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NewsLink, Oct. 2, 2020
Please submit items for the weekly NewsLink to Dana Benson.

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Coronavirus & Flu Information

New Screening Report Card

The new COVID-19 Screening Report Card shows the weekly percentage of the BCM community that has completed the COVID-19 screening attestation and displays the number of people reporting symptoms. Look for the report card each Tuesday in the Incident Command Center email message or view it online. Screening attestation helps to keep the campus safe for employees and learners and is useful for contact tracing and recovery planning. Complete it daily through a mobile app or web-based app.

Back-to-school resources

Parents are faced with the decision this year on whether to send their children to school in person or online. Baylor's Center for Educational Outreach has compiled a list of resources that may help with this decision making.

Kosten authors paper on COVID-19 mental health

Dr. Thomas KostenDr. Thomas Kosten, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was one of the authors on a paper on the mental health status of adolescents after family confinement during the COVID-19 outbreak. Read the paper online to learn more about this important topic. Of note, the paper recently was listed on the top 10 download list compiled by SSRN, a research publication platform.

Flu shots info

Flu shots from Occupational Health started this week, and dates are available through October. To maintain physical distancing, you must reserve a time slot on the mobile app or the web-based app. More dates will be added later, and you also may get your flu shot at a local pharmacy, walk-in clinic or from your physician's office. Don't forget to complete the attestation by Nov. 30 through the app! Questions? Visit the OHP website or email flu_vaccine@bcm.edu.


Awards and Recognitions

Blumenthal-Barby & Kostick awarded AHRQ grant

Dr. Jennifer Bluementhal-BarbyDr. Kristin KostickDr. Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, Cullen Professor of Medical Ethics and associate director, Center for Medical Ethics & Health Policy, and Dr. Kristin Kostick, staff scientist, were awarded a five-year $1.9 million from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop an integrated clinical decision support platform for LVAD therapy for heart failure, combining a patient decision aid with a computer-based personalized risk prediction tool.


Events

Celebrate diversity!

Baylor will celebrate National Diversity Week Oct. 5 – 9. To showcase the diversity of our community, we invite our trainees, faculty and staff to mark their places of origin on a digital map – we'll share results in future communications! See map instructions and other Diversity Week activities on the BCM intranet.

DEA controlled substance collection

The Office of Environmental Safety will host a DEA controlled substances collection/disposal event Wednesday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., ground floor of ABBR near the Jewish Institute/Jones buildings. Learn more.

Celebrate innovation in heart surgery!

Join a virtual celebration Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. for Dr. Kenneth Liao's 100th robotic heart surgery performed at our partner hospital, Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center. Liao, professor of surgery and chief of cardiothoracic transplantation and circulatory support, is the only surgeon in Houston performing robotic heart surgery. Register to attend.

Ph.D. career guidance by Zoom

The Center for Professionalism, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Career Development Center will offer two Zoom sessions Thursday, Oct. 8, featuring Dr. Karen Kelsky, author of "The Professor is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph.D. into a Job." The noon Zoom session (ID: 97925450652; Password: 456707) is for students and postdocs; the 4 p.m. Zoom session (ID: 94155412458; Password: 044820) is for faculty advisors, both updated for the COVID-19 era.

Datathon case studies

The College's first Datathon will be held virtually this month to build an understanding of the data that is available across BCM and Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center for use in clinical practice and research. On Oct. 8, 3 – 5 p.m., data-use case studies will be presented by Zoom (ID: 977 2586 5750); topics include COVID-19 co-morbidities, hypertension control, mammography screening rates and more. Final projects submitted by Baylor clinical and research faculty will be presented Oct. 22, 5 p.m.

Virtual BCM Wellness Walk

The annual student-organized BCM Wellness 5K Race/Walk is going virtual on Oct. 17. Proceeds support Grants for Leadership Opportunities in Wellness (GLOW) that fund healthcare outreach initiatives in our community. Sign up now for early bird pricing!

Register now: Walk to End Alzheimer's

Join the Baylor team for the virtual Walk to End Alzheimer's, Nov. 14, to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's care, support and research. Participants will walk on their own, but at the same time and connected through an innovative interactive environment.


College News

Gun Safety statement

Gun safety graphic

Baylor College of Medicine has issued a position paper stressing its support for comprehensive research, training and advocacy to address firearm safety and improve public health. Read the full statement.

Career Advancement Series taking applications

Applications are open for the Career Advancement Series for instructors, assistant professors, associate professors, and assistant professors from the women faculty group. Participants will engage in educational sessions, networking opportunities, mentorship from senior leaders and other activities. Applications open through Nov. 2 for the program that will run January – June. Learn more and direct questions to Dr. Antonie Rice.

Volunteers needed: Study on iron supplementation

Volunteers are needed for a study to evaluate changes to the intestinal microbiome and hemoglobin and iron blood levels in response to iron therapy. Eligible participants should be healthy females 18 – 49 years old, not pregnant or trying to become pregnant, with no history of anemia. Must provide iron and blood samples, cheek swabs and take an iron supplement every day for 14 days. Volunteers will receive monetary compensation along with lab results and a description of their gut microbiome. Learn more or sign up by emailing Dr. Sarah Detlefs.

Open Enrollment begins Monday

The 2021 Open Enrollment period begins next week. Below are three things to do to get ready. Also, remember to designate your beneficiaries. Questions? Email ask-insurance@bcm.edu or call 713-798-1500.

  • Register to attend the virtual benefits fair Wednesday, Oct. 7, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Review changes for 2021 now to prepare for the Open Enrollment period, Oct 5-19
  • Schedule a 30-minute virtual consultation with a benefits representative to discuss your changes for 2021

Faculty in the News

In non-COVID-19 news, Dr. Prathit Kulkarni spoke to local media about brain-eating amoeba in Lake Jackson water supply. Check out this and all of Baylor's news media mentions, including COVID 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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