The DOM Dispatch - March, 2021

Monthly newsletter for the CU Department of Medicine. In this issue: -LGBTQ+ Campus Hub Opens -Call for Abstracts: Research Day 2021 -PRIDE AGOLD Summer Academy -Medicine Grand Rounds Speaker Nominations -HeartMath + Muse Biofeedback Program

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Message from the Chair Dear Friends and Colleagues, One year into this pandemic we’ve crossed an unimaginable milestone of 500,000 American deaths. We’ve also emergently authorized three effective vaccines and learned a great deal about treating patients with SAR-CoV-2 infection.   In April 2020, I wrote in this column, “Every day we face new challenges that test our dedication and define who we are as a profession. Seeing our faculty, trainees and staff respond to this crisis brings me a great deal of pride. It’s times like these that bring us together – with the positive result of being more collaborative, innovative and nimble. We will continue to lean on each other, to move forward as we combat the disease of our lifetime.” Those words are just as true today as they were then.  I believe that as a department, this past year we’ve come out stronger than ever before, relying on our collective values of interdisciplinary collaboration, dedication, persistence, altruism, generosity, and respect for our colleagues. These values have become our roadmap of certainty in a time of uncertainty.  However, I also want to take this moment to recognize another reality that emerges from our experience and the literature - Covid-19 is deeply rooted in healthcare disparity. When we examine those who have developed Covid, those who have died from Covid, and those who are receiving vaccines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, it is clear that this disease has been disproportionately affected by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomics.  We know that the data on race and ethnicity for people who died from Covid-19 indicate that the percent of Hispanic or Latino, non-Hispanic Black, and Indigenous people is higher than the percent of these racial and ethnic groups among the total U.S. population (CDC article). This pandemic has pulled back the curtain of longstanding structural drivers of health inequities, income inequalities, and inadequate social programs. This disease of disparity also affects our ability to fight this pandemic, even as we push for a national vaccination campaign. We’ve seen great success in vaccinating and prioritizing 65+ years and essential workers. At the same time, we know that many people who are at highest risk for severe illness and death from Covid have not signed up to be vaccinated due to lack of awareness, access barriers, and long-standing mistrust of healthcare (JAMA article). We should take pride in our colleagues who are working to change that trajectory.  Looking closer to home, I also want to acknowledge the disparity that exists on campus. Many of our investigators and PRAs are continuing their work in difficult circumstances, and all of our staff have made their homes their workspace for nearly the past 12 months. The transition back to campus (whenever it begins) won’t be easy. Please be patient with yourselves and the process. Please also continue to support each other. Let’s make the most of what we can do. The next phase as we emerge from this pandemic will rely on all of us to set the course. I’ll leave you with these questions to consider: What have we learned that can make us that much more impactful professionally and personally? How can we build on the interdisciplinary relationships and aligned decision making that brought us through this crisis? Thank you to each and every one of you for your dedication and extraordinary commitment this past year; I have noticed, and am both appreciative and proud of our collective accomplishments. Please continue to reach out, share your thoughts, and support each other.  With my best regards and 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 New Check-In Process and Updated Required Training Vaccine Website and FAQs Family Care Program FREE COVID Testing for CU Anschutz employees, students and family members UCH Command Center and Vaccine Distribution School Of Medicine  Department of Medicine COVID-19 Resources COVID-19 Grand Rounds Recordings Join us on March 10 from noon-1pm for a special COVID-19 Grand Rounds "COVID-19 Update" with Eric Poeschla, MD, head of the Division of Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Town Hall Recent recordings: Feb 18: "Vaccine Update – What’s Approved, What’s in the Pipeline, and How do they Compare?” Feb 10: "Children and COVID-19: The Importance of Vaccination” Feb 4: "COVID-19 Treatment: Where Are we Now?" 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 participants have been notified; program launch is on March 3. Questions: DomFacAdvancement@ucdenver.edu 2020 Cohort 1 Biosketch Booklet Career Cornerstones Career Cornerstones is open to all eligible junior faculty this year and sessions are run on an ad hoc basis (participation in individual sessions is allowed and encouraged). Session 1 held on Jan 19 covered Career Mapping & Time Management and included participants from Family Medicine, Medicine, Ophthalmology, Pediatrics and Radiology. Session 2 on March 2 will cover Mentoring & CV Review. Registration for Session 3 (April 6) is still open! Register here. Questions: 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. Three virtual workshops held in 2021: Session 1 held on Jan 20 Forthcoming sessions on March 3 2:30-4:30pm and April 21 2:30-4:30pm; individual coaching sessions will be held this spring JUMP-DOM-2021-Overview 2015-2020 JUMP Cohorts Questions? Contact gregory.austin@cuanschutz.edu

Program to Advance Gender Equity (PAGE) Updates Reminder: Discuss Your Annual Salary During PRISM/Other Evaluation The Department of Medicine’s Program to Advance Gender Equity (PAGE) established processes by which each faculty member should discuss their salary and compensation (what funds support it, what are the salary metrics and national benchmarks) with their division administrator and/or division head or designate. The DOM is committed to salary equity and this process of salary transparency allows each of us to understand the process and discuss ways to ensure equal compensation. Questions? Contact Page Chair Maggie Wierman, MD at margaret.wierman@cuanschutz.edu

LEADERSHIP 101: HBR and Combating Burnout The COVID-19 pandemic has both exposed and significantly exacerbated prior levels of burnout. Despite how massive a problem it is, if organizations understand the causes of burnout and are armed with the right tools, they can work to combat it. Author Jennifer Moss digs into factors that have contributed to burnout before and during the pandemic, emphasizes considering it as an organizational rather than solely an individual problem, and details five ways for individuals and organizations to combat burnout including finding a sense of purpose, addressing meeting fatigue, and creating a climate of psychological safety. Beyond Burned Out; Harvard Business Review; Jennifer Moss, February 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 Four Department chair searches - ongoing Graduate School Administration School to be Restructured - presented by Peter Buttrick, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Moving administration within SOM to better meet the needs of a biomedical research community: position for a new associate dean of graduate studies will be posted shortly. Part of restructuring involves need to create more centralized, best practice functions that can be shared among the programs: T32 table generation; coordination of recruitment; best practices surrounding mentorship training, support for trainees to pursue independent fellowship funding, etc.  CU Branding Update - presented by Elizabeth Kissick, Senior Director of Health Plan Development and Analytics, CU Medicine Launched Jan 18 (scheduled for another 6 months) to distinguish CUSOM faculty from Children’s Hospital Colorado and UCHealth to unify under CU Medicine. Mantra: link between provider and patient. Launch includes: outdoor billboards, radio, digital display, patient facing, referring providers, social media. Examples: “Don’t just get better. Get the best.” “We CU living a healthier life.” “We CU as more than a patient.”

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

BRIM Workshop Completion - Thank You The Department of Medicine recently completed the BRIM (Bias Reduction in Internal Medicine) facilitated workshops. Because of the pandemic, the workshops had to be redesigned for a virtual format, which presented significant challenges.  I want to thank all the division heads, division administrators, faculty and staff for their help scheduling the workshops and ensuring divisional members attended. Finding time to attend the workshop was especially hard because of the increased clinical burdens of our clinical faculty. I would like to give a special shout out to Kelly Redard who kept everything moving in the right direction - we all appreciate your dedication to BRIM.  We now have trained and certified local BRIM leaders/implementers (Tania Reis, Jacqueline Ward-Gaines, Rita Lee, Lori Walker, Adela Cota-Gomez, Amira Del Pino-Jones, Penny Archuleta, Sonia Flores) who will be able to schedule BRIM workshops for individuals who couldn’t attend the workshops during the official study. Please let me know if you would like to schedule a workshop for your unit/program at SONIA.FLORES@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU. For all participants, please be aware that your 3rd survey is scheduled to deploy on May 3 and will close on June 3. Please respond; if we want the study to have an impact, we need all of you to participate in the survey. The climate report for Colorado will be sent to Dr. Schwartz likely in mid-late fall, who will then share the climate data with divisions.  -Sonia Flores, PhD, Vice Chair for Diversity and Justice

LGBTQ+ Campus Hub Opens The mission of the LGBTQ+ Hub is to create and maintain an inclusive campus environment for LGBTQ+ and allied students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors on campus and within the Aurora community by: •   Promoting visibility, awareness and a sense of community •   Connecting LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff with peer-to-peer support and community resources •   Providing education about the LGBTQ+ community •   Establishing a repository for LGBTQ+ health research and competent patient care •   Advocating for LGBTQ+ interests, including recruitment and retention •   Creating intentional partnerships to provide direct services to LGBTQ+ people on campus and in the Aurora community For more information about the LGBTQ+ Hub, please contact lgbtqhub@cuanschutz.edu

Research and Innovation

Call for Abstracts - Research Day 2021 We highly encourage students, residents, post-docs/fellows, and junior faculty in the Department of Medicine to submit abstracts for participation in our Research Day virtual poster session. All abstracts must be submitted by March 15 by 5pm by clicking here.

Research Day will be held on April 19, 2021 virtually. This year's keynote speaker is Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhD, who is a George P. Canellos, MD, and Jean S. Canellos Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Chair of Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and an Institute Member of the Broad Institute. More details on the agenda TBA.   Dr. Ebert's research focuses on the molecular basis and treatment of hematologic malignancies, with a particular focus on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In large-scale genetic analyses of patient samples, his lab has identified somatic mutations that predict prognosis and response to therapies in MDS patients. His research also focuses on a pre-malignant state for hematologic malignancies, clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), which also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Call for Applications: CU Interdisciplinary Joint Biology Pilot Program Four one-year University of Colorado Interdisciplinary Joint Biology Program grants are available ($50,000 each) aimed to support joint biology related research. Grants will fund new initiatives for investigators who are pursuing joint-biology related research that should lead to NIH K/R type funding or other extramural support. Eligibility: Faculty members at all ranks from the University of Colorado (all campuses) are eligible to apply as PI. Applications from early-career investigators are encouraged. Co-investigators from other institutions are also encouraged to apply, as long as a CUIJBP co-investigator is engaged in the research. Applications are due April 1, 2021 by 5pm MST. More Information: Website, Application Form, Detailed RFA For questions, please contact Larry Moreland, MD director of the Interdisciplinary Joint Biology Program, at larry.moreland@cuanschutz.edu.

AB Nexus: Research Collaboration Grant Program Seeking Proposals AB Nexus is pleased to announce the second round of its Research Collaboration Grant Program. Proposals should expand and strengthen areas of research collaboration between the CU Anschutz and CU Boulder campuses. Learn more. AB Nexus is seeking research project proposals in two award tracks. Both will support research projects that combine two or more disciplines, for which preliminary data or evidence of team synergy is necessary in order to develop a competitive application for external funding. Award Amount: $50,000 for new collaborations or $125,000 for existing collaborations Award Duration: 12 months Notice of Intent Deadline: March 5, 2021 Application Deadline: April 2, 2021

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.

What: The PRIDE AGOLD program includes intensive summer research training experiences, a mid-year meeting in Aspen, CO, an annual PRIDE conference, and an opportunity to apply for small research project grant funding. The program features mentored training opportunities to enhance research skills and promote the scientific and career development of trainees. Who: Junior-level research-oriented faculty with a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, DO, DVM) or a transitioning post-doc trainee with a background that is under-represented in the biomedical or health science fields (ethnicity, disability or educational and economic disadvantages). Research focus should be centered on impact of gender or ancestry on omics of lung, vascular or cardiac diseases. When: August 16-27, 2021 at the CU Anschutz Campus (may be virtual due to COVID-19) Learn More: PRIDE AGOLD brochure PRIDE AGOLD website Apply Now

NIH extensions for F and K award recipients experiencing COVID-19-related delays To help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early-career scientists, NIH will consider extension requests from researchers in their last year of NIH Fellowship (“F”) and NIH Career Development (“K”) awards. These extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Department of Medicine encourages F and K awardees to read the NIH announcements linked below and contact their program officer or other NIH staff as appropriate.   NOT-OD-21-052: Requesting Extensions for Early Career Scientists Whose Career Trajectories Have Been Significantly Impacted by COVID-19  Extensions for Early Career Scientists Whose Career Trajectories Have Been Significantly Impacted by COVID-19

Selected Faculty Research Highlights Elizabeth Harry, MD, associate professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine, is the lead author of an article examining the correlation between physician task load and the risk of burnout, which was published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. Dr. Harry and co-authors explore how cognitive task load affects providers’ ability to perform their job well. Using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index, the researchers evaluated physician task load, specifically the mental, physical, and temporal demands, along with the perception of effort. The researchers also used standard measures to determine burnout levels. They found a significant association between task load and burnout. The authors recommend that organizations focus more on the value of attention because making improvements that allow better concentration provides benefits for patients and providers alike. Ajay Major, MD, MBA, a former resident in internal medicine and now a hematology/oncology fellow at the University of Chicago, is first author of an article in Academic Medicine that describes and assesses a pilot program to offer confidential and affordable mental health services to resident physicians at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Karen Chacko, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Internal Medicine is a senior author of the article. Richard Altman, MD, assistant professor of medicine, and CT Lin, MD, professor of medicine, from the Division of General Internal Medicine, and colleagues recently published an article in Applied Clinical Informatics. The article, "Ambulatory Clinician's Guide to Inpatient Service: An Innovative Rapid Onboarding Strategy for the COVID-19 Pandemic", describes the process the team used to "quickly prepare ambulatory-based clinicians to care for hospitalized patients using the inpatient workflow of the electronic health record (EHR)."  The article, "Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Hospital Medicine" was listed as the #1 article in the Society Hospital Medicine's weekly report on Feb 22. Department of Medicine authors include: Amira del Pino-Jones, MD; Lilia Cervantes, MD; Sonia Flores, PhD; Christine D. Jones, MD, MS; Joseph Keach, MD; Li-Kheng Ngov, MD; David A. Schwartz, MD; Margaret Wierman, MD; Tyler Anstett, DO; Kasey Bowden, MSN, FNP, AG/ACNP; Angela Keniston, MSPH; Marisha Burden, MD. Marisha Burden, MD, head of the Division of Hospital Medicine; Sonia Flores, PhD, vice chair for Diversity and Justice; and David A. Schwartz, MD, chair of Medicine, authored the article “COVID-19: A Time to Reinvest in Our Scientists”, which was accepted in the American Journal for Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.  Joseph Simonetti, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, and colleagues published the article “Strategies for Discussing Firearms Storage Safety in Primary Care: Veteran Perspectives in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Faculty Publications

Education

We're excited to announce the Chief Medical Residents for 2022-2023: Bradie Campbell, MD Meryl Colton, MD Tiffany Gardner, MD (CRQS) Dante Mesa, MD Yunan Nie, MD Cara Saxon, MD Emily Scott, MD This was an incredibly difficult selection because this year’s PGY-2 Internal Medicine residents and our PGY-3 Med-Peds residents are such a strong group in all. These two classes were full of stars when they arrived, all of whom have only burned brighter in the past year and a half. There truly were more highly qualified candidates for Chief than positions available.    But even among those groups, Bradie, Meryl, Tiffany, Dante, Yunan, Cara, and Emily distinguished themselves as fantastic physicians, consummate professionals, and citizens of the program. They all displayed leadership in the face of challenging situations again and again (and this year brought nothing, if not challenging situations). They have been outstanding and dedicated teachers and all are humble, kind, and thoughtful people. They will be outstanding leaders in our program. When you see these future Chiefs, please congratulate them on this accomplishment. -Geoff Connors, MD, FACP, Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program

Medicine Grand Rounds 2020-21 Nominations The Department of Medicine is now seeking Grand Rounds speakers nominations for 2020-2021. Submit your nominations here.

Teaching Scholar Program - Now Accepting Applications The Academy of Medical Educators Teaching Scholars Program is now accepting applications for the 2021/2023 TSP cohort. This 18-month certificate program (August 2021-March 2023) for health professions faculty is designed to enhance knowledge and skills, and develop future leaders in medical/healthcare education with a focus on core components of educational scholarship and curriculum development. The application deadline is Thursday, March 11, 2021. Apply now.

COAST-IT (Connecting Older Adults and Students Through Inter-Professional Telecare) If you know of an older adult who would enjoy being paired with a School of Pharmacy, Dental Medicine or College of Nursing nurse practitioner student to engage in a phone partner program, please reach out to Jodi Waterhouse at the Multidisciplinary Center on Aging. This program helps older adults combat loneliness and social isolation that has been experienced during the pandemic. Older adults help the students to hone their communication skills when working with older adult patients.  Ageism in Healthcare Recruiting Volunteers The CU Anschutz Multidisciplinary Center on Aging is recruiting clinicians and researchers interested in building programming to support a webinar series centered around Ageism in Healthcare. If you are interested in participating, please contact Jodi Waterhouse.

DOM Initiatives - Wellness

The WellDOM Team (Wellness in the Department of Medicine) is here to support you. Visit our website and the DOM COVID 19 page for resources and information.

Your Voice Makes a Difference: A Summary of WellDOM Surveys and Responses Thank you for completing two surveys over the past 18 months from the WellDOM group, which were distributed to all sites, including UCH, Denver Health, VA, and National Jewish.  The 2019 Thriving Culture Survey asked questions regarding workplace culture and wellbeing domains including burnout, emotional-thriving and emotional-recovery.  The AMA COVID-19 Wellbeing Survey was first distributed in August 2020 and repeated specifically for staff and researchers in November 2020, and asked questions regarding individual wellbeing in light of the pandemic.  Read more about the survey summaries and the organizational changes and actions taken based on the responses from our faculty and staff at the Department of Medicine.

Resources for DOM Employees You@CUAnschutz Portal: A new confidential portal to own your wellbeing with resources for mental and physical health, finding balance and more. Read more. Faculty and Staff Mental Health Clinic: CU Anschutz faculty and staff have an easily accessible, comprehensive and confidential new resource for mental health services. Sign up on this simple form to be contacted within 48 hours to set up an appointment. Read more. CU Johnson Depression Center Community Programs on Wellness and Mental Health: Offering mental health services, and a variety of free education, programs and trainings focus on mental wellness. Read more. State of Colorado C-SEAP: Eligible employees can access six free, confidential sessions with a counselor. Go to their website for more info or call 303-866-4314 or 800-821-8154. Affiliate Hospital Resources: View the wellbeing and mental health resources on the DOM COVID-19 Resource web page. Resources for Parents and Caregivers: New campus family care program, including membership to Care.com, daycare tuition discounts and subsidized backup care for children and adults. Send an E-card of Gratitude: Created and compiled by WellDOM and sent to the recipient on your behalf. Submit a Message of Gratitude.

Wellbeing Wednesdays – a weekly email to highlight resources that exist within our system, to illuminate the national conversation on burnout and to discuss systemic changes and solutions that the Department of Medicine is working on to improve professional fulfilment. Recent Wellbeing Wednesdays: Feb 24: PeerRxMed - No One Cares Alone Feb 19: Using Medical Improv to Foster Empathy Feb 10: COVID Sea Shanty Feb 5: Biofeedback Piot Program

Upcoming Wellness Events and Workshops

Pandemic Stress Got You Down? Sign up for the HeartMath and Muse Pilot Program WellDOM is excited to offer the opportunity to explore the use of Biofeedback devices to enhance relaxation and mindfulness. Department of Medicine employees can sign up for a 6-week pilot project to experience a technology-based biofeedback tool. How it works: Choose from two devices - both are easy to use and have scientific literature to support their benefits.  HeartMath: a biofeedback tool that senses your heart rate variability and translates that into a visual output to help you increase relaxation and a state of coherence. Coherence is a specific sinusoidal pattern of heart rate variability that has been shown to correlate with improved mood, states of relaxation and increased energy. HeartMath is a device that is worn on the ear and communicates to your cellphone.  Muse: a research-grade EEG device that passively senses your brain activity and translates it into the guiding sounds of weather to help you stay calm and focused. Muse is a device worn on the forehead and communicates to your cellphone. It measures brain wave activity and correlates types of activity with audible feedback. After enrolling, devices may be picked up at the Lowry Medical Campus or outside RC2 at the Anschutz Campus. Enrollment is free for all Department of Medicine employees, but a refundable deposit is required to reserve the devices. Virtual training to use the devices will be provided upon request. Participants will fill out a survey at the beginning and end to assess for hopeful benefit.  For questions and to sign up for the program, please contact Lara Kirk-Bride Romero lara.kirkbride-romeo@cuanschutz.edu or Francie Palmer frances.palmer@cuanschutz.edu.

2021 Virtual Lecture Series: Enhancing Healthcare 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 March 19, April 16, 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

Quality & Safety Program

DOM M&M Steering Committee – New Branding and Updated Mission The original mission of the DOM Morbidity & Mortality Steering Committee (MMSC) was to foster a safe and respectful environment in which system issues discovered during division and DOM M&M Conferences could be discussed and action items triaged to the appropriate stakeholders in the DOM and UCH.  However, over the last few years MMSC has grown to develop quality and safety initiatives expanding beyond the M&M Conferences and has become a hub for discussing system issues impacting DOM as well as other departments throughout the SOM. With the expanded practices of the committee, we have decided to change our name to the DOM Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) Steering Committee to more accurately reflect the mission and vision of the group. To learn more about the DOM QIPS Steering Committee’s updated mission and members, please visit our website.

Shark Tank Competition (AY21-22) – Project Submissions Due March 19 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. This year, we will be accepting projects based at Denver Health Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center. The winner will receive coaching, project management, data collection and analytics support from the DOM Quality & Patient Safety Team for one year.  To submit a project, visit our website or complete the application form by March 19. For questions, please contact Heather Hallman, QPS program manager at heather.hallman@cuanschutz.edu.

Clinical Effectiveness and Patient Safety (CEPS) Small Grants Program – Letters of Intent Due March 14 The Clinical Effectiveness and Patient Safety (CEPS) Small Grants Program is seeking letters of intent for the AY21-22 funding cycle. The goal of the CEPS Small Grants Program is to seed promising quality improvement efforts that put evidence in practice, implement innovative process improvements and enhance the safety and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. The CEPS Small Grant Program offers up to $25,000 for faculty and up to $10,000 for residents and fellows based at the University of Colorado Hospital and care sites. Selected teams will be asked to submit full grant proposals in April 2021, with funding to begin in August 2021.  Submit your Letter of Intent to the CEPS Small Grants Program here by March 14. For questions, please contact Maggie Sommers, CEPS program manager at Maggie.sommers@cuanschutz.edu.

Cohort 3 Fellows Announcement – DOM Leaders in Informatics, Quality & Systems (LInQS) Fellowship  We received a large number of competitive applications for the AY21-22 cohort of the LInQS Fellowship Program. It is clear there are many outstanding junior faculty and trainees in the DOM who are poised to become future leaders in quality improvement, clinical informatics, clinical system design and patient safety.  We are pleased to announce our Cohort 3 LInQS Fellows: Julie Knoeckel, MD (assistant professor, Hospital Medicine) Neha Agarwal, MD (fellow, Pulmonary Sciences & Critical Care Medicine) Annie Chen, MD (assistant professor, Renal Diseases & Hypertension) Robert Metter, MD (assistant professor, Hospital Medicine) Brendan Mulhern, MD (fellow, Pediatric Hospital Medicine) Please help us in congratulating our newest LInQS Fellows. To learn more about the DOM LInQS Fellowship Program, visit our website or contact, Dr. Michael Ho, DOM Vice Chair for Quality, at michael.ho@cuanschutz.edu or Heather Hallman, LInQS Fellowship Program Manager, at heather.hallman@cuanschutz.edu.

Noteworthy

PROMOTIONS, AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Layla Abushamat, MD, third year fellow in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes received an American Diabetes Association (ADA) fellowship award for her research, "Adiponectin and cardiac function in type 2 diabetes: Impact of exercise training". Only two are awarded per year, provided by Pfizer through the ADA. Frederick A. Masoudi, MD, MSPH, professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology, has been awarded the 2021 Master of the ACC Award by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in honor of contributions to the cardiovascular profession. Dr. Masoudi will be recognized at the ACC’s 70th Annual Scientific Session & Expo in May. The Master of the ACC Award honors fellows of the American College of Cardiology who have consistently contributed to the goals and programs of the ACC and who have provided leadership in important ACC activities. Amos Bailey, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine, is the the 2020 recipient of the Project on Death in America (PDIA) Palliative Medicine National Leadership Award. The award recognizes a physician leader who has advanced the field of palliative care by the education of the next generation of palliative care leaders. See the presentation of the award and Dr. Bailey's acceptance speech here.  Jeanie Youngwerth, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine, has been elected UCHealth Medical Staff President-Elect for 2021-2022.   The Denver chapter of Golfers Against Cancer named Jamie Studts, PhD, professor-SCI medical director in the Division of Medical Oncology, a beneficiary of one of three grants for cancer research and clinical trials. Founded in 1997, Golfers Against Cancer is a national organization created by a group of Houston golfers who, after losing two golfing buddies to cancer, started raising money for cancer research. Read more. Hillary Lum, MD, associate professor of medicine, and Sarah Tietz, MD, assistant professor of medicine, in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, created a vaccine outreach program that recruited the most vulnerable older adult patients from the UCH Senior’s Clinic to become vaccinated. They targeted non-English speakers, minorities, cognitively impaired and vision/hearing impaired patients that would have difficulty accessing vaccines. To date over 60% of UCH Senior’s Clinic patients have been vaccinated. This is a tremendous example of clinicians going above and beyond their daily clinical work to ensure the most vulnerable are taken care of. If you have vulnerable older adult patients, seen through UCH Senior’s Clinic that still need vaccinated please reach out to: Jodi.waterhouse@cuanschutz.edu. Leah Lleras, former division administrator for the Division of Hospital Medicine, and Lily Cervantes, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine at Denver Health, have been named recipients of Awards of Excellence from the Society of Hospital Medicine. Leah, who was recently named director of finance in the Department of Surgery, was recognized with the Leadership for Practice Manager Award, while Lily was honored for Excellence in Diversity Leadership.

HIGHLIGHTED MEDIA CLIPS

What do a Heart Disorder and an Octopus Trap Have in Common? Peter Buttrick, MD, the head of the Division of Cardiology, tells all about takotsubo cardiomyopathy, from an uptick in cases during the pandemic to its name’s connection with an eight-legged sea creature. In this article from CU Anschutz Today, Dr. Buttrick offers an inside look on the disorder, also called broken heart syndrome, during February’s American Heart Month. Read more.

Drinking this Many Cups of Coffee per Day Reduces Heart Attack Risk by a Third "The association between caffeine and heart failure risk reduction was surprising,” says senior author David Kao, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology. “Coffee and caffeine are often considered by the general population to be ‘bad’ for the heart because people associate them with palpitations, high blood pressure, etc.” Read more.

Faculty Cameo in Golden Globes Awards Ceremony Fernando Holguin, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, took a star turn during this week's Golden Globe Awards ceremony. His co-star was actress Carey Mulligan, with whom he traded lines about surviving in a time loop. Dr. Holguin described his participation in the awards show’s tribute to frontline workers in a news report on 9News.

Cancer Patient Sees Total Remission With Cell Therapy Created by CU Anschutz Scientists A new clinical trial at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, using cells genetically engineered by medical faculty to fight stubborn cancers, is showing encouraging results. Created at the Gates Biomanufacturing Facility a few steps from CU Anschutz, the chimeric antigen receptor T cells, or CAR-T cells, are being infused into patients with difficult to treat or frequently recurring cancers at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.  It’s the first cellular immunotherapy project where the developmental science, regulatory filing and approvals, manufacturing process and infusion of patients in clinical trials have all been done at CU Anschutz. Read more.

DOM NEWSROOM

Beyond the Headlines: March Feature

March 8: International Women's Day Let's take a break from the usual headlines... International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements and rally for women's equality. Read more.

In Case You Missed It...

New Campus Check-In Process and Updated Training Starting March 1, you will see two new changes to campus protocols:   #1 The check-in process for students, faculty and staff approved for on-campus activity will get quicker and easier. The daily health questionnaire will still be required of everyone on campus, but you will now take your own temperature at home or at convenient self-service stations on campus before making your way to your destination for the day. No more wristbands or in-person screening required. #2 An updated training, “CU: COVID-19 Return to Campus-CU Anschutz (2021 update),” is now available, which is required of all on-campus employees and students by March 31. Please note that this updated Skillsoft training requirement is an addition to the previous “COVID-19: Return to Campus” training you took upon approval for on-campus activity. Ensure you take the new training by March 31. Learn more.

Don't Forget to Vote - 5280 Top Doctors 5280 magazine has opened its voting for 2021 Top Doctors. Physicians are invited by the magazine to vote for the doctors they would trust to treat themselves or a loved one. Last year, the magazine listed 339 doctors from 98 specialties. Each year, about half of the list is comprised of faculty members of the CU School of Medicine. To vote, physicians need their Colorado license number. Polls close on March 12.

Voting Opens - U.S. News and World Report Best Hospitals and Specialties Physician surveys for the hospital rankings compiled by U.S. News and World Report are now open to those who have registered with Doximity. To be eligible to vote, physicians must have been registered with Doximity prior to November 1, 2020. Physicians are surveyed in specific categories matching their specialty. While U.S. News considers multiple factors in ranking hospitals, the reputation surveys have major influence and our faculty are encouraged to completed the survey. For more information about the process, see the U.S. News FAQ. If you practice at UCHealth hospitals and have questions, contact Spencer.Eisele@uchealth.org.

CU Anschutz Medical Campus Debuts New Commercial The new installment of the CU Anschutz “This is Breakthrough” advertising campaign features a new commercial - “It’s a Calling". It debuts this week on television, online, at Denver International Airport and on outdoor displays around the Denver metro area. Nearly a dozen members of campus faculty and staff are featured in the spot, representing a snapshot of work and life on the front lines of patient care, innovation and discovery.

Hyatt Discount for CU Anschutz Extended The Aurora Regency Hyatt is offering a First Responder (Covid-19) discount for $99.00/night through March 31, 2021 and have extended the discount for all business happenings on the CU Anschutz Campus (i.e. traveling nurses/doctors, medevac crews, family, patients, family of patients, etc.). Read more on how to make reservations online to receive the discount.

Events

Grand Rounds 2020-21 Schedule The Department of Medicine announces the 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. The Department of Medicine is now seeking Grand Rounds speakers nominations for 2020-2021. Submit your nominations here.

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

Save the Date: Department of Medicine Research Day April 19 The Department of Medicine's 2021 Research Day will be held on April 19, 2021 virtually. This year's keynote speaker is Benjamin L. Ebert, MD, PhD, from Harvard Medical School. We highly encourage students, residents, post-docs/fellows, and junior faculty in the Department of Medicine to submit abstracts for participation in our virtual poster session. All abstracts must be submitted by March 15 by 5pm by clicking here.

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