rate, there are a couple of things that Jack Cassell is forgetting in his (modern) Hippocratic Oath. They include:

• I will respect the privacy of my patients (which means you shouldn't be able to ask, even in an implied manner, who they voted for)[...]
• I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings (not just certain voters), those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.