Nov./Dec. | 2009
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Pediatric/adult Pandemic Urgent Care takes pressure off the Emergency Department

In response to the increasing number of flu patients in the Emergency Department, a collaborative team worked quickly to open a pediatric and adult Pandemic Urgent Care unit. Patients exhibiting flu symptoms will be triaged to the PUC when patient volumes surge.

“The flexibility and willingness of the team to jump in and do whatever was needed to get the PUC up and running was hugely impressive and greatly appreciated by the ED faculty and staff,” says Jennifer G. Holmes, R.N., director, Emergency Department Operations. “It is an incredible feeling to know the team has ‘got your back’ and that, if the volumes surge, we have a viable plan to handle it.”

“Many thanks to those people who pitched in and helped staff the clinic in an urgent situation,” says Chief Department Administrator, Jamie Dimond, Department of Pediatrics.

Pandemic H1N1 flu info.

The PUC team includes:

Kenneth Bandy Kelly Hornbacher
Deanna Beyer Derek Huntman
Cynthia Bodewes Billy Jester
Sharon Brooks Karen Keast
Karen Carter Joyce Kerestes
Maria Ceo Mark Konkle
Debra Cobb Frank Krupansky
Rolando Croocks Alfreda Rooks
Char Davies Ron Rutherford
Evelyn Foster Juanita Spallina
Jennifer Holmes Nancy Vermillion
Laura Hagan Quinta Vreede
Barb Higgins Breah Whitlow
Marilyn Hollier Carrie Wright

Medical Center Information Technology recognizes employees at its annual picnic

Though employees of Medical Center Information Technology work in multiple locations, they can always count on the annual picnic to reconnect with team members. This year’s picnic was a Texas barbeque at the Domino’s Petting Farm pavilion and included food, massage chairs, card games, volleyball, a bake-off competition and a classy car show. And, new to this year’s picnic was the interactive video game Rockband.




“I usually only see the MCIT people who work at Domino’s Farms,” says Network Engineer Rick Olivero. “You see a lot of names over e-mail and this is a chance to meet them in person.”

MCIT creates and/or manages around 500 applications throughout the Health System. It supports over 21,000 laptops and workstations, and around 7,000 monitors and printers. There are over 100 Health System areas supported by MCIT.

Balis participates on FDA presidential panel

Ulysses G.J. Balis, M.D., associate professor and director, Division of Pathology Informatics was appointed to a presidential panel in October, 2009, to advise the Food and Drug Administration about digital pathology slide imaging.  

The committee discussed and made recommendations on public health issues related to the use of digital whole slide imaging systems to replace conventional light microscopy for diagnostic surgical pathology.

Ballis presented on the topic “Features Essential for Interpretation of Histology and Cytology Glass.”

Four U-M researchers receive prestigious NIH awards

Four University of Michigan researchers have been awarded National Institutes of Health grants totaling $4.7 million for research in chemistry, medicine and engineering. The awards were given through the Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration (EUREKA) program, whose goal is to allow scientists to test new, unconventional ideas and tackle methodological and technical challenges in their areas of research.

Joseph Holoshitz, M.D., professor of internal medicine and associate chief for research in the Division of Rheumatology at the U-M School of Medicine, is receiving $1.2 million for a project that investigates how interaction of immune system molecules with cells in the inner surface of blood vessels can cause premature atherosclerosis.

Jon-Kar Zubieta, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and radiology at the U-M Medical School and a member of the Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, was awarded $1.2 million for a project that examines neurobiological mechanisms involved in the development of placebo effects in patients with depression and nicotine dependence.

Matthew B. Soellner, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at the U-M College of Pharmacy, was awarded $1.2 million for a project to develop molecules to inhibit the activity of enzymes involved in cancer progression.

H.V. Jagadish, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering and computer science, was awarded $1 million for a project that will promote the use of biological knowledge, gleaned from the literature and databases to analyze observations from biological experiments.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit celebrates continued safe care

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit celebrated over 200 days without a blood stream infection in patients with central lines. PICU admits over 1,000 patients annually, resulting in more than 4,500 patient-days and about 2,000 central-line days. That means that for the last 6 months, staff has inserted more than 100 catheters, placed upwards of 400 central venous line dressings and entered central lines well over 10,000 times. 

“It approaches the limits of imagination to think of how reliably people are adhering to best practices to achieve this kind of performance,” says Matthew Neidner, M.D., clinical assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases.   

“Over the last few years this unit has consistently improved it's communications, quality of care for it's patients, and all sorts of quality assurance initiatives,” says Shelley C. Clifton, division administrator, Pediatric Critical Care. “Matthew Niedner and (Nurse Manager) Julie Juno, R.N., have done an amazing job implementing various patient safety initiatives for Mott PICU.” 

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