News Capsules 10/26/05

AHC NEWS

Senior Vice President Frank Cerra discussed the Academic Health Center’s role in the University’s strategic repositioning effort, introduced new deans Connie Delaney (nursing) and John Finnegan (public health), summarized AHC research and education efforts, noted the AHC’s collaborations with Fairview Health Services and the Mayo Clinic, and highlighted the Medical Reserve Corps’ efforts in Louisiana during his seventh State of the AHC address on Oct. 19. To read the speech, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/about/cerra/stateahc. To view an online video presentation, go to http://breeze4.umn.edu/p66512909.

The Academic Health Center was awarded $2.9 million to expand its Area Health Education Center (AHEC) network. “Minnesota is facing dramatic shortages of physicians, dentists, public health professionals, and other key health professions leaders,” said Barbara Brandt, AHC assistant vice president for education, and director, Minnesota AHEC. “Through Minnesota AHEC, the University of Minnesota is working with communities at a regional level to develop strategies that engage communities as active participants in assuring access to health care professionals in the future.” For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/ahec101705.

AHC Faculty Consultative Committee Chair Kathleen Krichbaum, School of Nursing, presented the committee’s annual report Oct. 19 to the AHC Faculty Assembly. The report is available at  http://www1.umn.edu/usenate/ahc/ahcfccanualreport0405.html. AHC-FCC members are: Dan Feeney (ex officio), College of Veterinary Medicine; Nelson Rhodus, School of Dentistry; Peter Davies, College of Veterinary Medicine; Michael Georgieff, (clinical sciences) Medical School; Lois Heller, Medical School–Duluth Campus; John Himes, School of Public Health; Brian Isetts, College of Pharmacy; Stephen Ekker, (basic sciences) Medical School; and, Krichbaum.

OTHER NEWS

Cancer Center researchers have found further evidence that avoiding grilled or fried red meat that is very well done, burned, or charred, may reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer. The research was led by Kristin Anderson, School of Public Health, epidemiology. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/grilled101705.

A five-year, $13.8 million NIH grant to improve training of clinical researchers was launched Oct. 1. The University’s application received the highest score, and only five of the 55 institutions that applied received an award. The grant will support more than 20 up-and-coming clinical researchers by buying some time away from seeing patients so they can devote it to research; by supporting their mentors; and, by building an infrastructure to support their projects. Russell Luepker, School of Public Health, epidemiology--who also served as the co-chair for the AHC’s clinical research task force--says this grant accords with the goal of the AHC and the National Institutes of Health to advance clinical research so as to improve health for people in Minnesota and beyond.

Finding ways to prevent obesity and looking into the possible link between obesity and cancer will be the focus of a team of School of Public Health researchers. The team recently received a five-year $10 million grant from the National Cancer Institute. “This important grant speaks to the depth of research and prominence of faculty engaged in obesity prevention at the University of Minnesota,” said Robert Jeffery, School of Public Health, and director of the University’s Obesity Prevention Center. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/ncigrant101905.

Nursing and public health faculty have received a $2.7 million federal grant to educate and train health-care workers in emergency preparedness--tailoring efforts to the unique needs of Minnesota communities as they prepare for a public health emergency or bioterrorism event. Carol O’Boyle, School of Nursing, is the program director. For more, go to http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/emergencies102405.

The University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview is the top hospital in the nation in quality and safety, according to The Leapfrog Group's 2005 survey. Recently released results show the medical center received 1,000 points--a perfect score--making it the No. 1 hospital out of 896 reporting hospitals.

The Riverside campus has been designated the preferred site for a new building to consolidate children’s services for the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview. The location is the Green patient/visitor surface parking lot. Plans call for opening that building in 2010. Numerous locations on the University campus were also considered. Care for adults on the Riverside campus will continue because of the anticipated increased demand for adult services. The preferred site for a new clinic is a parcel of vacant land just off Huron Boulevard and Fulton. Moving forward, work will continue on defining the program and financial plans, which will be led by representatives of Fairview Health Services, University of Minnesota, and University of Minnesota Physicians. 

The Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) Web site was named Oct. 3 as one of the 25 best science and technology sites by Scientific American. For more, go to  http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa004&articleID=0005CFF9-524F-1340-924F83414B7F0000. The CIDRAP site is at http://www.cidrap.umn.edu.

Smart. Safe. Secure. This week, the University of Minnesota Privacy and Security Office launched a four-week event to raise awareness on the importance of wearing employee identification badges. Badge “spotters” are on the lookout for badge-wearing AHC, Boynton, and Duluth Health Services employees on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses. Randomly selected badge wearers will have their names entered into a weekly prize drawing. More information will arrive through campus mail and also is available at http://www.privacysecurity.umn.edu.

PEOPLE

The Minnesota Medical Foundation board of trustees elected Sidney Kaplan as secretary and Don J. Hodapp as treasurer at MMF’s annual meeting Oct. 24. In addition, DeWalt H. (Pete) Ankeny, Jr., and Charles F. Wiser, Jr., were elected as new members. For more, go to http://www.mmf.umn.edu/news/story.cfm?id=286

Dean Connie Delaney, School of Nursing, has been elected by the members of the American Medical Informatics Association to serve a second, three-year term on its Board of Directors.

Ken Hepburn will be stepping down as associate dean for research in the School of Nursing. He has accepted the position of associate dean of research and director of the doctoral program at the Emory University School of Nursing. Ken is scheduled to begin at Emory in February.

Ross Janssen, HIPAA Privacy and Security officer, has been named among the first class of certified information privacy professionals from the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Laura Stone, Medical School, neuroscience and anesthesiology, will receive the 2006 John C. Liebeskind Early Career Scholar Award from the American Pain Society.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to get flu shots from pharmacy and nursing students, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Coffman Memorial Union Great Room. The cost is covered by student fees and employee benefits. For more information, please contact Jenny Meslow at meslo001@umn.edu.

Dean Connie Delaney, School of Nursing, will deliver the 14^th annual Andrea Printy Memorial Lecture, "The Soul of Informatics: Humanizing Health Care," at the McNamara Alumni Center on Nov. 3. A similar event will be available worldwide, with streaming video of the lecture and an online talk with the Delaney, on Nov. 16. To register, go to http://ce.pharmacy.umn.edu/nursing. For more information, go to http://www.nursing.umn.edu/News/InauguralLecture.

The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) will celebrate 20 years of working with Minnesota businesses to prevent pollution at a Nov. 15 event in the A.I. Johnson Room, McNamara Alumni Center. The program will feature two University of Minnesota alumni who are leaders in pollution prevention in Minnesota industry, Jim Kotsmith, of 3M Environmental Initiatives and Sustainability, and Robert Stevens, president and CEO of Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia. In its 20 years, MnTAP has provided technical assistance to countless Minnesota companies through site visits, telephone assistance, student intern projects, pollution prevention teams, presentations, workshops and its Materials Exchange program. MnTAP is funded by a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grant to the School of Public Health. For more information about the event, go to http://mntap.umn.edu/20years.

The Council on Public Engagement presents “Place-Based Learning Strategies,” a series of public forums exploring the intersection of learning and the place in which it happens. The series is intended to open a campus-wide conversation about the role of place in higher education, and about how education at this University would look if we take place seriously as we go about the business of educating. The working group has scheduled a series of brown-bag lunch discussions on the following Wednesdays: Nov. 2, Dec. 7, Feb. 1, March 1, and April 5. Each discussion will be held in the Freeman Commons (Room 205) of the Humphrey Center. For more information, contact Carl Brandt, mailto:brand001@umn.edu or 612-624-5809. To learn more about COPE, go to http://www1.umn.edu/civic/index.html.

Bryan Dowd will present "HMO Enrollment and Mortality in the Medicare Program," the Mayo Professors in Public Health Lecture, on Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m., in 2-101 Hasselmo Hall. A reception precedes the lecture at 4 p.m. The Mayo Professors in Public Health program honors faculty who have distinguished themselves as internationally recognized scholars in one or more of the fields of public health.

The Phillips Neighborhood Clinic will hold its second annual Art of Caring Silent Auction on Nov. 2, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum. All proceeds will help fund the improvements and continued operation of the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic. For more information about the clinic, please visit http://www.phillips.neighborhoodclinic.com.

The University of Minnesota aims to raise $1.2 million during this year’s Community Fund Drive, and the Academic Health Center has a goal of 25 percent participation from its faculty and staff. To make a pledge, either use the CFD brochure that was sent via campus mail or complete the pledge form online at http://www1.umn.edu/cfd. When you turn in your pledge form or sign up online, you will be eligible for weekly and grand prize drawings. There is a special drawing for those who pledge on the Web. For more information, contact Deborah Zorn at 612-625-1185 or zorn@umn.edu

The Bio-Medical Library is offering the class “Finding Electronic Full Text” on Oct. 27, 10 to 11 a.m. The class is free for all students, faculty, and staff. Register online at  http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/lc.html or by calling 626-3260. The library is also offering Beilstein Basics Workshop, Oct. 31, 1:30 to 3 p.m., in 310 Walter Library. Beilstein is a powerful and complex database which offers access to the organic chemistry literature back to 1771. Register at  http://www.lib.umn.edu/registration/index.phtml#eventidXX103

University policy requires that researchers annually review changes in policies related to the responsible conduct of research. Researchers must also file a report every three years on their participation in awareness events and discussions related to the responsible conduct of research. Principal investigators who have not met these requirements when they submit a proposal will receive a reminder e-mail and may have research awards delayed until they meet the requirements. For more information, go to http://www.research.umn.edu/first/ContEd.htm. If you have questions about this new requirement, write to mailto:rschtrng@umn.edu or call 624-1854.