At their Dec. 2 meeting, the Arizona Board of Regents approved the UA College of Medicine's request to create a new department for the upcoming four-year medical school program at the Phoenix Campus. The new Department of Basic Medical Sciences will encompass several disciplines including cell biology, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology and pathology.  Rather than form multiple basic science departments, a single Basic Medical Sciences Department will be utilized until the growth of the new Phoenix program dictates the need for separate departments.  At the same meeting, ABOR also approved a request by Arizona State University to create a Department of Biomedical Informatics.  This department will work closely with the UA COM on the development of the new four year program and the integration of bioinformatics.

The final report from the economic impact study conducted by Tripp Umbach for the Phoenix Biomedical Campus is now available on the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix web site.  The study indicates that the new campus will create between 14,000 and 24,000 jobs and contribute between $1.1 billion and $2.1 billion annually to the local economy by 2025.  For a copy of the Economic Impact Brochure, please e-mail Susan Guthrie.  To view a copy of the complete report, follow this link: Economic Impact Report.

Facility
Renovation of the new home of the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix is nearly one-half complete and on schedule for the anticipated July 2006 grand opening. 

Building 1: The contractor is completing stud walls and electrical and plumbing rough-ins.  The masonry for the new "core" access building is half complete. 

Building 2: Structural steel for third floor is in place. The concrete floor will be poured next week.

Building 3: The first and second floors have all the plumbing and electrical rough-ins.  Drywall is currently being installed.  A new roof on this building is in place and stucco repairs on the exterior are 50 percent complete.  Construction of the "core" building (which contains the elevators) is in progress.

To view a virtual tour of the construction site, please visit: http://www.phoenix.medicine.arizona.edu/video/const0605.avi.

Faculty and Administration
The recruitment for the associate dean of academic affairs for the Phoenix Campus is well underway.  Interviews with key candidates have begun with the applicants meeting with UA faculty and staff as well as with representatives from community collaborators. 

Recruitment for the initial 12 basic medical science faculty members is also progressing.  More than 350 applications have been received and the search committee has completed a preliminary ranking.  Candidate interviews will begin in Jan. 2006.

Howard Silverman, MD, has been appointed recently to the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix as the special assistant to the vice dean for administration.  He will be focusing on processes relating to the establishment of the new, four year program.  Dr. Silverman is the first joint appointment to both the UA COM - Phoenix and the ASU Biomedical Informatics Department.

Dr. Silverman served most recently as the education director for the program in integrative medicine and clinical professor of family and community medicine at the UA College of Medicine in Phoenix. He was formerly the Banner Health System director of medical informatics and clinical innovation where he had organizational responsibility for creating synergy between care transformation activities, clinical innovation and information technology.

Funding
The Phoenix Business Journal recently conducted an on-line poll regarding funding for the College of Medicine.  Readers were asked, "How much funding does the downtown medical school deserve?".  Of the respondents, 61% said MORE funding should be provided by the state.  To see the results of the survey, go to:  http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/poll/index.html?poll_id=126&hbx=e_du

Jacqueline Chadwick, MD, associate dean for clinical affairs at the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix was recently presented with an award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in recognition of her work for the Group on Medical Regional Campuses.  Dr. Chadwick was the chair-elect in 2004 and the chair in 2005. 

Dr. Chadwick was also notified recently that she is the recipient of The University of Arizona 2006 Alumnus of the Year Award.  The award will be presented to her on Feb. 11 at the Alumnus of the Year Awards Ceremony.

Marvin Moe Bell, MD, MPH, promotion to clinical professor of family and community medicine

Wendy D. Ellis, MC, LPC, clinical lecturer of family and community medicine

Ellen G. Feigal, MD, research professor of medicine

Stephen S. Flintman, MD, clinical assistant professor of neurology

Michael M. Henry, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine

Joseph S. Janick, MD, clinical professor of surgery

John Sarko, MD, clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine

Madhumita Sinha, MD, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics

UA College of Medicine students receive scholarships from the ALMA

The Arizona Latin-American Medical Association (ALMA) recently awarded four $2,000 scholarships to UA COM students. Tomas Acuña, Jose Anaya, Irene Gutierrez and Mario Teran each received their scholarship at the ALMA Gala event on Saturday, Nov. 19.  Over the last ten years, ALMA has provided over $60,000 in scholarships to UA Latino medical students. 

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