U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES • National Institutes of Health

Director’s Annual Report NIH Clinical Center

Director’s Annual Report 

NIH Clinical Center

PROFILE 2006

This file is provided for reference purposes only. It was current when it was produced, but it is no longer maintained and may now be out of date. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing information 

may contact us for assistance (www.cc.nih.gov/contact.shtml). For reliable, current information on this and other health topics, we recommend consulting the NIH Clinical Center at http://www.cc.nih.gov/. 
Cast in metal on the elevator doors outside Masur Auditorium are

images symbolically depicting advances important to medical history.

Some of those images, created by architect Vincent Glinsky and

installed in 1953, were recently translated into wall hangings for the 

P1 lobby of the Hatfield Center (see page 13 for more information).

front cover

(top left to right)

DOROTHEA LYNDE DIX

(1802–1887), an American crusader,

pioneered in providing humane

treatment for the mentally ill. Here, 

a student nurse is taught how to

care for a child.

HIPPOCRATES (c. 460–c. 375

B.C.), a Greek who is often called

the “father of medicine,” rejected

the superstitious magic of primitive

medicine and laid the foundations

for medicine as a branch of science.

Here he is shown writing the oath 

of professional behavior attributed

to him.

(bottom left to right)

SIGMUND FREUD (1856–1939),

born in Moravia, founded the psychoanalytical school of psychology,

based on his theory that unconscious motives determine behavior.

Here, the doctor literally “pushes

the clouds” from a patient’s mind.

WILHELM CONRAD ROENTGEN

(1845–1923), a German physicist, 

in 1895 produced and detected

electromagnetic radiation in a 

wavelength known today as X-rays,

or roentgen rays. Here a patient is 

X-rayed.
CONTENTS

PROFILE 2006

Message from the Director: Growth and Teamwork 3

Recent Clinical Center achievements 4

The move to the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center 6

Patient activity and support 14

Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge opens 18

Advancing clinical research 24

Strengthening clinical care 27

Disaster planning and emergency preparedness 28

Strengthening support for clinical research 30

Training the next generation 32

Teamwork 33

Organization and governance 37
The NIH Clinical Center will serve as the nation’s premier research hospital for conducting

clinical research to improve the health of humankind. It will also serve as a national

resource for clinical research by developing diagnostic and therapeutic interventions; 

enhancing systems to ensure the safe, efficient, and ethical conduct of clinical 

research; training clinical researchers; and leading the response to the nation’s public

health needs. 

As the nation’s clinical research center, the NIH Clinical Center is dedicated to 

improving human health by providing an outstanding environment that facilitates:

• Development of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions 

• Training of clinical researchers 

• Development of processes to ensure the safe, efficient, and ethical conduct 

of clinical research.

The Clinical Center achieves this mission through a culture that fosters collaboration,

innovation, diversity, and the highest ethical standards.

OUR VISION 

OUR MISSION 
Many patients with poor prognoses—patients told they had a limited life expectancy, or a health

problem for which medical science had not yet found solutions—are alive today because they 

participated in clinical research at the Clinical Center.As the largest hospital in the world totally

dedicated to clinical research, the NIH Clinical Center provides hope both for the patients who

come here from every state in the union and for many more, around the world and not yet born,

who will benefit from the medical advances made here.

Chief among the partnerships that make groundbreaking research possible at the NIH Clinical

Center is that between patients, researchers, and caregivers. In 2005, a year of significant progress and

change, two landmark achievements made patients’ participation in such research much, much easier.

In April we moved patients from a hospital built 52 years ago into our new research hospital, the

Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center. And in June we opened the Edmond J. Safra Family

Lodge, which is located just steps away from the new hospital.To undertake two such major initiatives required both years of planning and implementation and the unwavering commitment of staff

members and volunteers willing to work long hours to make things happen.

That staff commitment to the health and welfare of others was demonstrated powerfully again in

September, when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, in the nation’s worst natural disaster ever.

In a unique partnership between a federal public health research agency, a military hospital, and a

private health care facility, the Clinical Center had been developing mutual support plans for disaster

responses with two neighboring health-care facilities, Suburban Hospital and the National Naval

Medical Center. Emergency preparedness planning and drills developed in response to the threat 

of terror strengthened our ability to respond with a strong clinical presence. Members of the NIH

community and our colleagues across the nation quickly and compassionately answered the call 

for help when Katrina, and then Rita, hit the Gulf Coast.We learned how resilient—and yet how

fragile—the national emergency health care system is.

I want here to recognize and deeply thank the many employees, contractors, and volunteers—

especially patient volunteers—who have made this clinical research enterprise a beacon of hope

for patients everywhere.Your commitment, enthusiasm, and consistent efforts have enabled us 

not only to strengthen our research capabilities at home but also to reach out and help those 

in crisis elsewhere.

John I. Gallin, MD

Director, NIH Clinical Center

NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 3

GROWTH AND TEAMWORK

Message from the Director 
4 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

Moved patients into the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center. In a spacious new 

hospital fully dedicated to clinical research, our patient census routinely hit peak occupancy, and 

in many ways we improved the environment both for clinical research and for patient care.

Opened the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge at NIH. Its 34 guest rooms provide a comforting

home away from home for families and caregivers of patients who participate in clinical research.

The lodge has reached full capacity several times and averages 80 percent occupancy.

Strengthened emergency preparedness. Back-to-back hurricanes (Katrina and Rita) on the

Gulf Coast produced the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. In a powerful demonstration of their

commitment to public health, Clinical Center and NIH employees worked with staff from other

agencies in timely, well-coordinated emergency relief efforts.

In response to Hurricane Katrina, a 60-member team of volunteers from NIH and Duke

University Medical Center deployed to set up a 500-bed field hospital in Meridian, Mississippi—

an effort that produced valuable lessons for future disaster responses.A call center providing a

national coordination and referral network for medical consultations logged 446 calls in an aroundthe-clock operation that began September 3 and lasted nearly four weeks.

In addition, we created surge capacity to accept up to 100 patients and family members from the

Gulf Coast region.Working with partners developed through the Association of American Medical

Colleges, NIH physicians contacted colleagues in academia and professional organizations such as

the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and those partners stood ready to support any needs that arose.

Improved patient services. Providing excellent patient care is essential if research patients are

expected to comply with the regimens of clinical research studies—which is essential for the 

successful conduct of clinical research.The Clinical Center consistently scores outstanding ratings

from patients in a national database of academic medical centers. In 2005 we implemented several

new services to improve patient safety and the quality of patient care.

RECENT CLINICAL CENTER ACHIEVEMENTS

In 2005 we:

© Alan Karchmer
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 5
6 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

MOVE TO THE MARK O. HATFIELD 

CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER

MARCH 4, 2005: THE REHEARSAL

Through years of practice, staff in the “old”

hospital had routines and contingencies down

pat.To practice how things would work when

the new hospital was activated, on March 4 the

staff practiced real-life scenarios in a four-hour

“day in the life” exercise.

For months leading up to the day patients would

be moved from the old hospital to the new,

employees participated in a series of tests, drills,

and exercises to prepare them for any situation

that might arise on the move date and in the

days following.The relocation task force led

practice walks through various routes from the

Magnuson to Hatfield building many times,

looking for anything that might interfere with

the movement of patient beds and determining

the best path for efficiently moving patients.

For the March 4 exercise, planners had developed scripts and scenarios featuring everything

from missing patients and unruly visitors to

STAT (urgent) pharmacy orders and routine

meal delivery. Fire alarms were tested and building evacuation simulated. Staff from throughout

the Clinical Center participated enthusiastically

in the exercise, testing how everything would

work in the new environment.

(right) Nurse Ann Marie

Matlock and Tam Cillie, 

respiratory therapist, set up

oxygen for model patient 

Amy Garner-Obrien in the ICU.

(below) Admissions staffer

Steve Yen greets model patient

Darice Stephenson as she

arrives in admissions. This 

scenario tested the routine

admission process and the

staff’s ability to provide clear

directions to inpatient units.
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 7

APRIL 2, 2005: MOVE DAY

The lobby of the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical

Research Center was quiet early that Saturday

morning.A few people lingered at the café tables

by the fountain, while others prepared for the day

ahead—wiping countertops, sweeping hallways,

and turning on computers. Just after 9 a.m., the

general stillness was broken by the muffled sound

of wheels rolling across tile floors somewhere 

on the south end of the first floor.

Over a radio came the alert:“The patient is on

his way!”Those who had been answering phones,

mopping floors, scrubbing desks, or checking files

stopped what they were doing, walked into the

lobby, and waited with curiosity and welcoming

smiles. Doctors, nurses, hospitality staff, housekeepers, construction workers, and visitors all

strained for a glimpse of the historic group heading toward the new patient care unit for pediatric

patients.The unit’s first patient, Marcos Arrieta,

lying on his bed, was escorted from the Warren

Grant Magnuson building to the bright new

rooms of the Hatfield Center by his mother,

Maria, and a crew of nurses, volunteers, and 

other staff. CC Director Dr. John I. Gallin warmly

welcomed the boy. Marcos smiled shyly as Gallin

shook his hand and pointed out such features in

the boy’s room as the flat-screen television that

doubles as a computer monitor and the glowin-the-dark animal footprints on the ceiling.

Four more pediatric patients arrived at their

rooms: Derek Aldona Reyes,Valeria Rivero,

Kathryn Yokoyama, and Nicole Hofhine.

Through the night a couple of them had 

asked, with excitement,“Can we go now?”

“Look at this view!” said Nicole’s mother,

Michelle, gazing out the room’s large window.

“You can see the Children’s Inn right across the

street!” Nicole and her mother had been coming

to the Clinical Center for almost ten years.They

had been there for the groundbreaking and were

happy to finally see the inside of the new hospital.

“THE PATIENT IS ON HIS WAY!”

(above) Neurology unit staff welcome their

first patient, Erias Hyman, with a ribboncutting ceremony. Charley McGarvey,

Rehabilitation Medicine Department (center), joins Hyman's family members (right)

for the mini-celebration.

(left) Housekeeping and Fabric Care team

members Ayida Atsibiha, Woine Hagos,

Zerfe Agraw, and Precious Moko put final

touches on a new unit. 

(below) Dr. John I. Gallin welcomes patient

Marcos Arrieta, the first pediatric patient to

make the move into the new building.
Nicole arranged two stuffed dogs beside her in

bed and smiled at the sight of her very own 

computer keyboard.

The weekend roster of patients had purposely

been kept low, so only 89 patients had to be

moved from the old hospital (six of them from

intensive care). Hundreds of staff, movers, and 

volunteers were on hand to coordinate their

transport.Wearing bright blue “Follow Me to 

the CRC”T-shirts, the moving-day crew moved

furniture, cleaned new work stations, stocked

pharmacy shelves, prepared patients’ meals, translated for non-English-speaking families, reassured

people, or communicated updates from move

headquarters in the Medical Board Room

upstairs. In addition to moving patients they

moved support services for day hospitals, the

pharmacy, nutrition, rehabilitation medicine,

and spiritual ministry.

“Getting to this point has been an adventure—

like climbing Mt. Everest,” said Dr. Gallin to 

those gathered to kick off moving day events.

“It’s been a 12-year hike, and this last thrust may

be short, but we’ll reach an awesome goal.”

The most challenging part of the move was completing it in one day, which was the only realistic

option.“Logistically, we could not split our

patient services between two 

locations,” said Laura Chisholm, a

leader of the relocation task force.

We had to move all of our equipment and patients at the same time.

Thankfully, we had a great team

working together, so it made the

whole move go exceptionally well.”

The move was completed ahead 

of schedule, at 3:38 p.m., but not

without problems.“The facilities

staff did an amazing job,” said

Chisholm.“Throughout the day,

they fixed a broken elevator, tended

to two small floods, built a ramp to allow beds to

travel over a path that had a bump in it, took care

of door access issues, and finished last minute

housekeeping needs.”

Despite the day’s challenges, the mood among

staff, patients, and their families was one of positive excitement. Family members joined doctors

and nurses as they all snapped photos of loved

ones moving into the sparkling new facilities.

Patients shook hands with the movers who had

pushed their beds, and smiled and waved to staff

as their beds progressed down the hallways.

It was also a memorable day for those present,

and a historic day for NIH.“Watching this 

enterprise move forward, watching what you 

do so well,” said Dr. Gallin,“we have made 

history in this house of hope.”

8 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

(photo above) 

The Medical Board

Room served as

move day’s 

communications

and coordination

hub.

photos oposite page

(top right) Phyllis Davis of Barre, Vt., was the

first patient admitted to the new hospital. With

her are Dr. Constantine A. Stratakis, NICHD, her

attending physician; Dr. John I. Gallin, CC 

director; Dr. Stephen G. Kaler, NICHD clinical

director; Dr. Owen M. Rennert, NICHD scientific

director; and Mary Haughey, Davis’s primary

nurse.

(bottom right) The move route included atrium

walkways.

“WE HAVE MADE HISTORY 

IN THIS HOUSE OF HOPE.”

– Dr. John I. Gallin
“WHAT THE DOCTORS LEARN WILL MAKE IT EASIER

FOR OTHERS.” – Phyllis Davis, the hospital’s first new patient

APRIL 3, 2005

FIRST NEW PATIENT ADMITTED

A Vermont resident devoted to helping others was the first new patient admitted 

to the newly opened Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center. Phyllis Davis of

Barre arrived in admissions at 12:04 p.m. on Sunday,April 3.

Davis was participating in a protocol led by Dr. Constantine Stratakis, a clinical

investigator with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Stratakis is studying adrenal tumors and a group of

rare and sometimes difficult to diagnose conditions known collectively as Carney Complex. More than 500 patient volunteers have

participated in the clinical trial since it started in 1994.The goal is to confirm the diagnosis and map the inherited factors involved.

Both aspects of the study, Stratakis explains, can help patients and their physicians better address potential health problems. Serious

complications include a variety of tumors, including tumors of the heart. Davis spent a week at the NIH Clinical Center.The protocol

involves numerous blood draws, MRIs, and other tests. She’ll come back for follow up annually.“I’m doing this for a good reason,”

Davis says.“What the doctors learn will make it easier for others.”
10 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

WHAT THE

PATIENTS

APPRECIATE

MOST

During her stay in a sunny

room on 5 West—on the south

side overlooking the courtyard—

Phyllis Davis had a chance to

explore the hospital, including the

new chapel and the recreation

therapy facilities. She had started 

a project called Precious Gifts of

Love, to provide stuffed animals to

children who survived the 2004

tsunami in Indonesia.“I love working with my hands and have really enjoyed the arts and crafts.

It’s a beautiful building—roomy and airy.”

What all of the patients wanted to keep from the old building was the sense of community, of the

shared memories of generations of patients, of being less lonely because there are other people who

know what you are going through. Many patients like the beauty of the building and gardens and the

presence of so many beautiful nooks, crannies, and open areas to hang out in when you aren’t in

appointments. Pediatric patients and their parents welcome the cheerful décor of the pediatric ward,

the safe and imaginative playground outside, and the fact that the Children’s Inn is a short walk away.

Adult patients like the wood-like floors, which appear clean and make patient rooms look less like

hospital rooms. Everyone loves the bedside computers, which double as a television screen, so that

you can switch from e-mail to TV and back without getting out of bed.

To the extent that a building affects camaraderie, most of the patients agree that the Hatfield building

seems physically brighter, warmer, and more cheerful than the old hospital, with courtyards and other

gathering places to facilitate getting together between tests and appointments with medical staff.

Being able to meet and socialize with patients with different health problems, from different walks of

life and parts of the country, feels like part of the therapy to many of the patients.

Patients who have stayed in the old hospital and the new are struck, on their first visit to the Hatfield

Center, with the spaciousness and natural light.“It’s great that the rooms are larger,’ said Ashley Appell,

a long-term patient with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, who will soon outgrow the pediatric ward.

“This is just like a new home,” said Ashley’s mother, Donna,“and it is a new home for all of us.”

Marybeth Krummenacker, whose college-age daughter Laura has been a patient at the Clinical

Center since she was three, visited the old hospital the same day she saw the new one for the first

time,“I hadn’t realized how crowded and small those rooms are.There seems to be more space in 

the new patient rooms.They seem so open, and I couldn’t get over how cheerful and bright and

sunny it was, anywhere we went—in the labs, in the patient rooms, even the intensive care units.”

“Better not to be sick,” says Dinora Hernandez, a cancer patient from Maryland who spent difficult

time in the old ICU.“But if you’re sick, better for everyone to be in a spacious room.The new 

hospital is wonderful.”

“The CRC feels more spacious than the old hospital—especially in the patient kitchen area on 

each floor,” says Ellen Berty, a diabetes patient.“In the old hospital the space was so small—like a 

small closet—that you had to close the door in order to move around.You could take maybe one

step, and that that was only if you had small feet! Now that area is so much bigger and luxurious.

And having the many different conversational areas and the outside garden is especially nice.”

“THIS IS JUST LIKE A NEW HOME,"... AND IT IS A 

NEW HOME FOR ALL OF US.” – Ashley’s mother, Donna Appell

(above) Patients have enjoyed

seeing the new hospital.

Among those touring after the

dedication ceremony were, 

left to right, front row: patient

and NIH employee Wanda

White, with her hand on the

shoulder of patient Ellen Berty; 

Ashley Appell, patient; Laura

Krummenacker, patient;

Marybeth Krummenacker,

Laura’s mother. Back row:

Tammie Bell (peeking over

Berty’s shoulder), NCI employee

who gave her kidney to Wanda

White; Donna Appell, Ashley's

mother; Pat McNees, author 

of Building 10 at Fifty; Heidi

Hughes, patient; and Heidi’s

mother, Carol Hughes.

(opposite) Patient rooms,

including those in the ICU, 

were built for flexibility and

adaptability. 
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 11

EXPERTISE AND PATIENT CARE VALUED MOST

It isn’t the physical hospital itself that patients value so much as the patient care.

“I feel so confident in the expertise here,” says Leigh Johnson, a retired schoolteacher from

Indianapolis, who came to the Clinical Center for a stem cell transplant—with stem cells from her

brother—as treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).“I’m neutropenic, so I have to stay

away from germs. Here they keep the doors closed and there's a big sign on the door,‘If you have 

a cold or the flu, do not enter.’

“My sense is they are very careful here,” says Johnson.“I’m in a place that knows more about my 

disease than any place anywhere, which is so comforting.And the nursing care is wonderful.”

Todd Wesanen, whose husband Dick was treated for an aggressive form of prostate cancer, concurs.

“When we got to NIH,” she says,“I could have stayed in my husband’s room and taken care of him 

if I had wanted, but there was no need.You push a button and before the buzzer stops they are on

the speaker or they are there, and they come in periodically, to see what you need. The nurses are

totally involved with each patient. They tell you that once they work at the Clinical Center they

don’t want to work anywhere else, because they can actually give the kind of care that, when they 

go to nursing school, they like to think they are going to provide. It’s not like being in the hospital

anywhere else in the country.

“I’ve seen a lot of health care around the world,” says Wesanen,“and at the NIH our dollars are being

spent where they should be spent, and a lot of good is coming from it. I wish that both domestically

and around the world people could understand what’s going on in the Clinical Center, because

everyone is benefiting from it.”

“I FEEL SO CONFIDENT IN THE EXPERTISE HERE.”

– Leigh Johnson

© Alan Karchmer
12 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

Patient gateway provides

security and hospitality 

A special entrance to the NIH

campus opened for patients

and their visitors at the intersection of West Cedar Lane and

West Drive, near the Children’s

Inn. Located just north of the

Hatfield Center, the friendly

new entrance was built to simplify and ease patients’ access to

NIH. Hospitality staff stationed

in the 780-square-foot visitor

processing center provide

directions, answer questions,

and generally help ease the

transition onto campus.The

facility’s security booth and

two vehicle inspection lanes

enable one-stop security

screening.The new visitors’

entrance is open from 7 a.m.

until 3 p.m. weekdays (except

holidays).At other times visitors enter through the NIH

Gateway Center at Metro,

which is located at Rockville

Pike and South Drive.

Kiosks help visitors find their way 

The family group finding its way from the new hospital to the

Blood Bank at the far end of the Clinical Center can now stop at

the nearest visitors kiosk to get directions and a map of the route to

take.The new steel and granite kiosks feature a touch-screen computer and mapping software to help patients and visitors find their

way through the Clinical Center.After locating the desired destination on screen, the family can print out a map showing them how

to get from that kiosk to the Blood Bank, or wherever else they

need to go that day.They can also pick up a courtesy phone, which

automatically dials hospitality staff who are available 6 a.m.-5 p.m.

weekdays for assistance.

Business center provides an office away from home 

The five computers in the Clinical Center’s new business center

help patients and their families keep up with work and personal

responsibilities, which is especially useful during long hospital stays.

Available are Internet connections, telephones, and a combination

printer/copier/FAX.

Located in just inside the front door of the Hatfield Center,

the business center is open Monday through Friday, from 8 to 5.

Hospitality staff and volunteers stationed in the main north lobby 

of the Hatfield Center provide access to the center.
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 13

The healing arts 

The Clinical Center’s art galleries are popular

among patients, visitors, and staff.That a hospital

values such art reflects a shift in thinking about

art’s role in healing.The chief aim of hospital

décor in 1953, when the original Clinical

Center opened, was to convey how clean and

sterile the facilities were.That view began to

shift in the mid-1980s.

Works of original art are displayed in eight

exhibit spaces throughout the Clinical Center.

Many of the pieces are by local artists.Their

work is available for purchase, with 20 percent

of the sale proceeds donated to the Patient

Emergency Fund. Original works are also 

commissioned. Figuring out which art to commission for which space is not always easy.

Finding the right artwork for the curved walls

of the P1 lobby in the new hospital (pictured

above) was a particular challenge.

Art program staff took advantage of the metal

castings installed on the main elevator doors 

(outside Masur Auditorium) when the original

Clinical Center first opened. Designed by

Russian-American artist Vincent Glinksy, the

images depicting symbolic moments in medical

progress had been an important piece of NIH

history since 1953.The dilemma was how to

translate those images into something large

enough to fill the lobby walls without being too

dark or gothic. A wall covering was the final

product, incorporating warm colors and threedimensional images.The printed wall covering

subtly links the old and new buildings.

The Oasis, commissioned for the atrium, also

has special meaning for the hospital.A “Bethesda

pool” at the northern entrance of the original

Clinical Center echoed the symbolism of

Bethesda as a healing place.The original

Bethesda pool was removed in 1984 when the

Ambulatory Care Center (the glass cube) was

built on that site.The artist who designed the

“Oasis” fountain on the ground floor of the

atrium had the same biblical image in mind.

The bridge near the fountain represents one 

of the five porches described in John V of the 

New Testament, the fountain represents the

healing pool, and the palm trees echo the 

biblical theme.

During the summer, the Clinical Center added 

to its arts repertoire a lunchtime music program,

headquartered in the atrium.
14 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

PATIENT ACTIVITY AND SUPPORT

PATIENT ADVISORY GROUP PROVIDES 

INVALUABLE ADVICE

As representatives of the Clinical Center’s key partners in research, members of the Patient

Advisory Group offer frank feedback on major Clinical Center initiatives. In preparation for the

move into the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center and the opening of the Edmond J.

Safra Family Lodge, they provided especially useful recommendations about signage, privacy

needs, computer requirements, handicap access, and food. During 2005, they strongly recommended improving scheduling and shortening wait-times for outpatient services.They urged

fuller patient access to personal medical information and suggested ways to improve patient

access to pharmacy services.They encouraged and fully endorsed the bereavement program 

proposed (and now established) by the Pain and Palliative Care Service (see next page for program details).Their comments on the development of electronic informed-consent documents

for clinical research protocols were very helpful.They helped develop a patient survey to assess

patient perceptions of the physical aspects of the old and new hospital buildings and had suggestions for the pilot program testing biometrics, such as fingerprints, facial geometry, iris or retina

patterns, for patient identification.

Courtyard garden of the 

new hospital. 

© Alan Karchmer
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 15

The Pain and Palliative Care consult service celebrated its fifth year of improving the quality of

life for Clinical Center patients by adding a new bereavement program to help survivors of those

patients who succumb to their health problems.

“We weren’t doing as well as we could with support for bereavement,” says Dr.Ann Berger,

chief of the department. In providing palliative care, Berger’s staff works with resources all 

over the Clinical Center, from social workers and volunteers to therapists with the recreation

department—but there has been no coordinated effort to provide support for bereavement.

Some departments make an effort.They send a card at the time of a patient’s death, they call the

family at various critical times during the first year of bereavement, and especially a year after the

death. “But these groups are on overload,” said Berger.“There was a clear need to centralize the

process.” Berger’s department will provide bereavement support and outreach both to families 

and to other patients affected by a patient’s death.

It is three to six months after a death that the grief often hits, said Berger, and those hit by grief

often don’t know how to recognize or deal with it.The Clinical Center’s bereavement program

will be coordinated by Diane St. Germaine, of the palliative care department, and staffed by

trained volunteers.The training will be provided by Tina Levin, a social worker with the HIV

team, and Jacques Bolle, a nurse with a doctorate in thanatology.

Bereavement support can be provided only if a bereavement consultation is requested by the

principal investigator on a protocol.“We can come in only if called,” explains Berger.

Once the consultation has been requested, a volunteer assigned to the family will arrange for a

card to be signed by everyone who cared for the patient and sent to the family, because families

seem to appreciate that connection with the staff. If after six months there seems to be a risk of

complicated grief, the volunteer will try to help the family member find a bereavement support

group in the community.A call will be made on the one-year anniversary of the death.

The palliative care service will also provide staff education about death, dying, and bereavement.

Patients stay long enough at the Clinical Center that they develop friendships with each other

and with their caregivers. No one is immune from feelings of grief and loss and almost anyone

might need help dealing with those feelings.Yearly memorial services will continue to be held,

one conducted by pediatric oncology staff and one by pain and palliative care staff.

© Alan Karchmer

QUALITY-OF-LIFE TEAM DEVELOPS BEREAVEMENT

PROGRAM FOR SURVIVORS

The chapel in the new hospital. 
16 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

HOME STATES OF ALL ACTIVE CLINICAL CENTER PATIENTS 

Patients come to NIH from 

every corner of America seeking

answers to their scientific and

medical questions. Finding these

answers through leading-edge

clinical research is the sole 

mission of the NIH Clinical

Center, guiding all of its activity.

0-99

100-499

500-1,999

2,000-9,999

10,000 +

WA

660 MT

123

ID

179 WY

60

OR

388

CA

2654

NV

188 UT

430

CO

561

AZ

523

NM

257

AK

116

HI

100

TX

1758

OK

353

KS

339

NE

187

SD

73

ND

69

IA

288

MO

613

AR

219

LA

573

IL

1224

WI

668

MN

592

MI

1297

IN

779

OH

1555

MS

261

AL

417 GA

1239

SC

743

NC

1574

TN

700

KY

550

FL

2979

VA

14105

WV

856

PA

3855

NY

3330

ME

235

VT 128

NH 189

MA 1085

RI 133

CT 662

NJ 2017

DE 466

MD 33342

DC 6946
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 17

WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION

PATIENT ACTIVITY

The Clinical Center has 

a staff of about 2,000.

Roughly 80% of the 

Clinical Center’s employees

work with patients, as the 

following exhibit shows.

Another 18% work in 

administration and operations.

Nursing & patient care/support services 40% 

Administrative & operations 18%

Clinical departments & 

imaging sciences departments 42% 

•

•

•

Admissions

New patients 

Inpatient days

Average length of stay

Outpatient visits

03

04

05

2.4% increase

4.7% decrease

4.1% increase

9.5% decrease

7.6% increase

0.1% decrease

7.6% increase

3.5% increase

9.4% increase

2.8% decrease

03

04

05

03

04

05

03

04

05

03

04

05

6,782

6,944 

6,619

10,314

10,733

9,718

53,725

57,783 

57,718

7.9 days

8.5 days

8.8 days

98,769

108,078

105,004
18 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

The Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge at NIH—

a home away from home for families and caregivers of patients receiving care at the Clinical

Center—opened for guests on June 1.A major

project of the Foundation for the National

Institutes of Health, the lodge represents the 

culmination of a decade-long dream of Clinical

Center employees. “Each day we are privileged

to work with the extraordinary guests of the lodge.

It has become a home to many guests who have

forged lasting friendships and a retreat to those

who need a quite place to rest,” said Jan Weymouth,

the lodge’s executive director.The lodge has 

provided a much-needed home for those in 

need and financial relief for families, who stay in

the lodge at no cost. It is especially important for

patients whose protocols require longer stays at NIH.

Ground was broken on October 29, 2002,

and construction on the lodge began in 2003.

Contributions of $5 million from The Edmond 

J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation helped fund 

the Family Lodge and gardens. Other contributors included the Merck Company foundation,

the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation,

GlaxoSmithKline, and The Harry and Jeanette

Weinberg Foundation, along with many other

corporations, foundations, and individuals.

Built in the English Arts and Crafts style, the 

Safra Family Lodge provides a home-like retreat,

offering space for solitude, family meetings, and

supportive fellowship.The lodge features—in 

addition to 34 guest rooms—a library, a business

and telecommuting center, a fitness center, a 

EDMOND J. SAFRA FAMILY LODGE OPENS

LODGE OFFERS HOME-LIKE RETREAT
spacious kitchen in which to cook homemade

meals, and comfortable social and sitting areas—

including quiet places in the garden.

Opening ceremonies

At a dedication and opening ceremonies held

May 26, celebrities, politicians, donors, and NIH

administrators and staff gathered to mark the 

formal dedication and opening of the lodge.

Barbara Harrison, news anchor for WRC-TV

NBC 4, moderated the ceremony. Speakers 

were Dr. Charles A. Sanders, chairman of the

board of directors for the Foundation for the

NIH; Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of NIH;

Hon. Paul G. Rogers; Mrs. Lily Safra; and 

Dr. John I. Gallin.

“The Clinical Center had a dream,” said Gallin,

explaining how the Safra Lodge developed from

plan to reality.“The dream was to create a refuge

for patient families—to relieve the stress of dealing with a severely ill loved one far from home.”

In response to a growing need for guest quarters

for the families of patients, the Foundation for

the National Institutes of Health coordinated the

project. Families of Clinical Center patients had

been staying in family homes or hotels while

they waited for a loved one to complete treatment, but the distance and cost took its toll on

families.The idea of an on-campus guesthouse

was proposed and put into action in 1996 in the

form of six apartments in an NIH campus building (which was soon torn down to make way for

the Hatfield Center).“The guest house was an

instant success. It was fully occupied and proved

the need for a home away from home for

patients and their families.This place represents a

powerful statement of our renewed commitment

to our patients.”

“From personal experience, when a loved one

becomes sick, the world narrows,” said Mrs. Lily

Safra, widow of financier and philanthropist

Edmond J. Safra, who suffered from Parkinson’s

disease.“Caring for them becomes not the most

important goal, but the only goal.The lodge 

will help us ensure that every patient at NIH

will feel loved and cared for by the most 

important people in the world—their families.”

“How graceful, welcoming, and reassuring to

have this building here,” said the Honorable 

Paul G. Rogers, a former Florida congressman

(1955-1978) who is well known for his support

of government funding for scientific research.

Rogers praised the public/private partnership

(above) Mrs. Lily Safra at 

the dedication ceremony. 

With her are the Honorable

Paul Rogers, who served in

Congress for 24 years, and

Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, NIH

director.

(left) A quiet corner of the 

garden.

(opposite page) The Safra

Family Lodge provides 

space for family meetings 

and supportive fellowship.
that made construction of the lodge possible.

“When you need solitude, you will find it at the

Safra Lodge,” said Zerhouni.“When you need to

gather with others who share your pain, you 

will be able to do it at the Safra Lodge.”

“This project had a heart,” says Jan Weymouth,

executive director of the lodge.“It is not 

just a building, but a living, breathing place.”

For many, the construction and opening of 

the lodge became a labor of love.“For all of 

us, it was an opportunity to build something

important—a place with longevity and an 

important mission.”

20 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

(top) The lodge includes a

kitchen for families.

(above) The lodge is built in the

English Arts and Crafts style.

(right) Families have a place 

to relax together.
“THIS PROJECT HAD A HEART.” – Jan Weymouth
Visitors from all over the world

and from all walks of life come

to tour Mark O. Hatfield

Clinical Research Center, a

global model for bench-tobedside medical research.

In the last year alone, more

than 1,700 people participated

in 116 tours of the NIH

Clinical Center. A cadre of 

volunteer ambassadors from

throughout the CC help lead

the tours, which are typically

coordinated by Hospitality

Services, in the CC Office 

of Workforce Planning and

Organizational Development.

(top, right) Prince Charles and his wife,

the Duchess of Cornwall, visited last 

fall for a briefing on osteoporosis. The

Duchess, who heads Britain’s National

Osteoporosis Society, said her “mother

and grandmother died as a result of

this devastating disease.” An enthusiastic crowd of patients, visitors, and

staff warmly welcomed the royal couple.

Greeting them are Surgeon General

Richard H. Carmona (left) and CC

Director Dr. John I. Gallin (right). 

VISITORS SEE THE NIH CLINICAL CENTER

22 • ANNUAL REPORT 2005
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 23

(left) President George W. Bush 

was at the Clinical Center early in 2005 

to conduct a discussion of health-care 

alternatives. With the President are 

Dr. Michael Gottesman, NIH deputy 

director of intramural research; Dr. John 

I. Gallin, CC director; Dr. Andrew von

Eschenbach, NCI director; Dr. Elias

Zerhouni, NIH director; and Maryland 

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. 

(opposite page, center) Students and

staff from the Arthur Ashe Academy

(Brooklyn) came to learn more about

careers in science and medicine. 

(opposite page, bottom) Legendary

composer Marvin Hamlisch gave a

special holiday performance at the

Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge in

December. “Opening this lodge is one

of the best ideas and most beneficial

projects I could imagine,” said

Hamlisch. 

(left) The Maryland Terrapins baseball

team with pediatric patients Amy

Knopfmacher (left) and Valeria Rivero,

on one of their CC visits. 

(right) Author Kay Redfield Jamison

spoke during an author-patient 

dialogue presented by the Patient

Library. Dr. Jamison shared candid

stories from her personal battle 

with depression.
Clinical studies are medical research studies (or

protocols) in which human volunteers participate.

Clinical trials are studies developing or investigating new treatments and medications for diseases

and conditions. Natural history studies investigate

normal human biology and the development of 

a particular disease. Screening studies determine if

individuals may be suitable candidates for inclusion in a particular study. Training studies provide

an opportunity for staff physicians and other

healthcare professionals to follow particular types

of patients.

Clinical trials proceed through four phases 

Phase I: Researchers test a new drug or 

treatment for the first time in a small 

group (20–80) of people to evaluate 

its safety, determine a safe dosage 

range, and identify side effects.

Phase II: The study drug or treatment is given 

to a larger group (100–300) of people

to see if it is effective and to further 

evaluate its safety.

Phase III: The study drug or treatment is given 

to large groups of people (3,000 or 

more) to confirm its effectiveness,

monitor side effects, compare it with

commonly used treatments, and collect

information that will ensure safe usage.

Phase IV: These studies are done after the drug 

or treatment has been marketed.

Researchers continue to collect information about the effect of the drug or

treatment in various populations and 

to determine any side effects from 

long-term use.

24 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

ADVANCING CLINICAL RESEARCH

Total active protocols: 1,357

Clinical trials: 593 (44%)

Training: 34 (2%)

Screening: 64 (4%) 

Natural history (disease pathogenesis): 660 (49%)

Note: Six protocols (1%) are for NIH specimens only

•

•

•

•

Total clinical trials: 593

Phase I: 203 (34%) 

Phase II: 324 (55%)

Phase III: 44 (7%)

Phase IV: 22 (4%)

•

•

•

•

PROTOCOLS BY RESEARCH TYPE

(onsite intramural protocols, fiscal year 2005)

Breakdown of clinical trials
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 25

CLINICAL CENTER LEADS STUDY OF VIRTUAL COLONOSCOPY 

Computer-aided detection software, in conjunction with a procedure commonly called virtual

colonoscopy, can deliver results comparable to conventional colonoscopy for detecting the most

worrisome types of polyps, according to a study led by Dr. Ronald M. Summers, senior investigator and staff radiologist in the Clinical Center’s diagnostic radiology department. Published in

Gastroenterology (December 2005), the study was presented at the November 2005 annual meeting

of the Radiological Society of North America.

A minimally invasive radiological procedure, virtual colonoscopy, uses a CT scan to create twoand three-dimensional images of the colon, so there is no need for sedation or insertion of a

colonoscope, although a full bowel prep is still required.The process produces 600 to 1,000

images, which a radiologist interprets. Computer-aided polyp detection software serves as a second set of eyes, identifying sites that warrant closer inspection.The radiologist reviews these sites

before making a final diagnosis. Initial studies with computer-aided detection are very encouraging.“The fact that this worked so well on a large number of patients indicates that this is a robust

technique,” says Dr. Summers.“We believe it will work well in clinical practice, but more testing

in the clinical environment still is needed.”

Dr. Ronald M. Summers

led a multi-site study of

virtual colonoscopy.

MINORITY INVOLVEMENT A MATTER OF ACCESS, NOT ATTITUDE

It is widely claimed that racial and ethnic minorities are less willing than others to participate in health research, partly out of distrust based on past research abuses. Notable among such

abuses was the 1932-1972 Tuskegee syphilis study, funded by the Public Health Service, in which

hundreds of poor African American men in Alabama were followed for decades without being

told they had syphilis and without being given penicillin to treat it.

But a new study led by researchers in the Clinical Center’s department of clinical bioethics shows

that when minorities are given the opportunity to participate in health research, they do so at 

the same rate as non-Hispanic whites.“The main barrier probably is not the attitudes of African

Americans and other minorities,” says Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, chair of the department and an author

of the report.“The main barrier is access, knowledge that these studies exist, eligibility criteria 

that ensure minorities can participate, and overcoming logistical barriers,” such as the location of

the study or the need for child care.

These findings counter the widely held notion that minorities are less willing to participate and

led the researchers to suggest that minority involvement is more a matter of access than attitude.

The study was published online December 6, 2005, in the medical journal PLoS Medicine,

published by the Public Library of Science.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel 

co-authored a study 

that produced surprising

findings about minorities

and health research. 
AWARDS FOR IMPROVING

OUTREACH TO HISPANIC

PATIENTS 

José Rosado-Santiago, of the social 

work department, and Dinora Dominguez,

of the patient recruitment and public 

liaison office, were two of seven recipients

of the NIH Hispanic Health Communications

Initiative Award given by the NIH Office 

of Communications and Public Liaison.

The two were recognized for their longtime

volunteer service to the Hispanic Health

Communications Initiative. Implemented in

1997, the initiative is designed to promote

health and reduce health disparities in 

underserved Hispanic communities.

Rosado-Santiago had represented NIH at 

a series of Hispanic health fairs, distributing

NIH and Clinical Center health education

materials and speaking with Hispanic families.

Dominguez was honored for her participation

in a series of local and national radio broadcasts held annually, in which she has informed

listeners about the importance of Hispanics

participating in clinical trials.“I am glad to

work in an agency that is continually striving

to excel in the production of high-quality

Spanish-language materials and in reaching

out to minorities,” says Rosado-Santiago.

26 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006 © Alan Karchmer
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 27

STRENGTHENING CLINICAL CARE 

The Clinical Center presented its first Patient Safety Champion Award to the nursing and

patient care staff of 3 East.The award will be given annually to individuals or teams demonstrating

a sustained commitment to creating and maintaining a safe environment for patients.

The 3 East unit uses a philosophy of “supportive care” to help children throughout the research

process in the acute care pediatric behavioral health program.As a result of the staff’s actions,

injuries to both patients and staff, and incidents that resulted in placing patients in seclusion or

restraints, were reduced by 70 percent over the course of six months. Dr. John I. Gallin presented

the award on March 10, as part of the Clinical Center’s observance of National Patient Safety Week.

Front row: Teachers Ann Davidson and Susan Job and nurses Patricia Evans, Julia Mitchell, Danielle

Gabrielle, and Diane Lawrence.

Back row: Dr. Julia Tossell, Ann Mulqueen, Christian Mbulu, Dr. Gallin, Georganne Kuberski, Andre Caple,

Tom Houston, Dr. Ken Towbin, and Camille Grigg. Mulqueen, Kuberski, Houston, and Grigg are nurses. 

Nbulu and Caple are behavior health technicians. Drs. Tossell and Towbin are with NIMH.

AWARD FOR CHAMPIONING PATIENT SAFETY 

During its first year in operation, CRIS, the Clinical Center's powerful new Clinical

Research Information System, has been invaluable in supporting patient care.A 2006 upgrade 

of this core system will provide new options for organizing and viewing data and expanded

capability for clinical documentation. CRIS’s next phase includes creation of a data warehouse

to improve the availability of clinical information for research.

Numerous smaller systems feed information to CRIS, and work has continued on those components.A new web-based scheduling system was introduced in December.The clinical laboratory

system has been significantly enhanced, a project that involved the Departments of Laboratory

Medicine,Transfusion Medicine, and Anatomic Pathology.Work is under way on new surgical

and pharmacy systems.

EXPANDING CRIS

PARTNERS TEAMS

The move to the Hatfield

Center reduced the number 

of patient care units from 22 

to 13. Partners Teams consisting

of a nurse manager, at least one

institute clinical leader, and a

hospital administrative officer

were created to manage governance for each patient care

unit.The Partners Teams

planned final facility and 

equipment changes, clinical

operations for the new units,

and hospital activation.Teams

also assisted in the move of

patients from the old hospital

to the new. Partners Teams will

continue to manage operations,

patient care, and interdisciplinary functions within the

patient care units now that we

have moved. In addition, a

relocation task force analyzed

all clinical and support department operations to identify

possible impacts of the move

and produced new concept of

operations plans for each

department.
28 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

DISASTER PLANNING AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

(above) Volunteers from NIH and

Duke set up a field hospital in a

hangar in Meridian, Miss. 

(below) NIH director Dr. Elias

Zerhouni and CC director Dr.

John Gallin (center) met with the

NIH group that left Sept. 4 to set

up the Mississippi hospital. 

Emergency response to Gulf Coast 

hurricanes 

Back-to-back hurricanes (Katrina and Rita)

on the nation’s Gulf Coast in August and

September produced the worst natural disaster 

in U.S. history. Even before the true extent of

destruction was known, Clinical Center staff

were lining up to help in any way possible 

and played major roles in implementing NIH

responses.

A hospital in Mississippi

Sixty volunteers from across NIH and the

Clinical Center, plus a contingent from Duke

University, were deployed to set up a 500-bed

federal medical contingency station (FMCS) in

the airplane hangar of the Air National Guard 

in Meridian, Mississippi.

The volunteers included medical, logistical,

information technology, facility management,

and security personnel.“The volunteers were

enthusiastic and ready to commit,” said Dr.

Pierre Noel, chief of Laboratory Medicine’s

hematology service and the group’s medical

director.“Our hospital’s goal was to provide 

care for patients who are actively sick or acutely

injured.”The challenge was to set up a hospital

containing 500 beds in 24 hours.“This could

not have been done without the dedication 

and support of the combined staff of 180,” said

CAPT Elaine Ayres, team leader and the Clinical

Center’s assistant director for ethics and technology development.The FMCS in Meridian was

staffed by the NIH/Duke team and three other

teams of PHS officers, some from NIH.

The need for the hospital in Meridian didn’t

materialize, because hospitals in the region were

getting back up and running, so most volunteers

headed home September 10. But the deployment to Mississippi “gave us the opportunity to

better understand how best to use this type of

resource in the future,” said Ayres.“We learned

many lessons, so the exercise was instructive,”

said Ayres.The Clinical Center has a supply

team and a system for routinely putting supplies

away, for example, but in that hangar the volunteers had to create a system for storing and

keeping track of supplies.

“We also had a chance to look at staffing models

in an emergency operation, which is different

from running a hospital day to day,” said Ayres.

“We got a sense of the different kinds of people

we would need. Frankly, many of the patients

the Meridian station was going to take were not

as ill as the patients we take here but we also

had to figure out what to do with the family

members who come with the patients. So we

worked out issues in the field that we might 

one day have here.”

Surge capacity

In addition to efforts in the Gulf region, the

Clinical Center created capacity to accept up to

100 patients and their family members from the

affected areas. In addition, working through the

Association of American Medical Colleges, NIH

Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni got in touch with

medical school deans across the country, and 201

institutions identified more than 1,000 potential

volunteers. NIH physicians contacted colleagues in

academia and professional organizations such as

the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the

Society of Critical Care Medicine, and those partners stood ready to support any needs that arose.
Call Center for medical support 

The Clinical Center established an around-theclock call center for medical consultation and

referrals, which was available 7 days a week.

Between September 3 and September 28, it 

handled 446 calls. Dozens of staff volunteers

answered and triaged calls to medical experts

from throughout NIH. Often the callers were

patients and family members from Louisiana and

Mississippi devastated first by Katrina and then

by Rita. Staff volunteers worked tirelessly to

provide information and assistance to callers

with nowhere else to turn.

“Most people were amazed to get a real human

being on the phone,” said nurse-practitioner

Kathie Bronson of her experience in the call

center.“They were so grateful for anything we

were able to do to help. It’s nice to know that

you can reach out from here at NIH and help in

a meaningful way.”

Corps deployments

On Sunday afternoon,August 28, as Katrina

developed into a category-four storm heading

for the southern coast, ADM John Babb of the

Commissioned Corps’ Office of Forced

Readiness and Deployment called for deployment of the first team from the Commissioned

Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.The

corps maintains a heavy presence at NIH with

400 NIH commissioned officers, 111 of them

Clinical Center employees. Before the storm

hit, members of Team Alpha—30 local members

of the corps plus eight employees of the Center

for Disease Control in Atlanta—traveled directly

into the hurricane’s path so they would be on

the ground and ready to help when and where

they were needed most.

Local partners in emergency 

preparedness

In September 2005, Dr. John I. Gallin, director

of the Clinical Center, Rear Admiral Adam

Robinson, Jr., commander of the National Naval

Medical Center, and Brian Gragnolati, president

and chief executive officer of Suburban Hospital

Healthcare System, signed a memorandum of

understanding that military, federal, and privatesector hospitals would streamline and integrate

their responses to disasters.

The partners have developed streamlined communications procedures, strategies for resource

sharing, and the ability to free up beds to

accommodate patients from Suburban and Navy.

Preparedness drills provide the opportunity to

test, under fairly realistic circumstances, how well

these newly designed processes actually work.

More than 4,000 people participated in the

2005 drill.

NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 29

(above) CC staff answering and

triaging calls in the NIH Call

Center included Dinora

Dominguez, Laura Lee, Dora

Bell, Nancy Jenkins, Debra

Byram, Dr. Fred Gill, and Kathie

Bronson.

(below) A volunteer-victim who

has arrived at the Clinical Center

is comforted by nurse Maureen

Kennedy during the 2005 

disaster drill.
30 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

STRENGTHENING SUPPORT FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH

Bench-to-bedside awards encourage 

intramural-extramural collaboration 

Consistent with campuswide efforts to foster 

collaboration in research, the bench-to-bedside

awards program is being expanded to include 

for the first time extramural partners. Intramural

investigators local to the NIH campus are

encouraged to identify a university-based 

extramural researcher with an NIH grant related

to the general subject of the bench-to-bedside

proposal. If the clinical investigator is from the

intramural program, the basic science investigator

could be from extramural NIH (or vice versa).

Projects with intramural and extramural partners

will have priority as a result of this new opportunity.

Support for these awards is $3.1 million from

the NIH Office of Rare Diseases, the Office 

of AIDS Research, the Office of Research 

on Women’s Health, the National Center on

Minority and Health Disparities, and the

National Center for Research Resources.

Online system for reporting medical errors

Finding ways to monitor and strengthen patient

safety is especially important in clinical research.

Because of its mission, the Clinical Center has a

robust infrastructure that makes it an appealing

“laboratory” in which to study the processes of

patient care and clinical research. So it was a

logical place to evaluate the efficacy of a Webbased occurrence reporting system for detecting

and managing medical errors.

“The occurrence reporting system lets us know

what is happening in the hospital in real-time,”

says Laura Lee, special assistant to the deputy

director for clinical care.“A great example of

how this system helps us to identify problems

happened when we started using a new device

to draw blood.The product had a design flaw

and the nurses used the ORS to report this

problem.Within one day we had received so

many reports that we knew something was

wrong and took immediate action to correct the

problem. If the nurses hadn’t had this tool to

report what was happening it might have taken

us a week to know about and act on the situation.We also use the system to recognize staff

who provide outstanding service and care. Staff

are encouraged to report these ‘occurrences of

kindness.’”

Redesign of the system brought about a significant, sustained increase in event reporting. Users

found it much easier to have an interactive system,

with immediate online access to event status and

immediate access to follow-up information.

Reporting soared from 500 reports each year to

over 5,000 reports annually.And the Clinical

Center was able to identify nearly 20 epidemiological clusters of adverse events related to medications and prescriptions, new devices, and 

care-delivery processes. Performance improvement teams intervened and follow-up data

showed significant improvement in all the clusters and only one instance of an event recurring

during six months of follow up.This is a great

new tool for reducing medical errors.

Disseminating ProtoType

ProtoType, the new Web-based tool introduced

in 2004 to help author and manage protocols,

provides clinical investigators with a standard

protocol structure, online help, and cassettes of

suggested language. This helps investigators put

their ideas for new protocols into the proper

format for satisfying regulations and facilitating

review. Enhancements to ProtoType in 2005

included greatly improved reference management and better capability for cutting and pasting text from word processing documents.The

Informed Consent Steering Committee used

ProtoType to create a question-based tool for

helping to write protocol consent documents.

ProtoType is now used in several institutes and

several others are considering its use.The tool

could eventually become a standard for writing

protocol consents in NIH’s intramural program.
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 31

Many of today’s movies include cast members

made of pixels and digital data.The digital technology that makes such animation possible is also

changing the lives of real human beings. And it is

helping the Clinical Center take the lead in an

important area of clinical research: movement

analysis, the study of how a person’s body moves

in performing daily activities such as walking or

climbing stairs.

Movement analysis helps digital artists design

characters for video games.Analyzing how a 

baseball player throws a ball can help improve 

his pitch; analyzing how a tennis player controls

his muscles can help improve his swing.At the

Clinical Center, the technology helps adults and

children who have problems that affect joint

motion or their muscles’ ability to control 

movement.

The Physical Disabilities Branch, a joint venture

between the Clinical Center and the National

Institute of Child Health and Human

Development (NICHD), houses the clinical

movement analysis laboratory used for this specialized research.The lab is designed for three

things: conducting research, conducting clinical

trials that help a patient or health-care provider

develop a rehabilitation plan, and educating other

clinicians about how to apply this science and

technology to their own studies.

Constructed specifically for movement analysis,

the movement analysis lab on the first floor of the

Hatfield Center contains both sophisticated

equipment (including infrared video cameras and

powerful computers) and a specialized floor with

built-in force plates that enable computer

enhanced analysis of movement.

When a patient steps on the force plate, it records

the force that the foot exerts on the ground,

allowing researchers to study the relationship

between force and movement.“This technology

is unique to the world,” says Dr. Steven Stanhope,

director of the Physical Disabilities Branch.

Adding the patient’s force measurements to 

the data from the camera recordings gives

researchers a complete picture of the patient’s

movement.“The possibilities for how we can

put this technology to good use are endless,”

says Karen Siegel, a senior staff specialist in the

rehab medicine department.“We can study the

effects of cancer when a bone has been

removed or a muscle has been damaged, we can

learn more about rheumatoid arthritis or postpolio conditions.”With braces or prosthetics,

it used to be trial and error—trying first one,

then another, to see which worked best.“Now

we can skip all of that and recommend the

ideal treatment from the beginning,” she says.

REHAB MEDICINE 

INAUGURATES MOVEMENT 

ANALYSIS LAB 

Patient Brianne Schwantes

(center) helps celebrate the

opening of the new lab 

with Dr. Steven Stanhope, 

Dr. John I. Gallin, Karen Siegel,

and Dr. Lynn Gerber. 
Training a clinical research workforce

Training in clinical research is important if the

nation is to build the workforce needed to

explore opportunities for medical advances.

By building an infrastructure for clinical research

training on NIH’s main campus, the Clinical

Center has helped not only to train its own

clinician-scientists but also to address the nationwide shortage of training opportunities for medical

and dental students, physicians in formal residency

and fellowship training programs, nurses,

pharmacists, and allied health professionals. It 

is a top Clinical Center priority to train clinical

researchers in the responsibilities of planning 

and conducting clinical research and to increase

the pool of clinical researchers with expertise in

various specialties.

The Clinical Center’s Office of Clinical Research

Training and Medical Education, established 

in May 2003 and directed by Dr. Frederick

Ognibene, is responsible for developing, administering, and evaluating clinical research training

and medical education initiatives.Through 

distance education, the NIH Clinical Center

increasingly exports its clinical research training

programs throughout the United States and the

world. Students in a convenient time zone can

participate through live teleconferencing. Students

also participate in the courses through archived

content—available through a Webcast or a

DVD—from as far away as Singapore, Seoul

(South Korea), Bergen (Norway), and Rabat

(Morocco, our newest partnership).The courses

offered in the curriculum include:

• Introduction to the principles and 

practice of clinical research 

• Ethical and regulatory aspects of 

clinical research 

• Clinical research training, and 

• Principles of clinical pharmacology 

In 2005, 4,542 students participated in the 

courses, with 3,388 students using distancelearning technology.

32 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION 

2005 was the third year of the Clinical Investigator Trainee (CIST)

Forum.The forum is designed to inform medical and dental students who have expressed an interest in clinical research about both

the excitement and the realities of clinical research—and to encourage

them to become the next generation of clinical researchers.About

250 students in a mentored clinical or translational research program

attended the November 2005 forum.There they learned, among

other things, how mid-career and well-known panelists established

their careers and balance their personal lives with the profession’s

demands.

Participants included Howard Hughes Medical Institute scholars (Cloister) and fellows (nonCloister); Doris Duke Clinical Research Program medical students; National Center for Research

Resources/GRC students in year-long research programs; Sarnoff Endowment for Cardiovascular

science fellows; Fogarty International Center-Ellison Foundation fellows; and fellows in the NIH

Clinical Research Training Program for medical and dental students.

(from left) With Dr. John I. Gallin,

CC director, are Albert Einstein

College of Medicine students

Kristen Thorstenson, Ashley

Holder, and Daniel Schreeder,

and Dr. Frederick P. Ognibene,

director of the CC Office of

Clinical Research Training and

Medical Education.

CLINICAL INVESTIGATOR STUDENT TRAINEE FORUM 

National Institute of Child

Health and Human

Development researcher 

Dr. Lynnette Nieman was

named the 2005 Distinguished

Clinical Teacher. She was 

recognized as an exemplary

clinical mentor and outstanding teacher who played an

important role in the professional development of clinical

fellows.
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 33

TEAMWORK 

Rockville Pike was just a three-lane road in 1955, when housekeeping aid Clifford Thomas began working

at NIH after being honorably discharged from the Army as a member of the infantry at Ft. Meade.“I used 

to drive by and see NIH and I wondered if I could get a job there,” says Thomas, now 75.

He was offered a job as a housekeeping aid, and has worked in various places across NIH ever since. In May

2005, he received his 50-year pin and a handshake from HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt and NIH Director

Dr. Elias Zerhouni on May 25, at the HHS Secretary’s Departmental Honor Awards.

“Mr.Thomas is a very rare person,” says Henry D. Primas, chief of the Clinical Center’s Housekeeping &

Fabric Care Department.“He’s very dependable, having a large cache of sick leave that he seldom uses,

and if he says he’s going to do something, he does it. He gets along with everyone, puts in a full day’s work,

and is very pleasant and courteous.”

Thomas, who is assigned to on the Clinical Center director’s floor, was asked by the director’s staff to follow them to the Hatfield

Center.“Mr. Clifford is one of those exceptional people who distinguish themselves through their actions and reliability,” says 

Dr. John I. Gallin.“He’s remarkably dedicated, efficient, and pleasant. His work ethic and values are greatly appreciated.”

Glad that he has a job and is able to work,Thomas has no plans to retire.“I never even think about it.”

THOMAS HONORED WITH HHS AWARD

The Clinical Center named Dr.Andrew Wilson chief of the pharmacy department in October.Wilson had

directed pharmacy services at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals (MCV) in Richmond since 1998.

At MCV Wilson led the professional, clinical, operational, and administrative pharmacy for a 700-bed teaching

hospital, including its ambulatory clinics, a home-infusion and specialty-services pharmacy, and four large 

outpatient pharmacies. He managed a staff of 160, an expense budget of $53 million, and a revenue budget 

of $116.5 million.

“When you think of what this job entails, it’s a 360-degree approach,” he says of the Clinical Center position.“There’s patient care, research, and customer service. It’s about meeting a professional standard that is 

second to none. It’s also about becoming part of the most prestigious group of medical researchers, practitioners,

and caregivers in the world.Am I excited? Yes, I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t!”

In 1996,Wilson was named a fellow of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. He maintains an active interest in the

education and training of pharmacists, serving on editorial boards for several national pharmacy publications. He had also served as

associate dean for institutional programs and associate professor of pharmacy practice in the Virginia Commonwealth University

School of Pharmacy. Before his MCV appointment, he served 10 years as the director of pharmacy services at Saint Louis University

Hospital in Missouri.

“Everything I’ve done has involved a multifaceted approach,” he said.“Cost-containment strategies, the implementation of new pharmacy electronic information systems, and, with the implementation of automation and robotics—are all significant technical advances

with which I have had experience. But that’s only part of it.These technologies all have to be integrated with the basic recognition

that the ultimate driver is people.And NIH clinical care, which is people-based, has always been a step above the rest.”

WILSON NAMED NEW CHIEF OF PHARMACY

Clifford Thomas with 

the NIH director.

Dr. Andrew Wilson came

to the CC in October.
34 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

Naomi Lynn Hurwitz Gerber, MD, has a 

single-spaced 19-page curriculum vitae,“and

there is not a bit of fluff to it,” said her colleague

CAPT Charles McGarvey at her retirement 

party. Gerber’s distinguished medical career 

and 30-year tenure at NIH have made her an

internationally recognized researcher in 

rehabilitation science and chronic illness.

Gerber first came to NIH in 1962, as a summer

research fellow in the lab of Nobel Prize winner

Marshall Nirenberg.“I was working with the

who’s who of biomedical research,” she says.

“It was one wonder after another! After that lifechanging experience I decided,‘I have to do

something with my life. I have to fashion my life

in such a way that I can, in one way or another,

work in an exciting area.’ Coming to NIH was

the fulfillment of a dream. Not only when I

arrived, but every step along the way.”

She earned an undergraduate degree from 

Smith College and a medical degree from Tufts

University School of Medicine and did her 

residency at the New England Medical Center,

before joining NIH as a clinical associate in the

arthritis and rheumatism branch of the National

Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive

Diseases (now the National Institute of Arthritis

and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIAMS).

In 1973, she completed her fellowship in

rheumatology.

One of many at NIH who noticed her hard

work and tenacity was Roger Black, acting

director of the Clinical Center. He was looking

for someone to be chief of rehabilitation medicine and asked Gerber if she wanted to give it a

try. She began a residency in physical medicine

and rehabilitation at George Washington

University Medical Center in 1975 and stepped

into the role of chief in 1976.

She changed the way the department of rehabilitation medicine interacted with other departments and with clinical studies. For one thing,

she developed new ways to measure a patient’s

quality of life after diagnosis or treatment. She

asked,“What makes a treatment successful?” at 

a time when many scientists defined the answer

by whether the patient died or lived. Gerber

proposed judging success not just by whether

the patient lived but with what quality of life

and function, even if measured subjectively.

At the time, Dr. Steven Rosenberg, chief 

of surgical oncology in the National Cancer

Institute, was studying sarcoma, a solid tumor of

the extremities.“He was trying to determine

which treatment—amputation or a limb-sparing

procedure—would result in a better prognosis,”

says Gerber.“My question was, how could one

decide without measuring functional parameters?

We helped them assess function (limb swelling,

insensitivity, time to return to usual activity),

which helped realign their original surgical

plan.”

Because of her collaborations with various institutes, they provided support for something she

never expected—her own clinical laboratory.

In the mid-1980s rehab medicine installed a 

biomechanics lab to study human motion.

An even more sophisticated lab for measuring

muscle strength, mobility, and effectiveness in

everyday activities opened recently on the 

first floor of the Hatfield Center (see story 

on page 31).

LYNN GERBER, RETIRING FULL SPEED AHEAD 

Dr. Lynn Gerber
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 35

Dr. Arthur J. Atkinson, senior advisor in

clinical pharmacology, retired after eight years

at the Clinical Center. His relationship with NIH

dates back to 1965, when he worked in NIAID as

a clinical associate. In 1997, as an expert consultant

for the National Institute of General Medical

Sciences, he was charged with assessing NIH’s

proposed intramural training program in clinical

pharmacology.After completing his study, he was

offered the position from which he retired, directing the ClinPRAT postdoctoral training program

and the Clinical Center course on Principles of

Clinical Pharmacology.

“I wanted trainees to have the same wonderful experience I had as a clinical associate,” said Atkinson. Under his leadership, enrollment increased from 180 students to

500, 34 lectures were given, and a website was created to provide access to syllabus

materials and videotapes of the lectures.The program is broadcast in classrooms at

UCLA, Indiana University, and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

In March Atkinson was awarded the Oscar B. Hunter Memorial Award in

Therapeutics from the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and

Therapeutics (ASCPT) for his work applying mathematical principles to individual

drug therapy and dosage.

He studied chemistry at Harvard College, got his medical degree from Cornell

University, and interned and took residency training at Massachusetts General

Hospital. He did postdoctoral training in clinical pharmacology at the University of

Cincinnati before taking a post as visiting scientist in the Department of Toxicology

of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. In 1970, he started the program in clinical

pharmacology at Northwestern University Medical School, before leaving to be

corporate vice president for Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at the 

pharmaceutical giant, Upjohn Company.

ART ATKINSON RETIRES

In 1995 she started a foot clinic, bringing

together several specialists who would meet

with one patient at a time, analyze the problem,

and brainstorm for remedies.

“Dr. Gerber listens carefully to what patients

have to say,” says Karen Siegel, a senior staff specialist in rehab medicine.“Her patients feel that

their functional level and quality of life are the

result of the care she has provided them.”

Gerber and her colleagues treat many patients

with chronic conditions, which means they

often form lifelong friendships. Many of her

osteogenesis imperfecta patients have been

coming to Gerber’s lab since they were infants.

She knows them by name and talks of their

accomplishments like a proud mother.“The best

rewards of my work are when you see people not

just surviving, but surviving well,” says Gerber.

“I don’t focus on treating the disease. I am concerned with their potential for restoring function.

We rehabilitationists believe there is much we

can do to help patients solve problems so that

they can do more—and do more of what they

would like.We add life to years.”

Gerber also applies the rehab philosophy to 

herself. A former patient became her tennis

instructor, getting Gerber back in the game

after years of not picking up a racket, and she

now plays competitively in the local circuit.

“I believe in rehabilitation medicine because 

I see what people can do for themselves.

As you age, accelerate. Don’t slow down.”

She clearly has no intention of doing so.

She leaves NIH to develop George Mason

University’s new Center for Chronic Illness 

and Disability.

Dr. Art Atkinson
36 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006

Clinical Center employees know her best through her work in clinical informatics—first helping

design and implement the Clinical Center’s first electronic medical information system (MIS, in 1976)

and currently as deputy chief information officer, directing clinical operations for CRIS, the clinical

research information system that replaced MIS last year.

Effective November 1, 2005, however, she is also Rear Admiral (RADM) Carol A. Romano,Assistant

Surgeon General and Chief Nurse Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service.

That she had already risen in the ranks is evident from the credentials after her name: PhD, RN, BC,

CNAA, FAAN. Her new duties are to lead and coordinate PHS nursing professional affairs for the

Office of the Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). She will

represent the surgeon general and the PHS in contacts with state, national, and international groups

and with professional societies concerned with nursing issues. She will guide and advise the surgeon

general and the Nurse Professional Advisory Committee (N-PAC) on such matters as standards, recruitment, retention, readiness, and career

development of PHS nurses.

Romano earned a diploma in nursing (1971) from the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvia, and a baccalaureate degree in

nursing (1977), an MS (1985), and a PhD (1993) from the University of Maryland. She completed the Senior Managers in Government

Training Program at Harvard University School of Government (1997) and the Interagency Federal Health Care Executive training 

program at George Washington University (1993). She is board certified by the American Nurse’s Credentialing Center in nursing 

informatics and advance nursing administration.

She began her civil service career at the Clinical Center in 1971, as a clinical research nurse. She was appointed to the Commissioned Corps

in 1986 and assimilated as a Regular Corps Officer in 1993. Over 34 years she has worked as an associate investigator, clinical research nurse,

nurse educator, nursing information systems specialist, director of marketing & recruitment, and director of clinical informatics & quality

assessment. She has published studies on informatics education, the confidentiality of clinical records, and the adoption of innovations.

She was a co-architect of the world’s first graduate curriculum in nursing informatics at the University of Maryland. She has been a 

mentor to numerous students, written more than 50 papers, edited two books, served on three editorial boards, given many presentations,

and held several adjunct faculty appointments. She was chair of the Commission on Certification (1997-1998) for the American Nurses

Credentialing Center, a member of the Advisory Board on Therapeutic Information Management (1995-2000) for the US Pharmacopeia’s

Drug Index, and co-chair of the Maryland State Board of Nursing Task Force on Standards of Practice in 2001. She has been advisor to

WHO and other organizations. She codeveloped the NIH nurse scientist training program and helped lead the emergency response to

Hurricane Katrina, creating the federal call center manned by volunteers. She has received many, many awards from the PHS as well as an

NIH Director’s award, a Clinical Center Director’s Award, and two DHHS Quality of Life Awards.

CAROL ROMANO NAMED ASSISTANT SURGEON

GENERAL

RADM Romano with the Surgeon

General at her promotion 

ceremony.
NIH CLINICAL CENTER

Organization Chart

Deputy Director for

Diversity

Management 

Walter Jones

Social Work

Department

Adrienne Farrar, DSW

Office of Patient

Recruitment and

Public Liaison

Dorothy Cirelli, MS

Spiritual Ministry

Department

Raymond Fitzgerald,

PhD

Chief Operating

Officer

Maureen Gormley,

MPH, RN

Office of

Administrative 

Management

Lynda Ray

Nutrition Department

David Folio, MS

Office of Workforce

Planning and

Organizational

Development

Deborah Gardner,

PhD, RN

Senior

Communications

Advisor

Sara Byars

Office of

Communications

Colleen Henrichsen 

Office of Facility

Management

James Wilson

Family Lodge

Jan Weymouth

Office of Purchasing

and Contracts

Sydney Jones

Chief, Nursing and

Patient Care

Services

Clare Hastings, 

PhD, RN

Deputy Chief

Ambulatory Care

Services

Karen Kaczorowski,

RN, MHSA

Deputy Chief

Inpatient Services

Tannia Cartledge,

RN, MS

Chief, Research 

& Practice

Development

Service

Gwenyth Wallen,

PhD, RN

Chief Financial

Officer

Lisa Lacasse, MBA

Office of Financial

Resource

Management

Daniel Rinehuls, BA

Clinical Bioethics

Department

Ezekiel Emanuel,

MD, PhD

Chief Information

Officer

Stephen Rosenfeld,

MD, MBA

Department of

Clinical Research

Informatics 

Stephen Rosenfeld,

MD, MBA

Associate Director

for Radiologic and

Imaging Sciences

King Li, MD, MBA

Diagnostic

Radiology

Department

King Li, MD, MBA

Nuclear Medicine

Department

Ronald D. Neumann,

MD

Positron Emission

Tomography

Department

Peter Herscovitch,

MD 

Laboratory of

Diagnostic

Radiology Research

Joseph A. Frank,

MD

Deputy Director for

Clinical Care

David K. Henderson,

MD

Department of

Anesthesia and

Surgical Services

Zena Quezado, MD

Department of

Laboratory Medicine

Thomas A. Fleisher,

MD

Critical Care

Medicine 

Department

Henry Masur, MD

Pharmacy

Department

Andrew Wilson,

PharmD

Rehabilitation

Medicine

Department

David K. Henderson,

MD, acting

Transfusion

Medicine

Department 

Harvey Klein, MD

Medical Record

Department

Patricia Coffey, RHIA

Credentials Office

Joseph Hendery

Pain and Palliative

Care

Ann Berger, RN, MD

Internal Medicine

Consult Service

Fred Gill, MD

Pediatric Consult

Service

Deborah Merke, MD

Veterinary Care

Program

Lisa Portenoy, VMD

DIRECTOR

John I. Gallin, MD

Chief Operating Officer

Maureen Gormley, MPH, RN

Office of Clinical Research Training

and Medical Education

Frederick P. Ognibene, MD

Assistant Director for Ethics and

Technology Development

Elaine J. Ayres, MS, RD

Housekeeping and

Fabric Care

Henry Primas, MBA

Materials Management

Department

Francis LaBasco, 

MS, PD
A broader role for governance

Clinical Center governance changed in

FY 2004, as part of an effort to promote

the NIH intramural program as a model

for interdisciplinary research.As recommended by the NIH Director’s Blue

Ribbon Panel on the Future of Intramural

Clinical Research, the former Clinical

Center Board of Governors assumed a

new and larger identity, becoming the

NIH Advisory Board for Clinical Research.

The Board will oversee all intramural 

clinical research, while continuing its 

oversight of Clinical Center resources,

planning, and operations. It will play a 

key role in guiding the development of

trans-NIH strategic planning and priority

setting for intramural clinical research

through the integration of Institute/

Center strategic visions and agendas.

The Board’s responsibilities extend only 

to the intramural clinical research program, but it will also be open to new

opportunities for clinical research, including

high-risk, high-impact research, research

in rare diseases, and interactions between

intramural and extramural clinical research

programs.

Co-Chairs:

Edward J. Benz, MD 

President, Dana Farber Cancer Institute

R. Edward Howell 

Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

University of Virginia Medical Center

Members:

Barry S. Coller, MD

David Rockefeller Professor of Medicine

Head of Laboratory of Blood and 

Vascular Biology

Physician in Chief 

Rockefeller University Hospital

Vice President for Medical Affairs 

Rockefeller University

Robert M. Dickler 

Senior Vice President

Division of Health Care Affairs

Association of American Medical Colleges

Ronald Evens, MD 

Senior Executive Officer 

Barnes Jewish (BJC) Healthcare

Lee J. Helman, MD 

Chief, Pediatric Oncology Branch and

Deputy Director, Center for Cancer Research

National Cancer Institute

Brent L. Henry 

Vice President and General Counsel

Partners HealthCare System, Inc.

Thomas R. Insel, MD 

Director

National Institute of Mental Health

Talmadge E. King, Jr., MD 

Professor and Vice Chairman

Department of Medicine

San Francisco General Hospital

Peter E. Lipsky, MD 

Director, Intramural Research Program

National Institute of Arthritis and

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 

Henry McFarland, MD 

Clinical Director

National Institute of Neurological 

Disorders and Stroke

Elizabeth G. Nabel, MD 

Director 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Lynnette K. Nieman, MD 

Senior Investigator and Deputy Branch Chief

Pediatric and Reproductive Endocrinology

Branch

National Institute of Child Health and 

Human Development

Olufunmilayo (Funmi) Olopade, MD 

Professor of Medicine and Director

Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics 

University of Chicago

Jennifer Puck, MD 

Chief

Genetics and Molecular Biology Branch

National Human Genome Research Institute

Vivian E. Riefberg 

Director

McKinsey & Company

Stephen E. Straus, MD 

Director

National Center for Complementary and 

Alternative Medicine

Ex Officio Members

John I. Gallin, MD

Director, Clinical Center

National Institutes of Health

Michael M. Gottesman, MD

Deputy Director for Intramural Research

National Institutes of Health

Richard O. Cannon, MD 

Chair, Medical Executive Committee 

Executive Secretary

Maureen E. Gormley, MPH, RN

Chief Operating Officer, Clinical Center

National Institutes of Health

Senior Staff Support

Richard Wyatt, MD

Executive Director, Office of 

Intramural Research

National Institutes of Health

ADVISORY BOARD FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH 

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

38 • ANNUAL REPORT 2006
NIH CLINICAL CENTER • 39

Henry F. McFarland, MD 

(Chair)

National Institute of Neurological 

Disorders and Stroke 

William A. Gahl, MD, PhD 

(Vice Chair)

National Human Genome Research Institute 

Frank M. Balis, MD

National Cancer Institute

James E. Balow, MD

National Institute of Diabetes and 

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Perry J. Blackshear, MD, DPhil 

National Institute of Environmental 

Health Sciences 

Richard O. Cannon, III, MD

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Carlo Contoreggi, MD 

National Institute on Drug Abuse 

Raymond A. Dionne, DDS, PhD 

National Institute of Nursing Research 

Frederick L. Ferris, III, MD 

National Eye Institute 

Thomas C. Hart, DDS, PhD

National Institute of Dental and 

Craniofacial Research 

Clare E. Hastings, PhD, RN, FAAN

NIH Clinical Center 

Markus Heilig, MD, PhD 

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse 

and Alcoholism 

David K. Henderson, MD 

NIH Clinical Center 

Stephen G. Kaler, MD, MPH

National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development 

Daniel L. Kastner, MD, PhD 

National Institute of Arthritis and

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 

H. Clifford Lane, MD 

National Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases 

Henry Masur, MD 

NIH Clinical Center 

Melissa A. Merideth, MD, MPH

Clinical Fellow

National Human Genome Research Institute 

Deborah P. Merke, MD, MS 

NIH Clinical Center 

Robert Nussenblatt, MD 

National Center for Complementary 

and Alternative Medicine 

Steven A. Rosenberg, MD 

National Cancer Institute 

Donald L. Rosenstein, MD 

National Institute of Mental Health

Carter Van Waes, MD, PhD 

National Institute on Deafness and 

Other Communication Disorders 

Eric H.Westin, MD 

National Institute on Aging

Ex Officio Members 

John I. Gallin, MD 

NIH Clinical Center 

Patricia A. Kvochak, JD

Deputy NIH Legal Advisor

Richard G.Wyatt, MD

Office of the Director, NIH 

Laura M. Lee, RN 

NIH Clinical Center 

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

NIH Clinical Center 

The Medical Executive Committee is made up of clinical directors of the NIH intramural clinical research programs and other senior medical and administrative staff.
(the institutes, in alphabetical order)

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

National Eye Institute (NEI)

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

(NHLBI)

National Human Genome Research Institute

(NHGRI)

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and

Alcoholism (NIAAA)

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious

Diseases (NIAID)

National Institute of Arthritis and

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

(NIAMS)

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging 

and Bioengineering (NIBIB)

National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development (NICHD)

National Institute on Deafness and Other

Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial

Research (NIDCR)

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive

and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

National Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences (NIEHS)

National Institute of General Medical

Sciences (NIGMS)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders

and Stroke (NINDS)

National Institute of Nursing Research

(NINR) 

National Library of Medicine (NLM)

(the centers, in alphabetical order)

Center for Information Technology (CIT)

Center for Scientific Review (CSR)

John E. Fogarty International Center (FIC)

National Center for Complementary and

Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

National Center for Minority Health and

Health Disparities

National Center for Research Resources

(NCRR)

NIH Clinical Center (CC)

Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center 

Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center 

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
back cover

(top left to right)

MARIE SKLODOWSKA CURIE

(1867–1934), a Polish-born chemist

and physicist in France, co-discovered

the elements radium and polonium

and did pioneering work on radioactivity, including its medical uses.

Mme. Curie is shown here at work 

in her laboratory.

ASCLEPIADES OF BITHYNIA

(c.124–c. 40 B.C.), a Greek 

physician who practiced in Rome,

advocated humane treatment for the

mentally ill and taught that diseases

occur because of an imbalance in

the body’s natural harmony. Here 

he revives a dying man.

(bottom left to right)

CRAWFORD WILLIAMSON LONG

(1815–1878), an American physician

considered first to perform surgery

using ether-induced general 

anesthesia. Here the pulse of the

anesthetized patient is being

checked.

WALTER REED (1851–1902), an

American Army surgeon, proved that

yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. Subsequent steps drastically

reduced mortality rates from the disease and made possible completion

of the Panama Canal.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

NIH Clinical Center

clinicalcenter.nih.gov

For administrative use

January 2006