e-Update
March 6, 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.
DEAN NAMES NEW CHAIR OF DEPARTMENT OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY
Thomas Balkany, M.D., Hotchkiss professor of otology and neurotology and director of the University of Miami Ear Institute, has been named chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Dr. Balkany is a double alumnus of the University and is recognized as a leader in cochlear implantation, a procedure that restores hearing to children and adults with profound deafness. Look for an extended article on Dr. Balkany and his new position in the March issue of Medical Center Update.
MEDICAL SCHOOL AND JACKSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL TEAM UP TO TREAT ADOLESCENT DRUG ABUSERS
The Center for Treatment Research on Adolescent Drug Abuse (CTRADA) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Adolescent Day Treatment Program of Jackson Memorial Hospital will team up to bridge the gap between science and practice by translating their research findings into the clinical arena to effectively treat juveniles addicted to drugs. The project is funded by a four-year grant awarded to Howard Liddle, Ed.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the School of Medicine and director of CTRADA, as part of a National Institute on Drug Abuse initiative. The initiative is designed to test the feasibility of applying CTRADA's family-based therapy approach to the Adolescent Day Treatment Program, headed by Hector Biaggi, M.D., medical director, and Eve Sakran, M.S., program director, at Jackson.
UM CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER TREATS VARIETY OF ILLNESSES
The University of Miami Cardiovascular Center, founded in August 1999, is dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research of cardiovascular disease. The center's multidisciplinary team consists of specialists from many departments within the School of Medicine and treats patients with a family history of heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. For more information or to make an appointment with a Cardiovascular Center specialist, call 305-243-2222.
STUDENT INVENTORS COMPETITION CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS
The Collegiate Inventors Competition, presented by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, recognizes innovative work of student/advisor teams each year. Undergraduate and graduate students as well as their advisors are encouraged to apply. Entries must be original ideas or inventions and result from the collaboration of a student or team and an advisor. A $20,000 cash prize is awarded to up to six winners. The deadline for entries is June 1. For more information, call 330-849-6887 or visit the competition's web site at http://www.invent.org.
UM's FAMILY THERAPY MODEL CONSIDERED "EXEMPLARY"
The Strengthening America's Families program, a collaboration of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) in the U.S. Department of Health has selected the family therapy model (known as Brief Strategic Family Therapy or BSFT) of Jose Szapocznik, Ph.D, professor and director of the Center for Family Studies at the School of Medicine as an "exemplary model for family replication." Dr. Szapocznik delivered the keynote address for the Strengthening America's Families National Training Conference, which took place in Washington D.C. on February 1. He also will deliver the keynote address at the National Training Conference of these organizations in San Antonio, Texas on March 6th.
RUN FOR LIFE IN AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY RELAY
The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life will be held on April 28 - 29 at South Miami Senior High, so now is the time to organize your department's team. Teams will compete in a variety of events in this 18-hour relay. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society. For more information, call Joey Sosa or Cecilia Watson at 305-243-6771.
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.
WSVN-7 AND RADIO CARACOL FEATURE UM DOCTORS
Alberto Avendano, M.D., director of HIV/AIDS Services in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health was interviewed on Channel 7 for a story about mail-order HIV testing kits. The story aired on February 28. Armando Solis, M.D., clinical site director for UMCare Miami Beach, was recently interviewed by the Spanish-language station Radio Caracol on the subject of snoring.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
TECHNOLOGY DAY PRESENTS SERVICE AND COMPUTER USER DEMONSTRATIONS
Faculty and staff are invited to Technology Day on March 9 at the Whitten University Center on the Coral Gables campus. Organized as an information fair, different groups from Information Technology will be on hand to demonstrate the various services they provide to employees. Additional formal teaching sessions also will be held that day. For more information on the event, call Information Technology at 305-284-3961 or visit http://info.ungar.miami.edu/technology-day.
DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR HUMAN SUBJECTS CERTIFICATION SEMINAR
The second to last human subjects certification seminar of the academic year is scheduled for March 13, from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., at the Diagnostic Treatment Center, Room 259, Jackson Memorial Hospital. Sign-in will begin at 3:30 p.m. All investigators must attend one of the certification seminars. Those who fail to attend will not be certified to continue performing current studies or initiate new studies that require approval by the Institutional Review Boards at UM or the VA. For a registration form, contact Mary Palmer at 305-243-2079.
JOIN FELLOW EMPLOYEES AT ANNUAL UNIVERSITY PICNIC
Come out for the UM Annual Employee Family Day Picnic scheduled for March
18 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on the central green near the Whitten University Center on the Coral Gables Campus. Music, games, food, and contests are just some of the highlights of the yearly event. The swimming pool will be open as well. To compete in the departmental volleyball tournament, call Scott Siegel at 305-243-7669. Tickets to the picnic can be picked up at the Human Resources Office beginning March 9. For more information, call 305-284-4476.
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