Crain’s Detroit Business in its recent Health Care Heroes issue presented Dr. Jack Billi with an honorable mention for his Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT) trustee role. Billi led the creation of the CHRT, which aims to improve health care delivery to Michigan residents. He has served as either chairman or vice chairman of the board of trustees since the founding of the center, a research and policy partnership between the U-M Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Dr. Anna Lok, professor of internal medicine and Alice Lohrman Andrews Research Professor of Hepatology and director of clinical hepatology at the U-M Medical School, was honored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC Foundation and the Viral Hepatitis Action Coalition for her efforts to combat viral hepatitis. Lok partnered with Joan Block, executive director of the Hepatitis B Foundation, to raise awareness about student dismissals from or denials of admission to medical/dental schools because they suffer from chronic hepatitis B infections.
Patricia Abbott, associate professor in the School of Nursing, has been appointed to the World Health Organization’s eHealth Technical Advisory Group focusing on information and communication technologies for health. The appointment provides an opportunity to include nursing in an international dialogue dedicated to bettering and strengthening the use of health information technology in health and healthcare.
Tilly Shames, executive director of U-M Hillel, has won the 2013 Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award from Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Shames was honored for her work as a mentor and Jewish role model, for her commitment to diversity of views on Israel without compromising on the Hillel’s support of Israel, her work on intra-Jewish dialogue and her leadership.
Dr. Valerie P. Castle, chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and Ravitz Foundation Professor of Pediatrics, has been elected to serve as vice president of the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs for two years beginning in 2013, followed by two years as president, and then as past president for an additional two years.
Plant Building and Grounds Services recently earned recognition from The Simon Institute, which promotes best practices in the cleaning industry. PBGS received two Green Certified Programs of Merit for its work in the Chemistry Building and Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Building (FXB), and the Mark Reimers’ Cleaning For Health Award. PBGS staff member Rose Griffith won the Workloading Category award on behalf of the department and the university, and PBGS also was nominated in the Communications Category and Environmental Category. Staff winning Outstanding Cleaning Workers awards were Charisse Black, Zina Copeland, Jennifer Miller and Zvezdana (Star) Stankovic, for the Chemistry Building; and Veronica Christensen, Eric Galpin and Crescent LaPointe, FXB.
