News to Use
News to use from the IU School of Medicine
Apr. 3, 2014
Indiana State Medical Association warns of physician tax scam
The Indiana State Medical Association has received multiple reports of an Internal Revenue Service tax scam directed at physicians. According to the reports, someone is filing fraudulent federal income tax returns using physician names, addresses and Social Security numbers.
ISMA members have reported some notices also include the name of an unknown person as spouse, and it appears this other name is that of a prior patient of the physician. At this point, no common link among the victims has been identified. The majority of the reports to the ISMA have been about Indiana physicians, but the ISMA has also heard of someone in another Indiana health care profession being impacted, as well as an out-of-state physician.
Contrary to early reports, the IRS has not issued an alert on this issue. Rather, the majority of affected physicians are first becoming aware of this when they receive a 5071C letter from the IRS alerting them of possible fraud. Other physicians are receiving a rejection notification when they attempt to electronically file their taxes. It indicates the return cannot be submitted because a return has already been filed under that Social Security number. At least one physician learned of the fraud when he received a large tax refund check before filing a tax return.
For more information on how to avoid the scam or what to do if you think you've been targeted, visit the ISMA website.
Singh to lead industry collaboration
JaiPal Singh, Ph.D., joined the IU School of Medicine April 1 to serve as director of the new IUSM Industry Collaboration Portal, a mechanism to boost the school's collaborations with industry, leverage research successes into new products and therapies, develop new entrepreneurial initiatives and attract new sources of funding for research.
Dr. Singh's career includes extensive experience in drug discovery development, having served as cardiovascular research head and research advisor at Eli Lilly and Co., as chief scientific officer and vice president of research at St. Joseph Translational Research Institute and Emory Healthcare System, Atlanta, and as an advisor to several biotechnology companies. He is also the founder of his own firm, Prana Biotech.
He will also serve as a visiting professor of cellular and integrative physiology at the IU School of Medicine.
Dr. Singh will deliver a lecture, "Opportunities and Challenges of Industry Collaboration on Translating Discoveries in Academic Labs," from noon to 1 p.m. On Tuesday, April 8, in the VanNuys Medical Science Building, Room 326.
This lecture is a part of the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology's seminar series.
Evening of the Arts on April 12
IU School of Medicine students will present the 23rd annual Evening of the Arts Saturday, April 12, at the Madame C.J. Walker Theatre Center, 617 Indiana Ave.
Each year, the musical, artistic and dramatic talents of IU School of Medicine students, faculty and staff are showcased to raise funds to support the clinics providing free health care services to the homeless and working poor of Indianapolis. Last year, Evening of the Arts donated more than $4,000 to Wheeler Mission Ministries, Gennesaret Free Clinics, St. Thomas Clinic and the IU Student Outreach Clinic.
This year, the IU School of Medicine Orchestra will perform. Other acts include hip-hop dance and classical Indian dance troupes, four bands, a brass quartet, an a cappella group, other vocalists, and piano and guitar soloists.
Doors open for the silent auction and dinner at 5 p.m., and the show begins at 6 p.m. Advance purchase tickets are $12 for students and $20 for non-students; tickets purchased at the door are $20 and $22.
To pay in advance, deliver cash or check in person to Carlene Webb-Burton or Lisa Christy in MS Room 162 or 164 or pay via PayPal to eotaiusm@gmail.com.
A silent auction of donated artwork and food items are part of the evening's fundraising activities. Individuals interested in submitting art for donation can email eotaiusm@gmail.com.
For more information about donations, contributing artwork or purchasing advance tickets, visit the EOTA website or the IUSM EOTA Facebook page, or email eotaiusm@gmail.com.
IUSM internal grant applications due May 1
The application deadline for the following IUSM internal grant programs is 5 p.m. Thursday, May 1, 2014.
- Biomedical Research Grant
- Research Enhancement Grant
For application forms and further information visit the IUSM Office of Research Administration.
