September 8, 2006

What's Happening

Senior HealthWISE events
The MGH Senior HealthWISE lecture series will host "Community Resources"
Sept. 14, from 11 am to noon in the Haber Conference Room. Ruth Grabel, MPH, of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, will discuss resources and activities for seniors available in the Boston area. Senior HealthWISE also will offer a "Fall Into Fitness" exercise session Sept. 20, from 11 am to 1 pm at The Clubs at Charles River Park. Lunch will be served. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call (617) 724-6756.

Share ideas for new simulation center
The Simulation Center Task Force will be hosting town meetings to gather suggestions from the MGH community for the new simulation education center. The meetings will be held Sept. 11, from 7 to 8 am in the O'Keeffe Auditorium; Sept. 13, from noon to 1 pm in the Haber Conference Room; and Sept. 21, from 4 to 5 pm in the Yawkey Center, Room 2210. The meetings are open to all. For more information, contact Andrea Beloff at abeloff@partners.org. To share suggestions for the simulation center, e-mail mghsimulation@partners.org.

Presentation on IRB issues
The MGH Clinical Research Program will offer "IRB Issues for the Bench and Desk Scientist" Sept. 13, from 4 to 5 pm in the O'Keeffe Auditorium. The presentation will be given by Elizabeth Hohmann, MD, chair and director of Partners IRB, and
will cover IRB exemptions, expedited reviews, waivers of consent and confidentiality precautions. To register, visit hub.partners.org. For more information, contact Lauren Michaels at (617) 726-5010 or lmichaels@partners.org.

Annual shift of earned time to extended sick leave
The annual shift of earned time (ET) to extended sick leave (ESL) for weekly MGH
employees will take place the week ending Sept. 23 with the new balances appearing in the last paycheck in September. Any ET in excess of the allowed annual maximum will automatically transfer into the employee's ESL account, provided the employee has less than the ESL account maximum balance. For more information about ET and ESL, visit is.partners.org/hr/ New_Web/mgh/index.htm, then select "Benefits"and then "Earned Time and Extended Sick Leave."

Partners Telemedicine symposium
Partners Telemedicine will host the symposium "Connected Health — Empowering Care Through Communications Technologies"Sept. 18 and 19 at the Conference Center at Harvard Medical School on Avenue Louis Pasteur. Interactive sessions, workshops and panel discussions will focus on the application of new health care communications technologies. MGH attendees are eligible for a $75 reduced rate. To receive the special rate, use the discount code "MGH" when registering. For more information or to register, visit www.telemedicine.partners.org or e-mail telemedevents@partners.org.

Orthopædic Ambulatory Surgery Center open house
The MGH Orthopædic Ambulatory Surgery Center will host a ribbon-cutting and open house Sept. 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at MassGeneral West in Waltham. Remarks will begin at 6 pm. Refreshments will be served.

Gaucher Disease education activities
In recognition of National Gaucher Disease Awareness Month, the MGH will offer a presentation by Henry Mankin, MD, who will discuss the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of Gaucher Disease for the primary care provider Sept. 14, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm in the Potts Conference Room. An information table about the disease also will be available in the Main Corridor Sept. 14, from 10 am to noon.

Fall 2006 medical terminology courses
MGH Workforce Training and Development now is offering Medical Terminology I and II classes. The level I class will begin Sept. 25 and the level II class will begin Sept. 27. The cost is $70 for the level I class and $50 for the level II class with the most recent textbook. All classes will be held at 165 Cambridge St., Suite 200.
To receive an application form e-mail mghtraining@partners.org or register online
in PeopleSoft at ibridge.partners.org/getaccess. For more information, call
(617) 724-3368.

Fall 2006 HR Course Offerings
MGH Training and Workforce Development has released the schedule for the Fall 2006 HR Course Offerings covering topics such as communication and writing skills, time and project management and understanding hospital finances. For a complete schedule, visit is.partners.org/hr/training/hr/training.html. Registration can be completed through PeopleSoft. For more information, e-mail ghtraining@partners.org or call Kevin Cotter at (617) 724-3368.

Sept. 11 remembrance services
Sept. 11 remembrance services will be held Sept. 11 at 9 am in the O'Keeffe Auditorium and at 12:15 pm in the MGH Chapel located on Ellison 1.