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!
MIS-C Study in NEJM
Dr. Katherine Irby, an Assistant Professor in the Critical Care Medicine Section of the Department of Pediatrics, is a coauthor on a national study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, of initial therapies and outcomes for children with COVID-19 induced multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). Some 4,000 children have been diagnosed with MIS-C in the U.S. since the pandemic began, and at least 35 have died. Dr. Irby and faculty colleagues Dr. Ronald Sanders and Dr. Peter Mourani are members of the Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators group, which found that initial treatment with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) plus glucocorticoids was associated with a lower risk of new or persistent cardiovascular dysfunction than with IVIG alone. The NEJM study is the latest example of Dr. Irby’s remarkable and important work in this area. She also was a co-author on a study describing the manifestation of COVID-19 in children published in JAMA earlier this year.
Postpartum Psychosis & the Pandemic
Dr. Jessica Coker, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Director of the Psychiatric Research Institute’s women’s inpatient unit, and fourth-year Psychiatry resident Dr. Erin Bider recognized another manifestation of the pandemic – a dramatic increase in cases of postpartum psychosis. Their findings of an association between the pandemic and a higher risk for developing the rare, serious condition were published in the Archives of Women’s Mental Health. Read more about their incisive study in the UAMS Newsroom.
Age-Friendly Health System
The Thomas and Lyon Longevity Clinic in the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging has attained Level I Certification as an Age-Friendly Health System. Special thanks to the Arkansas Geriatric Educational Collaborative (AGEC), which partnered with the Longevity Clinic to assist in achieving this recognition from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the John A. Hartford Foundation. AGEC nurse educator Danette Scherer, MSN, RN, provided special trainings for the entire staff of the Longevity Clinic. The Age-Friendly Health System initiative centers on a “4Ms” framework of evidence-based elements of high-quality health care for older adults: Medication, Mentation, Mobility and What Matters.
Muscular Dystrophy Association Care Center Award
Congratulations to Dr. Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Neurology and Director of the Comprehensive Neuromuscular Program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and his team in the Arkansas Children’s Neuromuscular Clinics on being recognized as an individual Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Care Center. The program has been awarded the MDA Care Center Grant for the next three years, which will support the team’s excellent multidisciplinary care for children with neuromuscular problems and their families throughout Arkansas and beyond.
OB/GYN Excellence
Congratulations to Dr. Luann Racher, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, on passing the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Minimally Invasive Gynecology Surgery (MIGS) Exam. She is the first in Arkansas with the additional surgical expertise for the MIGS focused-practice designation, which establishes standards and assessments for this surgical technique within the field of obstetrics and gynecology. The designation reflects Dr. Racher’s dedication to the care of women with benign and complex gynecologic diseases and management of complications using minimally invasive surgical techniques.
Gratitude from a Graduate
Dr. Jason Mizell, Professor of Surgery and founding director of the award-winning Business of Medicine course for College of Medicine students, received a well-earned shout-out from a recent graduate. The Class of 2021’s Dr. Alixandra Hunzicker noted the 40-minute crash course on “all things finance” she and fellow interns at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville received during orientation last week. “So, so grateful for the Business of Medicine course, to not have heard all of this for the first time and be confused like my co-residents,” she wrote. Let me add my appreciation for Dr. Mizell’s vision and leadership of this important course.
A+ Maternity Care
UAMS has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The designation reflects the Labor & Delivery team’s expertise, efficiency and strong commitment to quality patient care. Kudos to Dr. Nirvana Manning, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Women and Infants Service Line, and everyone involved in maternity care at UAMS for making this possible.
In the Spotlight
Two UAMS team members – Dermatopathology fellow Dr. Aadil Ahmed and Lindsey Clark, MPH, an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Professions Department of Laboratory Sciences – were recognized by the American Society for Clinical Pathology in ASCP’s 2021 “40 Under Forty” list. The program recognizes ASCP members – pathologists, laboratory professionals and residents – for their achievements and leadership qualities that are making an impact on pathology and laboratory medicine. Congratulations to both!
Residency Celebrations & Honors
Celebration was in the air this month as College of Medicine residency and fellowship programs honored their graduating residents. A wonderful part of these ceremonies is the presentation of annual awards for outstanding residents, as well as awards selected by residents for faculty and staff members who have made a positive difference during their years of training. Our departments and programs honor the best of the best in teaching, research, clinical care, service and other achievement. I am very pleased to share some of these annual awards with you this week and look forward to highlighting honors presented in other programs in the weeks ahead.
The Department of Emergency Medicine honored graduating residents in a virtual ceremony on June 11. Awards were presented to 16 residents, faculty members and staff from within their program and beyond. Click here to see who was honored.
The Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery celebrated its graduating residents in a virtual ceremony on June 11. Awards were presented for teaching, service, research, in-service exam performance and overall excellence. Click here to see who was honored. Congratulations to all!