--U.S. News Ranks School of Medicine Graduate Programs Among the Best
--Customer Service at UMMG Carries Over to Telephone Communication
--NY Times On-Line Features President Shalala’s Views on Records Privacy
--School Welcomes International Humanitarian Group for Special Exhibit
--Take Note of Changes in Correspondence with Medical Finance, Effective Today
--Photographer Bruce Weber Donates Auction Proceeds to UM/Sylvester
--University’s 2001 Employment Trends Statistics Report Posted On-Line
--Job Vacancies and Employment Opportunities on Human Resources Web Site
--Upcoming Calendar Events

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE GRADUATE PROGRAMS
RANKED IN TOP 50 BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Several programs at the School of Medicine are listed in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of the country’s “Best Graduate Schools,” which is on newsstands this week. As a whole, the medical school has cracked the top 50 in terms of research. The School of Medicine’s graduate program in physical therapy held steady at number three in the country; the school marked an increase to eighth in the AIDS category, moving up one from last year’s ranking; and audiology maintained its position at number 28.

STANDARDS FOR TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION
OUTLINED IN UMMG CUSTOMER SERVICE SERIES
Telephone customer service standards continue in this week’s installment of the University of Miami Medical Group (UMMG) series on Professional Practice and Patient Access Standards (PPPAS). Service phones at appointment and clinical sites must be answered by a live person Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Automated attendants must include an option to route to a live person. Patients should not be put on hold without their permission. Finally, clinical offices should have an internal process for managing telephone calls when the physician is not available to return phone messages. Minor Anderson, managing director of the UMMG, and Leo Twiggs, M.D., PPPAS committee chairman, are available to attend departmental meetings and discuss these and other practice standards. To schedule a session with Anderson or Twiggs, call 305-243-7100.

PRESIDENT SHALALA PUBLISHED
LAST WEEK IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
The New York Times recently published an op-ed piece written by President Shalala. The article was in response to the Bush Administration's proposed changes to medical records privacy standards. To read the entire editorial, visit The New York Times Web site at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/30/opinion/30SHAL.html. You will need to register with the newspaper to view their articles online. Registration is free.

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS TRAVELS TO
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FOR SPECIAL EXHIBITION
The international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders visits the School of Medicine this week to present its Access to Essential Medicines EXPO. Access EXPO is a cross-country exhibition tour advocating the improvement of medical care in poor countries. The exhibit will be on the medical campus April 10 – 12, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Schoninger Research Quadrangle, 1450 N.W. 10th Street. Multimedia and personal testimonies will inform visitors on the dearth of care in impoverished countries. The exhibit is free, wheelchair accessible, and open to the public. Special presentations on the Doctors Without Borders mission and volunteer opportunities will be held April 11, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Whitten University Center, Flamingo Ballroom, on the Coral Gables campus; and April 12, noon, in the Rosenstiel Building, third floor auditorium, on the medical campus.

MEDICAL FINANCE INSTITUTES CHANGES
IN PROCEDURES, EFFECTIVE APRIL 8
Beginning this week, Medical Finance will implement minor changes in correspondence and pick-up procedures. Take note that the office has moved from the Sewell Building to the former Miami Project administrative offices in Park Plaza West. Changes begin with lockbox procedures: All daily lockbox correspondence will be delivered to each department’s business office, unless Medical Finance is notified of an alternate location. For pick-up of miscellaneous checks, including vendor checks and reimbursement checks, Medical Finance will notify the department when a check is ready. The check can then be picked up Tuesday or Friday, 3 to 5 p.m. Payroll checks and Metrorail/Tri-Rail passes will be distributed as usual, but an alphabetical schedule has been created to streamline pick-up by several departments. If the name of your department begins with A – D, pick up is 11 a.m to noon; E – H, pick up noon to 1 p.m.; I – M, 1 to 2 p.m.; N – Q, 2 to 3 p.m.; and R – Z, 3 to 4 p.m. All other correspondence that flows through Medical Finance (e.g., Report 90s, PEFs, etc.) can be picked up on the sixth business day after the end of the month, following the above alphabetical schedule. If you have any questions about these changes, contact Medical Finance at 305-243-9000.

PHOTOGRAPHER DONATES PROCEEDS
FROM AUCTION TO UM/SYLVESTER
Renowned photographer Bruce Weber will donate the proceeds from the first five lots of an upcoming auction to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The auction will be held April 15, and the gift reflects Weber’s gratitude to Laurence Gardner, M.D., vice dean and chairman of the Department of Medicine, and the staff at UM/Sylvester for their dedicated care of his sister, Barbara DeWitt. If you are interested in bidding, visit http://www.bruceweber.com and click on “auction.”

EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS FOR UM CAN HELP
INCREASE DEPARTMENTAL PRODUCTIVITY
The annual Employment Trends Statistics report for January – December 2001 is available online and contains employment-related data on approximately 3,800 nonexempt (clerical, technical and service) staff of the University of Miami. UM has a workforce of 8,800 full- time employees and is the second largest private employer in Miami-Dade County, behind American Airlines. The purpose of this report is to assist departments in improving productivity by becoming sensitive to trends relating to turnover and vacancies and helping to fill vacancies faster with high quality people. Click on http://www.miami.edu/human-resources/trends%20memo.pdf to view the entire report with Adobe Acrobat.

UNIVERSITY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
POSTED ON HUMAN RESOURCES WEB SITE
Human Resources posts all current job vacancies at the University of Miami on its website. Visit the Internet Employment site at http://www.miami.edu/hraa/jobs/med.htm to view current listings, obtain information on how to apply, and learn details about upcoming job fairs.

QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPLIANCE?
TWO UM HELPLINES CAN ASSIST YOU
Medicare and billing concerns? Address questions to Third Party Reimbursement/Office of Compliance at 305-243-HELP or 877-415-HELP. For information about this helpline or training programs offered by the compliance office, contact Gemma Romillo at 305-243-5842. Research integrity concerns? Report concerns regarding research integrity and adherence to federal or University regulations directly to the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at 305-243-6415, or you can call the University's toll-free compliance hotline at 866-YOURCALL.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

HUMAN RESEARCH SUBJECTS
ARE TOPIC OF WEEKLY SEMINARS
The program of weekly small-group seminars on topics that pertain to the protection of human subjects continues this week with "Human Subjects Research and Evidence-Based Practice," presented by Ken Goodman, Ph.D., director of UM’s Bioethics Programs, April 9, noon to 1 p.m., at the Mailman Center, Room 3023. Future seminars are scheduled, featuring such topics as "History of Human Subjects Protection." The full calendar of seminars may be viewed at http://www.miami.edu/research/lectureseries. For more information or to register for any of these weekly seminars, call Katherine Morales at 305-243-2311 or e-mail kmorales@med.miami.edu. RSVP is required.

UNIVERSITY PRESENTS FACULTY SCHOLAR AWARD
TO SUSAN HAACK OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT
All faculty are invited to join the Faculty Senate in honoring Susan Haack, professor of philosophy and recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award. The ceremony will be held April 10, 4 p.m., in the School of Business Administration’s Storer Auditorium, on the University’s Coral Gables campus. Haack will discuss “What Man Can Achieve When He Really Puts His Mind to It: The Value, and the Values, of Science.”

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PRESENTS FACULTY
EXPERT AT SEMINAR ON CHILD ABUSE
In recognition of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Employee Assistance Program presents “Child Abuse: What Can One Do?” This seminar will feature Walter Lambert, M.D., director of UM’s Child Protection Team, who will focus on defining child abuse and neglect, recognizing abuse, reporting suspected abuse, and the role of the Child Protection Team. The event will be held April 12, noon to 1 p.m., in the Dominion Parking Garage, Suite 155. For more information contact the EAP at 305-284-6604. To register, visit http://www.miami.edu/development-training.

FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CONDUCTS INDIVIDUAL
SESSIONS TO ANSWER FINANCIAL QUESTIONS
A representative from Fidelity Investments will visit the medical center on April 16 to conduct individual financial counseling sessions and address your financial concerns. Appointments will be held at the Dominion Parking Garage, Suite 155. To schedule a session, call 800-642-7131.

SHOW YOUR STAMINA
FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
Challenge yourself and celebrate life April 19 - 21, at the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day walk from Boca Raton to Miami. While walking and camping for three days and two nights, participants will be raising dollars to fund access to care and find a cure for breast cancer, which is the mission of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. The park opens and registration begins on April 19 at 8 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Walkers pay a $75 participation fee, while crew members, who eat and camp overnight with the walkers, pay $150. There is no cost to half- and full-day volunteers, whose help primarily is needed at the opening and closing ceremonies. If you want to join the UM/Sylvester team as a walker, or sponsor one of the walkers, call Susan Martin at 305-243-4909. If you are willing to serve as a crew member or volunteer, call Sue Radcliffe at 305-243-3663 for more details. UM/Sylvester will pay the fees for all crew members.

BALANCE YOUR WORKLOAD EFFICIENTLY
WITH EAP SEMINAR ON TIME MANAGEMENT
Do you have a hard time keeping up on the job? Does your inbox keep piling up with no end in sight? You could benefit from learning some time management skills. The Employee Assistance Program offers relief with “Time Management,” April 22, 12:30 to 2 p.m., in the Dominion Parking Garage, Suite 155. Participants will learn how to use values in setting priorities, decision-making techniques, and how to use time to the best advantage. To register, call 305-284-6604.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GOLF CLASSIC
TO BENEFIT UM PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
The Department of Pediatrics will host the second annual Children's Million-Dollar Celebrity Golf Classic at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa, April 26 - 28. This tournament is geared toward business and professional leaders in the community to generate support for clinical and medical research programs housed in the School of Medicine's Batchelor Children's Research Institute. Hundreds of volunteers are needed for the event's Nike Golf Ball, a fashion show and related auctions, as well as for both days of the tournament. If you are interested in volunteering, contact the Department of Pediatrics Development Office at 305-243-3956 or e-mail Evntures@aol.com.

TEAM UM RECRUITS YOU TO JOIN PRESIDENT
SHALALA FOR THE 2002 CORPORATE WALK/RUN
Join Team UM for fitness and fun at the 18th annual Corporate Walk or Run. Mark your calendar and plan to attend this fun event on May 2, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. This is a great teambuilding opportunity for you and your co-workers as well as a chance to “rub elbows” with University President Donna E. Shalala. The department with the most participants (family and friends are welcome) will win a pizza party, compliments of Pizza Hut. The cost is $16 if registration is received on or before April 12. Your entry fee includes the race, two T-shirts, and a post-race party. All proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If you have not received an application, logon to http://www.miami.edu/wellness or call 305-243-3209.