School to spend $37.5 million on renovations, equipment for hospital
The University of Miami will invest $37.5 million in the University of Miami Hospital, which was formerly known as Cedars Medical Hospital.
The money will be used to purchase new equipment and renovate labs, patient rooms, waiting areas, lobbies, operating rooms and the emergency center, said Michele Chulick, director of Hospital Operations and associate vice president of Health Systems.
Chulick said the improvements will “enhance the ability of [UMH] physicians to provide safe, effective and state-of-the-art patient care.”
The investment will also go toward hiring new employees, the South Florida Business Journal reported. Following the March 6 arrest of Jon Dale Jones, a former UMH nurse accused of intentionally infecting up to 15 patients with hepatitis C in Texas, The Miami Hurricane inquired about how thoroughly the university will background check potential hospital employees. At press time, administrators could not be reached for comment.
– Chelsea Kate Isaacs
UM will not follow trend in colleges to remove early decision programs
After Harvard and Princeton removed their early decision programs in an effort to make schools more accessible to low-income students and students in underserved communities, several colleges followed in their footsteps. But University of Miami administrators say they will continue to offer the program because it has significant value for prospective students.
“For most colleges, early decision makes a lot of sense,” said Ed Gillis, assistant vice president for Enrollment Management and executive director of admissions. “We think our students want it, and, as a result, have no plans to eliminate our early program at this time.”
Early decision programs let high school seniors apply to a college sooner than the regular application period and receive a response from the school earlier in their senior year.
Schools that admit a large percentage of early applicants give students pressure to apply early, Gillis said.
At UM, less than 10 percent of admitted freshmen applied early decision, Gillis added, compared to 45 to 48 percent at the University of Pennsylvania, suggesting that early decision applicants at UM do not necessarily have an advantage over later applicants.
– Chelsea Kate Isaacs
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The National Science Foundation and Popular Mechanics magazine are partnering to Web cast “Bridges to the Future,” a multi-part call-in program on the future of infrastructure and sustainability, including “The Smart Grid,” “Water in 2025” and “Standing Strong.” Discuss the problems of the nation’s infrastructures such as dams, conduits and buildings and the need to find solutions that are sustainable. Got a question or something to say? Participate in this event by contacting Marie Guma-Diaz at 305-284-5500 or e-mail m.gumadiaz@umiami.edu.