NewsLink, May 1, 2020
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Coronavirus Information

Today: Town hall with Dr. Klotman

Baylor President Dr. Paul Klotman will host a Town Hall for faculty and staff at noon Friday to discuss the College's response to COVID-19 and its plan for a staged recovery. Leaders from all mission areas will be available to answer questions. The event will be livestreamed on YouTube. Questions can be sent ahead of time to Claire Bassett.

May 2 – 3: COVID-19 webinar

Join Baylor's Dr. Pedro Piedra, Dr. Robert Atmar, Dr. Laila Woc-Colburn and other experts from around the TMC and beyond May 2-3 as they break down the current COVID-19 situation and the path forward. Watch via Zoom.

Read up on COVID-19 research

Faculty members in the Department of Medicine's Section of Infectious Diseases want to make it easier for the Baylor community to stay updated on the latest in COVID-19 research. They are providing a weekly newsletter that summarizes the newest published and pre-print research, addressing what’s new and why it matters. Read the newsletters online.

HR COVID-19 updates: CARES Act distributions

Eligible Baylor College of Medicine participants in the 401(a) now have access to Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act distributions from their 401(a) plan balances at Fidelity, within guidelines. CARES Act loans from either the 401(a) or the 403(b) plans are not yet available. Review this FAQ for more information. For financial guidance, consult with your advisor or access free financial coaching through Ayco online or at 1-866-487-9446. Email ask-retirement@bcm.edu or call 713-798-1500 with additional questions.

Pangolin shirts for sale!

By popular demand, the pangolin T-shirts referenced in Dr. Klotman's video message last week are now for sale, with proceeds going to coronavirus research at Baylor. The shirts are $20 and can be ordered online and picked up in 176B, Cullen Building, Main Campus. Snap a photo in your pangolin shirt and email to Dana Benson for the Baylor COVID-19 Diaries.

Make Baylor your Zoom background!

Click this Box link to download the image shown here and other photos to use as your Baylor Zoom background.

Awards and Recognitions

Badr selected as ELAM fellow

Dr. Hoda Badr, associate professor of medicine in the section of epidemiology and population sciences, has been accepted as a Fellow in the 2020-2021 Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women. The yearlong, part-time fellowship program is for women faculty in schools of medicine, dentistry, public health and pharmacy to develop the professional and personal skills required to lead and manage in today's complex healthcare environment, with special attention to the unique challenges facing women in leadership positions.

Lopez named to city task force

Dr. Keila N. Lopez, assistant professor of pediatric cardiology, was invited to serve on Mayor Sylvester Turner's Health Equity Response Task Force to address vulnerable members of the community most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. She joins Dr. Asim Shah from Baylor in serving on this committee. Lopez is a member of the Hispanic Health Coalition and National Health Diversity Council.

Pangas receives grant for reproductive biology

Dr. Stephanie A. Pangas, the Roger Rossen Professor of Reproductive Pathology and associate professor of pathology & immunology, was awarded a new five-year, $1.9 million institutional training grant from the Eunice K. Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to enhance research in reproductive biology at BCM. The T32 training grant will support two predoctoral and four postdoctoral fellows. The reproductive biology program at Baylor includes a multidisciplinary team with research expertise in the genetic basis of idiopathic male and female infertility, non-steroidal contraceptive development, recurrent pregnancy loss, preterm birth, genomics and epigenomics.

Baylor's Gold Humanism chapter honored

The Baylor chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society has received the "Outstanding" ranking from the Gold Foundation. This designation recognizes the chapter's extraordinary contributions to humanism in healthcare through activities and programs that increase engagement and empathy with the patient community its members serve; encourage clinician resilience; teach advocacy and leadership skills to clinicians; and highlight the importance of compassionate care throughout the healthcare system. Dr. Vandana Gadhia Shah, assistant professor of medicine, serves as advisor of the Baylor chapter. Read more about the latest inductees to the GHHS.

Events

Accepting applications: Ethics research day

Poster abstracts are being accepted now through May 8 for the Health and Science Policy Virtual Research Day, set for May 27, 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. via Zoom. Speakers include more than 20 Baylor faculty, a keynote by Princeton's Keith Wailoo, Ph.D., a special panel with two State Legislators, along with the poster session. It will provide a unique opportunity to hear experts from multiple disciplines highlight current research and discuss some of society's biggest challenges, including a case study on COVID-19. Submit abstracts and register today!

College News

CMS payments dispute window closes on May 15

Physicians have until May 15 to review and dispute industry payments allegedly made to them in 2019. The Physician Payment Sunshine Act requires applicable manufacturers ("Industry") to report certain payments they have made to physicians and teaching hospital. The payments will be published on June 30, 2020. Access the full Open Payments User Guide from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services as well as its FAQs.

Faculty in the News

Baylor experts continue to lead the way in keeping the public informed about COVID-19 through the media. Read the coverage in 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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