September 2022 Announcements
By Office of Communications & Marketing | Sep 1, 2022
Human Resources Releases new Downstate Also Receives Policy (ALR)
In conjunction with the State University New York (SUNY) Human Resources’ policy on Also Receives (ALR) that went into effect July 1, 2021, Downstate’s Department of Human Resources (DHR) is releasing its own policy and procedure on the administration of ALRs. This policy is meant to ensure we are complying with current SUNY guidance and strengthening our own internal administration of the process.
Please review the policy at 2022AlsoReceives.pdf (downstate.edu) for details that includes a link to SUNY’s policy for easy reference and relevant Downstate forms that are required for submissions.
The implementation of this policy also requires changes in the review and approval process for ALRs. Kindly note the following:
- Departments have been advised that employees are not to take on new duties until ALRs have been approved. We will continue limiting retroactive ALR compensation requests for approval to SUNY and/or Office of State Comptroller (OSC) because the institution must reduce the number of late transaction submissions to these agencies.
- There will be instances when ALR payments must be paid retroactively due to clinical duties starting before internal approval to ensure patient safety. Departments should still strive to ensure ALRs related to clinical duties (e.g., coverage, etc.) are scheduled in advance when possible.
- All requests for ALR compensation must be submitted to DHR’s classification and compensation team (Cepeda Johnson and Douglas Chin) once the paperwork has been approved by department leadership. It is critical these reviews happen before documents are sent to Finance (Campus or Hospital) for approval to ensure the level of effort and compensation are reasonable and commensurate with the duties outlined in the justification letter. DHR will follow up with the department if there are any questions. Once the ALR is approved by DHR, the package will be sent to Finance for budgetary review/approval and then on to the President’s Office for final approval.
- Approved packages are to be returned to DHR for processing at HRTransactions@downstate.edu. The department requesting the ALR will be copied on all communications.
Also, DHR will be will be conducting a review of existing ALRs and following up with departments to confirm the duties are still being performed. For ALRs that are going on for more than six months to a year, DHR will require departments to submit updated justification letters confirming the duties are still being performed.
If you have any questions about the ALR policy and/or changes to the ALR submission and review process, please contact Jamie Grecco, Senior Associate Vice President, or Cepeda Johnson, Assistant Vice President.
Highlighting our Dermatology Disparity Project
Most recently, our Dermatology division completed their fourth year of the Summer Disparity Project. This program, led by Edward Heilman, MD, FAAD, FCAP, is intended to increase representation of physicians from underrepresented backgrounds in the field of dermatology. One of the primary goals of this elective encourages diversity in Dermatology and the elimination of health care disparities that will promote outstanding academic excellence, leadership, and dedication to serving vulnerable or underserved populations.
This project provides motivated students from the College of Medicine with an opportunity to develop fundamental skills in clinical dermatology during a four-week period in the summer. Students participate in a wide range of clinical activities that provide a unique opportunity to focus on dermatologic conditions and disparities that disproportionately affects the skin, hair, and nails of individuals with skin of color.
Here are a few quotes from previous participants in the project:
“My favorite experience from the program was interacting and building social connections with the community and the providers. Each dermatology patient had a unique story, a unique background, and often times, a unique presentation for their disease.” - Nabil Mahmoud
“I really enjoyed serving the community of East Flatbush at Kings County Hospital and the clinic at Downstate. The most rewarding part of the program was receiving the early clinical exposure, which has made me feel more prepared for third year.” - Alexia Collins
“I’m truly grateful for this experience and to have this opportunity available for those underrepresented in dermatology. Programs like these are much more important than they seem, because many Latinas like me, may not even realize their potential in such a competitive field.” - Alejandra Moncayo
“I feel honored and thankful to have had this opportunity of being able to participate in this program. I gained so much more than I ever expected. This elective has impacted my personal and professional growth and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who has considered or showed interest in pursuing dermatology.” - Isaac Nyarko
“This elective was an amazing opportunity for an aspiring dermatologist. From the beginning of the program, I quickly became fully immersed into the academic and clinical experiences of the residents in the program.” - Kelita Waterton
“As a medical student, I have had the opportunity to shadow many physicians. However, what sets this elective apart from others is that it beautifully integrates clinical exposure with pathology and histology, to give a well-rounded perspective of what the field of dermatology encompasses.” - Ariana Moreno
Clarification of Survey for Individuals with Downstate Monthly Parking Privileges
If you currently have monthly parking privileges at any Downstate parking location managed through the Downstate Parking Office, you will receive an email during the week of September 12, 2022. It will include a personalized, one-time-use questionnaire link and will be sent to the email address that you provided on your current Monthly Parking portal account*. The questionnaire is very brief and should take no more than five minutes to complete.
The online questionnaire deadline is Friday, September 30, 2022. Computers in the library are available if you do not have access to a computer to respond to the questionnaire.
As planned campus development projects evolve over the next several years, the parking locations at 329 Clarkson Avenue, 355 Lenox Road, 711 Parkside Avenue, and 324 Winthrop Street will close. The first closure will occur at 329 Clarkson Avenue garage before the end of this year. However, those additional closures are anticipated to occur in 2023-2024. Further notifications will be provided as dates for the other closures become known.
The Downstate Parking Office will use responses from this questionnaire to reassign parkers to other locations as each location closes. Parking reassignments will be based on responses to this questionnaire, availability, and how long you have had monthly parking privileges. Depending upon your preferences submitted in your questionnaire response, you may be reassigned more than once as each parking location closes.
If we do not receive your questionnaire responses by the above deadline, you will risk losing your current monthly parking privileges. Therefore, it will be assumed that you no longer want monthly parking privileges at Downstate, AND should you decide later to utilize monthly parking in the future, you will then be required to contact the Parking Office to place your name on a parking waitlist as per the posted process and instructions on the Parking Office webpage (link).
*Login to Your Monthly Parking Portal (link). Forgot your password? Just follow the 'forgot password’ link on the login page to reset it.
If you have any questions, please send an email to ParkingSurvey@downstate.edu.
Dean Escallier Appointed to New CCNE Standards Committee
College of Nursing Dean Lori Escallier, Ph.D., R.N., was appointed to the newly- established Standards Committee of the Commission on
Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
The Standards Committee will review the criteria for evaluating baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. As part of its charge, the Standards Committee will seek input from the CCNE community, a process expected to take approximately 12 months.
This fall, the Standards Committee will issue a general Call for Comments, inviting all interested parties—institution and program administrators, faculty, practicing nurses, agency/organization representatives, employers, students, and alums — to suggest revisions to the accreditation standards.
One of only seven nurse leaders invited by CNNE to undertake and facilitate this critical review, Dr. Escallier is the only representative from New York State. She will help identify important questions central to today’s best practices in nursing education and help develop criteria for advancing excellence and scholarship in the profession.
Change to Entrance Screening Locations and Procedures
Effective September 3, 2022, screeners will no longer be available for screening at the following locations:
- 395 Lenox Road
- 450 Clarkson Avenue
However, all screening requirements remain in place for hospital employees. University Police will direct hospital employees for screening. Employees are required to screen and will not be granted access to the building if they do not. Below are the changes at the various entrances:
395 LENOX ROAD AND 450 CLARKSON AVENUE
- Effective September 3, 2022, screeners will no longer be present at these locations
- Hospital employees will be directed to screen at the WellScreen Machines—the machine that you are currently using for screening—located near University Police
- Visitors or patients will be directed to the appropriate entrances: 445 Lenox (visitors) or 470 Clarkson (Ambulatory patients and Emergency Department entrance)
- In the event a patient or visitor is in distress, University Police will take appropriate action to ensure the patient’s safety
REQUIRED HOSPITAL SCREENING LOCATION
445 LENOX: MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE HOSPITAL
- Patient Relations will staff this location from Monday to Friday (8 am to 4 pm). Screeners will staff all other hours
- Hospital employees must use the WellScreen machines before going from the lobby into the hospital
- All visitors must be screened before going from the lobby into the hospital
- Hospital staff at 440 Lenox, 711 Parkside, and 710 Parkside will continue with the current screening process in place
INDOOR MASK WEARING IS STILL MANDATORY
As a healthcare facility under New York State Department of Health guidelines, masks are required in hospitals, clinical sites, and satellite areas (e.g., 711 Parkside, etc.).
This requirement applies to ALL Hospital employees, patients, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, at all times, in common areas. In addition, masks are still required at Student & Employee Health Services, at any COVID surveillance testing site, and on all Downstate shuttles.
SUNY Pilot Telecommuting Policy Extended through December 31, 2022
SUNY has extended the Pilot Telecommuting Policy through December 31, 2022.
If you are an employee whose title has been identified as eligible to telecommute, please be advised that the SUNY Telecommuting Policy set to expire for UUP, CSEA, NYSCOPBA, and PBANYS on August 31, 2022, has been extended to December 31, 2022. Therefore, if you have an approved application, no further action is required on your part.
If you have not submitted your telecommuting application and would like to participate, please contact humanresources@downstate.edu for more information.
UUP Holiday Schedule: 2022-2023 Academic Year
The following dates are designated as holidays for the 2022-2023 academic year:
A Message from University Police Department
The University Police Department (UPD) wishes to remind the Downstate community of our commitment to safety. To ensure a safe and secure environment, we would like to remind the entire community to remain vigilant while navigating the campus and surrounding areas.
Safety is a shared responsibility for every member of our community. If you see, hear, or have an alarming experience on or near the campus, immediately call University Police directly at X-2626 or from a non-campus phones at (718) 270-2626. If you are off-campus, dial 911 for emergency assistance. Timely reporting can help prevent crimes or other incidents. Reports to UPD will always remain confidential.
We also encourage you to use the shuttle service whenever possible and refrain from using headphones or talking/texting on cellular devices during your commute.
395 Lenox Road Entrance Closure
REMINDER that the HSEB entrance at 395 Lenox Road remains temporarily closed until further notice while the exterior doors are replaced. Access to the HSEB will be through the Grove, as per the signage leading to the Grove.
COVID-19 scanning for entry remains in process. The doors to the Grove are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Please use the entrance at 450 Clarkson before and after these hours if you need access to the HSEB.
Please contact Anthony Piscopo, Facilities Program Coordinator, with questions at anthonypiscopo@downstate.edu, 718-270-4668, or 347-563-0983.
Downstate Medical Research Library of Brooklyn Accepting Submissions to SUNY’s Open Access Repository (SOAR)
The SUNY Downstate Medical Research Library of Brooklyn is now accepting submissions to SUNY’s Open Access Repository (SOAR). This presents an opportunity for Downstate researchers to share their publications with the wider community and raise the visibility of our institution. Our campus repository is part of, and supported by, SUNY’s ongoing dedication to advance access to scholarly and creative works.
In 2018, the SUNY Chancellor issued a memorandum charging all SUNY campuses with the development of two items:
- An Open Access(OA) policy.
- A scholarly repository to store any works created under open access.
Downstate adopted its open access policy in 2020.
SUNY has now launched their SUNY Open Access Repository (SOAR). It is indexed by Google, making its contents easily searched and retrievable by anyone in the world.
Downstate Library has been apportioned our own section of SOAR to collect our body of research into one aggregate area.
Submitting work to an institutional repository is fairly common today and is supported by many journals and publishers.
- 80% of journals allow for deposit in institutional repositories.
- All embargo periods and publisher agreements followed when work is submitted.
- Usage/view statistics recorded for each item.
- Items submitted have a permanent URL to use for CVs or reference.
- Representative body of work for researchers, departments and the institution in one location.
- Studies found repository submission can increase citation rates - even if originally published in an OA journal.
If you have any questions regarding submitting to SOAR, check out our libguide, or feel free to email me Gregg.Headrick@downstate.edu
Downstate Out & About
Downstate takes part in many community events making sure that we connect with our external stakeholders and friends. Staff participate in a variety of community events frequently. Here are some images from recnent events.
Lenox Road Baptist Church 150 Anniversary Community Health Fair and BBQ
Senator Zellnor Myrie Block Party at Wingate Park
Center: Senator Zellnor Myrie
East 37th Street Kids Fair and Community Day at Mt. Zion Church of God, 7th Day
Right: Assemblywoman Monique Chandler-Waterman
Upcoming Events
Diversity and Equity in Medicine (DEIM) Faculty Mixer
September 22, 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
1st Annual Community Healthy Lifestyle Fair
September 25, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Come join us for a day of fun and education at the Community Healthy Lifestyle Fair on Sunday, September 25, 2022. The event will take place at 445 Lenox Road from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The fair will have health screenings, community resources, children’s activities, giveaways, and much more. Feel free to print the attached flyers to provide to patients, family, and friends.
We are looking for volunteers to assist with the event, please e-mail UHDHealthFair@downstate.edu if you wish to be a part of the Community Healthy Lifestyle Fair.
Scan QR Codes in Flyer or click on links below for more information on the activities:
Health Screening - https://tapit.us/cPMnI9
Access to Resources - https://tapit.us/gZ7C4d
Face Painting - https://tapit.us/fRcxpt
2022 Walk to End Alzheimer's
Sunday, September 18, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Join Downstate at Cadman Plaza Park (directions) in Brooklyn on Sunday, September 18 at 10:00AM for the 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association/New York City Chapter.
It’s a great way to spend the day with family, friends, and colleagues and a fun way to build camaraderie, meet new people from all areas of the Downstate community, get some exercise, AND raise funds for an important cause. Every dollar helps the Alzheimer's Association provide care and support to those facing Alzheimer's, all other dementia, and other neurocognitive disorders. Our goal is to raise $30,000 for this year’s Walk!
Here at Downstate, learn about what our Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease is doing to fight Alzheimer’s by providing integrated, one-stop care for patients and caregivers.
To join Downstate or to support the event, visit: www.Bit.LY/SUNYDownstateALZ
FREE Zoom Discussion on Monkeypox!
Tuesday, September 20, 6:00 PM
Dr. Michael Augenbraun, Infectious Disease Specialist at SUNY Downstate will hold a discussion on Monkeypox on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at 6:00 PM.
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 897 7349 3289, Passcode: 059850
Third Annual SOHP Dean’s Lecture Series: “Using Data-driven Decision Making to Improve a Clinical Practice or Program”
September 2022 through May 2023
It is that time again! Please join Dean Allen Lewis for the new SOHP Dean’s Lecture Series on “Data-driven Decision Making (DDDM/aka Evaluation) to Improve a Clinical Practice or Program.” This will be the third annual SOHP Dean’s Lecture Series. As always, the series targets students in the SOHP AS WELL AS in each of the other four Downstate schools and colleges, and EVERYONE on campus including the hospital is welcome to attend.
The series will run September 2022 through May 2023 with one topic per month on the fourth Wednesday at 5pm via Zoom with alternative dates for November and December due to the winter holidays. The structure of each session will be the usual 30:30 format, which is 30 minutes of initial presentation followed by 30 minutes of discussion. We will have featured expert program evaluation discussants, Drs. Bonnie Granat (COM) and Kane Gillespie (OSVPAA) joining in.
Here are the session topics, dates, and Zoom links.
September 28, 2022: “Building a culture of DDDM in your practice/program”
Zoom Registration Link and QR Code below.
Why is this topic of DDDM important and timely now? First, Downstate has an upcoming Middle States accreditation onsite visit of which evaluation is an integral part. Secondly, healthcare providers in the 21st century must “do more within the same or fewer resources” due to multiple source accountability pressures, limited and uncertain funding, and increasing demands for services. Routinely engaging in DDDM is the best way to know what works and what does not within a clinical practice or program to eliminate wasting efforts and resources on non-efficacious interventions.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE LECTURE SERIES!
You're Invited to Bicycling in NYC!
Tuesday, September 6, 5:30 PM
All are Welcome!
The Students Center is hosting a virtual event on September 6 at 5:30pm with our sponsors below. If you ride a bike to campus or just around Brooklyn for fun, this presentation will have some very useful information for you.
New Bicycling in NYC - brought to you in partnership with 511 Rideshare, Bike New York and the New York City Department of Transportation’s Safety Education team. Our Bicycling in NYC webinar includes Intermediate rider tips, bike route planning, e-bike updates, bike share, & safety, best borough bike rides, accessing NYS bike trails, rideshare, transit & bike buddies, & Clean Air NY Advocacy Program.
Date/Time: Tuesday, September 6 at 5:30 PM
For more information, please contact Adam Burgman at ext. 3293.
News Reel
Check back for latest Downstate news!
What’s Happening in September
Calendar of September observances, celebrations, and recognitions!
Check back for regular updates to this page!
* New information highlighted in yellow *