Dear colleague: 

UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital has been designated a Level I trauma center, making it one of only five hospitals in the state recognized as having the highest capabilities for treating the most severe and complex injuries. Key elements required to be a Level I trauma center include around-the-clock coverage by trauma surgeons and prompt availability of the most comprehensive group of specialists in orthopedics, neurosurgery, and anesthesiology, among others.  In making the announcement last Tuesday, Will Cook, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital’s president and CEO, said: “Earning this Level I designation has taken years of planning and advancements. The CU School of Medicine and UCH have recruited some of the nation’s best trauma surgeons, led important research, and improved every aspect of our trauma patient care. This preparation, and the Level I designation, will result in more lives being saved.” Thanks to all who have been involved in the work to achieve this designation, particularly to Robert McIntyre, MD, professor of surgery and the hospital’s trauma medical director. 

The Department of Pediatrics hosted a dinner at Children’s Hospital Colorado last Wednesday, October 17, to introduce 53 of the 132 new faculty hired during the year ending October 1. We have had remarkable growth in the number of University of Colorado School of Medicine faculty in all departments during the past three years. On July 1, 2015, the School of Medicine had 2,702 University paid faculty and as of July 1, 2018, we had 3,442 University paid faculty members. This growth is a significant investment in our community by the University and our partners. As we have grown, we have been able to touch the lives of more people in the clinics, in the classrooms and in our laboratories. We have grown because we offer the best care, based on research, from some of the best physicians, scientists, and trainees in the country. Thank you, as always, for your dedication to the profession and the people we serve. 

The U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals voting season will soon be upon us. As a reminder, all faculty members who are eligible to join Doximity should register on the site before November 15 to be considered for the U.S. News survey of medical specialists. While the U.S. News rankings take several factors into account, one of the key measures is a hospital’s reputation in multiple specialties. An institution’s reputation is based on ratings by physicians and to collect those scores, U.S. News surveys medical professionals. It largely relies on a survey distributed to those who are registered with Doximity. This year’s deadline to be considered a Doximity user for the purposes of the U.S. News survey is November 15. After you’ve registered with Doximity, review your CV to make sure it accurately reflects your specialty so that you can be contacted with the appropriate survey. 

Congratulations to Nanette Santoro, MD, chair of obstetrics and gynecology, on her election into the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), one of the country’s highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. She is one of 85 elected this year to the NAM. New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. According to the NAM’s announcement, Nanette was recognized for research discoveries in health predictors of midlife women, participation in cutting-edge clinical trial design and execution. 

Congratulations to Jennifer Wiler, MD, MBA, executive vice chair and professor of emergency medicine, who has been appointed to the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) for a three-year term. The appointment was announced last Thursday by Gene Dodaro, comptroller general of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office. PTAC makes comments and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services on models for paying physicians who provide care to Medicare beneficiaries. Jennifer is also the co-founder and executive medical director of UCHealth CARE Innovation Center, which is developing, testing, and implementing digital health solutions to improve health care. She was nominated for PTAC by the American Medical Association. 

Congratulations to Jeremy Hosein, MD, a senior neurosurgery resident, who has been selected as one of 14 White House Fellows. The White House Fellows Program was created in 1964 and, according to the White House announcement, is designed “to give the Fellows first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federal government and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs.” During their fellowship year, participants expand their knowledge of leadership, policy-making, and contemporary issues. For his fellowship, Jeremy, who specializes in the surgical management of diseases of the brain and spine, will be placed in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. 

Kenneth Tyler, MD, chair of neurology, is becoming the vice president of the American Neurological Association (ANA) at its annual meeting in Atlanta this week. The ANA is a professional society of academic neurologists and neuroscientists devoted to advancing the goals of academic neurology; to training and educating neurologists and other physicians in the neurologic sciences; and to expanding both our understanding of diseases of the nervous system and our ability to treat them. 

The annual fundraiser for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show, was held on Saturday, October 20, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. The event celebrated its 10th anniversary raising money to support the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome on the Anschutz Medical Campus and the Sie Center for Down Syndrome at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Michelle Sie Whitten, president and CEO of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, has been a passionate and tireless advocate for the cause and has helped raise awareness and secure funding for research that helps all of us. This year’s Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show featured celebrities with Down syndrome, actor Zack Gottsagen and model DeOndra Dixon. Also on hand were actors Heather Graham, Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell, Jeremy Renner, Dakota Johnson, and John C. McGinley. For those who couldn’t make it, Fox31 offered a preview worth watching. 

The School of Medicine is accepting applications for the position of Assistant Dean for Community-Based Medical Education, to lead programs that support and strengthen the work of our 3,000 clinical (volunteer) faculty. The assistant dean, a 0.3 FTE working for the Office of Faculty Affairs in collaboration with the Office of Medical Education, develops and oversees programs for the recruitment and retention of volunteer faculty. The full description of the job is posted online. Applications, including a CV and a letter of interest that provides a summary of qualifications, a vision statement, and a list of program priorities should be submitted to Susannah McGuire (susannah.mcguire@ucdenver.edu) by Friday, November 9. We offer our thanks to Dennis Boyle, MD, professor of medicine, who has served in this role for six years. 

Chancellor Don Elliman will deliver his annual State of the Campus address at 4 p.m., Tuesday, October 30, in the Hensel-Phelps West Auditorium. If you’re unable to attend in person, the address will be livestreamed via Facebook event.

Have a good week,

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