Virgin named head of pathology and immunology

VirginHerbert W. “Skip” Virgin has been named head of the Department of Pathology and Immunology at the School of Medicine. Virgin came to the department in 1990 as an instructor and became a professor in 2002. As the new department head, he becomes Edward Mallinckrodt Professor of Pathology and Immunology.

Washington University physicians embrace e-records

Computer screens are replacing X-rays and paper files.Surgeons and staff no longer wonder where’s the chart in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. That’s because the division switched from using paper files to a fully electronic medical record system. Electronic records are thought to improve the quality of care, reduce errors and improve efficiency. The federal government has set a goal for widespread adoption of e-records in medical practices within the next 10 years.

On the books

Photo by Robert BostonMissouri Gov. Matt Blunt signed Senate Bill 567, which requires health insurers to cover primary health-care costs for patients involved in approved phase II clinical trials for cancer.

barrack photo cutline

Heavy metal Robert L. Barrack, M.D., (right) performs a hip implant with the Birmingham Hip on a patient at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Barrack was the first U.S. surgeon to implant the system, which resurfaces the head of the femur with a metal hip joint and leaves the patient’s thighbone intact.
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