UCONN HEALTH
THE PULSE
Issue 381 | Sept. 14, 2023
Save the Date: Dr. Liang's Next Town Hall
Please join us for Dr. Liang’s next virtual town hall for the UConn Health community Tuesday, Sept. 26, at noon. Dr. Liang and members of his leadership team will share their latest updates on COVID-19 and flu, inspiring good news, clinical growth highlights, other key institutional updates, and answer your questions — please send them in advance to thquestion@uchc.edu.
POSSIBLE IS OUR PEOPLE.
'I Went Into Medicine to Improve Bilingual, Compassionate Care'
Introducing Dr. Amanda Hernandez, who joined the faculty this year, our neurology practice. The daughter of Puerto Ricans, she says being a physician honors her heritage. Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.
Justin Cotney, 'Distinguished Scientist'
Congratulations to genetics and developmental biology researcher Justin Cotney, who will receive the Marylou Buyse Distinguished Scientist in Craniofacial Research Award next month at the annual meeting of the Society for Craniofacial Genetics & Developmental Biology! Read more about Dr. Cotney's work and this honor, which recognizes his contributions to the craniofacial sciences.
DEAR DR. LIANG
The world needs to know. Numerous collaborations are happening routinely between Urgent Care Storrs and (co-located) UConn Storrs Orthopedics. Dr. Zachary Maass, Dr. Cory Edgar, Dr. Matthew Hall, Dr. Joel Ferreira, Dr. Karla Scanlon and Dr. Michael Scanlon have all been super accommodating with their time and expertise and guidance. The staff is welcoming and expert and fluid with their process. I had a patient with an unusual X-ray finding, and Dr. Maass gave an immediate second opinion to help solidify the plan and spoke with the family. He dropped what he was doing and helped out a colleague, again. This is a common process for the ortho team. The Storrs ortho team is innately professional and conscientious. They reflect great credit upon themselves and their patients and UConn and the state of Connecticut. Bravo!
 
Even though there is no question for me to answer here, I found this to be a refreshing dose of positivity and gratitude worth highlighting for our entire community, especially in advance of our University-wide Employee Celebration Week that starts Monday.
 
I share the writer’s sentiments about the wonderful teamwork orthopedics and urgent care are demonstrating — thank you to them for their example, and to the writer for taking the time to boost his colleagues. Bravo indeed!
Have a question for Dr. Liang? Just find his smiling face on UConn Health Express and click “Ask Dr. Liang a Question.”
UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
UConn School of Medicine and Hartford HealthCare Renew Longstanding Academic Collaborations
Hartford HealthCare and UConn have had a nearly 60-year academic clinical training relationship, and today leadership of both institutions gathered in Hartford to celebrate and sign a renewed five-year, expanded academic affiliation agreement.
Here Comes the Hub: One Month Out
The countdown is on! We're one month away from the exciting launch of our newly created intranet, The Hub! You spoke, and we listened. Get ready for launch day. Together on Oct. 12 we enter a new era in employee communication, news and announcement sharing, and readily available resources all in one place for you, our workforce. It’s all a click away from your network-connected device.
Flu Season Is Coming; So Is Your Shot
As we prepare for the 2023-24 flu season, we prepare to vaccinate our entire community, including our workforce, learners, and volunteers. If you work in a clinical area, find your mobile immunizer (ask your manager if you don't know who it is). Flu shots also are available through Employee Health (by appointment, x2893) or at a scheduled flu vaccine clinic. See our flu vaccine program page for details (including our Influenza Vaccination Policy). Remember, as an institution we are required to report to regulators our workforce's influenza vaccination data, and we need your help! If you get your shot elsewhere or decline for an approved reason, please report that information to flu@uchc.edu by Oct. 15. (We'll follow up if we haven't heard from you.)
Nursing Annual Report: Initiatives, Plans, Accomplishments
The 2022 Nursing Annual Report is now available online. Among our accomplishments are successes in shared governance, infection control, stroke care, mitigating fall risk, and pressure injuries. Initiatives include academic advancement and specialty certification, patient engagement, professional governance, nursing research, and RN satisfaction. Plus, see who among our colleagues have graduated, attained promotion, or been recognized with an award!
PIC OF THE WEEK
On CPTV: Medical Management of Weight Loss
Medications used to manage diabetes are growing in popularity for weight loss too. In our latest UConn Health Minute on CPTV, Dr. Parvathy Madhavan explains the potential concerns with these drugs, especially for older adults.
Got a story idea for The Pulse? Email us at thepulse@uchc.edu.
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