e-Update
August 5,
2002
Weekly News Briefs
e-Update is distributed
weekly to keep faculty and staff at the University of Miami School of Medicine
up-to-date on news at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.
To submit news for publication, e-mail items to update@med.miami.edu.
THIS WEEK'S NEWS
--School of Medicine Bids Farewell to Philanthropist George E. Batchelor
--Legislators Dedicate Efforts to Restore State Funding for School of Medicine
--Have a Heart and Become a Team Captain for AHA HeartWalk 2002
--Keep an Eye Out for Exciting Changes to e-Veritas Online Newsletter
--Surgery Fellow Honored by Prestigious Organization of Endocrine Surgeons
--Organ Procurement Organization Gets New Name
--Upcoming Calendar Events
PATRON OF MEDICAL
SCHOOL’S BATCHELOR
CHILDREN’S RESEARCH INSTITUTE DIES AT 81
George E. Batchelor, an aviation pioneer and philanthropist who made significant
contributions in support of pediatric research, died last Monday at age 81 following
a brief battle with lung cancer. A longtime friend of the School of Medicine,
Batchelor initially donated $10 million in the mid-1990s to create the Batchelor
Children's Research Institute, which opened its doors last year. During the
dedication ceremonies for the building, Batchelor stunned the crowd with a surprise
announcement of an additional $5 million toward the project. His generosity
resulted in a home for pediatric research at the medical school that will help
ease the suffering of millions of children around the world. Batchelor's philanthropy
extended beyond the Univeristy of Miami, benefitting countless other South Florida
institutions, including Miami Metrozoo, the Miami Museum of Science, the Community
Partnership for the Homeless, and WPBT-TV Channel 2.
LEGISLATORS SECURE
STATE FUNDING FOR
SEVERAL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE PROGRAMS
Several state legislators were instrumental in securing funding in the state's
budget for University and medical school programs. Representatives Carlos Lacasa,
chair of the House Budget Committee, and Ralph Arza, the sole Miami-Dade County
member of the House Education Appropriations Committee, were responsible for
restoring full funding for the School of Medicine, despite the threat of a budget
cut. Representative Lacasa was additionally responsible for restoring funds
for the biomedical Ph.D. program. Senator Rudy Garcia’s efforts on behalf
of the School of Medicine will allow the medical school to adjust to last year’s
special session reduction. Funds for the Medical Training and Simulation Laboratory
were secured by Representatives Marco Rubio and Evelyn Lynn, chair of the House
Education Appropriations Committee. Finally, Senator Ron Silver, chair of the
Senate Health and Human Services Subcommittee, was pivotal in restoring funds
for the Mailman Center.
BECOME A TEAM CAPTAIN
“ON THE BEATING
PATH” AT 2002 AMERICAN HEARTWALK
Get your blood pumping at this year’s American HeartWalk, brought to you
by the American Heart Association and sponsored by the University of Miami.
The event is scheduled for September 14 at the Coral Gables campus, with President
Shalala serving as honorary chair. Team captains are needed to lead the way
for the medical campus. As a captain, you will recruit fellow walkers and are
eligible for fabulous prizes. A kickoff meeting for Team Captains will be held
August 8, 4 p.m., in the Diagnostic Treatment Center, Room 259. Captains from
UM and Jackson should attend to pick up their team leader packets and join in
the spirit for launching this year’s festivities. Together we can fight
heart disease, the nation’s number one killer. If you are interested in
becoming a team captain, contact Gail Haldeman at 305-243-2576.
WITH A NEW ACADEMIC
YEAR
COMES A NEW E-VERITAS
Beginning with the Monday, August 26 issue, most readers will receive a new
four-color version of e-Veritas. This new version will be delivered every Monday
and Thursday to all 9,000-plus faculty and staff, including the medical campus,
and will continue to be a reliable source for University-wide news and events.
The new format will include expanded coverage of research, faculty profiles,
and a section dedicated to keeping you informed about your employee benefits.
Most employees will receive this new version; however, a few e-mail systems
do not support the new format. Those employees will receive a text-only version.
Look for an e-mail from the System Administrator later this week informing you
of your delivery status.
ASSOCIATION OF ENDOCRINE
SURGEONS AWARDS
FIRST PRIZE TO SURGERY RESEARCH FELLOW
Denise Carneiro, Ph.D., research fellow in the Department of Surgery, received
first prize for her clinical research paper at the annual meeting of the American
Association of Endocrine Surgeons. She presented her work with surgical resection
of insulinomas, or insulin-producing tumors. Carneiro analyzed and improved
an eight-minute rapid assay procedure that measures insulin from blood samples
during surgery. She developed a set of criteria that will augment the procedure
and allow surgeons to determine interoperatively when all the insulin-producing
tumors have been removed. The new criteria created by Carneiro will contribute
to reducing operative failure by helping endocrine surgeons avoid incomplete
resection of the tumors.
NEW NAME, SAME MISSION:
ORGAN PROCUREMENT
ORGANIZATION BECOMES LIFE ALLIANCE
Effective August 1, the University of Miami Organ Procurement Organization has
changed its name to Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency, in order to better
promote its mission of serving donor families and heightening public awareness
of organ donation. The organization’s address also has changed: 1801 N.W.
9th Avenue, Suite 150A, Highland Professional Building, Miami, Florida, 33136.
The phone number for Life Alliance is 305-243-7622, and the fax number is 305-243-7628.
GO ON-LINE TO VIEW
NEW WEB SITE FOR
SCHOOL’S DNA MICROARRAY FACILITY
The Web Development Group has launched a new Web site for the School of Medicine’s
DNA Microarray Facility. Learn more about this resource at its new home on-line:
http://chroma.med.miami.edu/develop/arrays2.
The site's visual enhancements are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer
5.0 or higher, and they have been tested on both MAC and PC browsers, including
Netscape 4 and 6, Internet Explorer 4 and 5 and Opera 5.
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
A program of weekly small-group seminars on topics that pertain to the protection
of human subjects in research continues August 6, with "Difficult IRB Cases,"
presented by Jay Sosenko, M.D., assistant provost for research standards, noon
to 1 p.m., at the Mailman Center, Room 3023. 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.
TIAA-CREF VISITS
MEDICAL CAMPUS TO
ANSWER YOUR FINANCIAL QUESTIONS
A representative from TIAA-CREF will be at the Professional Development and
Training Office, Dominion Parking Garage, Suite 155, on August 20 to conduct
individual financial counseling sessions. To schedule an appointment, call 877-267-4510
or visit http://www.tiaa-cref.org/moc.
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