As health care professionals, we face complex ethical problems in our work. How do we prioritize limited resources, design research, reach out to our communities, address gaps in health outcomes, or ensure access and equity to care?
The Center for Bioethics offers many virtual events that address these questions, as well as expertise and leadership in bioethics research and scholarship, education, community engagement, and ethics support services.
I invite you to learn more and engage with timely ethics topics at these upcoming free virtual events:
- Sept. 20: Unpacking Bedside Bioethics: The True Role of Autonomy in Medicine
- Sept. 23: Not Equivalent, But Better: Human Rights and Health Care Behind Bars in the Time of COVID
As we develop our health care workforce, it is a key responsibility to train our students to provide compassionate and fair clinical care that respects the dignity of patients and the professionals who care for them; that we promote population health while being socially responsible and worthy of trust; and that we advance health equity and the right of all people to the highest attainable standard of health.
Driving Innovation and Discovery
2022 IEM Annual Conference
The Sept. 27 Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM) Conference at McNamara Alumni Center features plenary talks by University leaders followed by four breakout sessions led by IEM’s pillars—Strategic Research Initiatives, Professional Education and Outreach, Inspire, and Innovation—and a Student Career Development session. The conference is free, however registration is required.
Microbiome and Cancer Symposium
The Masonic Cancer Center’s Microbiome and Cancer Symposium on Sept. 23 showcases the exciting research at the intersection of the microbiome and cancer at the University, highlights potential new opportunities, and sparks synergies between researchers across relevant fields of expertise. The event is intended for University researchers, scientists, and clinicians working in the cancer research field who are interested in adding microbiome investigation to their research portfolio as well as microbiome researchers interested in leveraging their cancer research skills.
Advancing Interprofessional Education and Training
Itasca Ecohealth Experience
The Itasca Ecohealth IPE Experience: Exploring Sustainability through Collaboration is an intensive, fun weekend-long retreat at the Itasca Biological Station. The experience provides a collaborative learning opportunity for health sciences students, situated in a Minnesota state park to foster appreciation for ecohealth principles and geopolitical considerations in health. Applications due Sept. 23.
Minnesota-Based Global Health Course Offers Intensive Training for Clinicians in Partnership with M Simulation
M Simulation plays a key role in emulating clinical scenarios commonly seen in resource-limited settings. As part of a global health course providing intensive training for physicians, medical students, residents, fellows, and other health care providers who serve global mobile populations, such as immigrants, refugees or international travelers, M Simulation staff also set up procedural tasks such as starting an IV, draining an abscess, and other challenges clinicians may face in recognizing and treating tropical infections illnesses and other diseases in low-resource settings.
Students: What Do You Enjoy Most About Interprofessional Activities?
“Interprofessional activities enhance our learning and training at the University of Minnesota by ensuring we can work together in a collaborative environment to reach a common goal: putting the patients' needs first. Ultimately, it is important to be able to understand how to navigate different personalities and build and foster relationships between interprofessional teams.” - Victoria Anderson, MPH/MHA Candidate
Interprofessional Capstone Brings Occupational Therapy to DDS Learners
An occupational therapy student is using her capstone project to improve the health and wellbeing of dental students at the U of M. The capstone project consists of creating an educational program to teach dental students about proper body positioning, as well as stretches and exercises that can help encourage strength and reduce pain. The program will be implemented with a group of students, measuring their positioning before and after engaging with the program.
Partnering with Communities
Changing Health Care One Neighbor at a Time
The social determinants of health—the conditions in which a person lives, learns, works, and plays—account for 80 percent of health outcomes, but they’re almost never used in medical care. David Haynes, PhD, assistant professor in the Institute of Health Informatics, is dedicated to changing that. The health geographer is creating a mobile app that better connects patients to social services near them, while integrating key information about a patient’s social determinants of health into their electronic health record.
U Wide Events and Opportunities
Health Sector Leaders Consortium
This Sept. 20 event brings together industry leaders who are disrupting the status quo of business in health care. Presenters will highlight current industry trends and examine opportunities for innovation and collaborative engagement across sectors. This seminar will lay the groundwork for attendees to learn more about the most pressing issues in health care and consider novel solutions to address value, access, and health equity.
Trauma Informed Leadership
Join the next M Health Fairview System Grand Rounds session Sept. 21 for a presentation led by Sandra L. Bloom, MD, associate professor, Health Management and Policy at the Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University; co-chair, The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice.
Hennepin-University Partnership Fall Mixer
University faculty and PhD students are invited to the Fall 2022 Mixer hosted by the Hennepin-University Partnership. This is an opportunity to develop a proposal for a $50,000 grant to conduct research in support of Hennepin County's Guaranteed Basic Income pilot. The mixer will be held Sept. 29 at the Humphrey School. Register now.
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