Grateful patient praises Michigan Dentistry student
A patient who gets oral health care at the School of Dentistry is grateful dental student Brandon Churchman detected an irregular heartbeat during a routine blood pressure check. Churchman, a third-year dental student, also is a certified physician’s assistant and paramedic. During the blood pressure check in July, he discovered the patient, Jack Morris, 59, had an irregular heartbeat. Churchman walked with Morris to an electrocardiogram unit down a hallway. An EKG confirmed what Churchman suspected: atrial fibrillation. Morris was observed for two days at U-M Hospital prior to being discharged.
Open Enrollment for 2016 benefits going on now
Open Enrollment, when faculty, staff and retirees eligible for U-M benefits can make changes to their choices for 2016, now is underway. Changes may be submitted through Wolverine Access until 5 p.m. Nov. 6 and will take effect on Jan. 1. No action is required to continue current benefits, except for Flexible Spending Accounts. IRS rules do not allow FSA enrollments to carry over from year to year. Faculty and staff will need to enroll to participate in an FSA for 2016. New coverage options of up to eight times salary are available under the Optional Life Insurance plan for 2016, and the plan maximum will increase from $1 million to $1.5 million. Due to the expanded coverage, the university is providing a special allowance during Open Enrollment for eligible faculty and staff to enroll in Optional Life or increase coverage by a limited amount without having to submit a statement of good health for approval. A new $100,000 coverage option for a spouse or other qualified adult under the Dependent Life plan also is available. More information is available at hr.umich.edu/open-enrollment.
Institute for the Humanities accepting 2016-17 fellowship applications
The Institute for the Humanities is now accepting fellowship applications for the 2016-17 academic year for U-M tenured and tenure-track faculty and graduate students. Fellows are in residence at the Institute for the Humanities and attend a weekly fellows seminar for the entire academic year. For more information, go to tinyurl.com/pk3p8h7.
U-M Hospitals and Health Centers named among most connected hospitals
The U-M Hospitals and Health Centers have been named by U.S. News and World Report to the magazine’s Most Connected Hospitals list for 2015-16. The designation means UMHHC uses digital technology and electronic connectedness to improve satisfaction and treatment for patients.
School of Dentistry chosen as center to develop clinical applications
The School of Dentistry is one of 10 institutions in the country that has been selected by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to establish a center that will develop clinical applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine that have dental, oral and craniofacial tests. The Michigan Regenerative Medicine Resource Center will transform how future clinicians repair, reconstruct and regenerate dental, oral and craniofacial anomalies in patients due to injury or disease.
