Read article – An opinion piece by Lara Ronan, associate professor of neurology and of medicine, in which she shares suggestions on how doctors should process grief. “These incredibly difficult end-of-life conversations are to be expected as a physician and they will be upsetting. Accept that, but do not make the mistake of letting the difficulty start to harden you,” says Ronan. “Do not push away the uncomfortable feelings. Miracles and tragedy get mixed up with the mundane: that is the work we do.”

Read article – A news brief announcing the appointment of David Leib, professor of microbiology and immunology and adjunct professor of biology, as the chairman of the department of microbiology and immunology.

Read article – Cites a study conducted by researchers at the Geisel School of Medicine that found that dependency on opioids can be directly associated with mental health disorders.

Read article – Quotes Paul Barr, assistant professor of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, in a feature story about a study he led that found that many Americans, and their doctors, are turning to recordings for remembering what was said at doctor’s visits. (Picked up by HealingWell and DoctorsLounge.)

Read article – Quotes Brian Shiner, assistant professor of psychiatry and of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, about a study he coauthored that found that evidence-based medications—fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, topiramate, and venlafaxine—were equally effective treatments for PTSD in clinical practice.

Read article – A segment featuring a new report compiled by researchers at Dartmouth on Manchester’s Safe Station program, which called the program a unique community response to the opioid crisis. The report by the Center of Technology and Behavioral Health at Dartmouth found that firefighters are well positioned to serve as the contact point between someone seeking help and recovery agencies because, as one person put it, “from early childhood, we were raised to trust firemen.”

Read article – Continued coverage of a study conducted by researchers at Dartmouth that found that arthritis is more common among depressed patients than those who were not suffering from the mood disorder. (Similar coverage in MedPage Today, InfoSurhoy, and Psychiatric News Alert.)

Read article – Jeffrey Kuvin, professor of medicine, provides his perspective on the ASCEND trial of aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids for primary CVD prevention in patients with diabetes.

Read article – Quotes Daniel Albert, professor of medicine, pediatrics, and of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, about tele-rheumatology, a phenomenon that is increasing as technology penetrates deeper into everyday life, but still faces a number of challenges. “The hardware is the easy part,” says Albert. “I use the camera on my laptop and a video conferencing software package called Vidyo; the patient room has a cart with a small camera and a second close-up camera. The hard part is all the administrative infrastructure including scheduling, billing, credentialing, and licensure.”

Read article – Cites comments by Lisa Marsch, the Andrew G. Wallace Professor and professor of psychiatry and of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, about how she and fellow researchers at Dartmouth have completed a months-long study of Manchester’s Safe Station program—a two-and-a-half year effort by the city’s fire department to open their doors to those struggling with addiction. Their data shows Safe Station’s success relates to its low price tag, its convenience, and the immediacy of the service firefighters are able to offer.