Issue #698, April 28, 2009

Topics at a glance: Swine Flu Updates ... Summer Schedule of Classes ... Internal Medicine Grand Rounds ... Telephone Service Outage ... Telephone System Upgrade ... Surplus Auction & Warehouse Closing ... Library Updates ... CCTS Lecture Series ... Fleming Center Panel Discussion ... School of Public Health Events ... PeopleSoft 9.0 HRMS upgrade ... Spring Musculoskeletal Orthopaedic Update Course ... Lone Star Stampede & Children’s Fun Run ... Auxiliary Enterprises Updates ... Clinical Research Education ... Air Toxics: Transcending Boundaries ... 12th Annual Sprint for Life Run/Walk ... EOHS Research Seminar Series ... Duncan Clinic Summer Tutoring ... UTPD News ... Discount Houston Dynamo Tickets ... WorkLife Wellness Tip of the Week

Swine Flu Updates

What are we doing here at the UT Health Science Center?

Robert "Safety Bob" Emery, DrPH, vice president for Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management and his team are:

• Monitoring the situation and routinely providing updates to executive leadership and the HSC community
• Making sure our actions are in lock step with notifications and decisions made at international (WHO), national (CDC), state (TX DSHS), and local level (City, County Health Department)
• Reminding the entire community about the power of simple, basic infection control measures –e.g. cough control, hand washing, staying home if symptomatic, etc.
• Contacting those work areas where a significant exposure potential exists – for example –the emergency department health care providers, etc. to ensure basic infection control measures are in place, including respiratory protection with fit tested masks
• Performing "fit testing" for proper safety masks and equipment for workers
• Re-assessing stocks of supplies – protective equipment, hand cleaners, etc. Placing orders as necessary

Having individual work units to consider the “what if” scenario – what if decisions are made that impact the UTHSC-H – how will these impact our ability to continue operations? Considering key questions such as:

• Do I have the current phone numbers for my supervisor, co-workers, and any subordinates?
• What tasks are absolutely essential and what ones might be delayed?
• Who within our unit has the capability to telecommute if this became necessary?
• Answering questions from the UTHSC-H and providing subject matter expert information to the community via media interview requests

Updated information necessary for the university community can be found on the UT intranet homepage.

Summer Schedule of Classes

The Summer 2009 Schedule of Classes is currently available at the Registrar’s Office.

• Registration began April 13, for Dental Hygiene (DHYG), Dental Postgraduates (DBPG), Nursing (NURS), Medical Clinical Research (CLRS), Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), Health Information Sciences (SHIS) and Public Health (SPH) students.
• Open registration is April 18 – May 22. Payment is due May 22.
• Late registration for GSBS, CLRS, NURS, SHIS and SPH students is May 26 – May 29. ($15 late fee).
• Late Registration DBPG is July 1-2, 6-7. ($15 late fee).

For more information, visit the Registrar’s Office.

Internal Medicine Grand Rounds

The University of Texas Medical School at Houston presents the Department of Internal Medicine Grand Rounds, noon – 1 p.m., Tuesdays throughout April, in MSB 2.103. The April schedule includes:

• April 28 – “Update in Urinary Incontinence” presented by Gazala Siddiqui, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, UT Medical School at Houston.

All lectures are accredited for CME credit unless otherwise noted. For more information, contact Cindy.Collins@uth.tmc.edu.

Telephone Service Outage

All inbound and outbound calling (including long distance) will be out of service for 713-500-xxxx numbers beginning 5 p.m., Friday, May 1. This change will take AT&T about two hours; telephone service may be intermittent for up to five hours while all systems are tested and verified. This is part of the campus Telephone System Upgrade. Upon completion, the 7-digit dialing plan will be in place for the 713-500-XXXX and 713-486-XXXX telephone customers.

If you have questions, please contact Jimmy Quimby, 713-486-2242 or Nelson Horridge, 713-486-2083.

Telephone System Upgrade

Due to the expansion of the university, the current 4-digit phone system will be upgraded and a 7-digit phone system will be implemented. Beginning Friday, May 1, all internal calls will require both the prefix and extension. Most of General Administration Information Technology will change to the new additional prefix subset, 486.

What this means for you:

• Beginning Friday, May 1, you must dial 500-xxxx or 486-xxxx to make internal calls.
• On May 8, the Harris County Psychiatric Center will change to 741-xxxx.
• Your phone number will not change.
• Dialing externally will not change (press *9).
• You will not need to dial a prefix for an emergency (dial 9-1-1 or internally *9 then 9-1-1).
• If your phone number is currently listed on the web or a departmental page, please ensure it is updated to include the correct prefix.

In the future, telephones will be upgraded from Fujitsu technology to Avaya. Additionally, there are a number of other technical changes being executed in the background to interconnect the two systems so they function together. The next several weeks will be busy as we integrate the old and new systems.

While we will take every precaution to not impact our customers, a complex integration such as this may encounter unexpected difficulties. If you encounter telephone problems, immediately contact Jimmy.Quimby@uth.tmc.edu, 713-486-2242 or Nelson.L.Horridge@uth.tmc.edu, 713-486-2083. We will promptly notify the campus of any issues that are encountered and keep everyone apprised of the status.

For more information about the upgrade, visit News on the Go and FAQ Telephone System Upgrade.

Surplus Auction & Warehouse Closing

A Surplus Auction has been scheduled for 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 29, at the Operations Center Building (OCB), 1851 Crosspoint, Houston, Texas 77054. Early viewing is available 8 – 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 29. Preview auction items by visiting Auctions in Progress.

In order to prepare for the auction, Capital Assets Management WILL NOT be picking up surplus or accepting equipment deliveries after April 17.
The Surplus Warehouse is closed through Tuesday, May 5, when the regular schedule will resume. Requests received for Surplus pickups will be scheduled on May 7, on a first come, first received basis. If you are unable to wait until surplus reopens, space is available for rent from Facilities Operation. For information about space available for rent from Facilities Operation, contact Marilyn Schlager at 713-500-4990.

If you have any other questions, please call the Capital Assets Management Team at 713-500-4701.

HAM-TMC Library Updates

HAM-TMC Library Classes

• PubMed Advanced – 4 – 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 29
• Excel 2007 Basic – 9:30 – noon, Tuesday, May 5
• Excel 2007 Basic – 9:30 – noon, Wednesday, May 6
• SciFinder Scholar – 1 – 2 p.m., Thursday, May 7

All classes are free and offered in the library classroom. Click here to view the complete class schedule and register.

Nurses Celebration

The HAM-TMC Library celebrates all our nurses and nursing students during National Nurses Week. On May 7, the library will host an open house. Come join us and participate in the following activities:

• Medical Web sites for Nurses – 10 – 11 a.m., in the Street Level Classroom. This is a Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) class that will explain how to enhance research and clinical assessment skills by utilizing Internet search knowledge. Register online at Library Classes.
• NurseSearch – 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., on the first floor of the library. View short demos of NurseSearch, a new search engine the HAM-TMC Library created just for TMC nurses. You can now search several of our most important nursing resources all at one time.

During this open house, you can browse the latest nursing book collections from Majors Book Store and view exhibits and demonstrations of National Library of Medicine databases. Cake and punch will be served from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. For more information, visit The Insider Express.

CCTS Lecture Series

The Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences presents the following lecture series, noon – 1 p.m., Thursdays throughout April, in the University Professional Building, 11th floor. The April schedule includes:

• April 30 – “CCTS Biobank Opportunities” presented by Lorraine Frazier, Ph.D., professor, Nursing Systems, UT School of Nursing

Lunch will be provided for the first 20 attendees. Please take advantage of the train or bus, CCTS will be unable to reimburse parking. For more information, contact Linda.N.Gilbert@uth.tmc.edu.

Fleming Center Panel Discussion

The University of Texas School of Public Health’s George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management will host its fourth moderated panel discussion from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Thursday, April 30, in the auditorium of the Reuel A. Stallones Building, 1200 Herman Pressler. The topic will be “The Future of Academic Medicine: What do we keep? What should we change?”

This presentation is open to anyone interested. For more information, contact Shannon.M.Larson@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3252.

School of Public Health Events

The University of Texas School of Public Health Career and Alumni Services offers the following upcoming event:

• Intern and Career Opportunities: noon – 1 p.m., Thursday, April 30, SPH 102A

For more information, contact Pantheia.Evans@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-9024.

PeopleSoft 9.0 HRMS upgrade

Attention all HRMS users: The PeopleSoft 9.0 upgrade is nearing completion. In order to implement the changes, the production environments will be down 5 p.m., Thursday, April 30 – close of business, Monday, May 4.

Please note that this affects HRMS, Budgets, Effort Reporting, SPAR and TMS. Harris County Psychiatric Center Kronos users will not be affected. All users should be prepared to keep manual records of exception time during that weekend, if necessary.

The new PeopleSoft HRMS version (now referred to as HCM – Human Capital Management system) will be available to all users Tuesday, May 5. Training for the new version is available through the Training Resource Center. For more information about training, visit the TRC.

For specific details about the HRMS (HCM) upgrade, visit PeopleSoft 9.0 upgrade. For questions, contact Teresa.L.Deis@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3477 or Rhonda.Walton@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3773.

Spring Musculoskeletal Orthopaedic Update Course

The University of Texas Medical School at Houston Department of Orthopaedic Surgery presents the Spring Musculoskeletal Update Course for Primary Care Physicians and Allied Healthcare Professionals, Friday, May 1 – Saturday, May2, in the Memorial Hermann Conference Room, located on the ground floor of the Hermann Pavilion Building.

This program will feature faculty from the UT Medical School, renowned for their specialties in orthopaedics, research, rheumatology, peri-operative management, general medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation. They will update the healthcare community on the advancements and treatment options available in specialized areas of orthopaedics. A total of 11 continuing medical education credits will be available for the target audience of primary care physicians, rheumatologists, endocrinologists, gynecologists and obstetricians, internal medicine physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses and other allied health professionals at the low cost of $60 for physicians, $30 for nurses, physical therapists and allied health professionals, and is free to students and residents.

For more information or registration, visit UT CME or UT Physicians Orthopedic.

Lone Star Stampede & Children’s Fun Run

The Lone Star Stampede 10K, 5K & Children’s Run, 7:55 a.m., Saturday, May 2, beginning at the UT School of Nursing, is a fun family event, co-sponsored by the Texas Exes Houston Chapter and the UT Health Science Center at Houston. The run helps provide scholarships for deserving Houston-area high school students attending UT system schools.

For more information, visit Texas Exes – Houston Chapter and click on Lone Star Stampede or contact Rose.M.Betancourt-Trevino@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3209. To register online, go to Sign Me Up Sports.

Volunteers are needed at the event to help with manning booths, event set-up, time keeping or other volunteer activities. To volunteer, contact Rose.M.Betancourt-Trevino@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3209.

Auxiliary Enterprises Updates

Recreations Center Jobs

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Recreation Center is now hiring! Positions available are Summer Sports Camp counselors (employment dates: June 15 - June 26, & July 6 - 17), Swim Instructors (employment dates: June 1 -August 8) and Pool Attendants (employment dates: June 1 - August 8). Applications are accepted until Monday, May 4. Don't delay, apply today! For more information, contact Kelly.McNamara@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-8422.

Annual Summer Membership Special

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Recreation Center is offering the Annual Summer Membership Special of 15 percent off a three-month membership when you join from now through May 31. For more information, contact 713-500-8420 or visit the Recreation Center.

Continental One Pass Reward

Continental One Pass Reward account holders can earn Elite status twice as fast when you earn double Elite Qualifying Miles for eligible flights until June 15. Register by signing into your account at Continental Airlines. Then click One Pass Frequent Flyer; One Pass News & Offers; Airline; then select Register next to Earn Elite Status Twice as Fast (promotion code 58005).

Clinical Research Education

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System (MHHS) present a comprehensive four full-day and one half-day educational program focusing on the basics of coordinating a clinical research trial 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., May 5, 7, 12, 14 and 1 – 4:30 p.m., May 19 at the UT Medical School.

“Clinical Research Education: An Introductory Course for Safe and Ethical Research Practices” will provide a model of practice in conducting clinical research based on the principles of Good Clinical Practice, thereby focusing on research compliance, protecting the safety and well-being of the research subject and ensuring integrity of the research. Pre-registration is required. A $300 course fee applies to all non-health science center & MHHS employees. This fee applies to UT M. D. Anderson employees as well. For more information, visit Clinical Research Education or contact Kimberly.Wilson@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-7911.

Air Toxics: Transcending Boundaries

The 2009 Bernstein Symposium, Air Toxics: Transcending Boundaries - Better Science for Better Health, will focus on air pollution research and policy. Emerging air toxics challenges will be covered in sessions on the impact of new fuels, new engine and hybrid technology, linking exposures to health effects and trans-border exposure issues. This symposium provides the ideal venue for increasing communication across disciplines and geographic boundaries. Internationally renowned experts will provide insight into current scientific findings and how these can be used to advance the public health and inform policymaking. Panel sessions will provide opportunities for the participants and speakers to discuss the scientific evidence and policy implications.

The symposium is presented by University of Michigan Risk Science Center (UMRSC) and Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center (NUATRC). The 2009 Bernstein Symposium, Air Toxics: Transcending Boundaries - Better Science for Better Health, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., May 6, in Ann Arbor, Mich.

For more information, visit Air Toxics: Transcending Boundaries.

12th Annual Sprint for Life Run/Walk

On May 9, UT M. D. Anderson's Gynecologic Oncology Department will host the 12th annual Sprint for Life 5K Run and Walk and Sprint for Sprouts Kids' Run, an event dedicated to raising funds for ovarian cancer research and building awareness about the risk factors and symptoms of the disease. This year's event will be hosted on the campus of M. D. Anderson and will begin at 7:30 a.m., followed by the Sprint for Sprouts Kids' Run at 9 a.m.

Online registration is available through May 6 with registration prices of:

• $25 for the 5K Non-Competitive Run/Walk (time will not be recorded);
• $28 for the 5K Competitive Run (price includes disposable timing tag); and
• $15 for Sprint for Sprouts, 12 years and younger (time will not be recorded).

Members of the UT Houston community registering for this event can select to register under the "UT Houston Medical School" team.

For those who cannot attend, you can still show your support by selecting "Sprinting in Spirit" when you register online. A "Spirit" packet which includes a Sprint t-shirt, pin, shoelaces and race number will be mailed to you at a cost of $50. Register online in the "Sprinting in Spirit" category by April 24, to receive your Spirit packet by mail.

Other ways to get involved:

• Build a group with your friends, family and co-workers
• Start a Pledge Page
• Volunteer on race day

For further information, call 713-792-2765 or visit Sprint for Life.

EOHS Research Seminar Series

The Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences presents “Immigration and Occupation Health, A Growing Global Health Disparity,” by Marc Schenker, M.D., MPH, professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California at Davis, noon – 1 p.m., May 22, at the School of Public Health, room 102B.

Immigration is an enormous global phenomenon that will increase in magnitude in the coming years. There is ample evidence that immigrants suffer higher rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses. It is time for occupational and public health professionals to seriously address the issue of workplace illness and injury among immigrants. For additional information, contact Michelle.R.Carter@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-9471.

Duncan Clinic Summer Tutoring

The Dan L. Duncan Children’s Neurodevelopmental Clinic at the Children’s Learning Institute presents Duncan Clinic Summer Tutoring. The Duncan Clinic Summer Tutoring program is June 1 – 25 (session 1) or July 6 – 30 (session 2).

This summer program provides:

• Evidence-based reading and math programs for grades 1-4
• Individualized instructional plans based on assessments
• Low tutor-to-student ratios (1:1 or 1:2)
• Specific feedback provided

A single session is 2 hours a day, 9 – 11 a.m. or 1 – 3 p.m., Monday – Thursday, and costs $950. The cost for both sessions is $1800. For more information, visit Duncan Clinic Summer Tutoring.

UTPD News

News and announcements from The University of Texas Police Department can be found on the Workplace page of the intranet. This section includes safety tips, security reports and crime alerts.

Discount Houston Dynamo Tickets

As a special offer, all employees, students, staff and friends of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston can now purchase discount tickets to watch the 2009 Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium.

Visit Houston Dynamo Tickets and enter password uthsc. New users will be required to create an account before purchasing tickets. For more information, contact Cedric Mills at cmills@houstondynamo.com.

WorkLife Wellness Tip of the Week

Dark chocolate has been found to lower high blood pressure according to a *study led by Dirk Taubert, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Cologne, Germany. Six middle-aged men and seven women who were diagnosed with mild high blood pressure (avg. 153/84) ate a 100-gram candy bar every day for two weeks. Half were given dark chocolate and the other half white chocolate. They offset the 480 calories in the chocolate by eating less of other foods. The participants who ate the dark chocolate had a significant drop in blood pressure, (an average of 5 points systolic and 2 points diastolic) while those who ate white chocolate had no change. Scientists believe that certain compounds, especially the cocoa phenols in the dark chocolate help to lower blood pressure.

If you’re going to try the truffle treatment, go for the good (dark) stuff! If you need some help in offsetting the extra calories, call and make an appointment with Wellness Coach Sam Hester, cWC, CPT, LWMC, at 713-500-3327. It's confidential and free. For more information on the wellness services provided, visit UT Counseling and WorkLife Services.

*Taubert, D. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Aug. 27, 2003; vol 290: pp 1029-1030.