Blankets for Cancer Patients

The UConn Cares alumni group assemble no-sew blankets with inspirational cards tucked inside for UConn Health cancer patients on April 28, 2018. (Wanita Thorpe/UConn Health photo)The UConn Cares alumni group assemble no-sew blankets with inspirational cards tucked inside for UConn Health cancer patients on April 28, 2018. (Wanita Thorpe/UConn Health photo)The UConn Cares alumni group assemble no-sew blankets with inspirational cards tucked inside for UConn Health cancer patients on April 28, 2018. (Wanita Thorpe/UConn Health photo)The UConn Cares alumni group assemble no-sew blankets with inspirational cards tucked inside for UConn Health cancer patients on April 28, 2018. (Wanita Thorpe/UConn Health photo)The UConn Cares alumni group assemble no-sew blankets with inspirational cards tucked inside for UConn Health cancer patients on April 28, 2018. (Wanita Thorpe/UConn Health photo)The UConn Cares alumni group assemble no-sew blankets with inspirational cards tucked inside for UConn Health cancer patients on April 28, 2018. (Wanita Thorpe/UConn Health photo)The UConn Cares alumni group assemble no-sew blankets with inspirational cards tucked inside for UConn Health cancer patients on April 28, 2018. (Wanita Thorpe/UConn Health photo)The UConn Cares alumni group assemble no-sew blankets with inspirational cards tucked inside for UConn Health cancer patients on April 28, 2018. (Wanita Thorpe/UConn Health photo)

In observance of National Volunteer Day and UConn Cares, UConn alumni gathered at the food court last Saturday to assemble blankets for patients at the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center. They assembled 40 cozy fleece, no-sew blankets. It was organized by Josh Proulx from the alumni group and Liz Krueger from the UConn Foundation. Around 50 alumni volunteers and their families put together the blankets with short inspirational message cards tucked inside. Patient navigator Amber Tillinghast will distribute the blankets to patients, specifically breast cancer patients getting the Dignicap  scalp-cooling treatment to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy.

Are You a SmartShopper?

The state recently sent a brochure to your home touting a new feature available through the State of Connecticut health plan. The SmartShopper program helps you shop for cost-effective health care services while earning cash rewards. The Pulse wanted to learn more so we asked Human Resources Jessica VanAlstyne, director of employee benefits, and Christine Masotti, AVP  of payer negotiations and network development, to answer a few questions about the program. 

How does the program work?
This is a voluntary program that allows members (employees, retirees, and their enrolled dependents) to “shop” and earn cash rewards for utilizing low-cost providers for certain procedures.

Can all employees participate?
This program is available to all members enrolled in the State of Connecticut Employee Health Plan.

What is the benefit of being a member? 
When you or your eligible dependents use this website or call center to shop for care in Connecticut for certain procedures included in the SmartShopper program, you can actually earn cash rewards as high as $500.

Why is the state offering this program? 
This program was negotiated as part of the 2017 SEBAC Agreement in an effort to save money and improve health.

May I continue to use UConn Health for services/procedures?
Yes. Depending on the service, you and your dependents may not qualify for incentives by using UConn Health for certain procedures, however, it’s important to remember that it will not cost you or your dependents any more than it currently does to use our services.

What procedures are eligible for the rewards?

Inpatient
Back Surgery – Laminectomy $250 – $500
Bariatric Surgery – Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass $500 – $500
Hip Replacement $250 – $500
Hysterectomy $500 – $500
Knee Replacement $250 – $500
Spinal Fusion (Posterior) $500 – $500

Outpatient
Knee Arthroscopy with Cartilage Repair $75 – $250
Shoulder Arthroscopy $75 – $250
Shoulder Arthroscopy with Rotator Cuff Repair $75 – $250

Outpatient Diagnostic
Colonoscopy with Biopsy $75 – $250
Colonoscopy with Removal of Lesion(s) or polyp(s) $75 – $250
Screening Colonoscopy $75 – $250
Upper GI Endoscopy $75 – $250
Upper GI Endoscopy with Biopsy $75 – $250

How can I learn more?
Members can call a SmartShopper customer service expert at 1-800-824-9127 or e-mail at smartshoppersupport@vitals.com. Please include your name, phone number and a brief description of your question and you will be contacted as soon as possible.

A representative from Vitals SmartShopper will also be in attendance at the UConn Health Open Enrollment Fair on May 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the rear cafeteria.

 

 

HealthONE Dual Icon Access Issues

April 30, 2018

Are you having an issue printing or scanning documents?

Some computers are currently experiencing an issue where multiple icons are appearing to access HealthONE.

Epic Warp Drive

In the event that you have more than one Epic icon, always choose the Epic warp drive icon (shown right).

If you use the HealthONE icon instead of the Epic warp Drive icon then may experience the following issues:

  • Inability to print
  • Inability to scan documents

If these issues occur, please close hyperspace and double click the warp drive icon first to ensure that you are logging in appropriately.

After you have confirmed that you are using wrap drive, but continue to experience issues, please call the Help Desk at 4400 option 1 to submit a ticket.

HealthONE

If the HealthONE icon is the only icon available on your desktop, then you can continue to use this icon to access HealthONE as long as you are able to complete tasks within your workflow.

Watch for additional HealthONE updates in Lifeline, in the Pulse, at uconnhealthexpress.uchc.edu/HealthONE, and now on Twitter @UConnHealthONE.

MD/PhD Students Participate in National Physician-Scientists Meeting

UConn MD/PhD students recently attended a national meeting for physician-scientists in Chicago. (Photo courtesy Feria Ladha)

By Feria Ladha and Maria Xu, UConn MD/PhD students and APSA Institutional Representatives

Sponsored by the Office of Physician-Scientist Career Development, seven UConn MD/PhD students recently attended the national meeting for physician-scientists, which was held in Chicago. This annual joint meeting brings together some of the nation’s most illustrious physician-scientists from the Association of American Physicians (AAP) and American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), as well as early-career trainees from the American Physician-Scientists Association (APSA), to celebrate advances in science and medicine.

It was an incredible opportunity for the students to present their research, hear talks from leaders in their field, network, and attend mentoring events. Anthony Pettinato, a third-year MD/PhD student, said, “I had a great time presenting and getting feedback regarding my work, connecting with others in the medical field, and gained invaluable insight into the research being conducted throughout the country by fellow students.”

This year, the meeting focused on aging, human genetics, and health longevity, with researchers and clinical investigators providing insights into their basic and clinical research. Students had the opportunity to listen to talks ranging from neurodegeneration to aging in the clinic. Michael Chung, a fourth-year MD/PhD student, said, “These talks really helped put my research, which involves neurology and human genetics, into a translational and clinical perspective. It’s great to see how innovative investigators can bring basic science research to the forefront of clinical care.”

There were also numerous mentoring sessions, where students had the opportunity to receive beneficial career advice directly from residency directors and established investigators. Jennifer Chung, a third-year MD/PhD student, said, “The mentoring events were extremely helpful, as they provided firsthand information from residency directors that you wouldn’t have the opportunity to hear elsewhere.” These sessions were multidisciplinary, enabling students to gather information regarding different specialties via the unique perspectives provided by physician-scientists of varying career backgrounds. Timofey Karginov, a first-year MD/PhD student, said, “Meeting residency directors and professors at other institutions allowed me to get a better idea of the steps I could be taking early on in my time as an MD/PhD in order to support my interests and my career goals.”

In addition to APSA-sponsored events, all seven UConn MD/PhD students attended the annual ASCI dinner and new member induction ceremony with Andrew Arnold, MD, an ASCI/AAP member and director of the UConn Office of Physician-Scientist Career Development. This prestigious dinner recognized the novel scientific contributions of new ASCI inductees, and attendees heard powerful career advice and perspective from George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, dean of Harvard Medical School and a renowned stem cell and cancer biology expert.  Dr. Arnold noted that “exposing our aspiring physician-scientists to the Joint Meeting’s diverse array of role models and exciting clinically-relevant science has long been a major priority for our office and the UConn School of Medicine, and the continuous enthusiasm and participation from our students makes it all worthwhile.”

This year’s meeting was also notable as being the final one for Alexander Adami as a student, as he is nearing the end of his eighth and final year in the UConn MD/PhD program, after which he will begin an internal medicine residency at the University of Washington. Alex served as the national APSA President and played a crucial role in organizing these meetings. He has been an incredible liaison for UConn students to APSA and he will be greatly missed.

Whatever the stage of training, MD/PhD students all derived inspiration and excitement from their interactions at the Joint Meeting and look forward to returning.