In the Know Quick Links – Week of April 5, 2021

Timely information to help build community within SMPH:

In memory:

  • We share sad news of the passing of Dr. Ivy Dreizin, former faculty member in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Dreizin, who also held an appointment in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, devoted her life to the care of patients with neurological diseases and to the education of residents and medical students. Read more

Resources for everyone

    • Vaccination updates from UW–Madison and UW Health: 
      • All UW–Madison employees, including student employees and employees working both in-person and remotely, are currently eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services has announced all individuals ages 16 and older are now eligible for the vaccine. UW–Madison encourages all employees and eligible students who are interested in vaccination to seek appointments both on and off campus.
      • More contagious variants of COVID-19 are being found around the country and within Wisconsin. The university strongly discourages travel, even for people who are vaccinated. If you must travel, take precautions to reduce your risk.
      • Please read this week’s message to employees and advice to students about how to get a vaccination appointment.
      • UW Health offers information for patients including COVID-19 vaccination scheduling dashboard
      • UW Health (for UW Health and dual UW Health/SMPH employees) has a summary of vaccine information on U-Connect.
      • Safer Badgers/COVID-19 Testing updates and health/safety information:
        • Enforcement of Badger Badge restrictions related to university building access is in effect. Your Badger Badge must be green (access granted) to be in compliance to enter a campus facility. 
        • Employees and students who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be excused from routine on-campus testing. Your Badger Badge in the Safer Badgers app will remain green/Building Access Granted unless you report symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.
        • Individuals vaccinated by University Health Services will not need to submit proof of vaccination for this exemption. Your badge will turn green automatically and you should receive a message telling you this is due to your vaccination status.
        • If you have been vaccinated elsewhere (including dual employees who were vaccinated at UW Health), you must submit proof of vaccination. Follow these instructions for uploading vaccination records. It can take up to five business days for the record to be reflected in your MyUHS account.
        • Vaccinated individuals must continue to wear face coverings in public and in working and learning environments. This aligns with guidance from the CDC and public health and safety requirements of UW–Madison, the state, and Public Health Madison & Dane County. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.
        • UW–Madison workplace safety training for spring semester: All employees are expected to complete the COVID-19 Spring Semester Training, available at hr.wisc.edu/covid19/workplace-training.
        • Changes to PPE ordering: SMPH is no longer handling orders of personal protective equipment (PPE). Instead, submit PPE orders to central campus Materials Distribution Services (MDS). There is no cost to units for PPE needed for on-site work. Read more
      • Help inform suicide prevention efforts: University Health Services is developing a new, online suicide prevention training tailored for UW-Madison faculty and staff to build capacity for supporting student mental health and preventing student suicide. To inform the creation of training, all faculty and staff are invited to complete a brief questionnaire by Monday, April 12. Take the survey
      • Travel and summer activity updates from campus:
        • A key change to the UW–Madison sponsored travel policy is that employees, graduate and professional students, and undergraduates participating in in-person research or instructional field activities no longer need prior approval for single-day trips using ground transportation outside of Wisconsin. All employee, graduate student, and undergraduate ground travel that includes an overnight stay, regardless of destination, as well as all domestic and international air travel, remains restricted. Read more 
        • Guidance about summer on-campus activities has been released. Read more
      • A message from Dean Golden provides more guidelines for in-person events:  
        • A form to request exemptions to campus event policy restrictions on a case-by-case basis is forthcoming. However, exemptions will be rare. In-person SMPH degree program graduate recognition events will not be approved.  
        • If an in-person event is approved, leaders and supervisors may not require or exert pressure on any SMPH employee or learner to attend or support any in-person event. (Employees can be expected to do remote work related to in-person events.) If a university employee believes they are being pressured to attend an event, they should report the situation to SMPH Employee Relations.
      • Furlough reminder: Employees with furlough time obligations must record that time no later than June 30. An online calculator is available for checking your furlough balance. (Please note that only hours already approved by your supervisor will be reflected; hours that are pending approval will not be included).
      • Payroll schedule and benefits deductions changes coming in 2021: Beginning in April, employees who are currently paid biweekly will have most deductions for benefits split evenly over the first two biweekly paychecks each month. Beginning in July, employees who are paid monthly will be moved to a biweekly pay schedule. See more information here, including about informational forums on May 4, May 13, and May 17. Read more
      • Title and Total Compensation (TTC) Project timeline: This project involves a redesign of staff job titles and compensation structures across all UW System campuses. The timeline was delayed due to the pandemic, and a new implementation date has been set for November 7, 2021. See this update from the SMPH HR team. If you would like a refresher about the TTC Project, many resources are available on the UW–Madison TTC Project website. The university will also offer employee virtual forums on April 21 and 22.
      • Medical Physics leadership search visits currently underway: Visit the leadership search candidate page for details on Medical Physics candidates. Visits have ended for the Chair of the Department of Neuroscience and Chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, but recordings of the visits are available. Passwords to access video recordings are “Neuroscience2021,” “MedMicroImm2021,” and “MedicalPhysics2021” for each respective search.
      • Executive director of SMPH Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association position now open: The online position profile contains extensive information on this opportunity and a PDF is also available for download. Please consider recommending this opportunity to colleagues in the field of alumni relations and send suggestions to the search committee co-chairs. The application closes April 28. Read more 
      • The Global Health Symposium on April 14 is titled “Fostering Resilience Through Indigenous Wisdom & Scientific Knowledge.” Several panelists have connections with SMPH, including Danielle Yancey, Dr. Janis Tupesis, Dr. Brett Benally-Thompson, Dr. Patricia Tellez-Giron, SMPH alumnus Dr. Chris Ford One panel is of physicians looking at: “On the Front Lines for COVID: What We Have Learned.” Another brings in leaders from Wisconsin’s Native Nations for “Indigenous Knowledge, Wisdom & Resilience: Perspectives from Wisconsin’s Native Nations. Read more and register
      • The Spring Faculty/Staff meeting will occur on Monday, April 26 at 4:30 p.m. Ring in spring by hearing the latest updates from school leaders and submitting your questions for discussion.
      • Big changes coming soon to MDS/Shop@UW system and other payment processes: In mid-April, MDS/Shop@UW will transition to ShopUW+. Read more
      • The next Hot Topics in Public Health Symposium is titled “Climate Change as a Public Health Emergency” and will be held on Wednesday, April 28 at 4-5:30 p.m. Read more and submit a question

      Resources for researchers

      • Principal Investigators: The SMPH Office of Research is your information source for funding opportunities. Bookmark these links:
      • The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education is taking applications for the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences. The deadline for internal review is April 15. The program provides funding to outstanding young investigators working to advance human health. Read more
      • The next Health Equity & Diversity Lunch & Learn Series session titled “Decolonizing Care in Health Equity” will occur noon to 1:00 p.m. on April 22. Register
      • All are invited to attend the 15th Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium. The event will be on April 14. Read more and register

      Resources for medical educators and clinicians

      • Gone for one year but never forgotten: We remember Beth Potter, MD, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and her husband Robin Carre, PhD, who passed away a year ago. Read more in this new memorial, which includes news of a meeting room being named after Potter at Wingra Clinic. Also, the department invites all to participate in a virtual 5k run/walk in the couple’s honor.  
      • Faculty physicians: take action now to fulfill maintenance of certification (MOC) requirements by the end of the year. Earn MOC Part 4 credit for quality improvement work you’ve completed related to COVID-19 or other topics. Get started today by responding to this intake form, and direct questions to Cathy Means. The following courses are approved for MOC part 2 credit:
      • Save the Date: SMPH Medical Education Day will occur on May 27, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. as a virtual event featuring keynote speaker Cynthia Nebel, PhD, of Vanderbilt University. The event is open to all SMPH faculty and staff and will feature professional development opportunities, engaging workshops and oral presentation sessions that highlight education initiatives and innovation. Registration and agenda will be announced in mid-April. Read more

      Upcoming Events: Anti-Racism and/or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

      • In addition to original research, brief reports, and editorial content focusing on the impact of race and racism on health, the latest issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) features artwork submitted by 10 artists, including four SMPH faculty and staff members. View paintings, photography, and digital design submitted by Lisa Lathrop, Ryan McAdams, MD, S.V. Medaris, and Elizabeth Petty, MD, in the online gallery. Access the entire issue here
      • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have established the UNITE initiative to address structural racism and promote racial equity and inclusion at NIH and within the larger biomedical research enterprise. Your input is important: consider reviewing and responding to the recent NIH Request for Information (RFI) on ways to advance the goals of the UNITE initiative. Comments are due April 9, 2021.
      • The 7th Annual Minority Health Month event from the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute called “Breaking the Silence: Addressing Dementia in Communities of Color” is being held virtually on Thursday, April 15 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Hosted by the institute’s Regional Milwaukee Office, the event will feature a keynote by Jonathan D. Jackson, PhD, founder and executive director of the Community Access, Recruitment, and Engagement Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. There is no cost to participate, but registration is required. Learn more and register 
      • SMPH Spring 2021 Initiative: Advance Health by Acting Against Racism. A webpage for this initiative serves as the one-stop-shop for our anti-racism events this spring, as well as others on campus and resources for further learning.
      • The SMPH Diversity Summit will occur on April 20 from 4-6:30 p.m. The virtual event will feature keynote speaker Elena V. Rios, MD, MSPH, FACP, President & CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association and President of the National Hispanic Health Foundation. Registration is now open and all are encouraged to submit a question for the Q&A discussion. The event is co-sponsored by SMPH and UW Health and is part of the SMPH Spring 2021 Initiative: Advance Health by Acting Against Racism.
      • The next Health Equity & Diversity Lunch & Learn Series session titled “Decolonizing Care in Health Equity” will occur noon to 1:00 p.m. on April 22. Download a flyer (PDF), Register, and take note of the Zoom link
      • The Building Community/Ebling Library Book & Film Discussion Club has scheduled discussions on two books: Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code  (originally scheduled for March 24, but since postponed) and Money, Marriage, and Madness: The Life of Anna Ott on Wednesday, April 21 at noon. To register for these discussions and to get access to an electronic version of the either book, please visit the Book & Film Discussion Club website. Participants need not read the entire book to join in on the discussions.
      • The UW–Madison Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement has issued a call for proposals for breakout sessions at the annual UW–Madison Diversity Forum. The event will be held on November 2 and 3, 2021 at Union South and will also be livecast to remote participants. Workshop, panel discussion or lecture concepts for 75-min long breakout sessions will be accepted for consideration. Deadline: April 30. Read more and submit a proposal
      • Save the date: A virtual Women’s Health and Health Equity Research Lecture & Symposium will be presented by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology on October 14, 2021. Read more