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With donations still being counted, more than $210,000 in gross revenue was raised at this year's Scholarship Gala, held April 6 at The Heldrich in New Brunswick.

That brings the total raised by the Gala in support of student scholarships to almost $2 million since its inception nine years ago.

Interim Dean Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP, and Executive Vice Dean Thomas Hecker, PhD (third and first from right, respectively) celebrated this year's honorees (l-r) , Carol A. Terregino, MD ’86 (Distinguished Alumni Award); Robert E. Campbell (Meritorious Service Award); and M. Maral Mouradian, MD , and Suhayl Dhib-Jalbut, MD (Honorary Alumni Awards).

In special remarks during the Gala program, graduating students Tori Gartmond, Joshua Felton Gilens and Rebecca Gaffney (bottom left photo, l-r) shared their stories about the impact of students, faculty and scholarships on their medical school journeys.

Thanks to all of our donors and sponsors for their generous support, including our $100,000 Scholarship Champion for the third year in a row, RWJBarnabas Health!

View a video of some highlights from the event here.

For her warmth, compassion and professionalism, Vania Lyons, RN, was named Employee of the Month for March 2019.

A registered nurse in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Kate (pictured right with Vicki Craig, MD , senior associate dean for Safety, Quality and Clinical Affairs) was nominated for the award on the basis of an email received by a grateful patient, who praised Kate for her ability to provide compassionate service during a frightening time.

"I couldn't have asked for a better person to help guide me," the patient wrote. "Ms. Vania has pure passion for what she does, her patients, and especially toward an upset, angry, worried patient. I can't express my gratitude and how amazing she has truly been."

Developed by the Staff Council, the Employee of the Month initiative recognizes staff who have served the medical school in an exceptional manner by exemplifying outstanding service through his or her work and exhibiting a positive and supportive attitude. Visit the Staff Council website for a list of nominees and information about how to nominate someone for upcoming awards.

Congratulations, Vania, and all of the March nominees!

The medical school's Department of Communications and Public Affairs, led by Chief of Staff and Executive Director Patricia M. Hansen, MA, received a Gold Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges' Group on Institutional Advancement for its efforts related to the first Maternal Health Awareness Day in New Jersey campaign.

The campaign was also one of three finalists for the competition's Best in Show Award. The awards were presented at a special reception during the GIA's annual conference last week in Orlando, Florida.

A pioneer for maternal health awareness and initiatives designed to reduce incidents of maternal mortality, the medical school and its physician champion, Gloria A. Bachmann, MD, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences and director, Women's Health Institute, worked with The Tara Hansen Foundation to help develop a Stop! Look! and Listen! maternal safety campaign and annual teaching module for medical students. Additional information about the award-winning campaign, our campaign partners, and the other awardees is available online at the GIA site here. The toolkit that was developed as part of the campaign can be viewed or downloaded at rwjms.rutgers.edu/mhadnj.

Accepting the award on behalf of the medical school were Beth-Ann Kerber, manager of marketing, and Jennifer Forbes Mullenhard, manager of public relations (second and third from left, respectively), pictured with Kathy Dean, AAMC GIA Awards for Excellence Competition chair (far left), and Paul Klotman, MD, president and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine, who serves as the AAMC Council of Deans liaison (far right).

For time-crunched medical students, taking a two-hour introductory class on mindfulness may be just as beneficial for reducing stress and depression as taking an eight-week meditation course, according to a study conducted by researchers at the medical school and published in the journal Medical Science Education.

The researchers say many medical students would like to use meditation to avoid burnout and provide better medical care, but they are daunted by the prospect of making time for a daily meditation routine.

"What we found should encourage even the busiest medical students and physicians," says lead author Periel Shapiro, a fourth-year medical student who will graduate next month as part of the medical school's Class of 2019. "There are shorter, sustainable ways to bring meditation into your life, and they can help you reduce stress and depression and improve your medical study and practice."

Robert Lebeau, EdD, assistant professor of psychiatry and director of the Cognitive Skills Program, and Anthony Tobia, MD, professor of psychiatry, also participated in the study.

Read more about the findings in this Rutgers Today article.

In just a few weeks, medical school faculty will be able to share their thoughts in the Association of American Medical Colleges' Standpoint Faculty Engagement Survey. The confidential survey will allow you to share your opinions and help take part in improving the work environment. The medical school will receive only aggregate data reports.

All part-time and full-time faculty members will receive an individual invitation to take the online survey from [email protected]. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and can be completed in more than one sitting. Participation is completely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time.

Survey results will be shared with the medical school community and used to create specific action plans to improve programs and policies within our institution. Your participation can help us make our school a better place to work and a better educational environment for our students.

Be sure to check your email for the survey on April 30!

Thank you to everyone who completed the Organization Risk and Readiness Assessment distributed last month. This survey enabled your leaders to gain a better understanding of our internal culture, the consistency of our leaders, and our readiness for change. In partnership with Studer Group, the results have been evaluated and we are able to identify our strengths and our areas of opportunity.

Three things we do well:

Three areas of opportunity for improvement:

We are ready to use the results of this survey to celebrate our wins and work toward improving our areas of opportunity. Please ensure you continue to use the MyRounding Tool ®, write a thank-you note or two, and watch as we grow and thrive in the months ahead.

We are driven by the center of the flywheel -- purpose, worthwhile work, and making a difference.

Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication in helping us achieve our Patients First! initiative.

Sequential Interventional Management of Osseous Neoplasms via Embolization, Cryoablation, and Osteoplasty -- Peter Girgis, MD; Gregory Ngo, MD; Sharad Goyal, MD; John Nosher, MD; and Sudiplta Roychowdhury, MD -- Hindawi Journal of Oncology

For medical students, two-hour meditation study effective for reducing stress and depression -- Periel Shapiro, M4; Robert LeBeau, EdD; and Anthony Tobia, MD -- NJBIZ

Heartbeats: Research study -- Marc Steinberg, MD -- Gannett/MyCentralJersey.com

Black Patients with Severe Depression More Likely to be Misdiagnosed with Schizophrenia -- Michael Gara, PhD -- PsychCentral

The Spotlight Medical Extrusion and Secondary Operations Conference -- Robert C. Palumbo, MD '86 -- Medical Plastics News

Daniel Finch, MD, Named Vice President of Population Health Strategies -- Daniel Finch, MD '08 -- The Paramus Post

Dept. of Communications and Public Affairs | Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

317 George Street, Suite 215, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 | rwjms.rutgers.edu

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