The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) has appointed William Schaffner, MD, as its new medical director.  Schaffner will continue to serve as professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. From 2010 to 2012, Schaffner served as president of NFID. In his new role, he will succeed Susan J. Rehm, MD, who has served as NFID medical director since 2004. 

Authors: Laura M. Keohane (joining the Department in September 2015) Regina C. Grebla Vincent Mor  Amal N. Trivedi  Abstract:

Heading to Minneapolis for AcademyHealth's 2015 Annual Research Meeting this week? Be sure to say hello to our newest, incoming faculty members Laura Keohane (Brown University) and Gilbert Gonzales (University of Minnesota). Here's where to find the Department of Health Policy's best and brightest giving their presentations and posters:   Sunday June, 14th: Melinda Buntin, David Stevenson The $2 Trillion Question: Will the Slowdown in Health Care Cost Growth Continue?

Jesse Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH, associate professor of Anesthesiology, Biomedical Informatics, Surgery and Health Policy at Vanderbilt, was recently named to receive the Massachusetts Medical Society’s 2015 LGBT Health Award. The honor recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to LGBT health.

On April 21, 2015, Carrie Fry, a data and policy analyst in the Department of Health Policy, presented a policy update at the Tennessee Primary Care Association’s semi-annual Outreach and Enrollment training. The attendees of the training were advocates from across TN who help individuals sign up for health insurance through healthcare.gov, including Navigators and Certified Application Counselors who work in a variety of settings like hospitals, charitable clinics, and health-focused non-profit organizations.

By Holly Fletcher: The juncture where patients are discharged from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities for rehabilitation is pinpointed by a new study as a place where greater focus could prolong lives and reduce costs. Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Massachusetts Institute of Technology analyzed claims data from more than 1.5 million Medicare patients across every zip code in the country who needed emergency hospital care for injuries such as hip or femur fractures or intercerebral hemorrhage stroke.

By Janice Neumann (Reuters Health) - The rate at which infants are suffering withdrawal after being born to mothers on opioid pain killers has increased five-fold since 2000, according to a new U.S. study. "I think the scope of the problem is staggering," said Dr. Stephen Patrick, a neonatologist who led the research. "It really calls into question, are we using these opioid prescriptions too much and should we be using them more appropriately in pregnant women."