Dear Colleague: 

Many thanks to Naresh Mandava, MD, for joining me last Wednesday for an insightful town hall conversation about our plans for broadening our philanthropic engagement.

Dr. Mandava, who earlier this year accepted the new role of Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Advancement, is an exceptional leader for this important assignment.

Over his years as Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Mandava has established a model program for providing outstanding patient care, which in turn has attracted considerable investments from grateful patients and families.

At our town hall conversation, Dr. Mandava and I outlined extending these successful practices across our campus and throughout our school. Thanks to the more than 600 people who tuned into our live conversation. We're interested to hear your feedback on the conversation and suggestions for other topics and leaders you'd like to see featured. If you missed it, the recording is available on our town hall webpage. Please take a moment to fill out the feedback survey as well.

We are in a great position to grow!

It is with the support of so many strong and compassionate leaders that we can chart our path toward being Top 10 in 10.

Dr. Mandava’s role as Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Advancement is intended to strategically guide and elevate our philanthropic engagement — both in terms of identifying opportunities and shaping a culture of philanthropy across the school. While the Advancement team will continue to lead donor engagement, stewardship, and gift administration, Dr. Mandava will serve as a key partner to:

• Help identify philanthropic priorities that align with school strategy.
   
• Inspire and equip department chairs and faculty to engage meaningfully with philanthropy.
   
• Advocate for a unified message and coordinated approach between academic leadership and Advancement.

In short, this role bridges strategy and relationships — helping ensure our leaders and our Advancement partners are aligned, proactive, and successful in growing philanthropic support.

Faculty and staff can engage with Dr. Mandava in several meaningful ways:

• Share ideas for philanthropic initiatives or emerging priorities that could benefit from donor support.
   
• Reach out for guidanceon how to approach potential donors, grateful patients, or philanthropic conversations.
   
• Collaborate to ensure that department-level goals are aligned with school-wide strategy and supported by Advancement resources.
   
• Champion a culture of philanthropy by helping articulate impact, stewarding relationships, and being responsive to donors.

We’ll continue to highlight opportunities to connect with Dr. Mandava and the Advancement team as this work progresses — but if you have questions or ideas now, please reach out!

CU Medicine Vote
Members of the CU Medicine faculty practice should watch their email for ballots to vote on two amendments to the practice bylaws. Ballots are to be delivered today, August 11.

The amendments would:

• Allow members to directly contract and collect for medical/legal activity. As a result, CU Medicine and the Dean’s Office will no longer collect assessments related to this activity.
• Authorize the board to explore the option of CU Innovations, rather than CU Medicine, perform the contracting, billing, collecting, and distributing of other consulting revenue generated by members. As a result, CU Medicine will no longer collect assessments related to this activity, but CU Innovations will determine fees based on the complexity of the transaction.

To take effect, a majority of voters must approve each amendment. At least 25% of all members must vote to achieve a quorum. The vote will stay open until a quorum is reached. The effective dates for the amendments will be determined after voting closes.

Good News on Patient Safety
Last week, Tom Gronow, EdD, MHA, President and Chief Executive Officer of UCH, shared excellent news that the mortality index at the hospital is the best it has been in years. Based on data as of June, UCH could soon join the top decile of hospitals on this important measure of quality.

Our mortality index for the 12-month period through June is 0.63, compared to 0.84 for the same period a year ago. To be in the top 10%, we need to get to 0.61 or less. Scores below 1.0 indicate fewer deaths than would be expected based on patient characteristics.

We’re moving the needle in the right direction!

Many thanks to our faculty and everyone on the hospital care teams who have focused on the details and are working together to benefit our patients.

Keep up the great work! We will update you after we see final 2025 results in September.

Good Grades
The Graduation Questionnaire from the Class of 2025 has arrived! And it is AWESOME!

Shanta M. Zimmer, MD, Executive Vice Dean for Education, reported to the clinical chairs last Tuesday that our most recent graduates said they had an outstanding experience here as medical students.

The questionnaire is the benchmark standard for medical schools in evaluating student experience. Each year, graduates are asked to rate the quality of their education. The survey covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Pre-clinical, clinical, and elective experiences
• General medical education and readiness for residency
• Student services
• Experiences of negative behaviors
• Financial aid and indebtedness
• Career intentions 
• Strengths of the medical school and areas that need improvement

The trends captured in the most recent questionnaire are terrific and we reported better results in almost every single category. It’s very important to note that on a key measure – perceptions of mistreatment by faculty – we scored the lowest in the history of our school. Exceptional!

It is particularly rewarding because this class was the first cohort to fully experience our new Trek curriculum and it’s obvious that it’s making a major positive difference for our students.

Many thanks to Dr. Zimmer and her team. I want to join her in giving special recognition to Brian Dwinnell, MD, who served full-time as our Associate Dean for the Office of Student Life and coordinated efforts to respond to concerns about student mistreatment and support. The entire Trek Curriculum team should be proud of their incredible work that led to successful outcomes across the board. We look forward to hearing the full results in an upcoming report to the executive committee. 

Congratulations to all our dedicated educators and the state!

Denver's Best Doctors
5280 Magazine recently published its list of top doctors for 2025, and CU School of Medicine faculty members continue to be ranked among the best. Congratulations to the 610 CU School of Medicine faculty members honored with the title “Top Doctor.” It is so impressive to see such a long list from our school! Congratulations to all!

Science Communications
Aimee Bernard, PhD, Associate Professor of Immunology and Microbiology, is a panelist on an upcoming discussion, “The Future of Vaccines,” which is part of the Trust in Science series at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on September 10.

Dr. Bernard is a passionate advocate for improving public understanding of our scientific work. She even offered one of the questions at our town hall last week. Keeping the public informed about the importance of our scientific work is as critical as ever, and we are fortunate to have Dr. Bernard leading the way.

Joining Dr. Bernard on the panel will be David Higgins, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, who has been widely published on enhancing vaccine delivery and communications strategies.

You can register online to attend the event, which is at 6:30 p.m., September 10, at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver.

Recent Publications
Michael Wilson, MD, Professor of Pathology and Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Services at Denver Health, is a co-author of a review, “Moving the dial on diagnostics: an update from the Lancet Commission on diagnostics,” published June 21 by The Lancet. Dr. Wilson is Co-Deputy Chair of the Lancet Commission on Diagnostics.

Stephen Waldo, MD, Professor of Medicine and physician with the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, is co-author of an original investigation, “Impact of the MISSION Act on Quality and Outcomes of Major Cardiovascular Procedures Among Veterans,” published July 31 by JAMA.

Kenneth Lam, MD, MAS, Assistant Professor of Medicine, is the corresponding author of an original investigation, “Social Participation Among Older Adults Before and After Long-Term Care Facility Entry,” published August 4 by JAMA Internal Medicine. Cari R. Levy, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Division Head of Geriatric Medicine, is a co-author.

Cole Jurecka, MPH, Research Assistant and Project Manager in the Department of Medicine, is corresponding author of a brief report, “Implementation of a Statewide Fentanyl Possession Law and Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths,” published August 1 by JAMA Health Forum. Seven co-authors are from our campus.

Lisa Bero, PhD, Research Professor of Medicine, is corresponding author of a review, “Engineering Infection Controls to Reduce Indoor Transmission of Respiratory Infections: A Scoping Review,” published August 5 by the Annals of Internal Medicine. Seven co-authors are from our campus.

Lauren S. Hughes, MD, MPH, MSc, MHCDS, State Policy Director of the Eugene S. Farley, Jr. Health Policy Center and Associate Professor of Family Medicine, is co-author of an article, “Primary care: A crucial catalyst to build a healthier USA,” published July 2025 in the inaugural issue of The Lancet Primary Care.

Fabrice Dabertrand, PhD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, is corresponding author of a research article, “Estrogen Enhances SK Channel Activity to Limit Hippocampal Arteriole Constriction,” published June 26 and featured on the cover of Circulation Research. Nine co-authors are from our campus.

Brenda A. Bucklin, MD, Professor Emerita of Anesthesiology, is corresponding author of an article, “Obstetric Anesthesia Workforce Survey: Forty-year Update,” published in the August 2025 issue of Anesthesiology. Four co-authors are from our campus.

Faculty Updates
Natalie Serkova, PhD, MS, Professor of Radiology, has been named Director of the University of Colorado Research Imaging Center. Dr. Serkova brings extensive expertise in MR physics, clinical research trials, and leadership in the CU Imaging Program, Cancer Center, and CCTSI. She will continue her position as the department's Vice Chair for Research.

Jennifer Kwak, MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, has joined University of Colorado Research Imaging Center leadership as Clinical Director. Dr. Kwak joins with deep clinical leadership experience and specialization in Nuclear Medicine theranostics and PET imaging.

Twenty faculty members have been awarded Clinical Effectiveness & Patient Safety (CEPS) grants by the Institute for Healthcare Quality, Safety and Efficiency for 15 projects. CEPS grants awarded more than $4.3 million to support quality and patient safety initiatives at Children’s Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado Hospital since 2007. Check out the website for the list of 2025 awardees.

DAWN Health Soaring to New Heights
DAWN Health (Dedicated to Aurora’s Wellness & Needs) is the CU-supported, student-run free clinic based on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. For the past decade, DAWN has provided compassionate, no-cost health care to uninsured adults in Aurora, serving as a safety net for our community and a training ground for the next generation of healthcare professionals. On September 27, DAWN celebrates its 10th anniversary with a fundraiser, “Soaring to New Heights,” from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd, Denver. To learn more about the event, to register, and to donate, go to DAWN Health’s website.

HIE SPARK Funding Now Open
Apply now for the SPARK award, offering up to $200,000 over two years to support the development of therapeutics, devices, diagnostics, and digital health tools. Supported by the new Healthcare Innovation & Entrepreneurship (HIE) initiative, SPARK combines funding with mentorship, industry connections, and hands-on training. Letters of Intent (LOIs) are due August 29. Learn more and apply: https://sparkcolorado.secure-platform.com/a/organizations/main/home.

RWJF Health Policy Fellowship Applications
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has issued the 2026-27 Call for Applications for the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program. Fellows serve as senior advisors to key health policy decision-makers in Washington, D.C. Fellows typically help develop legislative or regulatory proposals; organize hearings, briefings, and stakeholder meetings; meet with constituents; and brief legislators or senior administration officials on health issues. Some of our leaders from our campus who have completed this fellowship include former Dean Richard Krugman, MD, and Shale Wong, MD, MSPH, Director of the Eugene S. Farley, Jr. Health Policy Center. Applications are due by November 3. Details are available on the RWJF website.

Governmental Updates
At our clinical chairs meeting last Tuesday, we shared an update that the federal government has issued technical assistance documents regarding illegal DEI, a term that has gone undefined even as institutions have been scrutinized for policies and programs related to efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s important to note that the guidelines prohibit employers and institutions from relying on proxy measures, such as socioeconomic or first-generation status, if the intent and desire is to increase racial diversity.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis last week announced that he’s calling the General Assembly back for a special session beginning August 21 to address concerns related to a state budget gap that he attributes to the federal “big, beautiful bill.”

The governor’s office is estimating that the federal spending law will reduce state revenue by more than $1.2 billion in the current fiscal year, and by roughly $700 million in fiscal year 2027 and fiscal year 2028. The special session calls for lawmakers to consider closing tax loopholes, cutting spending, and other actions that can save money in the budget. Polis also announced a state hiring freeze, effective August 27 through December 31, 2025.

Keep up on governmental news affecting our school at the CU System Federal Updates and Actions webpage and the CU Anschutz Federal Updates webpage.

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