Bob Graham, a former U.S. senator and governor of Florida, told Nova Southeastern University graduates to make a difference in the lives of those without healthcare. He recently spoke to 651 graduating students in medicine, pharmacy, optometry, public health and dentistry during NSU’s Health Professions Division’s commencement.

Graham said one out of seven children in the Sunshine State does not have health insurance. That’s 50 percent higher than the national average of uninsured children, he said.

“More than 600,000 young men and women in this state do not have access to the care they may require and that many of us take for granted,” Graham said. “You can make a difference.”

Uninsured children represent only 20 percent of the more than 46 million Americans of all ages who don’t have health insurance, he said. The number of Americans who fall into the uninsured trap each year is more than the population of Broward County, Graham said. Uninsured patients contribute to the high cost of health care.

“By 2016, annual health care spending in the United States is expected to reach $4.1 trillion,” he said.

Graham was a U.S. senator for 18 years, Florida’s governor for two terms, and he’s also served in the state legislature. A centrist who received an 89 percent approval rating as governor, Graham retired from public service in 2005, following his presidential campaign the year before.

During his career, Graham had been actively involved in health care and elderly issues. As a state legislator and governor, he initiated Florida’s Community Care for the Elderly program. As a U.S. senator, he served for 10 years on the Senate Finance Committee, where he took a leadership role in federal healthcare policy.



Nova Southeastern University’s College of Pharmacy recently announced it will continue the study abroad program for NSU pharmacy students in China.

The students went on their first study abroad program to China in June. Because of the program’s success in teaching them traditional Chinese medicine, the College of Pharmacy has decided to continue it next year.

“In light of the today’s global conflict, we deeply believe in the importance of cross-cultural learning,” said Leanne Lai, Ph.D., Director of the College of Pharmacy’s International Program. “International education will be the solution to the world’s strife.”

Fifty-one pharmacy students, pharmacists and faculty traveled to Beijing and Shanghai for the 18-day program. The program included the 68-hour course “Introduction of Traditional Chinese Medicine” and cultural exploration in Beijing and Shanghai.

The traditional medicine course took place in one of the most prestigious universities in China: The Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.



El Centro, at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, is proud to announce its first class of Summer Scholars.

The Summer Scholars program offers research opportunities for students interested in health disparities topics. The scholars will pursue research projects designed to improve the well-being of minority populations supported by a paid, eight-week internship.

“El Centro was established to develop cutting-edge research leading to innovative intervention therapies that will impact the health of minority groups,” said Nilda Peragallo, DrPH, RN, FAAN, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies. “We are pleased to provide research training to the next generation of professionals dedicated to reducing health disparities among minorities.”

Three outstanding individuals at various stages in their education were chosen to take part in the program from schools and colleges throughout the University of Miami: Tainayah Thomas, a graduating senior in the College of Arts and Sciences with a double major in International Studies and Sociology; Emory Graham, a student in the Family Nurse Practitioner masters’ program at the School of Nursing and Health Studies; and Patrick Williams, an accomplished high school teacher and a doctoral student in the School of Education’s Teaching and Learning Program.

“The project for each scholar has been tailored to the individual’s interests and level of experience,” said Professor Victoria Mitrani, PhD. “The El Centro research team is dedicated to mentoring emerging scientists and encouraging young people to pursue careers in health disparities research,” said Mitrani.

El Centro was created for the purpose of advancing the scientific development and evaluation of culturally-specific interventions in a constellation of health conditions that disproportionately affect Hispanics. Its establishment will enable researchers to strengthen partnerships with the Miller School of Medicine and community organizations through multiyear studies targeting substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, family and intimate partner violence and co-occurring mental health conditions.



Anesthesia Care Team, also known as ACT, is a team composed of the Anesthesiologist, Anesthesiologist Assistant or Nurse Anesthetist and the Anesthesia Technician to keep patients pain free and calm during surgical procedures. The team is lead by an Anesthesiologist who is a physician that has completed 12 or more years of education and training and who is responsible for all final decisions. The Anesthesiologist supervises the Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAs), who hold a Master’s Degree, Nurse Anesthetists (NAs), who also who hold a Master’s Degree and the Anesthesia Technicians (ATs), who have a certification that can be obtained with a high school education.

Although both Nurse Anesthetists and Anesthesiologist Assistants earn Master’s Degrees in Science their education is quite different. The Nurse Anesthetist education consists of six years of training in the medical field with at least 1 year of critical care experience and 26 months of anesthesia training. The Anesthesiologist Assistant must obtain a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a science related field (but not mandatory), and must complete specific medical prerequisites with outstanding grade point averages and high GRE or MCAT scores. There is no requirement to have patient care experience prior to beginning the course but once accepted in an AA program, the Anesthesiologist Assistant will endure a rigorous 27 month program, earn a Master of Science in Anesthesia and will eventually take the Certifying Examination for Anesthesiologist Assistants. The salary for NAs and AAs are comparable with earning potential of $110,000 to $150,000 annually. Anesthesia Technicians are an entry level anesthesia provider in the ACT model and are supervised by AAs, NAs and RNs. The average Anesthesia Technician salary is 32,000.

There are currently six schools within the Continental US proving the education and training to Anesthesiologist Assistants, with the newest being the Nova Southeastern University Tampa Student Educational Center which announced plans to offer its AA program in Tampa beginning in June 2009. The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine is the newest AA program west of the Mississippi River with the implementation of their charter class in January 2008.

The need for the “Anesthesia Care Team” model has risen dramatically due to the growth and aging of our population combined with the provider’s needs to cut costs while maintain high quality of care.



The Dermatology Residency Training Program at Wellington Regional Medical Center, under the direction of board certified dermatologist, Brad P. Glick, D.O., has received a 5-year Accreditation by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), the maximum level of approval that can be attained.

The Medical Education Program at Wellington Regional Medical Center is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association and is affiliated with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. The program provides a comprehensive postgraduate medical education curriculum offering resident students maximum exposure to all areas of osteopathic medicine through a series of service rotations. In addition to a Family Practice Residency, specialty residency programs are offered in Internal Medicine, Dermatology and by Fall 2009, Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Jeffrey Bishop, Director of the Medical Education Program at Wellington says, “We take great pride in the quality of our Dermatology Residency Program and our exceptional physician graduates. They leave our program well prepared for independent practice with strong foundations in osteopathic medicine as well as dermatology.”