In a study of Chicago area hospitals and clinics, to be published in the Fall edition of Maternal and Child Health Journal, researchers report that women at high risk for HIV frequently are not offered the care necessary to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child. This study was carried out as part of a federally-funded Special Project of National Significance, directed by Mary Driscoll, RN, MPH, of the Cook County Ambulatory & Community Health Care Network.

Ninety-two hospitals and health centers in the Chicago area were asked about their practices in HIV counseling, testing and education, and about the availability of zidovidine (ZDV) therapy for expectant mothers. ZDV has been shown to dramatically reduce the rate of mother-child HIV transmission. Many unnecessary cases of HIV in children are the likely result if pregnant women are not offered supportive ways to be educated about HIV, if effective counseling and testing are not available, and if ZDV therapy is not used at the appropriate time.

Almost half of the providers surveyed were not consistently offering HIV testing, and of those that did offer testing, one-third did not provide pre-test counseling. More than one third (35%) were not set up to provide ZDV therapy during labor and delivery. 

The authors cite these among other reasons for the shortcomings described: lack of provider training, limited staff time, physician resistance, unavailability or avoidance of prenatal care by high-risk women, cost, and lack of appropriate treatment protocols.

As described in the May, 1998, edition of this newsletter, this research is part of a larger project which includes several programs designed to remedy these problems, including provider education and advocacy for institutional change in hospitals and clinics. 

The citation for this report is: 

Rahimian, A, Driscoll, M, Taylor, D "The Maternal and Child Health Sites' Practices Regarding HIV Education, Counseling and Testing of Women of Reproductive Age In Chicago" Maternal and Child Health Journal, 1998, 2(1)

Atten MJ, Attar BM, Mahkri MA, Del Pino A, Orsay CP "Giant pseudopolyps presenting as colocolic intussusception in Crohn's colitis." Am J Gastroenterol 1998 Sep;93(9):1591-2

Conway T, Hu TC, Daugherty SR "Physicians' perceptions of managed care: a structural equation model assessment of key dimensions" Med Care 1998 Sep;36(9):1430-5 

Dunea G "Evaluation and management guidelines." BMJ 1998 Sep 19;317(7161):822 

Dunea G "It's the quality that counts." BMJ 1998 Aug 15;317(7156):480 

Godellas CV, Prinz RA "Surgical approach to adrenal neoplasms: laparoscopic versus open adrenalectomy." Surg Oncol Clin N Am 1998 Oct;7(4):807-17 

Mortola JF "From GnRH to SSRIs and Beyond: Weighing the Options for Drug Therapy in
Premenstrual Syndrome." Medscape Womens Health 1997 Oct;2(10):3 

Reilly BM, Hart A, Evans AT "Part II. Evidence-based medicine: a passing fancy or the future of primary care?" Dis Mon 1998 Aug;44(8):370-99 

Since the beginning of the formal affiliation between Cook County Hospital and Rush Medical College, a standing committee has been charged with the task of encouraging collaborative research across the two institutions. This year, for the first time, a grant program has been implemented to fund promising new research involving investigators from both CCH and Rush.

In the first round of competition, three one-year grants were awarded to carry out these studies: 

Title: Antimicrobial Resistance in Campylobacter Isolates
Investigators: 

Karen DenBesten, MD, Rush-CCH, Infectious Diseases Fellow

John Segreti, MD, Rush, Infectious Diseases

Joseph Pulvirenti, MD, CCH, Medicine/Infectious Diseases, Attending Physician

C. William Wester, MD, Rush-CCH, Infectious Diseases

Title: Study of Decision-Making Processes and Patient-Physician Communication in Patients Near the End of Life

Investigators:
Kristen Nelson, MA, PhD (cand), General Medcine (CCH); Religion, Health & Human Values (Rush), Medical Ethicist

Laurel Burton, ThD, Rush, Religion, Health & Human Values, Chairman

Lilly Hussein, MD, CCH, Attending Physician, Medicine
Susan Zinner-Kemp, JD, MSJ, MHA, CCH & Rush, General Medicine Administrator (CCH); Assistant Prof (Rush)
 

Jorge P. Parada, MD, MPH, General Medicine (CCH); Health Services Research (Rush), Health Services Research Fellow

Kevin B. Weiss, MD, MPH, Rush, Rush Primary Care Institute, Director, Rush Center for Health Services Research

Arthur Hoffman, MD, MPH, CCH, General Medicine, Director, Section of Preventive Medicine

David Goldberg, MD, CCH, General Medicine, Director, General Medicine Clinic

Steven R. Daugherty, PhD, Rush Center for Health Services Research, Senior Researcher

Holly Nelson-Johnson, MSN, RN-C, FNP, CCH, General Medicine/Preventive Medicine, Coordinator, Stress Reduction Clinic

Congratulations to all the awardees. The Rush/Cook County Affiliation Research Committee hopes to make this competition an annual program. The next call for applications is expected to be made in Winter, 1999.

A report by the Foundation Center, reported in the October 8 edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, shows that foundation spending on health policy projects more than tripled in the period from 1990 to 1995. This trend, which was originally sparked by national attempts at health care reform, continues today, with an increasing emphasis on studies of health care quality, cost and access. As illustrated in the chart below, this area of health policy studies, along with projects concerned with smoking prevention and cessation, accounted for most of the increase in health policy funding in these years.

In 1995, the ten foundations devoting the most grant money to health policy projects were: the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation, the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Carnegie Foundation of New York, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Of the top ten, only the California Wellness Foundation restricts its funding to one geographic region. Information on the others can be obtained in the Research Development Resource Room (603 Durand) or online, using the Foundation Center site described in the next article.

The internet keeps burgeoning, making more and more good stuff easily available to researchers and grants seekers. Here are some especially useful sites:

The Foundation Center
http://fdncenter.org
This organization publishes the Foundation Directory and other useful references for people seeking foundation support. This site has links to many web sites of foundations, charities and corporate grant funders. It also has a proposal writing short course online, a glossary of terms to help you figure out the foundation world, and a number of reports and compilations of information that may help you in your quest for funding.

The Grantsmanship Center
http://ww.tgci.com
The Grantsmanship Center publishes a free magazine that often has articles useful to grant seekers. This magazine is online at this site, or you can ask to have it sent to you by calling 213-482-9860.

NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts
http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html
If you are interested in biomedical research, this site should be one of your book marks. Not only can you see what new opportunities NIH has announced this week, you also can delve into the archives of Program Announcements, NIH funding priorities that stay in effect for several years at a time. A keyword search is available for this. You also can arrange to have the NIH Guide sent automatically to your e-mail address by going to the LISTSERV option on this page.

TRAM 
(Texas Research Administrators Group)
http://tram.rice.edu/TRAM/
This is one of the best all-purpose sites for finding grant-related material. Its most useful feature is a central repository of application forms which can be downloaded to your computer, including most federal grant application forms in both PC and MAC formats. These forms can be filled out on your computer and will print acceptable facsimiles from your own printer. Another useful feature is a page of numerous links to websites maintained by university grants offices nationwide. 

AAAS/Howard Hughes Grantsnet
http://www.grantsnet.org/
The American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have set up this site to facilitate the search for funding by new investigators in biomedical fields. You will be asked to register, but the service is free, and it does carry out a fairly exhaustive search using your key words.

Supercourse: Epidemiology, the Internet and Global Health
http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/
Everything you ever wanted to know about epidemiology and population-based health studies world-wide. A large menu of courses is offered in a written version of the slide-plus lecture format. The plan is for course offerings to expand as various experts in these fields add their own topics.
 

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[A long-term calendar showing most of the major academic medical society meetings can be found on the web at: http://www.aamc.org/meetings/mjmtgcal.htm] 

Protecting Patients' Right in the Health Care Market, part of the free Downtown Health Policy Series given by the Chicago Health Policy Council, will be held on October 16 in Chicago. For reservations call 773-702-4335.

Death and Dying in Prisons and Jails, sponsored by the Open Society Institute, will take place November 16 and 17 in new York City. Call 770-751-7332 or go to http://www.soros.org for more information.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will hold a national conference December 10-12 in Washington, DC. Call 301-519-5180 or go to www.ncjrs.org/nconf98.htm for more information.

Organ Transplants Issues and Answers will be offered by the University of Virginia November 7-8 in Charlottesville, VA. For information fax Bebe Moore at 804-982-1415.
 

Research and Decisional Capacity Responding to the National Bioethical Advisory Commission Report, hosted by the Friends Research Institute, will take place November 13-15 in Baltimore. Call 410-763-7820 for more information.

1998 FDA Science Forum on Biotechnology Advances, Applications and Regulatory Challenges, sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration, will be held December 8-9 in Washington, DC. For information call 301-827-3366.
 

Office of Research Development Workshops 

These workshops are open to any County-affiliated investigator or grant-seeker. Enrollment for some sessions is limited, so please register only for those you will be able to attend. 

Grant Writing Seminar:

Gives an overview of the entire process of developing a project and applying for funding. Includes information on approaching both governmental and private funders, describes an approach to developing grant budgets, discusses stylistic and content issues that are frequent stumbling blocks in writing grant applications.

Constructing a Grant Budget:

Covers many of the technical aspects of developing an accurate time line and budget for a grant proposal.

What Are All These Forms? Interacting With the Scientific Committee: 

Gives an orientation to procedures -- and the associated forms -- used by the Scientific Committee to 
ensure that patients are protected from undue risks in research. The Bureau forms will be discussed, and new policies and changes in federal regulations will be covered.

To register for any of these, call Bennetta Anderson at 312-633-4941. If you would like to schedule one or more of these workshops in your Department or at another site, please call Karen Smith at 633-4940. 
 
 
 
 

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To have the NIH Guide sent automatically to your e-mail address every week, click on the LISTSERV link on this page and follow the instructions.

To ask specific questions about NIH grant programs, send e-mail to: grantsinfo@nih.gov 
 

These are one time only opportunities. Call 312-633-4940 to check for due dates or to get copies of full announcements

SMALL GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE NIAMS (RFA AR-99-001) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

CENTERS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICATIONS TO TREAT DRUG AND DRUG ADDICTION (RFA DA-99-005) National Institute on Drug Abuse

HIV IN THE LUNGS, HEART and BLOOD: ROLE OF CHEMOKINES AND THEIR
RECEPTORS (RFA HL-99-002) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

STUDIES OF CHEMICAL DISPOSITION IN MAMMALS (RFP NIH-ES-98-29) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

CENTERS FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE RESEARCH
(RFA OD-98-008) Office of Alternative Medicine, National Cancer Institute, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disorders, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute on Aging

CENTERS ON THE DEMOGRAPHY OF AGING (RFA AG-99-001) National Institute on Aging

GENETICS OF DRUG ADDICTION VULNERABILITY (RFA DA-99-003) National Institute on Drug Abuse
 

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NIH PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS 
(PA'S): These are ongoing funding priorities, with due dates usually October 1, February 1 and June 1 of each year. Note that HIV-related applications are due January 2, May 1 and September. Past PA's, many of which are still open, can be searched at the NIH Guide web site.

MENTORED CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD (PA-98-103) National Cancer Institute

COST RESEARCH ON ALCOHOL TREATMENT AND PREVENTION SERVICES (PA-98-104) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

RESEARCH ON SKELETAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT (PA-98-105) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases

PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLING: BASIC, CLINICAL AND SERVICES RESEARCH
(PA-98-106) National Institute of Mental Health,
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Drug Abuse

THE NEI SCHOLARS PROGRAM (PAR-98-107) National Eye Institute

VULVODYNIA - SYSTEMATIC EPIDEMIOLOGIC, ETIOLOGIC OR THERAPEUTIC STUDIES (PA-98-112)
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

ECONOMIC EVALUATION IN HIV AND MENTAL DISORDERS PREVENTION
(PA-99-001) National Institute of Mental Health,
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research

EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH ON DRUG ABUSE (PA-99-002) National Institute on Drug Abuse

RESEARCH ON AUTISM AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (PA-98-108) National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT AND SERVICES DISSERTATION RESEARCH
(PA-98-109) National Institute on Drug Abuse

MINORITY DISSERTATION RESEARCH GRANTS IN AGING (PAR-98-110) National Institute on Aging

GRANTS FOR HEALTH SERVICES DISSERTATION RESEARCH (PAR-98-111)
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research

November 1
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS, Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov, announcement 99013)

EMERGENCY MEDICINE AWARDS:
October 26
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
November 2
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
November 9
ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATOR AWARD
December 7
RESIDENT RESEARCH GRANT
January 4, 1999
HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH
February 1, 1999
MEDICAL STUDENT RESEARCH GRANT
February 15, 1999
INNOVATION IN MEDICAL EDUCATION
March 8
TEAM GRANT
April 12
CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION GRANT
Emergency Medicine Foundation (800-798-1822 or http://www.acep.org)

November 30
PROJECTS TO SERVE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES: PERSONNEL PREPARATION
Department of Education (202-260-9182 or http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm)

November 23
TECHNOLOGY/MEDIA SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, Department of Education (202-260-9182 or http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm)

Open
MEDICAID MANAGED CARE, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (609-279-0700 or http://www.chcs.org)

Open
CHANGES IN HEALTH CARE FINANCING AND ORGANIZATION, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (202-296-1818 or http://www.ac.org)

December 16
SUBSTANCE ABUSE POLICY, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (336-716-9714 or http://www.phs.wfubmc.edu/sshp/rwj.htm)

February 1
STRENGTHENING THE PATIENT-PROVIDER RELATIONSHIP, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (415-502-8275 or http://www.rwjf.org)

January 15
GAY AND LESBIAN HEALTH, Rainbow Endowment (215-934-3682 or http://www.rainbowcard.com/endowment/guidelines.html)

November 17 and February 9
BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH, Army Research Institute (703-617-8641 or drillings @ari.army.mil)

November 1
RESEARCH TRAVEL FUNDS, Burroughs Wellcome Fund (919-991-5100 or http://www.bwfund.org)

November 2
NEW INVESTIGATORS IN PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY, Burroughs Wellcome Fund (919-991-5100 or http://www.bwfund.org)

January 15
MALARIA RESEARCH, 
MOLECULAR PATHOGENIC MYCOLOGY, MOLECULAR PARASITOLOGY, Burroughs Wellcome Fund (919-991-5100 or http://www.bwfund.org)

Various Deadlines
AGING RESEARCH, American Federation for Aging Research (212-752-2327 or http://www.afar.org)

January 29
BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER RESEARCH, Illinois Department of Public Health (217-524-6088)

Open
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, Charles E. Culpeper Foundation (203-975-1240 or http://www.culpeper.org)

December 4
BLOOD RESEARCH, National Blood Foundation (301-215-6552)

December 15
GERTRUDE B. ELION CANCER RESEARCH AWARD FOR YOUNG INVESTIGATORS, American Association for Cancer Research (215-440-9300 or http://www.aacr.org)

Open
STD DIAGNOSTICS CHALLENGE, Rockefeller Foundation (212-869-8500)
 
 

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