Dear Colleague, 

I’m writing this one from LaGuardia Airport where my wife and I are wrapping up our third annual, post-State of the School weekend in New York with a set of grandchildren.  There may be a busier weekend in New York City, but you would never know it. Even snow, sleet and bitter cold (which, except for the sleet, we had seen in Denver last week) did not keep several hundreds of thousands of visitors from clogging the streets, restaurants and hotels here this past weekend.  What a city! But landing in Denver last night made me happy again with the decision we made 45.5 years ago to move to Denver from here. 

Thanks to all those who came out on Wednesday, Dec. 11, for my 2012-2013 State of the School address.  Hard to believe it was the 22nd time I have had the opportunity to report on what has been consistent, and in some ways, amazing growth and development of not just our School, but the campus around us.  Our School is strong thanks to its successful clinical enterprise, the ongoing support of its affiliated health care providers and the dedicated work of faculty and staff. I also reported that we are implementing proposals from the strategic-planning process that will make our School an even better place to learn, teach, work and provide care. The initiatives touch all parts of our mission – education, research, clinical care and community service. It’s not easy to change, but it’s essential to keep pace in a world that is changing around us. If you weren’t able to attend the address, we’ve posted a summary, the slides and a link to the video on the School’s website. 

The University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) announced on Thursday, Dec. 12, that it will provide a new and expanded health insurance option for businesses interested in offering their employees a partially self-funded health plan. UCHealth is one of the only integrated health care systems in the Rocky Mountain region to provide this type of insurance product. People will have access to UCHealth’s locations and services, including primary care clinics and high-quality hospitals where physicians on our faculty practice. UCHealth is establishing a new division, UCHealth Plan Administrators, to assist Colorado employers in managing health care risk while providing plan administration functions such as claims processing, customer service, billing and payments. 

The Dean’s Distinguished Seminar Series features Michael Young, PhD, vice president of academic affairs at The Rockefeller University, on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 4 p.m. in Hensel Phelps West Auditorium. Young will discuss “Genes Controlling Sleep and Circadian Rhythms.” 

Corey Lyon, DO, assistant professor of family medicine, last week was notified that he has been named the Family Medicine Teacher of the Year by the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians. He will receive the honor at the academy’s awards ceremony in April 2014. Corey joined the School of Medicine faculty in 2011 and practices at the AF Williams Family Medicine Center in Stapleton. Congratulations. 

Here’s another reminder to mark your calendars for the annual meeting of University Physicians, Inc., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, in the Trivisible Room. A reception starts at 5 p.m. with the business meeting beginning at 6 p.m. 

And here’s another call for volunteers to work at the National Western Stock Show. The Anschutz Medical Campus will again have a health-screening exhibit at the stock show, which runs Jan. 11-26. Volunteers are needed for each day. There are two shifts daily –from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Information about signing up can be found on the Colorado Area Health Education Center website. 

Earlier this month, David Pollock, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics, earned some national attention for his research sequencing the genome of the Burmese python, discovering large numbers of rapidly evolved genes in snakes. 

Last Friday, the paraskevidekatriaphobics among us had a stressful day. It was Friday the 13th – the second time in four months that the 13th has fallen on a Friday. Perhaps you recognize this condition by another name: friggatriskaidekaphobia. The superstitious should have a better year in 2014 because the 13th falls on a Friday only once, in June. 

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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