News Briefs

Foundation cites UMHS for GLBT patient care

The U-M Health System has been included in a first-of-its-kind index that rates hospitals for standards of patient care for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the nation’s largest GLBT civil rights group, produced the Healthcare Equality Index as a first step toward establishing a nationwide set of standards to reduce discrimination and ensure quality hospital-based health care. Since 2006 UMHS has offered Safe Zone training to hospital staff to create an environment where patients are comfortable sharing their sexual orientation or gender identity. The index is available online at www.hrc.org.

University Housing changes Entrée Office

University Housing has renamed its Entrée Office to Housing Business Services to reflect the broader functions of the group within University Housing Business & Finance. The change also coincides with the replacement of Entrée Plus debit dollars long associated with student meal plans and staff food purchases with MCard. The new debit options are Dining Dollars and Blue Bucks that Housing Business Services will apply to student and staff MCards. The group will continue to program MCards with authorized electronic, keyless access to the residence halls.

Project proposals sought

The Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (MADRC) invites members of the U-M scientific community to submit a letter of intent for a project to be included in the competing renewal application of the MADRC. The proposed research should be relevant to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Three projects will be funded for five years beginning June 1, 2010-May 31, 2015. NIH PHS 398 forms are available at grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html. To submit a letter of intent, e-mail Courtney Kennedy at clkenned@umich.edu.

Board of Regents coverage available on URonline

Due to the summer schedule, the University Record will not be published the Monday after the July 17 Board of Regents meeting. To read about the board’s actions go to www.ur.umich.edu. The next Record will appear July 28.

EPA honors UMHS for asthma management

The U-M Health System is one of three winners of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2008 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management for its efforts to provide high-quality asthma care. The EPA presented the award at the third annual Communities in Action for Asthma-Friendly Environments National Asthma Forum May 1 in Washington, D.C.

Call for docents at UMMA

The award-winning U-M Museum of Art Docent Corps is seeking an increase in volunteers to coincide with the reopening in early 2009. Docents guide thousands of guests each year, offering tours of the museum to drop-in visitors and school groups. For more information contact Debbie Swartz at 647-0522 or dgswartz@umich.edu.

Web site launched for clinical, health research

The Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) has launched a new Web site at www.michr.umich.edu to make it easy for users to understand and access the services and opportunities available through MICHR. Since winning a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) grant last September from the National Institutes of Health, MICHR has transformed many existing campus programs including the former General Clinical Research Center, now called the Michigan Clinical Research Unit. The new Web site provides details about these and other MICHR CTSA programs, including Engage, clinical translation science, health disparities research and more.

Community learning program receives gift

The Geriatrics Center has received a $1 million gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation to support a community program for older adults. The gift will establish an endowment to sustain the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which offers a variety of educational opportunities for area residents in or near retirement. The endowment gift follows two years of annual $100,000 grants from the Osher Foundation to expand programming, staff, equipment and membership of the institute.