The new guidelines of the U.K. regarding combined hormonal contraception, Paula Bedbarek, M.D., M.P.H., comments on the benefits of extended-cycle birth control. She says: “there’s some ways in which it can really benefit a person at important times of their life, and it can also be much simpler, more convenient, and more pleasant.”

Maria Fleseriu, M.D., says preconception counseling is essential for patients with Cushing’s Syndrome.

Susan Tolle, M.D. discusses how feeding tubes, which can harm patients with dementia, have been removed from the Oregon Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment, or POLST, form.

A study led by Kerri Winters-Stones, Ph.D., is enrolling cancer survivors and their spouses in a study to measure the physical and emotional benefits of partnered exercise.

In a story about the increasingly widespread use of CBD, Kim Mauer, M.D., says, “It’s been helpful for (patients) in light of the opioid epidemic. A lot of patients are coming down on their opioid therapies. (CBD) has been a tool a lot of patients are finding to be helpful.”

Klaus Frueh, Ph.D., describes a study published in PLOS ONE about his cytomegalovirus-based malaria vaccine as being a “proof of concept.”

Danny Jacobs, M.D., was recognized as OHSU’s first black president during the Feb. 5 Portland Trail Blazers game, which honored six local leaders in celebration of Black History Month.

Andrew Riley, Ph.D., comments on a new JAMA study that suggests physical punishment during childhood may lead to antisocial behavior in adults. Riley says: “children who experience physical punishment may have a harder time controlling violent impulses and may learn that violence is the only way to solve conflicts.”

GoCheck Kids, a pediatric vision screening smartphone app co-invented by David Huang, M.D., Ph.D.

Portland-based coordinated care organization Health Share of Oregon, which is an umbrella organization that includes OHSU, intends to apply for a new contract to serve local Medicaid recipients.