Pulse

Volume5/1993_February10February 10, 1993 PULSE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER Walter Stevens Named Dean Of U Medical School Walter Stevens, Ph. D., professor of anatomy and associate dean for research at the University of Utah School of Medicine, has been appointed dean of the medical school, effective immediately. The Salt Lake City native, who has served on the Utah faculty since 1962, holds two degrees from the U, a doctorate in anatomy and a bachelor's degree in experimental biology. He also serves as research professor of pharmacology. " Dr. Stevens' dedicated service to the medical school spans more than 30 years. He is deeply committed to high quality medical research and training and has contributed to the development of both laboratory and classroom programs," said John M. Matsen, M. D., U vice president for health sciences. Stevens assumes responsibility for the school's research and education missions, while Matsen ( who earned his M. D. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles) will oversee decisions regarding clinical or patient care issues. Stevens' response to leadership needs at the medical school has brought him increased administrative responsibilities in recent years, according to Matsen. " He stepped in at critical times when his managerial talents were most needed- first as interim medical school dean and, later, as acting vice president for health sciences. We deeply appreciate Dr. Stevens' unusual and unselfish commitment to the Health Sciences Center," Matsen added. Stevens served as interim medical school dean from August 1988- July Walter Stevens 1991, and acting vice president for health sciences from July 1991 until Dr. Matsen filled that post Jan. 4, 1993. Stevens was principal investigator on a 10- year, $ 7 million study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute to determine if fallout from nuclear testing in Nevada during the 1950s was a causal factor in the incidence of leukemia and thyroid cancer among residents of southwest Utah, who lived downwind of the test site. The new dean's many University activities have included serving as chair of the Institutional Review Board and as deputy director of the Utah Regional Cancer Center, and membership on the Board of Scien-tific Advisors, the medical school's Admissions Committee, and the medical center's Clinical Research Center Advisory Committee. Registration Begins For Child Development Center Last Friday ( Feb. 5), marked the opening of registration for the University Hospital Child Development Center, located in the new John A. Moran Eye Center. All employees should have received an application with their check. If you did not receive one, you can pick up one at the Employee Service Center, room A009 ( east of the visitor elevators). The center, which is scheduled to open this summer, will accommodate 90 children ( 24 infants, 66 toddlers). Because of the size restriction, the selection process for eligible employees will follow this order: 1. Full- time University Hospital employees ( includes housestaff). 2. Part- time University Hospital employees. 3. Full- time School of Medicine employees. 4. Full- time health science employees. 5. Full- time ARUP employees. 6. Full- time University employees. 7. Part- time employees in order as listed in 3 through 7 and depending on available space. 8. Community Registration is NOT on a first- come, first- served basis. All applications will be accepted during a two- week period ( Feb. 5- 19) and categorized in areas 1 through 8. Applicants will receive notification from Human Resources by April 1. For more infomation contact LeAnn McGrath, x 1- 7832. Forget Candy And Perfumes- Buy Flowers For Your Valentine To Benefit UH Recreational therapists from 5 West and 5 East will be selling carnations on the bridge ( first floor), Feb. 11 and 12, from 11 a. m.- 2 p. m. and 3: 30- 5: 30 p. m. The carnations are $ 1 and include a special personal card for your valentine. Money raised from the sale of carnations will benefit 5 East and f West. Karen Duncan Information System Specialist Joins UH Nursing Staff Karen Duncan, R. N., M. S. N., is the new nursing information system specialist at University Hospital. Duncan will have several respon-sibilities, including representing the Department of Nursing Practice on various committees relating to computers or computer resources within the hospital. Second, and most importantly, she will be directly involved with the implementation of StatLAN, a computer network system which can retrieve information from a variety of sources and provide immediate patient information to nursing stations. For the past decade, Duncan has been an instructional nurse at Houston Community College. A native of Texas, she received her B. S. N, from the University of Texas, and later received her M. S. N, from the Univer-sity of North Carolina. When Edwin Grayum removed the lid from his stir- fry pan, the hot oil burst instantly into flames. " Like most people, I've learned what to do in fire situations, but in this case, I panicked. I lost my cool, the panic took over and my brain didn't work," he recalls. Grayum says he thought about pouring baking soda over the flames, but it was stored above the stove and the flames were too high, making it impossible to reach. So instead, he grabbed the flaming pan and ran for the door. Unfortunately, he only traveled a few steps before spilling hot oil on both hands. The oil caused second- and third- degree burns to his hands, with skin grafting required on his right hand. Today, just two weeks after the accident, Grayum participates in outpatient physical therapy every day at University Hospital to regain strength and agility in his hands. " If I would have used my head and been better prepared for some-thing like this, I could have prevented the accident from happening," Grayum says. " Sometimes it's not enough to know what to do. Staying cool is the important thing. All I had to do was put the lid back on, and I just couldn't remember that. My advice to people would be to better prepare their home or workplace for situations like this." According to the Burn Awareness Coalition, more than 2.5 million Americans- like Mr. Grayum- suffer burn injuries each year. And children account for 35 percent of all fire and burn injuries and deaths. University Hospital's Intermountain Regional Burn Center is promoting fire safety during National Burn Awareness Week, Feb. 7- 13. Throughout the week, a display will be set up near the hospital's main lobby, with brochures, fact sheets and other information about burn preven-tion. Also, Salt Lake County firefighters will be available during the week to answer questions and provide additional information. February Health Observances And Recognition Days 1- 28 American Heart Month 7 « 13 National Bum Awareness Week 14- 20 Cardiovascular And Pulmonary Technology Week w Printed on Recycled Paper Edwin Grayum participates in physical therapy in University Hospital's burn unit. The burns to his hands were the result of a kitchen fire, an accident he says " could have been prevented." Burn Awareness Week Focuses On Home Fire Preventio