• MGHers step up to the plate: Annual blood donor challenge
  Summertime means different things to different people – days at the beach, cookouts with family and friends, baseball games at Fenway Park. For hospitals that take care of thousands of patients, this season also can mean a drastic decline in the number of blood donations. Regular blood donors often go on vacation or are less inclined to donate, which can cause the blood supply levels to drop to dangerously low levels.

• Study finds many IRB members have ties to industry
  A study from the MGH Institute of Health Policy has found that a significant percentage of faculty members who serve on institutional review boards (IRBs) at medical schools and teaching hospitals across the nation also act as consultants to the pharmaceutical industry. The study, published in the journal Academic Medicine, provides the first analysis of the personal, professional and research characteristics of IRB members.

• Riding for research
  Members of the MGH Missing Links Cycling Team and the MGH Cancer Center recently participated in the 24th annual Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC), a 192-mile, two-day bike ride Aug. 2 and 3 to benefit cancer research and patient care.

• Nathaniel Bowditch Prize nominations sought
  Nominations now are being accepted for the annual Nathaniel Bowditch Prize. The $5,000 award will be presented to an MGH employee – clinician or nonclinician – who has made a significant contribution to improving the quality of care at the hospital while reducing the cost of such care.

• In memoriam: Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, MD, PhD
  Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, MD, PhD, former chief of the MGH Dermatology Service, died Aug. 6 at home after a long illness. He was 83.

• MGHers with heart walk for a good cause
  MGHers soon will come together to help raise money in the fight against heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association's Boston Heart Walk, to take place Sept. 20 at Federman Field on the banks of the Charles River, is part fundraiser, part educational event. Walkers have the choice of three different route lengths: 1, 3 or 6 miles.

• MGH recognizes ProTech graduates
  August is not a typical month for graduations, but on Aug. 13 the MGH ProTech program held its first graduation ceremony for East Boston High School (EBHS) ProTech graduates. ProTech, now in its 12th year at the MGH, is a Boston Public Schools' School-to-Career program. The 2001-2002 academic year marked the inaugural year of an MGH partnership with EBHS.

• JCAHO tip of the week
  Surveyors from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) will be visiting the MGH Sept. 15 through 19. In preparation for the survey, Hotline is featuring a tip of the week. This week's tip is about patient assessments.

• What's Happening

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