Policies and Processes

• Do you have questions about visa eligibility and requirements for program applicants? Resources for programs are posted on the Visas page on the GME website, including the September 2023 Lunch & Learn presentation on IMGs and Visa Sponsorship.  The next Lunch & Learn on this topic is scheduled for September 19.
• GME Float Administrator: The GME Office is currently hiring for a second Float Administrator (Req #233223). If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to contact Gabrielle Pett (nathangl@uw.edu).
• Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement for 2024-2025: the AY25 RFPA was approved by GMEC on January 11 and is now available on the Policies and Procedures, Current Residents and Fellows, and Prospective Residents and Fellows pages of the GME website.

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Nick Cheung, Family Medicine
  • Jeanine Hughes, Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Medicine
  • Amy Ravenhorst, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Brain Injury Medicine, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, and Sports Medicine
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• Please consider supporting the UW SoM Medical Student Association fundraising drive. They have been working with the UW Bookstore to design and put together shirts, sweaters, crewnecks, and zip-hoodies to be marketed and sold to raise money for MSA to support medical student events and initiatives. The drive is scheduled to conclude on April 22nd, but they are working to extend the deadline. Purchase your gear at https://www.ubookstore.com/uwsom
• GME Lunch & Learns
  • April 18: GMEPAC AY26; slides and recording now available
  • May 16: Final Evaluations + Training Verifications; Moonlighting Update; Workplace Safety
• The third session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series is Tuesday April 23 from 11:30am to 1:00pm (Zoom). The topic is: Tales from the CCC: Insider Stories on Elevating Trainee Assessment. Program directors, associate program directors, program administrators and faculty are welcome. For planning purposes, please RSVP. Please reach out to Amanda Easton and Jenn Johal if you have questions.
• We are excited to announce a comprehensive Four-Part Leadership Lecture Series designed specifically for residents and fellows! Each month, we will delve into crucial areas that shape effective leadership in the medical profession, presented by experts in the field. Mark your calendars and join us! Please see the January 18 email from Jennifer Best for more information.
• Program Administrator Meeting, May 14 from 8:30 – 9:30 am: ACGME Annual Educational Conference Recap
• Thank you again to those who attended the Scheduling Workshop Series! A lot of content was covered, and we appreciate your attendance and engagement. If you haven’t already shared, we would welcome your feedback on the series and/or thoughts for future training in this short, anonymous survey. Each of the workshop recordings are now available on the GME MedHub site under “Scheduling Resources” along with other helpful resources below:
  • Workshop Recordings: Scheduling 101, Scheduling 102, Scheduling 103
  • GME Finance
  • Leaves of Absence
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• Please review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of April and May.
• In February, UW GME launched the new UW GME WhatsApp group exclusively for residents and fellows. Since its launch, we’ve welcomed over 70+ trainees to the community, and we have Expanded our Opportunities to include interest groups like “GME Parents” and “Quick Meals on the go!” Additionally, some other WhatsApp groups, such as “UW IMG Residents & Fellows” and “UW Surgery,” have linked up with the UW GME community, further enhancing connectivity and collaboration.
• The GME Office has put together a resource regarding information about legal matters for trainees. This document was created with input from Risk Management and Claims Services and is designed to be used by both trainees and programs. The resource is posted to the GME Website and can be found on the Current Residents and Fellows page under UW Resources.
• Physicians Anonymous is a peer based nonprofit organization which offers free anonymous support groups with med students, residents/fellows and MD/DOs who are suffering from burnout/mental health/suicidal ideation and substance use. There are a couple of groups during the week (free) and they also offer coaching (nominal fees).  The group is fully anonymous so there is no mechanism for documentation or mandating referrals.
• Housestaff Emerging Academy of Leaders (HEAL) is a networking and professional development program designed for residents, fellows, and supporting faculty. HEAL participants attend virtual monthly sessions designed to provide them with key knowledge and skills that are necessary for their career success. The program is designed to further develop and provide housestaff (residents/fellows) from across the nation with the additional components needed, ideally, for a successful transition into the role of academic faculty. The HEAL-UTSW team is excited to start off HEAL-UTSW2024 next month, May 2024, and would love to see you there! Please complete your HEAL-UTSW application by May 13th.
• Safety Net is the new event reporting tool that replaced Patient Safety Net (PSN); there is now an icon for Safety Net on all UW Medicine desktop computers for easy access and all new reports should be entered using Safety Net. The Safety Net User Resource Page includes training materials, online support and transition plans.

People

• Every year, the UW School of Medicine Alumni Association recognizes exceptional alumni with a series of awards, presented during Reunion Weekend. Eligible alumni are those who received a degree from, or completed residency or fellowship training in, a program administered by the UW School of Medicine or one of its academic departments.  The 2024 Award Recipients include:
  • Lawrence E. Holland, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery ’86, Distinguished Alumnus Award
  • Scott R. Stuart, MD ’01, Internal Medicine Res. ’04, Chief Res. ’05, Alumni Service Award
  • Andrew Trister, MD, PhD, Radiation Oncology Res. ’10, Chief Res. ’14, Alumni Early Achievement Award
  • Read more about each awardee here.
• The Huddle recently published an article written by Dr. Chen Wu, the faculty advisor for the Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee (HQSC) which took a group of trainees to learn about high reliability industries at a fantastic visit to Horizon Air. 3 Lessons Healthcare Teams Can Learn From Commercial Aviation
• This article in the Huddle features UW Medicine medical student programs and a new graduate medical education alliance that are working to address the shortage and increase community connections: Increasing Access to Physicians for American Indian Communities
• A New Era for Behavioral Health in Washington State UW Medicine announces the opening of the Center for Behavioral Health and Learning.
• National Recognition for UW Medicine Hospital Leaders: Cindy Hecker, Sommer Kleweno Walley and Jeannine Grinnell are included on Becker’s 2024 list of Women Hospital CEOs to Know.
• Ryan Abe, clinical instructor (General Internal Medicine) has been appointed the new Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Abe will lead the development, implementation, and assessment of DEI initiatives across the division’s various clinical, research, scholarly, and training programs.
• Kelley Branch, Cardiovascular Disease Associate Program Director, authored “Evolution or Revolution?: AI in Coronary CT Evaluation” in the Journal of American College of Cardiology: Advances, and co-authored “Cardiovascular and renal outcomes with varying degrees of kidney disease in high-risk people with type 2 diabetes: An epidemiological analysis of data from the AMPLITUDE-O trial” in Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism.
• Jeffrey Probstfield, professor, and Kelley Branch, Cardiovascular Disease Associate Program Director, are co-authors of “The Cost-Effectiveness of Rivaroxaban Plus Aspirin Compared with Aspirin Alone in the COMPASS Trial: A US Perspective” in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs.
• Rory Cole, resident, was featured as a guest columnist for the Idaho Capital Sun, contributing “Commentary: My hardest decision: Practicing medicine in Idaho.”
• Molie Grow, Pediatrics Associate Program Director, is featured in “Here’s what changes could be coming to school meals in Washington” from KREM Spokane. She is also featured in “Along with cherry blossoms and the budding spring comes seasonal allergies” from KUOW.
• Cindy Hecker, University of Washington Medical Center CEO, is featured in “Opinion: Many patients, not enough beds — here’s how to solve a care crisis” from The Seattle Times.
• Barbara Jung, professor and chair of Medicine, is quoted in “Ozempic-like drugs linked to low, but increased risk of post-endoscopy pneumonia, study finds” in STAT.
• In the latest Department of Medicine resident scholarship spotlight, “Improving preconception & contraceptive counseling for people with rheumatologic diseases,” Leah Karlsen designed a framework providers can use for reviewing medications and ordering lab work during preconception visits. The framework also helps providers determine the safety of various contraceptive options in this patient population. View spotlight.
• Mukta Krane, Colon and Rectal Surgery Program Director, is featured in “Under 50? You need to think about colon cancer, too” from Right as Rain.
• Family Medicine’s Cognition in Primary Care team partnered with Amy Law and Joe Wilson from the GME Learning Gateway Team to create Cognition in Primary Care online, self-guided version of their popular live Zoom training series. This training supports primary care clinicians by providing best practices for diagnosing and treating patients with dementia. They structured content and built engaging interactions to create a 60-minute, CME eligible, learning experience that is being delivered to clinicians across the country through CDC’s learning platform.
• Edwin Lindo, Assistant Dean for Social and Health Justice within the Office of Healthcare Equity, is featured in “Advancing Reproductive Justice in OB-GYN” from The Huddle.
• John Lynch, HMC Associate Medical Director, was interviewed for PBS: The Invisible Shield the documentary series, which highlights the field of public health and the people working to improve health outcomes. He and Chloe Bryson-Cahn, associate professor, are also co-authors of a new study using genetic testing of preoperative patient microbiomes shows that most surgical-site infections that emerge after major spine surgery come from bacteria already on the patients’ bodies before they enter the hospital. Read the full story from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• James McCabe, Structural Heart Program Director, is co-author of “Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with high-risk symptomatic native aortic regurgitation (ALIGN-AR): a prospective, multicentre, single-arm study” in the Lancet.
• Sarah Prager, Complex Family Planning Program Director, is featured in “Opill: The first over-the-counter birth control is here” from Right as Rain.
• Jacqueline Raetz, Family Medicine Associate Program Director, is featured in “Giving Primary Care Docs Training, Tools to Manage Dementia” from the UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Ganesh Raghu, Interstitial Lung Disease Program Director, is lead author, and Robin Bennett, professor (Medical Genetics) is senior author of “Genetic factors for ILD—the path of precision medicine” in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Department of Medicine co-author is Juliet Torres. Dr. Raghu was also co-senior author of “The Role of Inflammation and Fibrosis in ILD Treatment Decisions” in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
• Monica Soni, Internal Medicine resident, is lead author of “Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease” in JAMA. Senior author is Amiko Uchida, a graduate of the program.
• Ken Steinberg, Department of Medicine Vice Chair of Education and Internal Medicine Program Director, is co-author of “Strengthening the Integrity of the Match: A Novel, Comprehensive, Standardized, and Transparent Postinterview Communication Policy” in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
• Jürgen Unützer, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Chair, is featured in “Future cities must prioritize mental health of young people” from UW Medicine Newsroom. He is also featured in “What a decades-long study teaches us about brain health and aging” from UW Medicine.
• Vid Yogeswaran, fellow (Cardiology) has received a Research Fellowship Award from the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) to study atrial myopathy, atrial fibrillation and stroke outcomes. This competitive post-doctoral research fellowship in cardiac electrophysiology encourages and supports research training in basic or clinical electrophysiology and assists awardees in initiating careers in electrophysiology research while obtaining significant research results.
• Annette Wundes, Multiple Sclerosis Program Director, is featured in “Living with multiple sclerosis: HealthLink” from KING-TV.
• James Wykowski (former Internal Medicine Chief Resident) and other Department of Medicine faculty authored “An Embedded Curriculum to Teach Critical Incident Debriefing to Internal Medicine Residents” which was featured as an ACGME Article of the Week.

Policies and Processes

• Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement for 2024-2025: the AY25 RFPA was approved by GMEC on January 11 and is now available on the Policies and Procedures, Current Residents and Fellows, and Prospective Residents and Fellows pages of the GME website.

Program Information

• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • March 21: Annual Program Evaluations (APEs), slides and recording are now available
  • April 18: GMEPAC AY26
  • May 16: Final Evaluations + Training Verifications & Workplace Safety
• The second session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series is Tuesday March 26 from 11:30am to 1:00pm (Zoom). The topic is: Supportive Structures for Feedback and Other Conversations That Matter. Program directors, associate program directors, program administrators and faculty are welcome. For planning purposes, please reach out to Amanda Easton and Jenn Johal if you would like to attend and have not yet RSVPd.
• We are excited to announce a comprehensive Four-Part Leadership Lecture Series designed specifically for residents and fellows! Each month, we will delve into crucial areas that shape effective leadership in the medical profession, presented by experts in the field. Mark your calendars and join us! Registration opened in February.  Please see the January 18 email from Jennifer Best for more information.
• The time of year has come when we know many of you are beginning to consider and set up your schedules for the upcoming year. Please mark your calendars for our Scheduling Workshop Series on April 2, 3, & 4! Please see the GME Calendar for detailed information including Zoom links for each event.
• Level up your MedHub knowledge with MedHub Ready – a FREE webinar series – available to all MedHub GME Office Users on Wednesday, March 27 at 11:00am PT. This webinar covers GME Evaluations. Registration and agenda information are now available.
• Upcoming Program Director Development Series: This is a reminder to register for our Spring Program Director Development Series on April 8th. Please register at: https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/pdds-registration/. This season we are excited to offer two transformative sessions dedicated to the advancement of resident and fellow well-being and the refinement of recruitment program strategies. All sessions will be held on Zoom.
• The UWSOM is sponsoring the 2024 Graduate Medical Education (GME) Summit. The focus will be collaborating to address workforce needs within the WWAMI region and beyond. Registration for the Summit is now open! Join us on April 25-26, 2024, in Anchorage, Alaska.
• The Lasker Foundation’s 2024 Essay Contest is open now through April 2, 2024, at 2PM ET. Winning essays will be published in the July 2024 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and on the Lasker Foundation website. The contest is open to medical students, interns, residents, doctoral and postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical sciences and grad students in health – and awards several winners up to $5,000 for educational expenses. This year’s essay contest theme is: Identify a specific unmet need in biomedical knowledge or a scientific question that is insufficiently addressed in biomedical research today. For more information, detailed guidelines, and stories on past winners, please visit the essay contest webpage.
• Space still available for CRISP: CLINICAL RESEARCH INTENSIVE SUMMER PROGRAM: Applications are still being accepted for this new course designed to provide clinical investigators with hands-on experience in key clinical research skills to accelerate their career development. The program runs July 8–26, 2024 at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center campus in Seattle. A draft daily curriculum may now be viewed on the website under “Class Schedule & Draft Daily Topics.” Read more on the CRISP webpage.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• Please review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of March and April.
• The ACGME’s Back to Bedside initiative is designed to empower residents and fellows to develop transformative projects that foster meaning and joy in work and allow them to engage on a deeper level with what is at the heart of medicine: their patients. This initiative supports resident- and fellow-directed innovations. Proposals are due by April 22, 2024. Learn More.
• 2025 ACGME Awards: Nomination materials are available on each award’s page in the Awards section of the ACGME website. All nominations are due March 27, 2024. Please reach out to the GME office if you plan to submit an application.
• Safety Net is the new event reporting tool that replaced Patient Safety Net (PSN); there is now an icon for Safety Net on all UW Medicine desktop computers for easy access and all new reports should be entered using Safety Net. The Safety Net User Resource Page includes training materials, online support and transition plans.

People

• Congratulations to Internal medicine residents who received Best Poster awards at the recent Northwest Regional Society for General Internal Medicine conference: Jaspreet Bahia (Clinical Vignette: “Large Vessel Vasculitis (LVV): A diagnostic challenge”) and Reema Navalurkar (Scientific Abstract: “Hands-on Teaching to Boost Internal Medicine Interns’ Comfort with Harm Reduction”).
• Dan Cabrera (Internal Medicine Associate Program Director) and Barbara Jung (Department of Medicine Chair) who were elected to Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) councils.
• Christopher Goss, professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) and Mark Derleth, Gastroenterology Program Director, are co-authors of “Pancreatic enzyme prescription following ivacaftor licensing: A retrospective analysis of the US and UK cystic fibrosis registries” in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis.
• Mark Harrast (Sports Medicine PM&R Program Director) is featured in “What happens to your body when you run a marathon?” from Everyday Health.
• Anna Morenz, clinician researcher (General Internal Medicine) is lead author and Sophia Hayes, fellow (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is senior author of “Area-Level Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Health Care Spending: A Systematic Review” in JAMA Network Open. Department of Medicine co-authors are Joshua Liao and David Au.
• Congratulations to Julie Hodapp on her appointment to the Rehabilitation Medicine Residency Director Endowed Professorship. This professorship was established in 2009 to support the director of the UW Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program. Read more.
• Barbara Jung, Chair of Medicine, is featured in “Colon cancer blood test shows promise for early detection” from The New York Times. She is also quoted in “A simple blood test can detect colorectal cancer early, study finds” from NPR.
• Mukta Krane, Colon and Rectal Surgery Program Director, is featured in “Colorectal cancer still mostly affects people over 50, but diagnoses in younger people have been climbing” from Right as Rain.
• Ila Nimgaonkar, Internal Medicine resident, is lead author, and Joshua Hill, associate professor (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) is senior author of “Outcomes in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant and Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy Recipients with Pre-Cellular Therapy SARS-CoV-2 Infection” in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Department of Medicine co-authors are Leah Yoke, Masumi Ueda Oshima, Jordan Gauthier, Marco Mielcarek, Michael Boeckh and Catherine Liu.
• Claire Oduwo, Psychiatry resident and RFPU-NW President, was featured in the Macy Foundation Blog post entitled “The Role Advocacy Plays in the Health Professions.”
• Clinical trial results published recently describe a novel medical device that, in a 10-patient pilot, showed remarkable success at rescuing people from multiorgan failure caused by acute-on-chronic liver failure. Suhail Ahmad, professor emeritus (Nephrology) is co-lead developer of the device and lead author on the paper. Department of Medicine co-authors are Iris Liou, Transplant Hepatology Associate Program Director, Robert Carithers, professor emeritus, and Renuka Bhattacharya, Transplant Hepatology Program Director. Read the full story from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Sarah Prager, Complex Family Planning Program Director, is featured in “First over-the-counter birth control pill heads to stores” from NPR.
• The latest Department of Medicine faculty spotlight is on Meena Ramchandani, Program Director, Infectious Diseases. Learn more about her on the Department of Medicine news site.
• Ganesh Raghu, Interstitial Lung Disease Program Director, is lead author of “Meaningful Endpoints for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Clinical Trials: Emphasis on ‘Feels, Functions, Survives’” in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
• Ginny Ryan, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Program Director, is featured in “Opinion: IVF treatment builds families — we need to preserve it” from The Seattle Times.
• The latest Department of Medicine staff spotlight is on Stephanie Santos, programs manager, General Internal Medicine, and DEI champion. Learn more about her on the Department of Medicine news site.
• Jürgen Unützer, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Chair, is featured in “Future cities must prioritize mental health of young people” from UW Medicine Newsroom.

Black History Month

• The Office of Healthcare Equity is an excellent resource for talks and training on the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and justice. The Huddle Black History Month page provides digital assets to take part in this month’s celebration, as well as learning resources for all employees and self-care resources for Black employees.
• Black History Month: Celebration, Reflection and Action: Read the message from UW Medicine leadership celebrating the contributions of our Black colleagues and learn how our health system is working to dismantle healthcare inequities.
• We invite you to read this excellent article on the recent history of black physicians in Seattle and on George Counts, the first Black professor in the UW Department of Medicine and an important leader in Public Health and mentor to many.
• Celebrating Black History Month: Honoring Ancestors, Looking Forward from The Huddle explores themes of history, art, equity and community and features Ivana Thompson, Associate Chair of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 
• Read more on President Cauce’s blog post and explore ways to engage through The Whole U.

Policies and Processes

• The AAMC, in collaboration with the ACGME, is administering the AAMC Resident Readiness Survey, a process of collecting and sharing information back to medical schools about their graduates’ readiness for GME. Program directors currently training any PGY-1 resident who is a 2023 graduate from any of the 174 participating medical schools have been invited to respond to the Resident Readiness Survey administered via GME Track. We encourage program directors who have not completed entering the information to do so before February 23, 2024. They should log into GME Track, click the Resident Readiness tab at the top of the screen.
• Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement for 2024-2025: the AY25 RFPA was approved by GMEC on January 11 and is now available on the Policies and Procedures, Current Residents and Fellows, and Prospective Residents and Fellows pages of the GME website.

Program Information

• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new Non-ACGME program directors:
  • Brittany Barber, Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction Fellowship
  • Craig Birgfeld, Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery
  • Meghan Flanagan, Breast Oncology Surgery
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • February 15: Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP), slides and recording are now available
  • March 21: Annual Program Evaluations (APEs)
  • April 18: GMEPAC AY26
• GME Event Follow up: Navigating Parental Leave During Residency and Fellowship – recorded virtual event held on February 6, 2024 has been posted on the GME website, including several resources. Bre Leatherman is available to answer any questions you may have.
• The first session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series is Tuesday February 27 from 11:30am to 1:00pm. In response to your feedback, we will be offering an in person session with lunch provided and a virtual option.  The focus of the 2/27 session will be: Why Feedback Matters – The Impact of Feedback Culture and Remediation on Programs, Learners and Leaders. Program directors, associate program directors, program administrators and faculty are welcome. For planning purposes, please RSVP by Friday, 2/16. Please reach out to Amanda Easton and Jenn Johal if you have questions and we hope to see many of you there.
• We are excited to announce a comprehensive Four-Part Leadership Lecture Series designed specifically for residents and fellows! Each month, we will delve into crucial areas that shape effective leadership in the medical profession, presented by experts in the field. Mark your calendars and join us! Registration will open in February.  Please see the January 18 email from Jennifer Best for more information.
• Upcoming Program Director Development Series: This is a reminder to registration for our Spring Program Director Development Series on March 19th or April 8th. Please register at: https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/pdds-registration/ .This season we are excited to offer two transformative sessions dedicated to the advancement of resident and fellow well-being and the refinement of recruitment program strategies. All sessions will be held on Zoom.
• Registration for the ACGME Meaning in Medicine 2024 Annual Education Conference is open! The conference is in Orlando, FL March 7-9, 2024. Support for meeting attendance is ensured by the clinical chair in every new Program Director Appointment Letter. Several members of the UW GME team will be attending the conference and we would like to know if you’ll be attending and/or presenting. Once we have a sense of UW representation, we are hoping to find time for UWSOM colleagues to get together for an onsite lunch or photo.  Please contact Amanda Easton if you or members from your department will be in attendance.
• The UWSOM is sponsoring the 2024 Graduate Medical Education (GME) Summit. The focus will be collaborating to address workforce needs within the WWAMI region and beyond. Registration for the Summit is now open! Join us on April 25-26, 2024, in Anchorage, Alaska.
• Space still available for CRISP: CLINICAL RESEARCH INTENSIVE SUMMER PROGRAM: Applications are still being accepted for this new course designed to provide clinical investigators with hands-on experience in key clinical research skills to accelerate their career development. The program runs July 8–26, 2024 at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center campus in Seattle. A draft daily curriculum may now be viewed on the website under “Class Schedule & Draft Daily Topics.” Read more here.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• Please review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of February and March.
• On February 14, a new safety event reporting tool called Safety Net will replace Patient Safety Net (PSN), a legacy system that has been in use at UW Medicine for nearly 20 years. There is now an icon for Safety Net on all UW Medicine desktop computers for easy access and all new reports should be entered using Safety Net. Safety Net is an online reporting tool that will help us improve the process of submitting and tracking safety reports so that we can continue to prioritize the safety of our patients, staff, faculty and trainees. For a detailed guide on using the system, please view the instructional video on ‘How to enter an event report in the Safety Net System.’ Safety Net seamlessly integrates reports from Risk Management and Patient Relations thanks to the collaborative effort of teams across UW Medicine. The Safety Net User Resource Page includes training materials, online support and transition plans.
• 2025 ACGME Awards: Nomination materials are available on each award’s page in the Awards section of the ACGME website. All nominations are due March 27, 2024. Please reach out to the GME office if you plan to submit an application.
• Please remember that the UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tool is a place to share incidents of bias including racism, sexism, ableism, discrimination of any form or other behaviors that do not reflect the prioritization of inclusion and equity expected in all areas of our community. The GME Concern Reporting tool is also available to members of the GME community to report concerns about the learning environment.
• The ACGME’s Back to Bedside initiative is designed to empower residents and fellows to develop transformative projects that foster meaning and joy in work and allow them to engage on a deeper level with what is at the heart of medicine: their patients. This initiative supports resident- and fellow-directed innovations. Proposals are due by April 22, 2024. Learn More
• Please review “Access to UW Medicine Care for Employees” from The Huddle for information about help for UW Medicine employees and their families to gain better access to UW Medicine facilities and providers.
• The GME Office is supporting a project called the Names & Pronunciations Initiative, which aims to not only highlight the importance of name pronunciations, but also improve communication by providing physical badges (for those who want one) which include users’ written phonetic name pronunciation. Anyone interested in learning more about the project or who wants to order a pronunciation badge can do so here: https://www.names-pronunciations-initiative.com/. If you have any questions, please email Sudiptho (UW MS4) at sudiptho@uw.edu.

People

• Maheetha Bharadwaj, Urology resident, is featured in “Is it Normal to Wake Up to Pee in the Middle of the Night?” from Parade.
• Katherine Bennett, Geriatric Medicine Program Director, is senior author of “Fumbling the handoff—Exploring the transition experiences of program directors in geriatric medicine” in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
• The UW School of Medicine Colleges Program in the MD program teaches foundational clinical skills, coaches developing physicians, and fosters meaningful relationships and sense of community for UW medical students across the WWAMI region. In July 2024, the Colleges program on the Seattle campus will be expanding from 2 to 4 Colleges and is proud to be welcoming two outstanding leaders from the DOM as new College Heads. This includes Gaby Berger, Internal Medicine Associate Program Director.
• Jennifer Best, Associate Dean for GME (Education and Accreditation), is senior author of “The DIO Needs a Cabinet: Identifying and Supporting Designated Institutional “Others” in Graduate Medical Education” in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.
• Kelley Branch, Cardiovascular Disease Associate Program Director, and Jeff Probstfield, professor (Cardiology) are co-authors of “The Cost-Effectiveness of Rivaroxaban Plus Aspirin Compared with Aspirin Alone in the COMPASS Trial: A US Perspective” in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs. Dr. Branch is also co-author of “Cardiovascular and renal outcomes with varying degrees of kidney disease in high-risk people with type 2 diabetes: An epidemiological analysis of data from the AMPLITUDE-O trial” in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
• On the latest episode of “Beyond the White Coat,” AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, talks with Justin Bullock, MD, MPH (Nephrology fellow), and Yunyu Xiao, PhD, about the stigmas that surround mental health in the medical profession and how those stigmas trickle down into patient care. The episode is available wherever podcasts are streaming and can also be accessed on YouTube. Listen Now. He has also been selected as the new co-director of Docs with Disabilities Initiative, joining the 2024-26 leadership team. Docs with Disabilities Initiative is a leader for disability inclusion in health professions training globally. Learn more on the Department of Medicine news site.
• Richard Cheng, Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant Cardiology Program Director, is quoted in “Demystifying cardiac sarcoidosis” in Medscape.
• Recognizing outstanding leadership since 2006, the Thorud Leadership Award is the highest leadership honor at the University of Washington. Congratulations to this year’s nominees from the Department of Medicine, Debra Cherry, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director (General Internal Medicine), William Lombardi, CHIP – Advanced Hemodynamic Care and Complex Coronary Interventional Program Director (Cardiology) and Susan Wong, associate professor (Nephrology).
• Jason Deen, associate professor of pediatrics and medicine (Cardiology) has been appointed chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Native American Child Health (CONACH). Dr. Deen, a current member of CONACH, is a pediatric cardiologist, vice chair for equity, diversity and inclusion in the Department of Pediatrics and director of the UWSOM Indian Health Pathway.
• Sara Gunby, fellow (Gastroenterology) is referenced in “Smoking and Drinking Up the Risk for Diverticulitis” in Medscape.
• Jonathan Harper, Endourology Program Director, is featured in “Millennials, Listen Up: No. 1 Tip to Prevent Kidney Stones” from Right as Rain.
• Whitney Harper, program operations specialist (Internal Medicine Residency) is co-author of “Optimizing the Internal Medicine Residency Recruitment Process: A National Survey of Program Directors and Next Steps” in the American Journal of Medicine.
• Ramesh Iyer, Radiology Vice Chair of Education, has been appointed as Section Chief of Pediatric Radiology and Site Director for Seattle Children’s Hospital.
• Lily Jeong, incoming fellow (Nephrology) is a 2024 recipient of the American Society of Nephrology Loan Mitigation Pilot Program. This program aims to reduce the loan burden of future nephrology leaders. Dr. Jeong completed medical school and is currently in her last year of residency at UW in the clinician educator track.
• Barbara Jung, Department of Medicine chair, is featured in “’GI is Everything’: An Interview with AGA President Dr. Barbara Jung” from Op-Med Doximity. She is also author of the op-ed “Why Are We Letting Insurers Dictate Patient Care?” from MedPage Today.
• Andrew Ko, Neurological Surgery Program Director, is featured in “Analysis: Several companies are testing brain implants — why is there so much attention swirling around Neuralink? Two professors unpack the ethical issues” from The Conversation.
• Andrew Koth (Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Program Director), Emily Rhee (Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Associate Program Director), and Jessica McDade (fellow) are featured in “A Day in the Life of Employees Fostering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” from The Huddle.
• Hannah Linden, Hematology and Oncology Associate Program Director, is co-author of “Activity and safety of enobosarm, a novel, oral, selective androgen receptor modulator, in androgen receptor- positive, oestrogen receptor-positive, and HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (Study G200802): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, multinational, parallel design, phase 2 trial” in The Lancet.
• Heather McPhillips, UWSOM Associate Dean for Curriculum, has been elected Chair of the ACGME Pediatric Residency Review Committee to begin serving on July 1, 2024.
• Susan Merel, associate professor, Gabrielle Berger, Internal Medicine Associate Program Director, Amanda Shepherd, Internal Medicine Associate Program Director, Lindsay Gibbon, clinical assistant professor (General Internal Medicine) and Patricia Kritek, SOM Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs, are co-authors of “An Embedded Curriculum to Teach Critical Incident Debriefing to Internal Medicine Residents” in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. Lead author is former chief resident James Wykowski.
• Leo Morales, Assistant Dean for Healthcare Equity and Quality, is quoted in “More states offer health care coverage for certain immigrants, noncitizens” from San Jose Mercury News.
• Paul Nghiem is the founding chair of the Department of Dermatology as of March 1, 2024.
• Johnnie Orozco, Hematology and Oncology Associate Program Director, and Phuong Vo, associate professor, are co-lead authors, and Brenda Sandmaier, professor (Hematology and Oncology) is senior author of “Targeted Radiation Delivery before Haploidentical HCT for High-risk Leukemia or MDS Patients Yields Long-term Survivors” in Clinical Cancer Research. Department of Medicine co-authors are Ajay Gopal and Damian Green. The paper was also featured in the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Science Highlights.
• Meena Ramchandi, Infectious Diseases Program Director, is featured in “UW Medicine: King County sees ‘great increase’ in syphilis cases following national trend” from My Northwest.com.
• Coralynn Sack, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Associate Program Director, is lead author of “Airway Tree Caliber and Susceptibility to Pollution-associated Emphysema: MESA Air and Lung Studies” in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Department of Medicine co-author is Joel Kaufman.
• The Huddle recently featured an article, New Program Provides Rural Surgery Training for Residents. General Surgery R4 Hannah Wild is the first resident to participate in the track.
• The Department of Surgery Newsletter ‘Surgery Synopsis’ features many voices of the GME community, including Program Directors, trainees, and program staff. Check out the Winter 2024 issue.
• Crystal Brown, assistant professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is lead author and Bessie Young, Vice Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, is senior author of “Physician Perspectives on Addressing Anti-Black Racism” in JAMA Network Open. Department of Medicine co-authors are Arisa Marshall, Kristine Cueva and Erin Kross.
• Michelle Zhang, R3, was an invited presenter at the Best of SWOG research webinar on her research, evaluating the relationship between obesity and survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia treated on the SWOG 1203 clinical trial. Read more on the Department of Medicine news site.

Policies and Processes

• Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement for 2024-2025: the AY25 RFPA was approved by GMEC on January 11 and is now available on the Policies and Procedures, Current Residents and Fellows, and Prospective Residents and Fellows pages of the GME website.  A communication about the updated agreement was sent to current residents, fellows, program directors and program administrators on January 16.  Programs currently interviewing candidates for the 2024-2025 academic year must provide candidates with a copy of the updated agreement.
• The GMEC approved revisions to the following policies at the January meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.
  • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Registration Policy: Minor updates were made to the DEA Registration Policy including adding a Purpose statement and updating the attestation requirement for opioid management training, which was communicated to programs in May 2023.
  • Resident and Fellow Evaluation Policy: Has been revised to include non-ACGME fellowships and NST programs. A new Definitions section has been added, and the Policy section reorganized to clarify PD responsibilities and evaluation processes. Significant updates were made to the Semiannual and End of Year Evaluation sections, with a specific focus on NST trainees. The Resident Evaluation Management and Access section was renamed and updated, and outdated guidelines were removed from the attachments.
• A reminder that residents and fellows are essential personnel who are expected to report for duty; please see guidance from Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement 2023-2024 and Executive Order 27: Suspended Operations Policy

Program Information

• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • January 18: ACGME Surveys, slides and recording are now available
  • February 15: Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP)
  • March 21: Annual Program Evaluations (APEs)
• We are excited to announce a comprehensive Four-Part Leadership Lecture Series designed specifically for residents and fellows! Each month, we will delve into crucial areas that shape effective leadership in the medical profession, presented by experts in the field. Mark your calendars and join us! Registration will open in February.  Please see the January 18 email from Jennifer Best for more information.
• Navigating Parental Leave for Resident & Fellow Physicians will be Tuesday, February 6th from 6:30-7:30pm via Zoom. Please see the agenda. Register at: https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/event-registration/. Registration closes February 2. If you can’t make it, a recording will be posted to the Housestaff Events webpage. 
• Registration for the ACGME Meaning in Medicine 2024 Annual Education Conference is open! The conference is in Orlando, FL March 7-9, 2024. Support for meeting attendance is ensured by the clinical chair in every new Program Director Appointment Letter.
• The UWSOM is sponsoring the 2024 Graduate Medical Education (GME) Summit. The focus will be collaborating to address workforce needs within the WWAMI region and beyond. Registration for the Summit is now open! Join us on April 25-26, 2024, in Anchorage, Alaska.
• Please save the date(s)! The GME Office is pleased to invite program leadership (PDs, APDs, PAs) to participate in GME’s 2024 Educational Series: Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations.  See 11/9 email from Cindy Hamra for more information. 
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• Please review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of January and February including: Milestones mid-year reporting, semi-annual Procedures Certification entry in MedHub, ACGME Annual Survey preparation, SF Match registration (for applicable programs), and kickoff of activities for the annual onboarding season.
• Washington State Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) premium rates will decrease for UW personnel whose work is performed in the state of Washington. More specifically, the premium rate for the PFML program will decrease from 0.8% to 0.74% of your gross wages up to $168,600 of taxable income. This is paired with a change in the employee–employer split for PFML, with the employee’s contribution decreasing to 71.43%. These changes will be reflected in your January 10, 2024, paycheck. To calculate your 2024 PFML premium contribution and to learn more about PFML benefits, please visit wa.gov. More information about the premium update can be found at https://paidleave.wa.gov/updates/.
• 2025 ACGME Awards: Nomination materials are available on each award’s page in the Awards section of the ACGME website. All nominations are due March 27, 2024. Please reach out to the GME office if you plan to submit an application.
• The ACGME’s Back to Bedside initiative is designed to empower residents and fellows to develop transformative projects that foster meaning and joy in work and allow them to engage on a deeper level with what is at the heart of medicine: their patients. This initiative supports resident- and fellow-directed innovations. Proposals are due by April 22, 2024. Learn More
• Our GME PLA team is hoping to make strides in communication and improving the process for our community in several ways:
  • We created a new, simplified introduction video for the PLA process as a whole here.
  • We want to make sure the barriers to completing a rotation request or PLA are as low as possible. If you could please fill out the linked survey and provide feedback it would be helpful and allow us to improve the process.
  • Please review the email from Chris Gibson sent on 12/19 for data on expiring PLAs.
• Please review “Access to UW Medicine Care for Employees” from The Huddle for information about help for UW Medicine employees and their families to gain better access to UW Medicine facilities and providers.
• The UW Office of Global Affairs is excited to announce that effective January 1, 2024, all UW faculty, staff and other academic personnel who are traveling overseas on official UW business will now be covered by an international emergency medical and security insurance policy. This coverage is provided at no cost to the traveler and differs from the current coverage in that it includes emergency medical benefits.
• The GME Office is supporting a new project called the Names & Pronunciations Initiative, which aims to not only highlight the importance of name pronunciations, but also improve communication by providing physical badges (for those who want one) which include users’ written phonetic name pronunciation. Anyone interested in learning more about the project or who wants to order a pronunciation badge can do so here: https://www.names-pronunciations-initiative.com/. If you receive a badge for someone not in your program or if you have any questions, please email the project lead, Sudiptho (UW MS4) at sudiptho@uw.edu.

People

• A team at UW Medicine has created the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Aortic Program (MTAP) to provide holistic, team-based care for complex aortic disease. With a team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, clinic staff, genetic counselors, medical geneticists and vascular surgeons, the MTAP team discusses 250 to 300 patient cases annually. Team members from the Department of Medicine include Catherine Otto (professor), Yonatan Buber (Adult Congenital Heart Disease Associate Program Director), James Kirkpatrick (Advanced Cardiac Imaging Program Director), and Peter Byers (professor). Read the full story from The Huddle.
• Justin Bullock, fellow, Nephrology, is senior author of “The Next Era of Assessment: Can Ensuring High-Quality, Equitable Patient Care Be the Defining Characteristic?” in Academic Medicine.
• Sarah Gunby, fellow, is lead author, and Lisa Strate, professor, Gastroenterology, is senior author of “Smoking and alcohol consumption and risk of incident diverticulitis in women” in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
• Vishesh Kapur, Sleep Medicine Program Director, is quoted in “No more ‘spring forward’ if new bill passes WA state legislature” from KIRO.
• Leo Morales, Assistant Dean for Healthcare Equity and Quality, is quoted in “What Recovery?” in Palabra. He is also quoted in “Long COVID’s deep impact on Latinos” from The Oregonian.
• Emily Myers, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Program Director, is quoted in “Screen time for kids under 2 linked to sensory differences in toddlerhood” from ABC News.
• Sarah Prager, Complex Family Planning Program Director, is quoted in “Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant Saved Woman From Rare Cancer” from The Huddle.
• Namrata Singh, Rheumatology Associate Program Director, is lead author of “Frailty and risk of serious infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biologic or targeted-synthetic DMARDs” in Arthritis Care & Research. She is also quoted in “Frailty Worsens Side Effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment” in MedPage Today.
• Crystal Brown, assistant professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, is lead author and Bessie Young, Vice Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, is senior author of “Discriminatory healthcare experiences and medical mistrust in patients with serious illness” in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Department of Medicine co-author is Kristine Cueva.
• Sharing news about our trainees: two of UW Medicine’s Top 10 Huddle Stories of 2023 were about trainees (Get to Know Our Chief Residents and Fellows & Volunteer-Led Virtual Bedside Concert Program Thrives)!
• Check out the Otolaryngology Head and Neck – Winter 2023 Newsletter for trainee features and faculty highlights.

Policies and Processes

• The holiday season is often a time of giving by grateful patients, vendors, and other outside organizations. State employees within UW Medicine are governed by the Washington State Ethics in Public Service Act with regard to the gifts they may accept and how they may redirect gifts they cannot accept.  Common questions about gifts from patients and other external sources (including food and beverages) and other related topics are answered in the Gifts from External Sources FAQs on the UW Medicine Compliance website.  Additional information is available on the Internal Audit website.
• A reminder that residents and fellows are considered essential personnel who are expected to report for duty; please see guidance from Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement 2023-2024 and Executive Order 27: Suspended Operations Policy.  
• Remember that trainees who are members of the RFPU-NW are entitled to one (1) paid personal holiday per calendar year. If unused in the calendar year, the personal holiday is forfeit, and it is not paid at separation. It is the employee’s responsibility to schedule the personal holiday before December 31st. If before the end of the calendar year the employee requests the use of their personal holiday in accordance with the employer’s time off or leave procedures and the employer denies the request, the employee is entitled to carry over the personal holiday to the next calendar year.  Please see complete information in ​ Article 12 of the RFPU-NW Contract.   

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Sydney Anderson, Child Abuse Pediatrics
• The GME Appointment Manager position is now live, and we are accepting applications! You can find the position posted here. Hayley Fisher is happy to answer questions about the position.
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • December 21: Canceled
  • January 18: ACGME Surveys
  • February 15: Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP)
• Presentations from the November and December Program Administrator meetings are available on the Program Administrator Meetings page.
• We invite you to two evenings of writing and storytelling supported by the UW Medicine Well-Being Grant. Professor Susan Meyer at Seattle University will guide us to reflect on our personal and professional experiences from the pandemic into the present. You are welcome to join one or both of these free sessions (January 16th and February 6th).
• Navigating Parental Leave for Resident & Fellow Physicians will be Tuesday, February 6th from 6:30-7:30pm via Zoom. Please see the agenda.  Register today. Registration closes February 2. If you can’t make it, a recording will be posted to the Housestaff Events webpage.
• Please join us on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, from 8:30am-12pm for the AY25 Onboarding Kickoff Meeting. This virtual event will provide an overview of the onboarding and reappointment processes for the upcoming academic year. Attendance at this meeting is highly encouraged for all program administrators and any department staff involved in the appointment and onboarding process of new residents and fellows, including those of you who are not program administrators but have roles in Workday. Please see the Save the Date email sent on December 21st for more information.
• Registration for the ACGME Meaning in Medicine 2024 Annual Education Conference is open! The conference is scheduled to take place in Orlando, Florida at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort March 7-9, 2024. More information can be found on the conference website. Support for meeting attendance is ensured by the clinical chair in every new Program Director Appointment Letter.
• The University of Washington School of Medicine is sponsoring the 2024 Graduate Medical Education (GME) Summit. The focus will be collaborating to address workforce needs within the WWAMI region and beyond. Early bird registration for the GME Summit 2024 is now open! Join us on April 25-26, 2024, in Anchorage, Alaska at the BP Energy Center. Stay tuned in the coming months as we announce speakers.
• Please save the date(s)! The GME Office is pleased to invite program leadership (PDs, APDs, PAs) to participate in an educational series that we will be offering throughout 2024.  We have designed this series in response to cross-program challenges as observed in our ACGME surveys and in our work supporting programs and trainees.   See 11/9 email from Cindy Hamra for more information.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• Please review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of December and January including: Milestones mid-year reporting, semi-annual Procedures Certification entry in MedHub, ACGME Annual Survey preparation, and SF Match registration (for applicable programs).
• Our PLAs team is hoping to make strides in communication and improving the process for our community in several ways:
  • We created a new, simplified introduction video for the PLA process as a whole here.
  • We want to make sure the barriers to completing a rotation request or PLA are as low as possible. If you could please fill out the linked survey and provide feedback it would be helpful and allow us to improve the process.
  • Please review the email from Chris Gibson sent on 12/19 for data on expiring PLAs.
• Please review “Access to UW Medicine Care for Employees” from The Huddle for information about help for UW Medicine employees and their families to gain better access to UW Medicine facilities and providers.
• The WWAMI Institute for Simulation in Healthcare (WISH) is the simulation-based education program serving all of UW Medicine, since 2005. WISH is undergoing some exciting developments and is seeking input from all users (as well as would-be future users) to help inform strategic plans for the next 5 years. By the end of this year, please take a few moments to provide your responses around both current and anticipated future simulation-based utilization, and services that would benefit your training programs in the coming years. For additional comments or questions, please reach out to WISH Associate Director, Megan Sherman or Chief of the Division for Healthcare Simulation Science, Dr. Rob Sweet.
• Every year, the UW School of Medicine Alumni Association recognizes exceptional alumni with a series of awards. We encourage UW School of Medicine alumni, faculty, staff and other professional colleagues to nominate alumni for one or more of our awards. All alumni who received a degree from, or completed residency or fellowship training in, a program administered by the UW School of Medicine or one of our academic departments are eligible. Visit the website for full descriptions of the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Alumni Humanitarian Award, the Alumni Service Award and the Alumni Early Achievement Award. Nominations for the 2024 awards are open; you may submit nominations until December 31, 2023 here.
• The UW Office of Global Affairs is excited to announce that effective January 1, 2024, all UW faculty, staff and other academic personnel who are traveling overseas on official UW business will now be covered by an international emergency medical and security insurance policy. This coverage is provided at no cost to the traveler and differs from the current coverage in that it includes emergency medical benefits.
• The GME Office is supporting a new project called the Names & Pronunciations Initiative, which aims to not only highlight the importance of name pronunciations, but also improve communication by providing physical badges (for those who want one) which include users’ written phonetic name pronunciation. Anyone interested in learning more about the project or who wants to order a pronunciation badge can do so at: https://www.names-pronunciations-initiative.com/. If you receive a badge for someone not in your program or if you have any questions, please email the project lead, Sudiptho (UW MS4).
• The GME Office has posted an updated letter from Dr. Joyner for prospective residents and fellows to our GME Prospective Residents & Fellows page.

People

• Justin Bullock, fellow, Nephrology, is co-author of “Stereotype Threat and Gender Bias in Internal Medicine Residency: It is Still Hard to be in Charge” in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
• Anne Browning, UW Assistant Dean of Well-Being, shares some lessons from rowing on how to cultivate resilience in your own life in “What the 1936 UW Rowing Team Teaches Us About Resilience” from The Huddle.
• In the latest resident scholarship spotlight, “Medical Mistrust Among Black Patients with Serious Illness,” Kristine Cueva designed and led a mixed methods study to better understand patient perspectives. View spotlight.
• In recognition of their substantial contributions to local healthcare quality and safety, Gwen Bernacki, clinical assistant professor (Cardiology), Medhavi Bole, clinical assistant professor (Allergy and Infectious Diseases), Jurjen de Jong, Internal Medicine chief resident, Soloman Graf, associate professor (Hematology and Oncology), and Sarah Sanghavi, clinical associate professor (Nephrology) have been awarded the title of Practitioner Lead in Quality & Safety (PLQS) within the Hospital & Specialty Medicine service line at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System.
• Congratulations to Ksenia Ershova, resident, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, and Bonica Scholar, for winning the 2023 FAER Resident Scholar Abstract Award at the 2023 ASA meeting.
• The Society of General Internal Medicine is honoring members at the front lines of Social Justice with their member highlight series, “Frontliners: Social Justice.” Rebecca Gold, resident, Internal Medicine, is highlighted this month. She recently presented a poster in collaboration with UW’s Breast Health Equity group on the inequities of breast cancer care along racial lines, particularly for Somali and Ethiopian immigrants living in Seattle. Read the challenges in conducting her research and how she hopes this research will help address inequities in breast cancer care in the future.
• Mark Harrast, Sports Medicine PM&R Program Director, is featured in “Ways to stop muscle cramps from interrupting your run, by Dr. Mark Harrast, medical director of the UW Medicine Seattle Marathon,” “ Mark Harrast demystifies the pre-race meal,” and “Dr. Mark Harrast shares advice about how to manage a pesky hamstring injury” from Right as Rain.
• Nicholas Johnson, Critical Care Medicine Associate Program Director, is co-author of “Vaccine Effectiveness Against Influenza A-Associated Hospitalization, Organ Failure, and Death: United States, 2022-2023” in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
• Department of Medicine Chair Barbara Jung is PI on a new grant from the Department of Defense for her project “Mechanisms of Activin Signaling in Acute Pancreatitis” to test the hypothesis that activin A signaling is an early and targetable component of morbidity/mortality-inducing inflammatory response in severe acute pancreatitis (AP).
• Vishesh Kapur, Sleep Medicine Program Director, is quoted in “UW sleep expert among those pushing federal leaders for permanent standard time” from KIRO News.
• Several Department of Medicine researchers have received additional funding from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) to continue ongoing studies. Among them is who will continue to investigate whether a progesterone tracer known as FFNP-PET can be used as a better predictive marker of endocrine therapy’s efficacy. Read the full story from Hutch News.
• Pediatric Allergy & Immunology fellow Gabriel Mendoza has been appointed to the ACGME Review Committee for Allergy and Immunology.
• Neha Deshpande, Lisa Chew, Jill Watanabe and Somnath Mookherjee (Academic Hospitalist Fellowship Program Director) wrote “A letter to today’s academic generalist mentor” and Jennifer Wright, Helen Starks, Lauren Beste, Jared Klein (Addiction Medicine Associate Program Director) and Somnath Mookherjee wrote “Lessons from a project-based mentorship initiative” in SGIM Forum.
• Leo Morales, Assistant Dean for Healthcare Equity and Quality, is featured in “Washington lacks Spanish-speaking nurses — for an Everett student, it’s personal” from Herald Net. He is also co-author of “Critical Reflections on This Historical Moment for Community-engaged and Participatory Research” in Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action.
• Sarah Prager, Complex Family Planning Program Director, is featured in “How the overturn of ‘Roe’ still impacts Washington abortion care” from Crosscut.
• Russ Van Gelder, chair of Department of Ophthalmology, is featured in “Sleep experts, physicians address effects of increased travel on student-athletes, offer recommendations” from UW News.
•  

Policies and Processes

• COVID Vaccination are Required for All Current and Future Trainees at Seattle Children’s – Due by 12/11/2023. All residents, fellows, and medical students rotating or have access to Seattle Children’s after 12/11/2023 are required to have full COVID vaccination, including the new 2023-2024 Monovalent COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine, or have request ed an exception prior to working at Seattle Children’s. The sponsoring program/institution will be responsible for ensuring trainee compliance.  For more information, trainees should go to CHILD (Seattle Children’s intranet).
• The holiday season is often a time of giving by grateful patients, vendors, and other outside organizations. State employees within UW Medicine are governed by the Washington State Ethics in Public Service Act with regard to the gifts they may accept and how they may redirect gifts they cannot accept.  Common questions about gifts from patients and other external sources (including food and beverages) and other related topics are answered in the Gifts from External Sources FAQs on the UW Medicine Compliance website.  Additional information is available on the Internal Audit website.
• Explore benefits options at UW Benefits & Resource Fairs (including virtual option) 
  Learn about your benefits options in advance of open enrollment (November 1 – December 15) at one of the UW onsite benefits fairs, or an ongoing virtual fair. 
• A reminder that residents and fellows are considered essential personnel who are expected to report for duty; please see guidance from Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement 2023-2024 and Executive Order 27: Suspended Operations Policy.  
• Remember that trainees who are members of the RFPU-NW are entitled to one (1) paid personal holiday per calendar year. If unused in the calendar year, the personal holiday is forfeit, and it is not paid at separation. It is the employee’s responsibility to schedule the personal holiday before December 31st. If before the end of the calendar year the employee requests the use of their personal holiday in accordance with the employer’s time off or leave procedures and the employer denies the request, the employee is entitled to carry over the personal holiday to the next calendar year.  Please see complete information in ​ Article 12 of the RFPU-NW Contract.   

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Ruby Tang, Obstetric Anesthesiology, Liver Transplant Anesthesiology, Regional Anesthesiology
  • Serena Wong, Neuromuscular Medicine, Vascular Neurology
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Chris Burke, Cardiothoracic Surgery and Thoracic Surgery – Integrated (Interim)
  • Paige Keasler, Obstetric Anesthesiology
  • Matthew Phelps, Breast Imaging (non-ACGME)
  • Porshia Underwood, Obstetrics and Gynecology
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • November 16: Optimizing MedHub Settings, slides and recording now available
  • December 21: Canceled
  • January 18: ACGME Surveys
• Registration for the ACGME Meaning in Medicine 2024 Annual Education Conference is open! The conference is scheduled to take place in Orlando, Florida at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort March 7-9, 2024. More information can be found on the conference website. Support for meeting attendance is ensured by the clinical chair in every new Program Director Appointment Letter.
• Please save the date(s)! The GME Office is pleased to invite program leadership (PDs, APDs, PAs) to participate in an educational series that we will be offering throughout 2024.  We have designed this series in response to cross-program challenges as observed in our ACGME surveys and in our work supporting programs and trainees.   See 11/9 email from Cindy Hamra for more information.
• The University of Washington School of Medicine is sponsoring the 2024 Graduate Medical Education (GME) Summit. Please Save the Date to join us on April 25-26, 2024, in Anchorage, Alaska. Registration will open in December.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• Please review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of November and December including: NRMP Match deadlines, fall Milestones reporting, semi-annual Procedures Certification entry in MedHub, ERAS preseason setup (Dec Cycle), and AAMC/GME Track GME Census deadlines.
• Presentation from Nov 14 Program Administrator meeting is now available on the Program Administrator Meetings page.
• The GME Office is supporting a new project called the Names & Pronunciations Initiative, which aims to not only highlight the importance of name pronunciations, but also improve communication by providing physical badges (for those who want one) which include users’ written phonetic name pronunciation. Anyone interested in learning more about the project or who wants to order a pronunciation badge can do so at: https://www.names-pronunciations-initiative.com/. If you receive a badge for someone not in your program or if you have any questions, please email the project lead, Sudiptho (UW MS4).
• The WWAMI Institute for Simulation in Healthcare (WISH) is the simulation-based education program serving all of UW Medicine, since 2005. WISH is undergoing some exciting developments and is seeking input from all users (as well as would-be future users) to help inform strategic plans for the next 5 years. By Friday, December 15th, please take a few moments to provide your responses around both current and anticipated future simulation-based utilization, and services that would benefit your training programs in the coming years. For additional comments or questions, please reach out to WISH Associate Director, Megan Sherman or Chief of the Division for Healthcare Simulation Science, Dr. Rob Sweet.
• Every year, the UW School of Medicine Alumni Association recognizes exceptional alumni with a series of awards. We encourage UW School of Medicine alumni, faculty, staff and other professional colleagues to nominate alumni for one or more of our awards. All alumni who received a degree from, or completed residency or fellowship training in, a program administered by the UW School of Medicine or one of our academic departments are eligible. Visit the website for full descriptions of the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Alumni Humanitarian Award, the Alumni Service Award and the Alumni Early Achievement Award. Nominations for the 2024 awards are open; you may submit nominations until December 31, 2023 here.
• The GME Office has posted an updated letter from Dr. Joyner for prospective residents and fellows to our GME Prospective Residents & Fellows page.
• Based on feedback from our community, in AY23 the GME Office developed Total Compensation sample statements for trainees at the R1 and R4 levels, meant to reflect incoming residents and incoming fellows, respectively. The R1 & R4 Total Compensation sample statements have been updated for AY24. These resources are posted to the GME Prospective Residents and Fellows page under Compensation.
• The Leave of Absence webpage contains LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.

People

• Ryan Abe, Internal Medicine Health Equity Pathway Director, is senior author of “Equity M&M — Adaptation of the Morbidity and Mortality Conference to Analyze and Confront Structural Inequity in Internal Medicine” in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Department of Medicine co-authors are Hannah Oren and Helen Jack.
• Christopher Alawode, OEM resident, is featured in “How occupational medicine physicians support workers” from the Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences website.
• Joey Chiang, resident, Internal Medicine, is co-author of “Homelessness and Incidence and Causes of Sudden Death: Data From the POST SCD Study” in JAMA Internal Medicine.
• John Choe, Internal Medicine Residency Associate Program Director, is featured in the latest faculty spotlight from the Department of Medicine. Read his faculty spotlight on their news site.
• A cornerstone of the VA’s efforts to strengthen and diversify the VA scientific work force, the Summer Research Program offers research experiences to Veterans, children of Veterans, and underrepresented students. The 3-year pilot program started in June 2022 at 21 VA sites across the country. Co-directed by Lindsey Anderson, acting assistant professor, and Jose Garcia, Geriatric Medicine Research Pathway Program Director, the Seattle site primarily provides students with experience in research related to age/cancer-related declines in muscle mass and function (human, animal, and benchwork) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) related hormone dysfunction (human). Learn more on the Department of Medicine news site.
• Mark Harrast, Sports Medicine PM&R Program Director, is featured in “What Runners Need to Know About the Immune System” and “3 Simple Ways to Help Runner’s Knee” from Right as Rain.
• Carrie Ho, fellow, is lead author, and Stephen Smith, associate professor (Hematology and Oncology) is senior author of “Pembrolizumab with R-CHOP in Previously Untreated DLBCL: Sustained, High Efficacy and Safety with Long-Term Follow-Up” in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia. Department of Medicine co-authors are Ajay Gopal, Brian Till, Mazyar Shadman, Ryan Lynch, Andrew Cowan, Heather Rasmussen, Chaitra Ujjani and Ryan Cassaday.
• Vishesh Kapur, Sleep Medicine Program Director, is featured in “UW sleep expert among those pushing federal leaders for permanent standard time” from Kiro 7.
• Ayesha Khader, resident, Internal Medicine is lead author and Pavan Bhatraju, associate professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is senior author of “The Interaction of Acute Kidney Injury with Resuscitation Strategy in Sepsis: A Secondary Analysis of a Multicenter, Phase 3, Randomized Trial (CLOVERS)” in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Department of Medicine co-authors are Leila Zelnick, Neha Sathe, Bryan Kestenbaum, Jonathan Himmelfarb, and Nicholas Johnson
• Emily Liang, fellow, is lead author, and Jordan Gauthier, associate professor (Hematology and Oncology) is senior author of “Factors associated with long-term outcomes of CD19 CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory CLL” in Blood Advances. Department of Medicine co-authors are Aya Albittar, Jennifer Huang, Alexandre Hirayama, Erik Kimble, Andrew Portuguese, Aude Chapuis, Mazyar Shadman, Brian Till, Ryan Cassaday, Filippo Milano, Hans-Peter Kiem, Stanley Riddell, Cameron Turtle and David Maloney.
• Leo Morales, Assistant Dean for Healthcare Equity and Quality, is this year’s recipient of the Secretary’s Award from the Washington state Department of Health. The Award recognizes the strong work occurring around Washington state in the field of public health and links that work with the dedicated people working every single day to protect and promote the health and well-being of everyday Washingtonians. Dr. Morales was honored for his work protecting and promoting the health of Latino communities in Washington state and across the Pacific Northwest. Learn more on the Department of Medicine news site.
• Sarah Prager, Program Director, Complex Family Planning, is featured in “How Telemedicine Makes Abortion More Accessible” from The Huddle.
• Ganesh Raghu, Interstitial Lung Disease Program Director, is senior author of “Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: aligning murine models to clinical trials in humans” in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
• May Reed, Geriatric Medicine Associate Program Director, is PI for the TRIAD study within the Dog Aging Project. TRIAD (Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs) is a clinical trial currently underway across the United States that seeks to assess the effects of rapamycin on health and aging in dogs. Learn more about the project.
• Ginny Ryan, Reproductive, Endocrinology and Infertility Program Director, is featured in “Updated ‘infertility’ definition could help more hopeful LGBTQ+ parents in Washington” from Axios Seattle.
• Laura Quinnan, Medical Director for the UWMC – Northwest Campus, received the Hospitalist of the Year award at the recent American College of Physicians Washington state chapter meeting.

Policies and Processes

• Please see the information from UW Medicine Employee Health and Infection Prevention & Control Teams on ‘When Will Masking in Clinical Spaces Be Required?’ 
• Remember that trainees who are members of the RFPU-NW are entitled to one (1) paid personal holiday per calendar year. If unused in the calendar year, the personal holiday is forfeit, and it is not paid at separation. It is the employee’s responsibility to schedule the personal holiday before December 31st. If before the end of the calendar year the employee requests the use of their personal holiday in accordance with the employer’s time off or leave procedures and the employer denies the request, the employee is entitled to carry over the personal holiday to the next calendar year.  Please see complete information in ​ Article 12 of the RFPU-NW Contract.   
• Explore benefits options at UW Benefits & Resource Fairs  
  Learn about your benefits options in advance of open enrollment (November 1 – December 15) at one of the UW onsite benefits fairs, or an ongoing virtual fair. 
• A reminder that residents and fellows are considered essential personnel who are expected to report for duty; please see guidance from Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement 2023-2024 and Executive Order 27: Suspended Operations Policy.  

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Esben Kincaid, Family Medicine Sports Medicine and Global Health 
  • Tony Trejo, Clinical Neurophysiology, Epilepsy, Neurocritical Care, Neuromuscular Medicine, and Vascular Neurology 
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Sarah Wahlster, Neurocritical Care fellowship program (ACGME application pending)  
  • Elizabeth Harrington, Obstetrics and Gynecology Global and Rural Health fellowship (non-ACGME) 
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • October 19: Resident/Fellow Safety and Support Resources; slides and recording now available 
  • November 16: Optimizing MedHub Guidance for Programs! 
• Family Building During Residency & Fellowship Monday, October 30th from 6-7:45pm PST.  Dr. Rachel Whynott, a reproductive endocrinologist, and infertility specialist, will answer questions and educate trainees about defining future family goals, how fertility changes with age, and options for delaying fertility and/or addressing infertility. Dr. Whynott may also be joined by a physician panel representing diverse families. Register today. Registration will close on October 26th. 
• Please save the date for the 2024 University of Washington Center for Surgical Ethics Seminar! This will be held hybrid & in-person on Thursday and Friday, August 1st and 2nd 2024. Details of the event are still being finalized, but please stay tuned for more information! In the meantime, check out our Surgical Ethics Website.  
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• Please review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of October and November, including: October eLearning launch deadline, NRMP Match deadlines, fall Milestones reporting, ERAS preseason setup (Dec Cycle).
• New SafeCampus videos aim to foster resilient, inclusive spaces: Two new videos for faculty, supervisors and managers were created to promote a safe, equitable workplace culture by teaching evidence-based prevention principles that address identity-based conflicts and build skills within the UW community.
• The GME Office has an open recruitment for a second Float Administrator on our team (see posting, req. 210821). In addition to ensuring continuity of key operations of ACGME and non-ACGME programs residency and clinical fellowship programs during periods of program administrator transition or leave, the Float Administrator also works on special projects in the GME Office with the operations/administration and accreditation teams.
• Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY which has been designed to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations. See flyer for complete information and consider sharing.
• UW Medicine launched the Bias Reporting Tool in early 2021 to provide our community with a new way to report incidents of bias. Since then, over 1,000 events have been reported. The Second Annual Community Report provides information about 372 events reported in the past year for the purpose of raising awareness about what our community is experiencing. This information helps us see patterns of biased behavior and identify areas needing more investment, training, policy, practice and process changes.
• Every year, the UW School of Medicine Alumni Association recognizes exceptional alumni with a series of awards. We encourage UW School of Medicine alumni, faculty, staff and other professional colleagues to nominate alumni for one or more of our awards. All alumni who received a degree from, or completed residency or fellowship training in, a program administered by the UW School of Medicine or one of our academic departments are eligible. Visit the website for full descriptions of the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Alumni Humanitarian Award, the Alumni Service Award and the Alumni Early Achievement Award. Nominations for the 2024 awards are open; you may submit nominations until December 31, 2023 here.
• Have questions about managing your schedule in MedHub? Don’t forget about the resources and recordings available on our GME MedHub website.
• The UWMC Department of Public Safety is happy to announce the highly anticipated bike cage on the Northwest campus is ready for use. This secured bicycle storage area is located on the 1st floor, Southeast corner of the parking garage.  The bike locker is complete with racks and simple tools for most of your bicycle needs.  To have access to this bike locker added to your Husky Card, please email either Joshua Kinman at jkinman9@uw.edu or Deborah Wheat at dwheat3@uw.edu.
• The GME Office has posted an updated letter from Dr. Joyner for prospective residents and fellows to our GME Prospective Residents & Fellows
• Based on feedback from our community, in AY23 the GME Office developed Total Compensation sample statements for trainees at the R1 and R4 levels, meant to reflect incoming residents and incoming fellows, respectively. The R1 & R4 Total Compensation sample statements have been updated for AY24. These resources are posted to the GME Prospective Residents and Fellows page under Compensation.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership. The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please see the recording and slides.

People

• UW Medicine, University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center leaders have been highlighted among other “movers and shakers” in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 2023 Power 100.The fifth annual list recognizes UW Medicine Interim CEO Tim Dellit, Harborview CEO Sommer Kleweno Walley, UW President Ana Mari Cauce and Fred Hutch President and Director Thomas Lynch for their contributions to our community. Read more in a recent article from The Huddle.
• The new Alaska Internal Medicine Rural Residency Program has released a fantastic recruitment video!.
• Jessica Barsano, Medical Genetics Resident, was nominated and selected to serve as the resident representative on the ACGME Review and Recognition Committee (RRC).
• Sayuli Bhide, Internal Medicine R3, received funding from the Rheumatology Research Foundation Resident Research Preceptorship to study “Sex differences in frailty and mortality in Veterans with Rheumatoid Arthritis.” She will be working on this proposal with Katie Wysham (Rheumatology) and Joshua Baker (UPenn).
• John Choe, Internal Medicine Associate Program Director, is senior author of “Evaluation of an Individualized Learning Plan Template for the Transition to Residency” in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.
• Dipti Chrastka, Director of the GME Wellness Service, is quoted in Prioritizing Mental Health for Healthcare Workers in the UW Medicine Huddle.
• Başak Çoruh, Pulmonary and Critical Care Program Director, is the inaugural Medical Educator Scholar Diversity Fellowship Mentor for the Association of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Program Directors (APCCMPD) and CHEST Medical Educator Scholar Diversity Fellowship Award. Established in 2023, the CHEST and APCCMPD Medical Educator Diversity Scholarship Fellowship Award recognizes the value of a diverse community in improving medical education in pulmonary and critical care medicine.
• Thomas Dodson, Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the School of Dentistry, is featured in UW scientists use stem cells to regenerate tooth enamel from KING 5.
• Richard Ellenbogen, Professor and Chair of Neurological Surgery and Program Director for the Neurosurgery Residency Program, was elected as Chair of the ACGME Neurological Surgery Review Committee.
• Barbara Goff, Professor and Chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology, was honored with the 2023 Dr. Saul E. Rivkin Award from the Rivkin Center. Her research interests include early detection of ovarian cancer, novel therapeutic drugs for ovarian and other gynecologic malignancies, and surgical training and education. She also helped develop the Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Questionnaire to help people experiencing key ovarian cancer symptoms communicate that information to their physician.
• Ganesh Raghu, Intersitial Lung Disease Program Director, is lead author of “Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease: Evidence-based Recommendations. An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline” in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Department of Medicine co-author is Gregory Gardner. Dr. Raghu is also co-author of “De novo design of highly selective miniprotein inhibitors of integrins αvβ6 and αvβ8” in Nature Communication.
• James Kirkpatrick, Advanced Cardiac Imaging Program Director, is co-author of “Expanding the Paradigm for Cardiovascular Palliative Care” in Circulation.
• Somnath Mookherjee, Academic Hospitalist Fellowship Program Director, is the new director of the Center for Learning and Innovation in Medicine Education (CLIME). The mission of CLIME is to create a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community that works together to optimize teaching skills, foster educator career development, and support educational scholarship.
• Leo Morales, Assistant Dean for Healthcare Equity and Quality, is quoted in “COVID Tests Are Available to Anyone in the Country with a US Address, Regardless of Legal Status” in Latin Times. He is featured in “‘You’re my queen.’ A Latina wife with dementia and the loving husband who cares for her” from KUOW.
• The 2023 recipients and nominees for the Inaugural Department of Medicine Outstanding Staff Awards were recognized and celebrated at a recent ceremony. The Outstanding Staff Award recognizes and celebrates exceptional staff members who are dedicated to supporting our missions of teaching, healing, discovery, and diversity, and upholding core values. Shinetra Pryor (Program Operations Specialist for the Geriatrics and Palliative Care Fellowship Programs) was among the winners.
• Nahid Rashid, fellow, is lead author and Marco Mielcarek, professor (Hematology and Oncology) is senior author of “Impact of Donor Statin Treatment on Graft-versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation” in Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Department of Medicine co-authors are Stephanie Lee, Paul Martin and Rainer Storb.
• Namrata Singh, Rheumatology Associate Program Director, has been selected to receive a 2023 UCLA MSTAR Best Research Mentor Award. MSTAR (Medical Student Training in Aging Research) is a combined program (UCLA, UCSF and UW) that provides medical students short-term research training in aging and geriatrics with successful mentors in the field, with the goal of encouraging medical students to consider careers as physician scientists in aging research.
• Alyssa Stephenson-Famy, Obstetrics and Gynecology Associate Program Director, is an author on “Does the Degree Matter? MD and DO Students Who Match Into OB/GYN Report Different Experiences in US Undergraduate Medical Education” from the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.
• Tracy Tylee, Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition Program Director, is quoted in “Nonsurgical Option for More Large Thyroid Nodule Patients?” in Medscape.
• Andrew Wescott, fellow, Cardiology, is the recipient of a 2024 Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Washington Research Foundation. The foundation supports 12 postdocs annually from institutions across Washington state, with the goal to promote innovative discoveries and technologies that lead to the delivery of a new project, service or practice to the public. Dr. Wescott’s project is “Mechanisms of Arrhythmogenic Calcium Release in Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy.”

Policies and Processes

• Get Ready for Respiratory Virus Season: Masking and Vaccine Information
  • UW Medicine plans to require universal masking in patient care areas during respiratory virus season based on metrics that are being developed with regional health systems.
  • The Employee Health flu vaccine campaign will begin on Sept. 25.
  • Employees should stay home when they have respiratory virus symptoms and also test for COVID-19. If you test positive, you should also complete the UW Medicine Employee Health COVID-19 Contact Tracing Survey. Once you report a positive test, you will immediately receive an email with details about isolation during your illness.
  • For more information about the respiratory virus season, see COVID-19 and the flu this fall (with Dr. John Lynch).
• UWSOM has decided to continue to exclude the class rank/quartile ranking and summary word in the MSPE. Please see 8/25 email sent on behalf of Gabriel Sarah and the Office of Academic Affairs for more information.
• Effective July 1, 2023, the GME Meals Policy and SCH Meals Policy have been updated to reflect an increase in meal reimbursement prices.
• The GME Office and GME Wellness are pleased to announce that as of July 1, 2023, the GME Wellness Service will support our non-ACGME fellows without faculty titles or with an existing counseling relationship.  For those non-ACGME fellows with faculty titles, there are a number of support resources available via UWSOM Faculty Affairs.  Please direct any questions to GME Director of Wellness, Dipti Chrastka.
• Residents and fellows who wish to moonlight must renew existing outside work activity requests for AY24. All requests for outside work must be reapproved each academic year. Please review the GME Outside Work webpage for the Moonlighting and Outside Work Policy and Outside Work Request Forms. Please email Angela James with any questions.
• Individuals who would like to request a disability accommodation should reach out to the GME Office (Bre Smith) as soon as possible so that we can work with the Disability Services Office to support the program and trainee through the process.
• The UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tool is for sharing incidents of bias including racism, sexism, ableism, discrimination of any form or other behaviors that do not reflect the prioritization of inclusion and equity expected in all areas of our community. Please feel free to share this flyer and postcard within your programs and workspaces.
• The GME Concern Reporting tool is available to any members of the GME community to report concerns about the learning environment.

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Daniel Willems, Diagnostic Radiology
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Matthew Kogut, Interventional Radiology Independent & Interventional Radiology Integrated
  • Pamela Valentino, Pediatric Transplant Hepatology (interim)
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • September 21: IMGs and Visa Sponsorship; slides and recording now available
  • October 19: Resident/Fellow Safety and Support Resources
• Registration for our Fall Program Director Development Series on Wednesday, September 27 from 12:00 PM – 2:00PM (PST) is now open. Registration will close the evening of September 22. This season we are excited to invite Dr. Chrissy Babcock, Associate Dean and DIO for Graduate Medical Education, and Dr. Vineet Arora, Dean of Medical Education, join us from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine to present on “Embedding Residents & Fellows into Institutional Learning Environment Initiatives.” Each program is required to have a PD or APD (or, if necessary, a member of the core faculty) attend these virtual events. We also welcome all other faculty and administrators seeking faculty development.
  • Make sure to save the date for our Spring sessions on March 19 and April 8
• For a variety of upcoming events and resources, please see the NURF newsletter emailed out by Tammy Ramirez on September 13.
• GME Outreach Event for trainees at SCH on October 5 from 11am to 1 pm.  We encourage trainees to stop by to say hello, meet our GME team members and take a packed lunch.  Please look for an email closer to the event with specific room details. 
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• Please review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of September and October, including: Annual Program Evaluation deadline, AAMC/GME Track National GME Census, ERAS opening (Sept Cycle), NRMP and SF Match timelines, and October eLearning launch.
• Have questions about managing your schedule in MedHub? Don’t forget about the resources and recordings available on our GME MedHub website.
• We are distributing a needs assessment survey to understand better UWSOM learners’ potential utilization of fertility benefits in light of proposed legislation that may impact such coverage. Please access the survey here: UW SOM Trainee Fertility Survey.  The survey will remain open through October 1, 2023.
• The GME Office is accepting nominations for the Bruce C. Gilliland Award for Excellence in Teaching of Residents and Fellows. The Gilliland Award is awarded annually to a faculty member who is actively engaged in clinical and didactic training or in the implementation of a graduate medical education curriculum. Candidates should have demonstrated excellence in teaching over time and must have served for at least three years within UW Medicine or an affiliated training site as a teacher of residents and/or fellows. The Nomination deadline has been extended to Sept. 29.
• Faculty, residents and fellows who use Epic at UW Medicine are strongly encouraged to complete the UW Medicine Epic EHR Satisfaction survey and provide feedback on the Epic application. If you are a clinician that uses Epic regularly, please take 10-12 minutes to provide your feedback on the Epic application by end of day Monday, Sept. 25. To begin the survey, please visit uwehrsurvey.com. You will be asked to enter your name and email to ensure survey responses are valid. At the end of the survey, you can choose to allow your identity to be connected to your responses, which will enable UW Medicine IT Services to link your survey to your actual Epic usage data.  Your responses will be kept strictly confidential. While participation is voluntary, your insights and candid feedback on the efficiency of the Epic application, quality of Epic training, and how Epic use is impacting your daily work/life balance will play a pivotal role in shaping the future improvements to our EHR system.
• Last October, the GME Office launched a Post-Recruitment Survey for residency and fellowship programs to send to interviewed applicants. The Survey was designed to be followed longitudinally over subsequent recruitments cycles.  As a reminder, we ask programs to include the following message in post-recruitment survey communications to interviewed applicants:  The Graduate Medical Education Office at the University of Washington School of Medicine is conducting a survey of residency and fellowship applicants interviewed during the current recruitment season to assess factors that contributed to ranking decisions.  Results of the survey will help improve the quality of our learning environment.  Please take 1-2 minutes to complete this brief and anonymous survey – https://forms.microsoft.com/r/9WhQckPbZb.
• The UWMC Department of Public Safety is happy to announce the highly anticipated bike cage on the Northwest campus is ready for use. This secured bicycle storage area is located on the 1st floor, Southeast corner of the parking garage.  The bike locker is complete with racks and simple tools for most of your bicycle needs.  To have access to this bike locker added to your Husky Card, please email either Joshua Kinman at jkinman9@uw.edu or Deborah Wheat at dwheat3@uw.edu.
• The GME Office is proud to partner with the Office of Healthcare Equity to sponsor Leadership Education to Advance Diversity among Underrepresented Populations in Medicine (LEAD-UP). Applications are due 9/27.  Please see 8/24 email from Dr. Joyner for more information.
• Every year, the UW School of Medicine Alumni Association recognizes exceptional alumni with a series of awards. We encourage UW School of Medicine alumni, faculty, staff and other professional colleagues to nominate alumni for one or more of our awards. All alumni who received a degree from, or completed residency or fellowship training in, a program administered by the UW School of Medicine or one of our academic departments are eligible. Visit the website for full descriptions of the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Alumni Humanitarian Award, the Alumni Service Award and the Alumni Early Achievement Award. Nominations for the 2024 awards are open; you may submit nominations until December 31, 2023 here.
• UW Medicine Announces Results from Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Survey are available.
• The GME Office has posted an updated letter from Dr. Joyner for prospective residents and fellows to our GME Prospective Residents & Fellows
• Based on feedback from our community, in AY23 the GME Office developed Total Compensation sample statements for trainees at the R1 and R4 levels, meant to reflect incoming residents and incoming fellows, respectively. The R1 & R4 Total Compensation sample statements have been updated for AY24. These resources are posted to the GME Prospective Residents and Fellows page under Compensation.
• Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY which has been designed to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership. The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please see the recording and slides.

People

• Sally Baker, fellow, Allergy and Infectious Disease, is quoted in “Seal bit swimmer through wetsuit in Washington. Then she needed special medicine” in the Bellingham Herald.
• Katherine Bennett, Geriatric Medicine Program Director, and May Reed, Geriatric Medicine Associate Program Director, are featured in “Two Geriatricians Give 6 Tips for Healthy Aging” from The Huddle.
• Debra Cherry, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director, provides tips for teens and their families on navigating workplace safety issues in Teen Workers ‘Need to Know They Have Rights’ from the UW Newsroom.
• John Choe, Internal Medicine Associate Program Director, is senior author of “Exploring Competency-Based Medical Education Through the Lens of the UME-GME Transition: A Qualitative Study” in Academic Medicine.
• Christopher Sanford, Global Health Program Director, is quoted in “Vaccinating people from airplanes is not feasible, contrary to Instagram post” from US Today.
• The Department of Surgery Newsletter ‘Surgery Synopsis’ features many voices of the GME community, including Program Directors, trainees, and program staff. Check out the Summer 2023 issue.
• Ian Maloney, Anesthesiology Resident, is featured in “What Our Patients are Saying” with the following quote, “Special shout out to Dr. Ian Maloney! He was the kindest, warmest, most wonderful member of the team that I met that day.  His demeanor and presence made me feel so at ease…  He’s the kind of person that ABSOLUTELY should be in healthcare.”
• May Reed, Geriatric Medicine Associate Program Director, is quoted in “The Future of Human Longevity” in Health News.
• Ginny Ryan, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Program Director, is quoted in “Congress makes fresh push to cover fertility treatments for military veterans” from Axios.
• Doug Wood, Department of Surgery Chair, is featured in “How To Catch Lung Cancer Early and Why It’s Important” from Right as Rain by UW Medicine.

Policies and Processes

• UWSOM has decided to continue to exclude the class rank/quartile ranking and summary word in the MSPE. Please see 8/25 email sent on behalf of Gabriel Sarah and the Office of Academic Affairs for more information.
• As many programs starting recruitment and application reviews, we want to share some reminders about acceptable license examinations.
  • Under the GME Licensure Examination Policy, residents and fellows must pass one of the following examinations for licensure:
    • United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
    • Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX)
    • Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE)
  • Each year we receive questions from programs about whether the USMLE is also required for applicants who completed either the MCCQE or COMLEX. The MCCQE is accepted for state licensure.  Canadian medical school graduates who have completed the MCCQE do not also require the USMLE (exception for Canadians seeking sponsorship on an H-1B, which requires USMLE Step 3). The COMLEX is required for graduates of osteopathic medical schools.  Applicants who have completed the COMLEX do not also require the USMLE.
• The GMEC approved revisions to the following policies at the August meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.
  • Immunization and Health Screening Policy
• Effective July 1, 2023, the GME Meals Policy and SCH Meals Policy have been updated to reflect an increase in meal reimbursement prices.
• Based on feedback from residents and fellows that late and/or conflicting information about grant funding availability and impacts has caused confusion and frustration, the GME Office has developed a new Grant Funding Policy. We welcome your questions.
• The GME Office and GME Wellness are pleased to announce that as of July 1, 2023, the GME Wellness Service will be available to our non-ACGME fellows for those without faculty titles or with an existing counseling relationship. For those non-ACGME fellows with faculty titles (appointed as Acting Instructors), there are a number of support resources available via UWSOM Faculty Affairs.  Please direct any questions to GME Director of Wellness, Dipti Chrastka.
• Residents and fellows who wish to moonlight must renew existing outside work activity requests for AY24. All requests for outside work must be reapproved each academic year. Please review the GME Outside Work webpage for the Moonlighting and Outside Work Policy and Outside Work Request Forms. Please email Angela James with any questions.
• Individuals who would like to request a disability accommodation should reach out to the GME Office (Bre Smith) as soon as possible so that we can work with the Disability Services Office to support the program and trainee through the process.
• The UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tool is for sharing incidents of bias including racism, sexism, ableism, discrimination of any form or other behaviors that do not reflect the prioritization of inclusion and equity expected in all areas of our community. Please feel free to share this flyer and postcard within your programs and workspaces.
• The GME Concern Reporting tool is available to any members of the GME community to report concerns about the learning environment.

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Michelene Nguyen, Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Krista Wintrode, Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Hamid Chalian, Thoracic Imaging (Interim)
  • Douglas Franzen, Emergency Medicine (Interim)
  • Joshua Fischer, Family Medicine Seattle & Family Medicine Chelan
  • Margaret Hsu, Pain Medicine
  • Sarah Menashe, Pediatric Radiology
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • July 20: ADS Annual Update + Program Oversight; recording and slides available
  • August 17: Canceled
  • September 21: IMGs and Visa Sponsorship
• GME Recruitment Town Halls: please join us for a GME Town Hall on one of the dates/times below. Registration is required so we can approximate the number of participants and collect your questions in advance. Zoom links for the webinars will be sent to you upon registration.
  • Register for August 30 at 7am
  • Register for August 31 at 6pm
  • Panelists: Dr. Byron Joyner, Vice Dean and DIO, GME; Dr. Suzanne Allen, Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs; Paula Houston, Chief Equity Officer, and David Kerwin, Division Chief, Office of the Attorney General of Washington.
• GME Outreach Event for trainees at UWMC-ML on August 31 from 11am to 1 pm. Please stop by to say hello, meet our GME team members and take a packed lunch. Look for an email closer to the event with specific room details.
• Annual Life After Residency & Fellowship Seminar on Saturday, September 16: At this event we will share strategies, valuable insights and advice to support your transition into independent practice. Topics include avoiding job search pitfalls, how to negotiate, what to look for before you sign a contact and a panel of physicians from a variety of career tracks. The event will run via Zoom from 9am – 12:00pm.  Attendance at this event is mandatory for some programs and others will block time for you to attend.  Please check with your PA for details.   Please mark your calendar – Register now. The event will be recorded and posted for streaming after the event.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Office is proud to partner with the Office of Healthcare Equity to sponsor Leadership Education to Advance Diversity among Underrepresented Populations in Medicine (LEAD-UP). Applications are due 9/27.  Please see 8/24 email from Dr. Joyner for more information.
• The GME Annual Program Timeline: Please review for important dates for August and September.
• UW Medicine Announces Results from Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Survey are available.
• The Macy Foundation is accepting applications for the Catalyst Awards. Six projects will be selected to receive up to $50K each over a 12-month period. Applications are due September 15!
• The GME Office is accepting nominations for the Bruce C. Gilliland Award for Excellence in Teaching of Residents and Fellows. The Gilliland Award is awarded annually to a faculty member who is actively engaged in clinical and didactic training or in the implementation of a graduate medical education curriculum. Candidates should have demonstrated excellence in teaching over time and must have served for at least three years within UW Medicine or an affiliated training site as a teacher of residents and/or fellows. Nominations are due September 8.
• The GME Office has posted an updated letter from Dr. Joyner for prospective residents and fellows to our GME Prospective Residents & Fellows page.
• As of July, UW employees will have access to a new benefit with the Washington State Employee Assistance Program (WA EAP)—a free health and well-being program that is just for Washington state employees.  The WA EAP replaces CareLink.
• Based on feedback from our community, in AY23 the GME Office developed Total Compensation sample statements for trainees at the R1 and R4 levels, meant to reflect incoming residents and incoming fellows, respectively. The R1 & R4 Total Compensation sample statements have been updated for AY24. These resources are posted to the GME Prospective Residents and Fellows page under Compensation.
• Residents & Fellows – We want to hear from you! We hope to learn more about your current engagement with the UW GME Community and to understand opportunities for further connection and communication among trainees. Please take a moment to complete this survey and share your ideas about current and future GME education and community engagement events and tools.
• Residents and fellows are eligible to apply for a Housestaff Emergency Loan through the GME Office. The purpose of the loan fund is to provide emergency financial assistance to residents and fellows. The total amount of this loan has been increased from $1000 to $2500. Please see the loan form for complete details.
  • As a reminder, our GME Financial Management for Residents & Fellows webpage is a great resource for trainees who would like to learn more about their finances and options as they prepare for graduation and a high-paying career.
• Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY which has been designed to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations.
• A new opt-in module, Prioritizing Ourselves When Fatigued is a 5 minute training intended as a brief reminder on the important issue of fatigue.  Learning Gateway is happy to answer any questions about the module.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership. The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please see the recording and slides.

People

• Christopher Blosser, Transplant Nephrology Associate Program Director, is quoted in “Cancer & organ transplant clinic” from WGEM.
• Markus Boos, Dermatology Program Director, is featured in Q&A: Pediatric dermatologist discusses impacts of climate change on patients from the UW Newsroom.
• Kelley Branch, Cardiovascular Disease Associate Program Director, is lead author and Nick Johnson, Critical Care Medicine Associate Program Director, is senior author of “Head-to-Pelvis CT Imaging after Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Current Status and Future Directions” in Resuscitation. Department of Medicine co-author is Peter Kudenchuk. Dr. Branch is also co-author of “Scientific document development standards for the society of cardiovascular computed tomography (SCCT): A statement from the SCCT Guidelines Committee” in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.
• Justin Bullock, fellow, Nephrology, is lead author of “‘Yourself in all your forms’: A grounded theory exploration of identity safety in medical students” in Medical Education. He is also co-author of “The Problem and Power of Professionalism: A Critical Analysis of Medical Students’ and Residents’ Perspectives and Experiences of Professionalism” and “From Eggshells to Action: A Qualitative Study of Faculty Experience Responding to Microaggressions Targeting Medical Students” in Academic Medicine.
• In the latest Thrivecast, “Transitioning from Trainee to Faculty,” Hugo Carmona, assistant professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, shares learnings and strategies in his own transition from fellow to faculty at UW. Hosted by Trish Kritek, Thrivecast provides tips to help clinicians, educators, and researchers thrive professionally in their careers, covering topics from time management and organization to leadership and self-advocacy.
• Başak Çoruh, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Director, Amy Morris, and James Town were recognized by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) as 2023 Distinguished CHEST Educators. This designation provides national-level recognition of excellence in continuing medical education through their commitment, involvement, and leadership in CHEST education programs and activities. CHEST is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care.
• Nicholas Johnson, Critical Care Medicine Associate Program Director, is co-author of “Total and Subgenomic RNA Viral Load in Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Delta, and Omicron Variants” in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
• Department of Medicine Chair, Barbara Jung and her husband, Assistant Dean, Gerald Tolbert, have established the Barbara Jung and Gerald Tolbert – AGA Equity Focused Future Leaders Program Scholarship. This scholarship will support four scholarships for the Future Leaders Program for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds that are American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Future Leaders or those that come from institutions that cannot support participation of an emerging leader into the AGA Future Leaders Program. The scholarship will start in 2024 and run for 20 years.
• Barbara Jung, professor and Department of Medicine Chair, wrote “Prior authorization, by any other name, threatens Washingtonians’ health” in The Olympian.
• Vishesh Kapur, Sleep Medicine Program Director, is quoted in “Jet Lag: Get Back in the Rhythm” in the New York Times.
• Natasha Kwendakwema, fellow, Hematology and Oncology, talked to OncLive about the “Effects of Financial Toxicity on Treatment Costs in Patients With Cancer.”
• Earlier this year, Blaine Menon and Kara Fitzgerald, Interventional Radiology Integrated Residents, had the unique opportunity to travel to Tanzania with Road2IR. Blaine participated in the department’s Global Health elective, and Kara joined him for a week as a volunteer. UW Radiology IR Program and Associate Program Directors, Jeff Chick and Matthew Abad-Santos also volunteered with them. Read about their experience in “Radiology Doctors Volunteer For Global Health Experience In Tanzania.”
• Adlai Grayson, Interventional Radiology resident, is featured in In their own words: Radiology physician advances diversity, equity and inclusion goals at conference.
• Hannah Linden, Hematology and Oncology Associate Program Director, discusses “FES PET for ER-Positive Breast Cancer: How Can It Help?” in Medscape. She also joined the Susan Komen Real Pink podcast to discuss “Understanding the Role of Diagnostic Imaging in Breast Care.”
• The Department of Otolaryngology Summer Newsletter features the work of trainees, Program Directors, and other department leaders.
• Shinetra Pryor, Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Medicine Program Administrator, received the inaugural Outstanding Staff Award from the Department of Medicine.
• Lucia Ramirez, Internal Medicine resident, is featured in this story in The Huddle.
• Bonnie Ronish, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Associate Program Director, is featured in “How ‘forever chemicals’ impact your health” from King 5 and in “How PFAS impact your health” in US Times Post. She is also featured in UW pulmonologist provides information on what smoke does to your body from KNDO and “Seattle air quality among worst in world due to wildfire smoke” from KIRO News.
• Dushyant Sahani, Department of Radiology Chair, is a recipient of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Lifetime Honored Educator Award. This achievement recognizes his dedication to furthering the profession by delivering high-quality educational content.
• Namrata Singh, Rheumatology Associate Program Director, is lead author of “Immune-related adverse events after immune check point inhibitors: Understanding the intersection with autoimmunity” in Immunological Reviews and co-author of “Hydroxychloroquine use is associated with reduced mortality risk in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis” in Clinical Rheumatology.
• Joshua Thaler, Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition Associate Program Director, is senior author of “Obesity-associated microglial inflammatory activation paradoxically improves glucose tolerance” in Cell Metabolism. Department of Medicine co-authors are Kelly Ness, Mauricio Dorfman, Jeremy Frey and Olivia Santiago. This article was featured as a Research Highlight in Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
• Bessie Young, Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is the 2023 recipient of the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility Paul Beeson Award. This award is given annually to an activist in the field of health care or health advocacy who has made a substantial contribution to peace, justice, and health in Washington state.
• Forbes ranked UW Medicine No. 14 in the nation in its annual ranking of America’s Best Employers for Women. They highlighted success in promoting women to top leadership positions across the organization and in providing other benefits such as childcare and eldercare services at a reduced cost.
• Congrats to the 17 trainee-led Wellbeing Grant winners! Please visit Well-Being Grants to see the list and descriptions of all funded grants for each entity.

Policies and Processes

• Effective July 1, 2023, the GME Meals Policy and SCH Meals Policy have been updated to reflect an increase in meal reimbursement prices.
• In response to the recent Supreme Court decision on affirmative action for student admissions, President Cauce has provided a statement re-iterating the University of Washington’s commitment to creating opportunity and expanding access to world-class education for students from all backgrounds (Statement from UW President Ana Mari Cauce on the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decisions | UW News (washington.edu). We are currently working with the Attorney General’s Office to further analyze the Supreme Court’s decision and will follow up with more detailed information once that review is completed.  Also sharing Follow-Up to Dr. Nasca’s June 13 Letter to the Community after Supreme Court Decision Regarding College Admissions and Race.
• The GMEPAC application for academic year 2024-2025 (AY25) is open and information is posted to the new GMEPAC webpage.  Any changes in rotations or expansions that result in an increase in training time at any site requires pre-approval through the GMEPAC process and confirmation of funding by the hospital(s). The GMEPAC process does not include VA FTE. The GMEPAC process was discussed at the April 2023 Lunch & Learn and the presentation slides and recording are available. GMEPAC applications for AY25 are due July 28, 2023.  Please reach out to Cindy Hamra or Amanda Easton if you have questions about the process or would like to discuss VA funding.
• GME Grant Funding Policy: The GME Office received feedback from our residents and fellows that late and/or conflicting information about grant funding availability and impacts has caused confusion and frustration. In response, we have developed a new Grant Funding Policy to centralize information and guidance that currently exists across multiple sources. We welcome your questions.
• The GME Office and GME Wellness are pleased to announce that as of July 1, 2023, the GME Wellness Service will be available to our non-ACGME fellows for those without faculty titles or with an existing counseling relationship. For those non-ACGME fellows with faculty titles (appointed as Acting Instructors), there are a number of support resources available via UWSOM Faculty Affairs.  Please direct any questions to GME Director of Wellness, Dipti Chrastka.
• Learn More About Medical Regulation: The Federation of State Medical Boards has developed a series of educational modules to help medical students and residents learn about medical regulation before they begin their careers in medicine. The series includes:
  • The Role of State Medical Boards
  • The Medical Licensing Process
  • State Medical Board and Physician Discipline: Part I – Complaint and Disciplinary Processes
  • State Medical Board and Physician Discipline: Part II – Common Reasons Physicians Get in Trouble
• Residents and fellows who wish to moonlight must renew existing outside work activity requests for AY24. All requests for outside work must be reapproved each academic year. Please review the GME Outside Work webpage for the Moonlighting and Outside Work Policy and Outside Work Request Forms. Please email Angela James with any questions.
• Programs that have matched or extended an offer to a trainee who requires a disability accommodation should reach out to the GME Office (Bre Smith) as soon as possible so that we can work with the Disability Services Office to support the program and trainee through the process.
• The UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tool is for sharing incidents of bias including racism, sexism, ableism, discrimination of any form or other behaviors that do not reflect the prioritization of inclusion and equity expected in all areas of our community. Please feel free to share this flyer and postcard within your programs and workspaces.
• Additionally, the GME Concern Reporting tool is available to any members of the GME community to report concerns about the learning environment.

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Serena Wong, Headache Medicine, Movement Disorders, Neuro-Oncology, and Pediatric Neurocritical Care
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Elizabeth Gass, Idaho Psychiatry
  • Deepika Nehra, Surgical Critical Care
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • AY24 Lunch and Learn schedule now posted
  • July 20: ADS Annual Update + Program Oversight
  • August 17: TBD
• UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety has shared the following information about application deadlines for key quality and safety training programs (apply via the Center website):
  • August 3, 2023: Certificate Program in Quality and Safety: Designed for healthcare professionals and teams from all backgrounds. An outstanding development opportunity for your faculty and staff to mentor and execute QI projects.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Office has posted an updated letter from Dr. Joyner for prospective residents and fellows to our GME Prospective Residents & Fellows page.
• As of this month, UW employees will have access to a new benefit with the Washington State Employee Assistance Program (WA EAP)—a free health and well-being program that is just for Washington state employees.  The WA EAP replaces CareLink.
• UW Medicine Equity Impact Review Tool The UW Medicine Office of Healthcare Equity has developed an Equity Impact Review Tool to help with decisions about hiring, budgets, policies, procedures, and everyday issues. The tool leads decision-makers through a series of six steps that explicitly identify potential equity issues and initiates a process to produce more equitable outcomes. For more information, please visit the OHCE website.
• The GME Annual Program Timeline: Please review for important dates for July and August.
• Based on feedback from our community, in AY23 the GME Office developed Total Compensation sample statements for trainees at the R1 and R4 levels, meant to reflect incoming residents and incoming fellows, respectively. The R1 & R4 Total Compensation sample statements have been updated for AY24. These resources are posted to the GME Prospective Residents and Fellows page under a Compensation section, which also includes a Comparable Total Compensation Table summarizing how UW total compensation compares with other West Coast Institutions.
• Residents & Fellows – We want to hear from you! We hope to learn more about your current engagement with the UW GME Community and to understand opportunities for further connection and communication among trainees. Please take a moment to complete this survey and share your ideas about current and future GME education and community engagement events and tools.
• Residents and fellows are eligible to apply for a Housestaff Emergency Loan through the GME Office. The purpose of the loan fund is to provide emergency financial assistance to residents and fellows.  The total amount of this loan has been increased from $1000 to $2500.  Please see the loan form for complete details.  As a reminder, our GME Financial Management for Residents & Fellows webpage is a great resource for trainees who would like to learn more about their finances and options as they prepare for graduation and a high-paying career.
• Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY which has been designed to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations.
• A new opt-in module, Prioritizing Ourselves When Fatigued is a 5 minute training intended as a brief reminder on the important issue of fatigue.  Learning Gateway is happy to answer any questions about the module.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership. The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please the recording and slides.

People

• Jonathan Avery, resident, Internal Medicine, is lead author of “Risks factor and outcomes for isolated catheter-related deep venous thrombosis in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation” in Thrombosis Research. Department of Medicine co-authors are Stephanie Lee and David Garcia.
• Joshua Bloomstein, resident, Internal Medicine, is co-author of “Impact of Gut Bacterial Metabolites on Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis: Current Status and Future Perspectives” in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
• Physicians in the Cancer and Organ Transplant Clinic (COTC) at Fred Hutch recently published a report of a patient who became the 17th in the world to receive this life-saving therapy. “Until recently, the use of CAR T-cell therapy for PTLD had been largely unknown,” says Christopher Blosser, Transplant Nephrology Associate Program Director and COTC director. “Aggregated data from our case and the 16 previously published reports show this treatment is safe and effective. CAR T-cell therapy does not appear to cause organ rejection and has limited side effects when compared to other chemotherapies and immunotherapies.” Read the full story from Hutch News.
• Markus Boos, Dermatology Program Director, is featured in “More than skin in the game” from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Kelley Branch, Cardiovascular Disease Associate Program Director, and Bryce Johnson, fellow, Cardiology, were awarded a CoMotion Innovation Award for $50,000 for development of the Seattle Clinical Pathway Platform (SCiPP) to update and market the current Chest Pain Pathway as well as expand the Platform to other disease states.
• Kelley Branch, Cardiovascular Disease Associate Program Director, is senior author of “Associations between clinical characteristics of cardiac arrest and early CT head findings of hypoxic ischaemic brain injury following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest” in Resuscitation. Department of Medicine co-author is Nicholas Johnson.
• Anne Browning, Associate Dean for Well-Being, is featured in “How LGBTQ+ UW Medicine Employees Define Pride” from The Huddle.
• Justin Bullock, fellow, Nephrology, is co-author of “Editors as Gatekeepers: One Medical Education Journal’s Efforts to Resist Racism in Scholarly Publishing” in Academic Medicine.
• Justin Bullock, fellow, Nephrology, wrote “I Am a Physician Face of Affirmative Action — The Supreme Court’s ruling hurts, but still I have hope” in Medpage Today.
• Congratulations to Maria Cassera, VA Chief Medical Resident, who has been accepted into the 2023 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation Emerging Liver Scholars Program, which residents the opportunity to explore hepatology as a career through educational and professional development programming, learning directly from leaders in the field, and networking with hepatology key opinion leaders and peers from around the globe.
• Adam Cheng, resident, Internal Medicine, and colleagues are interested in understanding how different types of DNA damage lead to oncogenesis. Their lab discovered that many of the mutations that lead to cancerous cell behavior result from cellular misregulation of mutagenic enzymes, specifically a 7-member family of APOBEC enzymes. Learn more on the residency website.
• Congratulations to Roxanne Hicks, resident, Internal Medicine, and Rebecca Stephens, acting instructor, General Internal Medicine, this year’s recipients of the Tina Juul-Dam Primary Care Award, voted on by the medicine residents. The award memorializes Dr. Juul-Dam, a third-year resident who died in 2004 while on rotation in Alaska, and celebrates her spirit, dedication to patients, passion for primary care, and motivation of others.
• Christine Johnston, Infectious Diseases Associate Program Director, and Joshua Schiffer, professor, Allergy and Infectious Diseases, are co-authors of “Recurrent infection transiently expands human tissue T cells while maintaining long-term homeostasis” in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Schiffer also wrote the editorial “The Continuing Puzzle of Defining Duration of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infectivity” in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
• Whitney Kiker, fellow, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, has been selected for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Research Scholars Program. This program aims to advance the scientific endeavors of new/early investigators (who have applied for or will shortly apply for a Career Development Award) whose goal is to become independent scientists actively involved in palliative care research.
• Nicole Kim, fellow, Gastroenterology, is lead author, and George Ioannou, professor, Gastroenterology, is senior author of “Addressing racial and ethnic disparities in US liver cancer care” in Hepatology Communications. Department of Medicine co-authors are Anne Cravero, Philip Vutien, Rotonya Carr, and Rachel Issaka.
• Linzee Mabrey, fellow, Pulmonary Critical Care, is lead author, and Mark Wurfel, professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, is senior author of “Phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-center trial of the clinical and biological effects of anti-CD14 treatment in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia” in EBioMedicine. Department of Medicine co-authors are Carmen Mikacenic, Eric Morrell and Thomas Martin.
• Chris Marfo, fellow, Surgical Critical Care is the winner of this year’s Harborview Medical Center Annual Housestaff Achievement Award for Clinical Ability and Humanitarian Concern.
• Tanya Meyer, Otolaryngology Program Director, and Neel Bhatt, co-authored recently published research that confirmed their suspicion: Some people with laryngeal dystonia and essential tremor of the vocal tract benefit from Botox injections more frequently than the three-month interval that most health insurers allow. Read the full story in the UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Natalia Murinova, Headache Program Director, is featured in “Migraine Aura or Stroke? When to Worry and What to Do” from Right as Rain by UW Medicine.
• Chloe Peters, resident, Urology, is featured in “ Peters highlights additional research on the effect of the Dobbs ruling on urologists” from Urology Times.
• Sarah Prager, Complex Family Planning Program Director, is featured in “Idaho patients traveling to Kennewick, WA, for abortions since ban” from The Bellingham Herald and in “Number of Idaho abortion patients traveling to Washington up 56% after Roe overturned” from Oregon Public Broadcasting. She is also featured in “Pence would ban abortions when pregnancies aren’t viable — his GOP rivals won’t say if they agree” from the Associated Press and “FDA approves the first over-the-counter birth control pill, Opill” from NPR.
• Bonnie Ronish, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Associate Program Director, is quoted in “Wildfires a threat to Seattle air quality again this year” from MyNorthwest.
• In the latest Thrivecast, “What it Means to be Patient and Family Centered,” Anneliese Schleyer, Interim Chief Medical Officer for UW Medicine, brings insight on what it means to center patients and families in the work we do. Hosted by Trish Kritek, Thrivecast provides tips to help clinicians, educators, and researchers thrive professionally in their careers, covering topics from time management and organization to leadership and self-advocacy.
• Ginny Ryan, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Program Director, is featured in Opinion: Who gets to use the title ‘doctor’? from
• Congratulations to Amanda Shepherd, Internal Medicine Associate Program Director, who is the recipient of the 39th annual Paul B. Beeson Award. She was chosen by the medicine residents in recognition of outstanding clinical teaching and for exemplifying scholarship, humility, compassion, and integrity. The award commemorates Paul Beeson, a distinguished physician at the Seattle VA in the 1970s, who was celebrated for his teaching skills.
• Ken Steinberg has accepted the newly created position of Department of Medicine Vice Chair for Education, effective August 1. He has been program director for the Internal Medicine residency program since 2007.
• Rafee Talukder, fellow, Medical Oncology, received a 2023 John Quale Travel Fellowship from the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. The Travel Fellowship Program engages early-career individuals, such as basic scientists, urologists, oncologists, and pathologists, and connects them with hundreds of other bladder cancer research and medical professionals at the Bladder Cancer Think Tank annual meeting.
• Mark Wiley, postdoctoral scholar, and Jessica Bauer, research scientist, are co-lead authors and Barbara Jung, Department of Medicine Chair, is senior author of “Non-Canonical Activin A Signaling Stimulates Context-Dependent and Cellular-Specific Outcomes in CRC to Promote Tumor Cell Migration and Immune Tolerance” in Cancers.

Policies and Processes

• *New* GME Grant Funding Policy: The GME Office received feedback from our residents and fellows that late and/or conflicting information about grant funding availability and impacts has caused confusion and frustration. In response, we have developed a new Grant Funding Policy to centralize information and guidance that currently exists across multiple sources. We welcome your questions.
• The GME Office and GME Wellness are pleased to announce that as of July 1, 2023, the GME Wellness Service will be available to our non-ACGME fellows for those without faculty titles or with an existing counseling relationship. For those non-ACGME fellows with faculty titles (appointed as Acting Instructors), there are a number of support resources available via UWSOM Faculty Affairs.  Please direct any questions to GME Director of Wellness, Dipti Chrastka.
• Learn More About Medical Regulation: The Federation of State Medical Boards has developed a series of educational modules to help medical students and residents learn about medical regulation before they begin their careers in medicine. The series includes:
  • The Role of State Medical Boards
  • The Medical Licensing Process
  • State Medical Board and Physician Discipline: Part I – Complaint and Disciplinary Processes
  • State Medical Board and Physician Discipline: Part II – Common Reasons Physicians Get in Trouble
• The GMEPAC application for academic year 2024-2025 (AY25) is open and information is posted to the new GMEPAC webpage.  Any changes in rotations or expansions that result in an increase in training time at any site requires pre-approval through the GMEPAC process and confirmation of funding by the hospital(s). The GMEPAC process does not include VA FTE. The GMEPAC process was discussed at the April 2023 Lunch & Learn and the presentation slides and recording are available. GMEPAC applications for AY25 are due July 28, 2023.  Please reach out to Cindy Hamra or Amanda Easton if you have questions about the process or would like to discuss VA funding.
• It is time for trainees to begin renewing their outside work activity requests for AY24. As a reminder, all requests for outside work must be reapproved each academic year. Please review the GME Outside Work webpage for the Moonlighting and Outside Work Policy and Outside Work Request Forms. Please email Angela James with any questions.
• Programs that have matched or extended an offer to a trainee who requires a disability accommodation, should reach out to the GME Office (Bre Smith) as soon as possible so that we can work with the Disability Services Office to support the program and trainee through the process.
• The AY24 GME Orientation webpage is now live! This webpage includes detailed information about important UW GME onboarding and orientation information. Additional pages with helpful information for trainees as they complete the onboarding process:
  • Incoming Residents and Fellows webpage
  • Onboarding and Orientation FAQs
  • Resident & Fellow Resources
• The COVID-19 public health emergency is ending May 11, 2023. At the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency, CMS used emergency waiver authorities and various regulatory authorities to enable flexibilities so providers could rapidly respond to people impacted by COVID-19. Some of those flexibilities have been extended temporarily, some permanently, and some are ending on May 11. Please review resources on the UW Compliance COVID-19 Public Health Emergency page to answer questions you may have about changes impacting clinicians due to the end of the public health emergency.
• Please note the changes to University COVID-19 policies effective June 12th unless otherwise noted.
• The UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tool is for sharing incidents of bias including racism, sexism, ableism, discrimination of any form or other behaviors that do not reflect the prioritization of inclusion and equity expected in all areas of our community. Please feel free to share this flyer and postcard within your programs and workspaces.
• Additionally, the GME Concern Reporting tool is available to any members of the GME community to report concerns about the learning environment.
• Interpreter Services and the Office of Healthcare Equity have created an online guide dedicated to providing resources for accessing medical interpreters, tips for partnering with medical interpreters, reminders about laws and regulations and directions on what to do in emergencies. Please read more about Clear Communication: Every Patient, Every Time.

Program Information

• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Ania Lang, Allergy & Immunology (ACGME)
  • Evelyn Hsu, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, (ACGME – Interim)
• The GMEC approved revisions to the following policies at the May meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.
  • Grant Funding Policy (see above)
  • Scheduling and Boarders Policy
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • AY24 Lunch and Learn schedule now posted
  • July 20: ADS Annual Update + Program Oversight
• GME Outreach Event for trainees at HMC on June 30th from 11am to 1 pm. We encourage trainees to stop by to say hello, meet our GME team members and take a packed lunch.  Please look for an email closer to the event with specific room details.
• The Institute for Common Power in partnership and the University of Washington Department of Medicine will be holding their quarterly Diversity Lecture series on Tuesday, June 29th from 12:00pm PST to 1:00pm PST (3:00pm EST to 4:00pm EST). Please join for “The History and Future of Black Physicians in Medicine” with Dr. Walter Conwell, Morehouse School of Medicine. Learn more and RSVP.
• UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety has shared the following information about application deadlines for three key quality and safety training programs (apply via the Center website):
  • June 30, 2023: QI Scholars Program: Competitive yearlong advanced training; designed for junior and mid-career faculty pursuing QI as a scholarly focus.
  • June 30, 2023: GME Quality & Safety Foundations Course: Open to any UW Medicine GME program—helps meet ACGME requirements for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.
  • August 3, 2023: Certificate Program in Quality and Safety: Designed for healthcare professionals and teams from all backgrounds. An outstanding development opportunity for your faculty and staff to mentor and execute QI projects.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Annual Program Timeline: Please review for important dates for June and July.
• Based on feedback from our community, in AY23 the GME Office developed Total Compensation sample statements for trainees at the R1 and R4 levels, meant to reflect incoming residents and incoming fellows, respectively. The R1 & R4 Total Compensation sample statements have been updated for AY24. These resources are posted to the GME Prospective Residents and Fellows page under a Compensation section, which also includes a Comparable Total Compensation Table summarizing how UW total compensation compares with other West Coast Institutions.
• Residents & Fellows – We want to hear from you! We hope to learn more about your current engagement with the UW GME Community and to understand opportunities for further connection and communication among trainees. Please take a moment to complete this survey and share your ideas about current and future GME education and community engagement events and tools.
• Residents and fellows are eligible to apply for a Housestaff Emergency Loan through the GME Office. The purpose of the loan fund is to provide emergency financial assistance to residents and fellows.  The total amount of this loan has been increased from $1000 to $2500.  Please see the loan form for complete details.  As a reminder, our GME Financial Management for Residents & Fellows webpage is a great resource for trainees who would like to learn more about their finances and options as they prepare for graduation and a high-paying career.
• Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY which has been designed to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations.
• A new opt-in module, Prioritizing Ourselves When Fatigued is a 5 minute training intended as a brief reminder on the important issue of fatigue.  Learning Gateway is happy to answer any questions about the module.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership. The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please the recording and slides.

People

• GME Team Members received Wellbeing Grant Funding for the following projects:
  • Therapeutic Lightboxes for Resident Well-Being Project (submitted by the GME Wellness Team): This project aims to improve resident wellness by equipping windowless work and team rooms at identified hospital sites with therapeutic lightboxes (10,000 lux). With Seattle’s long dark winters and limited hours of sunlight, light therapy can improve mood, combat fatigue, regulate sleep cycles, increase focus, and contribute to stress reduction and enhanced resident well-being. Thanks to Tara Reid, faculty, Infectious Diseases, for the suggestion!
  • GME Staff Community Series (submitted by the GME Office Professional Development Group): This project aims to create opportunities for staff across GME’s diverse departments to come together, connect, and celebrate each other and the work we do. These events include outdoor celebrations, indoor arts, and more. Our goal is to continue building and maintaining the relationships that enrich our lives and help us to continue to improve our world-class support to our physician-learners.
• The EDItorial is a monthly Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Awareness Newsletter created by Internal Medicine residency program staff. Each month they highlight different marginalized groups with opportunities to engage, support, and participate on international, national, and local levels. The June newsletter highlights pride month and the LGBTQIA+ community. Read the EDItorial on the IM residency website.
• Emily Brown, Associate Program Director, Child Abuse Fellowship is featured in ‘Public Health Emergency ends – so does Medicaid automatic re-enrollment‘ from Northwest Asian Weekly.
• Daniel Cabrera, Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency, is co-author of “Everyone Deserves to Belong” in The Hospitalist.
• Jason Castaneda, R2, Internal Medicine, is quoted in “Insomnia Drug Class May Not Influence Exacerbation Risks in COPD Patients” in Sleep Review.
• Jason Castaneda, R2, Internal Medicine and Lucas Donovan, assistant professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) are quoted in “Mortality, exacerbation risk in patients with COPD not higher with insomnia hypnotics” in Healio Pulmonology.
• Tom Fitzpatrick, fellow, Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is quoted in “Council rejects Davison’s push to prosecute drug possession and public use” from Real Change.
• The Curbsiders Internal Medicine podcast featured top pearls from the recent Society of General Internal Medicine annual meeting, including Barak Gaster, professor, General Internal Medicine, for “Dementia in Primary Care” and Rebecca Gold R2, Internal Medicine and Adelaide McClintock, assistant professor, General Internal Medicine for “Trauma-Informed Care.”
• Mary Geist, R1, Internal Medicine, is lead author and Jocelyn James, assistant professor (General Internal Medicine) is senior author of “Timing of hepatitis C treatment initiation and retention in office-based opioid treatment with buprenorphine: a retrospective cohort study” in Addiction Science and Clinical Practice. Department of Medicine co-authors are Andrea Radick, Judith Tsui, and Nancy Connolly.
• Melissa Herrin, Chief Resident, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, recently published ‘Work, Service and Health: Lessons from Veterans in the Environmental Contaminants Clinic’ in the health policy section of in-House: The Agora for Medical Residents and Fellows. She describes her training experience at the VA Puget Sound and advocates for health benefits for veterans with exposure concerns.
• Christopher Hofstetter, Associate Program Director, Spine Surgery, is featured in “Ultra Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery” from The Huddle.
• Zaroug Jaleel, resident, Otolaryngology, is recipient of the 2023 AAO-HNSF Resident Research Award.
• Nicholas Johnson, Associate Program Director, Critical Care Medicine, is co-author of “Changing Severity and Epidemiology of Adults Hospitalized With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States After Introduction of COVID-19 Vaccines, March 2021-August 2022” in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
• Barbara Jung, Chair, Department of Medicine, is the current America Gastroenterological Association President. Read more about her role and how she is paving the way for women in gastroenterology.
• Vishesh Kapur, Program Director, Sleep Medicine, is quoted in “Wide Awake at Bedtime Despite Being *So* Sleepy Mid-Afternoon? Here’s What To Know About Catching a ‘Second Wind’ of Energy” from Well+Good.
• Hiba Khan, fellow, Medical Oncology, received a 2023 Young Investigator awards from the American Society of Clinical Oncology for “Dismantling Disparities in Access to Oral Novel Hormonal Therapies in Prostate Cancer–A Mixed-Methods Analysis from a Population, Systems, and Patient-Centered Lens.”
• Among people whose liver is failing, the perpetual shortage of donor organs inhibits expectations of a timely, life-saving transplant. New research suggests that these people who initially seek care at safety-net hospitals may face additional obstacles to being considered for transplant. A study of three safety-net hospitals showed that, among patients whose measures of liver health would typically result in a referral for transplant evaluation, only about one-fourth received the referral. The finding was published June 8 in JAMA Network Open. “Patients who receive care at these safety-net hospitals generally do not go to the other hospital unless they have a specific referral,” said Nicole Kim, a co-author on the paper and a liver transplant fellow at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “Patients who present at safety-net hospitals are often more likely to identify as indigent and underserved, uninsured, lower-income, racial-ethnic minority and-or homeless.” Read the full story from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Somnath Mookherjee, Program Director, Academic Hospitalist Fellowship, is the recipient of the 2023 National Award for Scholarship in Medical Education from the Society of General Internal Medicine. He received the award for his extensive body of scholarly work related to clinical teaching and evidence-based physical exam that has impacted medical education across the spectrum from UME to GME to CME, and also his successful mentoring in educational scholarship and demonstration of educational leadership.
• Leo Morales, professor and Assistant Dean for UW School of Medicine, has been invited to serve as a member of the National Advisory Council (NAC) subcommittee for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The goal of this subcommittee is to make recommendations to the NAC on AHRQ’s proposed long-term strategic planning for AHRQ’s Patient-Centered Outcomes Trust Fund (PCORTF) investments.
• Fernando Picazo, fellow, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, is a 2023 recipient of the Underrepresented Trainee Development Scholarship from the American Thoracic Society (ATS).
• Jeff Probstfield, professor, and Kelley Branch, Program Director, Cardiovascular Disease, are co-authors of “Global Variations in Heart Failure Etiology, Management, and Outcomes” in
• Paul Pottinger, Program Director, Infectious Diseases, is quoted in “Rabid bat found in E. WA. It was the first in 5 years in Tri-Cities-Walla Walla region” in the Tri-City Herald.
• Ganesh Raghu, Program Director, Interstitial Lung Disease, is senior author of “Lung parenchymal abnormalities and outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID 19 pneumonia: A positive message from a prospective hospital-based longitudinal study for future considerations” in Respiratory Medicine.
• Colbey Ricklefs, Resident, Family Medicine received the 2023 Mizzou Alumni Association – Young Alumni Award.
• Maureen Ryan-Murphy, Chief Resident, Psychiatry, is featured in ‘At the intersection of homelessness, mental illness and addiction in Portland lies psychosis’ from KGW8.
• Talicia Savage, R3, Internal Medicine, is lead author and Rachel Issaka, assistant professor (Gastroenterology) is senior author of “Association between patient, clinic, and geographical-level factors and 1-year surveillance colonoscopy adherence” in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology. Department of Medicine co-authors are Veena Shankaran and Scott Ramsey.
• The Spring 2023 edition of Surgery Synopsis includes a wealth of information including features of newly appointed Vice Chairs, Program Directors, and trainees.
• Thomas Walsh, Program Director, Andrology, is featured in ‘Men’s Health Center Provides Comprehensive Care’ from The Huddle.
• Natalie Weathered, Program Director, Neurology, is featured in ‘If the Brain Is a Puzzle, Natalie Weathered Wants to Solve It’ from The Huddle.
• Douglas Wood, Chair, Department of Surgery, received the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s (NCCN) 2023 Rodger Winn Award for decades of work to develop, refine and promote the organization’s Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Policies and Processes

• The GMEPAC application for academic year 2024-2025 (AY25) is open and information is posted to the new GMEPAC webpage.  Any changes in rotations or expansions that result in an increase in training time at any site requires pre-approval through the GMEPAC process and confirmation of funding by the hospital(s). The GMEPAC process does not include VA FTE. The GMEPAC process was discussed at the April 2023 Lunch & Learn and the presentation slides and recording are available. GMEPAC applications for AY25 are due July 28, 2023.  Please reach out to Cindy Hamra or Amanda Easton if you have questions about the process or would like to discuss VA funding.
• It is time for trainees to begin renewing their outside work activity requests for AY24. As a reminder, all requests for outside work must be reapproved each academic year. Please review the GME Outside Work webpage for the Moonlighting and Outside Work Policy and Outside Work Request Forms. Please email Angela James with any questions.
• Programs that have matched or extended an offer to a trainee who requires a disability accommodation, should reach out to the GME Office (Bre Smith) as soon as possible so that we can work with the Disability Services Office to support the program and trainee through the process.
• The AY24 GME Orientation webpage is now live! Incoming trainees have been advised to visit this webpage for detailed information about important UW GME onboarding and orientation information. This page will be updated between now and the start of AY24 appointments, so we encourage trainees and programs to check back frequently for updates.  In addition to our main orientation page, we would also like to highlight other pages which will have helpful information for trainees as they complete the onboarding process and prepare for our live orientation event on June 21st from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm PST:
  • Incoming Residents and Fellows webpage
  • Onboarding and Orientation FAQs
  • Zoom Settings and Troubleshooting
  • Resident & Fellow Resources
• The COVID-19 public health emergency is ending May 11, 2023. At the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency, CMS used emergency waiver authorities and various regulatory authorities to enable flexibilities so providers could rapidly respond to people impacted by COVID-19. Some of those flexibilities have been extended temporarily, some permanently, and some are ending on May 11. Please review resources on the UW Compliance COVID-19 Public Health Emergency page to answer questions you may have about changes impacting clinicians due to the end of the public health emergency.
• Please note the changes to University COVID-19 policies effective June 12th unless otherwise noted.
• The UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tool is for sharing incidents of bias including racism, sexism, ableism, discrimination of any form or other behaviors that do not reflect the prioritization of inclusion and equity expected in all areas of our community. Please feel free to share this flyer and postcard within your programs and workspaces.
• Additionally, the GME Concern Reporting tool is available to any members of the GME community to report concerns about the learning environment.
• Interpreter Services and the Office of Healthcare Equity have created an online guide dedicated to providing resources for accessing medical interpreters, tips for partnering with medical interpreters, reminders about laws and regulations and directions on what to do in emergencies. Please read more about Clear Communication: Every Patient, Every Time.
• The University of Washington continues to require facemasks in healthcare and clinical facilities after the statewide healthcare mask order from the Washington State Secretary of Health ends on April 3, 2023. This decision is in alignment with UW Medicine’s medical facilities, our public health partners and other local health systems.

Program Information

• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Andrew Koth, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellowship (ACGME)
  • Judith Hagedorn, Urology residency (ACGME)
• In response to recent concerns about known precedent of unprofessional behaviors, the GME Office has modified the Program Director Change/Appointment Reque​st Letter Template to include the following language:
  • Acknowledging that a program director must be a role model of professionalism (ACGME CPR II.A.4.a), I personally attest that I have not been made aware of prior or current concerns regarding Dr. <<Last Name>> ‘s professional or ethical behaviors toward trainees, faculty, staff, or patients.
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• Please mark your calendars for the Annual GME AY24 Event Calendar. As always, the GME Website remains the best way to get the most up-to-date information.  Check out the PD & PA, and Resident & Fellow pages for info on upcoming and past events including resources and recordings (if applicable).  Email reminders, Zoom links and registration information (if required) will be sent via email as individual events approach.  Please note that attendance at the bi-annual Program Director Development Series (PDDS) is a requirement for all ACGME programs.
• Upcoming GME Lunch & Learns
  • May 18: Final Evaluations & Training Verifications + GME Strategic Plan; recording and ‘Final Evaluations & Training Verifications’ slides and ‘GME Strategic Plan’ slides now available
  • No June 2023 lunch and learn
  • AY24 Lunch and Learn schedule now posted
• Residents and fellows are invited to join the School of Medicine strategic planning listening session on Wednesday, May 24th from 5.30 – 6.30pm.
• Our final Chief Resident and Fellow Listening Session for the academic year will be held on Thursday, June 1st from 5:00 – 6:00 pm.  Chiefs will have received an email with session details from the GME Office and we ask that program leadership support Chiefs in attending.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Annual Program Timeline: Please review for important dates for May and June.
• Residents and fellows are eligible to apply for a Housestaff Emergency Loan through the GME Office. The purpose of the loan fund is to provide emergency financial assistance to residents and fellows.  The total amount of this loan has been increased from $1000 to $2500.  Please see the loan form for complete details.  As a reminder, our GME Financial Management for Residents & Fellows webpage is a great resource for trainees who would like to learn more about their finances and options as they prepare for graduation and a high-paying career.
• Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY which has been designed to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations.
• A new opt-in module, Prioritizing Ourselves When Fatigued is a 5 minute training intended as a brief reminder on the important issue of fatigue.  Learning Gateway is happy to answer any questions about the module.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership. The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please the recording and slides.

People

• EDItorial: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: The EDItorial is a monthly Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Awareness Newsletter created by the Internal Medicine (IM) residency program staff. Each month they highlight different marginalized groups with opportunities to engage, support, and participate on international, national, and local levels. The May newsletter highlights Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Read the EDItorial on the IM residency website.
• Emergency Medicine residents are featured in UW Law Students ‘Depose’ UW Emergency Medicine Residents.
• Atrial fibrillation, “AFib”, is the most common heart arrhythmia in adults and is projected to affect 12 million U.S. residents by 2030. About 70% of people with atrial fibrillation are 65 to 85, a population demographic projected to grow over the next few decades. Nazem Akoum, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Program Director, specializes in ablation. Read the full story from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Nazem Akoum, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Program Director, is quoted in “New Risk Factors, Better Treatments for AFib: What to Know” from WebMD.
• Dermatology residents Mariam Alam and Caitlin Crimp are organizing patient panels as part of their collaborative research project, “Mitigating Bias and Burnout Through Patient-Centered Narrative Medicine.” In June 2022, they received a grant through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) Back to Bedside program to develop a narrative medicine curriculum for dermatology residents, with the goal to improve residents’ understanding and connection to patients and mitigate both bias and burnout. Narrative Medicine is an emerging approach to health care that draws on the study of art and literature to enhance listening and observation skills. Read the full story on the Dermatology website.
• Katherine Bennett, Geriatric Medicine Program Director, has been elected Chair of the Fellowship Director’s Group for the American Geriatrics Society/Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs. She will serve a three-year term, chair the Fellowship Director’s Preconference and represent the fellowship program director’s at society board meetings.
  • She is also a co-author on Looking back, moving forward: A practical guide to implementing the updated ACGME geriatric medicine Milestones 2.0 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
• Kelley Branch, Cardiovascular Disease Associate Program Director, is lead author of “Diagnostic yield, safety, and outcomes of head-to-pelvis sudden death CT imaging in post arrest care: The CT FIRST cohort study” in Resuscitation. Department of Medicine co-authors are Peter Kudenchuk, Jeff Probstfield, David Carlbom, and Nicholas Johnson.
• Justin Bullock, fellow, Nephrology, is co-author of “My Assessments Are Biased!” Measurement and Sociocultural Approaches to Achieve Fairness in Assessment in Medical Education” in Academic Medicine.
• Anna Condella, fellow, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, is lead author of “Veno-venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for COVID-19: A Call For System-Wide Checks to Ensure Equitable Delivery For All” in ASAIO Journal.
• Kirk Deene, Associate Program Director, Neuropathology, is quoted in “Tracking King County seniors (and their brains) for clues to dementia and Alzheimer’s” in The Seattle Times.
• Jonathan Harper, Endourology Program Director, is featured in Kidney stone breakthrough procedure at UW called ‘game changer’ for patients from KOMO.
• Lianne Hirano, Palliative Medicine Program Director, is quoted in “’A different animal’: Doctors warn seniors about potency of cannabis products” from KOMO News.
• Christine Johnston, Infectious Diseases Associate Program Director, is quoted in “Tired of ‘dead end’ approach, herpes patients mobilize to demand government action” in STAT.
• Aditya Joshi, fellow, Cardiology, is co-author of “The Relationship between Circulating Apolipoprotein A-1 and Atherosclerosis Initiation and Progression in Psoriasis” in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
• Hiba Khan, Noam Kopmar, Chipo Kwendakwema, and Emily Liang, Hematology-Oncology fellows, have received merit awards from the American Society of Cancer Organization (ASCO). Merit Awards support students and trainees who are first authors on abstracts selected for presentation at the ASCO Annual Meeting.
• Hiba Khan, fellow, Hematology-Oncology, is lead author and Veena Shankaran, professor (Medical Oncology) is senior author of “Financial Toxicity in Cancer Care: Implications for Clinical Care and Potential Practice Solutions” in Journal of Clinical Oncology. Department of Medicine co-author is Scott Ramsey.
• Amy Law, Instructional Designer on the GME Team, presented a workshop called “Using Empathy Maps to Investigate Complex Problems” at the AAMC Western Group Collaborative Spring Conference in April. The workshop focused on using a design thinking tool to investigate the variety of stakeholder perspectives and needs related to complex problems like mistreatment in medical education.  Amy co-presented with Ceradwen Tokheim from SOMALT.
• Joseph Merrill, Addiction Medicine Program Director, is featured in Is moderate drinking good for your health? from KING 5 News. He is also quoted in “‘They saved my life’: Everett man credits Harborview addiction program with helping him get sober” from KIRO News.
• Chinenyenwa Mpamaugo, resident, Pediatrics, is featured in Tips to keep your kids safe on the water with warmer weather from KXLY.
• Chloe Peters, resident, Urology, is the resident recipient of the Dr. Reem Ghalib Award for Promotion of Gender Equity. The award, named in honor of Dr. Reem Ghalib, a renowned advocate for women in medicine, was established in 2020 by Dr. Ghalib’s colleagues to recognize her dedication to improving the pathway for women medical trainees. “Dr. Peters is an outstanding early-career urologist who has made significant contributions to the field, and we are excited to see her present her research at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association. Urology is traditionally a male-dominated medical specialty and we are proud to support her important work,” said the award committee.
• Paul Pottinger, Infectious Disease Program Director, is quoted in “Can COVID-19 Cause Itchy Eyes or Pink Eye?” from Everyday Health.
• Sarah Prager, Complex Family Planning Program Director, is quoted in “Abortion pill legal challenge threatens miscarriage care” from the Associated Press.
• Shinetra Pryor, Program Administrator for Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Medicine, was invited to present on best practices for recruitment at the Fellowship Director’s Preconference at the American Geriatrics Society Meeting.
• Coralynn Sack, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Associate Program Director, is co-author of “Association between any underlying health condition and COVID-19-associated hospitalization by age group, Washington State, 2020-2021: a retrospective cohort study” in BMC Infectious Diseases. She is also quoted in “Exploitation, Abuse, and Death: The Dark Side of Working in the Weed Industry” in The Nation.
• Matthew Thau, former fellow, is lead author and Eric Morrell, assistant professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is senior author of “Association of Trauma Molecular Endotypes With Differential Response to Transfusion Resuscitation Strategies” in JAMA Surgery. Department of Medicine co-authors are Ted Liu, Neha Sathe, W. Conrad Liles, Ian Stanaway, Carmen Mikacenic, Mark Wurfel, and Pavan Bhatraju.
• Matthew Thau, former fellow, is lead author and Pavan Bhatraju, assistant professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is senior author of “Following the MAP for Improved Kidney Function in Hepatorenal Syndrome” in Kidney 360.
• Mitchell Vollger, fellow, Medical Genetics, is lead author of “Increased mutation and gene conversion within human segmental duplications” and co-author of “A draft human pangenome reference” in Nature. Learn more in “UW Medicine plays key role in NIH pangenome studies” from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Lisa Vande Vusse, Internal Medicine Associate Program Director, wrote “White Hair Ritual” in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Policies and Processes

• Programs that have matched or extended an offer to a trainee who requires a disability accommodation, should reach out to the GME Office (Bre Smith) as soon as possible so that we can work with the Disability Services Office to support the program and trainee through the process.
• The UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tool is for sharing incidents of bias including racism, sexism, ableism, discrimination of any form or other behaviors that do not reflect the prioritization of inclusion and equity expected in all areas of our community.
• Additionally, the GME Concern Reporting tool is available to any members of the GME community to report concerns about the learning environment.
• Interpreter Services and the Office of Healthcare Equity have created an online guide dedicated to providing resources for accessing medical interpreters, tips for partnering with medical interpreters, reminders about laws and regulations and directions on what to do in emergencies. Please read more about Clear Communication: Every Patient, Every Time.
• The University of Washington continues to require facemasks in healthcare and clinical facilities after the statewide healthcare mask order from the Washington State Secretary of Health ends on April 3, 2023. This decision is in alignment with UW Medicine’s medical facilities, our public health partners and other local health systems.

Program Information

• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Meena Ramchandani, Infectious Disease fellowship
  • Nelson Chiu, Family Medicine Seattle & Family Medicine Chelan Track residencies (interim)
  • Paul Swanson, Surgical Pathology fellowship (interim)
  • Yongjun Liu, Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Pathology fellowship (interim)
  • Jose Garcia, Advanced Geriatric Medicine fellowship
  • Betty Zhang, Advanced Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease fellowship
  • Claire Sandstrom, Emergency Radiology fellowship
•  The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• Upcoming GME Lunch & Learns
  • April 20: GMEPAC Process for AY25; recording and slides now available
  • May 18: Final Evaluations & Training Verifications + GME Strategic Plan
  • June 15: Cancelled; Please join us again on July 20th
• This year’s Scheduling Workshop will be taking on a new format! Join Allison Shults to refresh and enhance your MedHub scheduling skills as you prep for the upcoming academic year. Three optional sessions will be held to provide PAs and PDs the flexibility to tailor your attendance to suit your current comfort level – attend them all or pick and choose:
  • Scheduling 101: May 2nd | 10:00am – 11:30am: This session covers scheduling fundaments, including an overview of billing guidelines & FTE, using the New Schedule Task Wizard to create your schedule for the upcoming academic year, creating and editing a service/activity, and creating and assigning shifts/calls.
  • Scheduling 102: May 3rd | 10:00am – 11:00am: Attend this session to learn how you can leverage the Conference Import Wizard, create conferences from scratch, and create and assign continuity clinics.
  • Scheduling 103: May 4th | 10:00am – 11:00am: During this session we’ll discuss managing and approving absences and leave requests within MedHub, as well as some of the MedHub reports that will help your schedule management: the Resident Scheduling Errors, Resident Absence Details, and Billing vs Budgeted report.
  • RSVP is not required, and we hope to see many of you there! Please refer to the Save-the-Date email for Zoom links, or reach out to Allison at ashults@uw.edu with any questions.
• Housestaff Event: “You are not Broken: Cultivating Healthy Sexuality During Training.” 6:30-8:00pm on Thursday, May 18th  All residents and fellows are encouraged to attend via Zoom. Registration is now open and will close on Tuesday, May 16th. Register today.
• Tim Dellit, Interim CEO, UW Medicine; Interim Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs; and Interim Dean of the School of Medicine, would like trainees to know that the School of Medicine is now beginning their listening sessions as the first step in the SOM strategic planning process. These sessions will be open forums for trainees to share their thoughts and will be led by consultants.  There are several options available for different cohorts of the community as the group wants to hear the voices from all parts of our School of Medicine.  The majority of these will be via Zoom to make participation easier. There will also be an opportunity for written input later in the spring and the group will be joining some standing meetings (e.g., NURF, CMFA) to gather input.  See email from April 29, 2023.
• Please join the annual UWNURF/HQSC Health Equity Conference via Zoom on Monday, May 8 from 7:00 – 8:00 PM PST. This year’s presentation is Improving Care of Unhoused Patients.  Please register and share with others.  All are invited to participate.
• Call To Action: Menstrual Product Donations – In honor of Women’s History Month, Dr. Sãdé Rodriguez and the Seattle Children’s GME office are partnering with Seattle Children’s Food Security program and Seattle Towers of Tampons & Pyramids of Pads (T2P2) to collect menstrual products for people who cannot afford them. Dr. Rodriguez is a pediatric resident at Seattle Children’s, and is invested in addressing this urgent equity gap for patients, families, and the community. Learn more about how you can donate on CHILD.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Annual Program Timeline: Please review for important dates for April and May.
• A reminder that residents and fellows can access CareLink, UW’s employee assistance program. UW CareLink is the employee assistance program provided for PEBB benefits-eligible UW employees, their dependents, and other household members. Initial services are provided at no cost, and the call is toll-free. UW CareLink is available nationwide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• The Human Subjects Division is launching a pilot project to offer drop-in Zoom office hours to student/resident researchers in April and May 2023. Their office receives many IRB applications from a wide variety of UW students, and often find that students of all levels would benefit from additional support in navigating the IRB process from the beginning. Go to their HSD Office Hours webpage for the schedule and Zoom information.
• The UW Health Sciences Library has announced a new institutional license for Covidence, a popular online platform for evidence synthesis projects including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and more. This new license is available to all UW faculty, staff, and students and is made possible in partnership with the UW Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Social Work. From April 24-27 the UW Libraries is offering Research Data Management Planning, an asynchronous online workshop for UW community members engaged in research with data.
• As part of a new initiative at UWSOM called Virtual Bedside Concerts (VBC), we are looking to recruit volunteer musicians who are interested in performing virtual concerts for patients in the hospital. Any and all instruments are welcome, we just ask that you have a documented history of music training and feel comfortable playing music for and interacting with patients over zoom. There are no hourly requirements, you can sign up to perform as many or as few concerts as your schedule allows. Our only requirements are that volunteers attend a virtual orientation session and officially register with our designated hospital volunteer programs before getting started. If you are interested or have any questions, feel free to reach out to vbcorg@uw.edu.
• Submit your 55 word story! When the pandemic began, two faculty members, Molly Jackson and Andrea Kalus, launched a 55-word story campaign in collaboration with the Well-Being team to capture the emotions and feelings of the moment through short vignettes. As a way of marking this moment, of three years with COVID-19 in our lives, UW Medicine Well-Being invites you to reflect on where you have been and where you are now through the creation of your own 55-word story. Share your three-year reflections in 55 words (or less) with our community here.
• Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY which has been designed to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations.
• Set your pronouns in Identity.UW: You can now display your pronouns in UW systems such as MyUW, Zoom and soon Canvas and MyUW class lists when you click “Set pronouns” in Identity.UW.
• A new opt-in module, Prioritizing Ourselves When Fatigued is a 5 minute training intended as a brief reminder on the important issue of fatigue.  Learning Gateway is happy to answer any questions about the module.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership. The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please the recording and slides.

People

• Emergency Medicine residents are featured in UW EM Residents Team Up with UW Law Students for Novel Medicolegal Workshop.
• Axel Adams, Emergency Medicine R4, received the Resident Academic Achievement Award from the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine.
• Alwiya Ahmed, Internal Medicine resident, is lead author and Matthew Triplette, associate professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, is senior author of “Delays in Recommended Follow-up after Positive Findings in Lung Cancer Screening” in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. Department of Medicine co-author is Kristina Crothers.
• Maheetha Bharadwaj, Urology resident, is featured in ‘Volunteer-Led Virtual Bedside Concert Program Thrives’ in The Huddle.
• Joey Chiang, internal medicine resident,, is co-author of “Population-Level Health Effects of Involuntary Displacement of People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness Who Inject Drugs in US Cities” in JAMA.
• Fiona Gallahue, Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director, received the Michael P. Wainscott Program Director Award from the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine.
• Chris Gibson has joined the GME Office as our new Affiliations and Agreements Specialist as of March 20, 2023. Chris joins our team after serving as a Research Manager at Ducharme, McMillen & Associates. During his tenure, he oversaw compliance matters that spanned multiple jurisdictions, led a team of research analysts, provided mentorship and training to team members, and managed an online platform and information database for managing international tax matters. Additionally, Chris recently earned a Master of Public Health degree.
• Fuki Hisama, Medical Genetics and Genomics Program Director, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) for a six-year term. She has served on the board of directors of the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG), the Program Committee of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, and the Medical Genetics Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education.
• Ellora Karmarkar, Infectious Diseases fellow, is quoted in “Deadly fungus spreading in U.S. with approximately 60% mortality” in MyNorthwest.
• Hannah Linden, Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Associate Program Director, is lead author of “Can Molecular Imaging Find a Path to Navigate Evolving Breast Cancer Treatments?” in Clinical Cancer Research.
• Manoj Menon, Hematology and Oncology Program Director, has been appointed holder of the Scripps Endowed Professorship in Hematology..
• Somnath Mookherjee, Academic Hospitalist Fellowship Program Director, is the 2023 recipient of the Society of Hospital Medicine Excellence in Teaching Award, which recognizes outstanding teaching prowess and mentoring to other hospitalists, residents, medical students, or other healthcare professionals.
• Santiago Neme has accepted the position of UWMC Medical Director. Neme is a dedicated, collaborative leader, who champions change. He is a very talented clinical faculty member who is well positioned to lead us through the health care challenges we face today. Dr. Neme’s appointment will begin July 1st, 2023. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Neme.
• Anzela Niraula, Endocrinology fellow, is lead author, and Joshua Thaler, associate professor, Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, is senior author of “Prostaglandin PGE2 Receptor EP4 Regulates Microglial Phagocytosis and Increases Susceptibility to Diet-Induced Obesity” in Diabetes. Department of Medicine co-authors are Kelly Ness, Jeremy Frey, Sophia Cuschieri, and Mauricio Dorfman.
• Robin Stiller, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine fellow, is lead author and Tyler Albert, associate professor (General Internal Medicine) is senior author of “Responsibilities of Internal Medicine Chief Residents in the Modern Era: A National Survey” in ATS Scholar. Department of Medicine co-authors are Gabrielle Berger, Başak Çoruh, and Paul Cornia.
• Aiming to better predict who is at greatest risk for checkpoint inhibitor-induced hepatitis, Erica Storm, internal medicine resident, and colleagues conducted a retrospective case-control study of adults who newly received checkpoint inhibitor therapies for a variety of solid organ malignancies between 2016 and 2020 at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Storm identified 97 cases of Grade 2-4 immune-related hepatitis. After adjusting for other factors that could contribute to risk of hepatitis, a liver cirrhosis was found to be associated with lower risk of immune-related hepatitis. In contrast, the presence of cancer metastases within the liver was associated with higher risk. Learn more on the Internal Medicine residency website.
• Joshua Thaler, Associate Program Director for Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition fellowship, is quoted in “Is Antihistamine Use Making Me Gain Weight?” from The Huddle.
• Amy Wheat joins the GME Wellness team this month as a new, interim wellness counselor. Amy brings her unique perspective as a therapist, as well as her life experience of being partnered with a physician. Read more about Amy here. Trainees can make appointments with Amy on Schedulicity.
• Bessie Young, Vice Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for UWSOM, is quoted in “Celebrating (But Not Touching) Black Women’s Hair” in The Huddle.

Policies and Processes

• The GMEC approved revisions to the following policies at the March meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.
  • Annual Program Evaluation: Revisions include alignment with the upcoming changes to the ACGME’s Common Program requirements (CPRs) scheduled to take effect in July 2023; addition of a Purpose statement; process section updated to reflect the new language that requires a review of outcomes from prior APEs, program evaluations by trainees and faculty, and allows flexibility in the data elements reviewed; added that tracking Workforce diversity also needs to include staff and community members; and added Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to CLER questions
  • Eligibility and Selection Policy: Revisions include minor changes to reflect new CPRs effective July 2023; under Program Policies, grouped requirements as specialty-specific and UW specific and moved selective service and NIH grant restrictions up from footnote; moved footnote addressing program communication to applicants of changes to salary and benefits with grant funding up into Interview and Selection section.
  • Visa Policy: Revisions include updating Scope to apply to programs (not trainees) and changed non-accredited training programs to ACGME Non-Standard Training (NST) Programs.  Amended footnote to include definition of an NST program; added Purpose statement to align with format of other GME policies; and updated J-1 section to reflect changes under new ACGME NST requirements
• Programs that have matched or extended an offer to a trainee who requires a disability accommodation, should reach out to the GME Office (Bre Smith) as soon as possible so that we can work with the Disability Services Office to support both the program and trainee through the process.
• Due to decreasing COVID case counts and hospitalizations, effective Tuesday, March 7th the UW Medicine Required and Extended-use Mask Policy was updated with the following changes:
  • Respirators are no longer required for all aerosol generating procedures. Respirators continue to be strongly recommended, in addition to other personal protective equipment (PPE), to prevent the acquisition and transmission of COVID and other respiratory viruses during these procedures. Respirators, in addition to other PPE, continue to be required for the care of all patients with known or suspected COVID-19. Respirators will continue to be provided to all staff who choose to use them.
  • Physical distancing and masking are no longer required in breakrooms, team rooms, multi-person offices, conference rooms, and similar rooms isolated from patient care spaces by a door or away from patient care spaces. Using a mask or respirator in those spaces continues to be strongly recommended.
  • Masks or respirators continue to be required in all patient care spaces, public spaces ( hallways, elevators, and cafeterias), and during all patient care and visitor interactions. Please ensure you have a mask or respirator on when entering and leaving patient care buildings. Masks may also be required by Employee Health following a high-risk exposure or recent COVID-19 infection.All healthcare workers should continue to wear the highest level of respiratory protection that they can tolerate as they may encounter people with asymptomatic COVID or other respiratory infections. Wearing a mask or respirator also protects those around you in case of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic COVID infection.

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Lanie Cueva, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
  • Taraneh Moll, Clinical Informatics
  • Keely Peddycord, Child Neurology
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Rebecca Petersen, General Surgery Residency
  • Ari Pollack, Pediatric Nephrology Fellowship
  • Christopher Burke, Advanced Cardiac Surgery Fellowship [Non-ACGME]
  • Rebecca Ronsley, Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellowshipb [Non-ACGME]
•  The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• Upcoming GME Lunch & Learns
  • March 16: Annual Program Evaluations; recording and slides now available
  • April 20: GMEPAC Process for AY25
  • May 18: Final Evaluations & Training Verifications + Additional Topics
• GME Onboarding Drop-in Session: For additional support for program administrators, please find below a schedule for the upcoming informational drop-in session. This is designed to help programs with our various onboarding processes and answer any questions, in a casual and virtual format. 
  • GME Onboarding Drop-in Session #2
    • Date: Wednesday, March 29
    • Time: 9-10am
    • Zoom
    • RSVP: Not required
    • Tentative Talking Points include: Guided instruction on MedHub functions (Adding, Advancing, Terminating/Graduating); Onboarding packages (How to monitor resident and fellow status); What’s on the horizon for April and beyond; and time for Q&A.
• Cherry Blossom run/walk celebration at UW – March 25th (5k run/walk) and 26th (half-marathon). Space limited – register soon! See full calendar of events: Cherry Blossom Activities at the Burke! The cherry blossoms at the UW campus are a seasonal tradition and celebration for the entire region. This year’s colder-than-usual spring is demanding a little more patience. Mark your calendars for a peak bloom expected in early April.
• GME Outreach Event for trainees at SCH on April 14th from 11 am to 1 pm. We encourage trainees to stop by to say hello, meet our GME team members and take a packed lunch. Please look for an email closer to the event with specific room details.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Annual Program Timeline: Please review for important dates for March and April.
• The UW Professional Staff Organization (PSO) has launched the new Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Excellence Award which seeks to highlight professional staff currently working at the UW. Nominees include those who have demonstrated a deep commitment to the advancement of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging work directly within the UW and/or their local communities. Nominations are due April 15.
• The January 2023 DIO Blog featuring the work of the Care of Patients Experiencing Incarceration (CPEI) Task Force and Learning Gateway has been updated with the new Caring for Patients Experiencing Incarceration guide.
• Submit your 55 word story! When the pandemic began, two faculty members, Molly Jackson and Andrea Kalus, launched a 55-word story campaign in collaboration with the Well-Being team to capture the emotions and feelings of the moment through short vignettes. As a way of marking this moment, of three years with COVID-19 in our lives, UW Medicine Well-Being invites you to reflect on where you have been and where you are now through the creation of your own 55-word story. Share your three-year reflections in 55 words (or less) with our community here.
• The Health Equity, Advocacy, and Anti-Racism (HEAAR) Curriculum for the Internal Medicine Residency Program has been introduced by Drs. Lynsey Bernfeld, Hasib Yousufzai, Anna Morenz, Ryan Abe, Helen Jack and Anders Chen. HEAAR is a comprehensive, multi-tiered, and inter-professional curricular thread embedded into the residency program with the goal of learning principles of anti-oppression and using those frameworks to understand and address the structural origins of health inequities. Learn more on the Department of Medicine news site.
• Dr. Jennifer Best, Associate Dean of GME, wishes to highlight Dr. Carrie Cunnigham’s deeply personal and important President’s Address at the AAS Academic Surgical Congress.  In the 45 minute video, Dr. Cunningham discusses the mental health crisis impacting our community, reflecting on her lived experiences.  Dr. Best notes that, “it’s a message I think all of us need to hear.”
• Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY which has been designed to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations.
• Set your pronouns in Identity.UW: You can now display your pronouns in UW systems such as MyUW, Zoom and soon Canvas and MyUW class lists when you click “Set pronouns” in Identity.UW.
• A new opt-in module from Learning Gateway is now available. Prioritizing Ourselves When Fatigued is a 5 minute module intended as a brief reminder on the important issue of fatigue.  Learning Gateway is happy to answer any questions about the module.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership.  The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please review the recording and slides.

People

• Toni Brassfield, Resident, Internal Medicine, won top clinical vignette at the recent Northwest Regional Society for General Internal Medicine (SGIM) conference for his poster, “Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection following initiation of CHOP therapy”
• Debra Cherry, Program Director, Occupational and Environmental Medicine and John Scott, professor (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) talked to KIRO 7 News in “Safeguarding wearable technology.”
• John Choe, Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine, is co-author of “AAIM Recommendations for Undergraduate Medical Education to Graduate Medical Education Transition Curricula in Internal Medicine” in the American Journal of Medicine.
• Anna Condella, fellow, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, is lead author of “Veno-venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for COVID-19: A Call For System-Wide Checks to Ensure Equitable Delivery For All” in ASAIO Journal. DOM co-author is Andrew Luks, Program Director, Critical Care Medicine.
• Shani Delaney, Program Director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, is featured in UW study shows race-based prenatal test is outdated, ineffective – KREM.
• Mackenzie Holmberg, R3, Internal Medicine is lead author and Sarah Sanghavi, clinical assistant professor (Nephrology) is senior author of “Bridging the Gap: A Practical Approach to Discussing eGFR and Race with Medical Students” in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. DOM co-author is Başak Çoruh, Program Director, Pulmonary Critical Care.
• Nicholas Johnson, Associate Program Director, Critical Care Medicine, is co-author of “Total and subgenomic RNA viral load in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants” in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
• Vishesh Kapur, Program Director, Sleep Medicine Program, is quoted in “Here’s What Your Body Is Trying To Tell You If You’re Constantly Waking Up Before Your Alarm” in Well+Good.
• Eileen Klein, professor (Pediatrics) is one of this year’s recipients of the School of Medicine Excellence in Mentoring Women Faculty Award. Awardees are chosen based on recommendations from peers and mentees received by the Dean’s Standing Committee for Women in Medicine and Science.
• William Lombardi, Program Director, High-risk Coronary Intervention (CHIP) Fellowship, is the 2023 recipient of the TCT Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Operator Award. He is receiving this award for his superior operator skills and leadership in interventional cardiovascular medicine.
• Leo Morales, professor (General Internal Medicine) is quoted in “University of Washington study will survey Latinos in the state with COVID-19” and “WA Hispanics suffer high rates of long COVID. UW study launched to find out more” in the Yakima Herald-Republic. He is also featured in Long COVID in WA Hispanics being studied — high rates expected from the Bellingham Herald.
• It is with great pleasure that the Department of Family Medicine announces the hiring of Joseph Nelson as the inaugural Associate Program Director for Diversity Equity and Inclusion for the residency. Joey is a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.  He is a graduate of the UW School of Medicine and the UW Family Medicine Residency and practices broad spectrum family medicine.  During his time as a resident he was a leader in our Health Equity and Anti Racism (HEAR) Committee and the President of the Network for Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF).  Joey currently serves as the Academic Chief Resident where he applies his unending positive energy to the advancement of the HEAR vision, the betterment of the residency and the UW Department of Family Medicine.
• Urology resident Chloe Peters is first author of “Pregnancy and parental leave in medicine and academia — a focus on urology” in Nature.
• From the UW Medicine Newsroom: Medical students meet their matches
• Check out the UW Otolaryngology-HNS Winter 2023 Newsletter for lots of great faculty and trainee highlights.

Policies and Processes

• The GME Office, with input from the GMEC EDI Subcommittee, has updated our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Program Information

• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Anshu Bandhlish, Cardiovascular Pathology (Interim)
  • Matthew Cham, Cardiothoracic Imaging
  • Amanda Kost, Family Medicine – Medical Education Research
• At its January meeting, the ACGME granted Initial Accreditation to a new Internal Medicine residency program based in the Department of Medicine. The UW-Alaska Internal Medicine Rural Residency Program’s mission is to provide an intensive Alaska-based, rural primary care-focused training experience in internal medicine. This is the very first accredited rural residency training program in Internal Medicine in the country. More information on the Department of Medicine news site and at the UW Medicine Newsroom
•  The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• Upcoming GME Lunch & Learns
  • February 16: Workplace Safety; recording and slides now available
  • March 16: Annual Program Evaluations
  • April 20: GMEPAC Process for AY25
• For additional support for program administrators, please find below a schedule of *optional* informational drop-in sessions. The available drop-in sessions are designed to help programs with our various onboarding processes and answer any questions, in a casual and virtual format.
  • GME Onboarding Drop-in Session #1
    • Date: Tuesday, February 28
    • Time: 9-10am
    • Zoom
    • RSVP: Not required
    • Tentative Agenda:
      • Guided instruction on MedHub functions
      • Forms: one-step stipend increase, extensions, Job Profile Change/Program Transfer
      • Q&A
    • GME Onboarding Drop-in Session #2
      • Date: Wednesday, March 29
      • Time: 9-10am
      • Zoom
      • RSVP: Not required
      • Tentative Agenda:
        • TBD
• Register for “Fertility & Family Planning for those in Medicine & Science.”  The UW Committee on Women in Medicine & Science will be hosting this workshop on Thursday March, 2 from 4:00 – 5:00 PST.  This workshop will be presented by Rachel M. Whynott, MD, FACOG, Assistant Professor & Associate Fellowship Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Washington. It will discuss planning for pregnancy, what fertility testing may be appropriate for individuals, when to see fertility assessment, and fertility preservation options.  Zoom information will be sent within the week prior to the event to those registered. For those unable to attend, materials and a recording of the event will be posted to the website afterward.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Annual Program Timeline has been updated and is now organized by activity type, eg ACGME Accreditation, Appointments and  Onboarding, Program Activities, Recruitment.  Please review the updated document and note the important dates for February and March.
• Set your pronouns in Identity.UW: You can now display your pronouns in UW systems such as MyUW, Zoom and soon Canvas and MyUW class lists when you click “Set pronouns” in Identity.UW.
• 2024 ACGME Awards: Nomination materials are available on each award’s page in the Awards section of the ACGME website. All nominations are due March 15, 2023. Please reach out to the GME office if you plan to submit an application.
• UW Medicine launched an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Survey to identify baseline measures of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion across UW Medicine and provide actionable data to help prioritize areas for work at the entity and departmental levels. All UW Medicine faculty, staff, and trainees are invited to complete the survey which will take about 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey closes February 28, 2023. Please participate in this survey to help make us a more equitable and anti-racist institution.
• The NRMP will be holding an Introduction to the Fellowship Match webinar for NRMP Match participating specialties on Thursday, February 16, from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Learn about program staff roles and responsibilities, managing your program’s participation in the Match, ranking applicants, and important policy information. Advance registration is required.
• The GME Office is currently recruiting for an Affiliations and Agreements Specialist (req. 212955)
• Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY which has been designed to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations.
• A new opt-in module from Learning Gateway is now available. Prioritizing Ourselves When Fatigued is a 5 minute module intended as a brief reminder on the important issue of fatigue.  Learning Gateway is happy to answer any questions about the module.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership.  The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please review the recording and slides.

People

• Congrats to members of our GME community who were nominated for the 2022 – 2023 Distinguished Staff Awards.
• Geoffrey Baird, Chair, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, is quoted in “Is it time for a reality check on rapid COVID tests?”.
• The U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, took to social media to highlight the efforts of Justin Bullock, fellow, Nephrology, who advocates for greater mental health support for health workers.
• Fionnuala Cormack, clinical associate professor (Nephrology) will serve as the Associate Program Director for the Nephrology Fellowship Program, effective July 1, 2023. She brings tremendous strengths and experience to this role. She has served as the Director of the UW dialysis program, leads the Nephrology efforts at UW Stone Center, and is the Section Head of UWMC’s NW Campus. She is a gifted educator, and the fellows recognized her with the Teacher of the Year award for the 2019 – 2020 academic year.
• Tim Dellit, Interim Dean and CEO of UW Medicine, is quoted in “Gonzaga Law School, UW Medical ends participation with U.S. News rankings” – KXLY
• The Department of Surgery Newsletter ‘Surgery Synopsis’ features many voices of the GME community, including Program Directors, trainees, and program staff. Check out the Winter 2022 / 2023 issue.
• Yolanda Evans, alum, Adolescent Medicine Fellowship, is featured in The Huddle piece, “How alumna Yolanda Evans improves adolescent health by pausing and listening to youths’ needs”
• Roxanne Hicks, R3, Internal Medicine has been accepted into the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) Leadership in Health Policy Program (LEAHP). The Leadership in Health Policy Program aims to develop SGIM members who are effective and active health policy advocates and local health policy experts, leaders, and teachers; to offer health policy career development resources and opportunities to all SGIM members; and to develop an expanding, national cadre of Health Policy Committee members and broaden engagement in the Society’s health policy efforts.
• Trish Kritek, professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) won the Reeves Prize for Presentation Excellence at the 2023 International Hypoxia Symposia in Lake Louise for her talk “Hypoxemia in the COVID ICU — Mechanisms and Reflections.”
• The University of Washington’s Latino Center for Health has launched a study to better understand the extent and impact of long COVID on the state’s Latino communities. “Since the onset of the pandemic, Latino communities in Washington state have had higher rates of COVID-19 infection than the general population, higher rates of hospitalization, and higher rates of mortality on an age-adjusted basis,” said Leo Morales, professor (General Internal Medicine) and co-director of the Latino Center for Health. “Yet we are not seeing many people from Latino communities showing up in our long-COVID clinics.” Read more from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• To improve HIV testing rates in the West African country of Côte d’Ivoire, community health workers need more training and support, researchers from the UW and the Institute de Recherche et Actions en Afrique, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire report in a new study. “We need to identify people who are infected if we are going to treat them, but identification can be the hardest of the three 95 percent goals to achieve,” said Nancy Mugisha, fellow, Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and lead author of the paper published in PLOS ONE. Read the full story from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Henry Ou, Program Director, Pediatric Otolaryngology, is featured in Meet Henry Ou, a Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Seattle Children’s.
• Paul Pottinger, Program Director, Infectious Diseases, is quoted in “Too Many People Are Using Neti Pots and Vaporizers Unsafely, Survey Suggests” in Everyday Health.
• Sarah Prager, Program Director, Complex Family Planning, is featured in “In a post-Roe world, miscarriage treatment becomes more difficult.”
• Sarah Prager, Program Director, Complex Family Planning, is featured in “How a Texas ruling on abortion pills would affect Washington.”
• UW Medicine has announced the creation of a historic endowed deanship honoring retired Dean Paul G. Ramsey. The Paul G. Ramsey Endowed Deanship was established with leadership gifts from Steve and Connie Ballmer and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Each donated $10 million to advance research discoveries, train medical leaders and further excellence and equity in health care.
• Colbey Ricklefs, R3, Family Medicine, is leading an initiative to rid insurance codes of pejorative language.
• Grace Shih, Co-Director, Reproductive Health & Advocacy Fellowship, is quoted in “Post-Roe, vasectomies tick up in the Seattle area” – KUOW

Program Information

• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program director; appointments await ACGME confirmation:
  • Vikas O’Reilly-Shah, MD, PhD, Data and Technology in Anesthesiology
  • Antonio Westphalen, MD, PhD, Abdominal Imaging (Interim)
• The GMEC approved revisions to the following policy at the December meeting. All policies are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.
  • The revised 2023-2024 Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement, which will take effect July 1, 2023, and a summary of changes to the agreement. The agreement is now available on the Policies and Procedures, Current Residents and Fellows, and Prospective Residents and Fellows pages of the GME website.  The RFPA is included in the onboarding materials for incoming residents and fellows, and we also recommend that programs review the agreement with trainees at the time of initial appointment and reappointment.  Programs currently interviewing candidates for the 2023-2024 academic year must provide candidates with a copy of the updated agreement.
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• Upcoming GME Lunch & Learns
  • January 19: ACGME Surveys; recording and slides now available
  • February 16: Workplace Safety
  • March 16: Annual Program Evaluations
• GME Meet & Greet: January 2023 on January 26 from 9:00 – 9:45 am on Zoom. Join in meeting some of our GME Office staff, learning about their roles and responsibilities. This is highly recommended for new Program Directors and Program Administrators but welcome to all.
• GME Outreach Event for trainees at UWMC-ML on February 2nd from 11 am to 1 pm. We encourage trainees to stop by to say hello, meet our GME team members and take a packed lunch. Please look for an email closer to the event with specific room details.
• Please join the UW Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF) for a Diversity Lecture Series event by Dr. Denisse Tiznado (she/her/ella). She will be teaching about Activism Burnout & Fatigue.
  • When: Monday January 30th at 7pm.
  • Where: Register to receive the zoom link.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Annual Program Timeline has been updated and is now organized by activity type, eg ACGME Accreditation, Appointments and  Onboarding, Program Activities, Recruitment.  Please review the updated document and note the important dates for January and February.
• A new opt-in module from Learning Gateway is now available. Prioritizing Ourselves When Fatigued is a 5 minute module intended as a brief reminder on the important issue of fatigue.  Programs can complete this survey to opt in for an October or January launch for trainees.  Learning Gateway is happy to answer any questions about the module.
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership.  The December 2022 Lunch & Learn on ‘Leave Policy and Guidelines’ provides an overview of both these new resources; please review the recording and slides.
• On January 17, UW Medicine launched an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Survey to identify baseline measures of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion across UW Medicine and provide actionable data to help prioritize areas for work at the entity and departmental levels. All UW Medicine faculty, staff, and trainees are invited to complete the survey which will take about 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey will be open until Feb. 28, 2023.
• The NRMP will be holding an Introduction to the Fellowship Match webinar for NRMP Match participating specialties on Thursday, February 16, from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Learn about program staff roles and responsibilities, managing your program’s participation in the Match, ranking applicants, and important policy information. Advance registration is required.
• The Huddle article “Helping Blacking Moms in Medicine Manage Child Care” features resources for our community members.
• The GME Office is currently recruiting for a Site and Contract Management Specialist, Accreditation Team (see posting, req. 212955)

People

• Alwiya Ahmed, R3, Internal Medicine, is co-author of “Trends in Labor Unionization Among US Health Care Workers, 2009-2021” in JAMA.
• Justin Bullock, fellow, Nephrology, is co-author of “Opportunities and challenges in discussing racism during primary care visits” in Health Services Research.
• The Department of Medicine was founded in 1948 with an original group of six stellar faculty members teaching and practicing at a single site. They are now the largest department at the University of Washington. Please visit their website where they look back at 75 of the changemakers who have shaped their history and 75 of their many emerging leaders who are helping to chart the path forward.
• Byron Joyner, Vice Dean for GME and DIO, is quoted in “Despite a rich history, UW struggles to enroll Black medical students” in University of Washington Magazine.
• Noam Kopmar, fellow, is lead author and Ryan Cassaday, associate professor (Hematology) is senior author of “How I Prevent and Treat Central Nervous System Disease in Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia” in Blood.
• Henry Ou, Program Director, Pediatric Otolaryngology, is quoted in “4 reasons to put down the Q-tip and love your earwax” in Popular Science.
• Hongyang Pi, fellow, is co-lead author and Peter Leary, associate professor, and Sina Gharib, professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) are co-senior authors of “Metabolomic Signatures Associated With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Outcomes” in Circulation Research. Department of Medicine co-authors are David Ralph and Samuel Rayner.
• Andrew Portuguese, fellow, Hematology, is lead author, and Christopher Blosser, clinical professor (Nephrology) is senior author of “CD19 CAR-T therapy in solid organ transplant recipients: case report and systematic review” in Bone Marrow Transplantation. Department of Medicine co-authors are Jordan Gauthier, Scott Tykodi, Evan Hall, and Alexandre Hirayama.
• Grace Shih, Co-Director, Reproductive Health & Advocacy Fellowship, is quoted in Analysis: What the FDA’s rule changes allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be dispensed by pharmacies mean in practice – 5 questions answered in The Conversation.
• Lindee Strizich and Chris Kim had their abstract “Fostering trainee participation in hospital patient safety event reviews,” accepted from among 1366 submissions for poster presentation in the Society of Hospital Medicine Converge Research, Innovations, and Clinical Vignette Scientific Abstract Competition.

Policies and Processes

• End of WA COVID-19 State of Emergency: the end of the State of Emergency indicates the end of COVID-19 paid administrative leave for workplace exposures. If a resident/fellow is sick for any reason, they can use their sick time off.

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Cullen McEvoy, Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition
  • Emma Perrow, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Faith Ross, Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology
  • Jackie Hobbs, Psychiatry
  • Thomas Soeprono, Consultation Liaison Psychiatry
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• Upcoming GME Lunch & Learns 
  • December 15: Leave Policy and Guidelines; recording and slides now available
  • January 19: ACGME Surveys
  • February 16: Workplace Safety
• Navigating Parental Leave for Resident Physicians on January 10th from 6:30 – 7:30pm on Zoom. At this event, Hayley Fisher, GME Director of Housestaff Affairs, will educate trainees about navigating parental leave, how upcoming ACGME requirements may alter provisions and answer trainees’ questions. Register today at: https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/event-registration/  Registration will close at 8:00am on January 9th. All residents, fellows and guests are encouraged to attend via Zoom.
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Annual Program Timeline has been updated and is now organized by activity type, eg ACGME Accreditation, Appointments and  Onboarding, Program Activities, Recruitment.  Please review the updated document and note the important dates for December and January.
• Join us in welcoming Bre Smith, MBA, PHR, who started in the GME Office as the new HR Manager! Bre is joining UW from Seattle University where she had extensive human resources experience.  In her role as the UW GME HR Manager, Bre will focus on supporting residents, fellows, and program leadership in navigating paid time off usage, leaves of absence, disability accommodations, and compliance with the CBA.  We are very excited to have her join our GME team!
• Our new Leave of Absence webpage is now live on the GME website. Here you will find LOA planning information and resources along with an intake form to contact GME for leave planning assistance: Leave Planning Submission Form.  This form can be completed by trainees or program leadership.
• The Annual Non-ACGME Program Survey is currently open for program directors and administrators of non-ACGME fellowship programs to complete.  This survey serves to provide an annual check-in with our non-ACGME fellowship programs, identify program changes from the past year, and help identify areas where we can develop additional resources and support specific to our non-ACGME clinical fellowship programs, as defined in the GMEC-Approved (Non-ACGME Accredited) Fellowship Programs Committee (GAF) Charge and Educational Standards for Non-ACGME Programs.  Responses are due by January 6.
• Early next year, the Office of Healthcare Equity will conduct a survey to better understand how personal identities, such as race, ethnicity, sex, gender, and disability, shape employee experiences at UW Medicine.
• The GME Office is currently recruiting for three roles:
  • GME Float Administrator, Operations & Administration Team (see posting, req. 210821)
  • RMS and Information Systems Manager, Operations and Administration Team (see posting, 213834)
  • Site and Contract Management Specialist, Accreditation Team (see posting, req. 212955)
• Harborview Medical Center Emergency Alert Messages Subscription: HMC is reintroducing the UW Medicine STAT|INFO Advisory notification system to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations. Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY.
• The UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety is proud to announce the (re)-launch of QI Match, an online web platform to match collaborators to quality improvement and patient safety initiatives across UW Medicine. Get started today.

People

• Justin Bullock, fellow (Nephrology) gave the 2022 American Academy of Pediatrics Plenary Session, “I’m Just Trying to Survive: A Story of Healing Through Humanity.”
• The Huddle recently featured Richard Ellenbogen, Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery and Neurological Surgery Residency Program Director, in “Improving Neurological Surgical Education.”
• Internal Medicine Residency Program Operations Specialist, Whitney Harper, is featured in the Department of Medicine Staff Spotlight.
• Fuki Hisama, Program Director, Medical Genetics, participated in the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Workforce Diversity Initiative Advisory Group that assessed diversity in the medical genetics workforce. The ACMG joined major genetics and genomics organizations in releasing the Human Genetics & Genomics Workforce Survey Report. Hisama has also been named the inaugural section editor for clinical genetics for Genetics in Medicine Open, a new open access journal of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, launching in January 2023.
• In 2021, the Mount Baker Foundation made a $1M pledge to the Kidney Research Institute to increase diversity in nephrology research and the workforce by supporting candidates in the early stage of their career. Christine Limonte and Justin Bullock (Nephrology) are the first UW fellows to be recipients of support from the gift.
• Michael Linenberger is profiled in Hutch News Stories. Check out “Leader in apheresis and cellular therapy, Dr. Michael Linenberger retires.”
• Linzee Mabrey, fellow, is lead author, and Mark Wurfel, professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is senior author of “Plasma Interleukin-6 Predicts Clinical Decline After Completion of Dexamethasone Therapy in Severe COVID-19” in Critical Care Explorations.
• Paul Pottinger, Program Director, Infectious Diseases, is quoted in “Limits of ‘Fauci effect’: infectious disease applicants plummet, and hospitals are scrambling” in STAT.
• Paul Pottinger, Program Director, Infectious Diseases, is quoted in “Infectious diseases fellowships go unfilled for newly minted doctors” in NPR.
• Vincent Raikhel, clinical instructor, is lead author, and Chenwei Wu, clinical assistant professor (General Internal Medicine) is senior author of “Vax the Max, a Gamification Intervention for COVID-19 Vaccination Task Engagement in the Inpatient Setting” in American Journal of Medical Quality. DOM co-authors are Kevin Blau, Katherine Alberty, Paul Cornia, Rudolph Rodriguez, and Kenneth Steinberg.

Policies and Processes

• The GMEC approved revisions to the following policies at the November meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website:
  • Leave Policy
  • Emergency Safe Ride Home Policy
  • Meals Policy
  • Medical Volunteer Activities Policy (changes specifically address restrictions on participation in medical volunteer activities for residents and fellows under visa sponsorship)
• End of WA COVID-19 State of Emergency: the end of the State of Emergency indicates the end of COVID-19 paid administrative leave for workplace exposures. If a resident/fellow is sick for any reason, they can use their sick time off.
• The Staff Quarantine and Isolation Policy has been posted to reflect the following changes:
  • Change in conventional status recs to require two negative Ag tests if early return to work, per new CDC guidance
  • Changed surveillance testing- Following a higher-risk exposure, HCP should have a series of three viral tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection, day 1, 3, and 5
  • Added in option for Ag testing x 2 for symptomatic employees in the FAQ
  • For exposed HCP, no longer requiring a PCR in the serial testing
• The second / final GMEPAC application for academic year 2023 – 2024 (AY24) is now open.  Programs that want to make changes in rotations or expansions that result in an increase in training time at any site for academic year 2023-2024 must go through the GMEPAC process (excludes VA FTE requests).  Information is posted to the GME website under Committees; select “GME Position Allocation Committee (GMEPAC).”  AY24 applications are due December 2, 2022.
• RFPU-NW members are entitled to one (1) paid personal holiday per calendar year. If unused in the calendar year, the personal holiday is forfeit, and it is not paid at separation. It is the employee’s responsibility to schedule the personal holiday before December 31st. See complete information in Article 12 of the RFPU-NW Contract.

Program Information

• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee (RC) confirmation:
  • Laura Romecevich, Global and Rural Health (Department of Medicine)
• Welcome New Program Administrators:
  • Danielle Long, Nephrology
  • Karina Martinez, Plastic Surgery
  • Tiffany Wallace, Medical Genetics and Rheumatology
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

• Upcoming GME Lunch & Learns 
  • December 15: Leave Policy and Guidelines
  • January 19: ACGME Surveys
• Residents, program directors, coordinators, and designated institutional officials are invited to hear and discuss provocative and inspiring stories of diversity, equity, inclusion, activism, and social justice from winners of the prestigious Vilcek-Gold Award for Humanism in Healthcare. The event will take place virtually, November 4. Register to Participate.
• UW Medicine has opportunities for medical and administrative volunteers for the Seattle Marathon, Nov. 26. If you are interested, please complete the 2022 Seattle Marathon Medical Team Volunteer Registration. For more information, contact rmsports@uw.edu. Residents and Fellows will need to comply with the Medical Volunteer Activities Policy (please note the 2 week advance deadline).
• Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Annual Program Timeline has been updated and is now organized by activity type, eg ACGME Accreditation, Appointments and  Onboarding, Program Activities, Recruitment.  Please review the updated document and note the important dates for November and December.
• The ACGME has added an Equity Practice Toolkit to the ACGME Equity Matters online educational materials. The toolkit is available in the ACGME’s online learning portal, Access the Equity Practice Toolkit.
• Harborview Medical Center Emergency Alert Messages Subscription: HMC is reintroducing the UW Medicine STAT|INFO Advisory notification system to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies and situations that might disrupt normal operations. Trainees are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY.
• Please see the IT Governance: Tier 2 Clinical Education Committee presentation from Mike Leu (Professor, Fellowship Director, Head of Division of Clinical Informatics).  Please contact Mike Leu with any questions or input.
• Support Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) medical students at the UW School of Medicine. Help Healthcare Equity develop the UWSOM BIPOC Physicians Directory and add your name to the UWSOM BIPOC Physicians Directory,  a directory where BIPOC students can easily talk to residents and physicians with identities similar to their own to find advice and answers to their questions.
• The UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety is proud to announce the (re)-launch of QI Match, an online web platform to match collaborators to quality improvement and patient safety initiatives across UW Medicine. Get started today.
• The GME Office is currently recruiting for three roles:
  • GME Float Administrator, Operations & Administration Team (see posting, req. 210821)
  • RMS and Information Systems Manager, Operations and Administration Team (see posting, 213834)
  • Site and Contract Management Specialist, Accreditation Team (see posting, req. 212955)

People

• In recognition of their substantial contributions to local healthcare quality and safety, James Araujo (Gastroenterology), Bernard Ng (Rheumatology), and Karly Williams Silva (chief resident) have been awarded the title of Practitioner Lead in Quality & Safety (PLQS) within the Hospital & Specialty Medicine service line at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System.
• Congratulations to Julie Cheng (Pediatric Urology Fellow) whose abstract “Impact of Youtube Videos and Health Literacy on Postoperative Healthcare Utilization Following Pediatric Urologic Surgery” won Best Clinical Abstract Prize at the Societies for Pediatric Urology Fall Congress.
• A study recently published in Harm Reduction Journal examined a Seattle-based organization’s efforts to introduce heroin pipes as a means to diminish harms associated with injection drug use. Thomas Fitzpatrick, (fellow, Allergy and Infectious Diseases) is the study’s lead author. Read more from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• A recent study examined how markers of inflammation and angiogenesis in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension were related to clinical outcomes across disease subtypes. Kellen Hirsch (R3, Internal Medicine) is lead author on the paper, published in the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplant. Learn more on the DOM news site.
• The Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education recently launched a new Division of Clinical Informatics; and at the same time in conjunction with the Department of Pediatrics, launched a new section of Pediatric Clinical Informatics. Michael Leu, (Program Director, Clinical Informatics) is the inaugural division head and section chief. Get to know Michael Leu.
• Study sifts potential factors of device-implant complication. Machine learning identified preoperative conditions associated with poor outcomes of left-ventricle assist device surgery.  Song Li, heart failure cardiologist at the UW Medicine Heart Institute is the paper’s senior author. Lead author is Arjun Bahl (R3,Internal Medicine). Read the full story from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Despoina Michailidou, fellow, is lead author, and Bernard Ng, associate professor (Rheumatology) is senior author of “Predictive models for thromboembolic events in giant cell arteritis: A US veterans health administration population-based study” in Frontiers in Immunology. DOM co-author is Gary Lyman.
• Andrew Portuguese (fellow, Hematology) is lead author, and Hans Joachim Deeg (professor, Medical Oncology) is senior author of “Transplantation for myeloid neoplasms with antecedent solid tumor” in Cancer. DOM co-author is Aya Albittar.
• The Fall 2022 DOS Surgery Synopsis is focused on education and has lots of great features!
• Chenwei Wu, (clinical assistant professor, General Internal Medicine) was awarded the 2022 Gene Peterson Award on behalf of the UW Housestaff Quality and Safety Committee (HQSC). The award is named after Dr. Gene Peterson, who had a great appreciation for the involvement of trainees in the fields of quality improvement and patient safety, and for the unique perspective they bring to the UW.

Policies and Processes

• UW Medicine is requiring that all employees, except for those in non-clinical roles in the School of Medicine, receive the latest COVID booster or complete an online declination by Friday November 11, 2022. UW Medicine employees can schedule their booster through our online portal. Non-clinical employees in the School of Medicine should schedule by calling 844.520.8700. 
• Remember that RFPU-NW trainees are entitled to one (1) paid personal holiday per calendar year. If unused in the calendar year, the personal holiday is forfeit, and it is not paid at separation. It is the employee’s responsibility to schedule the personal holiday before December 31st. If before the end of the calendar year the employee requests the use of their personal holiday in accordance with the employer’s time off or leave procedures and the employer denies the request, the employee is entitled to carry over the personal holiday to the next calendar year.  Please see complete information in Article 12 of the RFPU-NW Contract.   
• The Policies and Procedures page on the GME website has a new look!  The page has been redesigned as a searchable table and includes policy summaries, flags for program-required policies, and the option to filter on applicable programs (ACGME, CODA, non-ACGME).  These changes were made in response to feedback we received from programs and trainees. 
• Our Clinical Learning Environment Webpage has been transformed and will track metrics for all of our CLER domains as well now houses resources for trainees and faculty looking for resources for QI work, QI data access, and curricular resources for our training programs. 

Program Information

• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; all appointments await ACGME confirmation:
  • Christine Rehwald, Diagnostic Radiology
  • Amber Nolan, Neuropathology
• The GMEC approved revisions to the following policy at the October meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website:
  • Physician Impairment Policy (minor edits / contact information only) 
• New Institutional Post-Recruitment Survey: The GME Office has launched a post-recruitment survey to gather feedback from interviewed applicants across departments and specialties on important factors that may have influenced their decision to rank a program at the University of Washington.  An announcement was sent to ACGME program directors and administrators on October 17 with a link to the survey.  Questions about the survey should be sent to Gabrielle Pett at nathangl@uw.edu.
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns 
  • September 15th: Visas and International Medical Graduates, slides and recording now available 
  • October 20th: Interpreter Services, slides and recording now available; additional resources include Language Access eLearning module and The Huddle Interpreter Services feature
  • November 17th: Overview of GME Wellness Service
• Program Administrator Meeting Schedule Update:  In response to recent feedback from program administrators, the GME program administrator meetings are shifting from bi-monthly 2-hour meetings to monthly 1-hour meetings starting in November.  The updated schedule for the remainder of the current academic year is posted on the Program Administrator Meetings page on the GME website.
• Family Planning & Fertility for Resident Physicians on October 24th from 6:00-8:00pm on Zoom. Please join us at this educational event intended for all GME trainees and their guests or partners, no matter your current or future family plans.  Regardless of your vision for your future we hope the ability to become better educated on a variety of fertility considerations, and to hear from colleagues about their own experiences will be of interest.
• The UW Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF) is holding their first Diversity Lecture Series of this academic year. This year’s theme is Community Engagement and Grassroots Mobilization.  They invite you to learn from Dr. Sundar who is Kaiser Permanente Family physician, a health equity leader, and community advocate at the lecture “The Making of Healthcare for Humans” on Monday October 24th at 7pm.  Register to receive the Zoom link.
• GME Wellness is hosting a Halloween Play Day at Kelsey Creek Farm on Sunday, October 30th.  Join us for a fun farm tour with your little ones and meet some farm animal friends. Children can pick a pumpkin to decorate. We will have games, snacks, hot fall beverages, plus “make your own treat bag” and a costume parade. We can’t wait to see all the little bats, ghosties, superheroes and more! (Don’t forget to wear your own costume too!) Learn more and register.
• On Friday, November 4th from 12:00 – 1:00 pm, the Department of Bioethics and Humanities will be presenting a Grand Rounds webinar: “Grief on the Front Lines: A Conversation with Rachel Jones and LaTonya Trotter.”  Rachel Jones, author of Grief on the Front Lines, will address some of the most challenging aspects of healthcare and explore paths to a more supportive and sustainable working environment.  Drawing on her research and interviews, Rachel will discuss the manner in which doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers are emotionally affected by the work that they do, and ways they’ve found to cope. This conversation will be moderated by LaTonya Trotter, PhD, MA, MPH, UW Associate Professor of Bioethics and Humanities.  Register to receive the Zoom link.
• UW Medicine has opportunities for medical and administrative volunteers at the Seattle Marathon, Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday, Nov. 26th.  The race has a brand-new course and on a new day as it starts at UW and ends inside Husky Stadium! If you are interested, please complete the 2022 Seattle Marathon Medical Team Volunteer Registration. For more information, contact Ratna Sudarijanto at rmsports@uw.edu. Residents and Fellows will need to comply with the Medical Volunteer Activities Policy (please note the 2 week advance deadline). 
• Open Enrollment is November 1 – November 30.  Complete information about the process can be found on the ISC Open Enrollment website.
• Other GME Events including AY23 can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• UW Medicine Harborview Medical Center Emergency Alert Messages Subscription: In response to concerns about the recent shooting incident, HMC is reintroducing the UW Medicine STAT|INFO Advisory notification system, created to disseminate official information via text message to keep the UW Medicine workforce informed during emergencies such as an active shooter event, and situations that might disrupt normal operations.  Harborview Medical Center staff, faculty, residents, fellows, and students are encouraged to subscribe to UW Medicine STAT|INFO ADVISORY using this link to receive emergency alert messages.   This is also a good time to update or check your text and email alert enrollment status for UW Alert at uw.edu/alert (please be sure to select the appropriate campus).
• Support Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) medical students at the UW School of Medicine.  Help Healthcare Equity develop the UWSOM BIPOC Physicians Directory and add your name to the UWSOM BIPOC Physicians Directory, a directory where BIPOC students can easily talk to residents and physicians with identities similar to their own to find advice and answers to their questions. 
• The UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tool was launched in early 2021 to provide our community with a new way to report incidents of bias. Since then, over 600 events have been reported. The first year of experience with the tool is outlined in the First Annual Community Report.   
• New “Academic Medicine Podcast” episode on fostering psychological safety in the clinical learning environment.  Addie McClintock and Joshua Jauregui joined hosts Toni Gallo and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee members Andrea Leep and Paolo Martin on the “Academic Medicine Podcast” to discuss clinical teachers’ behaviors and how they support or harm students’ sense of psychological safety in the clinical learning environment. This is the first episode in a three-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field. Read more on the AM Rounds website.
• The Huddle will be writing an article to highlight trainees and faculty who were first generation students as part of the UW’s efforts to honor the National First Generation College Celebration on November 8th.  Please let Emily Boynton know if you are interested in sharing your experience.  There will be buttons available on November 8th near the UWMC-ML Health Sciences A300 office. 
• Names matter, and the way we treat them has impact. Research shows that our brains “light up” when we hear our name, while mispronunciation can lead to feelings of isolation and alienation. The first step in creating an inclusive workplace culture is learning your colleagues’ names. Learn more about the importance of name pronunciation, including personal stories by Geetanjali Chander, Başak Çoruh, Barbara Jung, and Genevieve Pagalilauan on the Department of Medicine news site. Resources on inclusion, including help with name pronunciations (and many other topics), are available on the DOM website, in their newly updated EDI Resources section. 
• Trainees, questions about your paycheck? Please check the following resources: 
  • UW Resident/Fellow Compensation Schedule for RFPU-NW Members 
  • List of Paydays from the Integrated Service Center (ISC) 
  • Your Paycheck and Payslip from the ISC 
  • Questions about pay and/or benefits? Contact the ISC 
  • Questions about appointment level? Please email Hayley Fisher (Director of Housestaff Affairs) and/or Khrystine Buccat (Appointment Manager) 
• The UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety is proud to announce the (re)-launch of QI Match, an online web platform to match collaborators to quality improvement and patient safety initiatives across UW Medicine. Get started today. 
• The GME Office is currently recruiting for two roles: 
  • GME Float Administrator – the Float Administrator provides continuity of key operations of UW ACGME residency and fellowship programs during program administrator vacancies, may assist in assessment of program operations including making recommendations for operational/quality improvements, works on special projects in the GME Office, and may also support non-ACGME fellowships. The job posting is on UW Hires (Req# 210821). 
  • GME HR Manager – this new position on the Operations & Administration team will provide HR support for trainees and programs regarding leave of absence, accommodations, etc. This position is a great opportunity to work with both the GME community and with other departments in the School of Medicine.  The posting is on UW Hires (Req. # 212471). 

People

• Suzanne Allen (Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs) is featured in AMA’s “Physician residency interview invitations: What applicants should know.”
• To improve the understanding of underpinnings and optimal management of post-Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) right heart failure, Arjun Bahl, R3, and colleagues examined over 19,000 individuals who had LVAD placement between 2008 and 2017 from the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) database. Learn more on the DOM residency website.
• Nephrology fellow Justin Bullock has managed bipolar disorder and depression in part by sharing his story and listening to others. He is a suicide survivor who’s lived life openly with bipolar disorder and depression. And he’s a gay man who wasn’t accepted by his family when he came out to them. Some of his experiences are difficult. But he also knows he’s not alone. Read more about him from UW Medicine Newsroom.
• Department of Medicine’s faculty spotlight for Women in Medicine month features Başak Çoruh, director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellowship program. Learn more about her on the DOM news site.
• Başak Çoruh, Amy Morris, and James Town (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) were recognized by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) as 2022 Distinguished CHEST Educators. This designation provides national-level recognition of excellence in continuing medical education through their commitment, involvement, and leadership in CHEST education programs and activities.
• The Huddle talked to UW Medicine employees – including Daniel Cabrera (chair, GME EDI subcommittee)– who shared some of their favorite things about their cultures and why it’s important to recognize that, even among all the differences and diversity of Hispanic and Latinx people, they are stronger together and have ties that unite them. Read the full story in The Huddle.
• Congratulations to Anna Halpern, assistant professor (Hematology) and Nicole DeCuir Shoals, fellow (Gastroenterology) who have been accepted into the QI scholars program. The program supports junior and mid-level faculty pursuing QI as a scholarly focus.
• Bishoy Hanna, fellow, is lead author, and Nazem Akoum, professor (Cardiology) is senior author of “Demystifying electrophysiology” in Heart.
• Congratulations to Ramesh Iyer, who assumed the role of Medical Staff President-Elect at Seattle Children’s Hospital on October 1. The medical staff leadership team represents more than 1,800 hospital-and community-based physicians at the hospital.
• The Huddle recently featured Evelyn Qin, PM&R Chief Resident. Read the whole interview in “Get to Know: Evelyn Qin, PM&R Chief Resident.”
• James Wykowski, inpatient chief resident, wrote “Finding Your Voice to Champion Hope in the Intensive Care Unit” in ATS Scholar.

Policies and Processes

• The Policies and Procedures page on the GME website has a new look!  The page has been redesigned as a searchable table and includes policy summaries, flags for program-required policies, and the option to filter on applicable programs (ACGME, CODA, non-ACGME).  These changes were made in response to feedback we received from programs and trainees. 
• Revisions to the GMEC-Approved (Non-ACGME Accredited) Fellowship Programs Committee Charge: include changes that reflect the evolving role of the subcommittee, support of the Sponsoring Institution’s oversight of the new ACGME Non-Standard Training (NST) Program Recognition Requirements, inclusion of the UW Educational Standards for Non-ACGME Fellowship Programs, and the subcommittee’s role in recommending approval of new non-ACGME fellowship programs to the GMEC. 
• UW Medicine is requiring that all employees, except for those in non-clinical roles in the School of Medicine, receive the latest COVID booster or complete an online declination. UW Medicine employees can schedule their booster through our online portal. Non-clinical employees in the School of Medicine should schedule by calling 844.520.8700. 
• Our Clinical Learning Environment Webpage has been transformed and will track metrics for all of our CLER domains as well now houses resources for trainees and faculty looking for resources for QI work, QI data access, and curricular resources for our training programs. 

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrator: 
  • Gretchen Lindenstein, Radiation Oncology 
  • Jaime Williams, Medical Physics
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; all appointments await ACGME confirmation:
  • Jeffrey Forris Beecham Chick, Independent & Integrated Interventional Radiology
  • Stephen Kennedy, Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Manoj Menon, Hematology Oncology
  • Jaclyn Omura, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Alireza Torabi, Hematopathology
• The GMEC has approved the following non-ACGME program director changes:
  • Felix Chew, Musculoskeletal Radiology 
  • Christopher Lee, Breast Imaging
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org 

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns 
  • September 15th: Visas and International Medical Graduates, slides and recording now available 
  • October 20th: Interpreter Services 
• GME Meet & Greet: October 2022 on October 17th from 3:00 – 4:00pm on Zoom. Join in meeting some of our GME Office staff, learning about their roles and responsibilities. This is highly recommended for new Program Directors and Program Administrators but welcome to all.
• Family Planning & Fertility for Resident Physicians on October 24th from 6:00-8:00pm on Zoom. Please join us at this educational event intended for all GME trainees and their guests or partners, no matter your current or future family plans.  Regardless of your vision for your future we hope the ability to become better educated on a variety of fertility considerations, and to hear from colleagues about their own experiences will be of interest.
• GME Outreach Event for trainees at SCH on October 6th from 11am to 1 pm.  We encourage trainees to stop by to say hello, meet our GME team members and take a packed lunch.  Please look for an email closer to the event with specific room details. 
• ERAS Drop in Session on September 22nd from 1 to 2 pm. We are holding an ERAS drop-in session for program administrators to ask questions and share best practices.  This is intended as a forum for discussion and is not a formal training session.  Questions?  Contract Gabrielle Pett at nathangl@uw.edu. 
• The Department of Medicine is partnering with the Institute for Common Power to sponsor a lecture by Dr. Quinn Capers from UT Southwestern, “Unequal Treatment in Cardiovascular Care: Evidence for Racial Bias and the Way Forward.” Dr. Capers will review current evidence and studies from the recent past detailing Black-White disparities in cardiac care, and strategies to reduce or eliminate racial disparities in care.  Dr. Barabara Jung will join Dr. Terry Scott from Common Power for a Q&A after the lecture to discuss how we engage in EDI goals and objectives, increase engagement, and move initiatives forward. The event is on Tuesday Oct. 11, 12-1:30pm PST and everyone is invited. Sign up and further information can be found on the Department on Medicine news site.  
• Another round of UW community support and skill building sessions aka “Got Burnout” will be running from late August through mid-October.  These sessions are focused on the impact that working in healthcare has on us, similar to Schwartz Center Rounds, but think impromptu and theme based.  Please see the event flier for more details. 
• The Fall Series of Well-Being and Resilience starts on September 15th and runs through December 15th.  The series is designed to support a team’s well-being during the transitions and challenges of the coming year. Please see the event flier for more details. 
• 17th Annual Latino Health Forum: Call for Posters: The LHF poster session is a great opportunity to foster the dissemination and discussion of best practices, research and innovative projects to address health care access, health equity and community engagement among Latinos. The topic of a poster would address an issue that affects Latino health and behavioral health and would fall under one of four categories: clinical services, advocacy/policy, research or community-based health and behavioral health promotion.  If you are doing research, this is a great opportunity to connect with other professionals and community members who share your interests. The “Become a Poster Presenter” document features basic information about the poster session and guidelines for participation.  Deadline to submit your poster abstract is Saturday, October 1, 2022 by 11:59PM. 
• Thank you to the Network for Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF) for hosting the September 1st Diversity Town Hall.  This was the third year for this event and there were over 300 virtual participants!  NURF hosted a success event and assembled a diverse panel of representatives from across the GME community and there were impressive presentations.  Stay tuned for more information regarding the NURF Second Look (exact date TBD). 
• Other GME Events including AY23 can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• Trainees, questions about your paycheck? Please check the following resources: 
  • UW Resident/Fellow Compensation Schedule for RFPU-NW Members 
  • List of Paydays from the Integrated Service Center (ISC) 
  • Your Paycheck and Payslip from the ISC 
  • Questions about pay and/or benefits? Contact the ISC 
  • Questions about appointment level? Please email Hayley Fisher (Director of Housestaff Affairs) and/or Khrystine Buccat (Appointment Manager) 
• The UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety is proud to announce the (re)-launch of QI Match, an online web platform to match collaborators to quality improvement and patient safety initiatives across UW Medicine. Get started today. 
• The GME Office is currently recruiting for two roles: 
  • GME Float Administrator – the Float Administrator provides continuity of key operations of UW ACGME residency and fellowship programs during program administrator vacancies, may assist in assessment of program operations including making recommendations for operational/quality improvements, works on special projects in the GME Office, and may also support non-ACGME fellowships. The job posting is on UW Hires (Req# 210821). 
  • GME HR Manager – this new position on the Operations & Administration team will provide HR support for trainees and programs regarding leave of absence, accommodations, etc. This position is a great opportunity to work with both the GME community and with other departments in the School of Medicine.  The posting is on UW Hires (Req. # 212471). 

People

• Alwiya Ahmed, (resident, Internal Medicine) is quoted in “More Black People Eligible for Lung Cancer Screening Under New Guidelines [bit.ly]” in Real Health. 
• Joseph Bellairs (Otolaryngology Resident) won a poster blitz award at the meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO) in February 2022 for “Development of an In Vivo Biomarker for Evaluating the Biologic Characteristics of Ototoxic Drugs and Novel Therapeutics that Mitigate Ototoxicity.” 
• WebMD annually recognizes individuals who work to improve the mental health of medical professionals, veterans, first responders, and older adults. Justin Bullock, fellow (Nephrology) is recognized for speaking out about suicide and mental health in medicine, using his own personal struggles to help others overcome the stigma. Learn more on WebMD[wb.md]. 
• Harrison Cash (Otolaryngology Resident) under the mentorship of former Oto assistant professor Jeff Houlton presented on Feb. 25, 2022, at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium: “A Novel Intratumoral Microdosing Approach for Simultaneously Evaluating Multiple Drugs and Combinations in Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC).” 
• The Latinx Health Pathway (LHP) was one of the first Pathways established in 2008 to help medical students provide culturally humble care for Latinx communities. Daniel Cabrera, clinical associate professor (General Internal Medicine), assistant program director, assistant student clerkship director and interim associate chair for DEI, has directed the pathway since 2016.  Read the full story from UW Medicine. 
• Eve Champaloux (Otolaryngology resident)  is lead author in a recent article published in Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.  The study, titled “Otolaryngology residents’ experiences of pregnancy and return to work: A multisite qualitative study,” was designed to “understand the experiences of childbearing otolaryngology residents and support them during this major life event.”  
• Sherise Epstein (Otolaryngology Resident) was lead author (with UW Oto professor Kathy Sie, and others) on an article published in the Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology titled “Sensitivity to Deaf Culture Among Otolaryngology and Audiology Trainees.” 
• Some important innovations in the Otolaryngology recruitment efforts over recent years have been reported and analyzed in an article by resident Sherise Epstein and resident Neeraja Konuthula and others. The article, titled “Implementing a ‘Distance Travelled’ Question to Improve Resident Diversity: Process and Feasibility,” was featured in Oto Open, the Official Open Access Journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, and describes efforts to increase diversity in the physician workforce through a more holistic review of applicants to the residency program using a “distance travelled” metric. 
• Neal Futran (Chair, Department of Otolaryngology) delivered a talk on advances in midface reconstruction at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Israeli Society of Otolaryngology-HNS, held in March 2022.  
• Whitney Harper, program specialist (IM Residency), is co-author of “AAIM Recommendations to Promote Equity and Inclusion in the Internal Medicine Residency Interview Process” in the American Journal of Medicine. 
• Congratulations to the Housestaff Quality and Safety Committee on their recent publication of HOUSE! 
• Ian Humphreys (Rhinology Program Director) made a recent guest appearance on the podcast, The Original Guide to Men’s Health. In this episode, Dr. Humphreys spoke to Dr. Richard Perlman about a range of basic ENT health issues, including chronic irritation of the sinuses, disordered smell, ringing ears, hearing loss, swallowing problems, vocal cord issues, and oral cancers. 
• Ellora Karmarkar, fellow, is lead author and Sylvia LaCourse, assistant professor (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) is senior author of “Report: A pox presenting without pox [bit.ly]” in Sexually Transmitted Diseases. DOM co-authors are Desta Russom, Alwiya Ahmed, Maria Amoreth Ramiro Gozo, Anna Cogen, Steven Disharoon and W. Conrad Liles. 
• Congratulations to Nicole Kim, fellow (Gastroenterology) who received an Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Award and Philip Vutien, assistant professor (Gastroenterology) who received the Clinical, Translation and Outcomes Research Award in Liver Diseases for his project “Development and validation of models that estimate risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cured hepatitis C virus infection” from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Foundation. Their mentor is George Ioannou. 
• Jimmy Ma, fellow (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) is lead author and Mari Kitahata, professor (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) is senior author of “Current Antiretroviral Treatment Among People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the United States: Findings from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinic Systems Cohort [bit.ly]” in Clinical Infectious Diseases. DOM co-authors are Drs. Robin Nance, Bridget Whitney and Heidi Crane. 
• Linzee Mabrey, fellow, is lead author, and Pavan Bhatraju, assistant professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is senior author of “Presence of Antibodies to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 on Admission Is Associated With Decreased Mortality in COVID-19 Critical Illness [bit.ly]” in Critical Care Explorations. DOM co-authors are Leila Zelnick, Eric Morrell, Mark Wurfel and Conrad Liles. 
• A poster titled “Exploring Female Otolaryngologists’ Experiences with Gender Bias and Microaggressions” has been accepted for presentation at American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s 2022 annual meeting in Philadelphia in September. The poster reports on a project funded by AAO–HNS’ Governing Council of the Women in Otolaryngology (WIO) Section which sed survey tools and a qualitative interview process to explore how female otolaryngologists manage gender bias in the workplace. It revealed strategies and tools that women (and all individuals) can employ to not only survive, but thrive, in surgical specialties.  Tanya Meyer (Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Program Director) was co-investigator and mentor for the project with PI Amanda Hu. 
• Congratulations to our Otolaryngology residents and fellows for awards received at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO) held this past May in Dallas, TX. 
• “What is earwax?” asked 8-year-old Helen E. For a very thorough answer, read the interview with Henry Ou, (Pediatric Otolaryngology – Program Director), in the “Curious Kids” section of The Conversation, a nonprofit independent online news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good. 
• Judith Pauwels is lead author of “Rural Graduate Medical Education: Choosing the Road “Less Traveled By” in Academic Medicine.  Judy is a professor emeritus in the Department of Family Medicine and a consultant, Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Residency Program Development—Technical Assistance Center. 
• The Huddle recently featured a profile “Get to Know: Peter Tarczy-Hornoch, Chief Data Officer.”  Peter is the Chair of Biomedical and Health Informatics. 
• Neurology resident Jamie Wright was featured in a story on the UW Medicine newsroom. 

Policies and Processes

• Our Clinical Learning Environment Webpage has been transformed and will track metrics for all of our CLER domains as well now houses resources for trainees and faculty looking for resources for QI work, QI data access, and curricular resources for our training programs. 
• Exceptions to All-Virtual Interview Season for Small, Non-ACGME-Accredited Fellowships: In his August 2nd email, Dr. Byron Joyner noted that UW Medicine and the GME leadership have decided to entertain exemptions to the all-virtual interview policy for non-ACGME programs with faculty-appointed fellows programs during the 2022-2023 recruitment season.  The email details the requirements for consideration and outlines the process for applying for an exemption.  The deadline for submission of applications to be considered for an in-person interview exemption this recruitment season is August 25, 2022.  Please send requests to Tammy Ramirez (tkh971@uw.edu). Not all programs that apply are guaranteed to receive an exemption. 
• Updated Quarantine, Leave and Telework Guidelines posted on Covid-19 Updates: GME Community Website. 

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrator: 
  • Kayleen McGinley, Clinical Informatics 
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; all appointments await ACGME confirmation:
  • Markus Boos, Dermatology 
  • Jose Mantilla, Surgical Pathology 
  • Rebecca Petersen, General Surgery (Interim) 
  • Paul Swanson, GI/Hepatic Pathology (Interim) 
• The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org 

Events of Interest

• GME Outreach Event for trainees at UWMC-ML on August 25th from 11am to 1 pm in Room AA-504.  We encourage trainees to stop by to say hello, meet our GME team members and grab a packed lunch (which must be taken to the appropriate breakrooms / lunch areas to be eaten in accordance with the current infection prevention guidelines).   
• ADS Annual Update Office Hours on August 23rd from 10 to 11:30 am.  Join the GME Accreditation Team to get your ADS Annual Update questions answered.  No registration required.  See the reminder email from Hadar for Zoom details. 
• Life After Residency Seminar is on Saturday August 27th.  This event is intended to educate and support graduating trainees on their transition to independent practice, addressing topics such as writing cover letters, negotiating salary and benefits, how to read your employment contract and more.  Trainees of all levels are invited to attend. 
• ERAS Drop in Session on August 23rd from 2 to 3 pm. We are holding an ERAS drop-in session for program administrators to ask questions and share best practices.  This is intended as a forum for discussion and is not a formal training session.  Questions?  Contract Gabrielle Pett at nathangl@uw.edu. 
• Chief Resident Listening Session on August 31st from 5:00 to 6:00 pm at UWMC-ML and Zoom.  This event is for appointed Chiefs only.  Please see the 7/26 email from Cindy Hamra for complete details. 
• GME Lunch & Learn on September 15th: IMGs and Visa Sponsorship.
• The University of Washington Network of Underrepresented Residents & Fellows (UW NURF) welcomes your participation in their Virtual Diversity Recruitment Town Hall on Thursday, September 1st, 2022, from 6:00 – 8:00pm PDT.  This event welcomes prospective applicants from underrepresented and/or disadvantaged backgrounds with the goal to introduce them to the University of Washington and spark interest in our outstanding residency and fellowship programs in preparation for their interview season.  The Zoom link will be provided via email closer to the event date. If your program would like to participate, please complete this survey.
  • Agenda:
    • 6:00pm – Welcome, logistics, land acknowledgement, agenda setting
    • 6:10pm – Info about UW Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows
    • 6:20pm – Info about UW Graduate Medical Education
    • 6:30pm – Info about UW Office of Healthcare Equity
    • 6:40pm – Panel Q&A on Top Applicant Questions
    • 7:30pm – Program-Specific Break-Out Sessions
• Other GME Events including AY23 can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• The GME Office is currently recruiting for a second GME Float Administrator.  The Float Administrator provides continuity of key operations of UW ACGME residency and fellowship programs during program administrator vacancies, may assist in assessment of program operations including making recommendations for operational/quality improvements, works on special projects in the GME Office, and may also support non-ACGME fellowships. The job posting is on UW Hires (Req# 210821). 
• The GME Office is accepting nominations for the 2022 Bruce C. Gilliland Award for Excellence in Teaching of Residents and Fellows. The award recognizes outstanding teaching in graduate medical education in any specialty and at any UW Medicine or affiliated training site. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on August 19, 2022.  Nominations can be submitted by faculty and trainees involved in UW graduate medical education programs. If you have questions or need a copy of the materials, please contact Tammy Ramirez in the GME Office at tkh971@uw.edu. 

People

• Shiv Bhandari, R2, is lead author, and Dr. Nicholas Johnson, associate professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is senior author of “Investigating the Airway Opening Index during cardiopulmonary resuscitation” in Resuscitation. DOM co-authors are Jason Coult and Thomas Rea. 
• Justin Bullock, fellow (Nephrology) is quoted in “Doctors with Disabilities Push for Change as Long COVID Affects Their Workforce” in Time. 
• The Huddle recently featured a profile “Get to Know Burkhard Mackensen, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine Chair.” 
• Former IM resident Anisha Ganguly joined Collective Conversations to discuss the Health Systems Pathway within the UW Internal Medicine Residency Program and her path to becoming a Health Equity Fellow.
• Anna Ratliff (Program Director for Psychiatry) is quoted in “A growing psychiatrist shortage and an enormous demand for mental health” on AAMCNews & Insights. 
• The Huddle recently featured a profile “Get to Know: Hunter Wessells, President of UW Physicians.”

Policies and Processes

• Rapid antigen tests are available: UW is making FDA-authorized, over-the-counter rapid antigen self-test kits available to UW students and personnel at no cost. Distribution and use of these kits is not part of any research study.  More info is available at the UW COVID-19 testing website. 
• Quality and Safety Foundations Course: The COVID-19 pandemic, financial crises, and overdue calls to enhance the equity of all we do have created unprecedented professional and personal strains. As we partner to overcome these challenges, it is vital that we undertake activities directed at improving the quality, safety, value, and equity of our work.   
• The 2022-2023 academic year introduces a number of changes within our community.  Program Directors and Program Administrators should be sure to review: 
  • ACGME stipend title 
  • New ACGME leave requirements 
  • ACGME Core Faculty FTE requirements 
  • Program Coordinator FTE requirements 
  • ACGME Non-Standard Training Recognition
• The door code to the UWMC-ML Housestaff Quarters (the “Crow’s Nest”) changed on June 7. Please see the same day email from Cindy Hamra for complete information.

Program Information

• Welcome New Program Administrator: 
  • Elsa Hagos, Interventional Radiology (Integrated and Independent) 
• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; all appointments await ACGME confirmation:
  • Jonathon Cogen, Pediatric Pulmonology 
• Application for ACGME Recognition of Sponsoring Institution with Non-Standard Training (NST) Programs for J-1 Sponsorship:  At the July GMEC meeting, the Committee reviewed the application for ACGME Recognition of the UWSOM as a Sponsoring Institution with NST Programs for J-1 Sponsorship. The new requirements apply to all non-ACGME accredited clinical training programs that plan to have fellows on an Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)-sponsored J-1 starting July 2023.  Please direct questions to Gabrielle Pett (nathangl@uw.edu). 
• The Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) approved revisions to several policies at the July meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website. 
  • Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) Policy: The policy was updated to reflect the current ACGME requirements. Revisions include adding a policy purpose statement; updating the language to reflect current requirement for CCC membership and functions of the CCC; adding recommendation for EDI, feedback, and remediation training for CCC members; updating the language for documentation and confidentially of CCC meetings and updating ACGME resources for CCC to the current ones.
  • Eligibility, Recruitment, and Selection Policy for Non-ACGME Programs: new policy for all non-ACGME accredited clinical fellowship programs, requiring programs to define eligibility criteria and communicate to applicants in a program-specific eligibility and selection policy.
  • GMEC Approved (Non-ACGME Accredited) Programs Policy: policy revised to incorporate the new ACGME NST recognition requirements and remove program requirements and standards which have been folded into the revised Educational Standards for Non-ACGME Programs (separate document).  
  • New Program Director Appointment Policy: Revisions were made to include non-ACGME programs (including Non-Standard Training (NST) Programs) in the scope; adding a policy purpose statement; and outlining the procedure for GMEC approval of PDs of non-ACGME programs.

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • July 21: ADS Annual Update, recording and slides available
  • AY23 schedule posted  
• July GME Meet & Greet on Tuesday July 26 from 2 – 2:45pm PT!  At these quarterly events we welcome new Program Directors and Program Administrators (<1 year) into the community, introduce you to a few key GME staff members and share more about our areas of work.  This is an informal, introductory event for our newest colleagues to meet each other and the GME team.
  • Can’t make it in July?  Save the date for our next GME Meet & Greet in October. 
• GME Program Administrators Meeting: Tuesday, August 9, 8:30 to 10:30 am.  Dipti Chrastka, Director, GME Wellness Service will facilitate the session focused on PA Wellness. 
• IMGs and Visa Sponsorship: Thursday, September 29, 3-4pm 
• Life After Residency Seminar is on Saturday August 27th.  This event is intended to educate and support graduating trainees on their transition to independent practice, addressing topics such as writing cover letters, negotiating salary and benefits, how to read your employment contract and more.  Trainees of all levels are invited to attend. 
• Other GME Events including AY23 can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• GME’s Chief Resident and Chief Fellow Resources webpage contains many resources to guide Chief Residents and Fellows through their appointment.   
• The UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety is proud to announce the (re)-launch of QI Match, an online web platform to match collaborators to quality improvement and patient safety initiatives across UW Medicine. Get started today. 
• The American Medical Women’s Association hosted a 1-hour Program, Guiding Challenged Residents in Challenging Times featuring Dr. Chris Bundy, Executive Director, WPHP.  Recording here. Please feel free to distribute. 
• The General Surgery Resident Room at HMC celebrated its grand opening on June 15th. 

People

• Welcome to new NURF leadership for AY23!  
  • President: Dr. Gabriel Mendoza, Pediatrics (incoming Allergy and Immunology Fellow) 
  • Vice President: Dr. Sherise Epstein, OTO (incoming PGY5/R4) 
  • Secretary/Treasurer: Dr. Eric Robles, Pediatrics (incoming PGY2) 
  • Education Chair: Dr. Ivonne Beltran, Family Med (incoming PGY2) 
  • Community Outreach Chair: Dr. Andrea Diaz, Internal Med (incoming PGY2) 
  • Medical Student Outreach Chair: Dr. Adil Malik, PM&R (incoming PGY3) 
  • Social Media Chair: Dr. Osayd Assad, Internal Med (incoming PGY2) 
  • HQSC Liaison: Jessica Sher, PM&R (incoming PGY2) 
• Welcome to new HQSC leadership for AY23!
  • Vickie Hau, Anesthesiology, Co-Chair 
  • Karly Williams Silva, Internal Medicine, Co-Chair
  • Brianne Caoyonan, Anesthesia, Squirrel 
  • Spencer Pecha, Anesthesia, Squirrel  
  • Omar Bayomy, Pulmonary and Critical Care, Chair of Development 
  • Jessica Pinot, Internal Medicine, Chair of Publications  
  • Andrew Barbour, Radiation Oncology, Chair of Equity and Diversity 
  • Juri De Jong, Internal Medicine, Chair of Sustainability 
• Recent graduates of the UW internal medicine residency, Ryan Abe, Lynsey Bernfeld, Anna Morenz, and Hasib Yousufzai, have received a $20,000 grant from leading internal medicine organizations to build a longitudinal Health Equity and Anti-Racism (HEAR) curriculum within the internal medicine residency and thus help develop a more trustworthy health care system. Read more on the Department of Medicine news site. 
• Justin Bullock, fellow (Nephrology) talks about Pride and Intersectionality in the latest issue of Med.  
• Eric Chow, fellow, is lead author, and Helen Chu, associate professor (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) is senior author of “The Clinical and Genomic Epidemiology of Rhinovirus in Homeless Shelters-King County, Washington” in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. 
• Ruth Deya, R1 (Medicine), is lead author, and Susan Graham, professor (Allergy and Infectious Diseases) is senior author of “Yield and Coverage of Active Case Finding Interventions for Tuberculosis Control: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” in Tuberculosis Research and Treatment. DOM co-authors are Linnet Masese and David Horne. 
• Callistus Ditah, Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow, provides his insights in the “New Beginnings for Heart Failure Patients” feature in the Spring Surgery Synopsis. 
• Lauren Feld, fellow (Gastroenterology) is senior author of “On the Importance of Safe Access to Reproductive Options for Adolescents and Women with Liver Disease” in Gastroenterology. 
• Whitney Harper, program specialist (IM residency) is co-author of “Emerging from the Pandemic: AAIM Recommendations for Internal Medicine Residency and Fellowship Interview Standards” in the American Journal of Medicine. 
• Duncan Hussey, R3 (Internal Medicine), has received the 2022 Harborview Housestaff Achievement Award for Clinical Ability and Humanitarian Concern. This award is bestowed by Harborview faculty to a graduating resident (selected from all the residency programs) who has demonstrated excellence in patient care and exceptional humanism in line with the Harborview mission. 
• The Internal Medicine Residency Program staff are inaugural recipients of the Gender Equity Trailblazer Award. This team (Andréa Campbell, Kelli Corning, Gevelle Cullen, Keli Lock, Brian Valentine) has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to promoting a culture of inclusion – within that core value is a commitment to increasing equity for women and gender minorities in our department – and they have been trailblazers in recruitment, policies and practices, leadership diversity and communications. Read more on the Department of Medicine news site. 
• The GME Office is pleased to welcome Jennifer Johal as our new Learning Environment Specialist on the Accreditation and Education team. Her first day with GME will be August 1, 2022. Jenn is joining us from Virginia Mason, where since 2020 she has served as Program Coordinator for Internal Medicine, Preliminary Medicine and the Transitional Year Residency Program. Prior to that role, she also worked as Hospital Development Coordinator at LifeCenter Northwest. Her background includes a BA in Early Childhood and Family Studies from the UW as well as a double masters degree in Health Advocacy and Child Development from Sarah Lawrence College.
• Whitney Kiker, fellow (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is lead author of “Prognosis Predictions by Families, Physicians, and Nurses of Patients with Severe Acute Brain Injury: Agreement and Accuracy” in Neurocritical Care. DOM co-author is J. Randall Curtis. 
• Alex Lois, former Surgical Outcomes Research Center T32 NIDDK post- doctoral research fellow & current general surgery R4, led a research team conducting a national study of peroral endoscopic myotomy that was published in JAMA Surgery: “Use and Safety of Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy for Achalasia in the US.” 
• W. Robb MacLellan, professor and head (Cardiology) has accepted the newly created position of Department of Medicine Executive Vice Chair, effective July 1, 2022.  
• Jacob Mayfield, fellow, is lead author and Catherine Otto, professor (Cardiology) is senior author of “The Young and the Breathless” in the New England Journal of Medicine. DOM co-authors are Danelle Hidano, Alexander Torres, and Mathilde Pioro. 
• Blake Murphy (Vascular Surgery R1) was selected by the Society of Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) as the inaugural recipient of the Jack Cronenwett MD Fellowship in Training (SVSFIT) Program.   
• Lara Oyetunji (UW Cardiothoracic Surgery graduate, Section Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the VA, physician at UWMC-ML) is the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Patricia L. Dawson Endowed Faculty Fellowship award.  
• Joshua Rosen, Research Resident, published “Unrealistic optimism about treatment risks for acute appendicitis” in the British Journal of Surgery.  
• Melissa Upton (Emeritus Professor of Pathology) will serve on the Joint Capstone Advisory Committee for the CMSS & ACGME joint ACGME Equity Matters™ project which aims to drive measurable improvements in equity, diversity, and inclusion in Medicine. 
• Congratulations to Hunter Wessells, Chair, Department of Urology, for his new roles as President of the UWP Practice Plan.  He will retain his Chair role. 
• Denzel Woode, General Surgery R3, published “Asa G Yancey: The first to describe a modification of the Swenson Technique for Hirschsprung disease” in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 

Policies and Processes

• The 2022-2023 academic year introduces a number of changes within our community.  Program Directors and Program Administrators should be sure to review: 
  • ACGME stipend title 
  • New ACGME leave requirements 
  • ACGME Core Faculty FTE requirements 
  • Program Coordinator FTE requirements 
  • ACGME Non-Standard Training Recognition
• Structured Interprofessional Bedside Rounding onboarding module now available.  Check out this resource and many others from our Spring PDDS on Teaming and the Milestones. 
• Starting on Friday, July 1, a fully subsidized U-PASS will be provided to all employees paid by the University of Washington.  If you previously were paying for an annual or quarterly U-PASS, you do not have to take any action to stop payments. They will stop automatically with the pay period ending June 30, 2022.  The new benefit does not apply to undergraduate student employees, graduate research student assistants, unpaid academics, affiliates or other appointees who are not paid by the University of Washington. For more information on eligibility, see the Human Resources U-PASS benefit page. 
• The door code to the UWMC-ML Housestaff Quarters (the “Crow’s Nest”) changed on June 7. Please see the same day email from Cindy Hamra for complete information. 
• Starting on Tuesday, June 21 all shuttle stops on the north side of the UW Medical Center are being relocated due to work on the UW Medicine Membrane & Landscape Replacement project. A complete scope of the changes is available for review. 

Program Information

• The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; all appointments await ACGME confirmation:
  • Rebeca Alvarez, Breast/Gynecologic Pathology (Interim)
  • Manjiri Dighe, Abdominal Radiology (Interim)
  • Sarah Golub, Adolescent Medicine
  • Christina Lam, Medical Biochemical Genetics
  • Bahar Mansoori, Abdominal Radiology
  • Elina Quiroga, Vascular Surgery – Independent & Vascular Surgery – Integrated
  • David Siebert, Sports Medicine
• The GMEC-Approved (Non-ACGME Accredited) Fellowship Programs Committee (GAF) recently approved two new non-ACGME fellowships:
  • Emergency Medicine: Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography (July 2023)
  • Laboratory Medicine and Pathology: Pathology Informatics (July 2022)
• The Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) approved revisions to several policies at the June meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.
  • Institutional Clinical and Educational Work Hours Policy:  Revisions include updating the policy scope to include fellows in ACGME Non-Standard Training (NST) Programs and adding a definition of NST programs; adding a policy purpose statement; adding relevant clinical and educational work hour requirements for NST programs; addressing applicability of program policies for boarding residents; and addition of considering work hour non-compliance when recommending programs for Special Reviews.
  • Telehealth Policy:  Added a purpose statement which includes expansion of policy beyond telehealth training.  Added relevant telehealth related definitions from the telehealth training for providers, updated section on supervision to include ACGME Requirements on Direct Supervision Using Telecommunication by Specialty and added new section on out-of-state licensing requirements for telehealth, which includes restriction on obtaining out-of-state licenses solely for telehealth and allowable telehealth activities for out of state activities (educational vs consultative activities).   New licensing language in policy is in-line with UW Physicians (UWP) and Children’s University Medical Group (CUMG) requirements.  VA exception for out-of-state licensure

Events of Interest

• GME Lunch & Learns
  • April GMEPAC Process for AY24, recording available and application posted (deadline is July 25, 2022) 
  • May 19: MedHub Procedure Certification, recording and slides available
  • June – cancelled 
  • AY23 schedule posted  
• GME Program Administrators Meeting: PA Wellness Workshop; Tuesday, August 9, 8:30-10:30am
• Seattle Pride Parade: Sunday, June 26, 2022, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fourth Avenue, Downtown Seattle Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year we are limited to 200 participants, and we will fill the spots on a first-come, first-served basis. Please RSVP to let us know that you’re interested in volunteering and/or participating. All participants will receive a UW Medicine Pride t-shirt (while supplies last). 
• The Life After Residency Seminar is on Saturday August 27th (registration will open in July).  This event is intended to educate and support graduating trainees on their transition to independent practice.  Featured speakers typically discuss topics such as writing cover letters, negotiating salary and benefits, how to read your employment contract and more.  Trainees of all levels are invited to attend. 
• Other GME Events including AY23 can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

• UW Medicine has launched a multi-phase, multi-year renovation project to protect important clinical areas located below ground level from water intrusion at UW Medical Center – Montlake and the Health Sciences Building. For details, visit our website or read staff FAQs. 
• Starting June 21, shuttle stops at UWMC change.  In the next few weeks, crews will install fencing screens to contain the work areas in the front entry and patios. At that time, the third floor BB entrance will be closed but the main entrance to the hospital will remain open throughout this phase of the construction.  While all shuttles to our Montlake campus will continue to operate, stop locations will change starting June 21. Please plan additional travel time. For details, read the shuttle stop change update. 
• On May 23, Dr. Joyner emailed the GME Community with a Recruitment Season 2023 Update.  In line with the AAMC recommendation, we are requiring now that all of our programs have a virtual-only interview format for this recruitment cycle.  In-person and “blended” (virtual and in-person) interviews will not be allowed this year including for UW medical students and candidates performing sub-internships at UW.  Please see email for more details. 
• Over the last year, the GME Office has transitioned from a live Chief Resident and Fellow seminar to a webpage chock full of resources that will guide Chief Residents and Fellows through their appointment.  Please review the resources available on our Chief Resident and Chief Fellow Resources webpage.  Our intent is to regularly update this page and fill it with not only what we think Chiefs should know, but also what they want to know, and Chief recommendations for peers as they enter their Chief year. 
• Grant Funding is Available for Projects to Improve Patient Care Delivery: Apply Now for Up To $50K.  The UW Medicine Patients Are First Innovation Pilots recognize and empower faculty and staff to collaborate and explore solutions with grants for projects addressing patient care experience, clinical outcomes and/or delivery of care. Learn more and submit your project application by June 21.  
• The UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety is proud to announce the (re)-launch of QI Match. QI Match is an online web platform to match collaborators to quality improvement and patient safety initiatives across UW Medicine. Projects get posted to the site and any faculty, student, staff, or trainee can notify the project lead of their interest. Projects that are posted to QI Match may be a single event (such as a patient safety root cause analysis or a QI focus group) or longer term QI projects. Get started today. 
• Please see a recent highlight of ACGME resources and opportunities:
  • The ACGME is offering additional self-directed ACGME Equity Matters content in Learn at ACGME. The latest release includes modules about racial and ethnic experiences, as well as identities and populations. These educational resources provide diverse perspectives while raising historical and current injustices in the medical education system in an organized and intentional way. The materials are designed for organizations with leadership support, as well as resources and infrastructure commitments to equity for making meaningful change. (Note: A free account is required to access content in Learn at ACGME.) 
  • ACGME Coordinator Advisory Group Call for Nominations:  The ACGME is accepting nominations for the next cohort of the Coordinator Advisory Group, which serves as a consultative body concerning coordinator, graduate medical education, learning environment, and accreditation matters. Members will serve three-year terms, from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026.  Additional information, including the group’s charge, information about the nomination process, the nomination form, and the disclosure form, can be found on the Coordinator Advisory Group page of the ACGME website. Completed nomination packets are due August 15, 2022. Please contact Amanda Easton by Friday, August 5, if you are a Program Director interested in nominating a Program Administrator or if you are Program Administrator interested in joining the Group and need DIO assistance with the nomination form. 
  • 2022 – 2023 ADS Annual Webcast and Q and A: The webcast on the ADS Annual Update from May 26, 2022 is now available to view in the ACGME’s online learning portal, Learn at ACGME.  The session provided an overview of the changes made to questions in the ADS Annual Update regarding Common Program Requirements and programs’ experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, a third part to the COVID-19 questionnaire with questions for program directors will not be introduced this year as originally planned.  The ACGME has created an accompanying Q and A document, available in the ADS Help Desk and Learn at ACGME. A free account is required to access Learn at ACGME. Email questions about the webcast to accreditation@acgme.org. 
  • Revised Milestones Available: Updated versions of more than 20 Milestones are now available. Programs will officially start using the new Milestones in July 2022, with the first reporting in January 2023. See the Milestones page of the ACGME website.
  • Meeting and Agenda Closing Dates Posted: Meeting dates are listed on the overview page of each specialty section on the ACGME website. While many specialties have already updated their information, updates may continue until July 1, 2022.
  • Milestones Year End Reporting: The Milestones reporting window is now open and closes Friday, June 24, 2022. Milestones assessments can be submitted via ADS.
• Please remember to check the GME website where many current forms, policies, processes, and educational resources are posted. We also appreciate your feedback about what else we can add to make it more useful. The GME Report a Concern form is a way for community members to report concerns to the GME Office (including the opportunity to report confidentially).

People

• Nauzley Abedini, assistant professor (Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine) is the new Assistant Program Director for Wellness in the Internal Medicine Residency Program, co-leads the Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence’s (CPCCE) Global and Cross Cultural Palliative Care Initiative, is a consultant to the Cambia Palliative Care Training Center, and is a member of the CPCCE’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. She is also a co-director for the upcoming 2022 Pacific Northwest Palliative Care Conference on June 13, “Lifting Voices & Building Bridges: Working Towards an Inclusive Future for Palliative Care.” Read more about her on the Department of Medicine news site. 
• Alwiya Ahmed, R2 (Medicine), is quoted in “Nearly half of patients at high risk for lung cancer delayed screening follow-up” in Medical Xpress. 
• Mariam Alam and Caitlin Crimp will co-lead a project titled, “Mitigating Bias and Burnout Through Patient-Centered Narrative Medicine,” focused on developing a narrative medicine curriculum for dermatology residents, with the aim to improve residents’ understanding and connection to patients and mitigate both bias and resident burnout. Dr. Andrea Kalus, Associate Professor, and Dr. Michi Shinohara, Associate Chief for the Division of Dermatology, will both serve as faculty mentors for the project.  This project was awarded funds from the ACGME Back-to Bedside initiative.
• Priyanka Anand and Hao Tong were winners at the Washington Chapter American College of Physicians Spring Scientific Scholarship Day. Dr. Anand won the Oral Abstract Resident Presentation: “Online Patient Portal Use Among Marginalized Groups at a Safety Net Hospital” and Dr. Tong was Top Poster Winner: “Care for Patients Receiving Comfort Measures Only: Experiences of Bedside Nurses.” 
• Omar Bayomy, fellow (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) has been selected as the new Chair of Development for the University of Washington Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee (HQSC) leadership board for the 2022-23 academic year. The HQSC is a trainee-led organization chartered under UW Graduate Medical Education and the UW Patient Safety & Quality Coordinating Committee that strives to engage trainees in the quality and safety work pursued everywhere throughout UW Medicine. 
• Omar Bayomy, fellow (Medicine), and his mentors, Kathleen Ramos, assistant professor and Christopher Goss, professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine), have received funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for their project: Hemoptysis and serious outcomes in cystic fibrosis. 
• Ermias Diro, R3 (Medicine), is lead author of “Adherence to chronic hepatitis B screening guidelines for persons from intermediate to high prevalence countries” in the Journal of Community Health. DOM co-authors are Maria Corcorran, Ayushi Gupta, Kristine Lan and H. Nina Kim. This work was made possible with the support of the AID/DOM Research Collaboratory. 
• Chronic Hepatitis (Hep) B infection disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries such as those in South East Asia and Africa. The CDC recommends a single blood test for Hepatitis B virus for anyone born in a region with 2% or greater prevalence. This screening guideline is relevant for a large immigrant population in Seattle. Together with H. Nina Kim, Ermias Ejara, R3, performed a retrospective study of guideline adherence among adults treated within UW affiliated primary care clinics between 2016 and 2019. A study of local medical records showed low likelihood of guideline-concordant screening for Hepatitis B and high prevalence of infection among those screened. This research highlights a need for new strategies to meet this important care gap for communities like the East African community in Seattle, to which Dr. Ejara belongs. 
• Mary Ezeanuna, fellow (Medicine), is lead author, and Namrata Singh, assistant professor (Rheumatology) is senior author of “Association of rheumatoid arthritis with mortality in chronic kidney disease: a cohort study” in Clinical Rheumatology. DOM co-authors are David Prince and Nisha Bansal. 
• Seth Judson, R3, is lead author of “COVID-19 data reporting systems in Africa reveal insights for future pandemics” in Epidemiology & Infection. 
• Seth Judson, R3 (Medicine), is the editor for a recently published collection of articles called Ecology and Evolution of Coronaviruses: Implications for Human Health. He is also lead author of the editorial “Ecology and Evolution of Coronaviruses: Implications for Human Health” in Frontiers in Public Health. 
• Barbara Jung, professor and chair of Medicine, is quoted in “CRC Screening: Blood Test Accuracy Compared to Colonoscopy” in Medscape. 
• Mike Leu is recipient of Physicians in American Medical Informatics Association’s 2022 Innovator of the Year award for creating the first electronic match for clinical informatics fellowship programs. 
• G. Burkhard Mackensen will serve as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, beginning June 16th.  Permanent Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine.  He has served as the department’s interim chair since November 2020. 
• George Mo, R1 (Medicine), was selected to receive a 2022 Hematology Opportunities for the Next Generation of Research Scientists (HONORS) Award from the American Society of Hematology (ASH). This award supports medical students and residents conducting hematology-related research and provides them with the opportunity to attend annual conferences. Dr. Mo is researching cell phenotypes in CAR T cell therapy with Dr. Brian Till, associate professor. 
• Preethy Pankaj (Neurology) participated in the recent Harborview Medical Center The Joint Commission (TJC) Review Stroke Survey.  The TJC representatives were very impressed with her work with Interpreter Services on a review of stroke symptoms.  Natalie Weathered (Neurology Program Director) and Preethy summarized her work as follows: As a resident running stroke codes Preethy realized that non-English speakers have significant delays in their acute stroke evaluations. Given that an estimated 1.9 million neurons die per minute in each minute1, each minute of delay has potential to significantly impact the outcome in those individuals. While probably all staff know that involving an interpreter causes critical delays, Preethy didn’t just accept that as the status quo. Rather, she has designed a series of interventions to help. The first, is that she coordinated with our translator services to create a phone number that we call during a stroke code that bypasses all of the initial questions regarding patient demographics. The number also connects us more rapidly with an interpreter. The next intervention is that the interpreters who participate in this program have been educated as to what a stroke is, why there is urgency in our evaluation, and what our evaluation consists of. The interpreters are also educated about the NIH stroke scale itself. In addition, Preethy is now trialing more commonly used English words in an attempt for the provider to assess dysarthria . This education will hopefully aid them in helping us in a more timely fashion because they will better understand our process and goals. The education that is given to the interpreters is accomplished through a 10 minute video that Preethy created herself.  Dr. Weathered noted “ Preethy is one of those special people who was simply meant to be a doctor. I have no doubt that she will continue to help patients from all walks of life and is going to continue to make UW proud.”  [1Saver JL. Time is Brain – Quantified. Stroke. 2006;37:263-266.]
• Anneliese Schleyer, professor (General Internal Medicine) will take on new leadership roles as interim chief medical officer of UW Medicine and interim vice president for medical affairs University of Washington, effective July 1. As interim chief medical officer, Schleyer will oversee more than 4,500 clinicians, provide strategic guidance on the integration of clinical practice with education and research activities across all UW Medicine sites, and is responsible for physician led activities to improve the quality of care and clinical practice transformation.  Read more from The Huddle. 
• Chenwei Wu has been awarded the 2022 Gene Peterson Award on behalf of the University of Washington Housestaff Quality and Safety Committee. The Gene Peterson award was named after Dr. Peterson, who had a great appreciation for the involvement of trainees in the fields of quality improvement and patient safety, and for the unique perspective they bring at the University of Washington. HQSC members cited Dr. Wu’s tireless commitment to fostering productive discussions regarding trainee reported PSNs at Squirrel meetings, his mentorship of numerous housestaff led quality improvement efforts, and his leadership in many QIPS educational endeavors. HQSC members additionally spoke of his ability to empower leadership and ownership amongst housestaff in their QIPS projects.  
• Jay Yao (R4) has been selected and granted a scholarship to participate in the Orthopaedic Research Society’s Clinician Scholar Career Development Program. 
• Congratulations to the 2022 Radiology Graduates!
• The American Society of Hematology (ASH) Hematology-Focused Fellowship training Program (HFFTP) is an exclusive pathway that offers physicians the opportunity to pair comprehensive classical hematology training with career-enhancing education in transfusion medicine, sickle cell disease, hemostasis/thrombosis, as well as fields like medical education, systems-based hematology, outcomes research, health equity research, global health, safety/quality improvement, lifespan hematology, and more. Funded entirely by ASH, 10 new hematology-focused fellowship tracks have been created within existing hematology-oncology programs at nine rigorously selected institutions accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) across the United States. HFFTP aims to strengthen the next generation of hematologists, with the goal of producing 50 new academic hematologists by 2030.  The UW HFFTP will be led by Hematology Professors Mike Linenberger, program director, and David Garcia, associate program director. 

Policies and Processes

• The ACGME Task Force on Burden Reduction recently completed its work on the revision of the Common Program Requirements. The revised proposed Common Program Requirements are now posted on the ACGME website for public review and comment.  Visit the Review and Comment page for details on the revisions.  Please fill out this survey with your comments by June 10.  Our GME Accreditation Team will compile and submit feedback on behalf of the institution by the deadline.
• During resident/fellow onboarding, programs should remain mindful of the COVID Vaccine requirement and disability accommodation requests.  The COVID vaccine requirement remains a condition of employment for all incoming residents and fellows. During onboarding, trainees may also notify you of a disability or request specific accommodation.  If you have an incoming resident/fellow seeking a COVID vaccine medical or religious exemption or a resident/fellow requesting a disability accommodation, please notify GME as soon as possible.  
• UW Medicine residents and fellows who will conduct their own human subjects research are required to take a one-time, 60 minute, on-demand, e-learning tutorial. The UW Human Subjects Division: IRB 101 Online Tutorial covers the basics of human subjects research and provides important practical information about navigating the approval process through the Human Subjects Division, a unit of the UW Office of Research. The learner needs to provide their Certificate of Completion with their IRB application in order to receive approval to do human subjects research.  
• The ACGME has made revisions to supervision related requirements over the last few years (CPR VI.A.2) to allow for direct supervision through telecommunications technology for some specialties in recognition of the wide adoption of telemedicine as a result of the pandemic. The GME office has updated the Institutional Supervision & Accountability Policy as well as the program policy template to reflect the CPR revisions. 

Program Information