AHC News Capsules 06/21/07

June 21, 2007

NEWS CAPSULES is a biweekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the Academic Health Center. Summer publication dates are July 18 and August 22. Please send submissions to Jacob Portnoy at port0179@umn.edu.

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This month we’ve celebrated a number of transitions within our Academic Health Center community and that always provides an opportunity for reflection on the predictable cycle of human transitions. As people arrive at the University, there’s a period of adjustment as new questions challenge old assumptions of the way we operate. That’s healthy and of great benefit to those of us who must articulate once more why we do what we do in the way we do it. Over time, those new colleagues become imbued with the culture of this university, and develop into true assets with their expertise and developed connections. And then, people leave and with them go a piece of experience and history that is never quite replaced before the cycle begins again. The true challenge for all of us who remain is to continually challenge our assumptions and work to “think new” as engage within the culture of the U.

Another of those predictable transitions will be the focus of next Thursday’s dialogue on “Finding the Money to Manage the Mission: A Fiscal Year-End Wrap Up." This is a new all-AHC meeting designed to share a fiscal snapshot as we move into the new fiscal year on July 1. We’ll serve strong coffee at the briefing, 7:30 a.m., Thursday, June 28 in the new Mayo Auditorium.

– Frank B. Cerra, M.D.
Sr. Vice President for Health Sciences

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HEADLINES —

New Leadership

• Ward appointed chief of cardiovascular surgery
  Herbert B. Ward, M.D., Ph.D., professor, Department of Surgery, and chief, Section of Cardiovascular Surgery, at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, has been appointed the C. Walton and Richard C. Lillehei Professor and chief, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, at the University of Minnesota.

• New director named for Lillehei Heart Institute
  Daniel J. Garry, M.D., Ph. D., was named the St. Jude Professor and director of the Lillehei Heart Institute and division director for Cardiology in the Department of Medicine, effective June 15. Garry comes from the University of Texas, Southwestern. For more information to go: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/garry061907/home.html.

Collaboration

• Working group to study Mayo-University of Minnesota collaborative education
  Formed by University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks and Mayo Clinic Rochester Chief Executive Officer Glenn Forbes, the 10-member group will define principles and guidelines for Mayo and the University to plan and implement collaborative education programs. A draft of the group’s findings will be completed later this year.

• NIPTE incorporates; charts course to improve quality and reduce cost of pharmaceuticals
  The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Education (NIPTE) was incorporated in the State of Indiana on June 11. The College of Pharmacy will join with partners at 10 other leading universities with the goal of becoming the pre-eminent interdisciplinary national resource for research and education on science- and engineering-based understanding of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. For more information go to: http://www.nipte.org.

• Indian telecom guru explores collaboration with state institutions
  Sam Pitroda, chair of the National Knowledge Commission of India, met with top policy officials during a May 29 visit, including members of Governor Pawlenty’s cabinet, and Representative Erik Paulsen, who shared the vision of the proposed India Center at the University of Minnesota. For more information on Pitroda and the National Knowledge Commission, go to: http://knowledgecommission.gov.in/default.asp.

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Pamela Bjorklund, Ph.D., (School of Nursing) has been declared one of the four winners of the Graduate School's 2007 "Best Dissertation Award.” Bjorklund wrote about the moral and ethical work to be done in helping the mentally ill function in society. Bjorklund is the first nurse to receive this honor. For more information go to: http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/No_dissing_these_dissertations.html.

Deborah L. Swackhamer, Ph.D., (School of Public Health) was honored with the Harvey G. Rogers award for 2007 by the Minnesota Public Health Association. Swackhamer was recognized for her dedication, distinguished service, and technical contributions to promoting public health through preservation of the environment. For more information go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/swackhamer061807/home.html.

Michele Allen, M.D., (Medical School) has received a $195,000 American Cancer Society grant for a three-year pilot study to help immigrant Latino parents prevent their adolescent children from beginning tobacco and other substance use, as well as to promote positive parenting practices.

Michael Garwood, Ph.D., (Medical School) received the 2007 Gold Medal Award from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Garwood has advanced ways to non-invasively diagnose cancer and monitor response to cancer treatment therapies. For more information go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/garwood061807/home.html.

Jay N. Cohn, M.D., (Medical School) is the recipient of Cornell University Weill Medical College Alumni Association’s 2007 Award of Distinction. Cohn is internationally known for his contributions to the understanding of cardiovascular disease and for his leadership in designing and carrying out clinical trials to examine new treatments. For more information go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/cohn061507/home.html.

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UPDATES —

College of Veterinary Medicine establishes new endowed chair
The College of Veterinary Medicine has established the Osborne/Hill’s Chair in Nephrology and Urology in honor of Carl Osborne, D.V.M, Ph.D., a leading authority in veterinary urology and longtime professor at the college. For more information go to: http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/OsborneHill27sChair.html.

Medical Reserve Corp drill a success
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus conducted a drill in May in conjunction with a larger regional public health emergency exercise. The Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) members helped test the Office of Emergency Response system for notification and medication dispensing. Information gathered from this drill will help in planning larger response events. For more information on the MRC go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/about/admin/oer/mrc.html.

OPPORTUNITIES —

"Finding the Money to Manage the Mission: A Fiscal Year-End Wrap Up”
Come hear Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Frank B. Cerra present and discuss on Thursday, June 28, 7:30-8:30 a.m., at Mayo Auditorium. Refreshments will be served.

Innovation in health care: looking to Germany for new ideas
Join a dialogue with Germany's Federal Minister of Health, together with American and German experts, July 16-17, at the University of Minnesota. Germany just overhauled its health care system and early results indicate the reforms maintain quality and access while containing costs. For more information go to: http://www.cges.umn.edu/outreach/topic2007.htm.

CAPS informational sessions
The University's mentored clinical research scholars program (CAPS) is designed for senior fellows and junior faculty to develop an academic career in clinical research. All schools in the AHC, other departments that conduct clinical research, and affiliated institutions are eligible to apply. For more details, attend an information session June 29, 9-10 a.m., Mayo A301, or go to: http://www.epi.umn.edu/CAPS.

First Bakken Surgical Device Symposium
The University of Minnesota Department of Surgery will present “The Pacemaker: Past, Present, and Future,” Thursday, December 13, 2007, in the Mayo Auditorium. For more information go to: http://www.lifesciencealley.org.

Request for research proposals
The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics is looking to fund joint projects between the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic. Novel applications of recent advances in biotechnology, genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics to significant issues in human health are strongly encouraged. Awards of any size will be considered, although most proposals will be between $200,000 and $1 million. For more information go to: http://www.ahc.umn.edu/research/umayo/researchgrant/home.html.

Finding future health care workers
The Health Careers Center is in the midst of hosting its summer Health Career Investigators (HCI) programs. Talented high school students try out health careers as they see and experience the latest technologies, virtual simulators, and state-of-the-art equipment used in health care today. Two more sessions remain. For more information, go to: http://www.healthcareers.umn.edu/hcc/aboutus/highschool/HCI.html.

FACILITIES NEWS —

TCF Bank Stadium Construction Update

• The Hawkeye Lot in the northwest corner of the Huron Avenue parking complex will reopen August 1, 2007.
• The remaining parking areas in the Huron Avenue complex will be open for two more weeks and then close permanently on July 2, 2007.
• The transitway between Oak Street and 23rd Avenue Southeast is permanently closed.
• Campus buses and cyclists must now use Sixth Street and 23rd Avenue Southeast.

TIME CAPSULE —

Still growing after all these years
As the Academic Health Center and the University of Minnesota continue to expand within the confines of a limited space, take a look back to the 1968 Health Sciences Planning Report and see the perceived growth and expansion of the health sciences on campus. There are many familiar landmarks today on campus that were merely architectural models at the time of the report's publication. Similarly, there are a few proposed construction sites that never materialized. To view a larger picture and the full report go to:
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/moore144/ahcarchives/2007/06/health_sciences_planning_repor.html.

AHC News Capsules is a biweekly newsletter for faculty, staff, and students of the Academic Health Center. Summer publication dates are July 18 and August 22. Please send submissions to Jacob Portnoy at port0179@umn.edu.