NewsLink, Jan. 15, 2021
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Coronavirus Information

Vaccination appointment cancellation reminder

The BCM vaccine clinic is experiencing a higher than expected rate of no-shows from employees who have scheduled a COVID-19 vaccination. Please cancel your appointment in MyChart if you will not be able to make your appointment. This allows access to the time slots to others and ensures that BCM is optimizing its vaccination rates. Some employees were able to obtain an earlier appointment at an affiliate; in this case, cancel your BCM appointment and plan to receive your second dose where you received your first dose.

Awards and Recognitions

Arenkiel honored by TAMEST

Dr. Benjamin Arenkiel, associate professor of molecular and human genetics, is a 2021 recipient of the Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award in Medicine from the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas. The award recognizes rising Texas researchers who are addressing the essential role that science and technology play in society. He was honored at a virtual awards ceremony on Jan. 13 and will present his research virtually Jan. 27.

Desai releases book update

Dr. Samir Desai, assistant professor of medicine, recently released the fourth edition of his book, "Clinician's Guide to Laboratory Medicine." Featuring a unique step-by-step approach to lab test interpretation, the book has been rated as one of the "Best Medical Books of All Time" by the Medical Media Review. It was also named a Doody's Core Title for medical libraries by content specialists that guide libraries in the development of their essential medical reference book collections.

Nuila earns AAMC grant

Dr. Ricardo Nuila, associate professor of medicine, has received an Association of American Medical Colleges grant for the Narrative Medicine Program in the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. The $25,000 AAMC grant will support integration of arts and humanities in medical education through programs like a COVID storytelling project, medical humanities curriculum and more. Nuila, head of the Narrative Medicine program, submitted the grant with Dr. Larry Laufman and Dr. Andrew Childress. In addition, Nuila will participate in the Feb. 6 virtual Inprint Poets and Writers Ball, where he will interview author George Saunders, recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant, Man Booker Prize and other awards for his short stories.

Harris Health cancer accreditation

The Harris Health cancer program has received accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. This is a reflection of the high quality of cancer care provided at Harris Health and the result of the efforts of physicians, nurses, pharmacists and administrators working as a team, including Dr. Martha Mims, professor of medicine and chief of hematology/oncology, who led the accreditation effort.

Events

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

The College will be closed Monday, Jan. 18, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Monday also is designated as the MLK National Day of Service. A number of service opportunities are available; view them online. In addition, essays by members of the Baylor community that reflect on diversity in medicine and the biomedical sciences have been published on the student blog, Progress Notes.

World Religion Day interfaith panel

The Baylor community is invited to attend the virtual World Religions Day Interfaith Panel, Jan. 19, at 3 p.m. This presentation will highlight the idea that the spiritual principles underlying the world's religions are harmonious, and that religions play a significant role in unifying humanity. In the context of healthcare, this is an opportunity to consider the shared ways in which religious traditions approach health, healing and the body. Moderated by Dr. John Graham, president and CEO of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center, presenters will include Baylor's Dr. Sheldon Rubenfeld.

Advanced Practice Providers conference

Texas Children's Hospital hosts the Advanced Practice Provider Virtual Conference, featuring updates on pharmacology, telemedicine, developmental delay screening, dermatology, heart wall deformities, sleep disturbances, palliative care, substance abuse and more topics Jan. 21-23. Register online to attend.

College News

Happy anniversary, Duncan NRI!

The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Researchers at the multidisciplinary research center dedicated to pediatric brain disorders have now published more than 1,000 scientific studies in top-tier journals, discovered 72 disease-causing genetic mutations, completed one successful clinical trial for an intractable epilepsy and have six additional clinical trials in development. Read more about how the reach of these discoveries extends beyond the pediatric world, impacting a wide spectrum of neurological and psychiatric diseases.

Nominations open for Women of Excellence, equity awards

Nominations are open for two College-wide awards, the Women of Excellence and the Equity Trailblazer awards. Both are open to faculty, staff, trainees and students and recognize members of the Baylor community who have shown dedication to issues that affect women and who have made significant contributions to increase diversity and inclusion, respectively. Learn more about Women of Excellence and Equity Trailblazer awards, and consider nominating an outstanding colleague or learner by the Feb. 5 deadline!

Baylor Medicine now on social media!

Follow Baylor Medicine on Instagram to keep up with the latest healthcare services, advances and other important clinical news!

BeWell news: Register for Recognition Challenge

Register to join BCM BeWell in the first quarterly challenge of 2021. Recognize one person each week by writing a positive note, emailing them, leaving them a voicemail etc. and complete two of the three weekly surveys and a final survey to earn up to 350 BCM BeWell points. Questions? Email wellness@bcm.edu.

IT news: MFA by text message

Reminder that if you upgrade your mobile phone or purchase a new phone, you will need to re-enroll in multi-factor authentication (MFA), and you can now do this by text message. MFA is a security mechanism that authenticates a user's identify. You can receive a token by text to connect via VPN, then re-enroll your new device in MFA. To learn more about MFA via texting, please visit the how-to setup guide, and to learn more about enrolling your new device in MFA, please visit the MFA Guide. Both guides can be found on the IT Service Portal.

Faculty in the News

Dr. William Fisher talked about pancreatic cancer with Houston's Fox26 news. Check out Baylor's news media mentions, including extensive COVID-19 coverage, in this week's Faculty in the News, and follow BCMHouston_News on Twitter to keep up with our experts in the media. Interested in science news? Read the latest in From the Labs.

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