e-Update
September 14,
2004
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
--Events Cancelled Due to Weather
--Conversations About Cancer Series
--Health in Aging Month Special Events
--Tickets Available for UM Employee Day at the Orange Bowl
--September Human Subjects Research Seminar
--Neuroscience Center Seminar Series Starts Up
--Human Subjects Research Opportunities
--Upcoming Calendar Events
EVENT CANCELLATIONS
Due to the uncertainty surrounding Hurricane Ivan, today’s “Why
Care, Why Vote? What’s at Stake for Health in Election 2004” event
has been postponed. Stay tuned for an announcement of a new date and time.
Today’s voter registration drive has also been cancelled, and the United
Way Campaign Kickoff, originally scheduled for Wednesday, will be rescheduled
for a later date. In addition, Wednesday’s Center on Aging presentation
by Dr. Robert Binstock has also been cancelled.
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CANCER SERIES
Joseph Lucci, III, M.D., co-leader, Gynecologic Cancer Site Disease Group,
and professor and director, Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the School
of Medicine, will talk about “Ovarian Cancer – Symptoms and Treatment,” as
part of the Conversations about Cancer series today from noon to 1 p.m. at
UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach, 1192 East Newport Center Drive, Suite 100.
The presentation is free, and a light lunch will be provided. Please call
1-800-545-2292 to register. Seating is limited. For more information, contact
Joanne Leahy at 954-571-0107.
CENTER ON AGING DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES AND SPECIAL EVENTS
September is “National Health in Aging Month,” and UM’s Center
on Aging will mark the occasion with several events. On Saturday, September
18, the Center on Aging will be highlighted at the ‘Canes/Louisiana Tech
game at 1 p.m., and on Friday, September 24, faculty and staff are invited
to a scientific research session on aging in room 3028 of the Mental Health
Hospital Center at the corner of NW 17th Street and 9th Avenue. The session
is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and lunch will be served. Immediately following lunch,
Len Duhl, Ph.D., professor of public health and urban planning in the School
of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, will lecture on “Healthy
Cities, Healthy Aging,” as part of the Isabel Gadsby Lectureship on Positive
Aging, in the Retter Auditorium. For more information or to RSVP, please contact
Sharon Purcell at spurcell@med.miami.edu,
or call 305-355-9080.
DALAI LAMA LECTURES
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzen Gyatso will lead a series of teachings
on Buddhist spiritual practices at the University’s Convocation Center
in Coral Gables, on Monday, September 20, and Tuesday, September 21. It will
be the first time that he conducts these particular teachings, which include “Teachings
on the Instructions on the Garland of Views and Long Life Empowerment.” These
teachings are open to the public and tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
The Dalai Lama will also address the University community on the topic of "A
Human Approach to World Peace" at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22, at
the Convocation Center. The Dalai Lama's visit is part of "Celebrating
American Democracy and Diversity," a series of events leading up to the
presidential debate. Tickets have already been distributed for this event,
which is open only to UM students, faculty, staff, and special guests. For
security purposes, no large purses, backpacks, cameras, video recorders, audio
recorders or cell phones will be permitted.
TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR UM EMPLOYEE DAY AT THE ORANGE BOWL
UM Employee Day at the Orange Bowl is set for Saturday, September 18, when
the 'Canes will take on the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech at 1 p.m. All full-time
benefited employees are eligible to receive one free admission ticket and
can purchase up to five additional tickets for $1 each with a valid University
identification. Ticket sales representatives will be available from 11 a.m.
to 1 p.m. today outside of Au Bon Pain on the medical campus. Tickets also
can be purchased at the Hurricane Ticket Office in the Hecht Athletic Center.
Remember to bring your valid employee ID card as photocopies will not be
accepted as a substitute for the original. Call 305-284-CANES for additional
information.
BESMOKEFREE PROGRAM STARTS UP AGAIN AT THE END OF THE MONTH
Another round of the UM BeSmokeFree program will begin during the final weeks
of September. BeSmokeFree offers faculty, staff and dependents, as well as
students and non-university affiliates, a number of different techniques
designed to help kick the cigarette habit. These options complement the program’s
basic support group/classroom sessions, which will include seven group sessions
during a six-week program. Each session will be led by a variety of health
experts, such as a health educator, respiratory therapist, exercise physiologist,
mental health therapist, and nutritionist. Participants in BeSmokeFree who
also are enrolled in the University’s health care plan will receive
full reimbursement of program fees upon completion of the program. The cost
is $84 for each participant, and all UM health care plan members will receive
a $12 voucher for each classroom session they attend. For more information
on BeSmokeFree, contact Jennifer Pinto at: jpinto@miami.edu or
305-243-3209.
SEPTEMBER HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH SEMINAR
The Human Subjects Research Seminar for September will feature Stephanie
Anderson, M.D., J.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics,
speaking on “Consent and Assent in Pediatrics.” The seminar
will be held on Tuesday, September 28, at the Mailman Center, room
3023, from noon to 1 pm. Advance registration is required as room capacity
is limited. Please e-mail MAbraham@med.miami.edu to
reserve your space.
NEXTEL REPRESENTATIVES COMING
Representatives from Nextel will be in the Mailman Center, room 5003, every
Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Employees can stop by with questions about
billing and service for Nextel phones and Blackberry personal data assistants,
learn about special offers, and see new products. For more information, please
call Medical IT at 305-243-5999.
NEUROSCIENCE CENTER SEMINAR SERIES
Peter Sterling, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience in ophthalmology in the Laboratory
of Retinal Microcircuitry at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine, will present "Psychophysics to Biophysics: Efficient Circuits
from Stochastic Synapses" as part of the Neuroscience Center
Seminar Series. The talk will be held at 1 p.m. in the Lois Pope LIFE
Center seventh-floor auditorium on Friday, September 24. His lecture begins
the 2004-2005 annual series sponsored by the Neuroscience Center, the
School of Medicine, and the Office of the Provost. An informal reception
will be held at 4 pm. For more information, call 305-243-6793.
ONLINE HIPAA TRAINING FOR PHYSICIANS
The University of Miami Ethics Programs and the Office of Continuing Medical
Education are offering a series of health information privacy and
security courses online for physicians who need to meet the training requirements
of HIPAA, state statutes, JCAHO certification and other mandates. Physicians
can earn up to 10 AMA PRA category 1 credits while becoming familiar
with the most current federal and state privacy requirements. While
access to all course materials is free and unlimited, CME credit requires
a registration fee of $100. To complete these online courses, go
to http://www.miami.edu/ethics2/privacy/cme/ or
contact the Division of CME at 305-243-6716.
HIPAA SECURITY AWARENESS UPDATE: SECURING YOUR DESKTOP
Unattended computers can compromise the security of the data. Locking your
computer is one of the simplest ways to prevent unauthorized access to your
machine. When a computer is locked, no one will be able to access your computer
or the network through your user account unless they know your password.
The Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP Professional operating systems provide a
simple way for users to lock their computers: Type CTRL+ALT+DEL and
click “Lock Computer.” To unlock your computer
press CTRL+ALT+DEL, type
in your password and click “OK.” Please remember
to lock your computers, even if you are stepping away for only a few minutes;
a few minutes is enough time for someone else to compromise your data. Please
also remember to logoff your computers before leaving for the day. The Office
of HIPAA Privacy and Security is sending out periodic Security Awareness
updates and reminders through e-Update. Should you have any questions or
concerns, please call 305-243-5000.
NEW DESIGN FOR NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION
New Employee Orientation has been redesigned to better meet the needs of new
hires, regulatory compliance, and the University as a whole. The first session
with the revised program will begin this week for new employees on the medical
campus. For new hires on Coral Gables and Rosenstiel campuses, the program
redesign will commence on September 27. Please note that as of those dates,
Gables/Rosenstiel new hires must attend orientation on the Gables campus,
and medical campus employees need to attend the session on the medical campus.
To read the memorandum from Roosevelt Thomas, vice president for human resources,
and Paul Hudgins, associate vice president for human resources, medical campus,
go to: http://www.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/1,1770,4074-1;28794-3,00.html.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE SEMINAR ON MANAGING TEEN BEHAVIOR
The Employee Assistance Program will present Managing Your Teen’s Behavior.
The seminar is designed to provide simple and effective discipline strategies
to parents, and will be especially helpful to busy working parents. Parents
will be provided with a framework for developing and implementing discipline,
as well as strategies for motivating teens to act responsibly. The seminar
will be held on the medical campus on Thursday, September 30, from 1 to 2:30
p.m., in room 155 of the Dominion parking garage. For questions about content,
contact your EAP at 305-284-6604.
The Professional Development and Training Office has implemented a new
online registration system to access the training calendars, enroll in
a session, un-enroll, and view and print your transcript. Go to http://netlearning.miami.edu where
you’ll find instructions and a brief tutorial. You need your
UM identification number ("C number") and birth date to access
the system. If you have any questions on using this new system, please
call 305-243-3090. For questions about content, call the EAP at 205-284-6604.
Supervisors are encouraged to post this notice for employees who do not
have electronic access.
DENTAL IMPLANTS EVALUATIONS AVAILABLE AT THE UM/JMH DENTAL IMPLANT
CENTER
The Division of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and General Dentistry at the School
of Medicine is offering state-of-the-art dental implants at special discounts
for employees and family members of the UM-JMH Medical Center. Whether you
have a full or a partial denture, or lost a single tooth, an implant may be
the solution. The UM/JMH Dental Implant Center is Miami’s only dental
practice staffed by academic surgical dentistry professionals. The Dental Implant
center is offering UM staff appointments for a free evaluation. The staff will
see whether or not you can benefit this state-of-the-art dental technology.
Just call the campus-based dental practice at 305-585-6407 and ask for Tara.
The Dental Implant Center is located at ACC East, 2nd Floor, and is open from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
HUMAN SUBJECT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
The SPARE Study (Soy Phytoestrogens As Replacement Estrogen) is currently recruiting
women between 45-58 years of age to study the role of soy phytoestrogens given
in tablet form to prevent bone loss. Participants will be given a physical
exam at study entry, an annual mammogram and bone density test, and will be
asked to come for 10 study visits over a period of two years for blood tests
and to complete questionnaires about diet, exercise, and well-being. Interested
women should contact the SPARE Study Office at 305-243-4330 or via e-mail at aherrin@med.miami.edu.
Researchers at the MRI Center need healthy subjects for a magnetic resonance
imaging study. For more information please visit http://midas.med.miami.edu/Research/MRStudies.htm.
The UM Skin Research Group, directed by Brian Berman, M.D., Ph.D., professor
of dermatology and internal medicine, is conducting research studies now
on keloids and in the near future on chronic idiopathic urticaria. If you
are interested in participating, please contact us at 305-243-5519.
QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPLIANCE?
TWO UM HELPLINES CAN ASSIST YOU
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, anonymous compliance hotline at 866-YOURCALL. Billing concerns?
Address questions to the Office of Billing Compliance at 305-243-HELP or 877-415-HELP.
For information regarding training programs offered by the Office of Billing
Compliance, contact Gemma Romillo or Nancy Rivero at 305-243-5842.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER FINANCIAL QUESTIONS
A representative from Fidelity Investments will be on the medical campus on
Thursday, September 23, in the Human Resources Benefits Office, 901 NW 17th
St., suite D, to conduct individual counseling sessions. To schedule an appointment,
call 1-800-642-7131.
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM: “A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO INFECTIOUS
DISEASES”
Fighting Infectious Diseases in Emerging Countries, a non-profit organization
founded by Daniel Stamboulian, M.D., along with the UM School of Medicine Infectious
Diseases Division, headed by Gordon Dickinson, M.D., will hold the Second International
Symposium, “A Practical Approach to Infectious Diseases,” at the
Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort in Sunny Isles September 26 through
28. The conference will offer updated information on the diagnosis, prevention
and management of infectious diseases to primary care practitioners and ancillary
staff members in internal medicine, pediatrics and family medicine. Besides
the schedule program, there will be workshops and discussion groups on topics
such as travel medicine and adult immunization, severe sepsis, chronic hepatitis,
and fungal infections. There will be simultaneous translation (English and
Spanish). For information and registration, please contact SMG in Miami at
305-856-7847, by e-mail at info@smgmedical.com,
or on the SMG Website at http://www.emedlearning.com/idsymposium.
FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM LINCOLN LIFE
A representative from Lincoln Financial Group will be at the University of
Miami to conduct individual financial counseling sessions from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. on Tuesday, September 28, and Wednesday, September 29, in the Human
Resources Benefits Office, 901 NW 17th St., suite D. To schedule an appointment,
contact Aimee Hugdahl toll-free at 866-524-2443, or via email at ahugdahl@LNC.com.
TIAA-CREF VISITS THE MEDICAL CAMPUS
A representative from TIAA-CREF will be on the medical campus on October 6
in the Human Resources Benefits Office, 901 NW 17th St., suite D, to conduct
individual counseling sessions. To schedule an appointment, click here
http://www.tiaa-cref.org/moc or call toll-free 1-800-842-2003 ext. 3522.
FIELD GUIDE TO GENBANK AND NCBI MOLECULAR BIOLOGY RESOURCES SEMINAR
The Office of Graduate Studies and the UM DNA Microarray Facility will co-host
the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)'s Field Guide to
GenBank and NCBI Molecular Biology Resources Seminar on Wednesday, October
6. An overview of these resources will be introduced in the morning, and
a hands-on computer workshop on GenBank and related databases covering effective
use of the Entrez databases and search service, the BLAST similarity search
engine, genome data and related resources will be held in the afternoon.
The morning session will run from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Rosenstiel Medical
Sciences Building, room 6018. The afternoon session will run from 1 to 5
p.m. in the Calder Library Computer Room. Seating for both sessions is limited
and will be available on a first come, first served basis. Please RSVP
directly to Dierdre Lacativa at dierdre@miami.edu. In
your reply, please indicate which session you would like to attend, your
name, department and lab if applicable, phone number, and e-mail address.
For more information about NCBI and their workshops, please visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Class/FieldGuide/
MAGEC ETHNO-GERIATRIC CONFERENCE
The Miami Area Geriatric Education Center (MAGEC) and the Miami VAMC GRECC
will host the MAGEC Ethno-Geriatric Conference, “Our Multi-Cultural
Aging Communities: Clinical & Legal Realities,” October 14 and
15 at the Doubletree Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay in Miami. As the older population
increases it will also grow more diverse, reflecting the demographic changes
in the U.S. population as a whole over the past century. This educational
event will focus on the healthcare and legal implications of serving a multi-ethnic
elderly clientele. This course is designed for physicians, attorneys, nurses,
psychologists, social workers, nursing home administrators, guardians, mental
health professionals, and local community agencies serving the elderly. Please
visit the MAGEC website at http://www.miami.edu/magec to
preview the conference agenda, or call 305-243-6270 for additional information.
MEDICAL EDUCATION GRAND ROUNDS
Jenny Mladenovic, M.D., vice chair of the Department of Medicine and chief
of the medical service at the VAMC, will be the guest speaker at Medical
Education Grand Rounds on Friday, October 29, at noon in the Rosenstiel Medical
Science Building, fifth floor. Lunch will be served. The title of Dr. Mladenovic’s
presentation is “Competencies for the future physician and tools for
their evaluation.” For more information, contact the Office of Educational
Development at 305-243-7482.
2004 ACS INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH GRANT
The American Cancer Society Institutional Grant is providing funds for meritorious
cancer research that cannot be readily supported through other funding mechanisms.
The primary purpose of the ACS grant is to provide seed funds for the initiation
of promising new projects or novel ideas by junior faculty members. Applicants
must not have had any peer reviewed funding. An award of $20,000 is available
for a one-year period. For guidelines and application forms, contact Dorothy
Mills at 305-243-6292 or via e-mail at dmills@med.miami.edu. The deadline
for applications is November 1.
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