Features

• "Science versus Slime"
  By Amos Esty
  
  Biofilms can be as mundane as slime on a shower curtain, or as menacing as antibiotic-resistant bacterial colonies on a medical device or in a human lung. But luckily, scientists are making progress in understanding these mysterious aggregations of microorganisms.
  
  
• "Delivering the Goods"
  By Jennifer Durgin
  
  When U.S. health care is good, it's very very good. But when it's bad . . . well, it's no secret that many aspects of the system need fixing. A concerted new effort at Dartmouth to study and teach how to improve the delivery of care is bringing together experts from many fields.
  
  
• "Fourth-Down Decision-Making"
  By John E. Castaldo, M.D.
  
  His star lineman just needed routine clearance to return to play, the high-school football coach assured the doctor. But the neurologist quickly realized the situation would be a much more complex call. This excerpt from a book by a DMS alumnus describes events that took place some years ago, but tackles issues that are all too current.