Dennis Maki selected for Distinguished Alumni Award

On Oct.11, the Wisconsin Alumni Association bestowed its top honor to Dennis Maki, MS, MD, emeritus professor of medicine. Maki is renowned for his groundbreaking work on infection prevention in hospital settings, and his efforts have saved the lives of countless patients worldwide. He earned all three of his degrees at UW–Madison and served in numerous roles at the university and health system over the past 46 years. Read more from the alumni association and the Department of Medicine.

Photos: Stop the Bleed

On Sept. 23, hundreds gathered for an interprofessional Stop the Bleed event, a hands-on workshop designed to teach people how to stop bleeding in the event of a trauma. Stop the Bleed is a nationwide effort to address bleeding as the leading cause of preventable death in trauma. Participants included 40 facilitators, emergency medical technicians, and 300 first-year students from all five SMPH health profession programs.

Focus on cybersecurity with Christopher Spencer

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness month, an annual opportunity to delve into a topic that affects everyone year-round. To mark the occasion, Christopher Spencer, MBA, CCSP, CISSP, shares his top three pieces of advice for keeping your identity, data, and other assets from being compromised. Spencer also identifies unfounded information about actions that are no longer necessary in context of modern IT systems. He joined the school in August as Director of Cybersecurity.

Research and action on social determinants of health

SMPH scholars have recently published studies showing correlations between population health and socioeconomic factors such as insurance status, race and ethnicity, and access to health care.

• A new landmark study by the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality supported by the Wisconsin Partnership Program provides a unique set of data that sheds light on how patients experience healthcare — and health disparities — across Wisconsin health systems and medical clinics. The study was co-authored by Maureen Smith, MD, MPH, PhD, professor of population health sciences and family medicine and community health, and Matt Gigot, MPH, the coalition’s director of performance measurement and analysis.
• A study led by UW Population Health Institute’s Keith Gennuso, PhD, found that U.S. mortality rates have taken a turn for the worse after years of improvement, with widening gaps between specific racial and ethnic groups.
• Work by Rebecca Myerson, MPH, PhD, assistant professor of population health sciences, found that the Affordable Care Act provided health insurance to 1.9 million people with diabetes, including 1.2 million people with low income.
• Additionally, SMPH has signed on to a declaration titled “Racism is a Public Health Crisis in Wisconsin” that was developed by the Wisconsin Public Health Association (WPHA) and Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH), a group within the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Michael Newton named chair of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics

A leader in the use of statistical computing and inference in areas including genomics, molecular biology and cancer, Michael Newton, PhD, has been named chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. His appointment became effective on Oct. 1.

Physician Assistant Program funding enables key objectives

A $1.2 million, 5-year award from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration is boosting the SMPH Physician Assistant degree program. “Along with efforts to bolster the primary care workforce in rural and underserved areas, this grant will support the improvement of behavioral health and substance use disorder curricula with the ultimate goal of expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to those suffering from substance use disorder,” says program director Virginia Snyder, PhD, PA-C, associate professor of family medicine and community health. The team’s proposal received a score of 99 out of 100 upon peer review.

Shining a light on SMPH staff members

More than 2,700 staff members in the School of Medicine and Public Health play key roles in carrying out our academic, research, patient care, outreach, and service activities. To raise awareness of these contributions, the SMPH Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI) has launched a Staff Spotlight series that highlights both academic staff and university staff.

In this issue, read about Tia Powell. Powell is a medical staff assistant in the Department of Urology.

To nominate someone to be profiled for this series, contact Spotlight series editor Laurie Silverberg-Elwert.

Center awarded funding for urology research

The George M. O’Brien Center for Benign Urology Research led by William Ricke, PhD, professor of urology, has been awarded a U54 grant renewal of $6 million for preclinical and mouse model research into prostate-related lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). This round of funding to the center, which is one of three flagships supported by NIH-National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, will enable research investigating whether prostatic fibrosis is a cause of LUTS. The condition, which affects more than 60 percent of older men in the United States, greatly impacts quality of life. Funding will also support resources and educational programming in benign urologic research.

Partners in Giving fall charitable campaign kicks off

Now through Nov. 29, UW–Madison, UW Health and State of Wisconsin employees are joining forces to raise funds through the Partners in Giving campaign to benefit your more than 500 local, regional, national and international charities. SMPH has tremendous impact. We are the largest unit on campus and among state agencies, so when we team up to give, we are a force for good. Contribute now to your specific cause of choice and help reach our 2019 goal of 17 percent participation. You can also join in Partners in Giving fundraising events occurring throughout SMPH, such as a Chili Cook-Off on November 4 and a Silent Auction on December 11.

Get design help for posters, presentations and more

Design literacy empowers your ability to share ideas and expertise with the world. DesignLab offers free digital design help for all UW–Madison students, faculty and staff. DesignLab is newly available at Ebling Library on Mondays from 2-6 pm and Wednesdays from 10 am-2 pm in October.

Deadline extended: Submit an application for the Paster Family Foundation Award

The Paster Family Foundation is excited to announce the creation of a new innovation award designed to recognize and encourage discoveries on our medical campus that advance human health. Any faculty, staff or student employee of SMPH, UW Health, or the William S. Middleton Veterans Memorial Hospital is eligible to apply by Nov. 1 for the $5,000 award.

HR highlights

Update your emergency contacts

When was the last time you checked to ensure your Emergency Contact information was up to date? This information can be critical in an urgent situation. Please take a moment to check this information in your MyUW portal under the “Personal Information” section. Click “Update My Personal Information” and review details under the “Emergency Contacts” section.

Title and total compensation job mapping is happening

By March, all UW System staff members will have new titles and job descriptions. This effort, which is years in the making, is designed to create relevant and market-informed titles and pay ranges. Learn more at November all-campus forums, view online resources, and see project timeline and FAQs.

Annual benefits enrollment is underway

Now through Oct. 25 is the annual opportunity for benefits-eligible personnel to enroll in or make changes to most benefits. It is the only time of year to do so, unless you have an eligible life event. For guidance, visit with SMPH HR experts during a drop-in session.

View the open enrollment lab schedule

Help protect patient and participant privacy through HIPAA training

Safeguarding patient and research parrticipant privacy is important. It's not only the right thing to do, it's also a responsibility of every SMPH member. The UW–Madison Office of Compliance has released information about upcoming HIPAA training and other updates.

Learn more

Learn about the new campus Policy on Hostile and Intimidating Behavior

All employees of UW–Madison are encouraged to participate in Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Prevention Training. In a 90-minute case-based workshop, you will consider a number of scenarios to help identify what hostile and intimidating behavior is (and isn’t), and work with others to understand what your responsibilities are when you hear about or experience incidents of hostile and intimidating behavior. The SMPH Committee on Academic Staff Issues has arranged workshops to be offered in HSLC 1222 on Oct. 30 from 2-3:30 p.m. and Nov. 12 from 7-8:30 a.m.

Register for the training

Mark your calendar for these faculty development events and opportunities

SMPH events:

• Experiential teaching monthly journal club, Oct. 25
• Pathways to promotion 101, March 12
• Pathways to promotion–tenure, biological sciences

Learn more about these events at the Office for Faculty Affairs and Development event website

RSVP for the fall faculty and staff town hall

All faculty and staff members are welcome and encouraged to attend the Fall Town Hall on Oct. 28 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in room 1335 Health Sciences Learning Center. Topics discussed at town halls, which are held three times each academic year, are broadly relevant and relate to various aspects of the school’s mission. Network with colleagues at a reception following the meeting. 

Why attend the town hall? Hear what others have to say:

“I enjoy hearing news and updates from school leaders, as well as the opportunity to ask questions. My favorite part is talking with colleagues during the reception after the meeting. It is a great way to stay connected and get to know others in SMPH.” – Kristin Cooper, MS, program coordinator, Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program

“Town halls provide the unique opportunity for faculty and staff to attend together to stay connected with the school’s greater mission.” – Stevie Riddle, medical program assistant senior, Department of Urology

“Attending the SMPH Town Halls is a great way to hear strategic updates directly from the Dean and other senior leaders. They also provide a perfect opportunity to re-connect with SMPH colleagues.” – John Roy, Department of Dermatology administrator and senior director of SMPH Information Technology

Headlines and announcements

School news:

• Moving beyond hype: Could one-two treatment restore damaged heart muscle?
• Thomas 'Rock' Mackie receives Gold Medal from American Society for Radiation Oncology
• In Touch: Fall 2019 Doctor of Physical Therapy Program newsletter (PDF)

School events:

• Oct. 31-Nov. 1: Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute's 17th Annual Update in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
• Nov. 1: 18th annual Fall Cancer Conference: Rural Cancer Patients. Real Cancer Issues.
• Nov. 7: David L. DeMets Lectures in Health and Quantitative Investigation with J. Richard Landis, PhD: "Unraveling Mysteries of Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome" (PDF)
• Nov. 20: Women in Medicine and Science Symposium
• See additional upcoming events