Proceedings of the HMS Faculty Council
Dean Jeffrey Flier began the Jan. 21 Faculty Council meeting by introducing Jeffrey Saffitz, the Mallinckrodt professor of pathology at HMS and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the moderator of a panel on harassment and difficult behavior in the hospital setting that was assembled for the meeting. Saffitz introduced the panel members: John Herman, HMS associate professor of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital; Anthony Whittemore, HMS professor of surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Ellen Berkman and Eileen Finan, Harvard University Office of General Counsel; Linda Wilcox, HMS ombudsperson; and Jeffrey Davis, senior vice president of human resources at MGH.
Finan gave a definition of unprofessional behavior and described institutional and individual liabilities. Berkman described the University policy, noting that it tries to make people comfortable to come forward, identifies where people can go for support, and includes suggested time frames for investigation and resolution of complaints. She said that judgments about what actions should be taken are nuanced and based upon the severity of the conduct.
Saffitz posed these two questions: How pervasive is harassment and difficult behavior in the hospitals? and How is adjudication handled in the hospitals? Whittemore, who is also the chief medical officer at BWH, noted that when the hospital investigates an incident, the leadership takes into account its impact on patient safety as well as the impact on the professional development of medical students.
Flier asked how often and at what point information is shared with the Medical School when there is an inquiry. Whittemore said that at present there is no clear conduit. He and Flier agreed that this needs to change. Davis noted that there are various levels of harassment and that victims might seek different levels of support or inquiry, sometimes requesting coaching on how to handle a situation when they are not comfortable filing a formal complaint. He said that due to the sensitive nature of the investigations, it has not been part of the process to notify Harvard when sexual harassment complaints are filed.
Next, Flier introduced David Cutler, from the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Kennedy School of Government, who presented “How the Recession Will Affect Healthcare.” Cutler said that in relation to other industries, healthcare is more immune to the recession, but there will still be an impact, including fewer people with insurance coverage, an increase in emergency room visits and a decrease in the number of elective surgeries.
Cutler was asked if a protracted recession could cause a decrease in the number and quality of applications to the Medical School. He said that it could be worrisome, depending on what other career paths would be available to the best candidates. Flier asked if there is a likelihood of major Medicare reform. Cutler said that it is possible that reform could happen, because there is agreement among policymakers on areas where it is needed.
Student Art RequestedShow is accepting submissions of original student artwork for exhibition and sale to the community. Applications must be received by March 30 for the May 4 show.
Diversity Awards Honor Faculty, StaffIt was standing room only at the 2008 Diversity Awards ceremony on March 11, where five faculty members and one staff member were honored for their contributions toward making HMS and HSDM a more diverse and inclusive community.
“Through their vision and leadership they have encouraged inclusion, changed the culture and helped set the tone for future efforts that support diversity. I know this is not an easy task,” said Winfred Williams, HMS associate professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and chair of the selection committee.
The day also marked the occasion of the first Howard, Dorsey, Still Lecture, named for the first three African Americans to graduate from HMS. The inaugural speaker was Neil Powe, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University, the James F. Fries Distinguished Service Professor, and director of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
In her closing remarks, Joan Reede, HMS dean for diversity and community partnership, paused to remember Michael Shannon, the first African American full professor of pediatrics at HMS, who died suddenly the day before. He was an “important part of our diverse community for many reasons,” she said.
Ethics Division Calls For Fellowship ApplicantsThe Division of Medical Ethics is requesting applications for its Fellowship in Medical Ethics. The program is open to people in academic fields related to medicine or health with an interest in medical ethics and a wish to further their knowledge of the history, philosophy and practice of bioethics. Fellows are selected on the basis of their previous academic achievement and the contributions they are likely to make as researchers, clinicians and teachers in medical ethics. For more information and application instructions, visit http://medethics.med.harvard.edu/education/fellowship/ or contact Helena Martins at helena_martins@hms.harvard.edu or 617-432-3041. The deadline is Monday, April 6.
Call for Nominations for 2009 Award for the Advancement of WomenThe Joint Committee on the Status of Women is now accepting nominations for the 2009 Joseph B. Martin Dean’s Leadership Award for the Advancement of Women, which honors a faculty or staff member who has made an exceptional contribution to the recruitment, retention and advancement of women at Harvard Medical School or the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Nominations are due Monday, April 6.
In MemoriamWilliam Meissner, HMS professor emeritus of pathology, died on Dec. 6, 2008. He was 95.
Meissner received his medical degree from the University of Oregon School of Medicine in 1938. He concentrated on pathology from the early days of his career and completed residencies at the University of Chicago and the Pondville State Hospital for Cancer in Walpole before joining the Department of Pathology at New England Deaconess Hospital (now Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) in 1942.
He remained with the Deaconess for the rest of his career and served as chairman of the Department of Pathology from 1963 to 1971. The laboratories at the Deaconess were consolidated in 1976 into a building that bore his name—the William A. Meissner Laboratories. He was also chairman of the Department of Pathology at the New England Baptist Hospital from 1963 to 1971.
Meissner served with the U. S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II. Upon returning from service, he resumed practice at the Deaconess and joined HMS as an instructor in pathology in 1947. He went on to serve as professor of pathology and retired as professor emeritus of pathology in 1979.
Meissner also served as a clinical professor of pathology at the University of South Florida Medical School in Tampa from 1978 to 1985. He published over 80 works, many of which focused on the thyroid gland.
Meissner edited several journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine. He also was the recipient of many honors, including the American Thyroid Distinguished Service Award in 1999.
Meissner was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Bernice, who died in 2002. He is survived by his close friend, Audrey Meeker; his son, William B. Meissner of Sao Paulo, Brazil; his daughter, Janice Murray of Sarasota, Florida; four grandchildren, Eric Meissner and Hugh, Laura and Nicholas Murray; and three great-grandchildren, all of Sarasota, Florida.
Memorial gifts may be made to the United Community Church, 1501 La Jolla Avenue, Sun City Center, Florida 33573.
Alfred Pope, HMS professor emeritus of neuropathology and former director of the Ralph Lowell Laboratories at McLean Hospital, died on Feb. 13. He was 94.
Pope received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1937 and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1941. He completed postdoctoral training in pathology and biochemistry at HMS, Children’s Hospital Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Montreal Neurological Institute. He was recruited to McLean Hospital in 1946 by Jordi Folch-Pi, then director of scientific research.
Pope was appointed assistant in neuropathology in 1946 and was promoted steadily through the ranks. He was named professor of neuropathology in 1964 and retained that title until 1983, when he became professor emeritus.
Pope was a pioneer in psychiatric research during his five decades at McLean and HMS. He developed new techniques for analyzing the brain, thereby forging the field of microneurochemistry. He was the first to observe and report the deficits of cholinergic neurotransmission—a prominent underlying factor in Alzheimer’s disease. His discovery led to the development of the most current and effective treatments for the illness.
“Alfred’s objective was to play a pivotal role in building the bridge between neurobiology and psychosocial sciences in a combined effort to better understand mental illness,” said Francis de Marneffe, general director emeritus for Mclean and Pope’s lifelong friend.
Pope remained with McLean Hospital for the entirety of his career. Although he retired in 1983, he remained active within both HMS and McLean. In honor of Pope, McLean established the Alfred Pope Award for Young Investigators in 1992, awarded annually to a McLean researcher whose innovative work promises to significantly advance the understanding of psychiatric illness.
Pope served on five editorial boards, was a founding member of the Journal of Neurochemistry and was a member of numerous associations. In 2008 he published his seminal work, The Human Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex.
Pope was predeceased by his wife of 48 years, Maria Lorenz Pope. A memorial service is being planned for later this spring.
Michael Shannon, HMS professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Boston, died suddenly on March 10, while returning from a trip to Argentina. He was 55.
Shannon received his undergraduate degree from Washington University in 1974, his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine in 1978, and a master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in 1978. After an internship at Duke, Shannon moved to Boston. He joined the HMS community as a resident in 1983, followed by training in emergency medicine and clinical pharmacology/toxicology at Children’s from 1985 to 1987. Immediately after his fellowship, he joined the faculty as an instructor, rising to professor of pediatrics in 2004. He was the first African-American full professor of pediatrics at HMS.
Shannon was a skilled administrator, teacher and investigator. He served CHB for over two decades, including as director of the Lead and Toxicology Treatment Program, director of the Pediatric Environmental Health Center, chief of the Division of Emergency Medicine and chief of Clinical Pharmacology.
Shannon was a renowned pediatric toxicologist. He fostered a highly original research effort on the mechanism of toxicity and treatment for gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a date-rape drug. He also addressed issues in poisoning with theophylline, defining the clinical syndromes and introducing new management protocols, now in use throughout the country. He authored more than 100 original articles, publishing key manuscripts on plumbism, environmental health and bioterrorism.
Shannon leaves his wife, Elaine; daughter, Dalila; son, Evan; a brother, Rufus Jr. of St. Louis; and a sister, Robyn of Los Angeles.
Contributions in memory of Shannon may be made to Kids Clothes Club, 120 Cypress St., Brookline, MA 02445; Barro Sin Plomo, c/o Ellen Carno, 16 Kingswood Rd., Auburndale, MA 02466; or Dr. Michael Shannon Fund for Dance, c/o Boston Dance Alliance, Attn: Ruth Bimberg, 19 Clarendon St., Boston, MA 02116.
