November 2018 – about the cover
©istock.com/f11photo
The article of the month for November 2018 is on work carried out at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pennsylvania, USA: The United States opioid epidemic: a review of the surgeon’s contribution to it and health policy initiatives.
The city is located at the confluence of the rivers Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio and is known both as the “city of bridges” due to its 446 bridges and the “steel city” as it was formerly home to over 300 steel-related businesses.
The old industrial areas have been restored and redeveloped into museums, heritage centers, parks, libraries and medical centers. UPMC is now one of the biggest employers in Pennsylvania, and has been vital in treating the country’s most recent shooting victims. It has also been a pioneer in transplant surgeries with many world firsts in multiple organ transplants.