Dear Colleague,

Well, it’s May.  I saw the first tulip come up outside my front door this weekend.  Having just moved in last fall, we have no clue what is likely to burst into bloom at our house this month, but a visible tulip may just mean that we are ready for spring here. The basketball season ended abruptly last week and hockey season was long gone, so I spent all Sunday afternoon at Coors Field settling in for a week of interleague play. (It may have been cool and cloudy, but at least the outcome was unsatisfactory.)

That the seasons are changing was also brought home last Friday when my small group of medical students spent the last hour of their third year meeting with Scott Mann, ’09, who is a fourth year otolaryngology resident, and me at one of our “Hidden Curriculum” sessions.  Watching their growth and development as soon-to-be-physicians is really rewarding.  They now head into the final year of their time here ready to differentiate into the various specialties that will be available to them as residents in the coming years.  Meanwhile, during a brief trip to Yale last week on a site visit, I ran into Tracy Conner, MS4, who was in New Haven looking for a place to live before she starts her pediatric residency there this July. It actually is a small world.

I am also getting ready this weekend for one of the more high-pressure moments I have ever had in this position.  I have been asked to be a participant, not just a spectator, in the Senior Skit this Thursday night. They have asked me to let them know what I really thought of their class while they were here….

There was a really nice story in the Denver Post Sunday about the new Emergency Room at University of Colorado Hospital.  If you missed it, here’s the link.

In other news around campus, Ken Tyler, MD, the Reuler-Lewin Family Professor of Neurology, and Huntington Potter, PhD, professor of neurology and director of Alzheimer’s Disease Programs, are hosting the campus’ first Alzheimer’s Disease Symposium on Friday, May 10. Several CUSOM faculty members will present their work. There is no charge to attend the event, but registration is encouraged. This symposium is particularly timely because a recent national study found that the monetary cost of dementia in the United States ranges from $157 billion to $215 billion annually, making the disease more costly to the nation than either heart disease or cancer. 

RSVPs are due Tuesday, May 14, for another interesting upcoming event. University of Colorado President and CEO John Harney and his wife, Maureen, will be hosting a benefit for the University of Colorado Palliative Care Program on Tuesday May 21. Attendees will be treated to a reading and book-signing by Boulder author Gail Storey, whose book I Promise Not to Suffer: A Fool for Love Hikes the Pacific Crest Trail describes a trek with her husband, Porter, after he leaves his job as a hospice doctor. Those who want more information should contact Sue Felton.

Additional news regarding the Palliative Care Program: the University of Colorado Hospital received a $10,000 Livestrong Foundation grant to advance palliative care for cancer patients and their families. UCH is one of 15 sites across the country selected for the grant.

Robin L. Gabriels, PsyD, associate professor psychiatry and pediatrics, has been named a 2013 Master Scholar by the University of Denver, Graduate School of Professional Psychology.  The honor is awarded to those with a degree from DU who are considered distinguished professionals in their field.  Since 1996, DU has recognized more than 120 Master Scholars by their academic units.

Kristi Anseth, PhD, distinguished professor of the chemical and biological engineering department at CU-Boulder and an associate professor of surgery at the School of Medicine, last week was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences. She and CU-Boulder Physics Professor Henry Kapteyn, PhD, were two of the 84 new members nationwide elected to the prestigious society.

Dean Drizin, who recently completed his third year of medical school and who will be on leave next year to pursue an MBA in Health Care Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, has been selected to serve as the student representative on the AMA Council on Medical Service beginning July 1. The Council studies the social and economic aspects of medical care.

Deegan Lew, OD, FAAO, optometrist and clinical instructor in the Department of Ophthalmology, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last Wednesday.  Deegan joined our faculty in 2010 with an infectious positive attitude and dedication to his patients. He will be missed.

As you may recall, a couple of weeks ago I noted the death of Robert “Hank” Fennell, MD, at age 94. His friends in the School of Medicine’s Department of Pathology have posted a wonderful memorial of our longtime colleague. 

Finally, last Monday afternoon I attended the memorial service for Chancellor Emeritus Vincent Fulginiti, MD, at the University of Arizona in Tucson. There were several of us from Colorado, but it was mostly for the large number of colleagues and friends he had in Arizona to celebrate his career. Vincent’s wife, Shirley, and their children will let us know when they are able to participate in a similar service 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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