Stormy Chamberlain First Recipient of the Sackler Assistant Professor Support Endowment

June 2, 2010

In a continuing commitment to support the work of promising young investigators at the Health Center, I am delighted to announce that Stormy Chamberlain, Ph.D., is the first recipient of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Assistant Professor Support Endowment.

Dr. Chamberlain is an integral part of the Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology and the UConn Stem Cell Institute. Working closely with Marc Lalande, Ph.D., the department chairman and the Health Center’s Senior Associate Dean, Research Planning and Coordination, she is pursuing the use of stem cells to model and study human imprinting disorders associated with inherited conditions such as Angelman syndrome.

The new endowment will support Dr. Chamberlain’s research and academic activities.

Raymond and Beverly Sackler are nationally and internationally prominent philanthropists who have generously supported the University and the Health Center through the years. In the area of stem cell research, they previously established the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Fund for Genetics and Molecular Medicine and provided significant grant funding that has supported the work of Health Center researchers Brenton Graveley, Ph.D., and Bruce Mayer, Ph.D., also of the Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology.

I am profoundly grateful to the Sacklers and extend best wishes to Dr. Chamberlain for her continued success.

Nightingale Awards

May 27, 2010

Commemorating the evening with some of the Nightingale Award winners.

It was my honor to attend the recent Nightingale Awards for Excellence in Nursing reception. The Nightingale Awards for Excellence is Connecticut’s largest statewide nursing recognition program which pays tribute to nurses from throughout the region who personify excellence in their profession. Personally, I was especially proud to represent the UConn Health Center and the 10 Nightingale winners from throughout the Health Center. It was also gratifying to spend time with the Health Center winners and to learn more about the challenges and rewards of their careers.

Every day – in areas including our life-saving cardiac catheterization lab; our scleroderma service, part of the New England Musculoskeletal Institute; Correctional Managed Care; the NICU and more – these nurses advocate for patients and families, mentor colleagues and students and embrace creative, quality-improvement initiatives. Their work improves the lives of our patients on many levels and in many ways, and at the same time, inspires their peers and other members of our medical teams.

As an orthopaedic surgeon, I fully appreciate the vital role nurses play in the well-being of our patients. I am very proud of the UConn Health Center award winners and all nurses who contribute to the health of our region. Congratulations!

Support Coast to Coast for a Cure 2010

May 18, 2010

Coast to Coast 2010 — From left: First-year medical students Stacy White Jr., Loreen Fournier, Arturo Montano and Alex Ocampo make up this year’s Coast to Coast for a Cure cycling team. They’ll spend their summer pedaling from California to Connecticut to raise money for Lea’s Foundation for Leukemia Research, a major philanthropic supporter of the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center.

It’s the time of year when people around the Health Center start talking about their summer plans — whether it will be a special research project, an anticipated vacation with the family or a combination thereof.

For four of our School of Medicine students, the plans are quite clear. They will be riding at least 80 miles per day, rain or shine, as they pedal across the country to raise funds for the Lea’s Foundation for Leukemia Research.

Their journey is ambitious and awe-inspiring on many levels. For Loreen Fournier, Arturo Montano, Alex Ocampo and Stacy White, Jr., this summer is actually their last “free” time while attending medical school. All four are just completing their first year. And while they are all athletic and blessed with youth, none of them have ever done a bike trip of this magnitude.

The 2010 riders have set a goal of raising $50,000 for the Lea’s Foundation. It is important to note that the Lea’s Foundation has a special connection to the Health Center. Through the years, the Foundation has generously supported researchers, clinicians and programs at the Health Center, including the work of Dr. Pramod Srivastava and the establishment of the Lea’s Foundation Center for Hematologic Disorders, which is now part of our Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Because of this close connection, I urge all of you to join me in supporting this year’s ride. Look for more information throughout the Health Center in the weeks ahead about how you can give.

While not all of us can actually join Loreen, Arturo, Alex and Stacy on their trip, we can certainly be with them in spirit – and lend them our support and appreciation.

Thank you!

Members of the Health Center Community Volunteer Their Time in Haiti

March 23, 2010

Last week, a group of 11 men and women from the UConn Health Center community left for a 16-day medical mission to the University Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They are volunteering their time and talent with the International Medical Corps, a global humanitarian organization. They have promised to send me photos from their mission and here are a few that I just received.

Dawn Smith takes a break from her nursing duties while working at the Hospital Universidad et Haiti in Port of Prince, Haiti.

Drs. Lynn Kosowicz and Susan Levine are running the ICU at the Hospital Universidad et Haiti in Port of Prince, Haiti.

MaryBeth Barry charts in a medical record in an emergency tent in Port of Prince. — Mary Beth Barry charts in a medical record in an emergency tent in Port of Prince.

The UConn team includes specially trained physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners including:

Michael Fishcher, M.D., Internal Medicine
Lynn Kosowicz, M.D., Internal Medicine
Susan Levine, M.D., Internal Medicine (community physician; clinical faculty)
Mitch McGrath, R.N., General Medicine
Mary Beth Barry, A.P.R.N., Cardiology/General Medicine
Laura Glynn, R.N., General Medicine
Dawn Smith, R.N., General Medicine
Katherine Anderson, R.N., General Medicine
Kathleen Curley, R.N., General Medicine
Christy Meyer, R.N., Emergency Medicine/ICU
Rachel Jones, R.N., General Medicine

Though it has now been two months since the devastating earthquake, Haiti is still in dire need of medical attention and care. The needs are complex and it will take many more months, if not years, to rebuild its medical infrastructure. I look forward to the safe return of our Health Center group and appreciate the sacrifice they are making.

Health Center Awarded Two Research Grants by the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation

March 18, 2010

I am proud to announce that the Health Center was the only organization in the country to receive two of the nine 2010 research grants awarded by the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation. The MTF is the nation’s largest tissue bank that connects donors with surgeons and transplant recipients. As a non-profit service organization, MTF is dedicated to providing quality tissue through a commitment to excellence in education, research, recovery and care for recipients, donors and their families.

Both of our recipients are colleagues of mine in the New England Musculoskeletal Institute. Jay R. Lieberman, M.D., director of the New England Musculoskeletal Institute is the recipient of the J.R. Neff Award, and Yusuf Khan, Ph.D., Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Department of Chemical, Materials, and Biomolecular Engineering at UConn Storrs, has received the Peer Review – Junior Investigator award.

Congratulations to both!

Governor’s Proposal Is Promising for UConn Health Center

March 11, 2010

March 9 was a wonderful day in the history of the UConn Health Center. It was an honor for me to participate in the news conference led by Governor M. Jodi Rell who unveiled a proposal to reinvigorate the John Dempsey Hospital and create an innovate network with our regional hospital-partners. To learn more visit: http://today.uchc.edu.

Art, Culture and a Valentine’s Ball

March 10, 2010

Dr. Pramod Srivastava, Lea’s Foundation for Leukemia Research Honoree.

Over the past few weeks, I had the privilege of attending several important and festive events in the community on behalf of the Health Center.

In early February was “The Taste of History,” a celebration of African American culture, sponsored by the Amistad Center for Art and Culture and held at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford. Approximately 300 people attended this event which featured excellent samplings from local restaurants, music and of course, a stunning art collection.

Interspersed with the tasting was a table staffed by Health Center experts who offered advice and information about nutrition and healthy living. Our experts included cardiologist Dr. Anjenette Ferris and nutritionists Deb Downes and Jean Kostak. They did a great job answering questions and helping people brave the buffet that night!

I was delighted that other leaders from the Health Center attended the event as well. This included Dr. Marja Hurley, director of the Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative, and Dr. Biree Andemariam, who is part of a new, multidisciplinary program to provide complete care for adults with sickle cell disease.

There was a strong sense of celebration that evening. It made me realize how the Amistad Center and the Health Center share so many common values and goals. We are both dedicated to education, humanism, and helping the community achieve a deeper understanding of our diverse American experience. And like the Amistad Center, we are attuned to our history and at the same time, focused on the future and committed to improving lives on many levels. For those of you who have not visited the Amistad Center, I encourage you to do so.

Lea's Foundation Event On the eve of Valentine’s Day, my wife and I attended the annual ball to benefit the Lea’s Foundation for Leukemia Research. Through the years, the Lea’s Foundation has raised more than $2 million and many of those dollars have come back to the Health Center to support research and clinical care, most notably through the Lea’s Foundation Center for Hematologic Disorders, which is part of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The evening was also a great source of pride for the Health Center. The honoree was Dr. Pramod Srivastava, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Immunology and Director of the Center for Immunotherapy of Cancer and Infectious Diseases, and an internationally recognized pioneer in cancer vaccine research. Professor Srivastava gave an inspiring speech about the future of medical care.

The Lea’s Foundation also thanked our School of Medicine and the ongoing commitment of our students to raise money for the Lea’s Foundation every summer through the Coast to Coast for a Cure cross country bike treks. I’ll have a separate communication thanking our students who will bike around the country this summer for this great cause.

Dr. Cato T. Laurencin saying a few words at the "The Taste of History." — Saying a few words at the “The Taste of History.”

My wife Cynthia and I with the 2010 Coast to Coast for a Cure Riders. Left to right: Alex Ocampo, Arturo Montano and Loreen Fournier.

Chinese New Year Celebration

February 25, 2010

I had the privilege of attending the annual Chinese New Year celebration at the Health Center. According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2010 is the Year of the Tiger. The celebration, organized by several Health Center research labs, featured talent shows, music, Chinese cuisine, and revelers in tiger-themed costumes and attire.

I enjoyed taking part in the customs and traditions of the Chinese. I am also very proud to be part of an organization that is rich in diversity and culture.

New England Musculoskeletal Institute A “Blue Distinction” Center

February 12, 2010

The UConn Health Center’s New England Musculoskeletal Institute has been named a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery as well as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement.
Logo courtesy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Connecticut.

I am proud to announce that the New England Musculoskeletal Institute has been designated as both a Blue Distinction Center® for Spine Surgery and Knee and Hip Replacement by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut. Blue Distinction® is a designation awarded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare. The designation is based on rigorous, evidence-based, objective selection criteria established in collaboration with expert physicians’ and medical organizations’ recommendations. Its goal is to help consumers find quality specialty care on a consistent basis, while enabling and encouraging healthcare professionals to improve the overall quality and delivery of care nationwide.

The designation affirms the high-quality, expertise care that is delivered by the providers at the New England Musculoskeletal Institute every day. It also demonstrates the Health Center’s commitment to providing quality care and better overall patient outcomes particularly for knee and hip replacement procedures and spine surgery.

Sincere congratulations. What a team!

A Woman of Innovation

January 22, 2010

I am very proud to announce that our colleague Dr. Marja M. Hurley was honored this week as one of the winners of the 2010 Women of Innovation Awards. The awards program, sponsored by the Connecticut Technology Council, recognizes women in the workforce who are innovators, role models and leaders in the technology, science and engineering fields.

Dr. Hurley is an accomplished endocrinologist, biomedical researcher, professor of medicine and an associate dean with both the School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine. For more than two decades, she has led the Health Center’s widely recognized Health Career Opportunity Programs and has helped hundreds of students from underrepresented minorities successfully pursue careers in medicine, dentistry and other health professions.

Today, the health careers program, known as the Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative, is an umbrella of innovative educational programs that reaches out to talented students from middle school, high school, college and graduate levels. Efforts are bolstered by mentoring and teaching support from UConn Health Center faculty in all disciplines including biomedical research, dentistry and clinical care.

In all aspects of her career, Dr. Hurley has been an exemplary role model, leader and innovator. She was joined by her husband and many colleagues Wednesday night when the award was announced. On behalf of the entire Health Center community, I’m delighted to extend my congratulations as well.