Joy McCAnn Professorship Awardees

2020-2023: Dr. Jennifer Reidy, Associate Professor, Family Medicine and Community Health and Medicine, program director of the UMass Palliative Medicine Fellowship, and chief of the division of palliative care at UMass Memorial Medical Center.

Goal: Equip women leaders to communicate effectively, strategically and authentically via simulation practice.  

Women leaders need strong and versatile communication skills to navigate high-stakes presentations, meetings, interviews and negotiations in order to achieve their career goals.  After a thorough needs assessment, I plan to collaboratively design and implement an innovative, simulation-based training program in communication skills at University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) for emerging women leaders in health care. 

Read the official UMMS announcement.

2017-2020: Dr. Heather Forkey, Associate Professor, Pediatrics, director of the Foster Children Evaluation Service (FaCES), and chief of the division of child protection for UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center.

Goal: Apply the “science of stress” as a lens to understand how healthcare providers are impacted by stressors of the modern healthcare environment and how those physiologic changes can result in burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Then, consider what affiliative practices can be instituted to reduce and mitigate the stress response and thus both prevent the onset and promote recovery from burnout and secondary traumatic stress.

Scholarly Activities:

Grant received:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Svc Admin., National Child Traumatic Stress Network   

Establishes the UMMC Resilience Through Relationships Center for development of training program and resources for community and physicians on child trauma recognition, management and treatment, in patients and themselves. Total award: $3,000,000

Trainings:

The Biology of Burnout and Remedies to Restore Resilience, presented to over 4000 people via live and virtual formats

• Internally at UMMS and UMMHC to multiple audiences
• Regionally for health care, child welfare and education audiences
• Nationally to American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, LA, 2019 ; Virtually at National Academy of Medicine meeting, 2017; Web presentations for National Child Traumatic Stress Network; integrated American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatric Approach to Trauma Treatment and Resilience Course and other web training, 2019-2020.

Publications:

Forkey, H. Schulte, E, Thorndyke, L. The Stress Response in Healthcare: Lessons from COVID-19, Submitted for review

Forkey, H. Griffin, J. and Szilagyi, M. Chapter - Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress.  In Childhood Trauma and Resilience: A Practical Guide. Itasca, Il: AAP Press.  In press.

2014-2017: Dr. Tiffany Moore Simas, Associate Professor and Chair, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics.

Goal: to create a project focused on mid-career women and leadership, Empowering Mid-career Professional Women for Executive Roles (EMPOWER).

Scholarly Activities:

• Learn about EMPOWER Summit 1 held in March 2017.  Link to webpage

• Learn about EMPOWER Summit to scheduled for May 18, 2018.  Link to webpage

 2011-2014: Dr. Julia Andrieni, Associate Professor, Medicine.

Goal: to create an easily accessible continuum of academic mentors: REACT NOW (Researchers, Educators, Administrators, Clinicians, & Trainees Network of Women)

Scholarly Activities:

• A Mentoring Advisory Board - A Vehicle for Institution-wide Collaboration:
  View Abstract, View Poster.

• Assessing the Vital Signs of Mentoring at UMMS with an Institution-wide Survey: View Abstract, View Presentation.

• Using Survey Data to Design Mentoring Programs in Large Academic Health Center:  View Abstract, View Poster.

2008-2011: Dr. Patricia Franklin, Professor, Orthopedics and Physical Rehabilitation.

Goal: To support the advancement of women at UMMS through data and research.

Scholarly Activities:

• In collaboration with leadership in the Office of Faculty Affairs, I advanced research on women in academic medicine at UMMS

• Analysis of UMMS promotion and compensation data, including analyses of women in leadership roles across academic departments and the clinical system

• Submission of an NIH RO1 proposal to study reasons for female attrition at transitional periods and a NSF ADVANCE grant with emphasis on the role of micro inequities on STEM women at the University of Massachusetts

• Co-Chair of the AAMC Faculty Forward initiative at UMMS. Analyzed survey data and led process to identify opportunities to improve satisfaction among all faculty. Final report identified that UMMS is a national leader in overall faculty satisfaction, but focused initiatives could enhance satisfaction of women, clinicians, and minority faculty. Recommendations from the task force have been implemented following broad discussions across the Institution.

2005-2008: Dr. Linda Weinreb, Professor, Vice Chair, Family Medicine and Community Health.

Goal: To catalyze a process that would result in institutional steps to increase advancement and mentoring opportunities for women scientist/physicians.

Scholarly Activities:

• Conducted interviews with women faculty leaders to learn their perspectives about women’s issues and engage the group of women faculty leaders in discussion and action.

• Facilitated creation of the Women’s Leadership Work Group (WLWG) comprised of senior women leaders at UMMS.

• Facilitated connection between the WLWG and the Women’s Faculty Committee Met periodically with Chancellor/Dean, setting the stage for engaging leadership in collaborative efforts on behalf of women faculty at UMMS.

• Through the WLWG, developed specific recommendations for the institution to increase opportunities that support advancement of women physicians and scientists.