View the recording of the Jan. 21 campus town hall featuring a panel of UW–Madison experts who described how the university plans to navigate the continuing COVID-19 pandemic this semester. Watch the video
Reminder: All students, employees and visitors to the UW–Madison campus must continue to wear masks when inside campus buildings, including SMPH facilities. The Chancellor’s order has been extended through March 1, 2022.
Workspace personal protective equipment (PPE): Order items like face masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, mask fitters, or face shields from the MDS warehouse through ShopUW+ (available at no cost to campus units until existing inventory is distributed). Contact your department fiscal specialist for help. For questions on accessing ShopUW+, contact your department fiscal representative or the Dean’s Office transaction team.
A cart with PPE is in the HSLC atrium near room 1335 (see photo). Employees are welcome to take supplies for their unit. Hand sanitizer dispensers are present in all common areas and building entrances.
UW Health COVID-19 requirements, announcements, and alerts for employees and affiliate individuals are available on U-Connect (requires UW Health login or VPN to access). Read more
Non-COVID policy, procedure, guidance, and operational news:
UW Health cybersecurity update for Citrix users: Starting in late January and into February, multi-factor authentication (MFA) will be required for UW Health Citrix users from additional locations outside the UW Health network, including SMPH and all of the UW–Madison campus. Read more
All SMPH employees are required to get their flu shot or fill out an appropriate waiver each year (the deadline was Dec. 6 – submit your information now if you haven’t already). Read more
UW Health construction: Impacts to University Hospital front entrances and travel routes through spring 2022. Employees and providers should avoid the main drive and both the Clinics and Hospital entrances at University Hospital during construction. A new staff entry is expected to open in March 2022. Soft launch of the new clinics entrance is anticipated in May.
Staff entry from Lot 75 is currently 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). 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.
Gathering, giving, and connecting:
Watch the video of the Winter Faculty/Staff meeting, which covered an update on the pandemic from a global health perspective, an overview of the Office of Diversity and Equity Transformation, and insight on the new Wisconsin Medicine Institute for Clinical Trials. Watch the video
The Building Community/Ebling Library Book & Film Club will discuss the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Polio: An American Story on Feb. 16 from 4-5 p.m. Jerome Groopman, NYT Book Review, remarked, “The story of polio captures all the drama of high-profile and high-stakes research in an America in social flux: the tension between sober scientists and sensationalistic media…” Join us to gain a clearer understanding of the similarities and differences between the polio and COVID-19 vaccine efforts. To register and get access to an electronic version of the book, visit the Book Club website. No need to have completed the book to join the discussion.
Newest issue of Quarterly online: When COVID-19 cases began to emerge in Wisconsin in early 2020, the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW) embraced the opportunity to collect valuable statewide data to assist the university and state in the face of the growing pandemic–an effort featured in the cover story in the latest issue of Quarterly. The issue also includes a look at the UW Undiagnosed Genetic Disease Program and its clinic, launched last July by the Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine; and a profile on the Department of Medical Physics, celebrating 40 years of technology development, clinical care and education. Read more
Submit your artistic creations for the spring issue of Corpus Callosum: Ebling Library’s online arts journal is seeking photographs, photos of your paintings and fabric work, poems, short stories, music compositions and more from those in the UW-Madison’s health sciences departments and schools as well as employees of UW Health. The call for submissions runs Feb. 1 through March 22. Submit up to one piece in each category. Read more and submit
Partners in Giving campaign: Under the theme “Make an Impact,” the campaign joins together state, UW–Madison, and UW Health employees to support hundreds of nonprofit organizations. Active phase of the campaign has ended but gifts are still welcome through May 2022 – Give today
Leadership searches:
Candidate visits for the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine will occur between Jan. 25 and Feb. 10. All visits will be virtual. The password to access video recordings is PALMchair2022. See details about the virtual sessions here.
Candidate visits for the chair of the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine have occurred. See details and recordings here. The password to access video recordings is EmergencyMedicine2021.
SMPH invites applications and nominations for the position of chair of the Department of Pediatrics. Please share the position information with qualified candidates in your professional network and/or send their names in for nomination. Read more
Candidate visits for the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology position have occurred. See details here.
Resources for researchers
Grants available from the State Economic Engagement and Development (SEED) research program: Administered by UW–Madison’s Discovery to Product, SEED grants allow UW–Madison faculty and academic staff with ownership in a Wisconsin company to engage in innovative research, generate additional private and public sector support for their research programs, and promote technology transfer between the university and industry. Deadline: Feb. 15. Read more
The UW Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) program is now accepting applications for two new scholars. Apply by Feb. 28. The start date for the scholar positions is June 1. This opportunity is available for early-career faculty at UW–Madison whose research focuses on women’s health or sex and gender differences. Read more and apply
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
Office of Faculty Affairs and Development news:
New resource webpage: Faculty Award Opportunities. The page contains a downloadable chart and award opportunities categorized by career stage. See the page
Resource: 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.
2021-2022 Pathways to Promotion workshops:
Pathways to Promotion Tenure, Feb. 8, 4:30-6:30 p.m. (location TBD). In-depth examination of the UW–Madison promotion and tenure process. Learn more and register
Pathways to Promotion 101 for CHS/CT track faculty, March 7, 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:
The Kern National Network is launching a new discussion series that will examine external influences shaping and driving the vitality of health care learners, professionals, and broader society over the next decade. The second of four live virtual sessions, “Flourishing in the Community,” is April 26 at 4 p.m. Learn more and register
UW System COVID-19 student health care worker initiative: Instructors and mentors, please share information with students about a new incentive for UW students with nursing skills and other health backgrounds to work on the front lines of Wisconsin’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. About 1,000 students meeting specific criteria will be eligible for a $500 tuition incentive for working in hospitals and other health care settings. Read more
Resource for instructors and advisors: University Health Services has issued the Healthy Academics Toolkit focused on how to support student health and well-being. Read more and access the toolkit
The latest quarterly issue of Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) is now available online. The issue, which includes research and commentary published by SMPH faculty and learners, features a collection of papers on rural health, COVID-19, opioid overdose mortality rates and more. WMJ is a peer-reviewed, indexed journal owned jointly by SMPH and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Access the full issue here.
If you’d like to receive email updates when new content is posted online, sign up here
Continuing education available: 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.
The journal is continually seeking to expand its pool of highly qualified reviewers. Learn more and sign up
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
Office of Faculty Affairs and Development news:
New resource webpage: Faculty Award Opportunities. The page contains a downloadable chart and award opportunities categorized by career stage. See the page
Resource: 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.
2021-2022 Pathways to Promotion workshops:
Pathways to Promotion Tenure, Feb. 8, 4:30-6:30 p.m. (location TBD). In-depth examination of the UW Madison promotion and tenure process. Learn more and register
Pathways to Promotion 101 for CHS/CT track faculty, March 7, 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
Renewing Your WI Medical License? Need a transcript of your continuing education credits? Access 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. For help, 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.
Faculty physicians: fulfill maintenance of certification (MOC) requirements. Earn MOC Part 4 credit for quality improvement work. 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
Inclusion of learners with disabilities: In a commentary published in Academic Medicine, Dean Robert N. Golden, MD and Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Elizabeth Petty, MD urge medical schools to provide inclusive education for learners with physical and sensory disabilities. Read more
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
New resources added to the Racial Equity Tools collection: Racial Equity Tools is a website designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. It offers resources, research, tips, curricula, and ideas for people who want to increase their understanding and to aid those working for racial justice in systems, organizations, communities, and society at large. In December, 71 new tools were added to a collection that now includes over 3,200+ resources and 98 “bookcases” (category pages). Search the collection and see the expanded RET Glossary.
Meet the newest cohort of the Centennials Scholars and Clinicians Program, a community of diverse SMPH faculty from backgrounds underrepresented in science and medicine. Administered by the SMPH Office of Faculty Affairs and Development, the program initiated in 2009 to provide departments the resources to recruit and develop faculty from groups that experience health disparities in Wisconsin. Read more
Treaties: How we come to be where we are: View the recording of an event with Ho-Chunk Nation’s leading legal experts about treaties and how our ongoing nation-to-nation agreements with the Ho-Chunk Nation are fundamental to daily life here at Teejop (day-JOPE), the place currently known as Madison, Wisconsin. Watch the video and read more
Continuing education credit is available for four papers published in a 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.
