New Orleans

World AIDS Day

December 1st is World AIDS Day. Designated in 1988, this annual observation exists to bring attention to the continuing AIDS epidemic. For additional information, resources, and statistics, check out the following websites:

  • AIDS.gov: World AIDS Day
  • Centers for Disease Control: Celebrate Life – World AIDS Day
  • Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals: Preventive Health HIV/AIDS
  • NO/AIDS Task Force
  • World AIDS Campaign
  • Additionally, 2008 also marks the 25th anniversary of the NO/AIDS Task Force which dedicated an AIDS Memorial in Washington Square Park over the weekend.

    Scientific congresses, old and new

    The American Heart Association just wrapped their Scientific Sessions 2008 at the Morial Convention Center, which drew over 30,000 health professionals to the area this week. Meeting abstracts are available online for free in Circulation.

    Back in the 1930’s, 3,500 people was big news. A Times-Picayune newspaper clipping from November 11, 1937 announces: “3500 will attend Southern Medics Convention here,” reporting on the 31st meeting of the Southern Medical Association, which met in New Orleans in 1909, 1923 and 1931 as well. In 1949, surgeons from around the world flew into Moisant Airport to attend the 13th Congress of the International Society of Surgery, where for the first time television was used to broadcast over 20 operations to surgeons watching in the nearby Roosevelt Hotel. (Britain’s representative was cautious of the use of video in training, however.) LSU’s own Dr. James D. Rives performed intricate lung surgery in Charity hospital, using WDSU’s facilities. You can view and read more LSU history in our Historic Newspaper Clippings Collection on the Louisiana Digital Library.

    Vote!

    In case you haven’t heard, today is election day. Remember that to find your precinct or a sample ballot, the Louisiana Secretary of State offers GeauxVote website with that information.

    Innoculation Stations

    Tis the season for flu shots

    Flu shots will be available on October 15, 16, and 17th at the LSU HCN clinic at 2820 Napoleon Avenue ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ Suite 890. The cost for the shot is $20 with an LSUHSC ID and $25 without an ID. Payment may be made by credit card or cash.

    And coming Oct 30th to the MEB…
    FLUSHOTS
    Thursday, October 30
    10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
    MEB – Seminar Room 5
    $20 – cash only
    with LSUHSC ID

    Geaux Vote

    Tomorrow (Saturday, October 3rd) is an election day in Louisiana. And if you can’t remember your polling place or are confused as to what you’re supposed to be voting on – check out the Secretary of State’s website, GeauxVote. Find out what’s on your ballot now!

    snippet of the go vote website

    snippet of the go vote website

    One Book, One New Orleans

    The Literacy Alliance of New Orleans, along with the Young Leadership Council, has sponsored a community reading program since Spring 2004. They have recently announced this year’s book, City of Refuge by Tom Piazza. The program period begins September 15th and should end mid-November.

    One Book One NOLA 2008

    One Book One NOLA 2008

    4 things you didn’t know about Louis Armstrong

    Planning to go to Satchmo Summerfest this weekend? “Satchmo” is one of the nicknames of Louis Armstrong, who is widely recognized as a founding father of jazz. This Friday through Sunday a free festival in the French Quarter celebrates Satchmo’s legacy.

    Here’s some interesting health sciences related facts about Louis Armstrong:

  • A lip muscle injury sometimes seen in brass players is rupture of the orbicularis oris or “satchmo syndrome” (from Maladies in Musicians, Southern Medical Journal)
  • SATCHMO also stands for “sequence alignment and tree construction using hidden Markov models”, an algorithm used in protein sequencing (see this Bioinformatics article for more)
  • Armstrong was greatly concerned with his health and bodily functions, frequently using laxatives as a form of weight control. He published a book of diet plans called Lose Weight the Satchmo Way, which you can read in the 1999 anthology The Louis Armstrong Companion: Eight Decades of Commentary (link removed) by Joshua Berrett.
  • Louis Armstong was also a celebrity endorser of herbal laxatives. Check out HumidCity.com for a pictures of Satchmo shilling for one of his favorites: Swiss Kriss (link removed).
  • Tulane’s HS Library

    Much like the John P. Isché Library which is under renovation for a Library Commons, the Tulane Health Sciences Center Rudolph Matas Library is also under construction. The main entrance to Matas Library is currently closed, but access may still be gained through room M209 on the mezzanine. This entrance is available during the regular hours for the Tulane Library.

    Hometown Health Fair

    Free blood pressure, HIV, depression and other screenings will be available to the public on Saturday, June 21st at the Wal-Mart at 1901 Tchoupitoulas. This the last stop for the Hometown Health Fair which has been sponsored by the Delta Regional Authority. Participants may enroll in the Healthy Delta Initiative. Local healthcare providers have been recruited to participate. Are you one of them?