Dean's Weekly Message

August 14, 2023

Dear colleague: 

Last week, the CU Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research and the El Pomar Foundation held a joint event to highlight the center’s work to improve care for the military and broader communities . CU Regent Emeritus Kyle Hybl and CU Regent Ken Montera co-hosted the event at the Penrose House in Colorado Springs. Vik Bebarta, MD, professor of emergency medicine and the center’s director, shared examples of COMBAT’s latest clinical research in military medicine. Kathleen Flarity, PhD, DNP, associate clinical professor of emergency medicine and deputy director of the center, spoke about her work in resiliency and psychological health, and Sean Keenan, MD, associate clinical professor of emergency medicine and assistant director of the center, discussed implementing research into practice with first responders, combat medics, and local military bases. Also, Matt Paulson, MD, a CU School of Medicine Class of 2023 graduate and senior research scholar for the center, reflected on how his experience as an infantry officer impacted his research as a scholar and medical student. The event was attended by university, business, and community leaders, including Chancellor Don Elliman.

Faculty Updates 

Jeffrey SooHoo, MD, MBA, assistant dean of admissions and associate professor of ophthalmology, was a guest last week on Colorado Public Radio to discuss how the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that prohibits consideration of race in admissions decisions at higher education institutions affects medical school admissions and disparities within health care systems. In the interview, Jeff spoke about the positive impacts and improved health outcomes when there is diversity within our care teams. “Patients from minority groups actually have better health outcomes when they're taken care of by someone that looks like them, that speaks their same native language, that comes from their neighborhood or socioeconomic group,” he said.

Stephanie Gold, MD, associate professor of family medicine, has been selected as a recipient of the 2023 James C. Puffer, MD/American Board of Family Medicine Fellowship from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). During her two-year fellowship, Stephanie will collaborate with renowned researchers, policy experts, and clinicians from across the country. She will also participate in initiatives organized by NAM to provide scientific and evidence-based guidance to policymakers, academic leaders, health care administrators, and the public.

Scott Oliver, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology, was featured in an article posted in the department’s newsroom about the care he provided for Coleman Tawresey, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma when he was 2 years old. Through a treatment plan developed by Scott that included several rounds of chemotherapy, including intra-arterial chemotherapy, radiation plaque therapy, intravitreal injections, and laser topical therapy to eliminate cancerous seeds in the eye, Coleman, now 6, was able to enjoy his summer without a doctor's appointment for the first time since being diagnosed with retinoblastoma. Recently, Coleman celebrated his remission with the Seattle Mariners, running the bases through the Make-A-Wish organization.

Marisha Burden, MD, MBA, professor of medicine, Angela Keniston, PhD, MSPH, assistant professor of medicine, and Lauren McBeth, data analytics principal professional, are authors of an original investigation published last week by JAMA Network Open that calls for improved methods to assess and understand the workloads for clinicians. They recommend that incorporating a broader range of measures, including quantifying work demands and the association of those demands with outcomes, could help health care organizations better capture the complexity and nuances of a clinician’s workload and their outcomes on patients.

Application Due

The School of Medicine Dean’s Office is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 Administrative Fellowship program. Last month, we welcomed the program’s inaugural class. The yearlong post-graduate training program provides fellows with management and leadership opportunities on our campus. Fellows collaborate with senior leaders in the School of Medicine and observe and participate in meetings on complex issues involving education, research, and clinical care. The deadline for application submission is Friday, September 1.

Have a good week,

John J. Reilly, Jr., MD
Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, School of Medicine