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.
10 Years of National Recognition for Stroke Care
A shout-out the UAMS Stroke Program for receiving the highest level of recognition for stroke care from the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Stroke Association for the 10th straight year. In addition to the Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, the AHA recognized UAMS with additional Honor Roll awards for quick treatment of stroke patients after arrival and evidence-based care for stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes. Paige Womack, RN, serves as Director of the UAMS Stroke Program. Dr. Sanjeeva Onteddu, Associate Professor of Neurology, serves as Medical Director. Kudos to them and the entire Stroke Program team. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.
Strategies for Improving Maternal Health
Dr. Pearl McElfish, Director of the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation, was among the leaders and health care experts who served on a recent roundtable discussion in Northwest Arkansas focusing on strategies for improving the state’s maternal mortality and morbidity rates. The panel featured U.S. Sen. John Boozman and was moderated by Olivia Walton. The event was a follow-up to a roundtable hosted by Sen. Boozman and held at UAMS in February. Dr. McElfish highlighted the need for innovative strategies to meet mothers where they are throughout Arkansas, including outreach through telehealth, remote monitoring, and more. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.
Research Collaboration Exemplifies Translational Spirit
A research collaboration between basic science researchers in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and clinicians in the Department of Ophthalmology is helping to ensure that findings in the laboratory relating to retinal ischemic diseases will translate into better care for patients. The collaboration was launched in 2021 when Pharmacology & Toxicology Chair Dr. Nancy Rusch introduced a new faculty member, Dr. Abdel Fouda, to Ophthalmology Chair Dr. Paul Phillips. Additional experts were soon on board, including Ophthalmology faculty members Drs. Ahmed Sallam, Sami Uwaydat, Florin Grigorian and Paula Grigorian. The efforts have resulted in a number of projects and scholarly work, training collaborations and external funding. Read more on the Pharmacology & Toxicology or Ophthalmology websites.
Pediatric Otolaryngology Textbook
Dr. Gresham Richter, Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, is Senior Editor on a new textbook, “Essential Pediatric Otolaryngology, Volume I: General Principles, Otology, and Aerodigestive.” The textbook, published by Nova Science Publishers, is the first of two volumes of a comprehensive review of pediatric otolaryngology. Dr. Richter brings extensive, internationally recognized expertise to the publication. At UAMS and Arkansas Children’s, he serves as Chief of Pediatric Otolaryngology and holds the James Hamlen and Robert Siebert Endowed Chair in Pediatric Otolaryngology at ACH. Associate Professor Dr. Andre Wineland is a contributing author of the textbook.
National Award for Pediatric CF Care Team
Congratulations to the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Care Center team at Arkansas Children’s Hospital for being selected to receive the 2024 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Quality Improvement Award. The center is the only accredited pediatric center in the state of Arkansas. Dr. Ariel Berlinski, Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, directs the center, and Assistant Professor Dr. Matthew Pertzborn serves as Associate Director. The team will be recognized at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Boston late this month. (As previously shared in Accolades, the UAMS Adult CF Care Center also is being honored!) The Pediatric CF center’s quality improvement initiatives include reducing the use of acid suppressor therapies that are known to have multiple side effects and increase the risk for complications.
National Pathology Recognition
Dr. Hoda Hagrass, Assistant Professor of Pathology, was recently recognized in Medical Laboratory Observer magazine’s “55 Under 55.” The special feature honored laboratory professionals from across the country who are making a significant contribution to their organization’s success. The feature was published as part of the magazine’s 55th anniversary celebration. Dr. Hagrass serves as Medical Director of the Clinical Chemistry and Immunology Laboratories at UAMS and the Clinical Chemistry and Metabolic Diseases Laboratories at Arkansas Children’s.
Pediatric Emergency Medicine at National Meetings
The Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics will be well represented at academic national meetings this fall. Assistant Professor Dr. Hannah Wilkins will present “Characteristics of Severe Pediatric Intentional Ingestions Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic” at the American Academy of Pediatrics Meeting. Meanwhile, three others have had abstracts accepted for oral presentations at the American College of Emergency Physicians Meeting. Fellow Dr. Ryan Waddell will present “Gender Identity and Gender Dysphoria in Adolescent Patients Presenting to Pediatric Emergency Department with Positive Behavioral Health Screens;” Fellow Dr. Lyndsay Fisher will deliver “Characteristics and Length of Stay of Children with Bronchiolitis with and without Intravenous Hydration;” and Assistant Professor Dr. April Clawson will discuss “Keeping up with the Flow: Strategic Initiatives to Manage an ED with Reduced Pediatric Resident Workforce.”
Pediatric Sedation Expertise
Pediatric Anesthesiology faculty at Arkansas Children’s have earned a national reputation for providing excellent training in pediatric sedation for non-anesthesiologists in other specialty areas and heath care disciplines. Since 2011, Associate Professors Dr. Anna Maria Onisei and Dr. Saif Siddiqui have served as invited faculty for the annual Pediatric Sedation Outside of the Operating Room Conference hosted by Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. UAMS faculty will lend their expertise at the upcoming American Academy of Pediatrics conference for a second year. Assistant Professor Dr. Meenakshi Atteri and Professor Dr. Destiny Chau were invited faculty at the inaugural and well-received 2023 AAP sedation workshop, which was developed by former faculty member Dr. Meera Gangadharan, who has maintained strong ties with Arkansas Children’s. The 2024 workshop is being expanded to train 50 participants, and Dr. Onisei will join Dr. Atteri and Dr. Chau on the team of experts.
Presidential Poster Award
Dr. Tyler Ratliff, a second-year resident in the UAMS-Washington Regional Internal Medicine Residency, has been selected to receive the Presidential Poster Award from the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) for his abstract “Jejunal Diverticulosis as a Rare Cause of GI Bleeding.” The award is given to the top 5% of submitted posters, from among over 6,000 submissions, for the ACG National Meeting. Dr. Ratliff will present his work and receive the award at the meeting in Philadelphia in October.
Newly Published
Second-year UAMS Internal Medicine resident Dr. J. Curran Henson is first author on an article published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. Dr. Hakan Paydak, Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Program, is senior author. Additional coauthors are M.D./Ph.D. M4 student Lauren (Clai) Morehead, M3 medical student Niroshi Wijewardane and third-year Internal Medicine resident Dr. Joshua Hagood. The article describes the use of Theophylline for management of sinus node dysfunction in a patient with acute lithium toxicity as a means to avoid further invasive measures such as hemodialysis and temporary transvenous pacing.