Valuing Each Other, Negotiations and Upcoming Opportunities

Dear Colleagues, 

These past couple of weeks have been full of important updates. We are well on our way with the Valuing Each Other WellDOM workshops which I have been kicking off along with division members and leaders. The workshops focus on understanding how we feel valued, providing a tool that I hope we can use in our day to day interactions, and the importance of remembering that we can only do great things if we come together. I appreciate the energy and enthusiasm of these sessions and it’s great to see many of you there.

We have finished our first wave of financial negotiations with UCH on new programs and I am pleased to report we received support for an average of three of every four requests we made. We will soon start to work on renewals of existing programs. Because of projected adverse changes in the financial health of the system and legislative concerns related to healthcare funding in the State, these will be challenging conversations. However, I think our foundation with UCH is stronger, the value of the DOM is clear, and we are in good shape to begin these discussions. We have much work to do – on AMC and beyond – and we are aligned on the fact that we are better together. I will keep you posted on these discussions as they unfold.

Voting for U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals opens to all survey-eligible Doximity users next week and will remain open through March 24. Keep an eye out for a Doximity email invitation to participate, which may go into the "Other" folder in your inbox. Reminder emails will be sent to physicians who do not respond initially.

We have several important upcoming opportunities with applications due soon!

• The Leaders in Informatics, Quality, and Systems (LInQS) Fellowship is accepting applications for the 2023–24 cohort through Feb. 27. This program aims to develop CUSOM Medicine fellows and junior faculty into future leaders in the areas of quality improvement, clinical system design, complex learning healthcare systems, clinical informatics, and/or patient safety.
  
  
• Students, residents, post-docs/fellows and junior faculty in the Department of Medicine are encouraged to submit abstracts by March 13 for participation in our in-person Research Day poster session. Six abstracts will be chosen to present lightning talks to highlight your research. Click here and add to calendar to save the date (April 18).
  
  
• ACCORDS Surgical/Subspecialists Clinical Outcomes Research Fellowship (SCORE) is accepting applications through March 15 while the Clinical Faculty Scholars Program (CFSP) is accepting through March 17. Please do peruse the program links to learn more about these opportunities, and reach out to your division head or the program faculty (Anne Libby and Allison Kempe) should you have questions about either.
  
  
• The WellDOM Small Grants Program will fund up to four, 12-month grants of $2,500 each to stimulate new, innovative wellness projects to improve wellbeing in the Department of Medicine. All awardees will be invited to dinner with me at the end of the program to present their findings. Applications are due March 17.
  
  
• The 7th DOM Annual Shark Tank Competition is taking applications through April 17. You are eligible if you are a DOM faculty, resident or fellow and projects can be based at DH, the VA or UCH. The event itself is slotted for Grand Rounds on May 31. Please join the participants and the sharks for a special surprise!

The Blue Ridge Rankings for research funding among Departments of Medicine in the nation have been announced and I am pleased to report we moved up one spot from 24 to 23 in the country. Our total funding increased by almost $15M and we are literally a few R01s away from being in the top 20 in the country. With the completion of the Research Listening Tour and restructuring of various programs aimed at increasing our research impact, I am extremely optimistic of our rankings going forward. A big thanks to all of you doing the science and our DOM research team and vice chairs supporting these initiatives.

Finally, as I get about halfway through my PRiSMs for program leaders, vice chairs and division heads, I am reminded of the privilege I have in supporting such a fine group of leaders. Their accomplishments – made possible through your efforts – are nothing short of inspiring. The future of our department is shining brightly.

Onwards!

Vineet