Minutes of the Council Meetings >>

2003-2004  (FY04) MEDICAL SCHOOL COUNCIL
Dr. John Clarkson, Chair

MINUTES

Medical School Council Meeting - Tuesday, October 28, 2003 (These minutes were approved at the Speaker’s meeting of the School Council held November 18, 2003.

This meeting was called to order at 5:08 p.m. Members absent were Drs. Bancalari, Baumbach, Diro, Fishman, Fletcher, King, Lokeshwar, Markoe, O’Sullivan

1. FACULTY CLUB Dr. Lewis reported that he met with managers of the Au Bon Pan Restaurant in Park Plaza West to discuss catering for a faculty club in the space presently occupied by the Office of Budget and Finance. He is also meeting this week with Dr. Kaiser to discuss alternate sites for a faculty club within JMH.

Dr. Awad offered that the Park Plaza West site is more central to the campus and better situated for basic scientists and others who work in the RMSB area. Dr. Lewis assured that he will speak with Dr. Kaiser with an open mind and then will report to the Council.

Dr. Clarkson announced that Dr. Phillip Frost, Chair of the UM Board of Trustees and CEO of Ivax Pharmaceutical Company, has committed $200K annually for five years for the UMSM Faculty Club. He added that Dr. Frost has requested a meeting with the clinical chairs but said that he will suggest that Dr. Frost meet instead with the Council.

2. CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Dr. Lewis asked Assistant Vice President for Medical Development, Victoria Myers, to update the Council on the Capital Campaign and on ideas for Council involvement. Ms Myers supported the Council’s suggestion that funds raised by the Council be designated for minority scholarships and agreed to assist the Council formally launch its development campaign and to help in its fund raising activities. Dr. Young asked who would be included in the category of ‘minority’ for these scholarships. Dr. Lewis said that all minorities would be included although he agreed that a specific definition should be made.

Ms. Myers reported that the Medical School has raised $327M to date out its $700M announced goal and that the university is over $500M toward its $1B total goal. However, she said that UMSM is really seeking $1B for its programs. She explained that the earlier ‘quiet phase’ of the campaign concentrated on soliciting from people who are known to the institution but that the now on-going, full campaign requires donations from all prospects and that the development staff will concentration on potential donors from patients and community philanthropists. She said also that several of the UMSM units will kick-off their individual campaigns in the near future.

In response to questions about faculty and staff participation in the campaign, Ms. Myers said that $1.8M has been raised from faculty and staff and that a goal is 100% participation. She said that a majority of the department chairs have already made personal contributions. She is talking with alumni, senior and emeritus faculty about legacy gifts and that other large gifts may soon be forthcoming.

Dr. Lewis asked about the confidentiality of contributions. Ms Myers answered that the wishes of donors are respected and that confidentiality is assured if requested. Upon request, no one outside of the Development Office will see what an individual is giving. Dr. Lewis added that students should be involved in the kick-off event for the faculty campaign.
Dr. Ahmad asked whether funds already raised by UMSM have been allocated. Ms Myers said that some funds are pledged but not yet paid while other dollars are being allocated for recruitments and construction. Other money comes in as operating revenue and is spent on research, salaries or other expenses at it becomes available.

3. CENTER FOR PATIENT SAFETY Dr. Lewis introduced Dr. Paul Barach of the Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Barach explained that he was recently recruited to UMSM to establish a center focused on patient safety since this has become a major issue. He said that there has been much discussion about how to improve patient safety in a complex medical environment such as a teaching medical center and that the Center will have goals to raise awareness about safety, accomplish safety training, foster research and change how safety and quality are addressed both at UMSM and JMH.

Dr. Barach continued that seven faculty have been recruited and that a total of 15 faculty appointments are planned for the Center. He said that grants have already been written and that the American Heart Association and JMH are now providing support. He is working with Dr. O’Connell and also the leaders of the UM Nursing School to introduce the topic of safety into medical student and nursing educational programs. He reported that several federal funding agencies are now seeking proposals to improve safety and that he seeks early Council approval and support for the Center as a basis for establishing its programs and seeking such funding.

Dr. Awad asked whether the Center will be a multi-focused academic as well as clinical endeavor or whether the stimulus for the Center is the malpractice crisis. Dr. Barach responded that malpractice is a stimulus for establishing the Center but that a key to dealing with malpractice issues is to understand the cause of these problems. Dr. Awad then asked whether there will be a continuing need for institutional support for the Center. Dr. Barach answered that UMSM’s malpractice costs are increasing and that the Center represents a small investment that will return far more that would otherwise be lost to malpractice. Although a goal is to be independent of institutional support, he thought that this will require several years.

Dr. Clarkson added that JMH is contributing extensively to the Center’s support and that other dollars were committed to the Department of Anesthesiology at the time of the chair recruitment. He emphasized that there are systems that need to be fixed both at JMH and UMSM and that Dr. Barach and his team are experts and will accomplish this goal. He hoped that the Center will create a model for the country and proposed that the return on investment to the center will be an increase in the quality of patient safety and patient care.

Dr. Bishopric asked how Center funds will be budgeted. Dr. Clarkson answered that the total of $8M will be spread over several years and that the budget is available for Council review in the file provided by Dr. Barach. Dr. Barach added that most of the funds are needed to hire a core team of professionals who will train faculty and staff and design a simulation center but that some funds will provide seed money for research projects.

Dr. Thurer asked about involvement of other schools within UM. Dr. Clarkson confirmed that discussions are ongoing with the Nursing School on education and ethics programs and other related matters. He added that there is fundamental concern about the fact that medical students are educated predominately based on individual performance. He observed that this individualized philosophy is problematic since a team approach to patient care usually gives better outcomes. Dr. Barach noted that the Law School, the Engineering School and the Psychology Department may also become involved in the Center and said that he seeks a broad range of backgrounds and a multi-disciplinary approach for Center programs. For example, a former commercial pilot will lead the simulation programs and hopes are that engineers and others will improve designs and protocols for patient care.

Dr. Lewis summarized that that the issue before the Council is its approval of the Center and its recommendation for approval by the Faculty Senate. Dr. Thurer responded that the Center may be considered a school-sponsored program which does not need Senate approval but he said that the Senate will review this independently and make its judgment. Dr. Awad’s motion to approve the Center was then passed unanimously.

4. CHAIR SEARCHES Dr. Clarkson said that a leading candidate for the chair position in the Department of Psychiatry is returning for a second visit. Dr. Caraway asked about a rumor that the Cell Biology and Anatomy Department will be incorporated into other departments. Dr. Clarkson answered that this is only a rumor.

5. CONSTRUCTION AND HOSPITAL ACQUISITION Dr. Clarkson said that he has met with the Baptist Hospital leadership to discuss joint programs at Doctor’s Hospital. He continued that he does not foresee any hospital purchase by UMSM in the near future and that building a UM hospital at $450-500M cost is unlikely because this would limit the university’s borrowing power for many years.

Dr. Clarkson continued that UMSM may expand affiliations with existing hospitals including Baptist, Cedars and Mt Sinai and that the Public Health Trust is proposing to build a patient tower at JMH of at least 250 beds through a county bond issue that likely will be approved. In addition, UM is planning a medical office building (cost $250-300M) in the area of the present MRI Center. He explained that this will permit the future construction of an adjacent in-patient facility but he expressed that the medical office building is more essential than an in-patient facility at this time.

Dr. Clarkson also reported that President Shalala has agreed to the need for a state-of-the-art research facility sited in the Calder Library parking lot area. He said that consideration is being given to adapting the architectural plans of the Batchelor Building to save time and money in creating the new research building; and he stated that an animal facility will connect with this research building as a resource to the entire school and as a means to replace the Fox Building. He noted that President Shalala wants ground breaking for the medical office building and a research building within 2004.

6. SCHOOL COUNCIL The next Speaker's Meeting of the School Council will be held Tuesday, November 18, 2003, 2003 at 5 p.m in room 1537 of the Sylvester Cancer Center. The next Dean's Meeting will be on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 at 5 p.m in the Sylvester Cancer Center, Room 1301. These meetings are open to all faculty, as are all Council meetings. The meeting was adjourned at 6:17 p.m.

Myron Rosenthal, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Professional Affairs