Electric vault construction continues

Construction in front of the Medical School building continues as workers complete the last FEMA project resulting from Tropical Storm Allison destruction in 2001.

A one-story vault to house CenterPoint Energy equipment is being constructed to modernize and restore the electrical reliability of the Medical School building.

Access to the Fannin entrance of the Medical School should be granted in October, and the electrical equipment is scheduled to come online in January, according to Perry Graham, Project Management and Engineering Services.

"This is a delayed project, which is funded on a cost-sharing basis with FEMA," Graham said. "When the Medical School building was originally constructed, this equipment was located in the basement."

As a result of basement flooding in 2001, the electrical equipment was returned to the basement, then moved outside. The new building is being constructed above the 500-year floodplain, a FEMA requirement.

The temporary facility on the west side of the Learning Resource Center will be removed in February, restoring the window visibility.

No window offices are expected to be impacted by the construction of the vault. The berm stairs in front of the Fannin entrance to the building are being narrowed somewhat to accommodate the new building.

— Darla Brown, Office of Communications, Medical School

Share your experience through UT Physicians survey

In order to help better serve its patients, UT Physicians invites its patients to participate in an online survey. Using the survey, patients can let UT Physicians know about its performance on various aspects of their medical care experience in UT Physicians clinics.

The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete and also provides patients the opportunity to offer comments and suggestions. Share your medical care experience by participating in UT Physicians Patient Satisfaction Survey.

Milewicz receives Patriot Award

For her support of a faculty member’s military deployment, Dr. Dianna Milewicz has been honored with a Patriot Award.

Dr. Jay Johnson, assistant professor of medicine and genetic researcher in the Division of Medical Genetics, nominated Milewicz for the award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense.

"She always allows extra time for my preparation to deploy and flexes my schedule," said Johnson, who serves as an Army captain in Medical Casualty and Medical Evacuation (CASEVAC-MEDEVAC) Logistics and as a chaplain. "That assurance means the world to me. Knowing my wife and children are taken care of eases that transition."

Milewicz, professor of cardiovascular medicine, received the award in a ceremony officiated by William Cyrus, a retired Texas National Guardsman and ESGR Eastern Regional Director. Also attending the ceremony was ESGR member Cecil Macklin.

"Without citizen soldiers, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do around the world," Cyrus said. "A lack of support puts a burden on the soldier. If he can go and do his job without having to worry, it’s really a lifesaver for all the soldiers over there. It’s not easy to get this award. This is a big ‘thank you’ to Dr. Milewicz."

— Deborah Mann Lake, Office of Institutional Advancement, Media Relations

Holocaust exhibit now on display at TMC Library

The HAM-TMC Library is pleased to announce that the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s traveling exhibition, Deadly Medicine: Creating The Master Race, is on display at the library through Aug. 24. The exhibition examines how the Nazi leadership, in collaboration with individuals in professions traditionally charged with healing and the public good, used science to help legitimize persecution, murder, and, ultimately, genocide.

This unique exhibition is on loan from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. It is one of three traveling versions of a larger acclaimed exhibition the museum originally opened in April 2004. The other two traveling versions of the exhibition have been on display in locations throughout the United States, as well as in Canada and Germany to much success. An online version of the exhibition is available at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Web site.

The exhibition contains historical photographs, films, and testimony from Holocaust survivors. It is a self-guided tour that takes approximately 20-30 minutes to see.

The HAM-TMC Library is the first library to host this exhibition. The exhibition has been previously displayed at different museums and galleries across the country. The library will present, in conjunction with the exhibition, a program including experts representing the fields of history, medicine, and ethics. View details about the program at the library’s Web site.

This exhibit has been made possible by The Lerner Foundation and Eric F. and Lore Ross.

— Beatriz Varman, HAM-TMC Library

Internal Medicine offers residency Blackboard site

The Internal Medicine’s Residency Program announces a newly customized Blackboard Web site that offers one stop for locating medical education goals and objectives, announcements, rotation schedules, and residency program details, in addition to links to key medical articles and Web sites.

The new site will continue to expand features and functions throughout the academic year to help IM residents find quick access to medical education information. The site provides a feature to offer anonymous feedback to help improve processes, procedures, and overall operations. The one-stop portal will be the window into key medical education, communication, and resources for Internal Medicine residents.

Details on the site include:

• Policies and procedures of the residency program
• Call schedules
• Rosters
• Education links
• Fellowship program information
• Licensing information
• Links to grand rounds and core curriculum lectures with streaming video
• Discussion boards and comments on attending physicians, rotations, etc.
• Anonymous reporting
• Links to core knowledge articles

For additional information regarding Blackboard access, please contact Charity Harbes at 713.500.6536.