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FARMINGTON, CONN. – The University of Connecticut Health Center offers several Ayurveda events to the public in April and May. Ayurveda is the ancient Indian art of healing that blends science, philosophy and spirituality.
- Cultivating Healthy Living II, Mondays, April 12, 19 and 26, 6 to 7 p.m., UConn Health Center, Conference Room EG-013.
Learn techniques to coordinate mind, body and spirit, and develop self awareness and resilience, including relaxation, subtle energy and cosmic connections, and maintaining positive relationships. Registration fee is $90. - From Spirituality to Superconsciousness, April 16 to 18, Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.
This is a weekend retreat with Amala Guha, director of the UConn School of Medicine’s Complementary Alternative Supportive Care Program, at the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam Institute of Vedanta and Sanskrit in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. Learn ways to transform thoughts and habits for change. The focus will be on scientific coordination of mind, matter and spirit to achieve total awareness of self and our relationship with the universe. Registration fee is $170. - Introduction to “Mandalas”: Sacred Symbols of Imagery/Healing, Friday, April 23, 6 to 7 p.m., UConn Health Center, Conference Room EG-013.
Learn about mandalas found in the natural world around us, how they have been used throughout history and across cultures, and how in today’s pluralistic setting of multi-faiths and non-faith they remain universal. Origin and history of mandalas also will be discussed. Please bring a set of coloring pencils. Registration fee is $35. - A Journey Through Colors of Mandala, Friday, May 14, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., UConn Health Center, Conference Room EG-013.
Learn about the revelation of colors in mandalas and their relationship to Ayurvedic neurophysiology (Chakras): a meeting of physics, philosophy, psychology and art. Design your own mandala and learn to reveal the mystical self. Please bring a set of coloring pencils. Registration fee is $45.
The deadline for advanced registration is seven days prior to the start date. For registration information, please call 860-561-4857 or e-mail aguha@att.net. More information about the Complementary Alternative Supportive Care Program is available at http://casc.uchc.edu.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at a href="http://www.uchc.edu/">www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Dr. Joseph Piecuch is now seeing patients in the Center for Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry at the University of Connecticut Health Center.
Piecuch, formerly a tenured associate professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, is back at the Health Center as a clinical professor after 25 years in private practice in Avon. He holds a doctorate of dental medicine from Harvard and medical degree from the University of Washington, specialty trained at the University of Washington and the Gemeente Ziekenhuis in the Netherlands, and is a veteran of active service in the United States Air Force. He has served as president of the Hartford Dental Society and the Connecticut Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Piecuch has published more than 100 scientific articles, abstracts, and textbook chapters, has been the editor of two review textbooks, and currently is editor of “The Communicator,” the publication of the Connecticut State Dental Association. He also is associate editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. His research interests have included bone grafting, manufactured bone substitutes, and reconstructive surgery of the jaws.
Piecuch is a resident of Simsbury.
More information about the Center for Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry, part of the New England Musculoskeletal Institute, is available at http://dentalimplants.uchc.edu. To make an appointment, call 860-679-7600 or e-mail dentalimplants@uchc.edu.
Photo: http://today.uchc.edu/images/news/piecuch.jpg
Caption: Dr. Joseph Piecuch is seeing patients in the Center for Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry at the UConn Health Center.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at a href="http://www.uchc.edu/">www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Connecticut High School Students Will Get Diplomas Following 8-Week Program
FARMINGTON, CONN. – More than 80 juniors and seniors from high schools throughout Connecticut are taking part in this year’s High School Mini Medical/Dental School Program at the University of Connecticut Health Center.
Since March 4, the students have been meeting on Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m., each time hearing two one-hour presentations on varying health and science topics. Sixty-five students participate in person at the Health Center’s Low Learning Center; 21 others join remotely via webcast. The program runs through April 22, when the students will “graduate,” earning diplomas.
“The goal is to inform and excite students about cutting-edge basic science research that is being conducted by some of the outstanding professors at the Health Center,” says Dr. Marja Hurley, associate dean of the UConn School of Medicine and director of UConn’s Health Career Opportunities Programs. “These students also receive lectures from outstanding physicians and dentists who provide care to patients.”
More information about the Health Career Opportunities Programs at the UConn Health Center is available at www.hcop.uchc.edu.
Students from 18 Connecticut high schools are participating in the 2010 High School Mini Medical/Dental School Program:
- Avon High School
- Bloomfield High School
- Bristol Eastern High School
- Cheshire High School
- Danbury High School
- Farmington High School
- Glastonbury High School
- Bulkeley High School
- Hartford Area Seventh Day Adventist School
- Sport and Medical Sciences Academy
- University High School of Science and Engineering
- Mercy High School
- Simsbury High School
- Chase Collegiate School
- Crosby High School
- Conard High School
- Hall High School
- Windsor High School
Photos: http://today.uchc.edu/images/news/minimed1.jpg and http://today.uchc.edu/images/news/minimed2.jpg
Caption: Dr. Leighton Huey, professor of psychiatry at the UConn School of Medicine, speaks to students attending the High School Mini Medical/Dental School Program at the UConn Health Center. The program runs through April 22, when more than 80 juniors and seniors from 18 Connecticut High Schools will earn diplomas.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Joint Commission Accreditation for John Dempsey Hospital, Behavioral Health
FARMINGTON, CONN. – The University of Connecticut Health Center has earned a Gold Seal of Approval™ for John Dempsey Hospital, including its inpatient behavioral health services, after recent site visits by The Joint Commission, a national hospital accrediting body.
"Accreditation for our organization demonstrates our commitment to patients’ safety and high-quality care," says Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, vice president for health affairs, dean of the UConn School of Medicine, and CEO of the UConn Health Center. "We have an outstanding Health Center with outstanding people. Joint Commission accreditation helps affirm this excellence."
"Above all, the national standards are intended to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in an organization’s performance and the outcomes of care," says Mark Pelletier, The Joint Commission’s executive director of hospital programs, accreditation and certification services. "The community should be proud that the UConn Health Center is focusing on the most challenging goal – to continuously raise quality and safety to higher levels."
The Joint Commission conducted an unannounced, on-site evaluation of John Dempsey Hospital in December. The accreditation award recognizes the Health Center’s dedication to complying with The Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.
"We have excellent clinicians, staff and administrators throughout the Health Center who have remained completely focused and proactive about safety issues," says Dr. Mike Summerer, hospital director. "This latest quality acknowledgement is a result of their work and dedication. It’s a credit to our Department of Quality Programs. This has been, and will continue to be, a team effort."
The Joint Commission’s Quality Report for the Health Center is available at http://www.qualitycheck.org/qualityreport.aspx?hcoid=5667.
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 17,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including hospitals, home care organizations, and other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, The Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. More information is available at www.jointcommission.org.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at a href="http://www.uchc.edu/">www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
What: Being in the Moment – paintings by Catherine M. Elliott and Coney Island Love Affair – photographs by Lou Russo
Where: Celeste LeWitt Gallery, UConn Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington
When: April 29 through August 4, 2010, daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
About the Artists:
Catherine M. Elliott of Simsbury is a contemporary artist whose work is evocative of the American Impressionism style of painting. She states her paintings are primarily of atmospheric and light conditions that depict the grace and elegance of the New England countryside. This exhibit explores and represents her love of color.
"My goal is to capture a moment of time and place with color and form to invoke the viewer to 'see' the sublime," says Elliott. "Even before I begin a work, I'll have a good idea of what I want to achieve on the canvas. Of course a few diversions are welcome along the way. That's what keeps the creative process fresh and alive,'' says the artist.
Elliott’s work won the Grand Prize at the West Hartford Art League’s CT+5 show in 2009. Elliott has created numerous commissioned pieces, both commercial and private. She is an elected member of the Lyme Art Association in Old Lyme. She is currently represented by 12 galleries throughout New England and Ireland. She also teaches painting workshops and is a book illustrator.
Lou Russo of West Hartford, studied communications and film in college and after working in television as a videographer and producer, went on to attend the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Massachusetts. There he found himself more and more interested in the process of storytelling through photography.
"What I’m drawn to most is photographing life as it happens, moments in time that catch my eye and make me want to share my experience with others," says Russo, a Brooklyn, New York native. "It’s how I felt each time I found myself on Coney Island. I wanted others to see this place that I’ve always been so intrigued with."
Russo’s work was recently awarded the Rhode Island School of Design Award at the West Hartford Art League’s CT+5 show. His fine art photography has been exhibited in galleries and art spaces in Manhattan, Chicago, Miami, San Antonio and many other cities. A self-published book of his Coney Island images is in the works.
The University of Connecticut Health Center’s collection of fine arts serves to enhance the environment and promote the sense of a caring community for patients, visitors, staff and students. Art is selected, acquired and exhibited by the UCHC Art Advisory Committee. To view a selection of the Health Center’s permanent collection visit: http://auxiliary.uchc.edu/art.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Free Discovery Series April 13 at UConn Health Center
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Whether you are at risk with a family history of diabetes, newly diagnosed, or have been coping with diabetes for years, it’s always a good idea to become more informed. The more you know, the better equipped you will be to control your blood sugars and live a healthier life. The University of Connecticut Health Center’s Discovery Series will present a program on the topic of diabetes, Tuesday, April 13.
The program is free and starts at 7 p.m. in the UConn Health Center’s Keller Auditorium. To register, call 800-535-6232 or register online at http://discoveryseries.uchc.edu.
Experts from the UConn Health Center’s Diabetes Education Program will present information about risk factors and diabetes prevention strategies, the newest diabetes information and technologies, and how to manage your diabetes. The program will feature an “ask the experts” session.
Diabetes is a serious disease that strikes nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States. An additional 57 million, or one in five Americans, have pre-diabetes, which puts them at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.
To get to the UConn Health Center main entrance: Entering the campus from Route 4, at the first stop sign, continue straight. Bear left at the fork and continue up the hill. The main entrance is straight past the next stop sign. Visitor parking is available on the other side of the gate. Directions to the UConn Health Center are available at http://www.uchc.edu/directions/home.html.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Dr. Lawrence Raisz, Bone Disease Expert, to Be Honored
FARMINGTON, CONN. – The University of Connecticut Health Center will hold its premiere "White Coat Gala" in April to support innovative researchers at the state’s academic medical center.
The gala, scheduled for Saturday, April 10, from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Hartford Marriott, is the first Health Center-wide fundraising event in more than a decade. Proceeds will provide support for clinician-scientists at the Health Center. The event will also honor Dr. Lawrence G. Raisz, a longtime member of the Health Center community and one of the preeminent experts in the management of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease in the world.
The Health Center’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations is coordinating the gala. The Aetna Foundation and longtime university supporters Carole and Ray Neag have committed to become the title sponsors for the event, with The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and Richard and Jane Lublin also committing as presenting sponsors.
The "White Coat" name will serve as the Health Center’s signature annual event for the future, with a new and different sub-theme each year based on the planned beneficiaries within the Health Center. The 2010 theme, "Celebrating Medicine—the Fabric of Life," will focus on research conducted at the University and the resulting benefits in our society.
"The support of our donors and friends will make all the difference as we move the Health Center toward its full potential," says Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, vice president for health affairs and medical school dean. "The white coat symbolizes our clinical care staff, the coats presented to our medical and dental students, and the tremendous cadre of biomedical researchers here. We look forward to using this annual event to celebrate the investment made by the state, University and public in the UConn Health Center."
For more information about attending the gala, or for sponsorship, please contact Dina Plapler, vice president for development, at 860-679-8077 or dplapler@foundation.uconn.edu.
Photo: http://today.uchc.edu/images/news/raisz.jpg
Caption: Dr. Lawrence Raisz, bone health expert at the New England Musculoskeletal Institute, will be honored at the UConn Health Center’s premiere "White Coat Gala" April 10 at the Hartford Marriott.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Health Center Receives Nearly $8 Million Federal Grant for Improvements to Research Core Facility
FARMINGTON, CONN. – The University of Connecticut Health Center has received a $7.9 million federal grant to renovate, modernize, and improve a research core facility that supports the projects of 136 scientists.
The grant from the National Center for Research Resources, part of the National Institutes of Health, will support a 15,480 square foot renovation in one of the original research buildings on the Farmington campus. The funding was awarded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.
"This grant will move the UConn Health Center forward to achieve national and international prominence by sustaining and expanding our core facilities in support of our interdisciplinary and clinical and translational research initiatives," says Dr. Marc Lalande, principal investigator of the grant award and senior associate dean, research planning and coordination. "UConn is among a select group of academic medical centers to be awarded Recovery Act funds through the NIH’s facilities improvement grant program, which underscores the importance of and the need for the project."
The plan will significantly improve the overall operational efficiencies of the facility and correct problematic working conditions and ergonomic issues for the staff. It will also use sustainable "green" technologies to reduce water and energy consumption, thereby producing cost efficiencies over the long term.
The project is estimated to take a little more than two years and will immediately create new jobs. An estimated, 115 to130 construction and trades workers will be employed during the proposed renovations. In addition, throughout the design and construction period, 15 to 20 full and part-time architects, engineers, technical support staff and specialty consultants will work on the project. The NIH grant will fund 85 percent of the renovations; the remaining 15 percent, or approximately $1.3 million, will be financed by the Health Center.
"This stimulus grant is a win-win for Connecticut," says 5th District Congressman Christopher Murphy. "Not only will it make needed improvements to the UConn Health Center, it will also create jobs, from the engineers designing the upgrades to the men and women who will transform this facility."
Expanded funding for NIH research included in the stimulus legislation already has resulted in awards of more than $19 million for investigators at the Health Center. The grant announced today brings the total stimulus funding from NIH to approximately $27 million over several years.
A number of research programs will benefit from the improvement of the core facilities, including a group project researching the development of protective immunity against viral and bacterial pathogens and their products, which received more than $3.5 million in ARRA funds.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Match Day was a great success for students at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine as 97 percent secured residencies through the National Residency Match Program. The national average is 93 percent.
Primary care residency programs, mostly internal medicine and pediatrics, accounted for 35 percent of the students. Emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology and psychiatry were the top three programs for the remaining 65 percent of students. The majority of the class, 54 of the 75 students, will stay in the Northeast, with 16 remaining in Connecticut.
“Year after year, our students match to the most prestigious residencies in the country, and this year is no exception. We’re extremely proud of them,” says Dr. Anthony Ardolino, associate dean of medical student affairs.
Match Day is conducted annually at medical schools across the country to match students with residency programs and fill the available training positions at teaching hospitals around the country.
Photo: http://today.uchc.edu/images/news/matchday2010_1.jpg
Caption: Christopher Sala (left), of Stamford, a fourth-year student at the UConn School of Medicine, and Tobias Wasser, of New Milford, open their envelopes to find out which residency programs they’ll be attending. Sala will stay at the UConn Health Center in the emergency medicine program and Wasser will attend the psychiatry program at Yale University. Both are members of the Class of 2010 who received their residency appointments at the traditional Match Day ceremony March 18.
Photo: http://today.uchc.edu/images/news/matchday2010_3.jpg
Caption: Charlecinth Yennie (center), a fourth-year student at UConn School of Medicine, along with family members, is happy to learn she has been accepted into the family medicine residency program at the UConn Health Center and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Yennie, of Hartford, is one of 75 members of the Class of 2010 who received their residency appointments at the traditional Match Day ceremony March 18.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
The University of Connecticut is just months away from opening a new research building in Farmington to enhance Connecticut’s role as a leader in innovative high tech research and technology transfer in the areas of stem cell biology, advanced microscopy and imaging, computational biology and genetics.
Especially designed with open labs that flow into each other and office areas located on hallways running between labs, the new Cell and Genomic Sciences Building intends to promote interdisciplinary research among the academic and industry chemists, geneticists, physicists, mathematicians, cell biologists, and computer scientists housed there. This collaborative effort aims to capitalize on the power of different areas of scientific expertise to revolutionize the practice of medicine.
"Our goal is to maximize the state’s investment in stem cell research by establishing an infrastructure to support scientists in their quest of turning discoveries at the bench into therapies for diseases such as autism and cancer and to advance the field of regenerative medicine," says Dr. Marc Lalande, senior associate dean for research planning and coordination at the UConn Health Center and director of UConn’s Stem Cell Institute, as well as professor and chairman of the medical school’s genetics and developmental biology department. "This is an unprecedented opportunity for us."
Purchased by UConn with Board of Trustees’ approval in 2007, a former research and testing facility at 400 Farmington Avenue – across the street from UConn’s Health Center campus – has been undergoing a $52 million transformation and is to be equipped with the latest technologies for studying cells and their genomes. The new 117,000 square foot building is expected to open in July 2010.
The renovated building will house research laboratories, offices, a 100-seat auditorium, cafeteria, and incubator space for businesses eager to commercialize stem cell science. Designed by the Boston laboratory architecture firm Goody Clancy, the renovations will meet the requirements of a LEED Silver rating, according to project manager Kevin Norton.
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system – developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council – is the industry standard for measuring building sustainability.
Currently more than 100 construction workers are busy completing the mechanical and electrical systems, installing finishes, laboratory casework, interior window assemblies, and skylights over the corridors of the one-story structure.
Opportunities for Collaboration
"The overriding intent is to provide sufficient internal transparency to allow the entire research community in the building to interact, while providing natural light to internal spaces," says Norton.
Scientists in the building will be involved in a wide spectrum of research projects, including the design and construction of new laser-based microscopes, computer simulation of living processes inside cells, and sequencing of human and animal genomes, says Lalande. Being located close to UConn’s Health Center will support the goal of translating basic research findings to clinical trials, he adds.
Two corridors lead off the entrance lobby of the building to private areas dispersed around the facility for focused research.
Three major research programs will be re-located from the Health Center to the new facility: the UConn Stem Cell Institute (UCSCI), the R.D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling (CCAM), and the Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Together these three programs include about 180 scientists and their staff.
- The UCSCI was established after the state, in 2005, enacted legislation to fund stem cell research through the Connecticut State Stem Cell Advisory Committee. Over the first three rounds of competition for the state funds, UConn researchers won $20.8 million – the majority of awards granted. The funding supports more than 32 laboratories at both the Farmington and Storrs campuses. UConn scientists have submitted 44 applications for the state’s fourth grant competition round, which begins next month.
UConn has spent more than $1 million to equip the human embryonic stem cell core facility that trains researchers and lab workers from around the state on lab techniques for stem cell research; 114 have been trained to date.
Recently, staff of the core facility developed induced pluripotent human stem cells, or iPS cells, which behave like embryonic stem cells and increasingly are being used by researchers to generate in vitro models of human disease.
The on-site presence of the UCSCI and the stem cell core facility will provide both hands-on expertise and resources to the wide range of investigators in the new building.
- CCAM’s multidisciplinary team uses cutting-edge imaging, microscopy, and computational modeling to more accurately analyze living cells. CCAM has also developed a computer software and database system – the Virtual Cell – that allows researchers to construct computational models of cells, perform simulations, and analyze the results of those simulations to better understand cell physiology. More than 2,000 scientists from around the world have used the Virtual Cell to carry out simulations.
To handle these simulations (some are quite large), the new Center will house CCAM’s High Performance Computing Facility, which also provides computer support to the CCAM microscopy facility and other research projects of individual UConn faculty members.
- Equipped with $1.1 million of state-of-the-art technology to read entire genomes, the translational genomics core facility will have all the equipment necessary for DNA analysis and sequencing, gene expression analysis, genotyping, and the associated bioinformatics infrastructure to facilitate data analysis.
The new building will afford the 17 scientists from the Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology moving there the opportunity to work with their colleagues in ways that haven’t been possible before, and to use these new tools to isolate and study rare cells.
Having these programs in the same building along with researchers applying a broad range of cutting-edge approaches will significantly speed up cell research at UConn, Lalande says.
The potential of the new facility and continued stem cell funding by the state has already helped recruit two new faculty with expertise in stem cell biology and nanomedicine who are expected to join the new building’s research community later this summer, he adds.
"We’re thinking about the intersection of cell biology, genetics, and computer science, and other disciplines that inform those areas," he says.
Researchers will also find it easier to communicate with each other about their work, Lalande says, fostering collaborations that could lead to new insights into cell biology: "This building is designed to drive cross-pollination of scientific ideas to a new level."
From Lab to Marketplace
The new building will also expand the work of UConn’s Office of Technology Commercialization, including the Technology Incubation Program – UConn’s business incubator – by providing offices, conference rooms, and laboratories for six start-up biotechnology companies.
"While our scientists may generate the next stem cell breakthrough, to bring them to market there must be a group of people with the skills not only to start a company, but to help it grow," says Rita Zangari, interim director of the Office of Technology Commercialization and executive director of the Technology Incubation Program.
The new building has already helped to attract two bioscience companies, Zangari says. One company seeks to use stem cells in bone cement products, while the other – relocating to Connecticut from Massachusetts – is conducting research using stem cells extracted from tooth pulp for therapeutic use in combating degenerative diseases.
"Having the resources in place for our researchers and their industry partners to move discoveries from the lab to the marketplace fosters a climate in which ideas are easily exchanged and partnerships are developed," Zangari says. "Collaboration is the essence of UConn’s power to generate new discoveries and then build companies and jobs around them."
National Poison Prevention Week Is March 14 through 20
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Everyone, especially parents, should keep track of anything that can be poisonous and keep it out of children’s reach. The reminder comes as part of National Poison Prevention Week, March 14 through 20.
"If you could do one thing to poison proof your home, lock up all medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter, and herbal and natural supplements," says Amy Hanoian-Fontana, community education specialist at the Connecticut Poison Control Center. "National Poison Prevention Week is a great reminder to take stock of the poisons you have in your home and do something about them to keep your family safe."
Poison control centers are the local authority on substances or medications that are potentially hazardous when exposed to, touched, ingested or inhaled, as well as stings and bites. The national toll-free number, 800-222-1222, works from anywhere in the U.S., with calls routed to the nearest poison control center. Connecticut’s is located at the University of Connecticut Health Center.
Approximately 2 million poisonings are reported each year to the 60 poison control centers across the United States. The American Association of Poison Control Centers says approximately 90 percent of poisonings happen at home, more than half of poisoning exposures involve children under the age of 6, and the majority of fatal poisonings occur among adults, especially older adults.
Experts say because many poison exposures can be treated at home, those in doubt about whether to call the Poison Control Center hotline should err on the side of caution and make the call.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Daylight Saving Time Starts Sunday; March Is National Sleep Awareness Month
FARMINGTON, CONN. – The switch to daylight saving time is a good time to think about the importance of sleep, say experts at the University of Connecticut Health Center’s Sleep Disorders Center.
"Sleep problems can manifest themselves in a number of different ways, and not always obvious ones," says Dr. Jennifer Kanaan. "And in no place might this be more evident than in the pediatric population."
Kanaan, who specializes in sleep disorders in women, children and teens, says studies are turning up data that some may find startling:
- Research suggests sleep-deprived adolescents are more likely to be suicidal.
- It’s not uncommon for sleep deprivation to be misdiagnosed as attention deficit-hyperactive disorder, or ADHD.
- Sleep deprivation makes children more prone to accidents, the leading cause of childhood injury.
- Data show a link between childhood obesity and pediatric sleep apnea, and apnea can affect school performance.
"Forty percent of parents report their kids have sleep problems," Kanaan says. "It’s enormously prevalent, but no one talks about it. Parents who are concerned about their kids’ school performance should evaluate how their kids are sleeping."
That’s because well-rested children show up for school ready to learn, their cognitive function more receptive to the day’s lessons. And it’s one very good reason to give serious thought to starting school later in the morning, says Dr. Daniel McNally, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center.
"As kids progress from elementary to middle to high school, their school start times become earlier," McNally says. "This is counter to their biological clocks. When they become adolescents and teenagers, they become vulnerable to sleep phase shift – simply put, their body clocks tell them to go to bed late and wake up late. Their need for sleep goes up with adolescence, not down. But, in reality, teenagers don't get the sleep they need. So really, high school should be starting the latest, not the earliest."
The Sleep Disorders Center is equipped to see patients as young as age 2. More information is available at http://health.uchc.edu/clinicalservices/sleep. To make an appointment, call 860-679-4090.
Photo: http://today.uchc.edu/images/news/jkanaan.jpg
Caption: Dr. Jennifer Kanaan, a sleep expert at the UConn Health Center, says sleep disorders often are related to other health problems and, in the case of children and teens, can lead to behavioral and school performance problems. The Health Center’s Sleep Disorders Center sees patients as young as 2 years old.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
A Forum in Early Childhood Inclusion – Enhancing Learning Through the Use of Assistive Technology
Forum to Be Held in Hartford on March 19
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Enhancing participation among young children with severe disabilities in school and community settings is the subject of a forum to be held on Friday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Crowne Plaza Hartford - Downtown, 50 Morgan St., Hartford.
The presentation will focus on how to design inclusive learning opportunities for young children with disabilities through the use of adaptations and assistive technology. Participants will learn how to use an interview format to identify activities/routines in which to embed adaptations so that young children’s participation and learning are increased in inclusive, natural learning environments: the home, community and school.
The keynote speaker is Philippa ‘Pip” Campbell, Department of Occupational Therapy, Child and Family Research Programs at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
The forum is sponsored by the University of Connecticut A.J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and the Partnership for Inclusive Practices.
For more information or to register for the forum click on Survey Monkey or call 860-679-1500.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Who: Robin Bellinger
What: Spread My Wings
Where: Main and Mezzanine lobbies, UConn Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington
When: March 15 through May 6, daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
About the Artists:
Robin Bellinger states that art presents her with opportunities to express her values and beliefs in both two and three dimensions. Her current body of work represents different obstacles and triumphs she has experienced throughout her life and personifies her experiences and emotions, she says. "Through my work, I want to tap into the unlimited well of my imagination and express it," says Bellinger. "My contemporary work lends itself to differing interpretations and emotions. The purpose of my artistic journey is to search within myself and the environment around me."
Bellinger earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and attended ceramic workshops at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Working under Boston artist Kristin Mills, Bellinger evolved into both a sculptor and a painter. She uses both clay and wood in creating abstract and figure sculptures and paints in acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media.
A resident of Halifax, Massechussetts, Bellinger has exhibited her work in the Greater Boston area.
The University of Connecticut Health Center’s collection of fine arts serves to enhance the environment and promote the sense of a caring community for patients, visitors, staff and students. Art is selected, acquired and exhibited by the UCHC Art Advisory Committee. To view a selection of the Health Center’s permanent collection visit: http://auxiliary.uchc.edu/art.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Hypertension: The Silent Prelude to Heart Failure
Free Discovery Series at UConn Health Center March 2
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the major causes of heart failure. The University of Connecticut Health Center’s Discovery Series will present a program about hypertensive heart failure, Tuesday, March 2.
The program is free and starts at 7 p.m. in the UConn Health Center’s Keller Auditorium. To register, call 800-535-6232, or register online at http://discoveryseries.uchc.edu.
Dr. William B. White, a hypertension expert at the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center, will discuss the importance of blood pressure in the development of heart failure. Dr. Jason W. Ryan, a general cardiologist, will present how to recognize, treat and live with heart failure. Dr. David Hager, director of the Congestive Heart Failure Center, will moderate the program.
To get to the UConn Health Center main entrance: Entering the campus from Route 4, at the first stop sign, continue straight. Bear left at the fork and continue up the hill. The main entrance is straight past the next stop sign. Visitor parking is available on the other side of the gate. Directions to the UConn Health Center are available at http://www.uchc.edu/directions/home.html.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Designation from Anthem Health Plans for Spine Surgery, Knee, Hip Replacement
FARMINGTON, CONN. – The University of Connecticut Health Center’s New England Musculoskeletal Institute has been designated as both a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut.
"Blue Distinction puts a high value on research and evidence-based health and medical information," says Dr. Allan Korn, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Chief Medical Officer. "Blue Distinction Centers show our commitment to working with doctors and hospitals in communities across the country to identify leading institutions that meet clinically validated quality standards and deliver better overall outcomes in patient care."
The Blue Distinction designation is awarded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacement, spine surgery and transplants. The program is part of The Blues® efforts to collaborate with physicians and medical facilities to improve the overall quality and safety of specialty care. Details of the selection criteria used to evaluate facilities are available on www.bcbs.com.
More information about the New England Musculoskeletal Institute is available at http://nemsi.uchc.edu.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM® is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut is available at www.anthem.com.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
UConn Health Center’s Discovery Series February 23 and 25
FARMINGTON, CONN. – The University of Connecticut Health Center’s Discovery Series presents two February programs.
Tales From the Trenches: On the Front Lines of Emergency Medicine
Tuesday, February 23, 7 p.m., Keller Auditorium
People seem to be fascinated by the types of cases that come in to, and what goes on behind the scenes in, their local emergency rooms. Learn about the fascinating, 24-hour-a-day, non-stop world of emergency medicine and how it has changed through the years. Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look from emergency room physicians, as well as life-saving tips and when to call 911.
The UConn Health Center is home to the only full service emergency department in the Farmington Valley serving patients from West Hartford, Avon and surrounding towns. UConn’s ED now includes seven new rooms, increasing the footprint by 2,500 square feet and allowing for increased privacy and improved efficiency.
Is Less Better? The Mammogram and Pap Smear Controversies
Thursday, February 25, 7 p.m., Keller Auditorium (rescheduled from January 28)
Dr. Ursula A. Steadman, an obstetrician and gynecologist, and Dr. Carolyn Runowicz, a nationally prominent expert in gynecologic cancers and women’s health, chair of the National Cancer Advisory Board, and director of the Health Center’s Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, will provide information about the new guidelines for pap smears and mammograms. There will be ample opportunity for audience members to address their questions to the experts.
Both programs are free and require advance registration. Call 800-535-6232 or register online at http://discoveryseries.uchc.edu.
To get to the UConn Health Center main entrance: Entering the campus from Route 4, at the first stop sign, continue straight. Bear left at the fork and continue up the hill. The main entrance is straight past the next stop sign. Visitor parking is available on the other side of the gate. Directions to the UConn Health Center are available at http://www.uchc.edu/directions/home.html.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
New Graduate Medical Education Journal Names UConn School of Medicine Professor as Editor
FARMINGTON, CONN. – The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has named Dr. Gail Sullivan as editor of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education (JGME), the first peer-reviewed journal focused on all aspects of the education of medical residents and fellows.
Sullivan is the associate director for education at the University of Connecticut Center on Aging as well as professor and program director of the geriatric medicine fellowship at the UConn School of Medicine. "It is thrilling to have the opportunity to shape a new journal to meet the needs of the graduate medical education community," says Sullivan. "I want the Journal of Graduate Medical Education tto become the primary source for program directors and teachers to learn about new, valid educational strategies, as well as for how to strengthen their own educational research goals."
Sullivan has a rich and extensive editorial background with medical journals including her current position as a member of the editorial board of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, and Editor-in-Chief of the Geriatric Review Syllabus, 7th edition and Case-based Geriatrics Review, 2nd edition. She has been a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Chronic Diseases, the Journal of General Internal Medicine, and the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine, Educational Clearinghouse for Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine Section.
"Dr. Sullivan has strong credentials as an editor and an educator, along with a seasoned understanding of the issues in graduate medical education. We feel her experience and interests are a good match for JGME," says Dr. Debra Weinstein, chair of the Journal Oversight Committee that led the search for the editor-in-chief.
The inaugural issue of JGME was released in September 2009; the first two issues are available for open access at www.jgme.org.
Photo: http://today.uchc.edu/images/news/gail_sullivan.jpg
Caption: Gail Sullivan, associate director for education at the UConn Center on Aging, has been named the editor of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Who: Pamela and Frank Bramble
What: Bramble and Bramble: Remnants, Glyphs and Palimpsests
Where: Celeste LeWitt Gallery, UConn Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington
When: January 21 through April 29, 2010 daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
About the Artists:
In their painting and mixed-media work, Pamela and Frank Bramble independently examine the beauty of worn and time-altered surfaces. Abstract in nature, Pamela Bramble’s abstract paintings resonate with color and reveal layered spaces that give the impression of continual evolution. Frank Bramble uses torn paper, wood, twine, wire, thread and color to create works that are both sculptural and painterly.
Pamela Bramble’s work is represented in public and private collections and has been reviewed by The New York Times, The Hartford Courant and Art New England. She received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Connecticut and a master’s in fine art from Columbia University in Chicago. She has taught a variety of art courses in the Department of Art and Art History at UConn since 1989 and has served as an invited juror and lecturer. She was presented with the President’s Gold Medallion for her paintings in the Emerging Artists exhibit at The Gregg Galleries in New York City, and was the recipient of a UConn research travel grant to study thirteenth and fourteenth century frescoes in Italy, a fundamental inspiration for her work.
Frank Bramble has been painting for more than 30 years. His work is in corporate, university, and private collections across the country. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Connecticut, a master’s in fine art from the University of Hartford and a master’s of arts in teaching from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. He has taught and been a guest lecturer and visiting artist at numerous schools and universities, most recently at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted, and at UConn.
The pieces at the Health Center represent some of the art exhibited in 2008 at UConn’s Homer Babbidge Library in Storrs. Parts of the original show have also been exhibited at UConn’s Torrington campus, and an expanded show is scheduled for Fairfield University’s Walsh Gallery at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts in June/July 2010 and for the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at UConn’s Avery Point campus in the spring of 2012.
The Brambles maintain studios in Connecticut and Vermont.
The University of Connecticut Health Center’s collection of fine arts serves to enhance the environment and promote the sense of a caring community for patients, visitors, staff and students. Art is selected, acquired and exhibited by the UCHC Art Advisory Committee. To view a selection of the Health Center’s permanent collection visit: http://auxiliary.uchc.edu/art.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Find out during free program on January 27 at UConn Health Center
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Ajay Dhingra, D.D.S., M.S.D., of the Center for Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry, will present a free talk about the benefits of natural-looking dental implants on Wednesday, January 27, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the University of Connecticut Health Center.
The talk will be held in the Center for Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry, which is on the main floor of the Health Center (use main hospital entrance). To register, call 800-535-6232.
Dr. Dhingra is an assistant professor in the Department of Reconstructive Sciences at the UConn School of Dental Medicine. He trained at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and is a member of the American College of Prosthodontics and the Academy of Osseointegration.
To learn more about the dental implant center, visit dentalimplants.uchc.edu.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Collaborative Effort to Reach Children of Incarcerated Parents
FARMINGTON, CONN. – The University of Connecticut Health Center and its community partners are marking the anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., the national King Day of Service, and National Mentoring Month by unveiling a mentoring program for Hartford-area children whose parents are incarcerated.
What: "We Have a Dream Celebration" to introduce the Mentoring Futures Together program, including:
- A song and step performance by the Milner School Talented Teen Program.
- A hymn in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. sung by the Rev. Persephone Hall of Liberty Christian Center International.
- A violin performance from Nicole Stacey, a student at the Hartt School of Music.
When: Friday, January 15, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: State Capitol, Room 310
Who:
- UConn Health Center
- Judah House, a transitional housing facility for women in Hartford
- African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities (AFCAMP), a family advocacy group serving Hartford residents
Scheduled speakers:
- Josephine Hawke, assistant professor, UConn Health Center Department of Psychiatry
- Corendis Dawson-Bonner, executive director, Judah House
- Merva Jackson, executive director, AFCAMP
- Jeanne Milstein, state child advocate
- Roland Harmon, Governor’s Prevention Partnership
- Eva Bunnell, field representative for youth and families for U.S. Rep. John Larson (D-1st)
- Tammy Sneed, program director of girls services, Department of Children and Families
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
Evidence-based Practices for Young Children with Autism Focusing on Challenging Behaviors and Inclusion
Forum to Be Held in Farmington on February 5
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Two prominent researchers and educators in the field of autism spectrum disorders will be the featured speakers for a forum on early childhood inclusion on Friday, February 5 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Hartford Marriott, 15 Farm Springs Road, Farmington.
The presentation will focus on the prevention and resolution of challenging behaviors and the importance of inclusion and strategies for promoting highly successful educational experiences in inclusive settings. The session will include discussion of specific intervention techniques and examples with toddlers and preschoolers in home, community and classroom environments.
Glen Dunlap, a tenured professor with the University of Florida, has over 30 years of experience and has authored numerous publications in the areas of positive behavior support, family support, emotional and behavioral disorders and autism and other developmental disabilities.
Phil Strain is director of the Positive Early Learning Experiences Center at the University of Colorado Denver. Throughout his 34 year career, he has focused on developing, evaluating and replicating behavioral intervention for young children with autism and children who engage in aggression and anti-social behavior.
The forum is sponsored by the University of Connecticut A.J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and the Partnership for Inclusive Practices.
For more information or to register for the forum visit Survey Monkey or call 860-679-1500.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.
FARMINGTON, CONN. – Following a year of intensive efforts to implement far-reaching quality and safety initiatives, officials with the University of Connecticut Health Center today learned that the John Dempsey Hospital has been removed from licensure probation by the state Department of Public Health ahead of the expected schedule.
Though the probation could have lasted two years, the Health Center met its goal to achieve early removal.
"We are certainly gratified by the DPH’s action and see this as an important step forward in the hospital’s continuing improvement," said Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., vice president for health affairs and dean of the UConn School of Medicine.
Laurencin credited Hospital Director Mike H. Summerer, M.D., FACPE, who has made safety and quality improvement a 24/7 priority since taking the helm at John Dempsey Hospital in early 2009.
"We have excellent clinicians, staff and administrators throughout the Health Center who have remained completely focused and proactive about safety issues. Today’s action is a result of their work and dedication," Summerer said. In particular, he praised the work of the Health Center’s Department of Quality Programs and the mandatory, daily safety meetings for hospital staff.
"This has been, and will continue to be, a team effort," Summerer added.
Today’s announcement follows several acknowledgements from outside organizations. The Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center, which is part of the hospital, recently received the Get With The GuidelinesSM–Heart Failure Bronze Performance Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. The recognition signifies that the Health Center has reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failure patients for at least 90 days with 85 percent compliance to core standard levels of care outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology.
Another recent study by a national alliance representing the majority of university hospitals in the U.S. ranked the Health Center in the top 10 for several key measurements of quality care in intensive care units (ICUs).The University Health System Consortium looked at specific metrics related to care in hospital ICUs such as length of stay, cost, and mortality for patients needing specialized services, including ventilators. The Health Center was ranked among the top 10 nationally in four out of six specific measurements and was among only three academic hospitals which ranked in the top 10 for four or more measures.
"Over the last few months we’ve received a good deal of praise for our hospital and its amazing staff. We are very proud to offer world-class care to all the citizens of Connecticut," Dr. Laurencin added.
The University of Connecticut Health Center includes the schools of medicine and dental medicine, the UConn Medical Group, University Dentists, and John Dempsey Hospital. Founded in 1961, the Health Center pursues a mission of providing outstanding health care education in an environment of exemplary patient care, research and public service. More information about the UConn Health Center is available at www.uchc.edu.
Note: News professionals are invited to visit the Office of Communications home page at today.uchc.edu for archived news releases and other information.