Do you have a history of cancer or diabetes in your family? Do you or does a loved one smoke? Have you ever participated in a clinical trial? Do you know the importance of research? If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then a new Mini-med School 2010 program may be for you.
Beginning in early May, St. Mary’s County residents can participate in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program facilitated by Dr. Mark Krasna, a thoracic surgeon and medical director of The Cancer Institute at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Maryland. Dr. Krasna is also a Medical Staff member at St. Mary’s Hospital.
St. Mary’s County was chosen as one site for the grant project. The goal is to promote the importance of clinical trials and bioethics, as well as the role of research in improving health. The grant funds the Mini-med School 2010 program, which consists of four sessions in Lexington Park and an educational program for St. Mary’s Hospital physicians and associates. The school’s theme is “Past, Present and Future of Medicine: The Role of Research and Clinical Trials.” Anyone interested is invited to attend these sessions and ask the physicians questions.
The four sessions will be held on the following dates from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Lexington Park Library:
- May 7 — “Bioethics Core Lecture: What Makes Research Ethical?” presented by Research Physicians
- May 14 — “Bioethics Core Lecture: How Are Research Participants Protected?” presented by Dr. Krasna
- May 21 — “Colon and Skin Cancer,” presented by Dr. Amir Khan, medical director of St. Mary’s Hospital’s Cancer Care and Infusion Services, and Dr. Carl Ling, a dermatologist and St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Staff member
- June 4 — “The Prevalence of Diabetes,” presented by Dr. Frank Kriger, a nephrologist and St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Staff member
Refreshments will be served at each session. Please RSVP to attend by calling Health Connections at St. Mary’s Hospital at (301) 475-6019.