I touch the future. I teach. – Christa McAuliffe
One of the great strengths of any medical school is its faculty, and KU Medical Center is fortunate to have some of the most gifted medical, nursing and allied health educators in the country. While research breakthroughs and miraculous surgical procedures make bigger headlines, we never forget that at our core, we are an educational institution.
This past weekend, I attended A Grande Affair, the annual event put on by KU School of Medicine students which celebrates the best of teaching and mentoring at our medical school. The highlight of the evening is when awards are given out to honor the most outstanding educators and courses at the School of Medicine, as determined by student votes.
The most prestigious honor of the event is the Rainbow Award, which honors a physician/educator whom students deem a “hero in medicine." This year’s recipient was Garold Minns, MD, associate dean for academic and student affairs and professor of internal medicine at the KU School of Medicine–Wichita. When the award was announced, Dr. Minns, a 1976 graduate of the KU School of Medicine, received a standing ovation from the crowd.
The Chancellors Distinguished Teaching Awards were also announced last week. The awards were established in 1981 by the KU Endowment Association to recognize and honor teaching excellence among KU faculty. The recipients of the 2010 awards from KU Medical Center are Ivan Damjanov, MD, PhD, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine; Vicki Hicks, RN, MS, ARNP, a clinical assistant professor at the School of Nursing; and Merrill Tarr, PhD, a professor of molecular and integrative biology.
We should all be proud that we have such caring, dedicated and passionate faculty at KU Medical Center. They take their responsibility to train the doctors, scientists, nurses and health care professionals of tomorrow seriously, and the future of our community, state, country and world is brighter because of it.
The KU Advancement Board elected officers at its meeting on April 29. The new officers are Mary Hunkler, secretary; Cheryl Jernigan, chair; and David Wysong, chair-elect. The Advancement Board is an 80-member advisory group that works to develop community and political support for the academic medical center and to bolster philanthropic efforts for education, research and patient care. Details here.
Cancer News
On April 9, the KU Cancer Center leadership met with the External Advisory Board (EAB) to review the progress made toward submission of our application for NCI designation. The EAB review is a significant milestone for institutions applying for NCI designation. In a report submitted after that meeting, the EAB concluded that the Cancer Center has made solid progress over the last year, and that recent successes on recruitment are positive, although a number of critical recruitments remain. The EAB's advice to us is to stay the course, although the Board mentioned that the NCI is expected to change its designation guidelines once they have appointed a new NCI director. But we are pleased to learn that the EAB believes the Cancer Center is on the right track and has made considerable progress in its quest to achieve this critical designation.
In the News
The KU School of Medicine has been recognized by the American Academy of Family Physicians as one of the top 10 medical schools in the nation for producing family medicine physicians. The award recognizes the school of medicine’s efforts to foster student interest in family medicine and produce graduates who enter the specialty. Read more here.
The state of Kansas is in the process of digitizing health information that could be shared by providers. The Kansas e-Health Advisory Council, which is composed of more than 30 health industry stakeholders, is working on a plan to help coordinate efforts to establish a medical information sharing system for the state. That council is overseen by Helen Connors, RN, PhD, FAAN, associate dean for integrative technologies at KU Medical Center. Read more here.
Other Awards News
Twelve KU School of Nursing students were recently recognized for Level I clinical excellence. The students were honored for qualities such as sensitivity, openness and acceptance of other people's beliefs and perspectives; the ability to self-reflect on their own professional practice; the use of skills, personal talents and abilities with clients other than those specifically assigned for clinical care; and searching for learning experiences beyond those required. Those receiving the award include: Brooke Blurton, Jessica Bonovich, Kayla Dudley, Lauren Hansen, Mark Harbaugh, Jeff Knight, Stephanie Lee, Zach Schroeder, Andi Steinhoff, Rebecca Wassmer, Renee Williams, and Lauren Zey.
Other Items of Interest
The Kansas Senate passed a budget measure Wednesday night. The bill is a positive one for KU because it would add $3.6 million to current funding levels. Our thanks go out to Gov. Mark Parkinson and the legislators who are considering the value of higher education as they work through the budget process. There is still much work to be done, so you can still let your voice be heard. For more information, please go to Jayhawks for Higher Education.
The students and staff at Arbor Creek Elementary School in Olathe, Kan., held a carnival on April 22 to benefit KUMC's Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute (KMCRI). The carnival, which honors Arbor Creek teacher Ann Pickert, a breast cancer survivor, raised more than $5,000 for the KMCRI. In the past eight years, the school has raised more than $30,000 for the Institute.