"She got her good looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon."
--Groucho Marx

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Are You a "Smooth" Doctor?
To share clinical pearls and improve communication among OB/GYN residents, Lauren Prewitt, DO, created www.smoothdoctor.com, a Web site for her colleagues at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Riverside County Regional Medical Center.

"We practice medicine at two county hospitals and, at any one time, one third of our residents are on night float covering labor and delivery," says Dr. Prewitt, a resident at Arrowhead. "It is difficult to cultivate camaraderie when we work at different times, because we never see each other. The Web site has helped us to overcome these communication barriers."

Better yet, the site may boost the budding physicians' smooth factor. Dr. Pruitt says the "smooth doctor" phrase came from Erin Vaughan, MD. When Dr. Vaughan was a med student learning how to deliver a baby, her senior resident said: "Anyone can deliver a baby, but I'm gonna teach you how to do it with style, how to make it look smooth."

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Nontoxic Ties
A necktie may add to your professional image, but will it endanger your patients? In 2006, after NPR ran a report linking physicians' ties to infectious disease transmission, SafeSmart Inc. created SafetyTies, antimicrobial and stain-resistant neckwear. The 100 percent silk SafetyTies  are manufactured using nanotechnology, a process that seals each fiber in a protective coating to keep the bugs off and the style in. See www.safesmartinc.com.

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25 grants totaling $80 million for human embryonic stem cell research in California were approved in March.
--Independent Citizens Oversight Committee

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Uncovered Kids
This year, Cover the Uninsured Week will promote the importance of children's health coverage and demonstrate support for the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The event, planned for April 23-29, is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Web site at www.covertheuninsured.org offers resources and ideas to get involved. Distribute fliers in your waiting room or rally with others at a local event. California has 1.2 million children without insurance who need your support.