Issue #718, September 15, 2009

Topics at a glance: Help Desk Phone Number Change ... Automated Directory Change ... Celebrate Constitution Day ... Upcoming University Community Events ... National Postdoc Appreciation Day ... Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine RsVP Program ... Seasonal Flu Shots in October ... Rec Sports ... IT SecuritySense ... CPR Training ... New Investigator Development Program ... UT Health Center Extended Hours ... Special Surplus Items Available ... CCTS Lecture Series ... Family & Community Medicine Grand Rounds ... HAM-TMC Library Classes ... The Mystery of Space – Conference ... Rice Football Tickets Discount ... Bike Trail Closed for Construction ... TMC Parking System Conversion Update

Help Desk Phone Number Change

The university’s Help Desk has successfully transitioned to its new extension and can now be reached at 486-4848. The old extension, 500-4848 will forward to the new number through mid-November and then will no longer be active. Please adjust your speed dial accordingly and update the number wherever posted. A new Help Desk feature that announces the current status of Information Technology Services on campus is now available to callers.

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.

Celebrate Constitution Day

The Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs will celebrate Constitution Day from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 17, at the School of Public Health Auditorium. Carl S. Hacker, Ph.D., associate professor of Management, Policy and Community Health at the school of public health will present, in period attire, "A Conversation with Mr. James Madison about the United States Constitution." A light meal with be provided for the first 100 students (student I.D. required). This event is open to faculty and staff as well.

For more information, contact Academic Affairs at 713-500-3041.

Upcoming University Community Events

• Fun Fest
  Learn more about 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 17th Annual Scholarship Golf Classic
  Attention golfers! Learn more about the 17th Annual Scholarship Golf Classic – held this year at 10 a.m., Monday, Oct. 19, at Palmers Golf Course in The Woodlands. This year's celebrity chair is country singer, Clay Walker.
  
  
• The American Heart Walk
  Save the date for the American Heart Walk, 8:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, at Sam Houston Park in downtown Houston.

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

National Postdoc Appreciation Day

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will celebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Day from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 24, in MSB 3.001. Guest speaker, Philip Clifford, Ph.D., associate dean for Postdoctoral Education, Medical College of Wisconsin and co-author of FASEB’s “Individual Development Plans for Postdoctoral Fellows,” will present, “Begin With the End in Mind: Planning a Successful Career.”

This seminar is open to postdocs, faculty mentors and senior graduate students to learn about creating an Individual Development Plan. Following the seminar, postdoctoral fellows are invited to attend a workshop and free luncheon from noon – 1:30 p.m.

For more information or to RSVP for the workshop, contact the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, 713-500-6612.

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.

Seasonal Flu Shots in October

UT Employee Health will administer the seasonal flu shot for a $25 fee (cash or check only) according to the following schedule:

• UCT Suite 1620 – 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., Oct. 1
• Dental Branch B25 – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Oct. 15
• MSB B.645 – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Oct. 20
• SON Lobby – 1 – 3 p.m., Oct. 20
• SPH 10th floor lobby – 9 – 11 a.m., Oct. 22
• OCB Rio Grande Room 2.200 – 9 – 11 a.m., Oct. 27

This vaccine will not protect against H1N1. For more information, contact Cindy.A.Crosson@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3254.

Rec Sports

Co-ed Soccer

Registration for the 6-on-6 co-ed soccer tournament is open through Tuesday, Sept. 22. The tournament will take place at the Rec Center on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Registration fee is $10 for UTHSC-H students or members of the Rec Center, $15 for all others.

Racquetball Tournament

Registration for men’s and women’s racquetball tournament is open through today, Sept. 15. The tournament will take place at the Rec Center on Sept. 23 and 24. Registration fee is $3 for students or members of the Rec Center, $5 for all others.

Learn more about the Rec Center’s fall schedule. For more information, contact Kelly.McNamara@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-8422.

IT SecuritySense

The September 2009 SecuritySense newsletter is now available at SecuritySense online.

Stories include:

• Three Mistakes to Avoid: Telecommuting Gains Traction as H1N1 Virus Spreads
• Dirtiest Websites of Summer 2009 Revealed
• Smartphone Users Not Smart Enough About Security
• Why Are Criminals Targeting Social Networking Sites?

SecuritySense, an online resource for the university, is created each month by Information Technology to discuss recent IT security issues and focus on user awareness.

CPR Training

The School of Nursing Alumni Association will present CPR training for American Heart beginners and Recertification CPR and AED training for adult, child and infant, along with the Heimlich Maneuver (choking).

Upcoming classes will take place in SON Room 370 from 1 – 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 16, and Friday, November 13. A $50 registration fee is required, payable by cash or check only.

To register or for more information, contact alumni@uth.tmc.edu.

New Investigator Development Program

The Office of Research’s New Investigator Development Program presents Grants 101, a seminar providing an overview of administrative policies and procedures for submitting and managing research grants. The seminar will be held from 8 a.m. – noon, Monday, Oct. 5, and Tuesday, Oct. 6, in MSB 3.001. Grants 101 is open to all faculty, staff, and trainees. A schedule of topics and speakers is available online. Participants must register online by Sept. 30. Registration is limited to 150 participants.

This seminar is a pre-requisite for faculty interested in Grants 102, an eight-month, mentor-based program from Oct. – May. Monthly workshops follow the classic steps involved in writing a grant where a proposal is planned and written, then reviewed and revised by a mentor. Grants 102 is open to faculty and limited to 20 participants only. Visit the Office of Research for more details.

For more information, contact Efren.H.Pena@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3039.

UT Health Center Extended Hours

UT Health Center is now open from 8 a.m. – noon, on Saturdays. 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 and 8 a.m. – noon, Saturday. Parking is free and available in the adjoining parking garage.

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

Special Surplus Items Available

See special items available in Surplus for the UT Community. These items are generally unique and of a higher than average value. If you have any questions, contact warehouse supervisor, Brad.Beggan@uth.tmc.edu , 713-500-4870.

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. 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. 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.

HAM-TMC Library Classes

The HAM-TMC Library offers these upcoming classes:

• PubMed – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Sept. 22
• Excel 2007 Intermediate – 2 – 4 p.m., Sept. 22
• PubMed Advanced – 4 – 5:30 p.m., Sept. 23

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

The Mystery of Space – Conference

Crossroads Cultural Center – Houston, in collaboration with the Physics and Astronomy Department at Rice University and the Rice Space institute, will present “Knowledge is Infinite: The mystery of space,” 6:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2, at Rice University Herzstein Hall 210 (6100 Main Street).

This conference is free and open to the public and will feature a conversation with Thomas I. Hanson, team lead for NASA's Training Division, Captain Mark Kelly, NASA Astronaut; and Massimo Robberto, Ph.D, full scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute.

For more information, visit Crossroads Cultural Center – Houston, 713-823-2263.

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.

Bike Trail Closed for Construction

The lower Brays Bayou trail near the Texas Medical Center will be closed through June 2010 because of construction of a pipe bridge across the waterway. Bicyclists, joggers and walkers who use the lower trail to commute to the TMC or for recreation will have to detour to the upper trail from Greenbriar to Fannin, use the sidewalk on Fannin to Pressler, travel along Pressler to Braeswood, then Braeswood to Holcombe to connect back to the trail.

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.