Monthly Momentos: August 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.
While summer draws to a close, a new academic year begins. From impressive academic rankings to participating in Utah’s largest health fair, the great work at U of U Health carries on.
Kudos
- For sustained impact on health and health care, College of Nursing professors Nancy Allen, PhD, and Linda Hofmann, PhD, RN, along with alumna Shelly Reed, PhD, DNP, were inducted as fellows of the American Academy of Nursing. Induction into the Academy is one of the most prestigious honors in nursing.
- Kyle Turner, PharmD, assistant dean of student affairs for the College of Pharmacy, was selected into the prestigious Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. ALFP aims to develop leaders that contribute to the advancement of pharmacy education, higher education, and the pharmacy profession.
- Aimee Hersh, MD, chief of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology for the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and Primary Children’s Hospital, received the 2024 Outstanding Service Award from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance. The award recognizes Hersh for advancing pediatric rheumatology research.
- Brandon Patterson, associate librarian at the Eccles Health Sciences Library, was selected as a 2024-25 Martha Bradley Evans Teaching Fellow. Patterson’s project explores 12 distinct AI-powered tools that could enhance undergraduate research and teaching sessions supported by the library.
Welcoming New Leaders
- Doug Barnhart, MD, MSPH, professor of surgery and pediatrics, was appointed as the next Surgeon in Chief for Intermountain Children’s Health and Primary Children’s Hospital. Barnhart focuses on improving the care of children with surgical problems through quality improvement and patient safety.
- Jessica Williamson was appointed senior human resources director for U of U Health. Williamson focuses on the people and cultural initiatives that support and advance U of U Health Academics.
- Katherine Anderson, MD, chief of the Division of Medical Education, was appointed as dean of medical education faculty development. Anderson will partner with colleagues within and outside our academic community to address faculty development needs across the MD program.
- Michelle Hofmann, MD, MPH, was appointed interim senior associate dean for the St. George Regional Medical Campus. Hoffmann will develop relationships with regional health systems and community clinics, ensure LCME standards, and identify educational space for medical students.
Achievements in Community Collaboration
- The Salt Lake Education Foundation and Salt Lake City School District awarded U of U Health the Spirit of Olene Walker Award for Outstanding Community Partner. The award recognizes U of U Health for its contributions to the community, including a school-based health clinic at West High School staffed by our pediatricians and the Liberty Community Dental Clinic staffed by our students and attending dentists.
- The Junior League of Salt Lake City hosted the 2024 Care Fair, Utah’s largest health fair event serving families in need of routine medical, dental, and vision services. With a focus on limited English proficiency communities and uninsured Utahns, the Wellness Bus and Huntsman Cancer Institute Mobile Cancer Screening and Education Clinic provided free screenings, U of U Health Plans provided health insurance education resources, and health science students volunteered their time.
Achievements in Education
- University of Utah Health’s schools and colleges achieved the following rankings/ratings in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 edition of Best Graduate Schools:
- Medical-Research: Tier 2
- Medical-Primary Care: Tier 3
- Most Medical School Grads Practicing in Rural Areas: #25
- Most Medical School Grads Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas: #83
- Physician Assistant: #8 (#4 among public institutions)
- Public Health: #68 (#41 among public)
- Physical Therapy: #11 (#5 among public)
- Occupational Therapy: #27 (#15 among public)
- Audiology: #22 (#18 among public)
- Speech Pathology: #32 (#25 among public)
- Nursing Midwifery: #11 (#9 among public)
- Nursing-DNP: #25 (#16 among public)
- Nursing-Undergraduate: #31 (#23 among public)
- Nursing-Online Master’s: #49
- PharmD: #26 (#25 among public)
- The School of Dentistry accepted its first two Public & Rural Expansive Conditional Acceptance (PRE-CAP) students as full-time dental students into the class of 2028. PRE-CAP aims to recruit and train post-baccalaureate students from, or who have an interest in, rural, tribal, and/or medically under-resourced communities with the goal of increasing access to dental care.
Achievements in Clinical Care
- For the 11th consecutive year, University of Utah Hospital ranks #1 best hospital in Utah by U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, the John A. Moran Eye Center ranks #10 in the nation for ophthalmology care and the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital ranks #27 (up from #47 in 2023).
- Forbes/PINC AI ranks University Hospital #8 among the nation’s 15 top major teaching hospitals in 2024.
- University Hospital received an “A” Grade on the 2024-25 Lown Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility. Additionally, University Hospital earned #1 in Utah for avoiding overuse.
Achievements in Research
- A nationwide study co-led by Torri Metz, MD, vice chair of research for obstetrics and gynecology, found nearly one in 10 people (9.3%) who get COVID while pregnant go on to develop long COVID symptoms. Common symptoms are fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, and exhaustion from routine activities.
- A new study led by James Heys, PhD, assistant professor of neurobiology, and co-authors Hyunwoo Lee, PhD, and Erin Bigus, PhD candidate, found that, in mice, a specific population of “time cells” is essential for learning complex behaviors where timing is critical. The discovery could ultimately aid in early detection of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, that affect the sense of time.
- A new study led by Joanna Bettmann, PhD, LCSW, professor of social work and adjunct instructor of psychiatry, shows that spending time in nature can yield short-term benefits for adults with mental illness. This project is funded by Nature and Human Health, a nonprofit established by Dart Schmalz, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism, to bridge the gap between nature and health.
