Author: Chris DeFrancesco

Donation to Help Pay for UConn Health Mammograms

Posted on by

Dozens of women to benefit from gift to UConn Foundation

Dr. Bruce Liang, Dean of the UConn Health School of Medicine, Wanita Thorpe, academic administrative manager of the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sue Tenore and Adam Clemens of the Linda Clemens Breast Cancer Foundation, Richard Carbray Jr. of the Linda Clemens Breast Cancer Foundation, the UConn Health Board of Directors and UConn Board of Trustees, and Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, executive vice president for health affairs at UConn Health. (Photo by UConn Provost Mun Choi).
Dr. Bruce Liang, Dean of the UConn Health School of Medicine, Wanita Thorpe, academic administrative manager of the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sue Tenore and Adam Clemens of the Linda Clemens Breast Cancer Foundation, Richard Carbray Jr. of the Linda Clemens Breast Cancer Foundation, the UConn Health Board of Directors and UConn Board of Trustees, and Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, executive vice president for health affairs at UConn Health. (Photo by UConn Provost Mun Choi).

Up to 60 women who are either uninsured or underinsured will receive free and potentially life-saving mammograms this year at UConn Health, thanks to a recent $6,000 donation from the Linda Clemens Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Many of these women would not go for mammograms otherwise because they have no coverage,” says Richard Carbray Jr., a member of the UConn Health’s board of directors who helped facilitate the gift.

The gift, to be paid in two $3,000 installments, was presented to the UConn Foundation’s Linda Clemens Fund at a recent UConn Health board of directors meeting. The funds will help support the mammogram program.

“We’re trying to reach out to as many as we can in the community, really the Hartford-based community. It’s about trying to get out there and work together to eradicate the disease,” says Carbray, who also sits on the board of directors of the Linda Clemens Breast Cancer Foundation and recently was elected to his second term as a member of UConn’s Board of Trustees.

This is the second year the Linda Clemens Breast Cancer Foundation has made the generous donation to the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at UConn Health. The program has already provided 35 free mammogram screenings.

“That means a whole lot to us, just the fact that there were 35 women out there who really couldn’t have afforded it and we helped them,” says Adam Clemens, one of the founders of the Linda Clemens Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Breast cancer survival rates increase exponentially the earlier you catch it,” Clemens says.

Breast cancer survivor Rosanne Palazzolo started the foundation in 2011 with Clemens, who lost his own mother, Linda, to breast cancer when he was 7 years old. Their first fundraiser, the Pink Glove Gala, was so popular it has become an annual event.

About a year ago, with Carbray’s help, the Linda Clemens Foundation asked to meet with leaders of UConn Health’s breast program to inquire about how they could partner together. They decided to focus on early detection through annual screenings for underserved and uninsured women.

“Our comprehensive breast team educates women at various community outreach events throughout the year on 3D mammography and early detection,’’ says Wanita Thorpe, academic administrative manager for the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center. “But to tell a woman with no insurance we can offer her a free mammogram can be life changing.’’

In addition to funding the mammograms, the Linda Clemens Foundation provides “chemo care bags” for UConn patients that consist of games, lotion, nail care items, hats, and candy.

The foundation has also donated 30 $50 Stop & Shop cards for patients who sometimes fall on hard times during their cancer treatments, Thorpe says.

–Jack Cramer, UConn Foundation

 

Commissioner Visits UConn Center on Aging

Posted on by
From left: Drs. Gail Sullivan and George Kuchel from the UConn Center on Aging discuss geriatric research, education and clinical care with Connecticut Department on Aging Commissioner Elizabeth Ritter. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)
From left: Drs. Gail Sullivan and George Kuchel from the UConn Center on Aging discuss UConn Health’s geriatric research, education and clinical care with Connecticut Department on Aging Commissioner Elizabeth Ritter. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

The exact numbers may vary by projection, but all point to a critical shortage of geriatricians as the U.S. elderly population continues to grow.

It’s what was on the mind of Elizabeth Ritter, commissioner of the Connecticut Department on Aging, on her recent visit to UConn Health.

Ritter met with faculty at the UConn Center on Aging to get a sense of what the University is doing to produce more physicians and other providers who can meet the growing needs.

“It was an opportunity for me to see one of the country’s foremost centers,” Ritter says. “I was interested in learning about geriatrics and where we’re going with it, particularly the projected shortages of people who will be caring for us as we age.”

Dr. George Kuchel, director of the UConn Center on Aging, says while people have been aging since the beginning of time, aging as a field of endeavor for clinical care is relatively young.

“We have major shortages of providers in geriatric medicine and geriatric psychiatry, and not just doctors, but all levels of clinical care,” Kuchel says. “Connecticut does much better, but we’re still facing a shortage.”

According to American Geriatrics Society data from 2014, Connecticut had a shortfall of 113 geriatricians, and has a projected shortfall of more than 200 by 2030.

“In the 30 years the UConn Center on Aging has been here, it has produced research and educated those who will care for the most quickly growing part of our population,” Ritter says. “It was incredibly far-sighted of the founders more than 30 years ago to create this, and now, even more so.”

Her visit included a conversation with Dr. Suzanne Rose, the UConn School of Medicine’s senior associate dean for education.

“We discussed the importance of continuing to integrate geriatrics in all levels of the medical education program,” Ritter says. “There’s no way geriatrics is not going to be integrated in everything we do in medicine.”

Ritter also had lunch with geriatric fellows and got a tour of the UConn Health campus.

 

New National Center for Bio-NMR at UConn Health

Posted on by
The National Center for Bio-NMR Data Processing and Analysis will open at UConn Health in December. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)
The National Center for Bio-NMR Data Processing and Analysis will open at UConn Health in December. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

UConn Health is establishing a national data processing and analysis center for a powerful research tool, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). NMR technology allows researchers to analyze biological molecules at the atomic level, and is used in scientific research, medicine, and industry.

“UConn Health is ideally suited for this type of prestigious national center,” says UConn Vice President for Research Jeffrey Seemann. “It builds on substantial investments made by the University in network infrastructure, and allows investigators from UConn and across the U.S. access to high performance tools to drive technology development and research breakthroughs.”

NMR spectroscopy is used by chemists and biochemists to investigate the properties of organic molecules. It has biomedical applications in structural biology, diagnostics, drug discovery and metabolomics, which is the study of the unique chemical fingerprints that specific cellular processes leave behind.

An abundance of powerful computer programs for rapid data collection, sensitive and high-resolution signal processing, and analyzing complex spectra have advanced NMR capabilities in recent years. However, these advances present new challenges.

“Due to the complexity of data processing needed for bio-NMR, dozens of separate software packages from different sources are sometimes necessary. We’re building the ‘app store’ for bio-NMR software – and all that software is free,” says Jeffrey Hoch, director of the Gregory P. Mullen NMR Structural Biology Facility at UConn Health and head of the new National Bio-NMR Center. “The Center ensures that different packages function correctly together and that software remains viable long after development.”

The new Center and its main feature, “NMRbox,” provide software support for hundreds of NMR programs used in biomedical research, such as drug discovery and structural biology. Supporting software from hundreds of academic and commercial developers ensures that current research studies can be completed and reproduced in the future.

Awarded $6.4 million in grant funding from the National Institute for General Medical Sciences within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Center will provide U.S. investigators access to a single, downloadable package through a cloud-based platform. UConn Health and University of Wisconsin investigators will collaborate to operate the national center.

The National Center for Bio-NMR Data Processing and Analysis is set to launch in December and will be housed at UConn Health’s Farmington campus. UConn Health is home to the School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine and John Dempsey Hospital, as well as a thriving research enterprise.

 -Jessica McBride

ENT Surgeons Building Specialty Sinus Program at UConn Health

Posted on by
Drs. Belachew Tessema (left) and Seth Brown are building a specialty sinus practice at UConn Health. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)
Drs. Belachew Tessema (left) and Seth Brown are building a specialty sinus practice at UConn Health. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

UConn Health is building a specialty sinus practice as part of its ear, nose and throat practice.

Drs. Seth Brown and Belachew Tessema are seeing patients at the UConn Health Outpatient Pavilion, on lower Farmington campus.

They bring their expertise to treat complex problems such as sinonasal disorders, sinusitis, nasal polyps and sinus tumors.

“Drs. Brown and Tessema allow us to offer surgical and nonsurgical treatment of the most complex sinus problems right here at UConn,” says Dr. Denis Lafreniere, medical director of UConn Health’s faculty practice. Both are well known in the community and to our students and residents, as they’ve been part of our faculty for years.”

Brown is a UConn School of Medicine graduate and teaches UConn residents as site director for UConn’s residency program at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. He did his residency training in otolaryngology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and completed a rhinology fellowship in advanced endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery at Cornell University’s Weill Medical College.

Tessema also is a UConn School of Medicine graduate who did his surgical and otolaryngology training in New York City – at the Beth Israel Medical Center and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. His fellowship training in rhinology and advanced endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery was at the University of Miami. Tessema is a clinical assistant professor in UConn Health’s Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology.

Both are board certified in otolaryngology.

Brown and Tessema currently see sinus patients at UConn Health on alternating Fridays. They expect to extend those hours as the practice grows.

 

UConn Health’s Dr. Linda Barry Honored for Mentoring Women in Science

Posted on by
Dr. Linda Barry is the 2015 winner of the Connecticut Science Center's Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award. (Chris DeFrancesco/UConn Health)
Dr. Linda Barry is the 2015 winner of the Connecticut Science Center’s Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award. (Chris DeFrancesco/UConn Health)

Dr. Linda Barry, assistant professor of surgery at the UConn School of Medicine, has made it her life’s work to eliminate disparities in health care delivery and research.

This weekend, the Connecticut Science Center is presenting her with its Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award.

As a UConn Health faculty member, Barry serves as chief operating officer and assistant director of Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS). She also heads the CICATS Young Innovative Investigator Program and the CICATS Mentorship (M1) Award, and co-directs the CICATS Pilot Program for Collaborative Translational and Clinical Research.

“We need to continue to raise awareness — among both women and men — to break down the barriers that have traditionally discouraged women from joining these technical fields and to facilitate the realization of their potential as leaders in their own right,” Barry says.

Barry cofounded and coordinated the first National Women in Surgery Symposium, now in its sixth year. She established the Women in Surgery Interest Group at the UConn School of Medicine three years ago, and represents the school at the American Association of Medical Colleges. Barry also is co-managing editor of the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

The award recognizes leadership in promoting women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The selection committee chose Barry “based on her unique background in both clinical and basic science research and her extraordinary commitment to mentoring and advancing the charge to recruit women and underrepresented students into medicine, and the field of surgery in particular,” according to the Science Center.

This is the third year of the Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award, which is part of the Science Center’s Women in Science initiative. Barry was one of five finalists.

“I am honored to have been chosen for the Women in Science Leadership Award,” Barry says. “This prestigious award highlights that as far as we have come with more women deciding to pursue STEM disciplines, women continue to be underrepresented in these fields. The important work of organizations like the Petit Family Foundation, the Connecticut Science Center, and the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science at UConn helps to create a future filled with professional success, achievement and opportunities for women and girls in science and technology.”

Barry will accept the award Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Green Gala, the Connecticut Science Center’s signature annual fundraiser for science learning.

“Dr. Linda Barry lives the mentorship ideal,” says Dr. William Petit, whose family foundation sponsors the Women in Science initiative. “She teaches medical students, residents and fellows as well as her patients. In addition she leads by example in exploring disparities in care and trying to lessen those barriers and to be sure her pupils gain an understanding of the issues at play in our society.”

Topping Out the Academic Building

Posted on by
A crane lifts the steel beam that will top out expanded UConn Health academic building. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)
A crane lifts the steel beam that will top out expanded UConn Health academic building. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

Another significant piece of steel is in place as UConn Health continues its renovations.

The final beam of the new portion of the academic building was lifted into place Monday.

UConn Health's Stephen Bayley signs the beam at the topping out ceremony. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)
UConn Health’s Stephen Bayley signs the beam at the topping out ceremony. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

“This represents yet another exciting milestone as our campus continues its incredible transformation thanks to our state’s Bioscience Connecticut initiative,” says UConn Health Chief Administrative Officer Carolle Andrews. “UConn Health’s mission to create tomorrow’s best and brightest physicians, dentists, researchers and educators is all the more promising, and we can proudly say that our medical, dental and graduate schools will be even better equipped to deliver on that promise.”

The final beam is in place atop the expanded UConn Health academic building. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)
The final beam is in place atop the expanded UConn Health academic building. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

The project will add nearly 17,000 square feet to the academic building, which will include a modern, high-tech teaching area designed to foster a more collaborative learning environment, as well as additional classrooms, renovations to Patterson Auditorium to create two new dental school classrooms, and student amenities including a wellness center. Part of the Bioscience Connecticut vision is to grow the number of physicians and dentists who graduate and practice in the state, and to attract additional faculty to facilitate that growth.

 

New ‘UConn Health’ Landmark

Posted on by
UConn Health's new hospital tower now features the new UConn Health wordmark. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)
UConn Health’s new hospital tower now features the new UConn Health wordmark. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

You may have noticed a new addition to the UConn Health skyline in recent days.

The new UConn Health wordmark now adorns the north façade of the new hospital tower.

It’s part of the effort to rebrand as UConn Health. The sign is visible from Farmington Avenue and will be lit at night.

The new hospital tower is the centerpiece of the reconstruction of the UConn Health campus under Bioscience Connecticut, the $864 million state investment envisioned by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to be a catalyst for biomedical research and health care in Connecticut. It is on schedule to open next year.

A view of the UConn Health patient tower from lower campus, days after the new wordmark was added. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)
The view from lower campus, days after the new wordmark was added to the new hospital tower. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

Students Bring Back South Park 5K for 18th Year

Posted on by
Runners make their way toward the The Jackson Laborator for Genomic Medicine and new hospital tower (under construction) during the 2014 South Park 5K. (Pooja Uppalapati for UConn Health)
Runners make their way toward the The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine and new hospital tower (under construction) during the 2014 South Park 5K. (Pooja Uppalapati for UConn Health)

The UConn medical, dental and pharmacy students who staff the outreach clinics at the South Park Inn in Hartford are holding their largest annual fundraiser tomorrow, Sept. 19, on the UConn Health campus.

The South Park 5K Road Race starts at 10 a.m., with registration opening at 8 a.m.

Proceeds from the 5K help offset the cost of running the clinics, which serve the transient residents of the South Park Inn. The South Park Inn provides shelter and supportive services to Hartford’s homeless population.

The $15 advance registration fee ($20 on site) covers food and entertainment, T-shirts for the first 125 registrants, and prizes for the top three male and female finishers.

Additionally, UConn Health dermatologists will offer free skin cancer screenings from 9 a.m. to noon. Email shahriari@uchc.edu for more information.

Online registration for the 5K is available at http://bit.ly/15sp5k. The organizers also have set up a Facebook page for the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1026120560740200/.

This is the 18th annual South Park 5K.

 

 

UConn Health October 2015 Programs, Events

Posted on by

OCT-2014

Here is a list of UConn Health programs scheduled for October and early November 2015. This information will be updated with any additions or other schedule changes. (Updated 10/14)

Free IVF Information Session
Thursday, Oct. 1, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Cell and Genome Sciences Building, 400 Farmington Ave.
Specialists with the Center for Advanced Reproductive Services lead an informational session about current treatments for infertility, specifically in vitro fertilization (IVF). Each program includes an in-depth explanation of the IVF process, discussion of some of the emotional issues surrounding IVF, and discussion of options for financial planning. Registration is required: 860-679-4580 or www.uconnfertility.com.

Bladder Cancer Support Group
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2 to 3 p.m., UConn Health, Onyiuke Dining Room
Patients, family members and caregivers (not limited to UConn Health patients) are invited to join others whose lives have been touched by bladder cancer. This support group, established in partnership with the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, usually meets on the first Saturday of the month and is the only group of its kind in New England. Call 860-679-4410 or email safo-agyeman@uchc.edu for more information.

Nutrition for a Healthy Heart
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2 to 4 p.m., UConn Health Outpatient Pavilion
The UConn Health’s Healthy Nutrition program invites you on a journey to a lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol and healthier weight. This workshop usually is offered on the first Wednesday of the month. Registration fee is $30. Call 800-535-6232 to register or for more information.

Free IVF Information Session
Thursday, Oct. 15, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Cell and Genome Sciences Building, 400 Farmington Ave.
Specialists with the Center for Advanced Reproductive Services lead an informational session about current treatments for infertility, specifically in vitro fertilization (IVF). Each program includes an in-depth explanation of the IVF process, discussion of some of the emotional issues surrounding IVF, and discussion of options for financial planning. Registration is required: 860-679-4580 or www.uconnfertility.com.

(added 10/14)
Infertility Peer Support Group
Thursday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m., Center for Advanced Reproductive Services, 2 Batterson Park Road, Farmington.
The Greater Hartford chapter of RESOLVE, a national nonprofit resource for those facing the challenges of infertility, offers support, information and confidential, informal, peer-led discussions on the third Thursday of the month. To learn more or to check for weather-related cancellation, call 860-523-8337.

UConn Health Auxiliary Fall Mum Sale
Friday, Oct. 16, UConn Health, locations and times vary, while supplies last
The UConn Health Auxiliary is selling 8-inch pots of mums, assorted colors, at three locations: 16 Munson Road starting at 8 a.m., outside the Connucopia Gift Shop in the main building starting at 9 a.m., and at the Outpatient Pavilion gift shop starting at 9 a.m. For more information please call 860-679-2963. More information about the Auxiliary is available at http://auxiliary.uchc.edu.

Free Hospital Maternity Tours
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., UConn Health, Main Lobby
A representative will guide you through labor and delivery, postpartum, and the nursery at John Dempsey Hospital. Children and grandparents are welcome. Call 800-535-6232 to register or for more information.

Celiac Disease Nutrition Class
Monday, Oct. 19, 8 to 9 a.m., UConn Health Outpatient Pavilion
A registered dietitian leads a discussion for those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. This program now is scheduled to meet the third Monday of the month. Fee is $20. Call 800-535-6232 or 860-679-7692 to register or for more information.

Free Cosmetology Services for Cancer Survivors
Monday, Oct. 19, 1 to 3 p.m., UConn Health, Outpatient Pavilion, 4th floor
“Look Good…Feel Better” is a free program to help improve the self-image and self-esteem of women experiencing appearance-related side effects from cancer treatment. During this hands-on workshop, a trained volunteer certified cosmetologist will offer self-help instruction and education on hairstyling and coping with hair loss, skin care, makeup and nail care. Wigs, turbans and scarves will also be discussed. Classes are offered monthly and are not limited to UConn Health patients. Registration is required: call 800-227-2345 with your name, program date, phone number, and skin color. Kits are available in Light, Medium, Dark and Extra Dark.

Free Lifestyle Medicine Program Talk on Cholesterol
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 to 8:30 p.m., UConn Health, Keller Auditorium
Physician assistant Bradley Biskup from UConn Health’s Lifestyle Medicine Program discusses cholesterol, including ways to manage cholesterol with lifestyle changes. Call 800-535-6232 or 860-679-7692 to register or for more information.

Childbirth Preparation Class
Saturday, Oct. 24, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., UConn Health, Onyiuke Dining Room
This one-day class covers anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and labor, emotions of pregnancy, nutrition, fetal growth and development, comfort measures for labor, working with unexpected events in labor, cesarean delivery, and practice of relaxation and breathing techniques for labor. Class size is limited to eight couples. Remember to bring two pillows and wear comfortable clothing. Light snack is provided. Fee is $100. Call 800-535-6232 or 860-679-7692 to register or for more information.

Free Workshop: “Things to Consider Before Joining a Research Study”
Monday, Oct. 26, 5 p.m., UConn Health, Onyiuke Dining Room
The UConn Health Human Subjects Protection Office offers an educational session about the rights and responsibilities of participants in research projects on the last Monday of the month. Registration is required: 860-679-8802 or cagganello@uchc.edu.

Stroke Survivor Group
Wednesday, Oct. 28, noon to 1 p.m., UConn Health Outpatient Pavilion, 3rd floor
The UConn Health Stroke Center invites stroke survivors, families and caregivers to a monthly group meeting to discuss topics such as prevention, coping methods, support systems, rehabilitation tips, resources, and promoting independence. The Stroke Survivor Group plans to meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Call 860-679-4846 for more information.

Free IVF Information Session
Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Cell and Genome Sciences Building, 400 Farmington Ave.
Specialists with the Center for Advanced Reproductive Services lead an informational session about current treatments for infertility, specifically in vitro fertilization (IVF). Each program includes an in-depth explanation of the IVF process, discussion of some of the emotional issues surrounding IVF, and discussion of options for financial planning. Registration is required: 860-679-4580 or www.uconnfertility.com.

Nutrition for a Healthy Heart
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2 to 4 p.m., UConn Health Outpatient Pavilion
The UConn Health’s Healthy Nutrition program invites you on a journey to a lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol and healthier weight. This workshop usually is offered on the first Wednesday of the month. Registration fee is $30. Call 800-535-6232 to register or for more information.

Free IVF Information Session
Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Cell and Genome Sciences Building, 400 Farmington Ave.
Specialists with the Center for Advanced Reproductive Services lead an informational session about current treatments for infertility, specifically in vitro fertilization (IVF). Each program includes an in-depth explanation of the IVF process, discussion of some of the emotional issues surrounding IVF, and discussion of options for financial planning. Registration is required: 860-679-4580 or www.uconnfertility.com.

Bladder Cancer Support Group
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2 to 3 p.m., UConn Health, Onyiuke Dining Room
Patients, family members and caregivers (not limited to UConn Health patients) are invited to join others whose lives have been touched by bladder cancer. This support group, established in partnership with the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, usually meets on the first Saturday of the month and is the only group of its kind in New England. Call 860-679-4410 or email safo-agyeman@uchc.edu for more information.

Free Hospital Maternity Tours
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., UConn Health, Main Lobby
A representative will guide you through labor and delivery, postpartum, and the nursery at John Dempsey Hospital. Children and grandparents are welcome. Call 800-535-6232 to register or for more information.

(added 10/14)
Free Discovery Series: “Exploring Memory Disorders”
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 7 to 9 p.m., UConn Health, Keller Auditorium
Drs. Patrick Coll and Karina Berg from the UConn Center on Aging, along with Drs. Neha Jain and Kevin Manning from the UConn Department of Psychiatry, will discuss memory disorders. Register online, for free, at http://discoveryseries.uchc.edu or call 800-535-6232.

 

Directions to UConn Health are available at www.uchc.edu/directions/index.html.

National Honor for UConn Prosthodontics Chair

Posted on by
Dr. Thomas Taylor will receive the American College of Prosthodondics Education Foundation Founders Society Award at the ACP's annual meeting in October. (Lanny Nagler for UConn Health)
Dr. Thomas Taylor will receive the American College of Prosthodondics Education Foundation Founders Society Award at the ACP’s annual meeting in October. (Lanny Nagler for UConn Health)

When the American College of Prosthodontics meets next month in Orlando, it will present UConn Health’s Dr. Thomas Taylor with a medallion for its education foundation’s highest honor.

Taylor, a professor who heads the UConn School of Dental Medicine’s Department of Reconstructive Sciences and chairs the Division of Prosthodontics, is the co-recipient of the 2015 American College of Prosthodontics Education Foundation (ACPEF) Founders Society Award.

The award recognizes those who have made a significant impact on the growth and development of the ACPEF and who “have demonstrated an extraordinary level of commitment” to the advancement of the specialty of prosthodontics, according to the Foundation.

“It is wonderful that external organizations like the ACPEF see in Dr. Taylor what we have recognized here in the School of Dental Medicine for many years,” says Dr. R. L. “Monty” MacNeil, dean of the UConn School of Dental Medicine. “He’s a thought leader, inspiring teacher and a strong advocate for our profession.”

In addition to his academic, clinical and research work at UConn Health, Taylor has published extensively in the prosthodontic literature and is a past editor of the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants.

“Prosthodontics is the most wonderful—and most challenging—specialty to be a part of,” Taylor says. “Our parent organization, the American College of Prosthodontists, has been supportive of me throughout my career. I feel that I couldn’t possibly give back the value of what my chosen specialty has done for me. I’m so very proud to have been able to support the ACPEF in its efforts to further our specialty and the patients we serve. It is truly an honor to be recognized with this award.”

Taylor serves as executive director of the American Board of Prosthodontics and is president of the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics. He is a past president of the International College of Prosthodontics and the International Team for Implantology.

“His leadership is the breath and the heartbeat of our vital organization,” says Dr. Lyndon Cooper, ACPEF chair. “The recognition of Dr. Thomas Taylor by the ACPEF is an inspiring testimony to his level of generosity and dedication as a leader, educator, and clinician.”

Taylor also is a past president of the ACP, whose president, Dr. Frank Tuminelli, says, “His passion makes him a trailblazer for our specialty in the 21st century.”

The ACP Annual Session is Oct. 21-24.