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.
Championing Equity in Cancer Care
Dr. Analiz Rodriguez, Associate Professor, Director of Neurosurgical Oncology and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Neurosurgery, shared her expertise on a panel focusing on cancer health equity during the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. Dr. Rodriguez spoke on the topic of “Ensuring Cancer Care for All: Tackling Persistent Health Inequities in the Cancer Care Continuum.” She was joined by other experts and cancer equity advocates from institutions including the American Cancer Society, Harvard and Emory University. Learn more about the event and watch a recording here. (This panel’s discussion is the second segment, starting about 17 minutes into the event recording.) Kudos to Dr. Rodriguez for her excellent work at UAMS and her many contributions to national initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and reducing health disparities in cancer research.
Boosting Scholarly Discussion in Anesthesiology
Dr. Jarna Shah, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, got a well-earned shout-out from the editorial board of Anesthesia & Analgesia, the journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) for her innovative efforts in reader engagement. Dr. Shah, who serves as the journal’s social media editor, spearheads a popular online journal club that helps to disseminate important points from research articles, generate meaningful discussions around the topics, and enable IARS members to ask the authors’ questions. Her contributions were highlighted at the journal’s most recent editorial board meeting.
National Otolaryngology Recognition
Dr. Larry Hartzell, Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, is being recognized with a 2024 Honors Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS). Dr. Hartzell was an integral member of the small group that established the AAO-HNS Cleft and Craniofacial Committee in 2020, and he remains involved in the group’s collaborative efforts. For more than a decade, he also has provided a comprehensive continuing education course on cleft care, initially in collaboration with former faculty member Dr. Lisa Buckmiller and then with UAMS Associate Professor Dr. Adam Johnson, who completed his pediatric otolaryngology fellowship training at Arkansas Children’s Hospital with Dr. Hartzell and the other pediatric otolaryngology faculty.
National Recognition for Work with Students
Congratulations to Jennifer VanEcko, Program Manager for COM Academic Affairs, on receiving the Susan Shultz Award for Professional Staff from the Learning Communities Institute (LCI). Jennifer was honored at the LCI annual meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sept. 22. The prestigious national award honors non-faculty staff members who work with students in learning communities such as our college’s seven Academic Houses. Jennifer works passionately to coordinate house events, connect students with their faculty mentors, and support students in many other ways.
Improving Outcomes in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Dr. Amit Agarwal, a Professor in the Section of Pediatric Pulmonology, is an author on four recent publications focusing on bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a common complication of preterm birth. The articles stem from his research as part of a national BPD collaborative that is working to improve clinical outcomes. Dr. Agarwal is the lead and corresponding author on “Factors associated with liberation from home mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy decannulation in infants and children with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia,” published in the Journal of Perinatology. Another article by members of the collaborative has been accepted for publication in Pediatric Pulmonology and reports on the first national survey on outpatient care of children with BPD.
Inspiring Future Women Orthopaedic Surgeons
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery recently hosted its 11th workshop as part of the Perry Outreach Initiative, an annual program designed to introduce female students to the fields of orthopaedic surgery and engineering – fields where women are dramatically underrepresented. Special thanks to Associate Professor Dr. Theresa Wyrick for leading the hands-on workshop in The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital with help from department staff and residents. This year, 17 medical students participated in an evening session, and 40 high school students participated in a day session. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.
UAMS Well Represented at Arkansas ACP Conference
The annual meeting of the Arkansas Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP) was a great success thanks to the contributions of many UAMS faculty, residents and students and the leadership of Chapter Governor Dr. Keyur Vyas, Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. Faculty presenters included Dr. Matthew Deneke (Gastroenterology), Dr. Omar Atiq (Hematology/Oncology), Dr. Joseph Henske (Endocrinology), Dr. Nick Gowen (General Internal Medicine), Dr. Tuhin Virmani (Neurology) and Dr. Leslie Harrell (Radiation Oncology).
Congratulations to Dr. Sri Obulareddy, Associate Professor of Hematology/Oncology, on receiving the ACP Early Career Physician Award. In the Student Poster competition, UAMS Northwest Campus M2 Calvin Walker took first place, and Northwest Campus M4 Tim Frerking placed third. In the Resident Poster competition, UAMS-Mercy Regional Internal Medicine PGY-2 Dr. Sahil Sabharwal won first place. In the Oral Clinical Vignette contest, UAMS Internal Medicine PGY-2 Dr. J. Curran Henson took first place, and Dr. Chris Blum, a PGY-2 in the UAMS-Washington Regional Internal Medicine program, placed second. Highlights and photos from the conference are available in an article by Assistant Professor Dr. Ples Spradley in the September issue of the Department of Internal Medicine’s IMpact newsletter (Sway file) or this text-only article.
Radiology Challenging Case Competition
A shout out to everyone who participated in the Department of Radiology’s third annual Challenging Case Competition. The project matches senior medical students who are applying for radiology residency training with faculty mentors to format and present a challenging Diagnostic Radiology or Interventional Radiology case. Faculty members Dr. Sateesh Jayappa and Dr. Charles James co-directed this year’s expanded competition. Congratulations to M4 students Mason Belue (mentor Dr. Tarun Pandey) and Dylan Dominguez (mentor Dr. Josh Eichhorn) on winning Best Presentation Awards. Runners-up included Mark Odom (mentor Dr. Kumar Shashi), Nadia Nelson (mentor Dr. Rachel Taylor) and Sam Massey (mentor Dr. Charles James). Current Radiology Interest Group President and M4 student Humam Shahare and Past-President and Radiology resident Dr. Dhruba Dasgupta encouraged student participation. Thanks also to moderators Dr. Kelli Schmitz and Donna Ashlock, assistant Stacey Thompson, and faculty judges Dr. Gitanjali Bajaj, Dr. Shobhit Sharma, Dr. Adam Berry, Dr. Joe Jose, Dr. Uma Mahesh Matapathi and Dr. Kumar Shashi.