The DOM Dispatch - May, 2021

Monthly newsletter for the CU Department of Medicine. In this issue: -Changes Coming to Campus June 1 -CU Anschutz Campus Pledge for Solidarity -Suicide Prevention in the Workplace Workshop  -Department of Medicine Rising Stars -Corena Carmichael, DOM's DFA, to Retire -New Campus Events Calendar

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Message from the Chair Dear Friends and Colleagues,  I’ve long recognized that the only way we’ll get through the pandemic is through total engagement and transparent communication. This past year, SARS-CoV-2 has forced all of us to pivot the ways we connect and communicate with each other – at work and at home.  Some of these practices happened overnight, many out of necessity. I recall in one of my earlier 2020 Covid communications I mentioned that I was rapidly transitioning from a Boomer to a Zoomer, and I think it’s safe to say Zoom is here to stay.  The foundation of DOM communications is to ensure that teams receive timely and transparent information, everyone is equally informed, and more importantly – that our staff, faculty, and trainees also have the opportunity to provide ongoing feedback.  We’ve been intentional to create opportunities for dialogue to help inform our strategy, and I believe it’s important that we highlight these ongoing activities for you to include your voice, suggestions and concerns:  DOM Town Hall – Launched as weekly meetings during the height of the pandemic, I hosted these Town Halls on relevant Covid topics with expert speakers. Our recent Town Hall survey indicate that they were useful and provided a great venue for dialogue and discussion.  Looking ahead, we will continue the Town Halls virtually, likely on a monthly basis on timely DOM topics. Join us for the next one on May 27 at 7pm for a discussion on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with our Vice Chair for Diversity and Justice Sonia Flores. More details will be shared soon. Surveys and Focus Groups – As part of our ongoing practice, we ask staff, faculty, and trainees to regularly weigh in on important topics. Recently, we launched surveys on caregiving during Covid, and mental health and wellness. We’ve followed up on many of these surveys with focus groups to dial in on concerns and ideas, and some of the solutions proposed by these groups have been implemented across our department. DOM Division Head Retreat – Last month we held a retreat for a purposeful discussion and dialogue on the involvement of our department on clinical growth off campus. Now our hard work begins to align that vision with more conversations on our strategy, tactics and objectives.  Open Door – Even if it’s Virtual – I want to hear from you. Feel free to email me your thoughts, suggestions or concerns any time. I also host “Coffee with the Chair” sessions biweekly on Fridays and you can sign up for a session here.  Thank you again for your ongoing dedication and perseverance. By working together and supporting one another, I truly believe we’ve leveraged our strengths and stayed connected, despite our challenges.  My very best wishes, David A. Schwartz, MD Professor of Medicine and Immunology  Robert W. Schrier Chair of Medicine

COVID-19 Campus Resources

CU Anschutz Medical Campus Updates Important Campus Changes Coming, Starting June 1 Vaccine Requirements and FAQs COVID Testing for CU Anschutz employees, students and family members Department of Medicine COVID-19 Resources COVID-19 Grand Rounds Recordings COVID-19 Town Hall Recordings Division of Infectious Diseases  Department of Psychiatry COVID-19 Support

Faculty Advancement

Faculty Advancement Office Initiatives – Monthly faculty development activities handout highlighting opportunities in the Department of Medicine and School of Medicine.  Program Updates Junior Faculty Mentoring Program New faculty – a mentor identification form is due to the Faculty Advancement Office within 90 days of your start date. Additional information around requirements and online form access can be found here.  Requirement reminder – 2 mentor progress reports are due by Dec 31, 2021. Please submit online forms here.  Questions: DomFacAdvancement@ucdenver.edu Mid-Career Faculty Women's Leadership Development Program Cohort 2 launched successfully on March 3 with 22 participants Learn more about Cohort 2’s executive committee and participants in our Biosketch Booklet Questions or to inquire about participation in 2022: DomFacAdvancement@ucdenver.edu Career Cornerstones Career Cornerstones is open to all eligible junior faculty in Medicine, Family Medicine, Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, and Radiology. This professional development program focuses on building skills and competencies associated with academic success. All junior faculty years 1-4 are encouraged to attend. Final session for the 2021 Cohort was held April 6 Questions or to inquire about participation in 2022: CareerCornerstones@ucdenver.edu DOM Junior Faculty Mentor Program (JUMP) Designed for junior faculty who are about to start or would like to become a first-time mentor. This program provides strategies and guidance to junior faculty and prepares them for the unique challenges they face when asked by students, residents, and fellows to assume a mentoring role. Faculty may self-nominate to the program. Final session for 2021 Cohort was held April 21 Questions or to inquire about participation in 2022: gregory.austin@cuanschutz.edu JUMP-DOM-2021-Overview 2015-2020 JUMP Cohorts

LEADERSHIP 101: HBR and Psychological Safety in a Hybrid Workplace In developing a hybrid workplace, determining employees’ individual working arrangements and norms will require managers to rethink and expand their focus on psychological safety, one of the strongest predictors of team effectiveness. As the boundary between work and personal lives blurs, managers should work to create an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing aspects of their personal situations as they relate to their work, as well as challenges they may be facing. Edmondson and Mortensen suggest five steps for managers, including thinking creatively about shared challenges, leading the way by sharing your own vulnerability, and building trust slowly over time, that will help to create a culture of psychological safety that expands beyond typical work content to include broader employee experiences. What Psychological Safety Looks Like in a Hybrid Workplace; Harvard Business Review; Amy C. Edmondson and Mark Mortensen, April 2021. Currently Harvard Business Review offers special coronavirus coverage for leading and working through a pandemic. These resources are available here. Also, did you know the Harvard Business Review is available to all faculty and staff through our Strauss Health Sciences Library’s organization subscription to the journal? (Journal search “Harvard Business Review”).  For additional leadership resources, please review the Leading through Crisis resource document on the DOM COVID-19 webpage.

DOM Faculty Senate Update

Dean's Updates to Faculty Senate Department chair searches - four are ongoing New Anschutz Health Sciences Building on schedule for completion in August Colorado State Legislation: Colorado public option bill remains under discussions- has potentially significant implications for clinical practice Many physician groups have openly opposed: CHA, Colorado Medical Society CU School of Medicine has not yet taken a public position Bill allowing unionization, specifically Denver Health and CUSOM is expected to pass CUSOM MD Program Curriculum Steering Committee Updates - presented by Tyler Anstett, DO, (Hospital Medicine) Curriculum reform- ongoing discussion for assessment and evaluation for students 2021 residency match: match was consistent with prior years with outstanding results as usual (182 matched, 10 Soap matched, 4 deferred); transition to virtual residency interviews did not seem to have an effect. IM was the most commonly matched specialty for CUSOM graduates. Value Based Performance at CU Medicine - presented by Lisa Schilling, MD (GIM), Christina Finlayson, MD (Surgery) Value Based Performance office is within CU Medicine, established in 2015. It is designed to keep pace with shifts in payment and perform investigation of new policies, new programs. For 2021, largest value based programs: Medicare Primary care plus Primary care first Our final score for this year was 89 (which is very good) and our assessment was very positive, leaving a fee adjustment of +1% (indicating that there was not loss)

Mental Health and Wellness: Amanda Doria, LPC (Psychiatry) presented, “Balancing your Mental Health in a Pandemic: Mitigating Health Professional Burnout as a Stress Injury” Faculty should consider making an individualized resiliency plan Resource: “Past the Pandemic”: This ECHO series offers health care providers and other staff working in health care settings strategies to navigate, normalize and hold space for worries and experiences during this pandemic. Co-sponsored by CU Department of Psychiatry.

Our role as Faculty Senators is to serve as a bridge between you and SOM leadership. We plan to send out regular updates from the Faculty Senate meetings through the DOM newsletter and provide updates at the Division Head meetings. Contact us directly at DOM Faculty Senators with any needs (Carey Candrian, PhD; Maurice “Scotty” Scott, MD; Timothy Amass, MD, ScM; Tyler Anstett, DO)

DOM Initiatives - Diversity & Justice

Sign the CU Anschutz Campus Pledge of Solidarity The CU Anschutz Medical Campus community gathered on April 21 to pledge its commitment to addressing racial and societal inequities, locally and nationally, in the country’s health, education, judicial and law enforcement systems. The Pledge of Solidarity states: "As a member of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus community, I stand in solidarity with my peers and colleagues in a shared commitment: I pledge to work with my CU Anschutz community to address and heal racial and societal inequities, locally and nationally, in our health, education, judicial and law enforcement systems." To sign a digital version of the Pledge of Solidarity, please click here.

DOM 30-Day Anti-Racism Challenge The Department of Medicine recently announced a 30-Day Anti-Racism Challenge for faculty, staff and trainees. The Challenge is self-paced, voluntary and can be completed at any time. Download the Challenge here.

Research and Innovation

Transformational Announcement: Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research The CU Anschutz Campus recently announced that the Center for Women’s Health Research will now be named the Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research. This is in honor of women’s health advocate and supporter of the center, Lyda Ludeman, and the Ludeman family’s longstanding commitment to science, technology and education.  This transformational gift also recognizes the foundational work and commitment of Judy Regensteiner, PhD, co-founder and director of the Ludeman Center. During her tenure, the center has supported more than 70 researchers with funding, mentoring, and training. In addition, the center’s educational programs have reached thousands of individuals in Denver and beyond. Congratulations to Dr. Regensteiner and the outstanding team at the Ludeman Center. Read more.

The DOM hosted its annual Research Day on April 19. This annual event showcases our Department’s diverse and impactful accomplishments in basic, translational, clinical, and outcomes research.  This year’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. Benjamin Ebert from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, who spoke about “Targeted Protein Degradation: Drugging the Undruggable”.  The event also featured talks by several of the Department’s junior faculty from the Rising Stars and Outstanding Early Career Scholars programs, along with a virtual poster session covering five topic areas: Cardiology, Pulmonary and Vascular Research Immunity and Inflammation Cancer and Hematology Clinical and Outcomes Research COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 Congratulations to the 2021 Abstract Award Winners: Brad Constant, MD Matthew Genelin, BA Hannah Hicks, BA Austin Jolly, BA Amy Keller, PhD Katherine Littlefield, BS Sarah Mann, MD Anna Schreiber, MD  Kayla Sompel, BS Heami Yi, BS

2021 David A. Schwartz Mentor Award Recipient Congratulations to Gaby Frank, MD, associate professor of medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, Denver Health

Call for Applications: Residency Research StARR Program The Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics are now recruiting for the Residency Research 2021 StARR Program (Stimulating Access to Research in Residency). This exciting research opportunity is offered through a prestigious NIH award and is open to residents in the Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Medicine/Pediatrics programs.  Application and Program Information Applications are due May 14, 2021. The application form can be accessed here Detailed program information may be found on the StARR website

PRIDE AGOLD: Summer Research Training for Underrepresented Junior Faculty Accepting Applications The Colorado PRIDE program: “Impact of Ancestry and gender in omics of lung diseases (AGOLD)” is now accepting applications. Space is limited for the 2021 mentored summer training program. When: August 16-27, 2021 at the CU Anschutz Campus (may be virtual due to COVID-19) Learn More: PRIDE AGOLD brochure Apply Now

Research Studies Town Hall Join the Research Studies Town Hall on May 6 from noon-1pm to learn about the updates to the Research Studies website and its utilization for the recruitment of clinical research subjects. Register now.

Survey for Researchers and Electronic Health Data The CU Record Linkage Team is conducting a research study to evaluate communication materials on the topic of record linkage. They are looking for researchers who use electronic health data to participate in a one-time interview and brief survey. Those who complete the survey and interview are eligible to receive a $50 gift card. If you are interested, please fill out the pre-screening survey.

NIH Grant Application Changes Beginning with the May 25, 2021 due date, NIH will transition to a new format for the Biosketch and Other Support sections of grant applications. Please see NOT-OD-21-073 for complete details.  Questions may be directed to Jennifer.T.Kemp@CUAnschutz.edu

Selected Faculty Research Highlights Emily Gottenborg, MD; Amy Yu, MD; Roxana Naderi, MD; Angela Keniston, MSPH; Lauren McBeth; Katherine Morrison, MD; David A. Schwartz, MD; and Marisha Burden, MD, recently published "COVID-19’s impact on faculty and staff at a School of Medicine in the US: what is the blueprint for the future?" in BMC Health Services Research. The authors interviewed 28 faculty and staff members of the Department of Medicine and discussed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives including: Challenges and disparities experienced by faculty and staff during the pandemic Disproportionate impacts on women Institutional factors that contributed to wellness and burnout Solutions and strategies to support faculty and staff The authors recommend continuing alternate and flexible work schedules, developing flexible promotion timelines, investing in family support mechanisms, creating social support networks, and utilizing of the momentum for change to address pay gaps due to gender. Kasey Couts, PhD, assistant research professor in the Division of Medical Oncology, was recently awarded a DOD Melanoma Research Program Idea Award, “The Role of the Tumor Microbiome in Mucosal Melanoma Development and Anti-tumor Immunity.” The goal of this project is to characterize the tumor microbiome in mucosal-derived melanomas and determine its impact on the epigenome, innate immunity, and response to immune-based therapies. She is collaborating with Drs. Medina and Robinson (Medical Oncology), Dr. McCarter (Surgery), and Dr. Lozupone (BIPM) on this project. Antonio Jimeno, MD, PhD, professor of medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology, received an R01 award, "Targeting Oncogenic Myb Fusions in Salivary Gland Cancer with the Elongation Inhibitor SVC112". This is a collaboration between the Jimeno Lab (CU Anschutz) and Tin Tin Su, PhD (CU Boulder). Amneet Sandhu, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist and assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, recently received a VA Career Development Award. The focus of his research is on the benefit and decision-making process associated with ICDs (Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators) implantation among veterans. The hypothesis of this proposal is that current ICD decision-making processes are heterogeneous and lack sufficient veteran perspective. The study addresses this through determining veteran and VA-provider specific factors surrounding ICD decision-making; developing a VA-provider led tool that meets veteran needs for routine use within the VA; and feasibility testing of the newly developed tools designed to support ICD communications. Stacey Seggelke, MS, RN; Claire Ingram, PA-C; Svitlana Crawley, NP, MSN; and Cecilia Low Wang, MD, from the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes recently published "Insulin Resistance in a Hospitalized COVID-19 Patient: A Case Review" in ADA's Clinical Diabetes. Amira Pino-Jones, MD; Lilia Cervantes, MD (Denver Health); Sonia Flores, PhD; Christine Jones MD, MS; Joseph Keach, MD (Denver Health); Li-Kheng Ngov, MD; David A Schwartz, MD; Margaret Wierman, MD; Tyler Anstett, DO; Kasey Bowden, MSN, FNP, AG/ACNP; Angela Keniston, MSPH; and Marisha Burden MD, recently published “Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Hospital Medicine” in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

Faculty Publications

Clinical Excellence

EXCCEL Outstanding Clinical Work Awards The Expert Council for Clinical Excellence and Leadership (EXCCEL) committee recently announced the recipients of the “Outstanding Clinical Work During COVID Times” award. The EXCCEL Committee received over 60 nominations in support of clinicians (APPs and MD/DOs) for going above and beyond during the height of the COVID pandemic.  The 6 APP and 6 MD awardees were nominated by multiple peers and allied health professionals. These awardees will be recognized on a plaque that will remain on display in the AO1 Building, 8th floor hallway. APPs Shenley Meyer, NP, MSN, instructor, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine           Kasey Bowden, FNP, NP, MSN, RN, assistant professor, Division of Hospital Medicine    Amber Maniates, PA-C, instructor, Division of Hospital Medicine           Cristina Caviglia, NP, instructor, Division of Hospital Medicine       Frances Lorenzi, PA-C, assistant professor, Division of Hospital Medicine                 Alexandra Gallant, PA, assistant professor, Division of Hospital Medicine              MDs Patrick Ryan, MD, assistant professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, Denver Health Lakshmi Chauhan, MD, assistant professor, Division of Infectious Diseases Lisa Thompson, MD, assistant professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center Rebecca Allyn, MD, associate professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, Denver Health           Rebecca Hanratty, MD, associate professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, Denver Health Jonathan Pell, MD, associate professor, Division of Hospital Medicine We appreciate the robust response to our call for nominations and the efforts of all clinical providers during these challenging times. The EXCCEL Committee: Gaby Frank and Jeff Wallace Co-Chairs, Ethan Cumbler, Larry Feinberg, Sterling West, Nancy Madinger, Paul Varosy, Stacey Seggelke, Jean Youngwerth, Todd Bull, Abigail Lara

DOM Initiatives - Wellness

The WellDOM Team (Wellness in the Department of Medicine) is here to support you WellDOM Leadership Team Director: Katherine Morrison, MD Associate Director Efficiency of Practice: CT Lin, MD Associate Director APPs: Katie Dickerman, APN Associate Director Data and Measurement: Kristin Jensen, MD Associate Director Staff Data/Education: Jordan Deslauriers  Associate Director Staff Mentoring: Cheryl Loudd WellDOM Champions Wellness Champions represent divisions within the Department of Medicine and meet quarterly. Wellness Champions disseminate information back to their divisions as well as provide feedback and information on best practices back to the WellDOM leadership team.  Want to become involved with WellDOM? Reach out to Katherine Morrison.

Resources for DOM Employees Visit the WellDOM website for resources and information covering a range of topics including: Wellbeing and Mental Health Caregiving Gratitude

Wellbeing Wednesdays – a weekly email to highlight resources that exist within our system, illuminate the national conversation on burnout, and discuss systemic changes and solutions that the Department of Medicine is working on to improve professional fulfilment. Recent Wellbeing Wednesdays: April 28: Working Minds: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace April 21: Feeling Blah During the Pandemic? It’s Called Languishing April 14: Your Physical Wellbeing during the Zoom Era April 7: Things They Carry Workshops

Upcoming Wellness Events and Workshops

Workshop: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace In response to this year’s high incidence of mental health concerns among faculty and staff, as well as the high suicidal ideation endorsed by our researchers on our recent COVID-19 impact surveys, we have an opportunity for DOM trainees, staff and faculty to take a 2-hour virtual course “Working Minds: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace”. Limited spots are available - sign up now:  2-hour continuous session: May 5 from 12-2pm  Two one-hour sessions: May 11 and May 18 from 12-1pm This course is led by Alex Yannacone from the CU Johnson Depression Center.

2021 Virtual Lecture Series: Enhancing Health Care Professionals through Engagement with the Arts Hosted by the Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab (CORAL) through the School of Medicine, this lecture series will be held on the third Friday of every month from 12-1pm on May 21, June 18, July 16, Aug 20, Sept 17. Read more.

CU Anschutz COVID-19 Narratives Open to all CU Anschutz employees at no cost 5 weeks, 1 writing response each week 20-30 minutes per response Feedback from a mental health professional All communications are confidential Sign up now

WellDOM Champions Spotlight Judith Ouellet, MPH, PhD Candidate Senior Professional Research Assistant Division of Health Care Policy and Research Why did you volunteer to be a WellDOM Champion? Our division focuses on research, which can be isolating work - even more so during the pandemic. I saw volunteering with WellDOM as an opportunity to break out of our division bubble, get to know others and the resources available within our larger community, and work toward improving workplace culture. How do you take care of your own wellbeing? This has been a struggle for me, I am inclined to focus on taking care of others before myself. I consciously make efforts to take care of my own wellbeing by going for walks, taking breaks when I need them, and having a therapist! What are you most excited/passionate about in terms of wellbeing? I am passionate about access to mental health care; there are many barriers to mental health care unrelated to income and/or mental health insurance coverage. I would love to better understand what these barriers look like within the realistic context of everyday life so that improvements can be identified and implemented. Can you tell us a little about your PhD thesis project? My dissertation is on mothers who have lost a child to suicide with a focus on understanding how the experience has impacted their life and how social response has shaped their experience. I felt the research on suicide bereavement often came short of ‘getting’ how this really impacts someone. I am conducting a series of phenomenological interviews with each participant, in the hopes of bringing in enough life context to more completely convey the experience to those who have not gone through it. The project is very time consuming but it is an honor to have the participants share their experiences with me.

Quality & Safety Program

5th Annual Shark Tank Finalist Presentations The sharks are back on the hunt for innovative quality improvement projects designed to improve high value care (HVC) delivery. Our sharks, an esteemed panel of quality and safety experts, will hear presentations from the Shark Tank Finalists during DOM Grand Rounds on May 12 from noon-1pm. See the program agenda for more details.   The winning project team will receive coaching, project management, data collection and analytics support from the DOM Quality & Patient Safety Team for one year. Here are the finalist projects: VECTORS: Vancomycin Errors Corrected Through Optimizing OPAT Med Reconciliation and AVS Standardization: Lorna Allen, FNP-C - Division of Infectious Diseases Sickle Cell Project: Michael Tozier, MD; Kevin Sullivan, MD; Joanne Chiao, MD - Division of Hospital Medicine I-PASD: Increasing Primary Care Medical Provider (PCMP) Appointment Scheduling on Discharge: Tara Ward, MSN, RN, AGACNP-BC - Division of Hospital Medicine Laboratory Stewardship: The Right Test at the Right Time: Eric Rudofker, MD; Ellen Sarcone, MD - Division of General Internal Medicine Increasing Advanced Care Planning in Specialty Ambulatory Clinics: Laura Peters, NP - Division of Cardiology   Learn more about the competition and past winners on our website.

DOM Morbidity & Mortality Conferences – Sign up to Present a Case The DOM QPS team extends an invitation to divisions to schedule case presentations for this monthly conference. Last year, we had a diverse representation from several divisions and we’d love to see the same engagement for the next academic year. Determining a case and finding presenters will be done later as we approach your chosen month. Openings are filling up quickly - please sign-up here to choose a month to present a case.

LInQS Fellowship Program – Presentation at the DOM Research & Innovation Conference The Cohort 2 fellows of the Leaders in Informatics, Quality & Systems (LInQS) Fellowship Program have already shown impressive progress in their quality improvement projects they complete as part of the program. At a recent DOM Research & Innovation Conference on April 8, Henry Kramer, MD, (Hospital Medicine) presented his LInQS project ASPIRE: Anticoagulation Safety Program for Improving Readmissions and Experience in Venous Thromboembolism (VTE). Dr. Kramer’s project focuses on a bundle of interventions (e.g., education, epic order sets, standardized discharge practices, etc.) aimed at improving transitions of care for VTE patients. You can view a recording of the presentation here.

DOM Morbidity, Mortality & Systems Improvement Conferences – Your Feedback into Action   At the DOM Morbidity, Mortality & Systems Improvement Conference on April 13, we reviewed a case of hyponatremia and prolonged hospital admission that occurred while trying to correct the patient’s sodium levels. The case discussion revealed a need for standardization and more education. Sarah Young, MD, (Nephrology) presented a new Agile MD pathway jointly designed with the Emergency Department (go live date soon!) to standardize lab & fluid orders, urine sampling schedules and admission guidelines for patients presenting to the ED with sodium level <130mEg/L. Dr. Young has agreed to work Anunta Virapongse, MD, MPH, and Sarah Scarpato, MD, (Hospital Medicine) and Arun Kannappan, MD, (Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine) to develop a sister pathway for the inpatient units with targeted RN communication plans and guidelines on timed labs. Thank you to everyone who took part in this conference; your feedback matters.

Noteworthy

Department of Medicine Announces 2021 Rising Stars The Rising Star Award recognizes outstanding early-career faculty members who exemplify the department’s core values of excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients! Read the full announcement.

Matthew A. Burchill, PhD Assistant Professor of Medicine Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology CU Anschutz Medical Campus

Lauren Fishbein MD, PhD Associate Professor of Medicine Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center

Elena Lebduska, MD Assistant Professor of Medicine Division of General Internal Medicine CU Anschutz Medical Campus

Kara Mould, MD, MPH Assistant Professor of Medicine Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine National Jewish Health

PROMOTIONS, AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Kathleen Barnes, PhD, division head of the Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine (BIPM), and the founding director of the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine (CCPM) has been appointed the Departmental Endowed Chair in Medicine. After 23 years at Johns Hopkins, Barnes joined the Department of Medicine in 2015 to launch both the BIPM and CCPM, which in short order has become one of the most successful academic personalized medicine programs in the country. Congratulations to Robert Schwartz, MD and Dan Matlock, MD on the upcoming transition in leadership in the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Schwartz has led the division for over 20 years and Dan will serve as the interim division head beginning May 1. Dr. Schwartz has literally transformed the Division of Geriatrics from a clinical division to an academic powerhouse. Thanks to his leadership, Geriatric Medicine is consistently ranked in the top 10 percent of hospital specialties in the nation. Fortunately, he will continue to participate in clinical and academic programs in geriatric medicine after stepping down as division head. Dr. Matlock joined the Division of Geriatric Medicine as a faculty member in 2007 and is currently an associate professor of medicine. He also serves as the director of the Colorado Program for Patient Centered Decisions at ACCORDS. Read the full announcement. Phoebe Cao, 2nd year Cancer Biology Program PhD student in the Division of Medical Oncology Davila Lab, was recently accepted into the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. This program is the oldest fellowship program in the U.S. to recognize and directly support outstanding graduate students with the demonstrated potential to be high achieving scientists or engineers in various STEM disciplines. Her project during this five-year fellowship is on ”Investigating the role of CD8 T-cell MyD88-mediated signaling on mitochondrial function and cellular metabolic fitness to reinforce persistence, effector function, and expansion." Tyra Fainstad, MD, visiting associate professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine was invited to address the National Academies of Medicine in an April session devoted to physician burnout with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. She was invited in part because of her collaborative work with Adrienne Mann, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, to attenuate trainee clinician burnout through coaching. They developed a novel model, "Better Together: A Novel Web-Based Group Coaching Program to Decrease Burnout in Female-Identifying Trainees in Medicine" they are currently testing in a randomized trial.

Corena Carmichael, DOM's DFA, Plans to Retire After 20 years of dedicated service to the university, Corena Carmichael, CPA, is looking forward to the next chapter in her life – retirement at the end of May.  Carmichael joined the university in 2001 in the campus finance office and then transferred to UPI for three years. She joined the Department of Medicine in 2008 as the Division of General Internal Medicine administrator for four years, then came to the DOM office of administration as the associate director of finance. In 2014, she was appointed the director of finance and administration (DFA).  Carmichael presided over a tremendous growth period for the DOM. At the beginning of her tenure in 2014, there were 753 full-time faculty – today that figure has grown by 49 percent with 1,124 faculty. Revenues also increased by 52 percent during that same period, from $187M in FY14 to an estimated $284M for FY21.  “Corena has enabled our progress and accomplishments,” said David A. Schwartz, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine. “Given Corena’s adept management of the departmental finances, I’ve always known what we could afford to invest in our faculty and our programs. Consequently, I always felt empowered by our budget.” When asked if he could recall specific memories of working with Carmichael, Schwartz remembers asking about a picture of a baby on her screen saver shortly after the campus closed due to COVID-19. Normally known as a private person, Schwartz remarks that she was proud to talk about her grandchild and life as a grandmother, and wanted to visit her family but couldn’t because of COVID.  Indeed, visiting with family and friends is on the top of the list for Carmichael and her husband during retirement, along with traveling more in general and gardening.  During the transition, Tate Hermanson, MBA, from the Division of Allergy and Immunology has been appointed interim DFA.   Reflecting on working with Carmichael during the last nine years, Schwartz said, “I know life will go on. However, it’s hard to know what my life will be like without Corena’s trustworthy support and advice.” We wish her all the best and thank her for her commitment and dedication to the DOM and the university.

HIGHLIGHTED MEDIA CLIPS

Researchers Find Protein That Helps HIV-1 Navigate Through Cell Mamuka Kvaratskhelia, PhD, and colleagues in the Division of Infectious Diseases, have published in Nature Microbiology their discovery that a cytoplasmic protein – Sec24C – helps the HIV-1 core to maintain its integrity to successfully reach the nucleus. “We’re trying to understand the cellular proteins – which ones are helping this (HIV-1 core) structure travel all the way from the entry point to the nucleus, where HIV-1 permanently integrates into the human genome,” said Kvaratskhelia, a professor of medicine. Read more.

Research on Burnout Among Nurses Receives AACN Award A lot has changed in the 20 years since University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers Meredith Mealer, PhD, RN, and Marc Moss, MD, started studying the effects of stress on critical-care nurses. “Twenty years ago, people would say, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. We don’t see this at our hospital. What’s wrong with where you work?’” says Moss, pulmonologist and head of the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine. “And now, even prior to the pandemic, the National Academy of Medicine recognized that this is a major issue in health care. It’s been interesting to see the perceptions change over the past 10 to 20 years.” Read more.

New CU School of Medicine at Colorado State University to Welcome First Cohort this Summer The new University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado State University (CU SOM at CSU) branch campus will welcome its first four-year cohort of 12 medical students in Fort Collins this July. The branch will provide new avenues for clinical training for students as well as an opportunity to collaborate with another of Colorado’s top universities. Classes will be held in the CSU Health and Medical Center, which opened in 2017. Read more.

DOM NEWSROOM

Beyond the Headlines: May Feature

Colorado Gardening Tips 101 As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. Colorado's unique weather provides a plethora of gardening possibilities. From an abundance of sunshine, to watering, mulching and soil composition, are you ready for the spring and summer growing season? Read this article for 8 quick tips on what every Colorado gardener should know.

In Case You Missed It...

Important Campus Changes Coming Read all about what to expect on campus starting June 1 including:  Phased return to on-campus activity Changes to on-campus protocols Events, gatherings and activities Parking Travel Vaccination requirement

CU Medicine Today Spring Edition In this spring edition of CU Medicine Today, Kia Washington, MD, professor of surgery, is featured on the cover. She is the first Black female plastic surgeon in the country to hold the title of full professor. Other features in this issue: an article about medical students helping during last fall’s COVID-19 surge; a Q&A with Casey Greene, PhD, director of the Center for Health Artificial Intelligence; and a piece about the Charles J. Blackwood, MD, Endowed Memorial Scholarship. Read more.

New CU Anschutz Online Events Calendar The CU Anschutz Campus recently launched a new online event calendar: https://calendar.cuanschutz.edu/  To promote your division/center’s events, conferences and lectures, a designated user from your group can now create an account and submit events to display on the calendar. Users can also add the calendar widget to your division's website to display your group's events. Quick links: University Calendar Support and Event Submission Guidelines Best Practices FAQs If you have any questions that aren’t addressed in the links above, contact University Events at events@cuanschutz.edu for assistance.

Open Enrollment Closes May 7 If you would like to keep the same benefit choices, no action is required and you will be automatically re-enrolled. If you want to make a change, the office of employee services open enrollment website provides ways to learn about and compare plans. Enrollment in Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts require participants to actively enroll for the plan year 2021-2022.

Accessing All-Gender Restrooms on the CU Anschutz Campus Those on campus will see increased signage - like the example to the left- for newly designated publicly accessible all-gender restrooms on the first floors of the Academic Office Building (AO1), Education 1, Education 2 North, Education 2 South, Fulginiti Pavilion, Research 1 North, Research 1 South, Research 2, and the School of Dental Medicine building. The university's all-gender restroom locations are listed on the Office of Equity website. Those wishing to access all-gender restrooms in badge-restricted areas that may be located closest to their designated workspace can follow these instructions to request badge access. Questions about all-gender restrooms? Contact the Office of Equity at equity@ucdenver.edu or 303.315.2567. Questions about badging? Contact the Security Badging Office at security.badgeoffice@ucdenver.edu or call 303.724.0339.

Events

Grand Rounds 2020-21 Schedule View the Department of Medicine 2020-2021 Grand Rounds schedule. This year, Grand Rounds participants will have the opportunity to earn CME credit.  While we will continue to host Grand Rounds virtually, we look forward to your participation and lively discussions.

Research and Innovation Conference 2020-21 Schedule The Department of Medicine’s Research and Innovation Conference is a regularly scheduled ‘research-in-progress’ style forum to enable and enhance research outcomes by encouraging faculty to share their research ideas, designs and results with their colleagues to receive feedback. See the 2020-21 schedule.

Coffee with the Chair - Sign Up Now DOM faculty are invited to Coffee with the Chair of Medicine. Sessions will be held biweekly on Fridays from 9-10am. Please sign up for a date that works for you by clicking here. You will need to provide your rank and most recent CV. Questions? Contact Natalie De Leary at NATALIE.DELEARY@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU

Robert H. Allen, MD Memorial Hematology Symposia These one-hour Hematology Symposia CME presentations, honoring the legacy of Dr. Robert H. Allen, aim to share the latest developments in hematologic research, treatments, and clinical trials – both benign and malignant – with our local, state, and national community partners. Upcoming presentations: May 6, 12-1pm: Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation - Jon Gutman, MD June 3, 12-1pm: Breaking Bad: A Dive into Illicit Drug Use and Addiction - Jennifer Tobin, PharmD See the full schedule and event details.

CU Anschutz Multidisciplinary Center on Aging Building Resiliency During Challenging Times Spring 2021 Webinar Series: How to Age Successfully - A Discussion on Cognitive Resiliency: May 6 from 2-3pm. Register now.

A Conversation on Bioinformatics Chancellor Donald M. Elliman, Jr., invites you to a virtual panel discussion on May 10 from 10:30-11:30am, where CU Anschutz researchers and scientists will discuss the vision to harness big data and transform the use of information systems to accelerate discoveries, streamline health care operations and continuously improve patient care. Panelists from the Department of Medicine include Kathleen Barnes, PhD, division head of the Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine, director of the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine; and Sean Davis, MD, PhD, professor of medicine in the Divisions of Medical Oncology and Hematology, and associate director, Informatics and Data Science, CU School of Medicine. Register now.

WiSTEM Presents: Picture a Scientist Discussion CU Anschutz Women in STEM is proud to present an event focused on the inspiring new documentary, "Picture a Scientist". Watch the full-length film at your own convenience (available until 5/12) and join us for a guided discussion on May 10 at 4pm via Zoom.

SPARK | REACH: Startup Entity Considerations Learn the basics of new company formation including the types of entities to choose from (LLC, c-corp, and others) and how to make your choice. May 26 from 4-6pm. Register now or learn more.

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Have ideas or submissions for the newsletter? Email them to holli.keyser@cuanschutz.edu