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27 2005  |
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UM Faculty Care for Hurricane Katrina Victims | |
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| UM Faculty Care for Hurricane Katrina Victims
First of several medical missions is completed Volunteers from the UM Miller School of Medicine are offering free medical care to about 200 patients a day in Long Beach, Mississippi, an area near Gulfport and Biloxi that was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. “The way we organized this is the same as in Haiti,” explains Michel J. Dodard, M.D., from the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, who was in the first group to arrive from the UM Miller School. “We find many similarities. People come in and tell you that they have absolutely no resources, they have nothing left. You can’t give them a prescription, they don’t want to go to a pharmacy or they can’t, so we give them their medications. Dodard led the team which arrived at Coast Episcopal School in Long Beach on September 19. Seven volunteers from the Miller School and Jackson Memorial Hospital joined an established clinic set up by medical teams from Duke University, Indiana University and Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia. A sign in the large blue tent that serves as the clinic describes the volunteers as “Doctors without Orders.” Regardless of specialty, everyone there is a general practitioner. “I’m an interventional cardiologist,” said Eduardo de Marchena, M.D., medical director of the Cardiovascular Center at the University of Miami Hospital and Clinics. “I’m not going to be doing what I normally do, I can tell you that.” Dr. de Marchena leads the second group, which took over when the clinic opened on Monday, September 26. “It’s wonderful, fantastic having this available,” said 51-year old patient Elizabeth Evans, “You couldn’t ask for something like this to come along.” Evans stopped in twice a day for a week for treatment of a leg infection after she cut herself cleaning up her mom’s place. “I have a lot of friends here and they made it alright but it’s scary, especially when you can’t get ahold of them. But everybody’s alright.” Six members of the first UM team came home Sunday, although Dr. Dodard stayed behind to help orient the next group of volunteers. “I had some idea of what was going on but the important thing was to get down there and do what they need,” said de Marchena, who, like his colleagues, is taking vacation time to do this. “I also have told people that I may be calling them for opinions on what to do if it’s something that I'm not used to handling, but we’ll take care of it.” The medical mission to Long Beach is expected to continue for several more weeks. To illustrate the need, the emergency management director for Harrison County, home to the Gulfport/Biloxi area, told the Biloxi Sun Herald that he’s asked for 10,000 temporary trailers for homeless residents. A third UM medical team, which is still taking shape, is scheduled to arrive October 2. | |
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| Flexible Spending Account Deadline Extended
Due to IRS regulation changes, participants enrolled in a health care flexible spending account have an additional two months following the end of the plan year in which to incur expenses and make claim for reimbursement against any funds remaining from the prior plan year’s account. Participants enrolled in the 2005 plan may incur expenses from January 1, 2005 through March 15, 2006 and use 2005 plan year funds for reimbursement of eligible health care expenses. Participants will have until June 15, 2006 to file for reimbursement of claims incurred from January 1, 2005 through March 15, 2006. For more information regarding this update, contact Pamela Salemi at Psalemi@miami.edu. Help Support UM’s Youngest Students UM Canterbury Preschool is selling Sally Foster Gift Wrap & Gifts to raise money for new tricycles and baby buggies. Anyone can help by visiting http://www.sallyfoster.com and purchasing through the Internet. Please don’t forget to use account number 0426555 so that the school will get credit for the sale. All internet orders will be shipped to your door just in time for the holidays! Humana Giveaways Take the first step to qualify for giveaways and gift certificates from Starbucks by registering on www.MyHumana.com. To qualify for prizes, be among the first 50 employees to register by Friday, October 14. Once you are registered, you can use this website to learn about saving money on medications, getting e-mails about nutrition and weight loss, taking charge of your health with information from the Health Library, and collecting Healing Kitchen recipes. Don’t miss out…register today! Call for Scientific Posters As part of “Health in Aging” month, the University of Miami Center on Aging will be holding its third annual Scientific Poster Session on October 21 from noon to 2 p.m. All faculty and other interested professionals are invited to participate. Those who would like to present a poster should submit a one page abstract (limit 250 words) to Dr. Carl Eisdorfer either via e-mail, ceisdorf@med.miami.edu or fax 305-355-9092 by October 7. Important LabCorp Information If you are a member of the HMO Choice Plan, LabCorp is the only approved in-network laboratory for routine blood work. If your physician sends you to a Quest lab, Humana will deny payment of the claim. If you are a member of the EPO, PPO or Coverage First Plans, you will be responsible for an outpatient hospital fee when you go to a hospital based lab for blood work, whether routine or not. If you have not met your deductible, the bill will be applied toward your deductible. If you use LabCorp or Quest, you will only pay your co-insurance after meeting your deductible. Please note that if you receive care at the Coral Gables Practice (Daystar) and a specialist orders routine lab tests, the tests can be performed at the Coral Gables practice. To assure proper processing of tests and delivery of results, you will need a LabCorp requisition form completed by your specialist. You can pick up this form at the specialist’s office or the specialist may mail or fax it directly to you to bring with you to the Coral Gables Practice. LabCorp sites are also available to provide this service and offer extended hours. For the location and hours of LabCorp Patient Service Centers, please visit the Benefits Administration website at http://www.miami.edu/benefits/labcorp. Revised Town Hall Meeting Schedule The following is a revised schedule for 2006 Open Enrollment Town Hall meetings at the medical campus: Dell Discount Offer for Personal Purchases Miller School of Medicine employees and students can take advantage of an additional 34% off on personal Dell Dimension and Inspiron systems. This offer is valid through September 30, or after the first 1,000 redemptions, whichever occurs first. Purchases must be made online from the Dell Employee Purchase Program website, accessed via http://it.med.miami.edu/x312.xml. Select the "Dell Personal Store" link and choose a Dimension or Inspiron system costing $1199 or more. At checkout, enter Coupon Code “11FHMMNBKKCS3?”. For more information about the promotion, please call Medical IT at 243-5999, option 4, or send e-mail to computerstore@med.miami.edu. Child Car Seat Installation Check To ensure that your child car seat is installed correctly, a certified child passenger safety technician will be available on Wednesdays in front of the Mailman Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service is available to everyone who transports children under the age of 12 in their vehicle. For more information, e-mail gstepanian@um-jmh.org, or call 305-243-3928 to set up an appointment. Priority will be given to those with appointments. The Injury Free Coalition for Kids is a division of Holtz Children's Hospital/ Miller School of Medicine. Lincoln Financial Group, Fidelity Investments and TIAA-CREF Visit the Medical Campus A representative from Lincoln Financial Group will be at the medical campus November 23 and December 13 to conduct individual financial counseling sessions. To schedule an appointment, contact Theresa Yong at (305) 245-7332 or via email at tmyong@lnc.com. A representative from Fidelity Investments will be on the medical campus to conduct individual counseling sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 26 and 28 and November 30. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-642-7131. A representative from TIAA-CREF will be at the medical campus October 12 and 13, November 9 and 10, and December 14 and 15 to conduct individual counseling sessions. To schedule an appointment, click here http://www.tiaa-cref/moc, or call 1-800-842-2003 ext. 3522. All counseling sessions from these organizations will take place in the Human Resources Benefits Office, 901 N.W. 17th St., suite D. Questions about Compliance? UM Helplines Can Assist You
Any University of Miami employee reporting or deciding whether to report activity that may be in violation of a law, rule, or regulation is protected against retaliation by the Whistleblower Protection Statement. For more information, visit the Office of Compliance site. e-Update Submission Guidelines
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| Communication Skills for Emerging Leaders Workshop
09/27/2005, 9 to 11 a.m., Dominion Parking Garage, room 155 This course, developed by the EAP, is part of the Leadership Academy offered through the Professional Development and Training Office and includes a computer-based learning prerequisite. If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact the EAP to obtain the pre-work materials. All University faculty, staff and administrators are welcome to attend. Participants will learn to avoid acting as if they take accusations personally, to listen reflectively, to focus on the speaker’s problem, and how to involve the other person in finding a solution. The workshop will be held on the medical campus today (Tuesday) from 9 to 11 a.m. in room 155 of the Dominion Parking Garage. For more information about content, contact Bonita Cales at the EAP at 305-284-6604. To register, visit http://netlearning.miami.edu. For questions about registration, call the Professional Development and Training Office at 305-243-3090. Office of Technology Transfer Seminar 09/27/2005, 11 a.m., Lois Pope LIFE Center, room 705 UM’s Office of Technology Transfer will host Bruce Becker, M.D., J.D., of Needle & Rosenberg, P.C. in Atlanta, for a special seminar on “University Inventions, Patents and Publications.” Dr. Becker’s presentation will be at 11 a.m. today (Tuesday) in room 705 of the Lois Pope LIFE Center. Refreshments will be served. Faculty Senate Meeting 09/28/2005, 3:30 p.m., Convocation Center, Hurricane 100 room There will be a Faculty Senate meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) at 3:30 p.m. in the Hurricane 100 room, Convocation Center, 1245 Walsh Avenue. All faculty members are welcome to attend. Visit the Senate Web page http://www.miami.edu/FacultySenate for more information. The Momentum of Cellular Therapy -The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis Annual Directors’ Research Briefing 09/28/2005, 10 a.m. to noon, The Waldorf-Astoria (Astor Room), 301 Park Avenue, New York City The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis invites you to its annual Directors’ Research Briefing to be held tomorrow (Wednesday) from 10 a.m. to noon at The Waldorf-Astoria (Astor Room), 301 Park Avenue, New York City. Speakers will include W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D., Barth A. Green, M.D., John R. Bethea, Ph.D. and Mark S. Nash, Ph.D. Admission is complimentary and wheelchair accessible. Valet and self parking is available. Call 305-243-7108 to RSVP your attendance. Medical Education Grand Rounds 09/30/2005, noon, Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, fifth-floor auditorium Richard Tiberius, Ph.D., director of the Educational Development Office for the Miller School of Medicine, will be the guest speaker at Medical Education Grand Rounds on Friday at noon in the fifth floor of the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building. Lunch will be provided. The title of his presentation is “Scooped! An Educational Researcher’s Fantasy.” For more information, contact the Office of Educational Development at 305-243-7482. Peer Coaching Seminar 09/30/2005, 9 to 11 a.m., Dominion Parking Garage, room 155 Peer coaching focuses on coaching a colleague so that he or she may improve a targeted skill. Workshop participants with be able to explain how coaching is different from criticizing, teaching and training. In the interactive session, they will have opportunities to clarify and practice the coaching skills that are explained in the prerequisite Computer Based Learning session. This seminar will be held Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., in Dominion Parking Garage room 155. To register and to complete the prerequisite session, go to http://netlearning.miami.edu. Please contact Sally Philips at 305-284-6604 if you need help. Conversations About Cancer Series- "Neurological Issues in Breast Cancer" 10/03/2005, noon to 1 p.m., UM/Sylvester, room 1301 Deborah Heros, M.D., will discuss “Neurological Issues in Breast Cancer,” on Monday, October 3 at UM/Sylvester, room 1301. It is free and open to the public. A light lunch will be served. Please call 800-545-2292 to reserve your space. Conversations About Cancer Series- "What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer" 10/03/2005, noon to 1 p.m., UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach, 1192 East Newport Center Drive Orlando Silva, M.D., will discuss “What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer,” on Monday, October 3 at UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach, 1192 East Newport Center Drive. It is free and open to the public. A light lunch will be served. Please call 800-545-2292 to reserve your space. Office of Research Compliance Assessment Workshop: SOPs in Research 10/05/2005 and 10/07/2005, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Winn Dixie Hope Lodge Join in an open discussion of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in clinical research on Wednesday, October 5, or Friday, October 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Winn Dixie Hope Lodge. Discussion topics will include the importance of SOPs and how to optimally manage them, including their creation and revision. Lunch will be provided. Blood Drive Next Week 10/06/2005, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Various Locations There will be a blood drive on Thursday, October 6, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The locations are the second floor of the Retter Auditorium, the student lounge on the second floor of the Rosenstiel Medical Sciences Building, and the mobile unit located on the south side of UM-Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Subway sandwiches, chips and soda will be provided. Everyone who comes out and donates will also receive two tickets to the Improv, a comedy club in Coconut Grove, and a free t-shirt. For more information, please contact the Office of Community Relations at 305-243-3453. Conversations About Cancer Series- "Basics of Chemotherapy" 10/17/2005, noon to 1 p.m., UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach, 1192 East Newport Center Drive Rakesh Singal, M.D., will discuss “Basics of Chemotherapy,” on Monday, October 17 at UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach. It is free and open to the public. A light lunch will be served. Please call 800-545-2292 to reserve your space. Conversations About Cancer Series- "Hereditary Breast Cancer" 10/17/2005, noon to 1 p.m., UM/Sylvester, room 1301 Talia Donenberg, M.S., Board Certified Genetic Counselor, will discuss “Hereditary Breast Cancer,” on Monday, October 17 at UM/Sylvester, room 1301. It is free and open to the public. A light lunch will be served. Please call 800-545-2292 to reserve your space. Lower Extremity Peripheral Vascular Disease and Critical Limb Ischemia International Summit 10/26/2005 to 10/27/2005, Hotel InterContinental Miami The first International Summit on Lower Extremity Peripheral Vascular Disease and Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) is scheduled for October 26 to 27 at the Hotel InterContinental Miami. The inaugural CLI Summit will be held in conjunction with New Cardiovascular Horizons, one of North America's largest multidisciplinary cardiovascular conferences. New Cardiovascular Horizons takes place October 27 to 29, also at the Hotel InterContinental Miami. Attendees can expect more options for education with sessions on peripheral vascular disease, primary cardiovascular care, wound care, critical limb ischemia, comprehensive cardiovascular nursing and catheter-based endovenous care. In addition, there are hands-on workshops and symposia, along with live cases presented by Cardiovascular Institute of the South physicians. Registrants completing the 2005 conferences can earn up to 31.75 CMEs or 36.6 contact hours. Complete conference information, agendas and on-line registration are available at www.newcvhorizons.com, www.CLIsummit.com and www.Medical-renaissance.com. Conversations About Cancer Series- "Ways to Avoid Infection" 10/28/2005, noon to 1 p.m., UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach, 1192 East Newport Center Drive Maggie Kane, B.S.M.T., L.H.R.M., will discuss “Ways to Avoid Infection,” on Friday, October 28 at UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach. It is free and open to the public. A light lunch will be served. Please call 800-545-2292 to reserve your space. Conversations About Cancer Series- "Radiation as a Treatment in Prostate Cancer" 10/31/2005, noon to 1 p.m., UM/Sylvester, room 1301 May Abdel Wahab, M.D., Ph.D., will discuss “Radiation as a Treatment in Prostate Cancer,” on Monday, October 31 at UM/Sylvester, room 1301. It is free and open to the public. A light lunch will be served. Please call 800-545-2292 to reserve your space. Pediatric Brain Injury Conference 11/04/2005 to 11/05/2005, Alexander Hotel, Miami Beach, FL. The Miller School of Medicine Departments of Pediatrics, Surgery and Neurosurgery are proud to announce the third annual Pediatric Brain Injury Conference, November 4 and 5 at the Alexander Hotel in Miami Beach. This is a unique meeting focusing on research and clinical issues along the continuum of care of children following brain and spinal cord injury. The two full days of plenary sessions include a break-out session on the first day exploring more detailed aspects of pediatric neurocritical care versus neurorehabilitation. For full details and to register online, please go to http://pedibrain.org/conference/conference.asp. Third Annual Jay Bon Salle Memorial Golf & Tennis Outing 11/10/2005, Crandon Park Golf Course, Key Biscayne, FL. The Third Annual Jay Bon Salle Memorial Golf and Tennis Outing will be held on November 10 this year. All proceeds from this year’s outing will benefit the University of Miami Cardiovascular Center. For more information, please contact Milen Gonzalez at 305-243-2721 or via e-mail at mileng@miami.edu, or visit the Jay Bon Salle Foundation Web site at http://www.thejbsfoundation.org. | |
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The Division of Cosmetic Dermatology, directed by Leslie Baumann, M.D., is looking for teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 to participate in a research study to determine whether injections with BOTOX® (botulinum toxin type A) relieve excessive underarm sweating. If interested, please contact a member of the research staff at 305-532-5552. Bruce Rubin, M.D., is currently performing a study on trigeminal neuralgia (TN) treatment with subcutaneous injections of BOTOX® to evaluate the effectiveness of treating facial pain associated with TN. Patients must have a diagnosis of TN for more than three months and be at least 18 years of age. Please contact Amy L. Kaye, ARNP, for more information at 305-243-6223. Dr. Rubin is also seeking patients for a research study on the treatment of tightness/spasticity in the wrist, fingers, and elbow caused by a stroke while evaluating the effect of BOTOX® on pulmonary functioning. Patients must be 18 years of age, have had a stroke six months ago or longer, have a pulmonary/breathing problem and cannot have used BOTOX® or any other botulinum toxin previously for any condition. Please contact Amy L. Kaye, ARNP, at 305-243-6223 for additional information. If you are interested in in-vitro fertilization, you may be eligible to participate in a clinical research study being conducted at the University of Miami Infertility Center. The study is evaluating the use of progesterone suppositories in women seeking infertility treatment using IVF. Qualified participants will receive IVF treatment medications, study exams, and compensation for their time. If you would like more information, please contact Marisol Sloane, RN, at 305-243-8642, or send an e-mail to msloane@med.miami.edu. The Center for Treatment Research on Adolescent Drug Abuse (CTRADA) is recruiting adolescents ages 12-17 for participation in a substance abuse treatment-research study. To be eligible, the adolescent’s parents must be willing to participate in treatment and assessments, adolescents must have moderate to severe substance use, and no more than three lifetime arrests. For more information, please call 305-243-5020 or write to jcooley@med.miami.edu. More information is also available on our website at www.miami.edu/CTRADA. The University of Miami School of Medicine-Miami Heart Research Institute Cardiovascular DNA Diagnostic Laboratory is recruiting both pediatric and adult individuals and/or families with any of the following: QT interval greater than 0.5 at any time; lethal ventricular arrhythmias, especially in the setting of a first myocardial infarction; sudden cardiac death; drug-induced ventricular arrhythmias or long QT syndrome, or congenital long QT syndrome. These samples will be used for research studies of genes that may be associated with these conditions. To make a referral of a patient or family, or to obtain more information about our work, contact Nanette H. Bishopric, M.D., at n.bishopric@miami.edu, Todd Miller, Ph.D., at t.miller@miami.edu, Lisa Baumbach, Ph.D., at lbaumbac@med.miami.edu, or Shauntelle Elliott, RN, at selliott2@um-jmh.org. The NIH-sponsored SARA Study (Study of Acid Reflux and Asthma) is recruiting asthmatic subjects between 18-60 years of age to determine if adding a drug that treats gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD) to usual asthma treatment reduces the number of asthma flare-ups. The study will be conducted on the medical school campus. Participants will be given a physical exam, a test to diagnose GERD and a pulmonary function test at study entry. They will then be asked to come to the laboratory for eight study visits over a six-month period to complete questionnaires about asthma symptoms and to perform a pulmonary function test. For more information about the study and compensation for participation, please call Eliana Mendes, M.D., at 305-243-2568. Have you or one of your relatives been diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder? Are you in regular contact with this person? If so, you and your family member(s) may be eligible to participate in a free schizophrenia intervention study. In this study, you and your relatives will participate in four assessment sessions of approximately one and one-half to two hours each as well as a weekly family treatment of several 75-minute sessions. To enroll or learn more about the study, please contact Amy G. Weisman, Ph.D., at 305-284-5455. More than 5.5 million women in North America are affected by endometriosis and its symptoms, including pelvic pain. If you have endometriosis, you may be eligible to participate in a clinical research study evaluating a new investigational medication for pelvic pain due to endometriosis. To qualify, you must be a woman between 18 and 45 with regular menstrual periods, have endometriosis diagnosed by a surgical procedure (laparoscopy or laparotomy) within the past three years, have moderate to severe pelvic pain due to endometriosis for at least three months, not be using oral contraceptives for the past 30 days, be sexually active, and have not had a surgical treatment for endometriosis in the past six months. For more information, please call 305-243-1613. The Department of Psychology, Behavioral Medicine Research Center, is recruiting participants for several studies investigating the impact of psychological factors such as stress on quality of life and disease progression in several older adult (> 50 yrs. old) populations. The studies are actively recruiting men and women recently diagnosed with head and neck cancer, HIV-positive men, and men treated for advanced prostate cancer. For more information about these studies, please call Frank Penedo, Ph.D., at 305-575-7122. The SPARE Study (Soy Phytoestrogens As Replacement Estrogen) is currently recruiting women between 45-60 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. The UM Skin Research Group, directed by Brian Berman, M.D., Ph.D., professor of dermatology and internal medicine, is conducting several research studies on keloids, acne, and atopic dermatitis (eczema). If you are interested in participating please contact us at 305-243-5519, or visit our website at http://www.skininvestigation.com. 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. | |
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