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John Erwin, a widely known and highly regarded government affairs leader, who for 13 years has served as executive director of the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals, will join UMass Medical School in early January as vice chancellor for government relations, Chancellor Michael F. Collins has announced.

To learn more, click here.

Americans were taken aback by last year’s record-breaking flu season, which saw the highest number of deaths and hospitalizations from influenza in decades. As the new flu season arrives, many have questions about what to expect in the coming months.

Robert Finberg, MD, the Richard M. Haidack Professor of Medicine, chair and professor of medicine, researches how to better prevent and treat influenza. He answers some of the most frequently asked questions in this Expert’s Corner Q&A. To learn more, click here.

UMass Medical School has been selected as one of four recipients of the American Association of Medical Colleges Curricular Innovation Award for its Opioid Safe-prescribing Training Immersion (OSTI) program. To read more, click here.

UMass Medical School is launching the Voices of UMassMed podcast series that will examine the stories behind the pioneering science, health care and education at UMMS.

The first podcast will debut on Aug. 6, the first day of the new academic year, with an interview with Chancellor Michael F. Collins, in which he welcomes the Class of 2022, shares advice and stories from his own medical education, and touches on issues important to academic medicine such as diversity, immigration and the recent signing of the Life Science Bond Bill in Massachusetts. Each episode of Voices of UMassMed is produced by the Office of Communications. The series seeks to provide rich discussions with UMMS faculty so that listeners have the opportunity to learn about who they are and about their ongoing contributions to science, medicine, education and public service.

To learn more about the podcast and upcoming episodes, click here.

Understanding the differences between religion and culture, as well as how they work together to shape our experiences is important in developing an inclusive workplace. By learning more about others through cultural and religious sensitivity, we can better understand serve our own communities and workplaces. This event is hosted by the Interfaith Employee Resource Group. This will take place from 12:00pm -1:00pm at the University Campus, Worcester, S2-351 and 352 2nd floor.

To learn more about this event click here.

As part of the university’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency, UMMS has established a thirty year agreement to pay for up to 12 megawatts of solar-generated power from arrays being developed by First Wind, Major Energy, Greenhouse Solar and Hecate Solar in Massachusetts. The first of the three projects, a 2.5-megawatt facility in Palmer, started producing electricity in December. This commitment to sustainability is projected to save a third of its current energy costs, an equivalent of $715,000 annually.

To learn more about the initiative, click here.

Monday Mindfulness is a program that is part of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which has been implemented at UMASS since 1979, that provides instruction and opportunities for: reflection, mindfulness practice, dialogue, conceptual and experiential learning. Monday Mindfulness is held every Monday from 12:10-12:30 PM and you can even join from your desk.

To learn more, click here.

On July 12, 2018 from 12 PM to 1 PM the Language of Healthcare Employee Resource Group is offering the opportunity learn a few words in Spanish at the UMASS Medical School Worcester campus in the Faculty Conference Room. This service promotes the inclusion of people who speak multiple languages and will help to connect and engage the UMASS community. Max Grecchi, Education Director for Interpreter Services, will be there to help understand the context of when an interpreter is needed in a clinical setting. This event will also introduce other languages as well.

To learn more, click here.

Chancellor Michael F. Collins believes the nation should unite around the children separated from their parents at the United States’ border, calling for Americans to send nurses, physicians and mental health specialists as well as clothing and food to their aid, according to his June 22 op-ed in theWorcester Telegram & Gazette.

To learn more, click here.