Issue #724, October 27, 2009

Topics at a glance: The UT Flu Center: New Updates ... Student InterCouncil Fall Fiesta ... Step Up to the American Heart Walk ... Fleming Center Panel ... CSW Award Nominations ... Reporting Interim Safety Data ... Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds ... Demystifying the IRB Process ... SEIS Physical Readiness Training ... CPR Training ... RsVP Lecture ... PartnershipsInAction Walk ... Medical School Forum and Competition ... SON Silent Auction ... TMC Parking Validation Ticket Refunds ... Volunteer for Clinical Trials ... IT Training Classes ... Annual Holiday Sale Crafters ... Travel Safety Presentation ... Rec Sports ... Traffic Alerts ... Procurement Services HUB Vendor

The UT Flu Center: New Updates

Visit The UT Flu Center for new updates that may impact your work areas and personal health. If you are off campus, simply log in with your UT ID and password. The UT Pandemic Influenza Subcommittee continues to closely monitor developments related to the H1N1 virus on a regular basis.

For more information, contact the Flu Line at 713-500-3584.

Student InterCouncil Fall Fiesta

The UTHSC-H Student InterCouncil (SIC) will host its annual Fall Fiesta from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Two Rows Restaurant and Brewery (2400 University Blvd.) This year's event is Halloween themed and features a Halloween costume contest for prizes. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided by the SIC. This event is open to all UTHSC-H students. Bring your UT student ID badge to be checked at the door. Parking in the Village Arcade garage will be validated.

For more information, contact Kari.J.Brewer@uth.tmc.edu.

Step Up to the American Heart Walk

UT Health Science Center at Houston President Larry R. Kaiser, M.D., asks us to save the date for the American Heart Walk, 8:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, at Sam Houston Park in downtown Houston. Join the American Heart Walk and become a team captain, walker or volunteer. Visit the American Heart Walk to learn more and to see photos from last year’s walk.

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

Fleming Center Panel

The University of Texas School of Public Health’s George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management will host its fifth moderated panel discussion from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Monday, Nov. 16, in the School of Public Health RAS auditorium.

Jerry A. Bell Jr, partner at Fulbright & Jaworski, will moderate, “The Role and Responsibilities of Boards: The Line Between Management and Governance.” Panelists will include Charles Miller, past chair, The University of Texas System Board of Regents; Gary L. Rosenthal, board chair, Texas Children’s Hospital; and Marc J. Shapiro, board chair, Baylor College of Medicine. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. Parking is available in the Pressler garage and limited space also is available at the M. D. Anderson Ambulatory Care Center garage.

To RSVP, contact Shannon.M.Larson@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-3252, by Friday, Nov. 6.

CSW Award Nominations

The Committee on the Status of Women is accepting nominations for the 2009 Distinguished Professional Woman Award. The woman nominated must:

• exemplify a professional woman
• be an outstanding achiever in Houston, Texas and/or the nation
• be respected by her peers as well as professionals in other disciplines
• have contributed significantly to her profession
• have made significant contributions to overall health, quality of life and public service
• demonstrate a pioneering spirit
• support women as both a mentor and a positive role model

Nominations are due by Monday, Nov. 23, and should be sent to Carmela Bourgeois in UCT 1716C. For more information, visit The Committee on the Status of Women or call 713-500-3041.

Reporting Interim Safety Data

Janet Wittes, Ph.D., founder and president of Statistics Collaborative, Inc., Washington, DC, will present “Reporting Interim Safety Data,” from noon – 1 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the School of Public Health RAS auditorium. Dr. Wittes is also co-author of the monograph Statistical Monitoring of Clinical Trials – a Unified Approach. Lunch will be provided to the first 50 attendees. Parking is available at Texas Medical Center Garage 2.

For more information, contact Peggy.L.Powell@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-9230.

Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds

The Department of Psychiatry will host Grand Rounds at noon, Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the HCPC Auditorium. Charles Bowden, M.D., professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, will present, “Advancing Effective Pharmacotherapy and Neurobiological Knowledge for Bipolar Disorders.”

For more information, contact Janine.Galt@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-2621.

Demystifying the IRB Process

The Clinical Trials Research Center will present its third session of “Demystifying the IRB Process,” from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the UT Professional Building, 1100.55. Arlene White-Brisco, IRB will present, “What does the CPHS look for in an informed consent?” This course will focus on the ethical, legal and regulatory consideration of the informed consent process. Suggestions will be given on how to develop a research consent document with an overview of the common deficiencies seen by the IRB in consent development.
 
Lunch will be provided for the first 25 attendees. Registration is required by logging onto the Training & Resource Center and selecting “2010 CTRC IRB-03 Informed Consent,” from the course catalog.

For more information, contact Linda.N.Gilbert@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-7922.

SEIS Physical Readiness Training

The Student Epidemic Intelligence Society (SEIS) will present, “Physical Readiness Training: Promoting health and preparedness for tomorrow’s public health leaders,” at 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9, at the Recreational Center’s athletic field (7779 Knight Rd.). Learn about SEIS and Public Health Services’ fitness guidelines and proper technique, walk, jog or run one and a half miles, do push-ups and sit-ups and learn how to set up your own fitness program.

The goal is to have fun and establish a supportive group atmosphere. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend, wearing comfortable clothes and appropriate shoes for exercise.

For more information, contact Jamie Emert, seis@uth.tmc.edu or 713-500-9438.

CPR Training

The School of Nursing Alumni Association will present CPR training for beginners and Recertification CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training for adult, child and infant, along with the Heimlich Maneuver (choking). This upcoming class will take place in SON Room 370 from 1 – 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13. A $50 registration fee is required, payable by cash or check only.

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

RsVP Lecture

The Geriatric & Palliative Medicine Division will host a lecture for the Reynolds Visiting Professor Program (RsVP) from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Nov. 12, in MSB 5.001. Guest Speaker, Laurie Jacobs, M.D., professor of Clinical Medicine, director, Resnick Gerontology Center, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, will present, “Oral Anticoagulation for Older Adults in 2009: Is this Warfarins Last Stand?” Dinner will follow.

RSVP with your name, credentials, affiliation, clinical specialty, email address and phone number to Rhonda.Bailes@uth.tmc.edu.

PartnershipsInAction Walk

Join PartnershipsInAction for its annual walk, beginning at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, at Sam Houston Park Downtown (1100 Bagby Street). Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. One-hundred percent of funds raised benefit the PartnershipsInAction Foundation, which raises funds and awareness to help communities in some of the poorest areas of Africa and Asia create long-term solutions to poverty. This event is free and fun for the whole family.

To register for the walk, visit PartnershipsInAction.

Medical School Forum and Competition

The 2009 Research Forum & C. Frank Webber Prize for Student Research Competition will take place from noon - 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 5, at MSB Leather Lounge. Second-year medical students who participated in the medical school's 2009 Summer Research Program will display and present the results of their summer research projects for peers and faculty to view.

The Webber Prize for Student Research is an award for outstanding research by a student. It was established in memory of C. Frank Webber, M.D., former dean of the medical school. Medical students and faculty are encouraged to stop by the forum and support these young investigators.

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

SON Silent Auction

The School of Nursing staff will hold a silent auction from 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28 – noon, Friday, Oct. 30, in the SON Cullen Trust for Higher Education Multipurpose Room. The auction will be open to the health science center community and money raised will help fund student awards and staff activities. Some of the items up for auction are Rockets tickets, a weekend in Galveston and restaurant gift certificates.

For more information, contact Peggy.S.Rose@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-2169.

TMC Parking Validation Ticket Refunds

For those UT Departments who currently validate or previously validated parking at TMC garages or lots, TMC will be collecting old, “parking ticket” style TMC parking validations. TMC will collect your validations and will mail UT a refund check. The funds will be disbursed to appropriate departments by general accounting once the check is received. Now that TMC has upgraded its system and currently uses the plastic tokens/coins, ticket validations no longer work. Your department must remit your validations or TMC will not issue you a refund.

Bring the validations you would like to turn in to one of the locations below:

• DB Room 139 – 9 – 11 a.m., Nov. 5

For more information, contact John Hargraves, JHargraves@texasmedicalcenter.org or parking@uth.tmc.edu.

Volunteer for Clinical Trials

Most of the medical breakthroughs and advancements that we enjoy today began as clinical studies with volunteer subjects. Participants in clinical trials can play a more active role in their own health care, gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available and help others by contributing to medical research.

As someone affiliated with the university, you can play an additional important role by taking part in a clinical trial. Search through the research trials currently accepting subjects and help make a difference.

IT Training Classes

IT Training will offer classes for new MS Office 2007 users in University Center Tower (UCT) 1160:

• MS Word 2007 for the Non-Experienced User – 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Oct. 28
• Introduction to MS Excel 2007 – 8 a.m. – noon, Nov. 11
• What’s New in Office 2007 – 9 – 11 a.m., Nov. 20

To enroll, visit the Training Resource Center (TRC) and login using your UID and password. Classes are open to UTHSC-H employees as well as contract employees with approval from and prior arrangement by their department.

For more information, contact Jacqueline.Plaza@uth.tmc.edu, 713-486-4830.

Annual Holiday Sale Crafters

The Employee Relations Committee is seeking homemade crafts from the UT community for the 24th Annual Holiday Craft Show, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 1, in the Medical School’s Leather Lounge.

To be included as a vendor in this year’s show, sign up by Saturday, Oct. 31, by contacting Kathryn.W.Merceri@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-6385 or Debbie.Rivas@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-6367.

Travel Safety Presentation

UTPD will present, “Safe Passage,” a free presentation that teaches simple techniques for travel safety. Learn about the criteria for selecting a safe hotel, how to spot and avoid scams, which seat is safest on an airplane, strategies to reduce your chance of being robbed and more. A trailer for the presentation is available from the Safe Travel Institute. Register online for one of the following presentations:

• IMM Room 109 – 10:30 a.m., Nov. 3
• SON Room 350 – 10:30 a.m., Nov. 4
• MSB B.100 – 10:30 a.m., Nov. 9

For more information, contact UT Police Crime Prevention at 713-563-7794.

Rec Sports

Registration for the 9-ball pool tournament at the Rec Center is open to men and women through today, Oct. 27. The tournament will take place on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 2 and 3. Registration costs $3 for UT students and Rec Center members, and $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.

Traffic Alerts

Bertner Avenue will be closed to traffic between Holcombe Boulevard and Moursund Street from 12:01 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 31 through 4 a.m., Monday, Nov. 2. Bertner traffic will detour to M. D. Anderson Boulevard and Moursund Street during the road closure. Metro buses will pick up and drop off passengers at the intersections of M. D. Anderson Boulevard and Bates Street, and Moursund Street and Bertner Avenue.

Procurement Services HUB Vendor

Each month, the Procurement Services HUB program will profile a new HUB vendor. This month’s featured HUB vendor is Today’s Business Solutions.

For more information, contact Nina.Lahasky@uth.tmc.edu, 713-500-4862.