October 2006

CONFERENCES/TALKS DURING OCTOBER 

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C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S :  To King K. Holmes on becoming the first Chair of the new Department of Global Health.  The
    Department was established  as a joint venture of the Schools of Medicine and Public Health and Community Medicine, as the first
    joint global health department in the nation and will serve as a new paradigm for focusing inter-professional educational programs,
    collaborative research, professional service in public health policy and practice and medical care with the goal of establishing
    sustainable improvements in global health.  The department was created in part with funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 
    Sally Weatherford has accepted the position of Director of Finance and Administration for the Department of Global Health.  Both King
    and Sally will continue their roles at CFAS.

CO N G R A T U L A T I O N S :  To Robert K. Ernst on being chosen as a Philip and Helen Fialkow Scholars for 2006.  The award
    carries $10,000 in support for scholarly activities and a personal honorarium of $2,500.  Dr. Ernst is a Research Assistant Professor of
    Medicine and a Principal Investigator with the WWAMI Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases
    Research.  He was a Senior Fellow at the UW in the laboratory of Sam Miller before joining the ID faculty in 2002.  He is co-PI of an
    RO1 award, PI on another, and PI of a bridging grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  The focus of his research is the molecular
    basis and adaptive significance of modifications to the structure of lipopolysaccharide, the major surface molecule and pathogenic factor
    of Gram-negative bacteria.  On October 26^th he will present Medicine Grand Rounds entitled, “Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide and
    Mechanism of Cystic Fibrosis Airway Disease.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S :  To Christine Johnston and her husband on  the birth of  their son, Gabriel Sawyer, born August 18^th,
    weighing in at 6 lbs 13 oz, 19 inches long!

G M E C    N E W S :  Emily Darby has been elected to the Graduate Medical Education Committee for the 2006-2007 academic year. 
    GMEC is responsible for monitoring and advising all aspects of residency and fellowship education at UW Medicine and affiliated
    hospitals.  This includes the establishment and implementation of policies and procedures regarding the quality of education, work
    environment, duty hours, supervision, general competencies, stipends, benefits, etc.  The GMEC is also responsible for conducting internal
    reviews of all programs to assess compliance with the ACGME’s institutional and program requirements, and for monitoring action plans
    for the correction of concerns and areas of noncompliance found by the ACGME.  We thank Emily for her service on this committee.

I D    U P D A T E  :  Swedish Medical Center Continuing Medical Education is presenting a course on Infectious Disease Update, New
    Challenges and Advances, Wednesday, October 25, from 1:00 to 6:00pm.  The conference will provide advanced information on
    evolving topics in infectious disease.  National and local speakers will review the latest  developments in community-associated MRSA,
    HPV, and C. difficile.   Speakers include Drs. Martin Siegel, Henry Chambers, Tim Dellit, Heidi Bauer, Stuart Johnson, and Ferric Fang. 
    For more information, contact:  206-386-2755, email: CME.Registration@swedish.org.  Web:  www.swedish.org/cme.  You must
    pre-register to attend.

C M S    G U I D E L I N E S  :  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, or Medicare) has released a new fact sheet on
    Guidelines for Teaching Physicians, Interns, and Residents that describes rules regarding reimbursement for services provided in teaching
    settings.  The document is available as a four page PDF download at:
            www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/gdelinesteachgresfctsht.pdf

2 0 0 6    W I L L I A M    M M    K I R B Y    L E C T U R E R :  This year’s Kirby Lecturer will be Robert A. Weinstein, M.D.,
    Chairman, Division of Infectious Diseases, Stroger Hospital  and Chief, Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center for the Prevention, Care and
    Research of Infectious Diseases, and Professor of Medicine, Rush University Medical College.   He will visit Seattle December 6-7,
    with dinner being December 6^th, and his lecture at Grand Rounds December 7^th.  Dr. Weinstein is an internationally recognized expert
    in the areas of antimicrobial resistance and hospital acquired infections.  The title of his Grand Rounds will be, “Community-acquired
    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus:  Beware When Old Dogs Learn New Tricks,” and the dinner talk will be about infection
    control issues, with the title, “The Uses of Controversy.”

S C R I B N E R    C O U R A G E    I N    H E A L T H C A R E    A W A R D :  Dr. Robert Wood was selected as the 2006
    Award recipient to honor his long term commitment to identifying, advocating and advancing care for people with HIV/AIDS.  He is
    currently Director of the HIV/AIDS Program for Public Health, Seattle and King County and an Associate Professor of Medicine. 
    The Award will presented October 4^th, tickets are $75.  RSVP required, contact Kathy Savory at 206-292-2771 x 5358.

2 0 0 6    A I  D S    &     S T D    R E S E A R C H    S Y M P O S I U M:  The Center for AIDS and STD is sponsoring a one-day
    research symposium on Wednesday, November 29^th, featuring presentations by recent recipients of Center for AIDS Research and
    STI-Cooperative Research Center Developmental Awards, pre-and post-doctoral fellows of the STD training grant, and a panel
    discussion with local distinguished faculty members on the topic, “Implementation of an HPV Vaccine:  Challenges and Implications.”  
    Registration is requested by November 21st.  For general information or to register, please email Susan Mello at
    spmello@u.washington.edu.  There is no charge for this symposium.

H U S K Y    C A R D S :  This October, employees will not receive updated validation stickers because the Husky Cards are being
    phased out as part of a larger plan to replace them with smart cards.  In January 2007, new employees and those who have lost cards
    will go to the Husky Card Office for employee ID card production (rather than going online or to your payroll coordinator).  In spring
    2007, students and employees will be asked to participate in selecting a new card look, with the goal of replacing all cards in the summer
    and fall of 2007.  For transit users, the current UPASS sticker will still work until fall of 2007 (or winter 2008).  When the time comes
    for the changeover to the new smart card for UPASS, employees will be notified to come to the Husky Card Office to obtain a new
    photo ID card.  For more information, please go to:  http://hfs.washington.edu/husky_card/
            From now until the old cards are turned in for the new ones, existing Husky Cards will be valid.

Q U A K E    P R E P A R E D N E S S :  A Quake Fest for the campus community will be held October 11^th, from 11:00am-3:00pm
    in the HUB West Ballroom, 2^nd floor.  To learn more, visit www.uwquakefest.com

M A R K    Y O U R    C A L E N D A R S :
        November 29:          2006 AIDS and STD Research Symposium
        December 6 and 7:   William M.M. Kirby Dinner and Lecture
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Please send items for future newsletter to Myrna Izidor, Box 356523, email: myrnai@u.washington.edu