Dear Colleague: 

Last Friday, we welcomed the Class of 2028 at the matriculation ceremony on the grounds of our beautiful campus. What an amazing way to end my first month as Dean! The class brings awesome credentials, vast energy, and impressive commitment to service. We are excited to have them join our CU School of Medicine community and we’re looking forward to the contributions they will make. Many thanks to the crew of assistant and associate deans and staff members who organized this special event. Read our article in the School of Medicine newsroom and visit our CU School of Medicine Instagram to view event highlights, photos, and reels from this year’s matriculation ceremony.    

CU Among Top-Rated Medical Schools
Our School of Medicine was boosted into the top tier of research institutions in the country in the latest ratings by U.S. News & World Report, which were released last week. Only 16 medical schools are considered top tier by U.S. News, and for our school it is a substantial jump from last year when we ranked No. 26. We are on the right trajectory for our school to be in the top 10 within the next 10 years.
The credit for our big jump this year belongs to our faculty and staff who have been working in their labs, conducting experiments, overseeing clinical trials, writing grant applications, and creating support systems that allow for such success. Keep up the good work.
U.S. News made many significant changes this year in its ratings of medical schools. Notably, it no longer ranks medical schools by number; instead, schools are grouped in tiers. In the past, it had ranked schools by number in research and primary care categories. Another factor affecting the ratings is that some top medical schools declined to fill out the annual survey U.S. News sends to medical school leaders. Schools that did not participate were not included in the ratings.
For primary care, the ranking system previously included qualitative assessments of graduates by peer institutions and residency program directors. That measure was jettisoned. We remain strong in primary care, but the loss of those qualitative scores reordered the list of schools and put us among the 34 schools listed after the 15 schools in the top tier. This year, U.S. News put an increased emphasis on the number of graduates pursuing residency in a primary care field, and on the share of graduates practicing in primary care.
We’ll be evaluating all changes made by U.S. News to make sure we are properly recognized for the high-quality work done here.

Faculty Updates
Lauren Hersch Nicholas, PhD, MPP, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, is corresponding author of an original investigation published July 19 by JAMA Health Forum that analyzed the experiences of more than a million people receiving Medicare-funded services in the last six months of their lives. An article in the Department of Medicine newsroom describes the study. Co-authors from our campus are Stacy M. Fischer, MD, professor of medicine, Marcelo Coca Perraillon, PhD, associate professor of health systems, management and policy in the Colorado School of Public Health, and Christine D. Jones, MD, associate professor of medicine.
Thomas Beresford, MD, professor of psychiatry, has received the Henri Begleiter Excellence in Research Award from the Research Society on Alcohol. The award is given to an individual demonstrating innovation or creativity and excellence in their research or whose work has a major impact on the field.
Yuri Agrawal, MD, MPH, chair of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, has been appointed treasurer-elect of the Triological Society, and will assume the role of Treasurer at the conclusion of Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings in May 2025. The society was founded in 1895 and represents academic and clinical otolaryngologists.
The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame last week announced its Class of 2024 and four of the 16 inductees have University of Colorado connections:

• Lula Lubchenco, MD ’39, was a pioneering pediatrician who developed protocols and tools used in delivery rooms around the world. She joined our faculty in 1943. Her achievements included publishing research on the relationship between birth weight and gestational age in newborns. She developed a chart that allowed clinicians to plot a baby’s birth weight against gestational age, a chart that became known as the “Lulagram.”
• Mary Krugman, PhD, RN, who served as interim dean of the CU College of Nursing in 2017 after a distinguished 23-year career at University of Colorado Hospital, where she ultimately served as director of nursing, innovation, and outcomes. She co-created the concept of graduate nurse residency programs that have been widely adopted as a best practice across the country.
• Judith Albino, PhD, president emerita and professor emerita of the Colorado School of Public Health, led the Leadership for Innovative Team Science Program, which was offered by the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. She was the 17th CU president, serving from 1991 to 1995.
• Elizabeth “Betsy” Hoffman, PhD, was the 20th CU president, serving from 2000 to 2005. During her tenure, CU completed its first billion-dollar campaign and started the move of the health sciences center from Denver to Aurora.

In Memoriam
John D. Armstrong, MD, a former faculty member at the School of Medicine and National Jewish Health from 1990 to 2012, and subsequently was Professor Emeritus at National Jewish Health, died July 22 in Bozeman, Mont. John will be remembered as an expert thoracic radiologist, who was passionate about medical ethics education. David Lynch, MD, professor of radiology, said: “John had a unique combination of boundless enthusiasm, intense curiosity, an engaging personality, and an impeccable sense of style. His infectious laugh often echoed in the hallways at National Jewish.”

AB Nexus Grants
The AB Nexus program, which provides joint campus funding and resources for collaborations between CU Anschutz and CU Boulder researchers, announced last week seven teams that will receive a total $713,000 for their projects. The 2024 AB Nexus awardees include three newly formed teams and four projects that expand upon existing collaborations. Individual grants range from $65,000 to $125,000. This year, AB Nexus developed two themed tracks – climate change and AI/advanced computing – for its grant applications. Congratulations to all 14 faculty leaders who are working on these exciting projects!

Training for Women Leaders
The Offices for Faculty Experience is accepting nominations for the 38th Annual Academic Management Institute Leadership program for the 2024-2025 academic year. The program is for women faculty and staff in higher education from across Colorado and Wyoming. Candidates should have been employed in higher education for 5-7 years and supervisory or leadership experience. From October 2024 through April 2025, the program includes five face-to-face sessions (two are overnight sessions) that feature presentations and workshops delivered by higher education leaders and experts from Colorado and Wyoming. Our campus has funding for one participant. Learn more about the program on the Colorado and Wyoming Network of Women Leaders webpage. The Offices for Faculty Experience have posted a nomination form. Self-nominations are allowed. Nominations are due Monday, August 5.

Faculty and Resident Survey Update
Earlier this year, the School of Medicine conducted a survey of university-employed faculty who are more than 0.5 FTE, residents, and fellows to help us assess professional fulfillment and to design action plans for improvement. Survey results have been compiled into departmental reports and shared with leaders to help them focus on making changes that will have high impact. Over the next couple of weeks, departmental well-being leaders are gathering to refine their action plans. While we had planned to release survey results directly to the faculty, residents, and fellows in July, I am continuing to review this important information. We now plan to make the results available in September.

 

Have a good week,

John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA
Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, University of Colorado School of Medicine

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