Executive Summary and Integration Agreement

August 6, 2009

Over the past several months, with considerable input from many faculty leaders, an Integration Agreement between Hartford Healthcare Corp. and the UConn Health Center was drafted. As you know, we are now waiting for legislative action to move forward with the Integration process.

In the meantime, I encourage you to read the executive summary and the Integration Agreement and learn more about this exciting opportunity to transform the Hartford area into a major destination for academic medicine. You can send comments directly to my blog.

Also, as a follow-up to discussions about the proposed Partnership and the Integration process, I will be scheduling a series of meetings, together with President Hogan, for medical school faculty members during the next two weeks. The meetings will be arranged by Department Chairs and Center Directors. In addition, Dean MacNeil, President Hogan and I will also meet with faculty from the School of Dental Medicine in the coming weeks.

Executive Summary (PDF)
Integration Agreement (PDF)

Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering

July 7, 2009

I am very proud to announce that the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) recently elected several of the University of Connecticut’s leading experts in science, engineering and technology into its membership. Bruce Liang, M.D., Ray Neag Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine and director of the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center, and I were elected from the Health Center.

Election to the Academy is on the basis of scientific and engineering distinction achieved through significant contributions in theory or applications, as demonstrated by original published books and papers, patents, the pioneering of new and developing fields and innovative products, outstanding leadership of nationally recognized technical teams, and external professional awards in recognition of scientific and engineering excellence. By statute, the Academy’s membership is limited to 250 individuals.

The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being.

The newly elected members from the University of Connecticut are:

Mark Aindow, Ph.D., Professor and Materials Science and Engineering Program Director, University of Connecticut
Amvrossios Bagtzoglou, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering; Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut
Mun Choi, Ph.D., Dean of Engineering, University of Connecticut
Monty Escabí, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; University of Connecticut
J. Peter Gogarten, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut
Cato Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the College of Medicine; Van Dusen Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery; and Professor of Chemical, Materials, and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut Health Center
Bruce Liang, M.D., Ray Neag Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Director of the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center, University of Connecticut Health Center
Pieter Visscher, Ph.D., Professor of Marine Sciences, Director, Center for Integrative Geosciences, University of Connecticut
Robert Whitlatch, Ph.D., Professor, Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut/Department Marine Sciences

Dr. Bruce E. Gould Receives Faculty Recognition Award

June 8, 2009

Congratulations to Dr. Bruce E. Gould who was awarded the UConn Health Center Board of Directors Faculty Recognition Award. Established in 2003, the award recognizes and celebrates excellence in faculty members.

Dr. Gould, professor and associate dean for primary care at the UConn School of Medicine, has earned a reputation as an advocate for public health, primary care and preventative medicine. He also serves as director of the Connecticut Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program, medical director of Hartford’s Department of Health and Human Services, and medical director of the Burgdorf Health Center, a community clinic serving the underserved population in Hartford’s north end. A primary care general internist, Dr. Gould also is the founder of and adviser to the Mobile Free Migrant Farm Workers Clinic, which has served Connecticut’s migrant farm worker population since 1998.

Dr. Gould is involved in the development and delivery of the medical school’s quality improvement and patient safety curriculum, as well as its nutrition curriculum. He helped establish UConn’s Urban Service Track, a special mentorship program designed to produce doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists committed to serving Connecticut’s urban underserved populations, and the Youth Health Services Corps, a nationally recognized recruitment program that trains and places high school students as volunteers in various health care agencies.

Commencement Thoughts

June 2, 2009

I was truly honored and proud to participate in the Health Center’s Commencement exercises for the first time as Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Connecticut. The School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine graduated women and men who were trained by the finest faculty, inspired by their fellow students, and supported by family and friends. These new physicians and dentists embark on a journey well prepared to tackle the challenging face of modern healthcare. I hope they will continue to be passionate about their work, be open to new ideas, and be generous to the people who need them. As caretakers of patients, our goal is to heal some, help many, but comfort all.

The Graduate School also participated in the ceremony, and for the first time, Ph.D. students graduated alongside their physician and dentist colleagues. As someone who has obtained a Ph.D., I well know what a grueling and uncertain task it is. The average student now spends between five and seven years completing their degree. As they embark upon careers of scientific inquiry, I wish them well.

Click on the small images for larger views.

Know Better Care

May 20, 2009

A NICU advanced practice registered nurse sent me the following example of how our Health Center staff works under stressful conditions. It is a wonderful story about a professional, caring, and compassionate team that quietly goes about excellence day in and day out. Thank you for sharing your story.

Dr. Laurencin, I would like to tell you of an event that reminded me why our NICU is so incredible not only because of the great work we do but also because of the incredibly talented, caring staff that continue to provide the highest level of care imaginable.

I was on Saturday night when we received a call from the ER asking for help with a code of a 23-week gestational age infant that was born at home and was being brought in by the EMT’s. We gathered a team of myself, our PA, four nurses and our respiratory therapists. When the infant was brought in, the EMT’s transferred care to us (they did an amazing job at keeping this tiny infant alive for 1/2 hour). Being the team leader, I intubated the infant and instructed the resuscitation. I use the word instructed loosely because after working with such highly skilled nurses for so many years they intuitively knew what I needed before I even asked. As my requests came out of my mouth, the ETT, meds, lines, and blood work were already being performed before I could complete my sentence. The staff did such an amazing job because we work so fluidly with each other and know our job so very well. Even with the stress and apparent futility of the situation, all involved worked diligently and professionally to give this tiny infant and his family the best possible outcome. The caring and compassion that the team showed the family members brought tears to my eyes. Giving a family the best possible minutes of a short life was never better displayed than at this time. I could feel the nurses gather the family under an umbrella of warmth and understanding just by their kind words and gentle hands, helping them cope with the grief of losing this tiny baby.

I would like to thank Joe Varano, Pam Marino, Viv Hary, Bridget Krauss, and Torylynn Gagnon for their incredible talent and compassion as neonatal caregivers. I am so proud to be called a member of this team. I can never imagine being able to provide better care than what is found within the home of our NICU and the people who make up our family. I also would like to thank the ER team that helped us, especially Kathy who was our foundation in the unfamiliar setting of the emergency department. Without her help our job would have been much more difficult than it already was. Thank you for your time.

-Wendy Petow A.P.R.N.

Lincoln University’s 150th Commencement

May 18, 2009

Recently, I was the keynote speaker during Lincoln University’s 150th commencement exercises and received a Doctor of Science degree, honoris causa. I am extremely honored to have been chosen to receive the Doctor of Science degree from Lincoln University, an outstanding university with a rich tradition of excellence.

Lincoln University of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was chartered in 1854 and was the first institution in the world to offer higher education in the arts and sciences for male youth of African descent. Since its inception, Lincoln has attracted an interracial and international enrollment from the surrounding community, region, and around the world. Lincoln University’s alumni include Langston Hughes, ’29, world-acclaimed poet; Thurgood Marshall, ’30, first African-American Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court; and Kwame Nkrumah, ’39, first president of Ghana. Bishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs. Rosa Parks have been among those who have been so honored by Lincoln University with honorary degrees in the past. I am very humbled to be part of this very prestigious group of honorees.

PAWS Awards

April 21, 2009

Agnes White is presented with her PAWS award.

Last Friday, I had the privilege of attending the PAWS ceremony and distributing the April awards. One might ask, as I did when I first came to the UConn Health Center, what are PAWS awards? They are awards given to employees that showcase our own for the quiet excellence performed every day. To receive a PAWS award, an employee must be Part of a team, have an Awesome attitude, Wonderful work ethic, and provide Superior service. These employees exemplify the culture that is the cornerstone of our mission here at the Health Center.

The award recipients are Anne Bennett, Medicine; Lynette Branday, Elizabeth Fabbri and Pamela Iannucci, UMG/MFM; Nancy Hoerup, Telecommunications; Cathy Cassineri, Calhoun Cardiology Center; Christine Delgrande, Pulmonary Function Lab; Sonya Dickens, CMHC/Manson Youth; Lynn Grumm, Core Lab; William Kilray, Pharmacy; Marisol Koniar, UMG/IMA Module; Shelly Lombardo and Nicole McDermott, Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center; Chantel Melendez, Radiology; Carolyn Murphy and Jennifer Smedberg, Rehabilitation Services; Frank Nichols, Oral Health & Diagnostic Sciences; Nicholas Noyes, Clinical Engineering; Maria Pessoa, Geropsych/3rd Floor; Sheila Pettway, UMG/GI-ID; Kesia Smith, Radiology; Dana Vibert, Outcome Performance Systems; Agnes White, Faculty Practice Plan Clinic; Abdul Yusoff, Dermatology. The team award goes to the IDX web implementation team. Members include Laurie Heineman, Lori Delvaglio, Diane Hamalian, Paul Consonni, Lori Giblin, Deborah Halle, Linda Clark, Lorraine Boulanger, Elissa Wagner, Kim Bourbeau, Matthew Shannon, and Ingrid Napoletano.

Congratulations to all the PAWS award recipients!

Welcome to Dina Plapler, Vice President of Development

April 16, 2009

I am very pleased to welcome Dina Plapler to the Health Center family and the UConn Foundation’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations as vice president for development. Ms. Plapler is responsible for the management of Health Center fundraising activities and is part of the Foundation’s senior management team. She has extensive fundraising management experience, with expertise in major giving, special events and planned giving. Ms. Plapler comes to us from the new Connecticut Science Center where she was responsible for a multi-million dollar major giving program and helped them to achieve their campaign goal of $160 million. She brings excellent research, writing and interpersonal skills to the Foundation and is a proven, team-focused manager. Well-known and highly respected throughout the community, Ms. Plapler has well-established relationships with senior corporate executives and community leaders. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University, a law degree from Georgetown University and is an adjunct graduate faculty member of Bay Path College. I am extremely excited at the potential she brings to the Health Center and the entire University.

I have asked Ms. Plapler to begin to reach out to members of the Health Center family to gain input and direction. Please provide her a warm welcome. Thanks.

Hartford Courant Op-Ed

April 8, 2009

Colleagues,

On Sunday, The Hartford Courant published an op-ed piece I wrote outlining why I believe UConn’s John Dempsey Hospital is so important to the region and the state, and how the proposed partnership between the UConn Health Center and Hartford Hospital will be a positive step forward in the clinical, educational, research and economic future of our region.

Because space is limited in the Hartford Courant, the original op-ed piece had to be shortened significantly before publication. I am including a link to my original piece containing the entire message. I believe it is important for the Health Center community to read it in its entirety. http://www.uchc.edu/vicepresident/blog/pdfs/laurencin_op_ed.pdf

Stem Cell Grants Awarded to Eleven UConn Scientists

April 2, 2009

I am very proud to announce that eleven University of Connecticut scientists received state-funded grant awards Tuesday, totaling $5.4 million from the Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee (SCRAC) to advance embryonic and human adult stem cell research in Connecticut. These grants will allow researchers to pursue discoveries that one day may yield treatments for spinal cord injuries and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and juvenile diabetes. Congratulations.

Further information including the names of the award recipients are detailed in a news release found at:
http://www.uchc.edu/ocomm/newsreleases09/apr09/
stemcell_research.html.