The UMMC Alliance's Taste Committee is seeking volunteer chefs to participate in its major fund-raiser, Taste of the U, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center. Chefs should form teams from their respective departments, select a theme and plan a menu to present at the event. Category awards will be presented for Best Presentation, People's Choice, Best Taste, Best Overall and Kid's Choice. Proceeds from Taste of the U support patient, student, staff and facilities needs. Dr. Helen Turner, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, is the 2012 Taste of the U honorary chair. For more information or to sign up a team to participate, call Mechelle Keeton at 4-4141 or e-mail her at kmkeeton@umc.edu.

When Maggie Medders began her first job as a nurse last year in the medical ICU, like any new nurse, she said she was simply overwhelmed.

Luckily, the 2010 School of Nursing graduate had an outlet to share her fears and vent her frustrations, both with peers who were experiencing the same difficulties of being new to the workforce and with seasoned nurses offering support and encouragement.

"The other nurses that are in your group, they´re experiencing the same exact things that you´re experiencing," she said. "It takes a lot of the stress and overwhelming aspects away so you can focus on learning to be a new nurse."

More than 1,100 UMMC employees are a part of the parallel Medical Center most employees never see. They are the ones who arrive on campus while most employees are settling in for dinner and winding down their day.

They are at their busiest while the rest of the world sleeps in oblivion. They are nurses, cafeteria workers, pharmacists, x-ray techs, unit secretaries, social workers, those who deliver medical supplies to the floors and those who keep watch over those who work.

As a popular shampoo commercial once reminded viewers, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

That slogan is more than a nifty catch-phrase for Hospital Housekeeping Systems (HHS), the organization contracted to keep the University Hospitals and Health System and the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children shiny and clean. It's virtually the company's guiding principle.

"Our patients' and visitors' impression starts with their first visit to the hospital," said Larry Yeager, HHS executive director of environmental services at the University of Mississippi Medical Center." When they get here, it makes their stay more comfortable when they're in a nice, clean, crisp room. It improves their stay when their bathroom is clean and the toilets are washed.

It has been said that one strong, unselfish soul in every community could actually redeem the world.

Charles Haddad, a volunteer in the Mississippi Children's Cancer Clinic, just might be that soul.

This month, Haddad's community is honoring him with a Governor's Initiative for Volunteer Excellence Award from the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service.

AirCare, UMMC's helicopter transport service, turned 15 this month. The first AirCare helicopter made its maiden flight on Feb. 2, 1996.

A lot can happen in 15 years. Hair can fall out, joints stiffen and eyes dim. But some things stay put.

Four members of the original AirCare crew are still on the job. They know each other better than they know members of their own families. They depend on each other on flights that can take them to both ends of the state during almost any kind of weather carrying and caring for a critically ill patient.

Gone are the grainy pictures from an outdated PET system that made diagnosis challenging. A modern, advanced PET/CT system in the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center takes its place, improving clinical, research and educational capabilities.

"It's like going from rabbit ears to high-definition TV," said Dr. Edward Green, PET/CT Center director and assistant professor of diagnostic and nuclear radiology.

The enhanced hybrid images produced by the system - one of eight in the world - provides better clarity for diagnosing cancers and has greater applications for research in Alzheimer's disease and heart

In keeping with all the promise and potential that a new year brings, recruiting in Hinds County for the National Children's Study, the largest long-term pediatric population study in U.S. history, will start in January.

Nationwide, the study will follow more than 100,000 children from before birth to age 21. By examining the effects of environment on growth and development, researchers hope to improve the health and well being of children.

UMMC investigators aim to gather an initial 100 women who are or plan to become pregnant as part of the Vanguard Study, a pilot version

UMMC faculty, staff and students are encouraged to continue the success of the Medical Center's "Drive for 1955" by participating in the second quarterly blood drive Dec. 2-10. Not only does the drive provide an opportunity to help the institution reach its established goal of 1,955 units of blood during FY 2010-11, it's the perfect way to help fellow Mississippians right here on campus. Everyone who donates will receive a free holiday-themed Drive to Give T-shirt. Results of the first quarterly drive showed 448 individuals registered to donate and 410 units drawn.

For more information about the campaign, call Renee Howard at 4-2884 or send her an e-mail at rhoward@umc.edu.