For years Joyce Whidden suffered with heartburn and acid reflux. When an endoscopy revealed little more than mild redness, Whidden filled the prescription she was given for an acid reducer and resigned herself to living with the condition. But things got worse for the Zellwood, FL resident. “There was more regurgitation, more heartburn,” Whidden recalls. “I started sleeping on two pillows; eventually I migrated to the chair.” Joyce Whidden’s acid reflux got so bad she was afraid to eat. A new doctor diagnosed the now 65-year-old Whidden with achalasia, a […]

The USF College of Nursing’s recent expansion in simulation education took another leap forward with the addition of several new faculty leaders. Marisa Belote joined the College as director of Center for Virtual Simulation and Clinical Education (VSCE), Erik Rauch is director of the Nurse Anesthesia Concentration and responsible for nurse anesthesia simulation, Alicia Rossiter is coordinator of Graduate Simulation, and Brittny Chabalowski is coordinator of Undergraduate Simulation, as well as director for the College’s Upper Division and Second Degree Nursing Programs. The College’s expansion is also in tandem with […]

Tampa, FL (Jan 3, 2012) – Immune system abnormalities that mimic those seen with autism spectrum disorders have been linked to the amyloid precursor protein (APP), reports a research team from the University of South Florida’s Department of Psychiatry and the Silver Child Development Center. The study, conducted with mouse models of autism, suggests that elevated levels of an APP fragment circulating in the blood could explain the aberrations in immune cell populations and function – both observed in some autism patients. The findings were recently published online in the […]

USF’s Jodi Ray’s tireless efforts to reduce the number of uninsured children have earned her recognition from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), earning the honor Excellence in Children’s Health Outreach and Enrollment (ECHOE). Ray is project director of Florida Covering Kids and Families, part of the Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies, which is operated through the USF College of Public Health. Ray was recognized by CMS – along with nine other organizations and individuals – for her outstanding efforts to identify and enroll eligible children […]

Tampa, FL (Dec. 27, 2011) — A nationally recognized maternal and child health epidemiologist has joined USF Health as chair of the College of Public Health’s Department of Community and Family Health and director of the Lawton & Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies. William Sappenfield, MD, MPH, brings nearly 27 years experience in maternal and child health (MCH) epidemiological research and practice at the national, state and local levels. Dr. Sappenfield joins the University of South Florida from the Florida Department of Health, where for six years […]

The USF Health Orchestra and Choir filled the USF Health Rotunda with the sounds of the holiday season at noontime Dec. 12, lifing the spirits of those who came to their first concert. Led by conductor Dr. Frazier Stevenson, associate dean of Undergraduate Medical Education at the USF College of Medicine, the orchestra and choir performed such holiday favorites as Sleighride and Carol of the Bells, the traditional spiritual Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow, and pieces from The Nutcracker. The audience was invited to join in on three traditional carols […]

The announcement of the new USF Health Morsani College of Medicine made major headlines last week! This generous gift will help USF transform the future of health care.  Here’s a summary of television, radio, print and online coverage of this historic event.     WFTS – ABC Action News http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_tampa/usf%27s-receives-biggest-gift-ever–$20m-for-college-of-medicine   WTVT – Fox 13 http://hscvideo2.hsc.usf.edu/asxroot/HSC/Public_Affairs/Fox13120811_MorsaniMedicine.asx   USF to rename medical school after Frank and Carol Morsani donate St. Petersburg Times The University Of South Florida plans to rename its medical school today after philanthropists Frank and Carol Morsani, whose […]

For the week of December 5, 2011 – a snapshot of our colleagues making news across the country and around the world TELEVISION NEWS You can access recent television news stories about USF Health here: Media Clips Gallery   USF’s receives biggest gift ever–$20M for College of Medicine http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_tampa/usf%27s-receives-biggest-gift-ever–$20m-for-college-of-medicine   PRINT & ONLINE NEWS Click through the headline to access the story USF to rename medical school after Frank and Carol Morsani donate St. Petersburg Times The University Of South Florida plans to rename its medical school today after philanthropists […]

People like to describe USF Health as a place on the move, where its leaders and teachers and students and researchers are always rushing towards the next idea, hurrying to fix the health of a future they just can’t reach fast enough. But at noon on Thursday, the entire campus stopped and took a deep breath. And together, students and teachers and trustees and friends celebrated a historic moment and a medical school forever changed. Now the school on the move has a new name: the USF Health Morsani College […]

The University of South Florida has renamed its medical college the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in honor of the philanthropic commitment of Frank and Carol Morsani. In total, the Morsanis have given $37 million to USF Health and a total of $43 million to the university. The Morsanis announced a new gift of $20 million to USF Health, the largest individual donation ever received by the university, to reach the total of $37 million. To read more about this historic announcement, please click here: ./?p=23303