Dear colleague: 

At last week’s Faculty Senate meeting, David Schwartz, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine, presented a request to create a new Division of Hospital Medicine. During the past decade, this specialty within the Department’s existing Division of General Internal Medicine has grown significantly. Just over 12 years ago, there were two members of the newly created Hospital Medicine Group at the University of Colorado Hospital. Today, there are more than 60 faculty members in the group. This growth reflects a national trend and it recognizes that the practice of hospital medicine encompasses its own area of clinical and system-based expertise. The Faculty Senate overwhelmingly approved the creation of this new Division. The School of Medicine’s Executive Committee is set to review the proposal at its meeting tomorrow. 

The Colorado state legislature concluded its annual session last Wednesday and before they adjourned lawmakers passed a new tax credit for rural primary care preceptors. HB16-1142 provides a state income tax credit of $1,000 to preceptors who practice in rural or frontier areas of the state. The credit is available for income tax years beginning January 2017 and prior to January 2020. Mark Deutchman, MD, professor of family medicine and director of the School of Medicine’s rural track, and rural track students Logan Mims and Andi Hudler testified in favor of the legislation earlier in the session. Thanks to them and lobbyist Jerry Johnson for supporting this bill. That bill has been sent to the Governor for his review. 

One of the other major items on the legislative agenda that the University was watching closely was HB16-1420, which would have turned the Hospital Provider Fee into an enterprise. That move would have provided more flexibility in the state budget for other state funding needs. That bill died on a 3-2 vote in the Senate Finance Committee last Tuesday. While the effort was not successful this year, Tanya Kelly-Bowry, the University’s Vice President for Government Relations, explained in her wrap-up of the legislative session that the “conversation is so critical to the budget that they will continue to discuss it in the future.” A summary of all bills monitored by the University is posted on the government relations website. 

Angie Ribera, PhD, chair of physiology and biophysics, has been accepted into the 2016-2017 class of the the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program. The School of Medicine has been fortunate to have many alumnae of this year-long fellowship for women faculty in schools of medicine, dentistry and public health. ELAM, a core program of the Institute for Women's Health and Leadership at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, is dedicated to developing the professional and personal skills required to lead and manage in today’s complex health care environment, with special attention to the unique challenges facing women in leadership positions. 

Steven H. Abman, MD, professor of pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Heart Lung Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado, has been named the 2016 Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award Recipient by the American Pediatric Society and the Society for Pediatric Research. This award, established in 2013, recognizes the lifetime achievement of a pediatric investigator who has made important contributions to neonatal health through basic or translational research.

Eric McCarty, MD, professor of orthopedics and head team physician for the University of Colorado athletic program, received the Jerry D. McMorris Community MVP Award at the 9th Annual Colorado Coaches for Charity banquet on Wednesday, May 11. The award, named after Jerry McMorris, one of the original owners of the Colorado Rockies, recognizes individuals for their community contributions.

Chris Scanlan, director of human resources for the Dean’s Office, is retiring on Tuesday, May 31. She has been a valuable member of the Dean’s Office staff for the past five years and we wish her a happy well-earned retirement. Suceeding Chris is Luana Tadolini, joins the School of Medicine from the University’s Employee Services, most recently as a compensation expert for UC Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus Human Resources. Please join me in welcoming Luana. We will hold a retirement celebration for Chris at 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, May 19, in the first floor cafeteria common area of Building 500. 

The Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science-Doctor of Medicine (BA/BS-MD) Program is seeking an assistant director with a projected start date of July 15. Candidates must have a faculty appointment in the School of Medicine and a PhD, MD or equivalent degree from an accredited University to be eligible for this 0.1 FTE position. Interested applicants should review the job description and submit a letter of interest and current CV to Regina Richards by Wednesday, May 25. 

Scheduling notes: The School of Medicine Executive Committee meeting will be held as usual at 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 17, in the 7th Floor Boardroom of Academic Office 1. The University Physicians, Inc., Board of Directors meeting, which usually precedes the School of Medicine Executive Committee meeting, has been moved to Tuesday, May 24, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The location of the UPI meeting that day has also changed; it will be held in the Krugman Conference Hall in the Research 2 building. 

Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the Golden Stethoscope Awards. All students are allowed to nominate a preceptor and each nominee receives recognition and a printed copy of the letter at the annual awards banquet each spring. The recipients are selected through a panel review. The 12 recipients are listed on the Golden Stethoscope awards webpage. 

The Medical Alumni Association is hosting a reception at the Denver Botanic Gardens at 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 25. The program will honor Warren Johnson, MD ’79, and Randall Rottman, MD ’85. Alumni, faculty, students and housestaff are invited to attend. Also happening that week is the Silver and Gold Alumni Banquet to honor the School of Medicine Class of 1966, to celebrate the 2016 graduating class, and to recognize four alumni who have had extraordinary careers and service in medicine. That event will be at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 26, at the Denver Art Museum. If you plan to attend, please register online or call the alumni office at 303-724-2518. 

Have a good week, 

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