Pulse test 9-14-2017

Wellness Center Well on Its Way

The motto of the Urban Service Track is “Preparing Our Future Healthcare Practitioners to Help the Medically Underserved.” Well,
over the past decade, they have done just that. Nearly 550 students from the UConn Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Nursing,
Pharmacy, and Social Work, and from Quinnipiac University’s physician assistant program have participated in the program.
Learn more.

Using Genetic Testing to Help Prevent Most Common Cause of Heart Failure

Dr. J. Travis Hinson, cardiovascular physician-scientist at UConn Health and The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, is
using the power of advanced genomic testing in his laboratory to empower his heart patients and their families.
Watch this NBC Connecticut segment on how Dr.
Hinson has helped Peggy Agar and her entire family gain knowledge of their potential genetic risk for cardiomyopathy, a
heart muscle disease which is the most common cause of heart failure. 

Did You Know You Can Be Overweight AND Malnourished?

It’s estimated as many as 60 percent of older adults in health care settings are malnourished. It leads to unfavorable
outcomes including higher infection rates, longer lengths of stay, higher frequency readmission, and increased costs. Next
week (Sept. 18-22) marks the sixth annual Malnutrition Awareness Week™. There is a Medical Grand Rounds on this topic Sept.
21 at 8 a.m. in Low Learning Center. In the meantime,
check
out these five facts that may surprise you.

The Good Deeds People

What do the Creative Child Center, our 1,500 piece art collection, and the Patient and Family Education Center all have in
common? They are just a few of the programs made possible by the UConn Health Auxiliary. From scholarships and travel
support for students to maintaining survivorship programs for cancer patients and their families, the Auxiliary has been a
vital part of UConn Health since 1969. Watch this video to get a flavor of the many programs and activities they’ve made
possible over the years. And to support the Auxiliary with your time and talent, please consider becoming
a member and a volunteer.

DEAR DR. ANDY

Flu
season is almost here and once again it’s time for us to protect ourselves and those with whom we interact. As you know, flu
is largely preventable with good precautions and early immunization. UConn Health, like all health care providing organizations,
is on the front line of any outbreak. Our commitment is to protect you, your family, and our patients and visitors.

The first step is vaccination, and this year’s Flu Vaccination Program will be available at no charge to all staff, students,
volunteers, residents, and contract workers. In the coming days, check the Lifeline announcements for free vaccination
clinics around the campus intended to make protecting you – and those you might pass the flu to – easy and convenient. A
separate email will
be sent to Correctional Managed Health Care employees with the dates and times of flu clinics being offered at Department of
Corrections facilities.

Please take advantage of the clinics, and encourage those in your life to get their flu shot where and when they can.

Have a question for Dr. Andy? Just go to UConn Health Express
and click on his smiling face. Keep those questions coming!

UPDATES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

UConn Health’s Hurricane Helpers

The staff of the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center know all too well what pain and suffering of the human spirt is, so when
the Texas Hurricane devastated so many lives they set themselves on a mission to help assist in supporting their basic needs
and announced a Texas Hurricane Donation Drive.

In addition, Nicole Baccaro, manager of the Technology Incubation Program (TIP) at the Cell and Genome Science Building
joined this mission and received an outpouring of donations and support from TIP staff.

UConn Health teamed up with the sponsors of the New Britain Bees and Siracusa Movers to "Pack the Truck." Their donations
helped fill three trucks worth of supplies which are now on the way to Texas.

Trahktenberg/Ivo/Mazzocca Award Round-up

Two former graduate students of the UConn School of Medicine have been awarded prestigious Science & Technology Policy
Fellowships with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Keshia Ashe will perform a one-year fellowship at
the National Science Foundation and Dr. Megan B. Miller will conduct her fellowship training at the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID).
Read more.
.

Med School Grads Named AAAS Fellows

Two former graduate students of the UConn School of Medicine have been awarded prestigious Science & Technology Policy
Fellowships with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Keshia Ashe will perform a one-year fellowship at
the National Science Foundation and Dr. Megan B. Miller will conduct her fellowship training at the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID).
Read more.

Have You Met Our New Physicians?

This week we welcome three new clinical providers to UConn Health.

• Durgadas Sakalkale, M.D., a board certified spine physiatrist specializing in pain management. Other interests include
  lumbar spinal stenosis, epidural steroid injections, and lumbar lipomatosis. He sees patients in Farmington and
  Southington.

• Bing Shue, M.D., a vascular surgeon focusing on complex minimally invasive abdominal procedures. Special interests
  include limb ischemia, endovascular, abdominal, and aortic dissection aneurysm repair. He sees patients in Farmington.  

• Bradford Whitcomb, M.D., a board-certified gynecologic oncologist specializing in diagnosing and treating cancers within
  a woman’s reproductive organs. He has special interests in survivorship, early cancer detection, and ovarian, cervical,
  and endometrial malignancies. He sees patients in Farmington.

IN THE WORKPLACE

What Willingness to Learn Says About You

You may have hard-fought education and training in one area of work, but if you are not communicating a strong sense of
willingness to learn new skills, you may be overlooking opportunities and a critical way to engage with your employer in the
modern era. Willingness and a desire to learn demonstrate your motivation for personal improvement and achievement. Your
willingness and desire to learn a soft skill employers value says a lot about you. Employers look for potential, capability,
and the ability to withstand change. Desire for a new challenge communicates it all.

Source: EAP’s Frontline Employee Newsletter

PIC OF THE WEEK

Ceremony Marking the 16th Anniversary of September 11

View more photos by Frank Barton.

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