University Times

UPMC has received the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for ventricular assist device (VAD) support for destination therapy, which is heart support for patients with end-stage heart disease who are not candidates for heart transplantation. Previously, VADs primarily were used as a bridge to heart transplant, but as clinical experience has demonstrated, they have […]

People with severe, chronic heartburn that does not respond to medication have a new surgical treatment option at UPMC that does not require any incisions. Heartburn, which also is known as acid reflux disease, is a condition in which acid from the stomach creeps up into the esophagus and causes a burning sensation in the […]

Flu shots will be provided on various dates through Nov. 25 at select Pittsburgh campus locations and at Falk Pharmacy. Pitt faculty and staff with UPMC Health Plan coverage can receive a flu shot at no out-of-pocket cost; however, they must show their valid University and UPMC Health Plan ID cards. The claim for the […]

University administrators are asking for budget cuts from unit leaders as they brace for a reduction in Pitt’s state appropriation. In the wake of a decision by Gov. Edward G. Rendell to withhold some $7.25 million (4.25 percent of Pitt’s current appropriation) from the University’s June appropriation payment if state revenues continue to fall short […]

Children’s Hospital is one of 33 hospitals — seven of them children’s hospitals — selected as a 2008 Top Hospital by a national organization that evaluates patient safety at more than 1,220 hospitals. Children’s recognition was based on the results of the 2008 Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which is the nation’s primary hospital patient safety evaluation […]

Spam — that annoying unsolicited email from pseudo-Nigerian dictators, non-existent banks and creatively named medical products — has reared its ugly head with a relatively new consequence for Pitt computer account users and for the University itself. While the University’s spam-filtering mechanism (Postini system) when activated traps spam on a separate server, some spam that […]

Human Resources staff member Anita J. Williams died Sept. 25, 2008, following an extended battle with cancer. She was 56. A graduate of Cleveland State University, she came to Pitt’s HR department in 1993, where she was responsible for recruiting and placing temporary employees through All-Temps. In addition to her work duties, Williams represented HR […]