Events Calendar
In This Section
Family of paralyzed man sues over wheelchair death
Northeast Ohio program expands, seeks more donations of newborn cord blood
Cleveland Clinic pain expert to join Falls hospital
PepsiCo cuts sugary drinks from schools worldwide
Obama pushes health reform at Ohio stop
Ohio woman says doctor gave wrong breast implants
Health bulletin board: Akron General upgrades information technology
FDA warning: some patients cannot process Plavix
Most Read Stories
Iraq veteran dies after shooting near UA stadium
Theft, fraud allegations leave family in turmoil
Man breaks into house, flees when owner wakes up
Intoxicated, suicidal educator apprehended after chilling drive in park
Teen accused of drinking, dancing topless in club
Cavs to negotiate for Ilgauskas' return
Barberton man hit by vehicle after fight dies
Irish eyes smiling on Falls newlyweds
Blogs:
Akron Docs in Haiti:
Almost home
First Bell - On Education:
Strange, sad story from Canton
Pets:
Found: White Eskimo male dog near Bath and State Rd.
The Heldenfiles:
Amanpour To Anchor "This Week"
Akron Zips:
Looking back on the season
Tribe Matters:
Cabrera says it’s time to play
Cleveland Browns:
Yates latest to re-sign
Balanced Ledger:
How times have changed?
Kent State Sports:
Kent State beats Tulsa in NIT; Will face Illinois on ESPNU
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Highlights from Wednesday’s Cavs-Pacers Game
Buckeye Blogging:
Bucks High Seed – Turner High Praise
Varsity Letters:
DII state semifinal: Walsh Jesuit loses to Hathaway Brown 53-48
All Da King's Men:
ObamaCare To Reduce Premiums By 3000% ?
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Why Republicans Are Acting So Crazy
Akron Law Café:
Does Capitalism Inspire "Moral Flexibility"?
Car Chase:
2010 CONCOURS SEASON IS UPON US
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Deals in Miami?!.
Sound Check:
Willie Nelson & Family coming to the Akron Civic Theatre May 11
See Jane Style:
Who Wore What – The Oscars
HRLite House:
Horses of Courses
Akron Gamer:
PlayStation's Move ups the interaction, fidelity
By Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal medical writer
POSTED: 12:56 p.m. EST, Jan 18, 2010
Money just isn't flowing to medical research quite as freely anymore.
A new study published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Society shows the financial challenges facing a regional effort to boost medical research and development.
The rate of funding for biomedical research has slowed in recent years, according to the study by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers.
The study found funding from industry sources and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) dropped from $90.2 million in 2007 to $88.8 million in 2008, adjusted for inflation.
Total federal funding, adjusted for inflation, increased by less than 1 percent from 2003 to 2007, the researchers found. In comparison, federal funding jumped 25 percent from 2003 to 2007.
The Greater Akron region is banking on biomedical research and development as a bright spot in its economic future.
Akron's three hospital systems, the University of Akron and the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy have joined together to form the Austen BioInnovation Institute of Akron.
The institute pulls together the university's polymer science research knowledge, the medical college's musculoskeletal expertise and the three hospitals' strengths in orthopedics and wound care.
Within a decade, the Akron-area partnership wants to create 2,400 jobs and attract at least $50 million worth of investments annually in area medical companies.
What does the new study mean for Akron?
''The biomedical research funding arena is already very competitive and will remain so regardless of the direction of overall funding trends,'' Dr. Frank L. Douglas, president and chief executive of the BioInnovation Institute, said via e-mail. ''Playing to the well recognized strengths of our partners, the Austen BioInnovation Institute is focusing on biomaterial applications in orthopedics and wound healing to establish Akron as a nationally distinctive center of excellence in this area, and to bring solutions to patients and to market as rapidly as possible.
''We feel this disciplined approach in an area of active innovation and investment makes us very competitive with other biomedical efforts and we are already seeing returns based on this strategic direction,'' he said.
Hospital hiring slows
The ailing economy apparently hurt people's chances of getting a job in health care during 2009.
Nationwide, hospital employment grew less than 1 percent last year, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published in last week's edition of Modern Healthcare.
The trade magazine reported that hospitals added just 1,400 jobs to a work force of 4.7 million in December, the second-lowest month of job growth for the year.
However, some health-care areas still were hiring. Employment in doctors' offices, for example, increased 2.4 percent in 2009, according to the magazine.
Overall, the magazine concluded, the health-care industry work force increased by 2 percent last year.
Compiled by Akron Beacon Journal medical writer Cheryl Powell. She can be reached at 330-996-3902 or at chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com via e-mail.
Money just isn't flowing to medical research quite as freely anymore.
A new study published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Society shows the financial challenges facing a regional effort to boost medical research and development.
The rate of funding for biomedical research has slowed in recent years, according to the study by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers.
The study found funding from industry sources and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) dropped from $90.2 million in 2007 to $88.8 million in 2008, adjusted for inflation.
Total federal funding, adjusted for inflation, increased by less than 1 percent from 2003 to 2007, the researchers found. In comparison, federal funding jumped 25 percent from 2003 to 2007.
The Greater Akron region is banking on biomedical research and development as a bright spot in its economic future.
Akron's three hospital systems, the University of Akron and the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy have joined together to form the Austen BioInnovation Institute of Akron.
The institute pulls together the university's polymer science research knowledge, the medical college's musculoskeletal expertise and the three hospitals' strengths in orthopedics and wound care.
Within a decade, the Akron-area partnership wants to create 2,400 jobs and attract at least $50 million worth of investments annually in area medical companies.
What does the new study mean for Akron?
''The biomedical research funding arena is already very competitive and will remain so regardless of the direction of overall funding trends,'' Dr. Frank L. Douglas, president and chief executive of the BioInnovation Institute, said via e-mail. ''Playing to the well recognized strengths of our partners, the Austen BioInnovation Institute is focusing on biomaterial applications in orthopedics and wound healing to establish Akron as a nationally distinctive center of excellence in this area, and to bring solutions to patients and to market as rapidly as possible.
''We feel this disciplined approach in an area of active innovation and investment makes us very competitive with other biomedical efforts and we are already seeing returns based on this strategic direction,'' he said.
Hospital hiring slows
The ailing economy apparently hurt people's chances of getting a job in health care during 2009.
Nationwide, hospital employment grew less than 1 percent last year, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published in last week's edition of Modern Healthcare.
The trade magazine reported that hospitals added just 1,400 jobs to a work force of 4.7 million in December, the second-lowest month of job growth for the year.
However, some health-care areas still were hiring. Employment in doctors' offices, for example, increased 2.4 percent in 2009, according to the magazine.
Overall, the magazine concluded, the health-care industry work force increased by 2 percent last year.
Compiled by Akron Beacon Journal medical writer Cheryl Powell. She can be reached at 330-996-3902 or at chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com via e-mail.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
