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Noteworthy—May, 2022

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• The Office of Advancement announced the establishment of the Celeste Grynberg and Jack Grynberg Diabetes Fellowship Fund in honor of Boris Draznin, MD, PhD, which is named the “Boris Draznin Fellowship in Clinical Diabetes.” The fund will provide support for this focused fellowship in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes including support for service and professional development activities, clinical training and research. The fund will support one or more diabetes fellows each year. Read the full announcement.
  
  
• Jane E.B. Reusch, MD, professor of medicine, bioengineering and biochemistry in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and associate director of the Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, is the recipient of the 2022 Albert Renold Award from the American Diabetes Association  (ADA).
  
  
• Therese Jones, PhD, professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine, received the 2022 President's Excellence in Teaching Award, selected by graduating students from the School of Medicine.  Maurice “Scotty” Scott, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine, received the 2022 Chancellor's Teaching Recognition Award, nominated by students and selected by a committee of students, faculty and administrators. They will be honored and recognized at the campus commencement ceremony on May 27.
  
  
• Sonia Flores, PhD, vice chair for diversity of justice and professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, is a panelist for the 6th Annual Vivian W. Pinn Symposium, "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Careers of Women Scientists". The event, held on May 12, is hosted by the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health.
  
  
• CT Lin, MD received the Epic Physician Advisory Council’s Physician of the Year Award for 2021, and it was announced in person at the 2022 Epic XGM (Expert Group Meeting) conference, since the 2021 meeting was canceled. This award is given to only one physician per year, and is the highest honor the Advisory Council presents. Many of CT’s accomplishments were highlighted, including the fact that he was truly THE driving force and pioneer behind changing from “SOAP” to “APSO” notes nation-wide; has mentored countless CMIO’s across the country; has assembled a Clinical Informatics team at the University of Colorado/ UCHealth that is recognized as one of the best institutions coast to coast; and is a nation-wide leader in studying, and combating, physician burn-out. 

• At the CU Anschutz Benefactors Recognition Dinner, faculty from the Department of Medicine took center stage. A "COVID-19 for Good" panel featured Michelle Barron, MD, professor of medicine and senior director for infection prevention and control at UCHealth, and Thomas Campbell, MD, professor of medicine and CU School of Medicine associate dean for clinical research, both from the Division of Infectious Diseases. A fireside patient chat was moderated by Wells Messersmith, MD, head of the Division of Medical Oncology, chief medical officer of oncology services at UCHealth and associate director of clinical services at the CU Cancer Center,  with Manali Kamdar, MD, MBBS, associate professor in the Division of Hematology and clinical director of lymphoma services at UCHealth. A video debuted featuring patients talking about lifesaving work and the doctors who care for them, including Dan Pollyea, MD, MS associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology. 

We welcome all new employees who have joined the Department of Medicine this past month. 

An Opioid Alternative Helps One Veteran Find Relief from Chronic Pain

Joseph Frank, MD, who leads a team at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center for veterans with chronic pain, has been prescribing the drug buprenorphine for patients who have used traditional opioid painkillers for relief but want an alternative that’s safer and has fewer side-effects. (Colorado Public Radio)

COVID Patients in the ICU Don’t Suffer Alone. A New Study Finds their Families Suffer PTSD Symptoms, Too.

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found nearly 64% of people who had a family member in the intensive care unit for COVID-19 experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder three months after admission. It's a stark increase from what was seen in similar studies conducted before the pandemic, said lead author, Tim Amass, MD, ScM, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. (USA Today).

Does Nature Want Us to Be Fat?

After nearly 40 years of research, Richard Johnson, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, presents compelling evidence on the discovery of a fructose-powered “survival switch” in his newly published book, “Nature Wants Us to Be Fat”. (DOM Newsroom).