Dear Colleague,

I am writing this email at my usual time – Sunday afternoon in Denver – except where I am it is 4 a.m. Monday morning.  I am in Tokyo with a team from Colorado State University and University of Colorado Health visiting the Japan National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS).  CSU is looking at the feasibility of collaboration with the NIRS, which has a Carbon Ion Radiation Therapy Unit.   The CSU School of Veterinary Medicine has had a relationship here for several years, and asked UC Health and me, for our school, to join them on this visit.  I’ll be back tomorrow or the next day.  

Several readers of this note last week sent me their own remembrance of Chancellor Emeritus Vincent Fulginiti, MD, following news that he passed away on March 19. I am collecting them and will bring them with me to Tucson when the Fulginiti family has scheduled a memorial service on Monday, April 29, at the University of Arizona Medical Center.  If anyone prefers to write Shirley Fulginiti directly, please do.  My office can provide the contact information.

The University of Colorado Cancer Center is now an elected member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 23 of the world’s leading cancer centers.  The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology are used as the standard of care for oncology patients and are developed through a rigorous review of the evidence, expert medical judgment and recommendations of multidisciplinary panels from NCCN Member Institutions.  Medical investigators at the CU Cancer Center will now be involved on NCCN committees studying the best ways to treat multiple types of cancer.

The Academy of Medical Educators is accepting nominations for Education Awards.  All faculty, including volunteer faculty, in the School of Medicine, including Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant programs, are eligible for these awards.  The categories include Excellence in Direct Teaching (clinical, non-clinical or both), Excellence in Curriculum Development or Educational Innovation, Excellence in Educational Administration or Leadership, Excellence in Research or Scholarship in Education, and Excellence in Mentoring and Advising.  Click here for more information on the nomination process and the nomination form. Please submit the nomination form to kathy.werfelmann@ucdenver.edu.  The deadline for nominations is Tuesday, April 2, at 5 p.m.

The School of Medicine is establishing its first branch, and we are looking for a collaborative and forward-thinking leader to steer its development.  The Associate Dean for Colorado Springs Branch will be an advocate for University of Colorado School of Medicine (SOM) and will work closely with stakeholders in the School of Medicine and throughout Colorado Springs and Southern Colorado. The Associate Dean will work within existing systems of SOM governance to ensure an educational environment that meets the Liaison Committee on Medical Education standards and prepares students for 21st century medical careers. It is a 0.50 FTE position.

The fourth annual Postdoctoral Research Day for the University of Colorado Denver's campuses occurred March 22 with a special guest appearance by Chancellor Don Elliman. He perused the posters, which included 80 submissions from the University of Colorado Denver and Anschutz Medical Campus and from researchers at National Jewish Health and Denver Health. Fifty faculty judges helped out. We’re told that it was the best program yet.

Tomas Berl, MD, professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, will be receiving the National Kidney Foundation’s David M. Hume Award, the highest honor the group bestows on scientist-clinicians in the field of kidney and urologic diseases. The foundation annually bestows the award upon an individual who exemplifies the high ideals of scholarship and humanitarianism in an outstanding manner. The award will be presented later this week at the foundation’s meeting in Florida. Congratulations to Tom (whom I remember as one of the better students in our Medical School Class at NYU a few years ago).

Paula Riggs, MD, professor of psychiatry, has been selected the 2013 recipient of the Kathleen Ann Mullen Award for “Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Adolescent Health and Medicine,” given by the Rocky Mountain Regional Chapter of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. The award, which will be presented later this month, recognizes Paula for her distinguished career through clinical work and research in the field of adolescent substance abuse treatment. Congratulations to Paula.

Kelley Capocelli, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and medical director of Transfusion Medicine Services at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHC), has received the 2013 Century Award, which recognizes CHC staff, five or fewer years out of training, for showing leadership and initiative. Kelley collaborated with clinical service leaders to establish and enforce specific blood transfusion parameters, resulting in improvements to patient health and safety and cost savings. Kelley will receive her award at the Annual Medical Staff Dinner at the Denver Marriott City Center on Thursday, April 11. Congratulations to Kelley.

Pete Watson, PhD, associate professor of medicine, recently was appointed to the newly created position of Research Liaison between the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (CU AMC), and the Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center (Denver VAMC). This position was created to facilitate greater collaboration in clinical and basic research between the faculty at the Denver VAMC and the CU AMC.  Pete would greatly appreciate your input regarding any areas of concern, or difficulties you have encountered regarding University-VA interactions. He is also interested in brokering collaborations across the institutions and access to equipment housed at the VA.  Contact Pete at pete.watson@ucdenver.edu or 303-724-3977.

With all these nice things happening, maybe T.S. Eliot is wrong when he wrote that April is the cruellest month – we’ll see.

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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