Dear colleague: 

I am writing this having just returned home from the Beverly Hilton Hotel where the biannual Carousel Ball has had another successful fundraising event. There were many famous people there (including many of our immunology and pediatric faculty), and some of the other famous people were even recognizable to those of us who are not major movie aficionados. It was a gorgeous weekend in Los Angeles and we spent a nice afternoon wandering around the Getty Museum, which I had not been to before and is just spectacular.   

We got back from the ball in time to have dinner with the first finalist of the candidates to be my successor as Dean of the School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs. Bob Harrington, MD, is scheduled to be on campus today and tomorrow. He is chairman of the Department of Medicine at Stanford University, will be meeting with as many people as possible during his tour.  There is an open forum today from 4:00-5:30 in the Shore Family Forum in the Nighthorse Campbell Building.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  More information is available on the School of Medicine’s website. Questions about the schedule and events should be directed to Carolyn Goble in the Chancellor’s office. 

Speaking of galas, I am told that the School of Medicine’s Bow Tie Ball registration is in full swing, and I appreciate all the interest and support being shown for this event. It promises to be a fun evening at the Marriott Denver Downtown hotel on Saturday, Nov. 15. Jamie Angelich, who is chairing the Bow Tie Ball, and the committee asked us to send a reminder that if you are planning to submit a sponsorship, please do so before Monday, Oct. 27, so that the sponsorship will be included in the printed program to be distributed that evening. Information can be found on the website, which is updated regularly. 

Members of University Physicians, Inc. (UPI) should be on alert today, Oct. 13, for another email sent via Survey Monkey that requests a vote on a change to UPI’s bylaws. The ballot previously was sent on Oct. 2. Members who have not yet voted will receive an email today with the subject line “Important – Your Vote Requested: UPI Bylaws Amendment Vote.” If you don’t see it in your inbox, check your junk/spam folder to see if the message was routed there. It is amazing how tight the spam filter has become over the last months.  If you haven’t yet voted, please do. Deadline for voting is Sunday, Oct. 19, at 11:59 p.m. 

On Thursday, I had a lunch with the Council of Advisors, an important group of advocates and ambassadors for our School. I want to publicly express my gratitude for their efforts to increase community awareness, support and involvement in our School. We have been very well served by these volunteers who have shared their time, enthusiasm and commitment. 

The Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant program launched its alumni association on Saturday, Oct. 11, with a reception at the Wynkoop Brewing Co. in downtown Denver. I was sorry to miss it because my first job here was with that program 41 years ago. More than 150 alumni attended the event and I am told that great fun was had by all. Kudos to the Office of Alumni Relations for organizing this successful event and thanks to all who turned out. 

Congratulations to Glenn Furuta, MD, professor of pediatrics, on the announcement last week that he will be the administrative director and site investigator of the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers, a new network of specialists funded by a five-year, $6.25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. 

Kathryn Tallman has been named associate vice president for technology transfer for the University of Colorado’s four campuses. Kate has served in that role as interim since July 2013. CU’s Office of Technology Transfer pursues, protects, packages and licenses to business the intellectual property generated from research at CU. The office provides assistance to faculty, staff and students, as well as to businesses looking to license or invest in CU technology.  

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa continued to dominate national news last week and Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient diagnosed in the United States and linked to this outbreak, died at a Texas hospital. The Association of American Medical Colleges distributed information last week to address this epidemic, which is now the largest Ebola outbreak in history. Among those documents are the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance for infection control and an open letter from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services with practical advice for health professionals to detect, protect and respond. While the risk of an outbreak in the United States is very low, public health professionals, including those at our affiliated hospitals, are taking appropriate precautions to prevent a crisis from happening here. 

Have a good week,

Richard D. Krugman, MD
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, School of Medicine

"What’s Going On Here" is an email news bulletin from Richard Krugman, MD, Dean of the CU School of Medicine, that is distributed to inform University of Colorado School of Medicine faculty members about issues pertaining to the School’s mission of education, research, clinical care and community service. See the UCH-Insider →

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