Video Games Helping Burn Patients

One of the most popular video game consoles on the market, the Nintendo Wii, is being used to rehabilitate burn patients.

Therapists at the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center are using the Wii to help patients regain motor skills and recover from skin graft surgery.

Hospital officials said some patients are using wireless controls to simulate motions such as swinging a tennis racquet and hitting baseballs. For patients with skin grafts, the movements stretch the skin as part of the recovery process. Other patients are using the Wii's "Guitar Hero III" game, which has a controller that looks like a miniature guitar. Therapists said the game helps patients with burns on their hands to regain fine motor control.

'Rx Card' Offers Discounts on Prescription Drugs

New Yorkers seeking discounted prescription drugs can now enroll in the New York Rx Card Program, which offers discounts of up to 75% off their medications.

The card, originally launched to help uninsured New Yorkers purchase medication, is now available to all New Yorkers regardless of income or insurance status. Enrollment in the program is free, and participating pharmacies include Duane Reade, CVS, Rite Aid, and other pharmacies.

Albert Einstein College Names Chairman of Genetics

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has named Jan Vijg as chairman of the department of genetics following an international search.

Dr. Vijg, who was born in the Netherlands, previously studied genome instability at the Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato, Calif. In 1989, he developed a mouse model called the MutaMouse, which is able to detect gene mutations in a living organism.

"With his reputation for collaboration and scientific imagination — both hallmarks of research at Einstein — Jan will be a key leader and motivator in implementing our strategic goals for genetic research," Einstein's dean, Dr. Allen Spiegel, said in a statement.

Columbia Medical Center Recruits Yale Immunologist

Columbia University Medical Center has recruited a longtime Yale University immunologist and microbiologist, Sankar Ghosh, to head its department of microbiology.

Most recently, Dr. Ghosh served as a professor at Yale School of Medicine in the department of immunology and the department of molecular biophysics and biochemistry.

A graduate of Calcutta University, where he earned a bachelor's degree and a master of science degree, Dr. Ghosh received a Ph.D. from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.