BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ MEETINGS

Monday, October 12, 2015
Driscoll Alumni Center, Schmakel Room
10:30 a.m. Clinical Affairs Committee Meeting
1:00 p.m. Academic and Student Affairs Committee Meeting
2:00 p.m. Finance and Audit Committee Meeting
3:30 p.m. Trusteeship and Governance Committee Meeting

Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Driscoll Alumni Center, Board Room
5:30 p.m. Board of Trustees Social Dinner

Any questions may be directed to the University Communications Office by calling (419) 530-7832 or via email at jonathan.strunk@utoledo.edu.

To keep its employees and patients as healthy as possible, The University of Toledo is implementing a universal flu shot policy for those in the hospital, ambulatory services, off-site clinics and others whose duties or positions cause them to be in patient care areas.

The flu shot, which will be offered free of charge, is being required for all doctors, faculty, staff, students, health-care workers and volunteers. Flu shots are also being offered on Main Campus, where the immunization is not required but highly encouraged.

“We want to provide the best possible care for our patients and the safest working and learning environment for our employees and students,” said Ann Smith, UT director of infection and prevention. “The flu spreads easily so we would like to prevent that from happening. The goal is to protect our staff and faculty as well as our patient population.”

Smith said influenza is a respiratory infection that can lead to serious complications, especially for young children, older adults and those with certain medical conditions. Even if a UT employee doesn’t work directly with patients, he or she can help prevent the spread of disease by being immunized, Smith said.

Many national health advisory organizations, including the American Hospital Association, Infectious Disease Society of America and American College of Physicians, support mandatory influenza immunization for those in the health-care field. More far-reaching, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older be vaccinated each year.

“This is something that many of our staff are already receiving every year, which we appreciate,” Smith said. “With this change in policy, we intend to move to widespread compliance because it just takes one sick person to spread it to others.”

Getting the immunization is easy. By logging onto the Fluprep website at www.utoledo.edu/fluprep/, people can fill out the vaccine administration questionnaire in advance and take a look at the immunization schedule as well as fact sheets and other important information. If those affected by the new policy receive a flu shot outside of UT, they need to upload proof on the Fluprep website. Exemption requests, which are due by Nov. 15, can also be found at the same website. Those granted an exemption will be required to wear a mask during flu season, which runs Dec. 1 through March 31.

Dr. Carl Sirio, chief operating officer and chief medical and clinical officer for The University of Toledo Medical Center, said those on the Health Science Campus are beginning to embrace this new policy because employees understand the benefits of being vaccinated for the flu.

“We don’t want to make each other sick,” Sirio said. “This is the responsible thing to do for ourselves and for our patients because the flu virus is adaptable and hard to avoid.”

Smith said being immunized will just take a few seconds and is relatively painless.

“The flu shot does not cause someone to get sick with the flu, despite what some people claim. That is a misconception,” Smith said. “It might cause a little muscle pain or a general feeling of discomfort, illness or uneasiness, but it does not make someone sick with the flu.”

Flu shot information and calendar:

www.utoledo.edu/fluprep/

Media Coverage
The Blade (Oct. 5, 2015)
WTOL 11 (Oct. 12, 2015)
WTOL 11 (Oct. 14, 2015)

A research scientist at The University of Toledo is meeting with congressional leaders to advocate for an increase in biomedical research funding.

Sumit Bhattacharya, a post-doctoral fellow trainee, will be in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 7-8 representing the State of Ohio in the NAEVR (The National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research) Emerging Vision Scientists Program. He is one of 22 participants.

“A lot of biomedical researchers haven’t been able to do the kind of comprehensive research that is crucial for the advancement of science,” Bhattacharya said. “I plan to talk to Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur regarding the current crunch in research funding.”

Sumit Bhattacharya

His participation is crucial because Congress will be considering spending and authorizing bills that specifically address the issue of funding for early-stage investigators, according to Dr. David Giovannucci, professor of Neurosciences at UT and principal investigator overseeing Dr. Bhattacharya’s training.

“We are so proud that Sumit will be going to D.C. to speak on behalf of biomedical researchers,” Giovannucci said. “This is quite an honor as well as an opportunity to add his voice to a conversation that could help increase our case for more funding.”

The National Institutes of Health previously funded more than 30 percent of the grants applied for by junior faculty, but in recent years the number has decreased to only 10 percent due to reduction in federal funding.

Bhattacharya’s research in Giovannucci laboratory involves understanding the disease process and developing therapies to treat dry eye and dry mouth. A human drug trial to treat dry mouth is already planned.

“We are collaborating with physicians here at UT to conduct a human trial to reverse or prevent dry mouth. We want to test a compound that we have characterized,” he said.

Bhattacharya is also applying for federal funding for dry eye research. Dry eye commonly affects over 10 million people resulting in billions of dollars for health care costs each year. The majority of sufferers are women over the age of 40.

Bhattacharya was eligible to apply for the NAEVR Emerging Vision Scientists Program because he was previously funded for dry eye research through the Fight for Sight Foundation.

The University of Toledo will celebrate LGBTQA History Month with several events this month.

The Office of Multicultural Student Success, LGBTQA Initiatives and Spectrum UT are dedicated to serving the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and allied students.

“It is important to celebrate LGBT History Month because, like any other marginalized group, LGBT people’s history has been erased from popular media. It’s critical to know how LGBT people got to where we are today, with things such as marriage equality and representation in TV and film,” said Jack Alferio, president of Spectrum UT. 

“Although we have come very far since the Compton Cafeteria Riots, the event that is recognized as being the beginning of the LGBT rights movement, we still have a long way to go,” Alferio added. “The fact that LGBT people have not reached true liberation from oppression is why we continue to celebrate LGBT History Month each October.”

Listed by date, events scheduled to increase awareness for LGBTQA History Month include:

Thursday, Oct. 1
• “Learn the Facts,” 8 p.m., Student Union Room 2591.

Thursday, Oct. 8
• “Gender Spectrum,” 8 p.m., Student Union Room 2592.

Monday, Oct. 12
• LGBTQA History Month Celebration, 7 to 9 p.m., Student Union Ingman Room.

Tuesday, Oct. 13
• All Love Photo Shoot, 3 to 5 p.m., Student Union Room 2500. Free professional shoot that will provide prints to all participants.

Thursday, Oct. 15
• Spectrum Drag/Talent Show, 8 to 10 p.m., Rocky’s Attic in the Student Union.

Tuesday, Oct. 20
• Spectrum Hate Crimes Candlelight Vigil, 7 to 9 p.m., Student Union Steps.

Thursday, Oct. 22
• Spectrum Film Screening, “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” 8 p.m., Student Recreation Center Oak Room.

Monday, Oct. 26
• Cake Social, noon to 2:30 p.m., Student Union Room 2500.

Thursday, Oct. 29
• Keynote address by Katharine Blaque, who will talk about intersectionality and her experience as a black transgender woman, 8 p.m., Student Union Room 2591.

Friday, Oct. 30
• Spectrum UT Halloween Ball, 7 to 10 p.m., Student Recreation Center Oak Room.

Media Coverage
The Independent Collegian (Oct. 7, 2015)