Dear colleague: 

The Wilderness and Environmental Medicine Section in the School of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine has been selected by CH2M Hill Polar Services as the subcontract recipient of a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to provide field health care services at Summit Station in Greenland. Services will include remote medical support services and supplies for Summit Station, 24/7 telemedicine services, first aid medical kits, and training (arctic first aid and wilderness first responder/aid). Summit Station is a research facility located at 10,500 feet in elevation at 72.5 degrees North, 38.5 degrees West on the summit of the Greenland ice sheet. Christopher Davis, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine and medical director of Altitude and Mountain Medicine Consultants, a branch of the Travel, Expedition and Altitude Medicine clinic led the application. 

The University of Colorado School of Medicine has been selected to participate in a new national professional development program called Professionals Accelerating Clinical and Educational Redesign. The program aims to build high-functioning interprofessional faculty teams working to transform clinical practices and educational programs to prepare a better trained primary care workforce. Linda Montgomery, MD, associate professor of family medicine, assembled the CU team, which includes faculty from family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, nursing, pharmacy and the physician assistant program. CU is one of only nine institutions chosen to be part of the program, which is funded by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation with matching funding from the Boards of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Children’s Hospital Colorado announced last month that it has again been recognized for excellence in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program. This is the third time Children’s Hospital Colorado has received the designation and it’s a significant achievement because only 3 percent of U.S. hospitals receive Magnet re-designation. Magnet hospitals are recognized for superior nursing processes and quality patient care. Congratulations to the leadership and team at Children’s Hospital Colorado on the recognition. 

A reminder that the University Physicians, Inc., (UPI) annual member meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 6, has been relocated to the Fulginiti Pavilion in the Gossard Forum and Lobby. All UPI members are invited to attend. The reception begins at 5 p.m. and the business meeting at 6 p.m.

The School of Medicine’s Academy of Medical Educators is accepting applications for its skills-based Teaching Certificate Program. The yearlong self-directed program is designed to help faculty improve their teaching skills in the setting where they work, whether that is at the bedside, in a lecture or in a procedure-based setting. Participants can tailor the content of the program to their learning needs. The online application is available on the Academy’s website and is due by Friday, Jan 22.

Happy New Year, 

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