SMPH Intranet
For the School of Medicine and Public Health Community

In the Know Quick Links – Week of September 6, 2021

Posted on

Resources for everyone

HR update of note:
  • Title and Total Compensation deadline: Friday, Sept. 10 is the deadline for HR Business Partners to upload new position descriptions for every staff member in SMPH, which must be based on the standard job descriptions that are part of TTC. This means that supervisors and employees need to have their conversation about job title, finalize the position description, and share a signed copy with their HR Business Partner as soon as possible. Read more in a message from Hope Broadus, JD, associate dean for human resources.
COVID-19 operational updates: 
  • Reminder: Employees and students who have not shared proof of COVID-19 vaccination with UHS are required to test weekly on campus. Those who are required to test weekly but fail to do so will be held accountable. Affected students and employees have received an email message with more details. Read more
  • UW–Madison is using pre-pandemic guidelines for configuring campus spaces. Additional spacing to promote physical distancing is no longer required. Classrooms and other spaces are operating at full capacity. Read more
  • All students, employees and visitors to the UW–Madison campus are required to wear masks when inside campus buildings. This universal masking requirement for indoor locations applies to SMPH facilities. Read the announcement for employees and students. Several new or updated FAQs relating to face coverings have also been released.
  • UW Health requires universal masking requirement in all facilities, which was announced on August 2 and went into effect August 3. Read more on U-Connect (requires UW Health login or VPN to view)
  • UW Health is requiring COVID-19 vaccination for all staff, faculty, students, volunteers and other affiliate individuals. Read the news release and information including key deadlines for UW Health employees on U-Connect (requires UW Health login or VPN to view)
  • A recording of the August 12 employee town hall on “Making sense of Delta, vaccines, and where we are now” is available. Watch the recording. A recording of an August 12 town hall for instructors on “Navigating fall 2021 return” is also available. Watch the recording
  • Ordering Personal protective equipment (PPE) for your workspace: If you need to order PPE items such as face masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, mask fitters, or face shields, they can be requested from the MDS warehouse through ShopUW+ at no cost to campus units until the current inventory is exhausted. (Once that occurs, these items should be procured by the base unit/lab/school/college from other ShopUW+ vendors using normal practices.) Contact your department fiscal specialist for help with placing orders. For questions on accessing the ShopUW+ system, contact your department fiscal representative or reach out to the Dean’s Office transaction team.
  • A cart with masks and disinfecting wipes is in the HSLC atrium near room 1335 (see photo). Employees are welcome to take supplies for their unit. The cart will be re-stocked regularly. Hand sanitizer dispensers are present in all common areas and at facility entrances.
  • UW Health offers information on COVID-19 vaccines for patients, as well as a summary of vaccine information for UW Health employees on U-Connect
Non-COVID topics for all personnel:
  • The UW–Madison Remote Work Policy is now in effect. If your role is within scope of the policy, you must have an approved remote work agreement in order to work offsite. If you do not, you must be working on site.
  • Mark your calendar for Monday, October 11 for the Fall Faculty/Staff Meeting. The meeting will take place from 4:30-5:45 p.m. Attend in person in Health Sciences Learning Center room 1335 or virtually via Zoom. Get more information and submit a question
  • Applications for the Paster Family Foundation Innovation Award are due Sept. 30. The award recognizes a project, system improvement, or initiative that has made a difference in human health and/or the lives of patients and their families. Past recipients are Mary Ehlenbach, MD, and Mei Baker, MD. All faculty, staff and student employees of SMPH, UW Health and William S. Middleton Veterans Memorial Hospital are eligible. Learn more
  • Newest issue of Quarterly online: Read more
  • Faculty, staff, and students are invited to submit applications for the 2022 Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment grant competition. Proposals are encouraged for new outreach and public engagement activities that partner with community and off-campus organizations to extend and apply research, education, and practice-based knowledge to help solve problems and foster learning. Seed grants: up to $4,000. Project grants: up to $120,000. Deadline: Oct. 1. Apply
  • Photo essay: Photographers from Media Solutions recently captured images of some spaces and places on west campus
    • Check out a gallery showing life in and around the Health Sciences Learning Center and Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research. View the images
    • See some of our school’s facilities aglow during the “golden hour” of sunset. View the images
  • The UW–Madison Office of Human Resources has released resources about remote and hybrid work including FAQs, courses and toolkits on managing hybrid teams, information on remote work technology, and more. Access their page
  • Important UW Health construction update: impacts to University Hospital front entrances and travel routes from August-December 2021. Employees and providers should 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 and may require use of stairs. A video and directions on alternative employee entry points are available on U-Connect (requires UW Health login or VPN to access). SMPH employees who cannot use stairs should request a “fast pass” badge backer by filling out a UW Health accommodation form available on U-Connect. Contact the UW Health HR Service Center at (608) 263-6500 with questions about the fast pass request process.
  • Bike the State 2021 runs through September 15: The challenge allows members of the SMPH community to promote physical wellness through bicycling by completing (self-paced / self-tracked) a distance equivalent to the width of the state (296 miles). Learn more and register
  • A useful checklist from SMPH IT can help you transition your technology back to your campus workspace. It has tips for data storage and equipment setup, as well as reminders to turn off call forwarding on your office phone. Read more
  • Payroll schedule and benefits deductions changes: Employees who are paid monthly have been moved to a biweekly (every other week) pay schedule. All employees at UW–Madison are now on the same biweekly payroll schedule (see timelines for employees paid over 12 months and 9 months, respectively). Read more
  • 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
    • The UW–Madison Office of Human Resources hosted forums on the Title and Total Compensation (TTC) Project on August 10 and 11. Slides from the presentation are available here.
    • September 10 deadline: Conversations between supervisors and employees about the Title and Total Compensation project must be completed and documented. Employees can expect to receive an official notification letter to confirm their new titles in October or early November. Read more
  • SMPH invites applications and nominations for the position of chair of the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine. Please share the position information with qualified candidates in your professional network and/or send their names in for nomination. Read more about this search.
  • Candidate visits for the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology position have begun and will continue in August and September. See details here.
  • Visit the leadership search candidate page for details on candidate interviews for other searches. 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.

Resources for researchers

  • Research activities delayed or negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible to apply for a second round of the Pandemic-Affected Research Continuation Initiative (PARCI). Apply by Sept. 30. Read more
  • Gearing up for talks and presentations this semester? Looking for insights on inclusive language? Read the SMPH Presenter’s Guide. Originally written by a group of medical students in fall 2019, it is reviewed annually, revised as needed, and has been endorsed by the Building Community Steering Committee. The Presenter’s Guide gives examples of how to talk about underrepresented identities in medicine. Read the guide
  • Applications for the Paster Family Foundation Innovation Award are due Sept. 30. The award recognizes a project, system improvement, or initiative that has made a difference in human health and/or the lives of patients and their families. Past recipients are Mary Ehlenbach, MD, and Mei Baker, MD. All faculty, staff and student employees of SMPH, UW Health and William S. Middleton Veterans Memorial Hospital are eligible. Learn more
  • Varsity Venture, a capital venture studio, invites those with innovative ideas to attend the Fall Ideation Kickoff on  Sept. 13. The deadline for idea submission is Oct. 11. Varsity Venture Studio is a collaboration between UW–Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and High Alpha Innovation designed to turn ideas into companies. Read more
  • For clinical researchers: Two-step billing review in Health Link went live on September 1. This substantive change impacts all research teams who have clinical billing for their patient encounters and is part of an effort by UW Health and the School of Medicine and Public Health to increase the capacity of our clinical research infrastructure, including automating more of the clinical research billing system. Read more Questions? Email crps@uwhealth.org
  • “Ready, $et, Sustain: Balancing Cost and Value Using Practical Implementation Methods”: Registration is now open for the 2021 Dissemination and Implementation Short Course, being held virtually October 20-21 and hosted by the Dissemination and Implementation Launchpad, an Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) Community-Academic Partnership. The free interactive program allows researchers and community stakeholders to explore the fields of dissemination and implementation sciences with national and local experts. Learn more and register
  • Research funding opportunity: Applications are being accepted through September 10 for the 2021 Fall Research Competition. Tenured professors and associate professors, tenure-track assistant professors and permanent PIs are eligible. Learn more and apply
  • The latest issue of Faculty Central, the newsletter from the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development, is available. Read the newsletter and sign up to receive future issues.
  • 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 about 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.
  • 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:

Resources for medical educators and clinicians

  • Join the Clinical Simulation team for Virtual Simulation Days on Sept 23-24. The keynote topic on Sept. 24 will be “Using simulation to address structural racism and implicit bias.” Read more

  • Gearing up for talks and presentations this semester? Looking for insights on inclusive language? Be sure to read the SMPH Presenter’s Guide. Originally written by a group of medical students in fall 2019, it is reviewed annually, revised as needed, and has been endorsed by the Building Community Steering Committee. The Presenter’s Guide gives examples of how to talk about underrepresented identities in medicine. Read the guide
  • Applications for the Paster Family Foundation Innovation Award are due Sept. 30. The award recognizes a project, system improvement, or initiative that has made a difference in human health and/or the lives of patients and their families. Past recipients are Mary Ehlenbach, MD, and Mei Baker, MD. All faculty, staff and student employees of SMPH, UW Health and William S. Middleton Veterans Memorial Hospital are eligible. Learn more
  • UW Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (CIPE) annual report: Read more about the center’s successes over the past year.
  • Nominations are open for the annual UW Health Physician Excellence Awards, with a deadline of September 13. Winners in seven award categories will be announced at an event on November 30. Consider nominating a dedicated and skilled physician who demonstrates exceptional skills in clinical practice, education and leadership, and a commitment to the mission, vision, and values of UW Health. More information and nomination form available here on U-Connect (requires UW Health login or VPN to access)
  • The Office of the Provost has released a new web resource about Fall 2021 instruction. It is intended for who have instructional duties, focusing on how campus COVID-19-related policies and guidelines impact instruction. Read more
  • Effective August 14, MyChart eCheck-In for UW Health clinics includes an additional question related to screen sharing consent in the “Questions Related to the Virtual Visit” questionnaire and the Telemedicine Consent activity for all video visits. Clinic managers will receive additional communication and training resources, and questions may be directed to Health Link Ambulatory Operations. Read more on U-Connect (requires UW Health login or VPN to access)
  • The latest issue of Faculty Central, the newsletter from the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development, is available. Read the newsletter and sign up to receive future issues.
  • WMJ has published six new papers online ahead of print, including two by SMPH faculty and learners. The reports focus on transmission of SARS-CoV-2 involving school-aged children and opioid mortality trends in Wisconsin. WMJ is a peer-reviewed, indexed journal owned jointly by SMPH and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Read more and subscribe here
  • For eldercare providers: the Wisconsin Update in Geriatric Medicine will take place virtually September 21-24. Designed for providers who care for older adults, the conference features an in-depth, knowledge-based review and opportunities for live Q&A. Continuing education credit is available, and attendees can access sessions for 45 days after the event. Learn more and register, and follow the event on Twitter
  • Clinic focuses on diagnosing rare genetic disorders: The Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine has launched 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 is now seeing patients.
  • Renewing Your WI Medical License? Need a transcript of your continuing education credits? Tips on how to access this CME / CE transcripts:
    • 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? View ICEP’s FAQ page for more information or contact the ICEP helpdesk at help@icep.wisc.edu.
    • If you are looking for a record of an activity that took place BEFORE Jan. 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, complete the CE Credit Reprint Request Form.
  • The Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) is seeking to expand its pool of highly qualified reviewers. Volunteers are sought in all medical specialties. 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 on 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.
  • 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 available for original research papers published in Wisconsin Medical Journal. 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.
  • 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

  • Funding opportunity for community organizations: The UW Population Health Institute Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) announces a call for proposals for Just Recovery for Racial Equity Innovation funding. This funding will provide support for community partners that are working to mobilize communities towards mitigation and recovery from COVID-19, and those working to elevate communities. Award amounts are up to $5,000 for Mini-Grants and above $5,000 for Community Grants. Please help spread the word to eligible community organizations. Read more
  • Leadership announcement – Associate Dean for Diversity and Equity Transformation: Beginning October 11, Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, MA, CDM, UW Health Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will expand the scope of her work to also become the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity and Equity Transformation for SMPH. Her appointment establishes a multifunctional SMPH Office of Diversity and Equity Transformation that will be integrated with the existing UW Health Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Read more in a message from Dean Robert N. Golden, MD
  • The Fall 2021 Campus Climate Report has been released by the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement (DDEEA). The report highlights notable efforts over the past year by the division, which serves the entire UW–Madison campus. Read more
  • This year’s Go Big Read selection is Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. Copies of the novel, which uses a fictional story to explore the issues of race, immigration, science, faith and family, are available at Ebling Library’s front service desk. Read more
  • WISELI and the SMPH Office of Faculty Affairs and Development are offering “Searching for Excellence & Diversity: A Workshop for Faculty Search Committees” on Sept. 13, 12:30-3:30 p.m. The workshop aims to increase the excellence and diversity of applicant pools, reduce bias in applicant evaluation, improve interviewing processes, and create an increasingly diverse and excellent faculty body. All members of SMPH faculty search committees and staff who assist search committees are encouraged to attend. Registration is required. If the Sept. 13 date is not convenient, other fall sessions are available are open to all schools and colleges. Download a flyer (PDF) and Learn more
  • The Native American Center for Health Professions has started an exciting podcast called Medicine Talkers. It will cover health topics from an Indigenous perspective. Listen to the trailer on Spotify
  • 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
  • Outdoor recreation and time in nature can be a great way to promote health, and anti-racism in the outdoors an important issue. A virtual panel discussion on Sept. 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. organized by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies will focus on this topic, challenging concepts and ideas that marginalize people in nature and the outdoors. Read more
  • The UW Health Equity Leadership Institute (HELI) will be offered as 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.
  • Lecture on structural racism in medicine: Ruth Shim, MD, MPH, Associate Dean of Diverse and Inclusive Education at the University of California–Davis, will deliver the Department of Psychiatry annual Greenfield Memorial Lecture on Oct. 20 at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Discovery Building, 330 N. Orchard St. The talk will focus on the topic of structural racism in medicine and in the field of psychiatry. Read more
  • A virtual Women’s Health and Health Equity Research Lecture & Symposium will be presented by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology on Oct. 14. 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).
  • 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.