Issue #707, June 30,2009

Topics at a glance: PeopleSoft 9.0 ... Holiday Closures ... Living Well Health Manager ... Benefits Annual Enrollment Meetings ... Distinctions Summer 2009 ... Surplus Auction ... Recreation Center 25th Anniversary ... Internal Medicine Grand Rounds ... Summer Research Program ... Hostile Intruder Awareness ... Family & Community Medicine Grand Rounds ... SoCRA Live Webinars ... Research Study ... TMC Parking System Conversion Update ... Traffic Alerts ... Auxiliary Enterprises Updates ... Getting Around ... UTPD News ... HOOP Updates

PeopleSoft 9.0 Employee Self Service

Peoplesoft 9.0 Employee Self Service will go live July 1. This will be the first opportunity for employees to view their payroll information online. Please note: if you participate in Direct Deposit, you will receive your last printed pay statement, July 16. After July 16, direct deposit statements for employees will be available only online. Your direct deposit information can be printed whenever necessary.

Employee Self Service allows employees with an active UTHSC-H user ID and password to view and update personal information such as home address, W-4, direct deposit and more.  It is accessible from any computer that has Internet access. More information about this great new tool will be provided with July 1 paychecks. Beginning July 1, look for the ‘Employee Self Service’ icon at the top of the UTHSC-H home page.

Online training will be offered at https://mytrc.uth.tmc.edu/.

Information about this great new tool will be provided with July 1 paychecks. Online training will be offered at https://mytrc.uth.tmc.edu/.

• Log in to the Training and Resource Center
• Click ‘Training Center’ on the left
• Click on ‘Course Catalog’
• Type ‘Self Service’ in the ‘Keywords’ search box.

Be watching for more details. For questions, contact Payroll@uth.tmc.edu.

Holiday Closures

Along with the university, the following will be closed or reduce operating hours due to the holiday:

HAM-TMC Library

The library will be open from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday, July 3. The offices of the NN/LM SCR will be closed and there will not be reference assistance. The Library will be closed on Saturday, July 4. Regular hours will resume on Sunday, July 5. Visit the library for a full schedule.

METRO

The METRO Park & Ride service will not be available Friday, July 3. The METRORail and some local buses will operate on a Saturday schedule. Visit Ride METRO to obtain a schedule.

Woodlands Express

The Woodlands Express bus service will not be available Friday, July 3.

UT Shuttle Service

UT's Shuttle Service will not operate on Friday, July 3. If you are a student and have an After Hour's Student Parking Card for a UT location, it will be programmed so that it will work all day on July 3rd. Contact shuttle@uth.tmc.edu for more information.

Food Service

Grab n Go at the Medical School and The French Corner Cafe at the School of Nursing will be closed Friday, July 3.

Living Well Health Manager

The UT System has teamed up with WebMD, one of the nation’s most trusted consumer health information Web sites, to create a new online resource available to all UT SELECT members beginning Wednesday, July 1. This Web site, called the Living Well Health Manager, will help you take charge of your health so you can start feeling and living well using a variety of personalized and powerful tools including the WebMD HealthQuotientSM (HQ). This health risk assessment helps identify your personal risk factors and provides a plan to reduce them.

Complete your HQ between July 1 – August 14, and receive a free eco-friendly stainless steel water bottle. Starting Wednesday, July 1, visit the Living Well Health Manager.

For more information, contact Sam.Hester@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3013.

Benefits Annual Enrollment Meetings

Learn about changes to the upcoming Annual Enrollment for Benefits 2009-2010 plan year. Make changes, add or drop coverage and set up your new budget for the UT Flex medical reimbursement and dependent care accounts, July 1 – midnight, July 31. Ask specific questions to our retirement and insurance providers from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Tuesday, July 7, in MSB Room 5.001. Light snacks will be provided. Please plan to attend one of the upcoming Benefits Annual Enrollment Training sessions:

For more information, contact Stephanie.S.Jones@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3942.

Distinctions Summer 2009 Issue Now Online

The new online-only issue of Distinctions is now available. The Summer 2009 edition includes in-depth coverage of the President's Scholars Awards and news of a recent $1.5 million grant from the Cullen Foundation to SHIS. Also included are the regular features Kudos and Media Spotlight. Read more in the Summer 2009 Distinctions.

Surplus Auction

Surplus goods are being auctioned off by Capital Assets Management -- everything from lab equipment and supplies to miscellaneous furniture. E-Surplus is available for UT departments through Thursday, July 2. The online auction will be live Thursday, July 2 – July 9. Purchasers may pick up items July 14 and 15.

For more information, contact Sonia.Y.Aguilar@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-4733.

Recreation Center 25th Anniversary

The Recreation Center will host an open house and member appreciation day from 5:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., July 22, for all UT & TMC faculty, staff and students to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Activities will include facility tours, group fitness classes, music and fun by the pool, water games, inner tube relays and spin the wheel to win giveaways throughout the day. The main events will take place from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m., when hamburgers, hotdogs and veggie burgers are served on the pool patio. Bring your institutional ID and feel free to use the facilities or just stop by for the festivities.

For more information, call 713-500-8420.

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 June, in MSB 2.103. The schedule includes:

• June 30 – “Evidence–based Clinical Practice for Localized Prostate Cancer” presented by Steven Canfield, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, Department of Urology, UT Medical School at Houston.

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

Summer Research Program Seminar Series

The University of Texas Medical School at Houston presents the weekly 2009 Summer Research Program Seminar Series, noon - 1:15 p.m., in MSB 2.006. The series is open to all health science center faculty, staff and students, as well as the Texas Medical Center community. The July schedule includes:

• July 2 – “Emerging Infectious Disease – Is the U.S. now a developing country?” presented by Herbert L. DuPont, M.D., director, Center for Infectious Disease, UT School of Public Health at Houston.
• July 9 – “Obesity, Diabetes and Heart Failure.” presented by Heinrich Taegtmeyer, M.D., D.Phil, professor and co-director, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Medical School at Houston.
• July 16 – “Stem Cells in Biomedicine: From bench to bed.” presented by Yong-Jian Geng, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, Division of Cardiology, Internal Medicine, UT Medical School at Houston.
• July 20 – “Environment and Human Genetic Causation of Disease.” presented by Thomas Caskey, M.D., FACP, The George & Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Neurosciences, director and CEO, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. *Lunch will be provided to the first 50 attendees.
• July 23 – “Stroke Research.” presented by James Grotta, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Neurology, director, Stroke Program Memorial Hermann Hospital.

For more information, contact Linda.Guardiola@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-5334.

Hostile Intruder Awareness

The university community is invited to attend a viewing of “Shots Fired – When Lightning Strikes.” This presentation provides the individual employee, staff member, faculty member and/or associate with critical guidance on how to recognize and survive an active shooter situation. Learn courses of action, how to adopt a survival mindset and learn the difference between an active shooter situation and a hostage situation. For a preview of the video, visit http://www.shotsfireddvd.com/.

Scheduled Presentations:

• July 14: 10:30 a.m., Pickens Academic Tower, FCT3.4141 (FULL)
• July 16: 10:30 a.m., UT M. D. Anderson, Main Building B2.4750 (1515 Holcombe)
• July 21: 11:30 a.m., UT M. D. Anderson, South Campus Research Building, Rooms 1-2 (7455 Fannin)

For directions, visit M. D. Anderson’s access tool. For more information, contact Officer Leston at mjleston@mdanderson.org, 713-563-7794.

Family & Community Medicine Grand Rounds

The University of Texas Medical School at Houston presents the Family & Community Medicine Grand Rounds, 1 – 2 p.m., Wednesdays throughout July, in MSB 2.135. The schedule includes:

• July 1 – “Vein Ablation/Hyperbaric Medicine.” presented by Erik Maus, M.D., assistant professor in the department of Internal Medicine, UT Medical School at Houston.
• July 8 – “CHF Treatment.” presented by Deborah Meyers, M.D., associate professor in the department of Internal Medicine, UT Medical School at Houston.
• July 15 – “The Place for Angioplasty in the World of Potent Statins/Aggressive Medical Management: What is the Evidence?” presented by Stefano Sdringola, M.D., associate professor, Weatherhead Distinguished Chair of Heart Disease, division of cardiology, UT Medical School at Houston.
• July 29 – “Interventional Cardiology.” presented by Richard Smalling, M.D., professor, Jay Brent Sterling Professor and James D. Woods Distinguished Chair in cardiovascular medicine, UT Medical School at Houston.

SoCRA Live Webinars

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals and Thompson Interactive will host two free live webinars sponsored by TMHRI. Both offer 1.5 hour of CE credit. No reservations are required. The schedule includes:

• “Optimal Handling of Laboratory Samples - Improve Your Data Quality: Guidance for Clinical Research.” from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 1, in The Methodist Hospital, Dunn Comal Auditorium.
• “BiMO Inspections: What You Need to Succeed.” from noon – 1:30 p.m., July 15, in The Methodist Hospital, Brown 462 Auditorium

For more information, contact Mariana Pope at mpope@tmhs.org, 713-441-1791.

Research Study

Male and female volunteers, ages 20 – 65 years are needed to take part in a research study looking at the effects of pre-germinated brown rice versus white rice on the characteristics known as Metabolic Syndrome. Subjects must have type 2 diabetes, impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance, and two of the following: high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels or high cholesterol. Must be a non-smoker, have a body mass index above 30 and a baseline waist circumference of 102 cm or more for males and 88 cm or more for females. Must not be on insulin. Subjects will be compensated.

To find out if you qualify or for more information, contact Carol.Wolin@uth.tmc.edu, 713-892-5500.

TMC Parking System Conversion Update

TMC is continuing their parking equipment conversion. Over the next several weeks and months, those of you who park in a TMC lot or garage will receive a new access card. Some of you have already received your new card. Your access card will arrive via interoffice mail. Please see the list below for conversion dates.

Please remember to keep your old parking card during the transition of the entire campus as it will be needed when parking on campus at nights and on weekends. This has been one of biggest issues the conversion process has faced.

If your parking area is scheduled for conversion within the next week and you have not received your new parking card, please contact parking@uth.tmc.edu or call the Texas Medical Center at 713-747-7275.

If you have any questions regarding this schedule change or the conversion process, contact Eve Grubb at 713-791-6149.

Traffic Alerts

Garage 1

The motorcycle parking area will be reduced in the current motorcycle and bicycle parking area on the south side of Garage 1, Monday, July 6 – April 30, 2010, due to the construction on Garage 1 exterior cladding. The motorcycle parking area will be reduced by 40% and the bicycle rack will be relocated to the main entrance of the garage.

For more information, contact Texas Medical Center Security, 713-795-0000.

Auxiliary Enterprises Updates

Summer Swim Lessons

Registration is open for summer swim lessons at the Recreation Center. Afternoon and evening classes are available. Cost is $50 per child, per session. Private and semi-private lessons are available as well. For more information, call 713-500-8420 or visit the Recreation Center.

Summer Sports Camp

Limited spots are still available for the 2009 Summer Sports Camp at the Recreation Center. Camp is open to boys and girls ages 7-12. Campers will engage in various team sports, games and take weekly field trips. Camp dates are July 6-10 and July 13-17. Camp is limited to the first 40 children registered.

For more information, call 713-500-8420 or visit the Recreation Center.

Getting Around

The Getting Around section of the intranet provides all the information you’ll need to get around the Texas Medical Center.

• Traffic Alerts – UT Shuttle notices, TMC area road closures, construction notices and METRO notices.
• Commuter Options – Discover transportation options serving your area.
• Submit a Vanpool – Post or view vanpool openings.

For more information about mobility, visit the Mobility Program. For more information about parking and shuttle services, visit the Auxiliary Enterprises Parking/ Shuttle Services.

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 crime alerts, safety tips and security reports.

HOOP Updates

Several policies in the Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOOP) have been revised and updated. Please check out HOOP What's New? for specifics on new policy changes or the HOOP 2009 What’s New Archive for all 2009 policy changes.

For general HOOP information, visit HOOP online.