The DOM Dispatch - February, 2021

Monthly newsletter for the CU Department of Medicine. In this issue: -Equity Certificate Program -Save the Date: Research Day 2021 -DOM PACE Program -WellDOM Biofeedback Pilot Program -5280 Top Doctors

Website

Publications

Newsroom

Message from the Chair Dear Friends and Colleagues, Recently, we lost three incredible leaders who made their indelible marks on the Department of Medicine and the greater worlds of medicine and science.  The legacies of Dr. Robert W. Schrier, Dr. Robert Allen, and Dr. James Hakim are as unique and individual as these great role models themselves; however, their collective contributions have set the foundation of our department’s mission, rooted in clinical excellence, medical education, innovative research and community service.  When Dr. Schrier took the helm of the Department of Medicine in July 1976, there were 75 full-time faculty and $3 million annually in research grants. When he left 26 years later, the full-time faculty increased to 500 and external grants had risen to $100 million. Under Dr. Schrier’s leadership, the first endowed chair in the DOM was established, ushering in a new era of once unheard of philanthropic support for the department – today, we have 41 endowed chairs and rank among the country’s top 25 departments of medicine in NIH research funding.  Dr. Allen was recruited to the University of Colorado in 1977 as the Chief of the Division of Hematology, a role he served for nearly 40 years, establishing the intellectual and academic foundation that would ultimately lead to a division of over 100 faculty and staff. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Allen was focused on fundamental aspects of blood cell biology, and made major scientific breakthroughs in the biochemistry of Cobalamin (Vitamin B-12) and folate metabolism and deficiency. Over his career, Dr. Allen published over 200 major scientific papers and received 16 U.S. patents for a wide range of, now “Gold Standard”, blood tests and treatments for diseases related to vitamin deficiency. Dr. Hakim was adjunct professor in our Division of Infectious Diseases and a past Chair of Medicine at the University of Zimbabwe. He was also one of the program directors for the Colorado-Zimbabwe International Exchange (CoZIE). Launched in 2015, CoZIE is based on the long history of collaborations in education and research between the faculty at University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences and the CU School of Medicine, and is designed to provide diverse experiences in internal medicine practice for faculty and trainees. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Hakim dedicated his life to HIV research across antiretroviral therapy, prevention, opportunistic infections and long-term complications of HIV, contributing to seminal HIV research with more than 150 publications and international communications. Recognized internationally for his commitment and leadership to health as a right, and scientific excellence, Dr. Hakim was known for his generosity in mentorship and support of young investigators.  Let us take the time to recognize these giants of academic medicine. In their own unique ways, each of these individuals have contributed to the substance and vision of our Department. Our Department of Medicine wouldn’t be what it is today without their dedication and visionary leadership. David A. Schwartz, MD Professor of Medicine and Immunology  Robert W. Schrier Chair of Medicine

COVID-19 Campus Resources

CU Anschutz Medical Campus Updates Family Care Program FREE COVID Testing for CU Anschutz employees, students and family members UCH Command Center and Vaccine Distribution School Of Medicine (password protected – use your CU credentials) Department of Medicine COVID-19 Resources COVID-19 Grand Rounds Recordings COVID-19 Town Hall Next Town Halls: Feb 4 at 7pm: "COVID-19 Treatment: Where Are We Now?” Feb 10 at 7pm: "Children and COVID-19: The Importance of Vaccination" Contact Holli Keyser for the Zoom links. Recent recordings: Jan 7: "COVID-19: What Happened post-Thanksgiving and What’s Next?” Jan 13: "Implications of Genetic Variants of SARS-CoV-2: A New Pandemic Phase?” Jan 21:  “COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution: Update on a Work in Progress” Jan 28: “Update on SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody therapies for Covid-19” 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 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. Registration for Sessions 2 and 3 (March 2 and 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

Mid-Career Faculty Women's Leadership Development Program Cohort 2 participants have been notified of their acceptance; program launch is on March 3. 2020 Cohort 1 Biosketch Booklet Questions:  DomFacAdvancement@ucdenver.edu

LEADERSHIP 101: Keeping Calm Under Stress Harvard Business Review provides a five-step framework for leaders to self-regulate in order to better lead and help others. By understanding your body’s instinctive reactions, noticing the physical and emotional cues, recalling previous experiences, bringing focus to your intention, and trusting the process, you can both regulate your body’s natural “fight-or-flight” response to stress and give yourself and others a path to follow through high-stress situations. How to Keep Your Cool in High-Stress Situations; Harvard Business Review; Robert E. Quinn, David P. Fessell, and Stephen W. Porges, January 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 - ongoing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Updates from Shanta Zimmer, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion There are many programs focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) across the School of Medicine and >100 pipeline programs across health-sciences in Colorado. At the faculty level, SOM is changing methods to capture more accurate data with a specific focus on multiple options for faculty to choose from. Visiting professorships – Divisions are encouraged to engage with the DEI office if a visitor is from an under-represented school/person as they will try to schedule time to meet. Community Engagement: Part of service-learning requirement for SOM students Departments should be reporting how they are providing care to underserved populations Some training programs are moving away from standardized scores for evaluating applicants – a trend likely to continue and grow especially as some tests (e.g. USLME Step 1) are moving to Pass/Fail. Vaccine Updates Children's Hospital Colorado CHCO employees and housestaff are all in the process of being vaccinated and they are now working through scheduling and vaccinating community providers, Denver Public Schools health providers and school nurses. Challenges: inconsistent vaccine supply, CDC guidance evolving for severe reactions. Participating in clinical trials for children <16 years-old. University of Colorado Hospital Negotiating with CDPHE to be additional site of vaccination for high-risk groups Already reaching out to community providers.

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

Equity Certificate Program Open to all Faculty and Staff CU Denver | CU Anschutz Medical Campus will offer an Equity Certificate Program (ECP) for faculty and staff. The ECP includes a 4-part module; each 90 minutes and delivered synchronously. Taking all four modules will lead to a certificate of completion. Register now for the February or March sessions. Module 1: Unconscious Bias and Virtual Settings Module 2: From Bystander to Active Allyship Module 3: What’s in a Name? Equity Concepts Module 4: Leading through an Equity Lens

2021 CU Social Justice Summit - Revolutionizing Systems for Equity: If Not Now, When? The CU Social Justice Summit will be held virtually Feb 5 from 9am-5pm. The event features breakout sessions, a morning keynote address from Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, and an afternoon keynote address from Theodosia Cook, CU Chief Diversity Officer. Register now.

Research and Innovation

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

Call for Applications: Program for Academic Clinician Educators (PACE) The Department of Medicine is committed to the career development of clinician educators. The Program for Academic Clinician Educators (PACE) will provide each PACE Scholar with up to $40,000 during 2021-2022, which may be used for medical education research, innovative program development in education, and/or professional development as an educator of the Scholar. The first step is a 2-page letter of intent due Feb 17, 2021. Please see the attached RFA for full details and application process. Submit LOI’s to Ava Russell at Ava.Russell@cuanschutz.edu.

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.

HIV T32 - ADEAR Training Program - Accepting Applications The Antiretroviral Discovery, Evaluation and Application Research (ADEAR) Training Program is now accepting applications for post-doctoral training in HIV/AIDS-related research. This integrative program provides multidisciplinary training in basic, translational and clinical science in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) research.  Awardees will receive training under the direction of a broadly based group of faculty at the University of Colorado campuses in Aurora, Boulder and Denver, Colorado State University and the University of Denver. Apply now. Questions? Contact Kelly Rico, ADEAR program administrator at kelly.rico@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

NIH Continues to Accept Post-Submission Material due to Pandemic Delays Due to COVID-19 related delays, the National Institutes of Health continues to accept post-submission preliminary data for eligible grant applications. Questions? Contact Jennfer Kemp, PhD, at Jennifer.T.Kemp@CUAnschutz.edu

CU Anschutz COVIDome Project Aimed at Speeding Lifesaving Treatment Last spring, as healthcare providers and scientists around the world scrambled to treat a surge of patients infected with a virus that experts knew little about, one thing quickly became clear: SARS-CoV-2 strikes people differently. Faced with solving a mega-puzzle on a timer when minutes cost lives, clinical practice early in the pandemic became a fervent game of trial and error. In response, the COVIDome Project is a groundbreaking research approach capable of accelerating life-saving COVID-19 discoveries around the world. The venture is a partnership between the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and the CU School of Medicine (SOM). Read more.

Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine Continues COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing Over the past two months, the CCPM Biobank has performed 1248 COVID diagnostic tests. In addition, to the current assay in use for University of Colorado’s Employee Health Services, CCPM Biobank is the first approved Colorado partner for the SalivaDirect COVID assay developed at Yale University and is also developing a higher-throughput, saliva-based test appropriate for population screening. Work continues in core Biobank operations, with current storage counts of 55,000 DNA samples and 65,000 blood samples from Biobank participants.

Selected Faculty Research Highlights Mark Kissler, MD, and Marisha Burden, MD, from the Division of Hospital Medicine, and Katherine Kissler, MS, from the College of Nursing published a Perspective article in the New England Journal of Medicine. In their article, the authors list ways to promote an “ecology of attention” in clinical settings, outlining examples that would improve care by prioritizing quality of communication over frequency, by designing physical spaces that foster attention, by better integrating attention into organizational culture, and by optimizing electronic health records. A collective of university faculty and fellow colleagues recently published the article, "Disulfide disruption reverses mucus dysfunction in allergic airway disease" in Nature Communications. Their study shows that reducing mucin disulfide bonds disrupts mucus in human asthmatics and reverses pathological effects of mucus hypersecretion in a mouse allergic asthma model. These findings establish grounds for developing treatments to inhibit effects of mucus hypersecretion in asthma. Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care authors: Chelsea M. Magin, PhD; Fernando Holguin, MD; William Janssen, MD; Christopher M. Evans, MD; Ana M. Jaramillo, PhD; Leslie Morgan, MS; Anna Harder, James Needal, and Corinne Hennessy.  Mamuka Kvaratskhelia, PhD, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, led a team of researchers in seven U.S. laboratories in uncovering the underlying mechanism of action of a strikingly innovative addition to the HIV therapeutic armamentarium. Their research was published in Science. Combining molecular biology, virology, structural biology, high resolution imaging of HIV in cells, and an array of biochemical and biophysical methods, the paper reveals the key mechanism: blocking HIV’s ability to complete infection by hyper-stabilizing and thereby preventing disassembly of the virion capsid shell in infected cells. The work has strong potential to lead to further treatment advances, but it also illuminates what is still the most mysterious part of the HIV-1 life cycle: the post-entry fate of the virus capsid core as it traverses the cytoplasm and enters the nucleus.

Faculty Publications

Clinical Updates

COAST-IT (Connecting Older Adults and Students Through Inter-Professional Telecare) COAST-IT is recruiting older adults from the community to participate in this program. Participants will be paired up with a School of Pharmacy, School of Dental Medicine or College of Nursing Nurse Practitioner student for weekly or bi-monthly phones calls to help combat loneliness and social isolation. Students will have the opportunity to hone their communication skills with older adults, who will eventually be their patient population.  If you have patients or know of older adults in the community who would like to help mentor health professions students please contact: Jodi.waterhouse@cuanschutz.edu

New TelePrEP/HIV Prevention Program Launches Under the leadership of Katherine Frasca, MD, assistant professor of medicine, and Donna McGregor, NP, MSN, instructor, in the Division of Infectious Diseases, UCHealth has launched a new service, the TelePrEP/HIV Prevention Program. This entirely virtual service allows at-risk people – especially in rural and underserved areas of the state – to confidentially receive medical care for HIV prevention from trained medical personnel via their computers, smart phones, and tablets. This program is an extension of the existing in-person PrEP Clinic at the Infectious Diseases Group Practice at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Read more

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. New 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: Jan 27: Mindful Moments Return Jan 20: Engagement in the Arts Jan 13: Outreach Just a Phone Call Away Jan 6: Free Pilates Class

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, 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.  Rolling enrollment begins Feb 8. For questions and to sign up for the program, please contact Laura Kirk-Bride Romero lara.kirkbride-romeo@cuanschutz.edu or Frances 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 Feb 19, 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 Quality & Patient Safety Upcoming Event

DOM Morbidity, Mortality & Systems Improvement Conference: Tue, Feb 9, 12-1pm via Zoom: "Delayed Diagnosis in a Patient on Comfort Care", presented by Tara Ward, NP, MS, RN (Hospital Medicine)

Shark Tank Competition (AY21-22) – Project Submissions Due March 19 The sharks are back and they’re hungry! They are on the hunt for innovative quality improvement projects designed to improve high value care (HVC) delivery. HVC is evidence-based, value-enhancing practices aimed at improving outcomes and the cost and quality of healthcare. Our Sharks, an esteemed panel of quality and safety experts from across CU School of Medicine and UCHealth, will hear presentations from the Shark Tank Finalists and choose a winning project to receive support from the DOM Quality & Patient Safety Team for one year. This support includes quality coaching, project management, data collection prioritization and assistance to showcase your work in multiple high visibility forums. 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 help 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.

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Credit for COVID-19 Projects The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has made it easier for physicians and physician assistants (PAs) to obtain MOC credit for quality improvement work related to COVID-19. Examples of COVID-19 QI projects include: -      Optimizing COVID-19 testing/treatment -      Transition/expansion of telehealth visits -      Minimizing staff/provider COVID-19 exposure -      COVID-19 patient discharge/transitions of care -      Provider wellness/burn-out prevention You may submit your project to the MOC Portfolio Program using the COVID-19 QI Project MOC Application Form.  For questions, please contact Maggie Sommers (MOC Portfolio Program Manager) at Maggie.sommers@cuanschutz.edu.

Noteworthy

PROMOTIONS, AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Congratulations to Irina Petrache, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, and Steve Daniels, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics, who were elected to the Association of American Physicians (AAP) this year. Election to the AAP is an honor extended to physicians with outstanding credentials in basic or translational biomedical research and is limited to 70 persons per year. The AAP includes about 1200 active members and 700 emeritus and honorary members.  Richard Duke, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Medical Oncology, and co-director and principal investigator of the Colorado AMC REACH Hub, is a recipient of the 2020 Tibbetts Award. Named after Roland Tibbetts, the acknowledged founder of the Small Business Innovation Research program, the prestigious Tibbetts Awards recognizes companies, organizations, and individuals that exemplify the very best in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) achievements. Read more. Sean Davis, MD, PhD, has been selected as the new Associate Director for Informatics and Data Science at the Cancer Center and as Professor in the divisions of Medical Oncology and Hematology. Dr. Davis will also become the inaugural Rifkin and Bennis Endowed Chair in Cancer Bioinformatics, made possible by a generous gift from the Rifkin Foundation. Read more. Congratulations to the Division of Hospital Medicine faculty who are the recipients of the 2020 University of Colorado Hospital Medical Staff Annual Awards: Impact Award: Anunta Virapongse, MD, MPH/MSPH; Sarah Scarpato, MD; Jonathan Pell, MD; Amiran Baduashvili, MD; Henry Kramer, MD; Larissa Pisney, MD; Jessica Devitt, MD Partners in Care Physician-Medical Staff: Kasey Bowden, MSN, FNP, AG-ACNP; Marisha Burden, MD Innovation: Amiran Baduashvili, MD Presidential Citation for Meritorious Service: Jason Persoff, MD Congratulations to Cara Thompson, MSPC, RN, CHPN, nurse care manager in Palliative Care in the Division of General Internal Medicine for receiving this year's UCHealth Medical Staff Partners in Care Award. Cara earned this honor for her inpatient telehealth innovations during the COVID pandemic, which was instrumental for maintaining communication, therapeutic relationships, and human connection. Blake Jones, MD and Emily Jonica, MD, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Chief Fellows, have gone out of their way to help Denver Health patients over the last month by coming in to set up and assist with ERCP procedures after-hours on days when they were not on-call. This spared the patients a trip to UCH and sped up their gallbladder surgery (one patient) or allowed a patient to go home (the other patient). Kudos for being valued members of the Division of GI and Hepatalogy and their stellar commitment to patient care.

IN MEMORIAM

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Robert W. Schrier, MD. Dr. Schrier was the past Chair of the Department of Medicine for 26 years, from 1976 to 2002 as well as the Head of the Division of Nephrology from 1972 to 1992. He was also the founding editor-in-chief of the magazine Nature Clinical Practice Nephrology. Read more.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Robert H. Allen, MD. Dr. Allen was recruited to the University of Colorado in 1977 as the Chief of the Division of Hematology. He served in that role for nearly 40 years, establishing the intellectual and academic foundation that would ultimately lead to a division of over 100 faculty and staff. Read more.

We're deeply saddened to announce that James Hakim, MBChB, FRCP, DSc (HC), passed away on Jan 26 from COVID-19. Dr. Hakim was a Professor of Medicine and past Chair of Medicine at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ). He was an adjunct professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Division of Infectious Diseases, and one of the program directors for the Colorado-Zimbabwe International Exchange (CoZIE). Read more.

HIGHLIGHTED MEDIA CLIPS

COVID-19: A Time to Reinvest in Our Early Career Scientists In response to COVID-19, the Department of Medicine recently announced it will provide $50,000 in funding to automatically extend mentored career development awards by six months for all eligible faculty. Lilia Cervantes, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Denver Health in the Division of Hospital Medicine, and Yael Aschner, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, were interviewed for CU Anschutz Today as part of this innovative program. Read more.

CU Anschutz Experts Break COVID-19 Effects Down by Body Part January 20 marked one year since the first diagnosed case of COVID-19 in the United States. Since then, experts have learned the respiratory disease’s destructive effects far surpass injury to the lungs. Top CU Anschutz doctors, including faculty from the divisions of Pulmonary, Cardiology, Renal, GI and Hematology, share the impacts the disease can have throughout the body. Read more in CU Anschutz Today.

What Americans Need to Know About Finding a Coronavirus Test Abroad David Beuther, MD, a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health and an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, was interviewed on the concerns of Americans travelling abroad and obtaining a COVID-19 test, the risk of spread at home and abroad, and the impact of the new coronavirus variants. Read more in the Washington Post.

DOM NEWSROOM

Beyond the Headlines: Feb Feature

Winter Bliss Bowls Let's take a break from the usual headlines... Keep your glow going this season by adding Winter Bliss Bowls to your menu. Roasted veggies are the heart of this colorful dish, with the recipe provided by the CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center.

In Case You Missed It...

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.

February Faculty Photo Sessions Ensure your faculty photo is professional and up to date. No need to sign up for a specific time as each session takes less than five minutes.  Email webhelp@CUmedicine.us if you have any questions. Monday, Feb 10 @ Academic Office 1 (AO1) - 7th floor, North, 11am-1pm  Thursday, Feb 11 @ Academic Office 1 (AO1) - 7th floor, North, 11am-1pm

Project Lift - Support our Residents Project Lift is a program that was started to support our residents and fellows during this time of hardship. If you would like to learn more about becoming a sponsor, or are interested in signing up, please click here.

New Zoom Features for 2021 Attendance: Use the reporting function to run a usage report to see who attended your Zoom sessions Cloud Recording: Record your Zoom meetings to the cloud for easier storage and sharing Copy and Paste from the Chat: Copy content directly from the chat Transcription: Enable the creation of an automatic audio transcript to recordings you post to the cloud.

State of the School Address by Dean Reilly Dean John J. Reilly, Jr., MD, highlighted some of the CU School of Medicine’s accomplishments over the past five years and outlined key initiatives moving forward in his annual State of the School address on Jan 13. He also spoke to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

New CU Medicine Website Launches The new brand and website represents over 3,000 CU School of Medicine faculty, and 40+ freestanding clinics throughout Colorado and establishes CU Medicine in the healthcare market. In addition to the current CU Medicine website functionality (bill pay, employment portal, etc.), the new website is the central hub of all activity where visitors can find a wealth of information about CU Medicine providers and clinic locations. Visit cumedicine.us

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.

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 beginning February 5. 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

Emotional and Mental Health in Older Adults Webinar This 9-Part Series concludes on Feb 4 from 2-3pm with "Living Well With Dementia", featuring Dr. Joleen Sussman, Geri-Psychologist, Eastern Colorado VA Health Care System. Who Should Attend? Service providers, caregivers and older adults to learn strategies to improve emotional and mental health and wellbeing for older adults. Register now.

University of Colorado ASH Review 2021 Registration for the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition is now open. Two of our very own in the Division of Hematology, Christine McMahon, MD, assistant professor; and Steve Bair, MD, assistant professor, will be presenting at the virtual event on Sat, Feb 6. For more information, visit http://www.ucdenverash.com. The code to register is DASHfeb2021.

‌

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