An electronic newsletter from The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix

February 28, 2006

In this issue…

Articles…

Phoenix Campus expansion update
ACMER approves plan for ambulatory care center

At a meeting Feb. 8, the Arizona Commission on Medical Education and Research (ACMER) approved a preliminary recommendation from the Clinical Subcommittee for an ambulatory care center at the Phoenix campus. This outpatient facility will provide clinical experiences for College of Medicine students in Phoenix. 

Facility renovation (historic buildings)
Renovation of the historic buildings for the new program of the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix is about 65 percent complete.

Building 1: The first floor is dry walled and the second floor is roughed in.  On the third floor, framing is complete.  The exterior glass is installed on the core building which houses the elevators.  The bathrooms are framed and exterior painting will start next week.

Building 2: The final repair to the historic plaster ceiling is in progress. Framing is almost complete on the classrooms in this building and the elevators will be installed over the next two weeks.  Scaffolding has been set up so that patchwork can be started and the exterior painted.

Building 3: Scaffolding has been taken down and the exterior is fully refurbished.  The first and second floors are almost complete.  On the third floor, taping is finished and painting will begin this week.  The core building glass framing is installed. 

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

Faculty and administration recruitment
 The interview process for the first basic science faculty members has concluded with 32 candidates participating in the interview process.  The search committee, which includes representatives from the UA College of Medicine, ASU, TGen and BNI, has identified the top candidates from the over 400 applications submitted.  Negotiations for the first eight faculty members are in progress. 

Interviews for the associate dean for academics have been conducted and negotiations are under way with the selected candidate.

A search committee for the vice dean for the Phoenix program has been appointed and will meet with the national search consultants in mid-March to commence the process.  The search committee includes representation from UA and many of our constituencies including ASU, TGen, Greater Phoenix Leadership, ArMA, Maricopa Medical Society, Maricopa Community Colleges, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust among others.

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ABC Building construction started; news conference to be held March 16

Construction of the ABC (Arizona Biomedical Collaborative) building has begun!  Excavation for the utility basement is complete and the concrete is being poured.

The building will be located on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus at Seventh Street and Van Buren - adjacent to the new campus of the UA College of Medicine and TGen.  The facility will house the ASU Department of Biomedical Informatics and wet lab research space for the UA.

Funding for this historic collaboration between the Universities was provided by HB 2529 (The Legislative Appropriation for Research Infrastructure).  The ABC building is believed to be the first facility to be shared by the UA and ASU and the first public facility dedicated to research in Phoenix.  Construction is expected to be complete by April 2007.

To communicate the impact of this project to the media, a news conference will be held at the site on Thursday, March 16 at 9 a.m.  Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, City of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, University Presidents Likins and Crow, and Arizona Board of Regents President Chris Palacios will address the press.

For more information, please contact Susan Guthrie, UA College of Medicine, at (602) 631-6555, or Terri Shafer, ASU, at (480) 965-3865.

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Mayor addresses College of Pharmacy expansion in Phoenix

During his recent State of the City Address on Valentines Day, City of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon announced plans for the expansion of the UA College of Pharmacy in Phoenix.  The Mayor described the College's commitment to developing a clinical pharmacogenomics program on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.  The focus of the program is to increase the number of pharmacists with specialized training in individualized drug therapies and to train more pharmaceutical students.  The upcoming Phoenix Bond Package contains $1.5 million to further develop this plan.   (State of the City Address)

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Community Mini Med School registration for spring session in progress

Registration for the spring session of Mini Med School is in progress.  Mini Medical School is a vital tool to promote the College of Medicine’s expansion to a four-year program in Phoenix, as well as to educate the public about the exciting programs and research happening at The University of Arizona.  This is an opportunity to learn about medicine, current health issues and the College of Medicine in a way that is fun and understandable.

The spring session begins March 7 and continues each Tuesday evening through March 28.  Leading faculty members from the UA College of Medicine will present interactive lectures on subjects related to curriculum experienced by real medical school students. 

Spring sessions include:  Ethics in Medicine, taught by Dr. David Beyda; Inside the Mind of a Child, taught by Dr. Dan Kessler; Venomous Creatures, taught by Dr. Leslie Boyer from the UA Poison and Drug Information Center; and Skin Cancer in Arizona...Surviving the Sun., presented by the Arizona Cancer Center.

For more information regarding the program, please contact Beth Riggs at (602) 631-4600.

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Phoenix Faculty Meeting changed to April 3

The College of Medicine - Phoenix Faculty Meeting and Awards Presentation will be held Monday, April 3, 2006 (previously scheduled for April 17) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Phoenix Airport Marriott.  For more information, contact Gail Skeens at (602) 631-6577.

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Call for abstracts or 'bright ideas' - deadline is April 3

The Office of Learning and Teaching is calling for abstracts of "bright ideas" that represent innovation in learning and teaching in medical education.   You may submit a "Bright Idea" (up to one page) that describes an educational practice that you have found to be successful and/or you may submit a poster that describes your work in greater detail.    

All submissions will be peer-reviewed and selected entries will be on display as part of the 5th Annual Innovations in Medical Education Event to be held on Wednesday, April 19.   Awards will be given based on originality, scope and impact, transferability and effectiveness. 

Deadline for bright ideas and poster abstracts is Monday, April 3 at 5 p.m.  To download an application, visit the Office of Learning and Teaching Web site at http://www.phoenix.medicine.arizona.edu/programs/olt/ime/brightideasportal.htm

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End-of-Life Care training session offered April 21

The Arizona Medical Education Consortium (AzMEC) is offering a half-day End-of-Life Care training session on Friday, April 21 from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Flinn Foundation.  Please visit their Web site for more information.

http://www.ahsc.arizona.edu/azmec/ 

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Professional development; Best Practices for Medical Educators and Residents series offered at the Phoenix Campus

Best Practices of Medical Educators Seminars in March (at the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix, Suite 415) include:
March 1:             Promoting Case-Based Instruction
March 30:           Creating Meaningful Evaluation Tools
To register, visit www.phoenix.arizona.edu/programs/olt/bpme

Best Practices Seminars for Residents Seminars in March include:
March 1:           The Resident as Teacher (at the UA College of Medicine –
                        Phoenix, Suite 415)
March 8:           Contract Negotiation and Entity Formation:  Guidelines and
                        Pitfalls (at St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center,
                        Conference Rm. 1)
To register, visit www.phoenix.arizona.edu/programs/olt/bpr

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