Searches, Kudos, WellDOM Small Grant Recipients and More

Dear Colleagues, 

These unusual spring showers are bound to bring radiant summer flowers – and we have much to be excited about at the Department of Medicine as we spring into growth.

The legislative session has formally closed and House Bills 23-1215 and 23-1243 were significantly amended from their original versions. The prohibition on charging facility fees for telehealth, preventive care and clinics and services remain out of the bill. A study examining facility fees will be finalized by Oct. 1, 2024 and will be led by HCPUF.

We have several Division Head searches underway, all of which are moving forward smoothly.

• Two of four invited Allergy and Clinical Immunology Division Head candidates have visited campus for in-person interviews. We will have the final two candidates visit in the next month.
• The search committee for the Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes Division Head, chaired by Dr. Michel Chonchol, brought forth seven on-site finalists for this position. I have received their recommendations and am now moving forward with next steps.
• Our first Cardiology Division Head candidate interviewed this week, and we have two more coming to town through June. Many thanks to Dr. Wells Messersmith for leading this search.
• Finally, the Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine Division Head search committee – chaired by Dr. Mark Earnest – kicked off this week and I am looking forward to beginning this search.

Extraordinarily, three DOM faculty were named recipients for 2023 CU Anschutz Faculty Awards. Wendy Kohrt, PhD won the Joseph Addison Sewall Award for exceptional contributions of leadership and vision to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Daniel Bessesen, MD, received the Florence Rena Sabin Award for exceptional contributions to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus and the health of the citizens of Colorado. And, Maurice “Scotty” Scott, MD, received a President’s Excellence in Teaching Award, nominated by graduating students in the School of Medicine. These recognitions are well-deserved and acknowledge the many contributions to campus our terrific faculty make every day! 

At the Annual Meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine held in Denver last week, Lilia Cervantes, MD received the 2023 SGIM David Calkins Award in Health Policy Advocacy and Elizabeth Boggs, MD, MS was selected as the recipient of the 2023 SGIM Founders’ Grant. Congratulations to both on these national achievements!

Dr. Mark Earnest has published yet another timely manuscript entitled “The Thin Pane” in The New England Journal of Medicine. This article, about care and grace, is an important and beautiful read in these unique times. I highly recommend it.

Finally, kudos to our WellDOM Small Grant awardees.

• Alexandra Gallant, PA-C – “Tune Out the Noise”
• Cara Saxon, MD – “CU Women in Cardiology”
• Stacey A. Seggelke, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC – “Improvement of Glucose Management Team Provider Wellbeing Through Feedback from Patients and Providers”
• Carissa Smith, MBA – “An Interactive Program to Improve Mental Health and Provide Suicide Prevention Education to Young Professionals”

This pilot-program is a great opportunity to create meaningful change and positivity in the department. Thanks to all those who applied and to our Research Office for co-managing this project with WellDOM leadership.

One of the strengths of the DOM is the interdisciplinary and unique nature of the work that our department members do. In this vein, “Just Us: The longing and hope of LGBTQ people,” a film directed by Carey Candrian, PhD, will premiere Sunday, May 21, at 4 p.m. at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder. The film builds on Carey’s academic work on how stigma and discrimination take a toll on people’s lives and health. Specifically, Dr. Candrians’ work evaluates how discrimination in clinical settings affects the health of sexual- and gender-minority individuals. Among others, the film’s trailer features a comment by Jean Kutner, MD, MPH, one of Carey’s mentors.

I will close by welcoming two new leaders to our community:

Anuradha Paranjape, MD begins as Director of Service for the Department of Medicine at Denver Health on May 22. A big welcome to Dr. Paranjape – I am particularly pleased to partner with you in the future.

Read Pierce, MD has been named Chief Quality Officer at Denver Health and will succeed Tom Mackenzie MD, MSPH in this role later this year. I am delighted to welcome Read back to Denver and am thrilled to see him in this new leadership role.

I am so proud of our faculty and the many incredible things each of you do each day and every day. Thanks for making all of us in the DOM shine.

With much positivity,

Vineet