Hopkins

Hernias are a common ailment among Americans; more than 4 million people develop the painful condition. And although both men and women develop hernias, female patients may be harder to diagnose. Doctors and patients may not realize the abdominal pain a woman is feeling is because of a hernia. Dr. Hien Nguyen, assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the pain can be mistaken for other conditions with similar symptoms, such as adhesions from prior surgery, endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts.

The Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse program plans to surrender its status as an independent and join a conference, the university announced Friday. The Blue Jays have competed independently for 130 years, winning nine NCAA championships and qualifying for 41 consecutive NCAA tournaments before getting left out of the postseason earlier this month. In a letter to the Johns Hopkins community and posted on the school's website, president Ronald J. Daniels said he accepted the recommendation of a seven-member special committee that proposed that the program pursue a conference affiliation.

Although a brilliant surgeon, Dr. Ben Carson must have realized he would also be judged by his views on gay marriage ("Hopkins chides Carson for gay-marriage remarks," April 6). If he had kept them to himself, his thoughts would have remained his personal opinion, which everyone has a right to. But when someone famous for his medical skills publicly shares an opinion as vicious as his, he has crossed a line. As someone who works with physicians and nurses whom Dr. Carson puts into the same category as criminals, I find his attitude cruel and unbecoming.

Dr. Frederick L. Brancati, an internationally known expert on the epidemiology and prevention of type 2 diabetes who was director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, died Tuesday of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, at his Lutherville home. He was 53. "He was a delightful human being - smart, witty and fun to be around," said Dr. Michael J. Klag, dean of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, whom Dr. Brancati succeeded as division chief.

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John Hopkins Medicine International entered into a collaboration with a network of Peruvian hospitals in an effort to improve medical services in the area. The deal with Pacífico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud also includes making improvements at an oncology clinic, clinical and pathology laboratories and outpatient centers that have recently been acquired by Pacífico Salud. One of the main goals of the partnership will be accreditation of the hospitals. The organizations will also work on strengthening patient safety, operation and the infrastructure for delivering care.  “This important endeavor is designed to raise the quality of health care services across a vast and committed corps of caregivers,” Steven J. Thompson, chief executive officer of Johns Hopkins Medicine International, said in a statement. 

On March 11, 2008, ALONZO HOPKINS of Harlem Avenue On Sunday, friends may call at HARI P. CLOSE FUNERAL SERVICE, P.A., 5126 Belair Road from 3-6pm. On Monday, Mr. Hopkins lie in state in St. Abraham Baptist Church, 1124 W. North Ave. Family hour 10:30am. Celebration 11:00am

On March 11, 2003; ANNELIESE HOPKINS; devoted wife of the late Robert Hopkins; loving mother of Kim Hopkins; devoted friend of Robin Busan, Cindy Kidwell, Leigh Brokovich, Kelly Kneeland and Claire Rosen. Also, survived by many nieces and nephews. Funeral from the George J. Gonce Funeral Home, P.A., 4001 Ritchie Highway on Friday 11:30 AM. Interment Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. Family request friends to call on Thursday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Agnes Cancer Center, 900 Caton Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21229.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Hopkins of Towson, MD, are happy to announce the marriage of their daughter Susan Kathleen to Thomas Patrick Weathers, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Weathers of Media, PA. The ceremony and reception took place on July 15, 2006 in Rose Valley, PA. Ms. Hopkins is a 2000 graduate of Towson University and 2003 graduate of the University of Baltimore. She is a medical editor for Shire Pharmaceuticals in Wayne, PA. Mr. Weathers is a 1994 and 2005 graduate of Penn State University and is a systems analyst for Independence Blue Cross in Wayne, PA. The maid of honor was Linda Siemon, and bridesmaids were Amanda Manno and Laura Kent.

FOR YEARS, Baltimore boosters have been dreaming about a "Big Bang" - a local burst of development akin to the birth of the universe. The announcement that Johns Hopkins medical institutions plan to spend $1 billion over the next eight years to upgrade their East Baltimore campus promises to be part of such a momentous chain reaction. Together with two separate projects, an $800 million biotech park and the city's ambitious plan to redevelop the old Church Home and Hospital site into a residential area, this commitment has the potential to transform the dank Broadway corridor and link it more closely to the downtown business district.

In light of Johns Hopkins president Ronald J. Daniels accepting the recommendation of a seven-member special committee to explore joining a conference, university athletic director Tom Calder and men's lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala participated in a conference call Friday afternoon. Here are a few highlighted quotes from the conference call. Athletic director Tom Calder on the timetable for researching potential conference: “There really isn't any timeline. We've got to put a lot of time into this and make sure that if we are going to go into a conference, we do all of our homework and that we do what's best not only for the athletes and the team but the university also.” Coach Dave Pietramala on the timetable: “From our perspective, this is an exciting opportunity and the decision to seek conference affiliation is a monumental decision, which means the next decision is as equally as big because you want to continue to move into a positive direction, and you want to find the right place.

Women's basketball Terps ' DeVaughn to take part in WUG trials this week Maryland junior center Alicia DeVaughn will head to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., this week to take part in USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team trials. DeVaughn is one of 33 of the nation's top college athletes attending the trials today to Sunday. The World University Games women's basketball competition will be held July 8-15 in Kazan, Russia. Organized by the International University Sports Federation and held every other year, the WUG event is a multi-sport competition open to men and women between the ages of 17 and 24. DeVaughn averaged 8.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to help Maryland to a 26-8 record and an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen.

Soccer Wake's Harris, Gamble among new Bohemians Two players from Wake Forest, goalkeeper Andrew Harris (Gilman) and forward Michael Gamble (McDonogh), have joined the Baltimore Bohemians of the United Soccer Leagues' Premier Development League. Other new players include midfielders Julio Arjona (George Mason), Malcolm Harris (McDonogh, Denver), Austin Martz (Georgetown), Sam Tana (St. Paul's, Susquehanna) and Geaton Caltabiano (Mount St. Joseph, UMBC)

Anna Whetstone, 23, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was 17. She was a high school junior in Hershey, Pa., playing on her school's field hockey team when she got hit in the head with a ball. "I was feeling fine at the time," she said, but over the next few days she had trouble with balance and "wasn't feeling well overall. " Computed tomography scans and an MRI discovered the telltale lesions that are signs of the degenerative disease. After the diagnosis, Whetstone switched from playing to coaching field hockey, but she continued dancing and she earned a neuroscience degree, with honors, at Moravian College in Pennsylvania.

Jean-Pierre G. Meyer, former professor and chairman of the Johns Hopkins University mathematics department whose escape from Nazi-occupied France became the subject of a children's book, died April 24 of heart failure at his Guilford residence. He was 83. "He was conscientious and really very smart and kind, and that's not always a combination that goes together," said W. Stephen Wilson, a close friend and math department colleague. "He was department chairman for five years and no one has been chairman for five years since the 1980s to today," said Dr. Wilson.

CBS Sports Network analyst Evan Washburn took part in a Q&A on Monday. The former Delaware defenseman, who can be followed on Twitter via @EvanWashburn, also answered a few questions about Johns Hopkins, No. 9 Maryland, No. 11 Loyola and No. 16 Johns Hopkins. Johns Hopkins' streak of 41 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament ended Sunday night. Was that the right decision by the selection committee? For sure. It was obvious. I did their Army game on Friday night and was able to speak with [coach Dave Pietramala]

It's official: Gomez has own theater. A newly renovated theater in the Johns Hopkins University's Merrick Barn was renamed Saturday in honor of the actor who originated the role on television of Gomez Addams, husband to Morticia and patriarch of one of America's weirdest clans on "The Addams Family. " On hand Saturday night to rename the 104-seat performing space "The John Astin Theatre" after its $210,000 make-over was Astin's close friend, the actor Ed Asner. Astin, a member of the class of 1952, starred in "The Addams Family" from 1964 to 1966, and returned to his alma mater in 2001 to teach acting and directing.

An exhibit at the Johns Hopkins Evergreen House that was thrown into doubt this week is back on, but without two artworks at the crux of a dispute between the artist and the curator. The two large pieces in question — one depicting a cross, the other a mosaic of the word "Jew" — were offered as part of an outdoor exhibit by Fells Point artist Loring Cornish called "In Each Other's Shoes," to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington.

Johns Hopkins was left out of the NCAA tournament Sunday night for the first time since 1971. The exclusion snapped a streak of 41 consecutive appearances in the tournament, which ended what had been the longest active streak in a Division I team sport. The streak was a point of pride for the program, but could also be a burden as senior classes feared about being the one unable to extend the run. Coach Dave Pietramala said the streak did not weigh on him. But for the players? That might have been a different story.