Author: Chris DeFrancesco
Nancy Dupont Honored With Dr. Deckers Award
The 2021 Dr. Peter J. Deckers Employee Appreciation Award goes to Nancy Dupont, UConn Health’s epidemiology director.
Dupont was chosen among seven finalists, each of whom was featured in his or her own nomination video.
Stream the award presentation ceremony on Mediasite.
Also at this year’s celebration, as a culmination to our “Seasons of Gratitude” efforts in December, Dr. Andy Agwunobi, UConn Health CEO and interim University president, conducted a hand medal ceremony. The hand medal is a commemorative piece designed to honor the selfless service of the UConn Health workforce. Leaders across the organization are conducting medal presentations for their teams throughout the end of the year. In addition, the UConn Health community is invited to continue to post their sentiments of gratitude on our Wall of Gratitude.
UConn Health’s 2021 ‘Ugly’ Holiday Sweaters
Here’s what staff from throughout a number of departments offered for this sweater season! Do you recognize anyone?
Test Your Flu-ency With This Influenza Vaccine Policy Quiz
Test your knowledge about UConn Health’s Influenza Vaccination Program and Influenza Vaccination Policy for Health Care Personnel.
(Note: This is a hypothetical situation designed to guide you through the flu vaccine policy. Responses are anonymous!)
New Leadership Roles for Dr. Lynn Kosowicz
The following announcement is from UConn Health leadership:
We are pleased to announce that Lynn Kosowicz, M.D., FACP, has accepted the appointment as Interim Chair of Department of Medicine and Interim Chief of Medical Services. Dr. Kosowicz, currently the director of the Clinical Skills Assessment Program, completed medical school, internal medicine residency and a year as chief medical resident at UConn, and then joined the faculty in the Department of Medicine in 1991. A dedicated and respected primary care internist, Dr. Kosowicz has focused her academic contributions on improving patient care by enhancing the clinical skills of learners and practitioners through simulation, mentorship, and research. Examples of grant-funded research include the design of a novel approach to teaching physical examination skills that has been disseminated to many institutions across the nation, and an AMA-sponsored project that prioritizes social determinants of health to improve chronic disease prevention and management. Dr. Kosowicz has been recognized within the institution by appointment to the Academic Affairs Subcommittee of the Board of Directors, as well as the Education Council, Faculty Review Board, and LCME self-study task forces and steering committees. Dr. Kosowicz has received several awards, including the NEGEA/AAMC Distinguished Service & Leadership Award; the Thornton Award, Connecticut Chapter of American College of Physicians, in recognition of outstanding contributions to medical education; and the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. Internationally, she was invited to train and mentor faculty at the Universidad de Chile Escuela Medicina as they developed a successful interprofessional Clinical Skills center in Santiago.
Dr. Kosowicz’s family is a multigenerational UConn Health family. Her father introduced her to UConn in 1968 when he joined the faculty of the new School of Dental Medicine. Three of her four daughters are health care professionals – one a gastroenterologist, who graduated from UConn’s School of Medicine, and two are nurses, one of whom graduated from UConn’s School of Nursing.
Please welcome and support Dr. Kosowicz in her new roles.
Bruce T. Liang, M.D.
Dean, School of Medicine
Andrew Agwunobi M.D., MBA
CEO UConn Health and EVP for Health Affairs
UConn Medical School 2020 Senior Awards
The UConn School of Medicine Class of 2020 senior awards ceremony was an online affair, May 7. Following are this year’s honorees:
Student Awards
New England Pediatric Society Awards — Pediatrics
Brooke Schuman and Kristina Wagner
The Department of Pediatrics Chair Award For Innovation in Pediatric Education—Pediatrics
Rashmi Pashankar
Linda Ives Award — Pediatrics
Taylor Jackvony
The Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Community Service Award — Pediatrics
Kelly Nedorostek
Internal Medicine Award
Bryan Ferrigno
Carl F. Hinz, Jr. Award—For Excellence in Scholars in Medicine
Michelle Duong
CT Chapter—American College of Physicians Award
Sonali Rodrigues
CT Academy of Family Physicians Award — Family Medicine
Miryam Wilson
Dr. David and Arthur Schuman Award — Family Medicine
Kathryn Topalis
CT Chapter of American College of Surgeons Award
Rebecca Calafiore
Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Award
Samuel Southgate
The Ramanlal and Kanchan Bulsara Fellowship Award
Nicholas Bellas
James F.X. Egan Medical Student Award— OB/GYN Award
Jennifer Park
American Academy of Neurology Award
Stephanie Vu
Excellence in Psychiatry Award
Maschal Mohiuddin
James H. Foster, M.D. — Teaching Awards
Salem Harry-Hernandez and Jennifer Lawson
Jan Wilms, M.D. & Carol Pfeiffer, Ph.D. Awards for Excellence in Clinical Skills
Stephanie Vu and Kristina Wagner
Health Career Opportunity Programs—Bridge Mentoring Awards
Nia Harris and Aloys Nsereko
School of Medicine Awards for Excellence in a Specific Discipline
Dylan Buller for Urology and Sonny Caplash for Ophthalmology
School of Medicine Awards for Overall Academic Excellence
Emily Isch, Divya Iyer, Anzhela Moskalik and Colin Pavano
School of Medicine Professionalism Awards
Jonathan Caranfa and Alice DiFrancesco
J.E.C. Walker, M.D. Medicine and Society Awards
Agata Harabasz for Primary Care and Angela Quental for Public Health
Lyman Stowe Award — School of Medicine
Miryam Wilson
UConn’s 2020 Outstanding Senior Women Academic Achievement Awards
Antea DeMarsilis
Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
Shyam Desai
University of Connecticut Health Center Auxiliary Award
Madeline DeWane
Student Affairs Award
Adam Bartholomeo
Dean’s Award for Overall Academic Achievement
Antea DeMarsilis
Faculty Awards
South Park Inn Clinic
Dr. Jonathan Pendleton
Kaiser-Permanente Teaching Award
Dr. Michael Baldwin
Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
Dr. Kirsten Ek
Outstanding Outpatient Clinical Preceptor (Voted on by the Class of 2021)
Dr. Michael Baldwin
Outstanding Inpatient Clinical Preceptor (Voted on by the Class of 2021)
Dr. Sean Kandel
Outstanding Educator (Voted on by the Class of 2021)
Dr. Michael Baldwin
Survey: Heroes Behind the Heroes?
The Pulse is interested in hearing from front-line health care providers and the support staff who keep our environment safe, clean, and functioning to optimize the delivery of patient care.
We’d like to know how much help you feel like you’re getting from the community at large in the effort to get the upper hand on this pandemic.
Specifically, complying with “stay home” and “social distancing” orders have resulted in almost everyone having to endure some degree of hardship. But if enough people don’t endure that hardship, it can undermine what you’re trying to accomplish for the greater good.
So we’re asking for your perspective: People are calling you heroes – rightfully so—but are their actions backing their words?
It’s the 200th Pulse: Take the Survey
We’ve been delivering the news to you every week for four years now. What’s a milestone edition without some reader interaction? Please take a moment for this short survey about our publication, and thank you for your readership!
New Award Honors Dr. Richard Simon
The Dr. Richard Simon Excellence in Clinical Neurosciences Award will be given annually to celebrate Dr. Richard Simon’s distinguished career at UConn Health and his pioneering contributions to medicine. The award will be given to a clinician, staff member, or student who exemplifies excellence in any area of the neurosciences at UConn Health. The awardee will be chosen in the Spring by a selection committee lead by Dr. Hilary Onyiuke following a call for nominations.
Richard Simon was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father was a neurologist/psychiatrist. Dr. Simon graduated from Stanford University, class of 1965 and from St. Louis University School of Medicine class of 1970 and a Masters in Mathematics in 1988. He trained in General Surgery and Neurosurgery at the University of Colorado, completing his neurosurgical residency in June 1976.
Dr. Simon has spent his entire postgraduate career at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine where he is now Professor of Surgery (Neurosurgery). Formerly, he was Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at Hartford Hospital and the Program Director for the University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital Neurosurgical Training Program.
An endowed fund has been established at the UConn Foundation to receive gifts from those who wish to honor Dr. Simon and award excellence in the neurosciences at UConn Health. It was launched by generous gifts from Dr. Simon’s colleagues and former students.
Anyone wishing to contribute may do so at https://uconn.givecorps.com/causes/15343-dr-richard-simon-excellence-in-clinical-neurosciences-award-fund-iho or by contacting Peter Lamothe, Associate VP for Development, Health Sciences at the UConn Foundation, plamothe@foundation.uconn.edu or 860-679-4962
“Our vision is for UConn to be a global center for excellence in neurosurgery in the context of the world class care that is already being provided at UConn Health. Dr. Simon has dedicated over 40 years to UConn Health. I can think of no greater honor for him than the knowledge that this award had been established by his colleagues, friends and former students whose careers he helped to launch.”
—Ketan Bulsara, M.D., MBA
Chief, Division of Neurosurgery, UConn Health
Going Red for National Wear Red Day
Friday, Feb. 7, was National Wear Red Day, part of a month-long effort to raise awareness of women’s heart health. We asked for your photos and you didn’t disappoint!