Happy Halloween! Many years ago, an Australian colleague of mine pointed out that Halloween is a deeply community-focused holiday. He was envious of the idea that children could dress up and go to all their neighbors, and all the neighbors would give them candy. The generosity and implicit social contract embedded in this ritual is undeniable, and a reminder that we can be kind to each other all year.

Immediately following is Dia de los Muertos, which has become one of my favorite holidays as I have learned more about it. The annual recognition of our families and honoring of generations past is a joyful celebration of our personal histories. The roots of the holiday in Aztec, Toltec, and other indigenous cultures demonstrates the richness of the heritages of Mexican and Mexican-American people. There are many events to celebrate this year, ranging from the Marigold Project’s Virtual Festival of Altars to last weekend’s SOMArts’s Dia de Los Muertos Drag Show (which will be streamed free this next weekend). This page has more events for the holiday.

TODAY! Fireside Chat with Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez

Co-sponsored by IHPS

Oct 26, 11:10 - 12 pm, Webinar registration here

How can we use art to promote social justice and health equity? How can art be used to explore identity, mental health, and the idea of resilience with communities—especially in communities of color—using art for community education and activation? La Borinqueña creator Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez will take part in a special panel discussion for UCSF community members about his creation of the character as a champion of social justice, why representation matters, and how young people can advocate for a more equitable future.



TODAY! The 2021 Congressional Diabetes Commission: Translating the UCSF Ethos into Policy

Oct 26, 12 - 1 pm, Zoom link here

Joint Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital-San Francisco VA Medical Center Medicine Grand Rounds - co-sponsored by IHPS

Dean Schillinger, MD

Optimizing the Provider Experience: EHR Usability Imperfections, Consequences, and Remedies

Oct 29, 3:10 - 4 pm, Zoom link here (passcode: 543269)

UCSF Division of Hospital Medicine Informatics Core 

Saif Khairat, PhD, MPH, FAMIA, Associate Professor, UNC-Chapel Hill 

All IHPS Meeting

Nov 16, 12 - 1p pm, Zoom link on Outlook invite

Improving Access to Prescription Drugs through Policy Change

Nov 17, 12 - 1 pm, Zoom link here

Stacie B. Dusetzina, PhD

Associate Professor of Health Policy

Ingram Associate Professor of Cancer Research

Health Policy PhD Program Director

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Erica Chan (Dan Dohan group)

Erica recently graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in public health and was just onboarded as a Clinical Research Coordinator Assistant in the Medical Cultures Lab. During her undergraduate career, Erica conducted research around health disparities and syndemics, where synergistically related health issues are examined in the context of sociostructural factors. Erica’s research interests lie in understanding sociocultural effects on health, and her career goals are to integrate public health and medicine. Whenever Erica goes back home to San Francisco, she always stops by San Tung to grab some chicken wings :)

Stephen Zamarripa (Dan Dohan group)

Stephen Zamarripa is an Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator with the Medical Cultures Lab (MCL) at UCSF where he works on research projects related to medical culture and decision-making among older adults, including individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Prior to joining MCL, Stephen worked in legal, business, and health services, and education. He is from California's San Joaquin Valley but has spent time through the state, completing his undergraduate education at UC San Diego, and a postbaccalaureate in Health Sciences from CSU East Bay. He is passionate about eliminating health disparities and helping create holistic health care systems that dignify and value the whole patient in the pursuit of health and wellness. He desires to grow in his understanding of how clinical research translates to improved health care, and plans to pursue research and medicine in the near future. In his free time, you can find him cooking, hiking, and enjoying both the mundane and adventure of life with his wife. His favorite place to visit is Big Sur, CA, and recommends the views from the summit points of Garrapata State Park (Pro tip: Arrive early on a clear day).

Chris Toretsky (Julia Adler-Milstein group)

Chris Toretsky is the Data Analyst for the UCSF Center for Clinical Informatics and Improvement Research (CLIIR). Prior to joining UCSF, he worked at Kaiser Permanente doing clinical research and consulting with physicians on how to better serve their patient populations. He joins UCSF with 10+ years of experience in health care research and consulting. Chris received his MPH in biostatistics from Boston University’s School of Public Health and undergraduate degrees in mathematics/applied science and economics from UCLA. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and traveling.

Charlie Wray (Affiliated Faculty)

Charlie Wray, DO, MS is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine and an internist and hospitalist at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Dr. Wray obtained his medical degree from Western University – College of Osteopathic Medicine, his residency at Loma Linda University Health System, and completed a health services research fellowship at the University of Chicago. Charlie joined the SFVA in 2016 and was recently awarded a 5-year VA Health Services Research Career Development Award to explore how the VA can improve virtual care for socially vulnerable veterans. Charlie is also looking forward to further exploring how the advent and rapid uptake of virtual care has impacted quality of care and health outcomes within the VA health care system. Charlie is active on social media (@WrayCharles) and is the Digital Media Editor for the Journal of Hospital Medicine. When not pursuing his research and academic interests, Charlie can be found exploring the Marin headlands on his gravel bike or trying to keep up with his two young boys – who perpetually keep him on the run.

As we move into a longer period of remote work, the IHPS Fun Committee has devised several ways for us to stay engaged with each other.

Please email Beth Thew ([email protected]) if you are interested in any of the following:

• Send your baby photo in! Each week in the IHPS Announcements we will post a baby photo and will try to guess which IHPS community member it is - answer the following week.
• Are you interested in a book club with other IHPS colleagues? If so, email and we will connect those who are interested.
• Mystery IHPS Coffee! Indicate your interest, and each month you will be randomly matched with one other person from IHPS to have a 20 minute virtual meeting to get to know each other

Innovations Funding for Education 2022 Call for Proposals and Special Request for IPE Proposals

Concept Submission Due: Nov 8, 2021

The UCSF Center for Healthcare Value (CHV) has partnered again with The Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators and others to sponsor the Innovations Funding Program (IFP) for Education. 

One of the priority areas is "Learning and assessment of health systems science/systems-based practice that applies the best available evidence to deliver safe, high value, cost conscious, equitable, patient-centered care”

This is a great opportunity to get funding for a proposal related to education and healthcare value, one of the major missions of the UCSF CHV. 

Details of the IFP, and a new opportunity for proposals released specifically to interprofessional education, are here.

Research Data Analyst, Health and Policy - full-time (Spetz)

Post-Doctoral and Fellowship Positions

Post-Doctoral Fellow (UCSF Center for Clinical Informatics and Improvement Research - CLIIR)

Post-Doctoral Fellowship (UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Environmental Epidemiology)

Post-Doctoral Fellowship (UCSF Center for Translational and Policy Research on Personalized Medicine - TRANSPERS)

Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo:

What Colin Powell’s death tells us — and doesn’t — about COVID-19 and vaccines

(The Los Angeles Times)

King County vaccine verification requirement begins. Here’s what to know

(KUOW)

Janet Coffman:

California's Mental Health Crisis: What went wrong? And can we fix it?

(Kaiser Health News)

Capitol Weekly Podcast: California’s Mental Health Crisis (Capitol Weekly)

(Capitol Weekly)

Laura Gottlieb:

How medical codes can help track food insecurity, housing instability across the country

(Fort Smith Times Record)

Krista Harrison:

How To Return To Work With Grief

(Forbes)

Joanne Spetz:

Hospitals brace for strikes as California workers protest staff shortages

(CapRadio)

Anne Suskind:

White paper addresses ethical considerations for older patients with incontinence

(Urology Times)

Louise Walter:

San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living and UCSF Expand Partnership

(San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living)

Tracey Woodruff:

Opinion: Readers critique The Post: Missing an important point on pregnancy and the coronavirus

(The Washington Post)