The Dean's Newsletter:
April 3, 2006

Table of Contents

v Thank You
v It Must Be April: US News and World Report Rankings are Out Again!
v Education and the Community
v Planning the LKC and Launching C-Sim
v Sexual Harassment Training
v Update on the Pediatric/Obstetric Faculty Practice Organization Planning
v More About Diversity and Leadership
v Awards and Honors

Thank You

On April 2, 2001 I published the first of my biweekly Dean's Newsletters. It was my first day at Stanford and I felt it was important to share some of my thoughts regarding the future of the School of Medicine and the Medical Center with my new colleagues. Now 5 years (and 121 Newsletters) later I want to use the occasion of this anniversary to thank the entire Stanford community for the incredible work that all of you do -- in education, research, patient care, administration and service to our communities. It has been a privilege to be a member of the Stanford family, whose greatest strength is the excellence and commitment of all who work, study and provide service. I believe we have come a long way together -- but we have a tremendous amount yet to accomplish. I look forward to continuing to work with and serve you and this community. Thank you.

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It Must Be April: US News and World Report Rankings are Out Again!

Last Friday U.S. News and World Report (USN&WR) posted its rankings of graduate and professional schools. While nearly everyone says that these rankings are not important, few actually refrain from looking at them -- and no one who has done well stays silent. This year the School of Medicine was ranked #7 overall (for its MD program -- which is up from #8 last year) and the PhD program in Biological Sciences (which includes the basic science programs in the medical school as well as H&S) was ranked #1. We can certainly be proud of these ratings, which are a tribute to our faculty and students.

As you may know from prior communications on these rankings, I have had considerable concern about some components of the methodology used to rank the "research" medical schools. The rank is determined by "quality assessment, research activity, student selectivity and faculty resources." More specifically, USN&WR weights total NIH grant support most heavily as the measure of research activity. Unfortunately, because of the much smaller size of our faculty compared to peer schools, we are not at the top of the list on this metric. Last year USN&WR included a listing of NIH grant funding per faculty member -- where Stanford clearly excels -- after several years of my petitioning the editors for this change. And while research/faculty is now included in the score it is weighted far less than overall funding -- so at the end of the day size still trumps quality. So, there is still more work to be done with the editors!

Overall, Stanford did extremely well in each of its graduate and professional school programs. It is truly a great university.

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Education and the Community

I have previously discussed the evolution of our community health initiatives, which are now under the umbrella of the Office of Community Health (OCH) headed by Dr. Marilyn Winkleby (http://och.stanford.edu/). In addition to having outstanding programs in research, education and patient care, it is important that the School and Medical Center have a strong presence in the community, that we provide valued services and that our students and faculty have the opportunity to contribute to and learn about community initiatives. It is also important that the programs associated with the School of Medicine have associated analytic metrics to help validate whether they are truly making a difference.

I am pleased by the recent accomplishments of the OCH in providing support, advice and courses for our students in community health assessment, research methodology and patient advocacy. Additionally, in tandem with the efforts of the Dean's Office in medical education, just over 20 medical students have enrolled in the Scholarly Concentration in Community Health this year (bringing the total to 40 students), and an additional 11 medical students are pursuing Masters in Public Health degrees at either our joint program with UC Berkeley or at another institution.

In addition to increasing the available course offerings in community education in the medical curriculum, the OCH is promoting student research activities. A number of meritorious publications have appeared in the medical literature based primarily on work conducted by medical students. OCH is also facilitating advocacy projects for students enrolled in the "Practice of Medicine" course (one of the foundational courses in the medical curriculum) and is also building links to the Stanford Medical Youth Science Program, the Biomedicine training programs and numerous pipeline programs including the Center of Excellence and the Stanford University Medical Alliance. The Cardinal Free Health Clinics constitute another important resource for students to have an opportunity to both learn and contribute to the health maintenance and monitoring of those with limited access to health care.

Looking forward, the OCH plans to develop a population health core curriculum for the Practice of Medicine course. In addition, plans are underway to develop a database of faculty and community research mentors and to jointly sponsor workshops and lectures relevant to community based scholarship and public service. An important goal is to increase the number of students doing original research related to community health challenges and issues and to form partnerships with School of Medicine and University groups involved in community partnerships -- including such programs as the Haas Center, the Office of Diversity, the Center for Ethics and Bioethics, the Center of Excellence, and the Cardinal Free Care Clinics.

To support these programs, efforts have begun to raise financial resources from foundations and other sources of private funding. This is particularly important given the likely very serious cutbacks that are proposed by the Administration for Title VII programs. These cutbacks will have a very negative impact on our ability to sustain excellence in these areas.

While our clear focus and mission is that of a research-intensive school of medicine, strong programs in community health and service are also needed, and they further demonstrate the important role that we play as an academic medical center. I am pleased by the progress to date but also recognize the considerable efforts that lie ahead. If you have questions or recommendations pleased address them to Dr. Winkleby at .

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Planning the LKC and Launching C-Sim

Work is progressing to further enhance our leadership in medical education. On Monday evening, March 27th, I hosted an appreciation event for members of our community who have contributed to the simulation center that has been pioneered and championed by Dr. Tom Krummel, the Emile Holman Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at SUMC and Susan B. Ford Surgeon-in-Chief at LPCH. This center, which will open at the end of 2006, will be an integral component of the Learning and Knowledge Center at Stanford.. Thanks to generous contributions, the center will be known as the Goodman Simulation Center at Stanford. It will house state-of-the-art robotic, haptic and virtual reality devices that simulate surgery and that can be used by students, residents/fellows and faculty to enhance their surgical skills or even prepare for surgical procedures. This will be a unique center not only because of the resources it will provide, but also because of its location near the operating rooms at Stanford Hospital & Clinics. This is truly a very exciting and important project.

In tandem with the establishment of the Goodman Simulation Center, the NBBJ architects have begun to further refine and develop the design and schematics for the Learning and Knowledge Center, which will include new construction as well as significant renovation. An update of this exciting project appeared in the March 8th issue of Stanford Medicine (see http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2006/march8/med-artchitect-030806.html).

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Sexual Harassment Training

The Respectful Workplace has been an important initiative and goal for the School of Medicine during the past several years. In conjunction with the University, the School monitored the mandatory training of faculty and supervisors in sexual harassment. Some 1,740 individuals in the School of Medicine were required to take this training and I am pleased to say that as of March 30 compliance for the School was 100% -- meaning that every individual who needed to take the training has now done so. I will be especially gratified if this knowledge helps assure that sexual harassment or other infractions of the Respectful Workplace are eliminated from the School of Medicine. That said, if members of our community have concerns, they should bring them to Ms. Martha McKee, Ombudsperson, Ms. Ellen Waxman, Director of Faculty Relations, or Dr. David Stevenson, Vice Dean and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. We are committed to doing all we can to sustain as respectful a workplace as possible.

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Update on the Pediatric/Obstetric Faculty Practice Organization Planning

During the past several years a major transformation has occurred in Stanford Pediatrics and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Without question the Children's Health Initiative played a critical role in catalyzing and driving this transformation, which has resulted in many new and enhanced programs and in the recruitment of more than 45 faculty. Thanks to the efforts of many individuals, most notably Drs. Harvey Cohen, Alan Krensky, Ann Arvin, David Stevenson, Tom Krummel, and Ken Cox from the School of Medicine, along with Chris Dawes, Sue Flanagan, Cynthia Haines and Bonnie Whalen from LPCH, and the support of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health and the LPCH Board of Directors, Stanford Pediatrics today is at a whole new level -- with much promise ahead.

Despite the progress and accomplishments that have occurred to date, considerable challenges remain. These include the further building of excellence in clinical and academic programs, which itself includes the recruitment of junior faculty and future leaders and the transformation of the training programs to be more consonant with the strategic direction of the School of Medicine. With the continued expansion of the clinical programs at LPCH, plans for developing and implementing a pediatric/obstetric faculty practice organization (FPO) continue to move forward. The goal of the FPO will be to "advance the missions of the Stanford School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital where they intersect in the delivery of professional medical services." The FPO will endeavor to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the physician practice and to improve the quality of patient care based on two principles: first, that the faculty are responsible and accountable for the operations of the practice, and, second, that incentives are aligned between LPCH and the pediatric/obstetric clinical practice for the purpose of improved performance. The Peds/Ob FPO is jointly governed by the LPCH and the School and will be led by a Management Committee chaired by Dr. Ken Cox. There will be functional committees: Quality (chaired by Dr. Larry Hammer), Operations (chaired by Dr. Christy Sandborg) and Finance (chaired by Dr. Bill Kennedy). A recent retreat by the leadership of the Pediatric/Obstetric FPO delineated a number of operational, financial and quality performance goals and objectives (for patients and the practice) and they will be working to further refine these goals and implement changes during the next year.

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More About Diversity and Leadership

This past week Dr. Hannah Valantine, Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Leadership, submitted a very useful progress report to me and I want to share some of the highlights with you. As you know from a previous Dean's Newsletter, (http://deansnewsletter.stanford.edu/archive/11_28_05.html), the primary purposes of the Office of Diversity and Leadership (ODL) is to promote the recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty, and to develop faculty to their full potential as academic and community leaders. Here are some of the areas in which the Office has been active since its inception:

  1. Strategic Plan: The first step was to create an Executive Advisory Committee comprised of senior faculty and staff. This group developed a strategic plan focused on the five areas delineated below. This is the first strategic plan the School has had in these areas and is in itself a significant achievement. Copies are available from Barb Miller, .

  2. Recruitment: ODL has worked collaboratively with the Office of Academic Affairs to revise the search process to enhance the attention to diversity at all stages of the search and to allow for real-time monitoring. ODL has also provided search committees with new tools as well as education about the important issue of unconscious bias in selection processes. One of Dr Valantine's near-term goals is to increase the diversity of search committees.

  3. Retention: Faculty Gains and Losses data for recent years indicate that departure rates of women faculty are a significant limiting factor in the growth in their numbers and percentage of the faculty. Understanding the reasons for departures and exploring the development of more effective retention strategies will be a priority for ODL's work in the next six months.

  4. Leadership: ODL has inaugurated the Faculty Fellows program, a 9-month leadership development program for a select group of faculty who have been identified as having significant leadership potential. I was very pleased to be one of the speakers in this program. In addition, the Office has also co-sponsored, with Stanford Hospital and Clinic, a year long Physician Leadership program. Twenty of our women faculty participated in a series of women in leadership workshops sponsored by the Provost's office. ODL is also developing a Leadership Competency Model that will be piloted with the Faculty Fellows.

  5. Rewards and Accountability: ODL is developing a series of faculty and staff awards that will acknowledge the efforts of those who are seen by others as diversity advocates. Please begin thinking about who is deserving of acknowledgement. In addition, Dr. Valantine will be working with me and with others to develop appropriate accountability measures for diversity and leadership development activities.

  6. Communication: The Office is developing a web site and is engaged in collaborative efforts with the Office of Communications and Public Affairs to increase the awareness of both achievements and concerns that we need to address.

I want to re-emphasize my commitment to diversity and to the development of strong leadership at all levels of the School. Dr. Valantine and her staff have begun important work in these areas, and I look forward to seeing further progress in the coming months.

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Awards and Honors

Please join me in congratulating George Fisher, Associate Professor Medicine (Oncology), as this year's recipient of the American Cancer Society's St. George Medal of Honor Award.  This represents the Society's highest honor and is given to an outstanding volunteer who has made a significant contribution to the achievement of the Society's goals over an extended period of time.  Dr. Fisher has certainly been an ardent volunteer for the ACS and is most deserving of this special honor. 

I am pleased to announce that three awards were granted to Division of General Internal Medicine faculty and affiliated physicians at the California Regional meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine on Friday, March 17th:

Rex Chiu, MD (SMG): California SGIM Community Service Award for his efforts as Medical Director of the Pacific Free Clinic. This award is intended to recognize SGIM members who have made significant contributions to improve the health of their community.

Yeuen Kim, MD (Willow Clinic): California SGIM Outstanding Innovation Award for her poster entitled "Working Smarter, not Harder:  Redesigning Clinic Visits," representing innovations in clinical practice at Willow Clinic to enhance productivity, patient and provider satisfaction.

Alan Garber, MD, PhD (PCOR): SGIM Clinician-Investigator Award This award is intended to recognize a member of our region for excellence in research and teaching.

Well done, and congratulations, to all three awardees!

I am delighted to announce that Sepideh Gholami, President, Stanford Medical Student Association (SMSA), has been awarded a 2006 Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship, to support her in part while doing her research on "Progenitor cell dysfunction and impaired vasculogenesis in diabetic complications." Congratulations, Sepideh!

Graduate Students Honored for Teaching 

On Tuesday evening, March 7th, 12 Stanford Graduate students were honored for the outstanding contributions to teaching. The students who were recommended by department chairs and advisor, each received a letter of recognition and a check for $1,000 in recognition of their contributions. I am very pleased to celebrate the contributions of our Graduate students and also want to thank Dr. Ellen Porzig for inspiring this award. The students who were honored include:

  • Matthew Evan Carter 
  • Saul Abraham Villeda
  • Trent Alan Watkins
  • Daniel Ramot
  • Nancy Elizabeth Adleman
  • Zachary Scott Pincus
  • Simone Sigrid Marticke
  • Kirstin Suzanne Knox
  • Thomas Michael Johnson
  • Richard Daneman
  • Kristin Ann Maczko 
  • Andres Bayani Tellez

HHMI Fellowship Awardees

I'm delighted to announce that 13 of our students will receive a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) fellowship award. Congratulations are also due to all advising deans, particularly to Pat Cross who assisted students with these applications. Kudos to all!

  • Shimon Bababeygy
  • Pavan Bachireddy
  • Aadel Chaudhuri
  • Sudeb Dalai
  • Mani Foroohar
  • Geoffrey Krampitz
  • Mitchell Lunn
  • Nathan Morrell
  • Martha Noel
  • Laura Prolo
  • Louis Saddic
  • John Van Arnam
  • Jack Wang

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A downloadable Microsoft Word version of the newsletter is available. If clicking on this following link does not initiate a download, right-click (Windows) or click-and-hold (Mac), then use the command most similar to "Download Link To Disk" or "Save This Link As" and save the Word file to your disk.

Microsoft Word version: DeanNews04-03-06.doc

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