AHS Alumni E-Newsletter

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NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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AHS master’s in health informatics now fully online
AHS’ Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences is now offering the Master of Science in health informatics entirely online. The program is one of only two online graduate HI degrees in the nation to be approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

“This is a program that has great value for healthcare industry professionals,” says Toby Tate, dean of the college. “As the industry continues to move toward paperless medical, financial and insurance records, it will take well-trained, knowledgeable professionals to create and maintain systems to store that information.”

Designed for working professionals looking to enhance their current careers or transition to new ones, the 45-semester-hour master’s degree can be completed in as few as 18 months. Online students are expected to take one course every eight weeks.

Blending a technical foundation with coursework covering current clinical trends, government regulations, and healthcare-specific best practices, the curriculum equips students with critical analytical and managerial expertise. AHS’ HI program was the first in the country to focus on managing the social and organizational issues that arise when a healthcare organization implements new technology.

Visit us at www.healthinformatics.uic.edu to learn more about the online MSHI program.

Three-time UI alumna honors UIC by Lighting the Flame
Among the newer traditions established by the University of Illinois Alumni Association, one of the most special is the Lighting of the Flame before each men’s basketball home game. During the ceremony, a distinguished alumnus or friend of the university carries a symbolic torch onto the UIC Pavilion floor to light a cauldron while the school song is sung.

On November 13, the torchbearer was one of our own alumnae, Donna Corriveau ’68. Dr. Corriveau is one of only five University of Illinois graduates to earn degrees from all three UI campuses. She received her BS in medical laboratory science (MLS) from our college, her MS in medical technology education from the University of Illinois at Springfield and her PhD in philosophy from the Urbana-Champaign campus. Dr. Corriveau also served AHS as a clinical instructor in MLS.

Nominate yourself or someone else to light the flame at a future ceremony by visiting UIAA online at www.uiaa.org/chicago/awards/lighting.html.

UIC kinesiology experts help us stay healthy in winter
If you live in or around Chicago, you may have seen some AHS experts in the news giving advice on how to enjoy a healthy winter.

The slip research of Mark Grabiner, professor and head of our Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, was the subject of a report that aired Dec. 20 on "ABC7 News at 10." Also featuring PhD candidate Karen Troy, the segment reported on the prospect of training people to prevent themselves from falling when they slip— a popular topic during icy Midwest winters. Read the story

On the same subject, Grabiner provided tips for "conquering slippery sidewalks" in Chicago Tribune columnist Julie Deardorff's Dec. 14 entry on her blog, "Julie's Health Club." Top tip: Watch where you’re stepping. It may sounds obvious, but often, slips happen when we didn’t see slick patch coming. Read the story

Jonathan Dugas, a post-doctoral research associate who studies temperature regulation and exercise performance, was quoted in a Jan. 10 Chicago Tribune article about cold-weather exercise. Does an outdoor workout in cold temperatures burn more calories than the same workout in warm weather? Dugas says no, our bodies just don’t get cold enough for it to make a difference. Read the story

Thinking about health in all seasons, associate professor emeritus Tom Sattler was profiled in the Jan. 11 Oak Brook Suburban Life newspaper. Sattler, inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame in March 2007 after teaching at UIC for more than 40 years, commented on how important it is for seniors to stay fit if they want to enjoy life more and pay less in healthcare expenses. The article prominently discussed his successful teaching career at UIC and his impact on students. Read the story

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EVENTS
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April 2: Pulitzer Prize winner Leon Dash to speak at AHS
In September 1994, a series of eight provocative stories appeared, one each day, in the Washington Post. The stories described in intimate detail the hardship, poverty and sorrow experienced by D.C. resident Rosa Lee Cunningham and her family. Through her story, journalist Leon Dash painted an alarming picture of the forces bearing down on disadvantaged minority families in our nation’s cities.

Dash won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism for the series and, based on the material, he went on to write a book, Rosa Lee: A Mother and Her Family in Urban America. On the evening of April 2, Dash will speak at AHS about his book and his experience with the Cunningham family.

Please save the date to come back to campus for this enlightening event. The lecture is presented by the AHS Urban Allied Health Academy, a leadership development program designed to enrich students’ understanding of, and skills for addressing, health issues particular to urban populations.

Date: Wednesday, April 2
Time: 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Location: UIC Student Center West, 828 S. Wolcott St.

Admission is free, but seating is limited. Please R.S.V.P. by March 26. To do so, or to ask questions or make access requests, contact Mara Levin at mlevin7@uic.edu or (312) 355-5295. Parking is available at the Wood Street Parking Structure (WSPS), 1100 S. Wood.

The lecture is presented by the AHS Urban Allied Health Academy, a leadership development program designed to enrich students’ understanding of, and skills for addressing, health issues particular to urban populations.

**PLUS** You’re invited to join the pre-event book group to discuss Dash’s book
Leon Dash’s appearance at UIC will cap off a five-week book group, also sponsored by the AHS Urban Allied Health Academy. The group will meet to discuss Dash’s book, Rosa Lee, on Tuesdays (Feb. 19 through Mar. 18) from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Participants need not attend every discussion.

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MAKE A GIFT
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Your support of the AHS Annual Fund makes a real difference
The AHS Annual Fund provides the college with current-use funds that Dean Toby Tate and department heads use for immediate program enhancements.

To give, please call Jon Santanni at (312) 413-9180, or visit us online at www.ahs.uic.edu/alum/support.php. Thank you for your generosity!

(i1), The AHS Alumni E-Newsletter is sent to college alumni and friends on a quarterly basis. Questions or comments? Send an email to advanceahs@uic.edu.
Office of Development | UIC College of Applied Health Sciences | 808 South Wood Street, 169 CME (MC 518) | Chicago, Illinois 60621 | (312) 996-6695