Water Bottles: There is a difference!

Did you know drinking from some water bottles might be safer than others?

Some plastics that are used specifically with water bottles contain bisphenol A (BPA). There is inconclusive data on the danger of BPA exposure to your health, though research is ongoing.

“All plastics are marked with a number and BPA can be identified by the No. 7 on the bottom,” said Vincent Nathan, Ph.D., associate professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health.

Head of the Program in Public Health and Water Research at the school, Dr. Nathan says recommendations aimed at preventing BPA exposure also include not leaving plastic bottles in heated cars and switching to hard plastic or metal water bottles.

Stay hydrated this summer by choosing water bottles without the No. 7 on the bottom until studies are concluded.

Featured Alumnus: Jorge Leal

Jorge Leal, a 2008 Masters in Health Administration graduate, has been appointed as the assistant administrator at the East Texas Medical Center.

Leal graduated in May 2008 from the School with his masters, and in 2006 graduated from Texas A&M with an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science and Spanish. Leal is fluent in the Spanish language, something he has found crucial in his experiences with rural public health.

Leal's desire to pursue a career in public health can be seen in his interest in serving others.

"I am very excited about the opportunities for ETMC Gilmer to serve this community, and look forward to meeting and working together with the people of Upshur County," Leal said. "I have been so impressed with the fine physicians and employees at ETMC Gilmer, and I consider it a privilege to work together to enhance the healthcare services at our hospital."

Leal's academic career was distinguished, including an internship served at Uvalde Memorial Hospital, where he gathered and analyzed data preparing for the construction of the hospital's radiology oncology center, and pre-pared budget and financial data for hospital departments.

He also assisted in the creation of a program targeting the high incidence of diabetes among Uvalde County's Hispanic population, the U-Fit! Club. The recipient of a number of academic scholarships, he was chosen as the first recipient of the John F. Boff Memorial Scholarship, named for the late President/CEO of the Texas Organization for Rural and Community Hospitals (TORCH).

Upsilon Phi Delta

Featured Alumnus: Jon Venuti

The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced a record-setting level of charitable giving by Federal employees through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). At a recent White House awards ceremony, OPM Director John Berry presented 25 awards to members of the federal workforce whose work contributed to raising nearly $276 million in pledges to non-profit programs in 2008 including SRPH graduate Jon Venuti.

At the White House ceremony, Director Berry recognized nine regional CFC campaigns for recording the largest increase in CFC pledges in 2008. Additionally, five campaigns were singled out for taking innovative steps to encourage employee contributions, while 11 federal employees were awarded special recognition for their leadership on behalf of the program.

Venuti, class of 2008, received the award due to his efforts in Northern Florida, specifically the United Way of North Central Florida. In Fall of 2008, he served as a United Way Loaned Executive for the Combined Federal Campaign, the charitable giving campaign for local federal employees administered by United Way of North Central Florida. As a loaned executive, Jon was tasked with galvanizing his fellow federal coworkers of six north Florida counties into donating to hundreds of charities. To make sure the 2008 CFC was a success, Jon organized a huge kickoff event that ignited the passion of federal employees, held an agency fair with 30 local organizations, and personally greeted every VA employee in the morning to tell them about the campaign.

Jon's efforts led to the CFC raising over $150,000 when previous campaigns have only raised $119,000 at most. Because of his efforts, Jon Venuti was selected as one of eight people out of over 300 applicants nationwide to be a CFC Hero.

Jon graduated from SRPH with his Master's in Hospital Administration in 2008. Currently, he is completing his fellowship at the Veteran's Administration hospital in Gainesville, Florida.

School of Rural Public Health Dr. Sumaya on national committee developing H1N1 flu recommendations

Ciro Sumaya, M.D., M.P.H.T.M., professor in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health and holder of the Cox Endowed Chair in Medicine, is one of 15 experts developing clinical recommendations for the influenza H1N1 voluntary vaccination program announced this month by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Sumaya is a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which will convene a special meeting July 29 to review currently available data on H1N1 spread, emerging risk factors, vaccine development and communications strategies. The committee also will provide recommendations for the use of pandemic vaccines for the coming influenza season.

“It is highly important to monitor carefully the spread of this novel strain of influenza virus , changes in its composition and its capacity to cause severe and fatal disease, and know fully which factors place certain people at greater risk,” Dr. Sumaya said. “A vaccine for the H1N1 virus is scheduled to be available before the influenza season.”

Dr. Sumaya was founding dean of the HSC-School of Rural Public Health and administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration, as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health spearheading the federal initiative on the Future of Academic Health Centers.

Dr. KC Donnelly Passes Away

K.C. Donnelly, Ph.D., professor and head of environmental and occupational health at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health since 1999, passed away July 1, 2009, from complications related to cancer.

“The School of Rural Public Health and the Texas A&M Health Science Center have been blessed by his contributions to our fabric,” said Nancy W. Dickey, M.D., president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for The Texas A&M University System, and Roderick E. McCallum, Ph.D., interim dean of the HSC-School of Rural Public Health and vice president for academic affairs.

“The coming days and weeks will be difficult, but we are all blessed to have known him. We will miss him dearly. He was truly a remarkable colleague and friend.”

Born Aug. 27, 1951, Dr. Donnelly received a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology in 1974 and a Ph.D. in Toxicology in 1988 from Texas A&M University. He directed undergraduate and graduate studies and worked to improve the public health work force by implementing continuing education workshops in environmental health for public health professionals.

With more than 30 years of experience in basic and applied research, Dr. Donnelly was the associate director for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-funded Superfund Basic Research Program at Texas A&M. His research included environmental exposure studies in Azerbaijan; the Czech Republic; Shanxi, China; and numerous U.S. locations, along with animal and human population studies on population exposures and the genotoxicity of complex chemical mixtures.

Additional research efforts by Dr. Donnelly included a collaborative study with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study on pesticide exposure in children residing in four rural communities and studies on the use of health education as an intervention to reduce childhood exposure to pesticides in Texas colonias (rural, unincorporated border communities).

“His imprint will remain with us and those who follow in our footsteps for decades to come,” said Drs. Dickey and McCallum. “His students are among the most devoted anywhere. They, too, will undoubtedly carry his work with them as they undertake their professional careers.”

Dr. Donnelly is survived by his wife, Robin; son and daughter-in-law, Nathan and Danielle Donnelly; son, Noah Donnelly; brother, Ted; and sister, Patsy.

Dr. Tai-Seale receives federal funding for study of physician communication with older patients

The National Institutes of Health has awarded just under $1 million to Ming Tai-Seale, Ph.D., professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, for a two-year study of physician-patient communication between older adults and their primary care physicians from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

The study also will examine the cost effectiveness of mental health communication by primary care physicians, who are often the only source of mental health services received by the elderly, based on the patients’ adherence to prescribed treatment.

Dr. Tai-Seale hopes to identify concrete recommendations on how to improve mental health treatment for the elderly during doctor visits, an extension of her previous research in this area that was awarded the “Article of the Year 2008” by AcademyHealth.

This is the first grant awarded to the HSC-School of Rural Public Health under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.