LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 17, 1998 - 3A
ESEARC "
Study focuses
on West Bank
water usage
In an unlikely union, Palestinian
and Israeli water conservationists
have teamed to study the effects of
conservation policies in the West
Bank. The study, coordinated by
Khalil Mancy, professor of environ-
mental and industrial health, was
submitted to Israeli and Palestinian
authorities.
The scientists hope their propos-.
als, aimed at protecting and conserv-
ing water resources, will be adopted.
*mong their suggestions to improve
the water situation are recycling and
reusing waste water for irrigation
and instituting a water conservation
plan.
The researchers have just finished
thie first part of the study. Water is a
source of contention in the area.
Jewish settlements use much more
water than their neighboring
&lestinian village, researchers for
e study contend.
Glue may replace
painful stitches
The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration approved the use of a
new skin glue last month with the
potential to replace the use of stitch-
es. The adhesive is similar to crazy
Oue and causes less pain than regular
itches. James Quinn, a former assis-
tant professor of surgery, led an
extensive study of the glue.
The glue is easier to apply to
Wounds and incisions, and its use
results in a better cosmetic look.
Unlike stitches, the glue does not
have to be removed since it wears off
after time. At present the glue, called
ermabond, is used only for cuts, but
ay be used for burns and abrasions
someday.
The glue can be applied to any part
of the body except for hands, feet,
and the surrounding area of mucous
membranes. Dermabond is manufac-
tured by Closure Medical
Corporation.
Oesearchers,
engineers to
study car crashes
University medical and engineer-
ing experts will team up to study the
effects of car accidents on the human
body. Until now, engineers had used
crash-test dummies to research
npact collisions.
The joint venture could mean
improved car safety and better treat-
ment of crash injuries. When acci-
dents occur, the team will be notified.
With consent from the victims,
details of the injury and crash will be
recorded. The researchers will docu-
ment the treatment of the victim
throughout the recovery process
%tudy compares
populations of
cities and suburbs
A University study published by
the Populations Studies Center found
that the old divisions between city
and suburb are outdated. The study
was performed by William Frey,
junct professor of sociology, and
Douglas Geverdt, an Education grad-
uate student instructor.
It is no longer accurate, the authors
contend, to define a city by its
African American population and the
"suburbs by whites. The study sug-
gests more people of varied ethnici-
ties are choosing to live in suburbs
rather than in cities. In addition, the
authors claim changes in the suburbs
have resulted in black areas and white
reas.
Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Gerard Cohen-Vrignaud.
' prof. outlines health care improvements
By Melssa AndrzeJak
Daily Staff Reporter
In his new book titled "Designing 21st Century
Healthcare;" Public Health Prof. John Griffith out-
lines what it takes to distinguish a health care sys-
tem at a level above the status quo.
With health care holding a unique place in soci-
ety as one of few issues considered central to the
survival of every man, woman and child, Griffith's
study has a universal value.
Griffith said the three main attributes that set
model health care systems apart from their com-
petitors are "the quality that they administer, their
ability to satisfy patients and their ability to control
the cost of care."
A big part of accomplishing these goals is work-
ing together, he said. Part of this working together
First-year F
seminars
comes in the form of an evidence-based practice of
medicine.
"Evidence-based medicine is the systernatic
search for the best way to treat a specific disease,"
Griffith said. When doctors work with each other
to establish the most effective methods of treat-
ment, not only are patients satisfied, but costs are
kept down as well.
Griffith said the goal of every health care sys-
tem should be to "use the best and most complete
scientific medicine to work with doctors so that
each patient gets exactly what they need."
Among the health care systems already imple-
menting these techniques is Henry Ford Health
System in Detroit.
Vin Sahney, senior vice president for planning
and strategic development; said Henry Ford has in
recent years increased the quality of their care by
"reaching out into the community and doing more
than just treating people when they get sick
Henry Ford, in n effort to move away trom hs-
pitals and into more preventative health care. has
developed a health care community with numer-
ous clinics and educational facilities.
Sahney said that in order for a health care sys-
tem to be successful, "it must view the communi-
ty as stockholder." Henry Ford has and continues
to do just that, he said.
Presently more than 60 new quality improve-
ment projects are in place at Henry Ford. These
projects are the ideas of staff in every area of the
hospital ranging from nurses to nutritionists to ele-
vator repair men.
One current quality improvement project is a
24-hour crisis line for cairdiac patients,. N i
only has the line been etective in assisting
pa tients, but the improvement has boosted 'he
vo lume of cardiac patients by 44 percent.
Sahney said projects like this have made IIlenry
Ford special..
The model henry Ford has set is one of hard
work and willpower.
"They have worked very hard to (reform them-
selves) and have been very successful," said
Griffith. Ilenry Ford's leadership in health care,
as outlined in Griffith's book, has set a strong
example of community outreach and diversifica
tion.
Community efforts in health care are going to be
central to health care (improvement) as far as the
eye can see," Griffith said.
gyrow in
popularity
The number of first-year
seminars has grown from 20
to 150 in past five years
By Daniel Weiss
For the Daily
More than half of all first-year students
are taking a first-year seminar this fall --
and those who aren't may come to regret it.
"It was the only class I went to every day,"
said LSA junior, Drake Kohn of his first-year
seminar on Slavic folk tales back in fall '96.
Kohn said his first semester here was dif-
ficult and the seminar helped him adjust to
the University.
"I probably wouldn't be here today with-
out that class," he said.
The popularity of the seminars is no acci-
dent, for much planning and deliberation
went into their creation.
In the late '80s, the University administra-
tion commissioned studies on how to
improve undergraduate instruction, and a
far-reaching plan called the Undergraduate
Initiative resulted.
This led to a number of new programs,
but none took off like the first-year semi-
nars.
During the past five years, the number of
seminars has grown from 20 to 150. While
the seminars were originally taught by emer-
itus faculty only, now they are taught by all
members of the University's senior faculty
The seminars' topics range from the natur-
al sciences to the social sciences to the
humanities, and are as diverse as the incom-
ing students that enroll in them. Students can
learn about dreams or about the seven won-
ders of the world.
New students can take courses such as
"The Evolution of Consciousness and
Cognition" or "Explorations in Number
Theory." And, for those more keen on litera-
ture than science, there are even seminars on
College -GOPs
to recruit new
members
By Mike Spahr
Daily Staff Reporter
Attorney general candidate John Smietanka and
Mayor Ingrid Sheldon will highlight the first mass."
meeting of the College Republicans tonight at 8:15 p.m.
in the Pendleton Room of the
Michigan Union.
Smietanka, who will face otuf
College
with Democrat Jennifer -
GOP Mass Granholm to replace retiring
Meeting attorney general Frank Kelley,
When: Tonight, has taken a hard line on many
8: nhissues, but a plan to fight crime
~4 - has been the centerpiece to his
Where: M ichigan campaign.
Union Pendcton The former special council to
Room the United States attorney gener-
al is the founder of the Weed and-.
Who: Speakers Seed program to remove gangs
include John from the state and replace them,
Smietanka, Ingrid with positive opportunities for
Sheldon, and Tom youth.
Hickey The meeting serves as an.
important recruitment tool for
the group, according to College
Republicans president Adam Silver. He said the group is:h
optimistic about the year.
Also speaking at the meeting will be candidates for
the 52nd and 53rd district House of Representatives
seats.
The candidates, Garrett Carlson and Julie Knight
will be there to speak to students and possible volun
teers, Silver said.
Tom Hickey, the Republican that will try to unseat
U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor), will talk to
potential members as well.
The Ann Arbor business executive has spoken out
against gay rights and abortion in recent weeks, while
advocating tax cuts and a balanced budget.
KELLY MCKINNELL/ Daily
This first-year student is participating in a first-year seminar this semester. More than half of
first-year students are enrolled in a seminar.
Ernest Hemingway and William
Shakespeare.
One of the program's backers is David
Schoem, assistant vice president for academ-
ic and student affairs.
The seminars, Schoem said, "promote
critical thinking and writing," as well as
offer students the opportunity to study in a
small setting with a senior faculty mem-
ber, since enrollment is held to 25 stu-
dents.
This semester, Italian assistant Prof.
Alison Cornish is teaching a seminar on
Italian literature.
The class will read its way backward
through 700 years, beginning with the
20th-Century writer Leonardo Sciasca, a
Sicilian who wrote about the mafia, and
move on to authors such as Machiavelli and
Dante. The students will read nine full
books and write six, two- or three-page
papers.
Shannon O'Sullivan, an LSA first-year
student, is one of the 17 students enrolled in
the course. She said she likes literature and
plans to concentrate in English, so this
course was an easy choice.
Plus, she added, "All my advisers said
(the seminars) were good because they're
so small."
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Northwest strike
cost state $323M
DETROIT (AP) -- The 15-day
Northwest pilots strike cost the
Michigan economy about $323 mil-
lion and left 560,000 passengers
unable to travel, according to a
study released yesterday.
The strike also cost 510,000
other travelers extra time and money
to complete their trips, it said.
"Shutting down two-thirds of the
flights through Michigan hurts our
state's economy, which relies heavily on
trade with other states and nations"said
Patrick Anderson, a Lansing economic
consultant who led the study.
"We not only lose worker wages,
we also lose the tourism and busi-
ness productivity from all those
travelers," he said.
Comerica Bank earlier estimated
the loss at $350 million to metropol-
itan Detroit alone.
The airline's 6,150 pilots ratified a
four-year contract Saturday after going
on strike Aug. 29.
Northwest, which handles nearly
75 percent of the passenger traffic at
Detroit Metropolitan Airport, sched-
uled 89 departures yesterday, start-
ing with a Boeing 757 that took off
for Las Vegas at 6:40 a.m. EDT.
Northwest planned to operate
about 430 flights throughout its sys-
tem yesterday, or about one-quarter
of its normal schedule.
The airline hoped to resume operat-
ing all 1,700 of its daily flights Monday.
Detroit Metropolitan Airport,
Memphis and Minneapolis-St. Paul
are Northwest's hub airports.
At Flint's Bishop Airport, six
arrivals and departures were sched-
uled for yesterday on Mesaba
Airlines, which flies under the
Northwest banner on turbo-prop
planes between Flint and Detroit.
Correction
U Schoolkids Records and Tapes' owner Steve Bergman can be emailed at steve@htonline.com. This was incorrectly
reported in yesterday's Daily.
GROUP MEETINGS Lower level, 769-0500, 5:30 p.m. U "Talk to Us and Residence Hall
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