For the School of Medicine and Public Health Community
In the Know Quick Links – Week of July 12, 2021
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Resources for everyone
HR update of note:
Interested in working remotely beyond August? Read the SMPH Remote Work Guide and accompanying resources. SMPH is committed to the foundational principle that UW–Madison is a vibrant residential campus and — where appropriate and in alignment with campus policy — the school also supports the use of flexible and remote work options for employees. The SMPH guide provides context on the UW–Madison Remote Work Policy, key dates for implementation, and steps for evaluation and approval. More information, such as how to enter a formal remote work agreement, will be released as it becomes available. See the guide and a recording of a July 1 information session. A checklist of information that will be needed in order to submit a remote work agreement request is available from Office of HR here.
COVID-19 operational updates:
The SMPH Summer 2021 Work Modality & Operations Plan is available. This plan provides a procedure for supervisors to notify SMPH HR about employees who are currently working entirely remotely and who will begin working on-site between June 1 and August 1, or who already have an on-site work notification on file but need to make changes for the summer. Read more
A recording of the June 14 virtual “Badgers Back Together” town hall hosted by University Health Services is available. Campus experts, including Ajay Sethi, PhD, MHS, associate professor of population health sciences, answered questions about upcoming transitions and offered guidance for safely reuniting later this year. Watch the video The next employee town hall will occur from noon-1 p.m. on July 22, followed by another at noon-1 p.m. on August 12.
Many vaccination appointments are available for employees and students at University Health Services in their clinic on the sixth floor of 333 East Campus Mall. Sign up at go.wisc.edu/myuhs
Several FAQs about have been added to the UW–Madison Covid Response website. Read more
Please read the May 11 message to employees and students describing campus operations this summer, and the June 2 message to all employees and students about changes to policies on events, face coverings, and outdoor physical distancing.
Face coverings will continue to be required regardless of vaccination status in certain areas of WIMR and HSLC. They should also be worn when interacting with research participants while conducting human subjects research and when engaging in clinical simulation activities. Barrier masks are required for staff, visitors, and patients in all UW Health facilities that provide clinical care or mixed clinical care and administrative functions.
UW–Madison has updated the sponsored travel policy for employees, guests, graduate students, undergraduates, and Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). The travel ban on university-sponsored domestic travel has been lifted. International travel remains restricted. Read more
All members of the UW–Madison community should maintain green Badger Badge status throughout the summer, either through vaccination status or testing.
Room reservations in HSLC will only be taken for instructional purposes until the university releases updated guidance about classroom distancing and density requirements, and SMPH has determined how to operationalize this guidance in our school.
Non-COVID topics for all personnel:
Faculty, staff, and graduate student employees are invited to campus appreciation events in late July and early August hosted by Chancellor Rebecca Blank. They are a great opportunity for teams to connect as the UW–Madison community plans to return on-site for the fall. The Campus Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, August 4 will offer a location near University Hospital. Read more
The UW–Madison Office of Human Resources has released supporting resources about remote and hybrid work. They have answers to frequently asked questions, courses and toolkits on managing hybrid teams, information on remote work technology, and more. Access their page
Important UW Health construction update: An upcoming project will impact University Hospital front entrances and travel routes from August-December 2021. Employees and providers will need to avoid the main drive and both the Clinics and Hospital entrances at University Hospital during construction. Clinics entrance will be closed August 16 to December 31, 2021. Staff entry from Parking Lot 75 will be limited. Read more on the UW Health U-Connect intranet (requires VPN or UW Health login to access).
Bike the State (BTS) 2021 began June 15: The BTS challenge provides an opportunity for members of the SMPH community to participate in an initiative to promote physical wellness through bicycling. This year’s challenge to cycle a distance equivalent to the width of the state (296 miles) will run June 15 through September 15, 2021. Learn more and register
The SMPH Shared Services IT group has created device connection guidance for employees who will be returning to on-site work locations. They advise taking a picture of your hardware and cable setup prior to coming back to the office. Read more and see a diagram for setup of Dell Desktops and Dell Docking Stations.
Transportation Services will resume regular parking operations September 1. First-round applications for fall parking permits have closed. Round 2 applications occur July 19-August 3 and Round 3 occur August 4-17. Anyone who wishes to obtain parking beginning September 1, including current permit holders, must apply for a 2022 permit. Current permits expire August 31. Learn more here. Questions? Email healthsciencesparking@mailplus.wisc.edu or leave a message at 608-263-7943.
Payroll schedule and benefits deductions changes coming in 2021: Beginning in July, employees who are paid monthly will be moved to a biweekly (every other week) pay schedule. Read more Also, SMPH HR/Payroll has put together a series of resources on Single Payroll and is offering one-on-one appointments with two payroll and benefits experts to answer your questions on the topic. Read more and schedule an appointment
Title and Total Compensation (TTC) Project: Staff job titles and compensation structures are being redesigned across all UW System campuses, and will be implemented November 7. See this update from the SMPH HR team. Many informational resources are available on the UW–Madison TTC Project website. Supervisors are encouraged to take advantage of online training. Register here Additionally, live virtual training sessions for managers are being offered to prepare for effective employee conversations. During “Engaging Your Employees in the TTC Conversation,” supervisors will practice how to adapt communications to meet employee needs, empathetic listening to understand employee concerns, and ways to empower employees during change. Learn more and register
Visit the leadership search candidate pagefor details on candidate interviews. Visits have ended for the Chair of the Department of Medical Physics and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience. Passwords to access recordings are “Neuroscience2021″ and “MedicalPhysics2021” for each respective search.
Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology position now open: The online position profilecontains extensive information on this opportunity and a PDF is also available for download. Please recommend this opportunity to colleagues in the field of alumni relations and send suggestions to the search committee co-chairs. Read more
Resources for researchers
The Wisconsin Partnership Program invites eligible SMPH faculty to submit a preliminary application for a New Investigator Program grant. Grants of up to $150,000 over two years will be awarded, and up to four projects will be funded. The program supports early-career faculty to initiate innovative research and education projects to improve health and healthcare and to advance health equity in Wisconsin. Preliminary applications are due August 5. View application materials and learn more
Clinical Trials Community of Practice: All principal investigators, clinical providers and scientists interested in conducting clinical trials are invited to join the next meeting on Aug. 19 from 12-1 p.m. Guest speakers will present on building infrastructure and capacity at UnityPoint Health Meriter. Learn more and get the event link
The KL2 Scholars Program Award has announced its 2021 Call for Nominations for awards beginning July 1, 2022. Funded through the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Clinical (ICTR) and NIH’s Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA), the KL2 Scholars Program Awards support early-career faculty at UW-Madison pursuing and actively engaged in translational research and who are committed to developing an independent research program. Three scholars receive initial awards of two years; additional time in the program is possible upon review of scholar progress and need. Nomination letters are due July 30, 2021. Learn more and email questions to Ana Garic.
Update for clinical researchers: The implementation of automated two-step billing has been delayed until September 1. It is still important for research teams that use Health Link to continue to link research encounters and orders. More information for research teams will be coming this summer.
Clinical studies update: Following the guidance provided by UW-Madison, while remote monitoring is still preferable, on-site research monitoring can be made available if a department feels it is necessary and appropriate. Monitors who will be on site at UW Health will need to work with the UW Health Vendor Liaison Office prior to arrival. Please direct questions about on site monitoring to the Clinical Research Office via rannow@wisc.edu.
Research funding opportunity: The Ride raises funds to support state-of-the-art cancer research at UW–Madison and is now accepting grant applications, with a deadline of August 15. Applicants must have a UW–Madison professor title series and be involved in cancer research in basic, translational, clinical, social/behavioral and population sciences. Read more and apply
The Office for Faculty Affairs and Development has released the Promotions Oversight Committee Guide and the SMPH Mentoring Guide. The Promotions Oversight Committee Guide provides clarity for departments, faculty and committees for the process of promotion from assistant to associate professor on the CHS and Tenure tracks. The Mentoring Guide gives an overview of mentoring functions and structures to support faculty development. It also offers tools and strategies for selecting mentors and meeting mentoring needs. This guide can be used by both faculty mentees and mentors.
The Office for Faculty Affairs is offering 2021-2022 Pathways to Promotion workshops. These workshops may be attended multiple times. Contact ofad@med.wisc.edu with questions.
Pathways to Promotion 102 for CHS and CT track faculty, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, 1-5 p.m. (virtual). For CHS and CT track faculty who expect to go up for promotion within the next year or two. Mentors are also welcome. Learn more and register
Pathways to Promotion Tenure, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Location TBD). In-depth examination of the UW Madison promotion and tenure process from the perspective of UW–Madison and SMPH. Learn more and register
Pathways to Promotion 101 for CHS/CT track faculty, Monday, March 7, 2022, 1-5 p.m. (Virtual; in-person option TBD). Recommended for CHS and CT track faculty in their first few years at SMPH. Tailored to those who would like an introduction to promotion processes or have never attended a Pathways to Promotion seminar. Learn more and register
Principal Investigators: The SMPH Office of Research is your information source for funding opportunities. Bookmark these links:
For eldercare providers: the Wisconsin Update in Geriatric Medicine will take place virtually September 21-24. Designed for all providers who care for older adults, the conference features an in-depth, knowledge-based review, plus the opportunity to ask questions and interact with speakers. Continuing education credit is available, and attendees will have access to sessions for 45 days after the event. Learn more and register, and follow the event on Twitter
Summer Lunch and Learn for clinicians – New Buprenorphine Practice Guidelines: Confused about the new guidelines for prescribing buprenorphine and expanding access to treatment of opioid use disorder? Interested in learning more about evidence-based treatments utilized in office-based settings? Randy Brown, MD, PhD, will review the new guidelines, detail how they may affect your practice and patients, and answer questions during an interactive Lunch and Learn on July 22 from 12:15-1:15 p.m. Learn more and get the Webex link
New clinic will focus on diagnosing rare genetic disorders: In July, the Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine will launch the UW Undiagnosed Genetic Disease Clinic and Research Program, which aims to improve the health and well-being of individuals with undiagnosed genetic disorders, particularly those who are suspected of living with a genetic disease who have remained undiagnosed despite an extensive clinical workup. Clinicians may refer patients using this form. The clinic began seeing patients on July 16. Stay tuned for additional information, and read more about the clinic and its research program on the center’s website.
Renewing Your WI Medical License? Need a transcript of your continuing education credits? Check out the following info from the Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD) for tips on how to access this information.
Log in to your ICEP Learner Profile (https://ce.icep.wisc.edu), click “My account”, and then “My Activities” to download a full listing of your credits earned since 2018.
Having trouble locating your account or want more information on downloading a credit transcript? View ICEP’s FAQ page for more information or contact the ICEP helpdesk at help@icep.wisc.edu.
Please note, if you are looking for a record of an activity that took place BEFORE January 1, 2018, or you are requesting a transcript for RSS sessions (Grand Rounds, Case Conference, Journal Club, etc.) that took place BEFORE June 30, 2018, please complete the CE Credit Reprint Request Form.
For healthcare providers utilizing telehealth: UW Health MyChart Video Appointments are replacing Vidyo for ambulatory video visits, although Vidyo will remain the inpatient platform. The enterprise Ambulatory MyChart Video Appointment go-live was scheduled for June 24, 2021. Find more information and training documentation here (requires VPN or UW Health login to access).
The Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) is seeking to expand its pool of highly qualified reviewers. Volunteers are sought in all medical specialties, and there is particular demand for reviewers with an interest in public health. Reviewers are invited to review manuscripts electronically and are asked to submit reviews within 3 weeks. WMJ is a peer-reviewed, indexed journal owned jointly by SMPH and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Learn more and sign up
The Office for Faculty Affairs and Development has released the Promotions Oversight Committee Guide and the SMPH Mentoring Guide. The Promotions Oversight Committee Guide provides clarity for departments, faculty and committees for the process of promotion from assistant to associate professor on the CHS and Tenure tracks. The Mentoring Guide gives an overview of mentoring functions and structures to support faculty development. It also offers tools and strategies for selecting mentors and meeting mentoring needs. This guide can be used by both faculty mentees and mentors.
The Office for Faculty Affairs is offering 2021-2022 Pathways to Promotion workshops. These workshops may be attended multiple times. Contact ofad@med.wisc.edu with questions.
Pathways to Promotion 102 for CHS and CT track faculty, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, 1-5 p.m. (virtual). For CHS and CT track faculty who expect to go up for promotion within the next year or two. Mentors are also welcome. Learn more and register
Pathways to Promotion Tenure, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Location TBD). In-depth examination of the UW Madison promotion and tenure process from the perspective of UW–Madison and SMPH. Learn more and register
Pathways to Promotion 101 for CHS/CT track faculty, Monday, March 7, 2022, 1-5 p.m. (Virtual; in-person option TBD). Recommended for CHS and CT track faculty in their first few years at SMPH. Tailored to those who would like an introduction to promotion processes or have never attended a Pathways to Promotion seminar. Learn more and register
Continuing education credit is now available for three original research papers published in Wisconsin Medical Journal, including “Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy: Early Lessons From Our Sleep Pregnancy Clinic” by SMPH faculty and learners. N0-cost credit is available through the UW-Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP). Look for articles that display a blue “CE” button at wmjonline.org, and to register, click on the “earn continuing education credit” links or visit the ICEP website. WMJ is a peer-reviewed, indexed journal owned jointly by SMPH and the Medical College of Wisconsin.
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:
Resources and Upcoming Events: Anti-Racism and/or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Join the Kern National Network for Caring & Character in Medicine (KNN) on Tuesday, August 3 at 4 p.m. for a webinar titled “Social Justice, Health Equity and Human Flourishing: Are We All Included?” Three expert speakers will discuss the responsibilities healthcare professionals have to address the root causes of health inequity and effective strategies for doing so. Read more and register
Nominations for 2021 UW–Madison Outstanding Women of Color Awards are now open, with a deadline of Sept. 13. The awards honor women of color among UW–Madison faculty, staff, students (undergraduate or post-baccalaureate), and in the greater Madison community, who have made outstanding contributions to social justice, service, scholarly research, and more. Learn more and nominate someone from SMPH
Call for proposals: The Wisconsin Partnership Program has released its 2021 Community Impact Grants Program Request for Partnerships. The funding awards of up to $1 million over 5 years advance health equity in Wisconsin by supporting community-academic partnership initiatives that address the social determinants of health and root causes of health inequities, and are informed and implemented by those most affected by them. SMPH faculty and staff with PI status are eligible to serve as academic partners. Deadline: August 16. Read more
A recap article about the June 15 virtual meeting titled “Planning for a New Approach to Diversity and Equity Transformation” is now available. The presenters discussed the school’s evolving approach to leadership of diversity and equity efforts and described two new positions that will be created. “Imagine the possibility of transforming SMPH into an academic medical center that is equity-minded, leveraging diversity as a human asset capital,” said presenter Angela Byars-Winston, PhD, professor of medicine. Read more
Summer Global Health Tuesday webinars are being offered by the Global Health Institute. The second webinar at 4:30-5:30 p.m. on July 27 will feature Syed Nabeel Zafar, MD, MPH, assistant professor of surgery. Dr. Nabeel Zafar will focus on global oncology. Read more
The UW Health Equity Leadership Institute (HELI) will be offered as three virtual sessions between May and August. The first session was May 27 featuring three UW HELI alumni and their community partners discussing their work, its impact, and how the efforts of health equity scholars may have value in work you do and settings you operate in. A recording of that session is available. A second session on July 16 from 9-10:30 a.m. was titled “Thriving as an Early $tage Investigator: The Untold Do’s and Don’ts.” Stay tuned for a recording, and for information about the final session.
Save the date: Ruth Shim, MD, MPH, Associate Dean of Diverse and Inclusive Education at the University of California–Davis, will deliver the Psychiatry Department’s annual Greenfield Memorial Lecture in person on Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m., and will present a Grand Rounds talk on Sept. 17 at noon. The talks will focus on the topic of structural racism in medicine and in the field of psychiatry. Read more
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
The School of Medicine and Public Health has published two case studies through the Association of Academic Health Centers that highlight the school’s work in diversity, equity, and inclusion. The first case study is focused on the Native American Center for Health Professions (NACHP) and describes the center’s extremely successful strategies for recruiting and retaining American Indian and Alaska Native students.The second case study is focused on two pre-health/pre-medicine pathway programs: the Rural and Urban Scholars in Community Health (RUSCH) and the Health Professions Shadowing Program (HPSP).
SMPH members shared their expertise during the 2021 Global Health Symposium, which was titled “Fostering Resilience Through Indigenous Wisdom and Scientific Knowledge.” It was co-hosted in April by the Global Health Institute and the SMPH Native American Center for Health Professions. View the video recordings
Continuing education credit is now available for four papers published in the recent special issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal focused on the impact of race and racism on health. No-cost credit is available through the UW-Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP). Look for articles that display a blue “CE” button at wmjonline.org, and to register, click on the “earn continuing education credit” links or visit the ICEP website. WMJ is a peer-reviewed, indexed journal owned jointly by SMPH and the Medical College of Wisconsin.