UNMC for the record, July 15, 2022

David Brett-Major, MD, emcees health security summit

David Brett-Major, MD, a UNMC epidemiology professor and scholar with the UNMC Global Center for Health Security, served as master of ceremonies for the Military-Civilian Health Security Summit at the 2022 Global Health Security Conference in Singapore.

Dr. Brett-Major also assisted the joint committee from the United States, Singapore and Australia in planning the summit.

Participants included leaders in public health, including the World Health Organization, diplomacy, policy and military. Representatives spanned the Indo-Pacific region, Africa, Europe and North America. 

The summit discussed successes and challenges in managing COVID-19 and preparations for other threats. The event, held June 27 and 28, was the second such summit; Dr. Brett-Major served the same role in the inaugural 2019 meeting.

Updates in Durham Outpatient Center hallways

Renovation work is beginning in hallways on level two of Durham Outpatient Center. Workers will be painting the ceiling grid, installing new LED lights, installing new lighting controls and updating the ceiling tiles.

The work will occur on one side of a hallway at a time to limit closures and disruption to traffic flow. It will not block access for faculty, staff, students and visitors to clinics at the Durham Outpatient Center.

The renovations will begin on level two and once complete will move to level one. Work is expected to last until mid-September.

Questions should be directed to Brian Dykstra, electrical engineer/project manager in Nebraska Medicine Facilities Management and Planning at 402-559-1977.

Retirements announced

Merle McAlevy, MD, retired on July 1 from the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine. McAlevy, who joined UNMC in 1972, is the longest-tenured employee on the list of retirements released this month by the department of human resources.

Other retirees include:

• Richard Blatny, family medicine volunteer, retired June 25 (start date March 1, 1975)
• Paul Esposito, MD, UNMC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, retired July 2 (start date September 22, 1987)
• Victoria Cerino, UNMC Office of Strategic Communications, retires August 1 (start date April 20, 1988)
• Steven Carson, PhD, UNMC Department of Pathology-Microbiology, retired July 1 (start date June 1, 1988)
• Myron Toews, PhD, UNMC Department of Pharmacology-Experimental Neuroscience, retired July 1 (start date June 1, 1989)
• Julie Heyl, UNMC College of Dentistry, retired June 4 (start date September 1, 1994)
• Rita Charles, UNMC College of Dentistry, retired July 16 (start date May 14, 1996)
• Susan Hollins, MD, UNMC Department of Pediatrics, retired June 16 (start date September 15, 1996)
• Brent Crouse, MD, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, retired July 1, (start date September 1, 1997)
• Susan Schwerdtfeger, MD, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, retired July 1 (start date September 1, 1997)
• John Baker, MD, UNMC Department of Pathology-Microbiology, retired July 1 (start date August 17, 1998)
• Karen Easterling, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine-Rheumatology, retired June 2 (start date January 4, 1999)
• Toni Colombo, UNMC Department of Pediatrics-Pulmonology, retired May 4 (start date September 13, 1999)
• Pawel Ciborowski, PhD, UNMC Department of Pharmacology-Experimental Neuroscience, retired July 1 (start date September 1, 2003)
• Young Oliver, MD, UNMC Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, retired July 1 (start date July 1, 2009)
• Brenda Potter, UNMC College of Dentistry, retired July 8 (start date May 19, 2010)
• Rolee Kelly, UNMC College of Nursing, retired June 4 (start date November 1, 2010)
• Kathleen Hanna, PhD, UNMC College of Nursing, retired May 14 (start date August 1, 2014)
• Kent Lacey, MD, UNMC Department of Family Medicine, retired July 1 (start date January 1, 2015)
• Donna Kruger, Medical Laboratory Science-UNMC College of Allied Health Professions, retired June 3 (start date January 1, 2016)
• James Ruskin, DMD, MD, UNMC Department of Surgery-Oral & Maxillofacial, retired July 1 (start date January 1, 2016)
• Marianne Day, DDS, UNMC Department of Adult Restorative Dentistry, UNMC College of Dentistry, retired June 25 (start date August 1, 2016)