Dear colleague: 

There was another recent reminder of the importance of preparing for the site visit in 2017 by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), which accredits medical schools in the United States and Canada. Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit recently received notice that it was falling short of LCME accreditation standards. The LCME cited 12 violations, including a lack of student diversity and lack of independent and active teaching in its school curriculum. Two other medical schools have recently been put on probation by the LCME. Our efforts to prepare for the LCME review, led by Senior Associate Dean for Education Robert Anderson, MD, are a critical and necessary step. When you are asked to assist in the effort, I urge you to get involved.

Sloan Gibson, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, was in Aurora last Wednesday to inspect work on the VA medical center under construction adjacent to the Anschutz Medical Campus and to talk with members of Congress about the project. During his visit, Secretary Gibson outlined a plan to apply across-the-board cuts to the VA’s 2016 budget to provide the $625 million in additional funding needed to complete the project. He warned that delays in Congressional approval could further delay the project, which is currently scheduled to be completed in 2017.

The School of Medicine is accepting applications for the position of Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion. Earlier this summer, Ann-Christine Nyquist, MD, MSPH, notified me that she planned to step down from this role. We appreciate her service for the past six years and her assistance as we look for her replacement. The Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion is a 0.75 FTE position who serves as a senior level advisor to top School and campus leadership and is responsible for implementing the School’s Diversity Strategic Plan. Details can be found in the job description and the deadline for applications is Monday, July 20, and anyone interested should submit a curriculum vitae and letter of interest that includes a summary of qualifications for this position, a vision statement and a list of program priorities to Sarah Miller at sarah.h.miller@ucdenver.edu.

The palliative care program at University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) is adding its first outpatient clinic on Wednesday, July 15. Though located at the Cancer Center, the clinic will serve all UCH patients with serious illness, not just cancer patients. The clinic’s hours will vary over the first couple of months, but the program expects to be open five mornings each week beginning in the fall.  Anyone with questions can contact Jeanie Youngwerth, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the UCH Palliative Care Service, at jean.youngwerth@ucdenver.edu. We are fortunate to have some national leaders in the field of palliative care here on our faculty and they provide expert care to patients and families.

The University’s website has posted several articles about speakers from our campus who were featured in the Aspen Ideas Festival Spotlight Health. Lilly Marks, CU vice president for health affairs, Elizabeth Concordia, president and CEO of University of Colorado Health, and Jena Hausmann, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado, addressed the future of medical care at academic medical centers. Dennis Roop, PhD, director of the Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine, was the featured guest at a luncheon conversationhosted by the Atlantic magazine. Shale Wong, MD, professor of pediatrics, joined the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and others in a panel discussion of “physical literacy.” Saketh Guntupalli, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, discussed a new drug that could boost libido for women and other matters related to research and women’s health issues.

Congratulations to Stephen Daniels, MD, PhD, chair of pediatrics, on receiving the American Heart Association’sGold Heart award, which is the group’s highest volunteer honor. The award recognizes him for his vital role in the association’s fight against childhood obesity.

Congratulations also to Barish Edil, MD, associate professor of surgery, on his appointment as head of a new section, Surgical Oncology, within the Department of Surgery’s Division of GI, Tumor, Endocrine, Trauma and Burn Surgery, effective Wednesday, July 1.

The Ninth Annual Faculty Professionalism Award will be awarded this year to Mitra Razzaghi, MD, associate professor of medicine, in recognition of her dedication and commitment to professionalism. Candidates for the professionalism award are nominated by peers and, for Mitra, a colleague wrote, “Mitra exemplifies the key components of professionalism in all of her interactions: empathy, altruism, and compassion.” Mitra will receive her award during the Matriculation Ceremony on Friday, Aug. 14.

The University of Colorado Hospital posted a well-produced video about the first-ever double-lung and liver transplant successfully performed in Colorado this past March. It tells the story of Shaun McCabe, a 31-year-old Nebraska man who was born with cystic fibrosis. The excellent care he received from School of Medicine faculty members like Igal Kam, MD, professor of surgery, and Michael Weyant, MD, associate professor of surgery, along with a team of professionals at the hospital helped save Shaun’s life. The video is worth a watch.

Have a good week, 

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