Campus roundup

KU MEDICAL CENTER/KU HOSPITAL: Cardiologists and heart surgeons at KU Hospital have raised more than $2 million to begin an endowment to support the hospital’s heart program. They predict the endowment quickly will grow to $10 million with additional philanthropic support from patients and the community.

Using the slogan “Advancing the future of heart care … together,” the physicians of the hospital-owned practices of Mid-America Cardiology and MidAmerica Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons contributed $2.125 million over the past 10 years to establish the endowment, designed to maintain the program’s leadership in the area. It is the only heart program in the Kansas City area or in the sate of Kansas to be listed in U.S. News and World Report’s top hospitals list. It is ranked 39th in the country for heart and heart surgery, primarily because of is low mortality rate.

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-WICHITA: A group of students competed against those from medical schools from across the country in a contest that encouraged interprofessional education and cooperation among students in various health professions. The CLARION competition presented the scenario of a Hispanic mother struggling to get care for her 3-year-old son and facing communication barriers. The team made a 30-minute analysis of the case with recommendations for system changes.

“Our presentation was praised time and again for being so polished and professional, especially considering we were the only rookies at the competition this year,” said Neil Kumar, a team adviser.