2016年2月19日

Hello,
This month’s clinical chairs meeting was full of news to share:

• Eric Solberg, vice president for research and academic affairs, announced that the UT System has implemented the Rooney Rule, effective immediately. Based on the Rooney Rule of the NFL, this policy requires that a candidate from an underrepresented group be included in the final round of interviews for senior administrative positions. More details will be forthcoming. From my perspective, the medical school must do what we can to support a diverse faculty and staff.
• Susan John, chair of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, gave us a comprehensive overview of her department. Chair presentations are a great way for me, and the other chairs, to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the accomplishments and challenges of our departments. I am very impressed by Dr. John’s leadership and by her faculty, programs, and commitment to outstanding clinical care and service.
• LaTanya Love and Dana McDowelle, from the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs, presented a new program to promote student wellness and resiliency, the McGovern Societies Master Advisory Program. Thirty societies will be created, led by faculty mentors and comprised of 8-10 first-year students, as well as second-year and fourth-year student mentors. Faculty mentors, who will have support from the Dean’s Office, will meet both individually and as a group with their students/societies. Chairs are invited to submit nominations for faculty mentors to Dr. Love.

A highlight for this week will be meetings with Memorial Hermann leadership today. I am looking forward to the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Dan Wolterman, president and CEO; Chuck Stokes, chief operating officer; Craig Cordola, president, central/west region; Dr. Cheryl Chanaud, vice president for research; and David Bradshaw, chief information and marketing officer. The partnership between our medical school and Memorial Hermann is very important to the future success of both institutions.
Tuesday evening I attended a reception hosted by Memorial Hermann celebrating the $10 million fund-raising milestone of the Staman Ogilvie Fund for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery, Rehabilitation and Research. In 2009, Mr. Ogilvie suffered a severe spinal cord injury while riding his bicycle. He and his family turned their personal challenges into a way to help others. Together with friends in the community, they raised $10 million to further research and rehabilitation– funding work in our Departments of Neurosurgery and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The evening’s speakers were Staman Ogilvie, Dan Wolterman, Walter Mischer, and Dr. Dong Kim, professor and chair of the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery.
I met yesterday with leaders from LBJ Hospital. Our discussion centered on communications to the community to increase understanding of the importance of LBJ, our public hospital partner, and its impact on the health of all Houstonians.
It was a pleasure to attend the UTHealth Heritage Society luncheon, honoring donors who have given the university a legacy gift. The keynote speaker was Dr. Lorraine Frazier, dean of the School of Nursing, who gave a very thoughtful and moving personal account of why she and her husband, David, have become heritage donors. She stressed the importance of personal connections, staying engaged, and giving back to the community.
Did you know we have a faculty bookshelf, located near the Fannin side of the building on the ground floor? Faculty authors are invited to submit their books to the Office of Communications (inter-office, MSB B.340) for inclusion. One of the latest additions is an anesthesiology exam review text, authored by our own Dr. George Williams and his wife, Dr. Erin Williams.
A reminder, the Neuroscience Research Center will host its annual brain forum, which is free and open to the public, at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Denton A. Cooley, MD and Ralph C. Cooley, DDS University Life Center at 7440 Cambridge Street. Dr. Sean Savitz, professor of neurology, will moderate a panel discussion on the latest research on neurologic disease. To attend, please register online. I hope to see you there.
Warm regards,
Barbara