Internal Medicine Message From the Chair

Dr. Dan Anderson has been appointed as the Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine effective September 1st. After a national search, Dr. Anderson emerged as the ideal candidate to lead the division forward. He has an excellent vision and much enthusiasm for guiding the division’s clinical, educational and research growth and has gained valuable experience as the interim Chief. I am grateful he has chosen to accept this position.
 
We are also pleased to welcome Dr. Kristina Bailey and Dr. Matt Lunning to new roles in the department leadership as Associate Vice Chairs of basic science and clinical research, respectively. They will be assisting Dr. Ted Mikuls, Vice Chair of Research, with strategies to further enhance our research mission.
 
It is time for Internal Medicine Grand Rounds to begin for this academic year and will start again on Friday, September 6th at noon in the DRC1 auditorium. Each of our ten divisions has an allotment of Grand Round slots and chooses to either bring external speakers or highlight one of their own faculty in this important educational activity. As was true last fall semester, there is a class that is scheduled in the auditorium immediately following Grand Rounds. We need to be out of the auditorium by 1pm. Thanks, in advance, for helping make that happen.
 
We celebrated our faculty mentoring program coordinated by Dr. Shannon Boerner on Friday, August 30th with a luncheon. Congratulations to Dr. Cliff Miles who is this year’s recipient of the Faculty Clinical and Educational Mentoring award. Cliff has made a big difference in the development of several of his colleagues and I appreciate all he has done. Remember that all new faculty are offered the opportunity to have a mentor. Please contact Dr. Boerner if you are new faculty and don’t yet have a mentor or as a more experienced faculty would like to serve as a mentor.  Also check out our departmental faculty development website with its resources at https://www.unmc.edu/intmed/faculty-development/index.html.
 
I hope you will take a few moments to scan through the newsletter and see the many activities of our faculty and trainees. We have several faculty involved with important national and international studies (Drs. Rupp, Desouza, and Swindells for example). Faculty have also been successful in getting new grants and several have been quoted in a variety of news media. Our trainees are recognized for their education of students (Drs. Gruner, Luedders, Lauer, and Cormier). Also see how one of our divisions (Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care) celebrated FY19 achievements in a fun way and the team building activity by the Heart and Vascular Clinical Research Office.
 
Thanks to all who helped prepare for and participate in the ACGME site visit back in early August. The site visitors complimented us on our preparations. We will not hear official feedback for some time, likely not until early 2020. However, I think each of our programs received comments that help us continue strategizing on ways to improve. Thanks also to all who participated in the UNMC survey. Stay tuned for getting results back at both the divisional and department level.
 
Fall is a favorite season for many. Whether it is Husker football or volleyball (or other teams!), all things pumpkin, or cooler temperatures and all the colors of autumn, I hope you find moments of joy. Thanks for all each of you does for the Department!