Monthly Momentos: June 2024
This ongoing blog series celebrates people, milestones, and achievements from across our health system. Content is adapted from monthly updates shared with the University of Utah Board of Trustees.
Summer kicks off with the launch of a first-of-its-kind pregnancy after loss program, major construction milestones, national rankings, and well-deserved recognition for the exceptional people driving our work.
Kudos
- Branding agency Monigle ranks U of U Health No. 9 among the top 50 most humanizing health system brands and No. 17 among the 30 most trusted health system brands. Rankings are based on results of online quantitative surveys of 26,450 household health care decision-makers.
- Mark Supiano, MD, AGSF, research co-chief in the Division of Geriatrics and executive director of the Center on Aging, was elected as the new president of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). An AGS member since 1985, Supiano has held many leadership roles within the Society.
- Brenda Heaton, PhD, MPH, associate dean for research in the School of Dentistry, was elected by the national membership of the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) to serve a three-year term on the SER Executive Committee as the Member-at-Large focused on education. Heaton was nominated by SER leadership based on her outstanding track record of mentorship and reputation as an educator in the field of epidemiology.
.jpg "Sabrina Malone Jenkins, MD, presents \"Unraveling the Mystery: Exploring the Impact of Rapid Whole Genome Sequencing in the NICU\" at Vitae 2024.")
- Vitae 2024 recognized six rising-star faculty at the forefront of their professions:
- Evan Goldstein, PhD – Population Health Sciences
- Keren Hilgendorf, PhD – Biochemistry
- Sabrina Malone Jenkins, MD – Pediatrics
- Nirupama Ramkumar, MD – Internal Medicine
- Kota Takahashi, PhD – Health and Kinesiology
- Tsegaselassie Workalemahu, PhD – Obstetrics & Gynecology
Welcoming New Leaders
- Kerry McPhail, PhD, joins U of U Health as the next chair for the Department of Medicinal Chemistry in the College of Pharmacy. beginning October 2024. McPhail is nationally recognized for her research in natural product chemistry and drug discovery. She is currently a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Oregon State University. McPhail succeeds Darrell Davis, PhD, who is stepping down after 15 years of outstanding service as department chair.
Achievements in Clinical Care
- U of U Health is among the first health systems in the nation to launch a multi-disciplinary program to provide comprehensive support and care for individuals and families that have experienced pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or a severely complicated pregnancy.
- U of U Health is one of 30 U.S. health systems selected by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to participate in a first-of-its-kind collaborative to accelerate and spread the adoption of age-friendly care for older adults.
Achievements in Education
- On May 24, U of U Health broke ground on the James LeVoy Sorenson Center for Medical Innovation (SCMI). Scheduled for completion in 2026, SCMI will be a hub and national model for transformative research and medical device innovation.
- On June 4, the final structural beam was placed on the new home for the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah. This is where the majority of Utah’s future doctors will train to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art medical care for generations to come. Special thanks to Spencer Fox Eccles, the Eccles family and foundations, and other generous donors and partners who made this day possible.
- The Eccles Health Sciences Library (EHSL) is officially a “Free Share” library, eliminating fees associated with sharing resources in our collection with patrons at other libraries. Since starting this service, EHSL has lent ~1,000 items throughout Utah, including rural areas such as Cache, Iron, Sanpete, and Washington Counties—without incurring any costs to those libraries. In return, EHSL has received 2,863 items at no cost to support teaching and research of our faculty, staff, students, and clinicians.
Achievements in Community Collaboration
- Collaboration On May 15, U of U Health participated in the University of Utah’s Imagine U Day event. The U partnered with five West Valley City schools to introduce 233 5th and 6th graders to career possibilities ranging from health and education to athletics and law. Students from the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and College of Nursing led interactive learning sessions about CPR, intubation, surgical fracture repair, and using ultrasound probes to observe heart, vein, and organ functions.
Achievements in Research
- A gene therapy for age-related macular degeneration, led by ophthalmology and visual sciences professor Gregory Hageman, PhD, is currently in clinical trials at Moran Eye Center. The therapy introduces a gene designed to protect the eye, aiming to slow or halt the progression of one of the most common causes of vision loss.
- Research led by social work professor Eric Garland, PhD, shows that a particular form of mindfulness meditation is proven to work as well as a starting dose of a narcotic for pain and better than a traditional psychotherapy treatment for substance abuse.
- Amanda Stark, PhD, a speech-language pathologist in otolaryngology, leads a first-ever comprehensive study of the harsh vocals that characterize heavy metal, deathcore, and other genres. By uncovering the complex internal acrobatics that produce these unique sounds, the research aims to help artists learn to perform harsh vocals safely, reduce stigma around these singing styles as inherently damaging, and empower everyday people to explore the full potential of their voices.
