Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!
Published in Pediatrics
Congratulations to Dr. Lorraine McKelvey, Professor in the Research and Evaluation Division (RED) of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and colleagues in Family Medicine, Pediatrics and the College of Public Health, on their new article in Pediatrics. Dr. McKelvey and co-authors Drs. Kanna Lewis, Jared Beavers, Patrick Casey and Anthony Goudie reported on the positive impacts of the Following Baby Back Home (FBBH) program. The home-visiting program, administered through the Department of Pediatrics’ Kids First, supports families of low birth weight preterm infants after discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The team found that education and support were instrumental in effecting positive infant health-care use and reduced mortality during the first year of life.
Highest Honor
Congratulations to Dr. Cindy Kane, Professor Emerita in the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, on receiving the Rosett Award from the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group. Dr. Kane received the international organization’s highest honor and delivered a virtual talk at the FASDSG’s recent annual meeting. She was recognized for her pioneering research into fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), including development of one of the first and most extensively used animal models of FASD. The model helped to expand understanding of the mechanisms by which alcohol use in pregnancy can negatively affect the developing central nervous system. You can read more about Dr. Kane’s important contributions to the field here.
Serving Southwest Arkansas
UAMS recently opened its first gap services office in Prescott to provide a wide range of free health services, access to food and clothing and much more for residents in southwest Arkansas. I want to take a moment to thank the many team members behind this important community resource. The team also did a great job hosting a visit from U.S. Senator John Boozman and local leaders last week. A driving force in this initiative has been the Research and Evaluation Division (RED) in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. Special thanks to RED new faculty member LaTunja Sockwell, Instructor, RED Associate Director Dr. Nicola Edge, Research Assistant Berry Marks, who directs the new office, and RED HIV Program Manager Courtney Hampton. Kudos also to UAMS Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Stephanie Gardner and Tonya Johnson, Executive Director of UAMS Nutrition & Hospitality Services, who are working with the RED team to develop food pantry services for the site.
Best Practices Paper
Dr. Rohit Dhall, Professor of Neurology and Director of Neurodegenerative Disorders at UAMS, coauthored an important article in Frontiers of Neurology that provides the first best-practices consensus for treating two rare Parkinson’s-related disorders. The paper presents decades’ worth of knowledge from experts at 25 CurePSP Centers of Care, including UAMS, to help improve the care of patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). Learn more in the UAMS Newsroom, and read the journal article here.
Silver & Gold
Congratulations to the teams at the UAMS 12th Street Health and Wellness Center in Little Rock and the North Street Clinic in Fayetteville on their latest recognitions from the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC). Both of these student-run, interprofessional free clinics were recognized for meeting high quality standards in their work to ensure access to affordable health care for the medically underserved. This year, 12th Street received the NAFC Gold Rating, and North Street received the Silver Rating. Special thanks to 12th Street Director Dr. Melissa Halverson, Medical Director Dr. Elizabeth Gath and Assistant Director Dr. Erin Puryear; and to North Street Co-Directors Maryalice Kelly, MSN, APRN and Dr. Thomas Schulz and Clinical Services Manager Stacia Dean.
Residency Celebrations & Honors
As I mentioned in last week’s Accolades, June was a time for celebration in our residency and fellowship programs as they honored their graduating residents. Many presented special awards for outstanding residents as well as awards selected by residents for faculty and staff. I shared awards lists from some of our programs and am delighted to highlight honorees from more departments this week!
The Department of Anesthesiology presented awards to residents and faculty at a June 19 virtual celebration. Click here to see who was honored.
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology celebrated graduating residents and presented awards to residents, faculty and staff on June 23. Click here to see who was honored.
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s celebration was held on June 25. Click here to see their graduating residents and faculty and staff honorees.
The Department of Pediatrics honored many residents, faculty and staff at their graduation ceremony. Click here to see the award winners.
The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation celebrated its graduating residents on June 26. Click here to see the residents from multiple classes who were honored.