Issue #716, September 1, 2009

Topics at a glance: Student InterCouncil Salutation 2009 ... Annual Vacation and Sick Carry Forward ... Alzheimer’s Symposium ... Fall 2009 Schedule of Classes ... Research Day 2009 ... UT Health Center Extended Hours ... Employee Referral Program ... Automated Directory Change ... Web Development Series: Dreamweaver ... Office of Educational Programs Meeting ... EOHS Research Seminar Series ... Geriatric and Palliative Medicine RsVP Program ... SPH Continuing Education ... CCTS Lecture Series ... Family & Community Medicine Grand Rounds ... Students' Insurance Coverage ... CHAMP Workshop Geriatric Medicine ... 17th Annual Scholarship Golf Classic ... Fun Fest 2009: Rodeo Carnival ... 2nd Annual Hemophilia Walk ... UNCF Walk for Education ... HAM-TMC Library Classes ... Rice Football Tickets Discount ... TMC Parking System Conversion Update ... WorkLife Wellness Tip of the Week ...

Student InterCouncil Salutation 2009

New and returning students are invited to Salutation 2009, hosted by the Student InterCouncil from 5 – 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 3, at the School of Nursing. Get to know the deans, President Larry R. Kaiser, student government leaders and other important leaders.

Food, drinks and free gifts will be provided. Parking validation will be available for the MDACC Ambulatory Clinic Building Parking Garage located on Bertner Street between Pressler Stret and Holcombe Boulevard.

For more information, contact Carmela.H.Bourgeois@uth.tmc.edu.

Annual Vacation and Sick Carry Forward

Maximum vacation and sick leave balances will carry over in the Time Management System on Friday, Sept. 11, for the new fiscal year (FY). After this date, employees will be able to view FY10 vacation and sick balances, including allowable carry forward amounts from FY09, which ended Aug. 31.

Please be sure that all hours, including used leave hours, are reported correctly and timely in order to avoid violations of University policy and state law.

For more information, contact Linda.F.Gillespie@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3872.

Alzheimer’s Symposium

The new George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Center for Research in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders at The UT Medical School at Houston will present a free symposium titled, “Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy: In Quest of Hope”.

Six of the country’s top Alzheimer’s experts will address drug development, immunotherapy, natural human antibody treatment, novel therapeutics, clinical trial status and innovative therapies. There is no cost for the symposium, but reservations are required by Tuesday, Sept. 8.

To RSVP or for more information, contact Jessica.Schlueter@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3035.

Fall 2009 Schedule of Classes

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

• Late registration for GSBS, CLRS, NURS, SHIS and SPH students ends Friday, Sept. 4. ($15 late fee.)

For more information, visit the Registrar’s Office.

Research Day 2009

The UT Health Science Center’s annual Research Day, “Engines of Discovery” will take place, Friday, Nov. 20, at the Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building of The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. The event will include a faculty seminar followed by student and postdoctoral poster presentations. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the session. The deadline for students and fellows to register is Thursday, Oct. 15.

Visit the Office of Research for guidelines and more details.

UT Health Center Extended Hours

UT Health Center will now open from 8 a.m. – noon, Saturdays, beginning Sept. 12. UT Health Center, operated by UT Physicians, the medical practice of the faculty of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, offers primary and specialty care for adults and accepts nearly all managed care plans.

UT Health Center is conveniently located at 6700 West Loop South, Suite 520, in Bellaire and open from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. Parking is free and available in the adjoining parking garage.

To make an appointment, visit UT Health Center or call 713-572-8122.

Employee Referral Program

Exciting new plans for a revamped Employee Referral Program are in the works. The plan, currently in development, will feature new creative and fun rewards for employees who refer successful candidates to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston family.

When you refer a candidate, you help the University in several ways, including increasing the quality, retention and satisfaction of new hires, while at the same time reducing our hiring costs. More importantly, it’s an opportunity for you to participate in the development of our future workforce here at UTHSC-H.

With the introduction of the new program, the current practice of awarding administrative leave time for referrals will be discontinued effective today, Sept. 1, 2009. Stay tuned this fall for further updates on the new program.

Automated Directory Change

The automated telephone directory system that answers 713-500-4HSC (4472) will be discontinued on Friday, Sept. 18. After this date, calls to this number will be redirected to an off campus operator service for assistance. This 24-hour multilingual service is familiar with our community and allows you to speak with a live person. Employees are urged to use the online campus directory for local telephone numbers.

Web Development Series: Dreamweaver

The Multimedia Scriptorium in Academic Technology will present Web development classes in September from noon to 4 p.m. in the HAM-TMC Library. Dreamweaver classes are presented by Beth Ardoin Watson, MEd, manager of Organizational Learning Technology Resources:

• Sept. 8 – “Dreamweaver I,” This class teaches the basic tasks of creating Web pages and sites using the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) Web editor, Dreamweaver. Creating and editing files will be covered. This class does not include dynamic pages.

• Sept. 9 – “Dreamweaver II,” This class will begin where Dreamweaver I leaves off, and build on the previous days' skills. Dreamweaver I or previous experience with the applications is required to attend Dreamweaver II.

Pre-registration is required, as seating is limited. Please take advantage of the train or bus, since we will be unable to reimburse parking.

For more information or to sign up, contact Beth.D.Ardoin@uth.tmc.edu.

Office of Educational Programs Informational Meeting

The Office of Educational Programs will present an informational meeting, noon, Tuesday, Sept. 8, in MSB B.605, on a graduate medical educational program for healthcare professionals. The University of Houston offers a Master's of Education in Teaching degree with an emphasis in the health sciences on the TMC campus.

Admissions applications must be submitted online using Apply Texas by Thursday, Oct. 1. The GRE is a requirement, taken within five years of applying to the program (except those who have earned a terminal degree). When completing the online admissions form, applicants should apply to the University of Houston, Main Campus with “Teaching” as the selected emphasis. To learn more, visit the Master’s of Education in Teaching.

For more information, contact Allison.R.Ownby@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-5140.

EOHS Research Seminar Series

The Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences will host a research seminar series featuring, “Contaminations of U.S. Food with Classical and Emerging Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)," presented by Arnold Schecter, M.D., MPH, professor, UT School of Public Health at Houston. This presentation is scheduled to take place from noon – 1 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11, in SPH Room 102B. Lunch will be provided for the first 50 attendees.

For more information, contact Maria.Arias@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-9266.

Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine RsVP Program

The newly formed Reynolds Visiting Professor Program (RsVP) will present its first in a series of lectures, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 24, in MSB 2.103. Mindy Fain, M.D., the University of Arizona Medical Center, Tucson, will present, “Death by Bedrest: Deconditioning in the elderly.”

Dr. Fain is the co-director of the Arizona Center on Aging, the director of the Arizona Reynolds Program of Applied Geriatrics and the director of the Arizona Geriatric Education Center. Dinner will follow this lecture at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and offers one hour of CME credit.

To attend this program or for more information, contact Rhonda.Bailes@uth.tmc.edu.

SPH Continuing Education

The Southwest Center for Occupational & Environmental Health is pleased to present the EHS Academy, providing a solid foundation from which you can understand and manage your institution's environmental health and safety issues. Limited HBCU/MI scholarships are available. The schedule includes:

• “Comprehensive Environmental Health & Safety for Educational Institutions,” directed by Robert Emery, DrPH, executive director for Health & Safety, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sept. 14 – 18, in the UT Operations Center Building Rio Grande Room.

For more information, contact Vickie.L.Mason@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-9451.

CCTS Lecture Series

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

• Sept. 3 – “SmartConsent: A Computerized Informed Consent for Patients,” presented by John Valenza, DDS, interim dean, associate professor and executive associate dean, UT Dental Branch.
• Sept. 10 – “Validation of Electronic Record Systems: An introduction to 21 CFR 11 compliance,” presented by Patrick Curfman, validation manager, Information Technology.
• Sept. 17 – “Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes: Lessons from BARI 2D Trial,” presented by Francisco Fuentes, M.D., professor, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, UT Medical School at Houston.
• Sept. 24 – “Translating Results from Large Clinical Trials to the Community – the ALLHAT Experience,” presented by Barry Davis, M.D., Ph.D, professor of Biostatistics, director, Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, UT School of Public Health at Houston.

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.

Family & Community Medicine Grand Rounds

The UT Medical School presents the Family & Community Medicine Grand Rounds, 1 – 2 p.m., Wednesdays throughout September, in MSB 2.135. This month’s theme is neurology and includes:

• Sept. 2 – “Stroke,” presented by James Grotta, M.D., professor and chair in the Department of Neurology, UT Medical School at Houston.
• Sept. 9 – “Headache,” presented by Raymond Martin, M.D., professor in the Department of Neurology, UT Medical School at Houston.
• Sept. 16 – “Neuromuscular Disorders,” presented by Parveen Athar, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neurology, UT Medical School at Houston.
• Sept. 23 – “Parkinson Video,” presented by Gage Van Horn, M.D., professor in the Department of Neurology, UT Medical School at Houston.

For more information, contact Carolyn.Love@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-7604.

Students' Insurance Coverage

Students who would like to waive their university health insurance coverage because they already are covered under another policy must submit their request by the following deadlines:

• 1st and 2nd year medical students – Sept. 1 ($1,100 fee)
• Dental students and dental hygiene students – Sept. 1 ($1,100 /$392 fee)
• Dental postgrads – Sept. 10 ($401 fee)
• MDA students – Sept. 10 ($398 fee)
• Academic students – Sept. 16 ($395 fee)

Please review your bill closely on UTLINK. To make changes, fill out your Student Health Insurance Confirmation form. Do not complete this form if you are purchasing United Health Insurance as assessed on your student fee bill.

For more information, contact student-insurance@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-8400.

CHAMP Workshop – Geriatric Medicine

The Geriatric and Palliative Medicine Program will be offering a free two-day workshop, 8 a.m. – 4:15 p.m., Sept. 10, in MSB B.605, and continued from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sept. 11, in MSB 3.001. The workshop, titled, “Care of the Hospitalized Aging Medical Patient” (CHAMP) was designed by the University of Chicago to teach non-geriatric faculty how to incorporate geriatric teaching at the bedside with students, residents and other learners in the hospital setting. Earn free CME credit.

Topics will include: Delirium, Depression and Dementia; Medications and the Elderly Patient; Goals of Care; Falls; End-of-Life Issues; Symptoms and Pain Management, and others.

For more information or to register, contact Rhonda.Bailes@uth.tmc.edu.

UTHSC-H 17th Annual Scholarship Golf Classic

Attention Houston Golfers! The 17th Annual University of Texas Health Science Center Scholarship Golf Classic tees up at 10 a.m., Monday, Oct.19, at Palmers Golf Course in The Woodlands. The tournament is open to the public, and this year, features country music star Clay Walker, an old friend and strong supporter of the UT Health Science Center. Plenty of gifts, prizes, food and auction items will be on hand, including a signed guitar donated by Clay Walker.

All proceeds go to fund scholarships for health science center students in all six schools. This year, the goal is 200 golfers and $100,000 in scholarship funds. This year’s co-chairs are Drs. Jerry Wolinsky and Max Buja, along with Mr. Barry Lewis, member of the UT Health Science Center Development Board. Register online by 4 p.m., Oct. 12.

For more information, contact Rose.M.Betancourt-Trevino@uth.tmc.edu , 713-500-3209.

Fun Fest 2009: Rodeo Carnival

Mark your calendar for Fun Fest – the major fall event for the entire health science center community – from 2 – 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23, at Texas Medical Center – Grant Fay Park. The committee members have been working all year to bring you fun and excitement to show the university’s appreciation for all you do.

This year’s rodeo carnival theme will feature music, dancing, free food, giveaways and our popular Chili Cook-Off and Hot Salsa Contest (all faculty, staff, students, individual departments and “interdisciplinary” teams are eligible to compete.) Be sure to dust off your boots and shape your cowboy hat to enter the “Western Wear Competition.” Visit Fun Fest 2009 to learn more.

To volunteer for Fun Fest, contact Rose.M.Betancourt-Trevino@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3209.

2nd Annual Hemophilia Walk

The Lone Star Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation and the Gulf States Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Center invite you to join the 2nd annual Hemophilia Walk, 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, at Minute Maid Park, to raise funds and awareness for the bleeding and clotting disorders community. Registration for this 3K walk begins at 9 a.m. the day of the event or register online.

UNCF Walk for Education

The UNCF will host its 24th Annual 5K Walk for Education at 7:45 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, in Tom Bass Park, Section 1. UNCF plays a critical role in enabling more than 65,000 students to obtain college degrees each year. Register online to walk and qualify for a UNCF t-shirt. Participation is free.

For more information, contact UNCFHoustonEvents@uncf.org or 713-942-8623.

HAM-TMC Library Classes

The HAM-TMC Library offers these upcoming classes:

• Excel 2007 Intermediate – 10 a.m. – noon, Sept. 9
• Word 2007 – 10 a.m. – noon, Sept. 10
• Nursing Online Resources – 10 – 11:30 a.m., Sept. 15
• Excel 2007 Basic – 2 – 4:30 p.m., Sept. 15

All classes are free and offered in the library classroom. View the complete class schedule and register.

Rice Football Tickets Discount

The Rice Athletic department would like to invite all TMC employees out to the Rice Owls football home opener at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rice Stadium. Tickets located on the upper deck between the 30 – 50 yard lines are reduced to $10 per ticket for TMC employees. Use promo code TMCNeighbor when purchasing your tickets online. The Tailgate Owley is free to enter and offers live music, inflatables, a rock wall and concessions for all ages.

To purchase tickets by phone, call 713-522-6957.

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 the 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 or the conversion process, contact Eve Grubb at 713-791-6149.

WorkLife Wellness Tip of the Week

How much sugar is enough? Normally, the answer for many of us is: “until all the cookies are gone!” Americans now eat an average of 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily, that’s 355 calories per day or equivalent to two sodas and a chocolate bar, or about 10 pounds per year.

Now the American Heart Association (AHA) has given specific recommendations for adults – besides everything in moderation. On Aug. 24, 2009, the AHA’s journal Circulation recommended women should be getting no more than six teaspoons (100 calories a day) and men nor more than nine teaspoons (150 calories a day) of added sugar per day.

If you want assistance in making healthier choices, 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.