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!
AAMC Honors UAMS
We were delighted to learn that UAMS is the 2021 recipient of the Spencer Foreman Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges – the AAMC’s top honor for outstanding community engagement. The award reflects the importance of community engagement in the mission of academic medical centers such as ours, and the importance of the work we do in a culturally diverse state.
Special kudos to Dr. Pearl McElfish, Vice Chancellor for the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus and Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, for leading our efforts during the selection process. Thanks as well to everyone who participated in the virtual site visit and presentations in June, which AAMC representatives said was the best such site visit they had ever been part of. UAMS’ work with the Marshallese community in Northwest Arkansas was a key area of focus. Learn more in the UAMS Newsroom and on the AAMC website.
NIH Shout-Out
Dr. Josh Kennedy, an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics Division of Allergy and Immunology, recently received a nice shout-out from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Kennedy is leading an NIH-funded collaboration among scientists at the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and UAMS to help the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Arkansas Department of Health learn more about the variants of COVID-19 circulating in the state. This work – so critical for informing public health management of the pandemic in Arkansas – was highlighted to NIH leadership. We couldn’t agree more with the assessment from Dr. Ming Lei, head of the NIH Institutional Development Award (IDeA) programs, that “This Josh Kennedy guy is good!”
Educational Excellence
Congratulations to Dr. Karina Clemmons, Assistant Dean for Medical Education, on being accepted to the prestigious Harvard Macy Institute Program for Educators in Health Professions. Dr. Clemmons, Associate Professor of Medical Humanities and Bioethics and Director of Curriculum Evaluation and Improvement for our college, will be a strong addition to Harvard Medical School’s year-long executive education course for interprofessional health science educators from around the world. As part of the program, Dr. Clemmons will work on a project at UAMS called “Bridging the Gap: Development of a Residency Preparation Course Curriculum.” The new course will provide senior medical students with educational opportunities to support their transition to residency.
On the Cover
Amrita Khakurel, a second-year graduate student in the Cell Biology and Physiology Track, is the first author of an article, “The Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP) complex plays an essential role in the maintenance of the Golgi glycosylation machinery,” published in the journal Molecular Biology of the Cell. A super-resolution microscopy image from the paper, taken at the UAMS Digital Microscopy Core, was selected as a cover image for the journal issue. The senior author of the study is Dr. Vladimir Lupashin, Professor of Physiology and Cell Biology. Other collaborators were Tetyana Kudlyk, M.S., a Research Assistant in the department, and Dr. Juan S. Bonifacino of theNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Read more on the Physiology and Cell Biology website.
International Resource
Yet another example of the internationally recognized expertise of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is the recent translation of the textbook “The Chronic Ear,” edited by Professor and Chair Dr. John Dornhoffer, into Chinese. Co-edited with former UAMS faculty member Dr. Michael Gluth, who is now at University of Chicago Medicine, the book is a 360-degree approach to chronic ear conditions, from pathophysiology to surgical intervention. It includes contributions from otology experts in 13 countries and is also available in English and Spanish.
Extraordinary Leader
Congratulations to Dr. Randy Maddox, Professor of Emergency Medicine, on being recognized as an Extraordinary Leader by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). The MGMA will honor individuals who have gone above and beyond during the past year as part of its Medical Practice Excellence: Leaders Conference in October. “Dr. Maddox is an extraordinary person to work for and with,” said his nominator, Emergency Medicine Program Manager Crystal Sparks, MSAM. “He has worked countless days and hours during the ongoing pandemic to keep us all protected and knowledgeable.”
Consultant of the Month
Emergency Medicine residents selected Samia “Sam” Johnston, a licensed social worker in the Emergency Department, as their latest Consultant of the Month. Sam was honored for checking on residents to make sure they are doing OK in stressful times, for her ability to “put a smile on anyone’s face,” and for “tirelessly and often thanklessly going above and beyond to help any patient or staff member she can.” Thank you for exemplifying what Team UAMS is all about, Sam!
Putting Patients First
I am delighted to share some recent comments from families of patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Kudos to these colleagues who always put patients first.
“The nurse that administered my child’s echo was absolutely amazing! You could definitely tell she knew what she was doing, and I believe it was the quickest one my child has ever had! When it comes to Dr. Michael Angtuaco (Pediatric Cardiology), he’s the best! Arkansas Children’s Hospital has a real life hero on their team!”
“Dr. Paul Seib (Pediatric Cardiology) is incredibly compassionate yet professional. He radiates intelligence without making anyone seem inferior. He addressed my concerns thoughtfully and in a thorough manner. I feel very fortunate in having my care placed in his hands, because I know he will always do what is necessary to provide the highest standards of care.”
“Dr. Kristin Lyle (Pediatric Emergency Medicine) was amazing! She listened to me about my concerns and validated my thoughts and feelings. Garrett and Alex were great! Thanks for hearing my concerns and treating us with care and respect. No hospital is like ACH!”
“I could not say enough wonderful things about the pulmonary team! From the nurses to the doctors and everyone in between. They were so kind and understanding during a time where so many things are scary and unknown. It is so comforting to have a staff that truly cares!” (Dr. Ariel Berlinski, Pediatric Pulmonology)