e-Update
October 23, 2000
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
--Board Now Accepting Proposals for Funding of Innovative Initiatives
--Review and Revise your Benefits during Open Enrollment Period
--Where Do You Stand on Health Care Issues in the Upcoming Election?
--Subscribe to New Listserv and Collaborate with Fellow Researchers
--Medical Finance has November’s MetroRail and TriRail Passes
--Watch the ’Canes Battle Virginia Tech for Free on Employee Day
--Upcoming Calendar Events
TRUSTEES CALL FOR PROPOSALS OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL AND
RESEARCH INITIATIVES
In striving to achieve new levels of excellence, the University recognizes
that a significant investment of funds is required. Therefore, in order
to enhance educational and research programs, the Board of Trustees
has approved an expenditure of $9 million to fund a limited number of
major initiatives. The board is holding a call for proposals of such
initiatives, with a goal to focus on a limited number of major awards
of $1 million or more. Proposals that link campuses or cross departmental
and disciplinary boundaries will be given preference. Chairman and center
directors must review all proposals from their departments, as they
will be actively engaged in development of the projects proposed. Following
a chairman’s approval, proposals must be discussed with Dean Clarkson
before extensive preparation is underway. Once final proposals are received
in the dean’s office, the School will conduct a review and ranking
process to ensure that only the highest quality and most competitive
proposals are submitted to the University Provost.
BENEFITS OPEN ENROLLMENT IS HERE, FAIR IS RIGHT AROUND THE
CORNER
Benefits Administration will sponsor Open Enrollment from October 16
through November 17. Faculty and staff are encouraged to review their
benefits packages, including medical coverage, life insurance, and flexible
spending accounts, among other benefits. You will receive your enrollment
packet through the mail. The Benefits Open Enrollment Fair will be held
on November 2 and 3 in the Jackson Cafeteria to educate participants
on each benefit and provide information on upcoming changes, such as
the switch from AvMed to United Healthcare as the University’s
medical plan provider. For more information, contact Benefits Administration
at 305-243-3788.
HOW SHOULD THE 2000 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ADDRESS HEALTH
CARE?
As the 2000 presidential elections approach, candidates are taking
a stand on the country’s most crucial issues, including health
care. We want to know where you stand on this issue and how your special
perspective from working at the medical center affects your opinion.
The November issue of your campus newsletter will ask, "Why is
health care important to you in the upcoming election?" Tell us
the issues that are important to you, your family, and your patients,
or suggest revisions you’d like to see in the national health care
plan. E-mail your responses to update@med.miami.edu
or call Deborah Phillips at 305-243-1271. Make your voice heard!
RESEARCH LISTSERV NOW AVAILABLE TO UM FACULTY
The Office of Research has established a Listserv to facilitate communication
between faculty and staff who are involved in research. This will assist by
identifying collaborations, locating individuals with specific expertise, and
sharing equipment. Please do not use this service for the sale of new equipment,
reagents, or supplies. To subscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@listserv.miami.edu.
Leave the subject field blank and, in the body of the message, type the following
only: SUBSCRIBE RESEARCH-L.
PICK UP METRORAIL/TRIRAIL PASSES AT MEDICAL FINANCE
MetroRail and TriRail passes for the month of November will be distributed
on Wednesday, October 25, in the Office of Medical Finance, Sewell Building.
Due to timing conflicts, the passes will not be available for distribution
with this week's bi-weekly payroll.
CELEBRATE EMPLOYEE DAY 2000 WITH THE HURRICANES
November 4 is Employee Day, and full-time UM employees can get one
free ticket and purchase up to four additional tickets for immediate
family members for $1 each (with a valid UM ID badge) to see the 'Canes
battle it out against the No. 3-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in a Big
East Showdown. Get your tickets at the Hurricane Ticket Office in the
Hecht Athletic Center on the Gables campus. The office is open 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m., Monday — Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday. For more
information, call 305-284-6740.
QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDICARE BILLING?
CONTACT THE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
Address questions regarding Medicare billing and compliance to Third
Party Reimbursement/Office of Compliance at 305-243-HELP or 1-877-415-HELP.
For more information about the help line or training programs offered
by the compliance office, contact Gemma Romillo at 305-243-5842.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
GENOME PROJECT LECTURE PRESENTED BY MEDICAL STUDENT PARENTS
GROUP
The Medical Parents Association, a volunteer group which lends support
to our medical students and their organizations, is hosting a lecture
on the Human Genome Project, October 26, 7:30 p.m., in the Mailman Center’s
eighth floor auditorium. The featured speakers are Mark O’Connell,
M.D., senior associate dean for medical education and Richard Bookman,
Ph.D., associate dean for graduate studies and director of the M.D./Ph.D.
Program.
UM/SYLVESTER OFFERS BREAST CANCER TREATMENT LECTURE AND SELF-EXAM
CLASS
The Courtelis Center will present "Breast Cancer Diagnosis &
Treatment: Traditional & Complementary Medicine," on October
24, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This all-day workshop
costs $15 for faculty, staff, and students, $60 for others, and will
address topics ranging from early diagnosis and prevention to Chinese
medicine. Six contact hours will be provided for nurses, social workers,
and mental health counselors. For more information, call Fariba Ostovary
at 305-243-4274 or e-mail fostovar@med.miami.edu. In addition, you can
learn the proper techniques for breast self-examination at a "Triple
Touch Class," October 25, noon to 1 p.m. or 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.,
at the Coral Gables campus Wellness Center. To RSVP for this class,
call 305-284-LIFE.
LEARN IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CLASS
Professional Development presents "Introduction to Continuous
Improvement," October 26, at 8:30 a.m., in the Dominion Parking
Garage, Suite 155. This course will address approaches to improvement
efforts and major problems that may hinder progress, among other related
topics. To register, call 305-243-3090 or visit http://www.miami.edu/development-training.
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS ON-HAND TO ANSWER YOUR FINANCIAL QUESTIONS
Jason Friday, a representative from Fidelity Investments, will be at
the Professional Development and Training Office, Dominion Parking Garage,
Suite 155, October 25 and 26, to conduct individual counseling sessions.
He will address financial questions and discuss retirement planning.
To schedule an appointment, call 800-642-7131.
POSTER DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology reminds you that
the poster submission deadline for the 2000 Miami Nature Biotechnology
Winter Symposium is November 1. For poster submission instructions,
visit http://www.med.miami.edu/mnbws
or call Lillian Castro at 305-243-3597. This year, the conference will
be held at Miami Beach’s Radisson Deauville Resort, February 3
through 7. The focus will be "Cell Death and Aging." Registration
is $300 for UM faculty and staff and $195 for students, but waivers
are available for faculty and staff from the Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, UM/Sylvester, and the Miami VA. A limited number
of graduate student registration waivers also are available. Visit the
web site above for more information.
UM/SYLVESTER OFFERS MEMORIAL LECTURE ON NEW CANCER TREATMENTS
The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center will present the Inaugural
Egozi Memorial Lecture, November 3 in Sylvester Conference Room 1301,
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This event honors David Egozi, a Miami business
man who succumbed to carcinoid tumors in 1995. The purpose of the lecture
is to present information on new therapies, particularly radiolabelled
octreotide, a promising new treatment. Eugene Woltering, M.D., F.A.C.S.,
the James D. Rivers Professor of Surgery and Neuroscience at Louisiana
State University, will be the keynote speaker. Other lectures will be
given by UM faculty members Pasquale Benedetto, M.D., professor in the
Department of Medicine, and Parvin Ganjei-Azar, M.D., professor and
director of the Division of Cytopathology . All faculty and staff are
invited to attend. For additional information, call Abby Walker 305-243-2287
or e-mail abby@miami.edu.
EDUCATE YOURSELF THROUGH AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS
Upcoming educational programs from the Office of Professional Development
include
"Human Resources and Affirmative Action Policies and Procedures,"
November 3, 9 a.m. to noon. This seminar will help you create a successful
work environment through effective recruitment, selection, promotion,
and termination. A second course, "Sexual Harassment: A Shared
Legal Responsibility," will teach you how to prevent, investigate,
and solve problems in your department, and is scheduled for November
3, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Finally, "ADA, FMLA and Workers' Compensation: Their Similarities
and Differences" will address assessment and implementation requests
for reasonable accommodation and proactive measures to avoid claims
on November 6, 9 a.m. to noon. All classes will be held in the Dominion
Parking Garage, Suite 155. | 