Grounds Department to begin removing abandoned bikes in April
The University of Michigan will begin tagging abandoned bicycles for removal on the Ann Arbor campus beginning April 3. The U-M Grounds Department will place brightly colored tags on bikes that show signs of abandonment, such as bent rims, rusted or broken chains, deteriorated tires or frozen brakes, cables or shifters. During the tagging process, each bike will be photographed and have its location, model, color, serial number or registration documented, if available. This information will be turned over to the U-M Police Department. Bicycle owners who may need to retrieve their bikes should contact the Grounds Department at 734-763-5539 or tinyurl.com/gkwg77d. The program launched last spring and removed 477 abandoned bicycles from campus. The collected bicycles that were in good condition were donated to Project Healthy Schools, a community-Michigan Medicine collaborative, to be refurbished and donated to Michigan schools. The remaining bikes were taken to Property Disposition or recycled as scrap metal.
U-M startup HistoSonics raises $8.3 million
A U-M startup that’s developing a non-invasive way to remove diseased tissue from cancer patients using high-intensity ultrasound has attracted $8.3 million in Series B financing. The investment will help advance clinical trials of HistoSonics’ Robotic Assisted Sonic Therapy — an innovative tissue-destruction technology targeted for liver cancer and other solid tumor applications. The therapy is based on the science of histotripsy, which uses pulsed sound energy for the precise destruction of targeted tissues. It was discovered and developed by leading scientists at U-M led by Charles Cain, Richard A. Auhll Professor of Engineering, professor of biomedical engineering, and of electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering. Cain has served as an adviser to the company. Funds will be used to support clinical studies and further development of a clinical system for the liver cancer application of its therapy.
Reminder: Voices of the Staff accepting applications for new members
Voices of the Staff, a volunteer-based program that gives staff members a forum for sharing ideas and defining the campus community issues that matter most, is accepting applications for new members this month. Voices of the Staff consists of six network teams, each with a specific area of focus, including career development, embracing change, ideal work experience, leveraging technology, work-life flexibility and diversity, equity and inclusion. Network teams are often called on to provide creative and effective staff input, develop resources and special events, and meet with key university leaders. Interested staff must apply for membership by March 31 at voices.umich.edu.
Michigan Medicine earns patient safety award
Michigan Medicine has earned the Economic Alliance for Michigan Hospital Patient Safety Excellence Award, which recognizes hospitals that consistently attain high marks and improvements in patient safety and quality of care. Only three hospitals statewide achieved the Excellence Award this year. Hospitals that receive the Excellence Award must report to The Leapfrog Group survey for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016) and maintain all A’s with Hospital Safety Grade in four consecutive grading terms.
— Compiled by Safiya Merchant, The University Record, and Elisse Rodriguez, Public Affairs
