cover story one
Volatile Organic Compounds
A beacon of hope
BY
David R. Brown, MD, DSc, Bradley S. Miller, MD, PhD
Andre Lamontagne, BEE, MBA
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been well known entities in the industrial space, particularly, but not exclusively in petroleum and natural gas refining. Their emergence, however, as potential biomarkers has been pursued only in the last decade for applications in health care and environmental surveillance. VOCs are small molecules usually in the one-to-four carbon range. They are represented in all organic chemistry categories from aldehydes and esters to ketones and alcohols. Both qualitatively and quantitatively, they may be the most ubiquitous molecules on our planet, from the earth’s deepest core to the outermost levels of our atmosphere.
Cover story two
The Future of Biomedical Research: A new presidential advisory from the American Heart Association
By Joseph C. Wu, MD, PhD, FAHA
In light of recent executive actions with a direct impact on patient care, the American Heart Association recently issued a presidential advisory that lays out five principles to optimize the future of U.S. biomedical research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The advisory cites the NIH’s critical importance as the world’s premier biomedical research organization and cautions against abrupt, haphazard and disruptive measures that will have unintended consequences for public health. The advisory adds that the NIH would be strengthened by thoughtfully and collaboratively adapting our national research enterprise to better meet today’s rapidly evolving heath needs.
Health Care Architecture
Designing for Dignity and Equality: New ADA Guidelines for Health Care Facilities
By Dan Abeln, AIA
Designing health care facilities to be accessible for individuals with disabilities requires addressing a complex intersection of technology, patient needs and architectural constraints. While federal regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provide essential guidelines for general accessibility, diagnostic equipment often falls outside these frameworks, creating significant challenges for equitable patient care. For instance, a 2021 report by the National Council on Disability revealed that fewer than 10% of medical diagnostic equipment such as MRI machines and mammography units are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities, highlighting the pressing need for inclusive design solutions.
Public Health
The Next Step Program: Healing for survivors of violence
By
Kentral Galloway and Derek Lumbard, MD, FACS
Everyone understands violent crime is a serious problem but many important issues associated with violent crime are often overlooked. For starters, a consistent definition is lacking. Violent crime encompasses many things, from shootings and stabbings, to physical assault, which includes a wide range of sexual-related offenses, to intimidation and psychological abuse. The scope of violent crime is also difficult to define. Police reports are a common standard for measuring crime rates but domestic crimes are often unreported. Recent statistics in Minnesota report around 2,000 violent crimes per 100,000 residents (around 60,000 annual cases) but this only begins to tell a bigger story. .
