The UC Office of the President announced Sunday morning (March 23) a tentative agreement with the union representing patient care technical employees who work at UC’s medical centers and student health centers, thus averting a strike that had been scheduled for this week.

The agreement is subject to a vote of the 13,000-member bargaining unit, part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME.

“There was true compromise by both sides to reach this agreement,” Dwaine Duckett, UC vice president for Human Resources, said in prepared statement. “This ends nearly two years of very challenging negotiations and serves as a foundation for UC and AFSCME to build on going forward."

Read the complete statement.

Vanderhoef visits Vanderhoef Commons

Turf and trees, walkways and picnic tables have replaced a dirt lot, turning it into the Larry N. Vanderhoef Commons on the Sacramento campus.

The recently completed commons is named after the UC Davis chancellor emeritus, who served as provost and executive vice chancellor (and one-man governing board of the UC Davis Medical Center) from 1984 to 1994, and as chancellor from 1994 until he stepped down in 2009.

The commons, situated almost in the middle of the 149-acre Sacramento campus, is emblematic of Vanderhoef’s central role in the land’s transformation into the UC Davis Health System, and in shaping its mission.

At the groundbreaking celebration last July, Thomas Nesbitt, then-interim vice chancellor of Human Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine, said: “We’re here to honor Larry because he advanced the health system’s ability to improve lives and make a difference in the world.

"But he also set in motion an attitude and culture that continues to guide us today,” Nesbitt said. “He helped create a culture that embraces diversity, respect and compassion.”

Since then, Julie Freischlag has come on board as vice chancellor and dean, and she joined Nesbit and others on March 20 in welcoming Vanderhoef — on his 73rd birthday — for his first tour of the finished commons, and a lunch afterward.

Earlier coverage: “Sacramento ‘quad’ honors Chancellor Emeritus Vanderhoef,” Dateline UC Davis (July 11, 2013)

Arrest made in Tercero trespass and theft

Eighteen-year-old Justin Chiou, arrested by campus police last week in connection with a trespass and theft in the Terecro student housing area, is free on $50,000 bail pending an appearance scheduled for April 21 in Yolo County Superior Court.

Officers arrested Chiou on March 19, the day after the Police Department issued a crime alert with photos of the suspect. The surveillance camera photos spurred tips that helped lead to the arrest, police said.

Sgt. Don Malloy said Chiou was booked at county jail on two counts of burglary, one count of possession of stolen property and one count of possession of a controlled substance. He posted bail the same day he was booked.

Staff Development asks for feedback

It's time once again to give Staff Development and Professional Services your feedback.

“Results from past surveys have been extremely useful in shaping our program, and we are always eager to hear comments and ideas for improvement,” SDPS said in announcing a new survey. It’s online and anonymous.

“Please take five minutes to answer the questions … to help us provide you with programs and resources that support your professional and personal development.”

The survey will be open until April 30, and respondents are encouraged to share the link with others who may not be aware of their opportunity to participate.

Medical centers team up to reduce costs

UC’s five medical centers are joining forces to reduce costs — in the range of $100 million to $150 million a year — through greater efficiencies and quality improvement.

“By collaborating more, we can ensure the financial well-being of our clinical enterprise, allowing us to continue improving the health of Californians,” said John Stobo, UC senior vice president for Health Sciences and Services.

Without changes, UC medical center expenses are projected to exceed revenues in 2017. Challenges include declining reimbursements for clinical services from commercial insurers and government sources such as Medicare and Medi-Cal.

The univertsity’s new Leveraging Scale for Value project identifies 10 areas for cost savings and focuses on these three areas to start: supply chain, revenue cycle management (such as billing and collection processes) and clinical laboratories.

Read the complete news release.

Celebrating 100 years of Cooperative Extension

Ag Day at the Capitol last week included a state proclamation honoring UC Cooperative Extension on the occasion of its centennial anniversary.

Karen Ross, secretary of the Department of Food and Agriculkture, presented the proclamation to Barbara Allen-Diaz, UC vice president for Agriculture and Natural Resources, which oversees UC Cooperative Extension.

“I want to commend my good friend Barbara Allen-Diaz and Cooperative Extension,” Ross said. “You help us take all that great knowledge from the UC system and extend it directly to farmers and ranchers. It is a circle of innovation that sets us apart. It is absolutely crucial to our future and I'm really happy to be here to celebrate 100 years with you.”

Cooperative Extension, with offices in counties throughout the state, will be holding local celebrations throughout 2014. 

More information about the centennial is available online.

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