News from UC Davis Health

There’s a Blizzard in the forecast. Visit any DQ in the Greater Sacramento area on Thursday, Oct. 28 and a portion of your Blizzard purchase will support pediatric patients treated at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

New study results show compliance with smoke- and tobacco-free policies on college campuses could be more effective with the rollout of a Tobacco Tracker that can also influence behavior and attitudes.

Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias affect both the person with the disease and the family and friends who support them. This free half-day workshop will provide caregivers with information and resources to help them navigate the complex journey.

UC Davis Health faculty members Diana Farmer and Edgardo Salcedo were among a group of esteemed surgical educators inducted into the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators. 

UC Davis Health announces a large-scale expansion in Folsom that offers a prime location to deliver wellness, community, convenience and excellent care for patients. Also in the works is a first-in-the-world “Community for Health and Independence” development to promote healthy aging.

A volunteer-driven effort led by the UC Davis School of Medicine to vaccinate people in medically underserved communities against COVID-19 has resulted in hundreds of shots administered across Sacramento County. They’ve been given in grocery stores, apartment complexes and a farmers market.

In a recent interview, Ruth Shim shared her vision for the Office of Student and Resident Diversity, definitions of diversity, equity, and justice, and how society can address microaggressions.

Ulfat Shaikh, medical director of health care quality and professor of pediatrics at UC Davis Health, has been elected chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (COQIPS). 

A new study from the Violence Prevention Research Program finds that California’s Gun Violence Restraining Order law has been hampered by a lack of funding to support local implementation efforts, leading to inconsistent practices and confusion.

STARS, a school-based telehealth program serving children with physical disabilities living in rural Northern California, provides an experience and quality of care that is similar to in-person patient visits. It may also save an average of $100 per visit.

The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing has received the 2021 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. The school is one of only 50 health professions colleges and universities in the nation honored for its outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The 7^th annual Crush Challenge returned this year to vineyard-lined avenues in the Napa Valley as bicyclists helped raise money for UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and its research into non-toxic treatments for blood cancers.

The Pediatric Press newsletter communicates news and developments within the Children's Hospital. The goal is to connect and unite faculty and staff and provide information to employees at UC Davis Health and the general public.

The intestinal rehabilitation program at UC Davis Health works with young patients like Everley Saelee to ensure they get the nutrition needed for growth and development. The program also helps promote growth and adaptation in the remaining intestine.

The owners of Shingle Springs Subaru, inspired by their daughter’s successful cancer treatment at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, donated $82,671 through the Share the Love Event to Lor Randall’s research in sarcoma in adolescents and young adults.

New UC Davis MIND Institute research suggests that developmental screenings conducted via telehealth could help bridge the gap between parents’ questions about autism and an eventual diagnosis for some infants. The goal is earlier support for families. 

A new support group at the UC Davis MIND Institute is designed for neurodivergent girls and nonbinary teens who have autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, obsessive compulsive disorder and more. NeuroTeens is a free, virtual group that offers social connection.

UC Davis Health is leading the way in making sure that every day, every older adult receives age-friendly health care. The UC Davis Medical Center Emergency Department puts principles into practice to benefit patients.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That’s just what Kaileia Boudinot of Elk Grove did one summer morning when she decided kids treated at UC Davis Children’s Hospital needed some help … and some hope.

Kurt Schaberg, an assistant professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, has been named one of the Top Six of the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s 40 under Forty honorees for 2021. Schaberg’s educational pathology website, Kurt’s Notes, has followers from 147 countries.

In a recent interview, Jorge A. García shared his approach to DEI leadership, his vision for the Office of Student and Resident Diversity and what inspired him to become a professor.

The director of the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities has received two national awards for his work promoting Latino health equity through his research on drug abuse and access to care.

For the first time, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis is offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice — Family Nurse Practitioner (D.N.P.-F.N.P.) Degree, delivered in a hybrid format, including online coursework and in-person experiences. The first class enters in June 2022.

UC Davis Health Department of Surgery, Cardiac Division has been designated as a training center for the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Foundation’s Cardiac Surgical Robotics Program, the first such center in California and just the sixth in the United States.

UC Davis Health‘s CIRCLE Clinic has received a $2.55 million gift from longtime foster youth care champions Dale and Katy Carlsen. In partnership with Sacramento County, the first-of-its-kind clinic provides trauma-informed comprehensive health services to Sacramento youth in foster care.

The American Academy of Nursing has inducted its new fellows. Among the 225 inductees are two nurse leaders who have ties to the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis.

UC Davis Health has again been recognized as a level 9 out of a possible 10 in the 2021 Digital Health “Most Wired” program from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).

The MIND Institute’s David Hessl has been awarded a $431,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study a new app-based tool to measure ADHD symptoms and other behavioral challenges in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions. The generosity of a MIND Institute patient’s family enabled him to develop the tool.

We asked Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, for his advice on how we can keep ourselves safe and healthy through the impending “twindemic” of COVID and flu season.

New research from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program finds that legal handgun purchasers with a history of alcohol charges, such as DUIs, have more than twice the risk of suicide. Access to firearms is a strong risk factor for suicide.

A “mammovan” will be dispatched to rural areas as part of new breast cancer initiatives spearheaded by the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. It is all part of an effort to improve breast health and cancer prevention along with early detection in underserved communities.

Professor Piri Ackerman-Barger is among the distinguished nurse educators inducted into the prestigious National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education. She consults nationally on strategies to help underrepresented groups in health professions thrive academically.

The UC Davis Comprehensive Stroke Center has received the 2021 Get With The Guidelines - Stroke Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for following guidelines known to improve outcomes and quality-of-life for stroke patients. 

The new radiology chair was on a mission to detect breast cancer early in women so it can be found in time, and then suddenly faced her own breast cancer diagnosis. Fortunately, she only had to turn to colleagues for her treatment.

The National Institute on Aging is funding a UC Davis Health study designed to understand how early life health and behavior impact risk of cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

The UC Davis MIND Institute Child Life Program is hosting a drive-through trunk-or-treat Oct. 22. The safe fall festival will feature costumed volunteers handing out candy and toys to families who remain in their cars. Decorated vehicles will also be on display. It is free and open to the public. 

The UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center turns 30 this year. Although scientists still do not fully understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease, much has been learned during the past three decades about the complex factors that can lead to dementia.

After 30 days of hospitalization, volunteer firefighter Richard Gerety received a hero’s homecoming after being discharged from UC Davis Medical Center today.  

When a blood clot blocked blood flow and caused severe swelling in baby Mateo, he was diagnosed with superior vena cava syndrome. He was transferred to UC Davis Health. Frank Ing performed a cardiac catheterization, which made all the difference.

The UC Davis School of Medicine is partnering with drug developers and funding agencies to find and test potential therapies and vaccines to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

UC Davis Health is marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month by offering free mammograms to uninsured women in the community who are 40 and older and have no current symptoms.

Western Health Advantage gift establishes the first endowed professorship at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Health. The investment affirms the shared vision of healthy communities.

UC Davis Health encourages patients to take advantage of the availability of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 booster shots after the CDC recommends third doses of the vaccine for certain individuals.

The 9th annual Duck Dash will take place virtually on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 9 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

The UC Davis Pediatric Heart Center's Pediatric Echocardiography Laboratory this month has been re-accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) in pediatric transthoracic, pediatric transesophageal and fetal echocardiography.

The National Cancer Institute renewed the “comprehensive” designation of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center in recognition of its breadth and depth in cancer research, clinical care, cancer control and population sciences.

A UC Davis Health study suggests that unusual visual inspection of objects may precede the development of the social symptoms characteristic of autism syndrome disorder.

UC Davis Health began administering third Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to patients at its area clinics and to employees on the medical campus, following recommendations by the CDC.

Halloween décor and costume purchases at eight area stores help raise money for UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Spirit Halloween’s Spirit of Children Foundation supports programs that help minimize the anxiety of hospitalization.

The American Cancer Society’s 25th Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk is on Oct. 17 at the west steps of the California State Capitol. Staff will be on hand at the UC Davis Health “Return to Screening” booth to talk about the importance of breast cancer screenings and why delaying care during the COVID pandemic could put your health at risk.

93% of UC Davis Health employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, just weeks after a new University of California vaccine mandate kicked in. The health system is a leader in vaccine compliance, ahead of a new state mandate for health care workers that takes effect Sept. 30.

As part of Sacramento’s Wide Open Walls, artist Ana Valentine paints a mural at the UC Davis Health Comprehensive Cancer Center

Martin Cadeiras, Javier E. López and Nipavan Chiamvimonvat are co-principal investigators for a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to take a precision medicine approach to evaluate patients with a poorly understood form of heart failure.

UC President Michael Drake was at the UC Davis Health campus to help induct the new presidential chair in vitreoretinal science. The inaugural appointment of world-renowned physician Paul A. Sieving was held Sept. 17 with recognition of Neil and MJ Kelly and their generous donation that established the Kelly Presidential Chair in Vitreoretinal Science.

Hospitalized Caldor firefighter gets a visit from fellow firefighters before being presented with a check for $1,500 by the Firefighters Burn Institute executive director.

This month’s Point of Pride Award was given to Clifford Johnson from the Environmental Services team for his quick response to a patient in need that resulted in life-saving care.

Veronica Ahumada joined UC Davis Health this year and brought her expertise in health informatics and human-robot interaction to the UC Davis Center for Health and Technology. She will be growing her research through two exciting grant-funded projects involving robots.

A partnership between the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and Rolling Oaks, a senior independent living community of the Volunteers of America, earns a national award for innovative program while preparing future nurses for community health.

Prep Médico – short for “Preparando Estudiantes Para Ser Médicos,” or “Preparing Students to Be Physicians” – is an initiative dedicated to building the next generation of physicians committed to advancing Latino health.

Micaela Godzich, associate clinical professor and associate residency program director with Family and Community Medicine, and Véronique Taché, associate professor and residency program director with Obstetrics and Gynecology, have been honored with a 2021 American Medical Association Women Physicians Section Inspiration Award.

The graduating physician assistant (P.A.) class at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing gathered to recite the Physician Assistant Professional Oath before they prepare to take their licensing exam and enter into practice.

The Accelerated Access Unit at UC Davis Medical Center receives national recognition for the collective achievements and contributions of the nursing staff of the medical-surgical unit.

MRI results confirmed that Scarlett Hershey had panhypopituitarism, a rare condition in which the pituitary gland stops producing all or most hormones. Internationally, there are 4.2 cases of panhypopituitarism per 100,000 people per year. 

COVID-19 testing has become widely available, with free community PCR testing and over-the-counter antigen tests you can purchase to take at home. But which type of test should you use and when? And if you are vaccinated, do you need to be testing at all? Two UC Davis Health experts offer updates and advice.

UC Davis School of Medicine will receive funds set aside but no longer needed to settle a class-action lawsuit against Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. The award will fund projects focused on women of color and in underserved communities.

For the second year in a row, students have entered the UC Davis School of Medicine during a global pandemic. For many, the decision to be doctors was influenced by inequities they observed first-hand during the pandemic.

Last August, Kyle Benton was in a terrible longboarding accident and was transported to the UC Davis Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. His injuries included a traumatic brain injury, broken vertebrae and a blood clot in the brain. He would spend 43 days hospitalized, fighting for survival. This is his story.

This October, UC Davis Health is partnering with Love to Ride to encourage cyclists and non-cyclists alike to go for a bike ride and participate in fun activities throughout “Biketober” month.

The recently adopted California state budget includes $3.4 million for the UC Davis School of Medicine to grow its Rural PRIME program and create a new pathway to train students to address health needs of Native Americans.

Luis G. Carvajal-Carmona, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, has been selected as a fellow for the third cohort of the Presidential Leadership Academy by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

UC Davis Health Cardiologist Nayereh Pezeshkian discusses COVID-19, its impact on the heart, and the rare risk of developing heart complications after a COVID-19 vaccine.

The UC Davis Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department is launching a new virtual support group for children and adolescents ages 6 to 17 who have a parent or caregiver with a serious illness.

The UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research received a $7.5 million grant from California Department of Public Health to plan, implement and evaluate the Healthy Living Clinic Initiative, a program with around 40 community clinics to boost tobacco-use cessation in California.

The annual student-run Coalition for Health Equity 2021 conference will focus on the role of the pandemic on marginalized communities, including vaccine hesitancy.

A new study proves that breast density can lead to breast cancer in women 75 and older. Strong evidence indicates life expectancy should be included in risk prediction models to help identify women who may benefit most from continued mammography.

In a Q&A, Pediatrician Nicole Glaser discusses the causes, symptoms and treatment of DKA in children with Type I diabetes.

Professors David Segal and Deborah Lieu have received Discovery Stage Research Projects awards from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The grants will fund cell gene therapy for Angelman syndrome and building the first biopacemaker

A study from Jennifer Whistler and her team at the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience contradicts existing thinking about how opioid drugs cause tolerance and respiratory depression, and suggests a new approach to developing safer analgesics.

Retired NFL linebacker Chris Draft, who lost his wife to lung cancer, presented white ribbon plaques to UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center in recognition of the advancements being made to save lives from the deadliest of cancers.

Alex Villegas didn’t think he had what it takes to get into medical school, but an unexpected conversation with his boss prompted him to think otherwise. Villegas is now a first-year medical student at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

UC Davis set a new record for external research funding, receiving $968 million in awards in the fiscal year 2020-21. The School of Medicine received the largest increase in funding, up 33% from the previous year.

New evidence shows that length of time from spinal cord injury to surgery improves outcomes. For 29-year-old Jasminder Singh, the quick reaction of UC Davis Health surgeons made all the difference.

The annual Crush Challenge, raising money for research into innovative, cancer treatments, is back for a 7^th year and includes a cycling excursion through the Napa Valley along with food and wine events on Oct. 9.

A new UC Davis study shows how using telehealth and technology during the pandemic, together with bilingual/bicultural outreach, increased hepatitis B screenings of underserved populations and will likely save lives.

Kids are returning to the classroom after more than a year of remote learning. Pediatric ophthalmologist Marcela Maria Estrada discusses the impact of the pandemic on kids’ eye health and offers tips for healthy eyesight, no matter what your age!

For more than seven years, UC Davis Health experts Travis Tollefson and Christina Roth have partnered with UC Santa Cruz researchers to provide feedback and testing of SpokeIt, a UC Santa Cruz-developed game. SpokeIt provides a tool that incentivizes children to improve their speech. 

UC Davis experts Dean Blumberg and Lena van der List will be answering questions in a virtual Q&A session, “COVID-19 and Children: Vaccines and Back to School,” on Monday, Aug. 30 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke can affect lung health, particularly for those with asthma and other respiratory conditions. UC Davis Health experts have some tips for protecting yourself when it’s smoky outside.

A recently released study by UC Davis Health researchers reviews the incidence of COVID-19 illness among health care workers and documents the dramatic reductions in illness after vaccines were administered.

The UC Davis Hospice Program and UC Davis Children's Hospital will offer a free eight-week Young Adult Bereavement Art Group for individuals ages 17 to 24 who are coping with the recent loss of a loved one.

UC Davis Health family medicine physician Marcia Faustin was thrust into the global stage at the Olympic Games in Tokyo when she provided care to Simon Biles after the elite gymnast withdrew from competitions citing mental health issues.

Rules Committee Chairman Rep. Jim McGovern and Rep. John Garamendi visited UC Davis to learn about its efforts to solve challenges of health and hunger. They met with experts including UC Davis Health Executive Chef Santana Diaz.

With smoke from fires burning across California and the West drifting into the Sacramento area, air quality in the region has become variable, and may move into unhealthy categories.

UC Davis Medical Center has received the Primary Heart Attack Center from the Joint Commission for its devotion to consistent, organized and quality care for patients with ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) -commonly known as heart attack.

As kids head back to full-day, in-person school for the first time in over a year, things will look different. The transition is challenging for many students, particularly those with neurodevelopmental conditions. MIND Institute experts have some tips to help.

Patients whose immune systems are compromised are at higher risk of complications from COVID-19. Now UC Davis Health is offering a protective third shot to immunocompromised patients who received initial doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Here’s who qualifies for the “booster.”

UC Davis Health has chosen 60 people to participate in a clinical trial to determine if a Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot is necessary, safe and effective. The participants are among 225 who signed up more than a year ago for the clinical trial that led to the FDA Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer vaccine.

A new study suggests that eating food rich in saturated fat and choline increases metabolites that build plaques in the arteries. It also points to a possible drug that may block the negative effects of the high-fat diet.

After seeing the lowest number of COVID-19 patients for the year in June, the Emergency Department at UC Davis Medical Center saw the highest number for the year during the first week in August. Physicians report the majority of people seeking treatment are unvaccinated. They are also younger.

The UC Davis MIND Institute recently held its annual Summer Institute on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, a learning program that brings together experts, advocates, caregivers and families. This year’s virtual event highlighted strategies for improving mental health.

Free sunscreen stations, provided by UC Davis Health, make it easy to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of being outdoors while protecting skin and preventing cancer.

UC Davis faculty with cancer don’t have to go far to get care. A leading national expert on COVID-19 who was diagnosed with colon cancer at the height of the pandemic is back on the job quickly after robotic surgery is performed by his peer.

Saul Torres skipped the COVID-19 vaccine because he didn’t believe in it, but then he was hospitalized with complications prompted by the virus. Now he’s urging everyone to get the shot.

In accordance with a California Department of Public Health order, UC Davis Medical Center will require visitors to present either proof of vaccination or, for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals, documentation of a recent negative COVID-19 test.

UC Davis Medical Center has received the Platinum Level ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). UC Davis’ Extracorporeal Life Support Program provides vital support for failing organ systems in infants, children and adults.

New study by School of Medicine faculty members confirms the importance of pre-med Postbaccalaureate programs to better prepare medical school applicants. The programs are also known to increase diversity of applicants from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds.

The UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center teamed up with UCLA Health to launch Learn & Lounge during the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual monthly meetup for adolescent and young adult cancer patients and survivors.

Recently reopened to patients, visitors and employees, the gift shop in the Pavilion of UC Davis Medical Center provides more than just flowers and balloons. For people like Samantha Torrence and her son in the PICU, it offers inspiration.

Some UC Davis Medical Center patients are in the hospital for months or years after being medically cleared for discharge. Care facilities more appropriate to their needs can’t or won’t accept them, leaving UC Davis with fewer beds for patients with acute health care needs.

A young entrepreneur was invited to sell her Girls BBQ product at Ace Hardware this month. A portion of sales will benefit UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

Mark J. Mannis, professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, has been named president-elect of the California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (CAEPS). 

The Sacramento area is seeing more cases of COVID-19 and the highly contagious Delta variant. What does this mean for students who are slated to be back on campus, especially those too young to be vaccinated?

UC Davis Health recognized 52 doctors who received high scores from patients through the HCAHP survey with the Diamond Doc Award

In recognition of its exceptional patient loyalty ratings, UC Davis Health was named to the 2021 NRC Health Top 100 Consumer Loyalty Award list.

Firearm injuries are among the leading causes of death for children and adolescents in the U.S., but a new study finds two-thirds of firearm-owning adults in California who live with children do not store their guns safely, locked up and unloaded.

The UC Davis School of Medicine officially welcomed 132 first-year students wearing their white coats and blue face masks to an in-person, pandemic-era induction ceremony that was void of guests but full of tributes to family members.

A UC Davis Health study published in JAMA found a 68% increase in overdose events and a doubling of mental health crises among patients who were on stable opioid therapy but saw their doses tapered.

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) has published its latest position statement, affirming its commitment to gender equality and health equity, and providing guidelines on infant feeding, lactation-related language and gender.