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!

Gratitude for the People of UAMS
Gratitude is a powerful thing – especially when times are times are tough. Dr. Steppe Mette, Senior Vice Chancellor for UAMS Health and CEO of UAMS Medical Center, shared insights on the value of gratitude in his Connections email message for clinical team members last Friday. Dr. Mette noted a chapter in a book he recently read, “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. A chapter titled “Allegiance to Gratitude” discusses the Thanksgiving Address used by the six nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). Inspired by the spirit of gratitude of the Thanksgiving Address, Dr. Mette created a personal expression of gratitude for the people of UAMS, which I am delighted to share with you.

The People of UAMS

We give thanks for your sacrifices and your willingness to share your knowledge and your skills to help and to heal others. You come together and work together to create a safer, healthier world where families can live and love one another for many years. You bring babies into the world, you care for the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the nice and the not-so-nice, and you gently usher the dying out of this world when their time has come. You are amazing. To all the people of UAMS, we send our heartfelt greetings and thanks.

Call an Expert
Dr. Jamie Watson, Assistant Professor of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, is internationally recognized for his work on “expertise,” concepts especially relevant for today’s conversations about vital issues such as vaccinations and masking during the pandemic. He has written extensively about what it means to be an expert – someone who can be trusted within their domain of knowledge – including a book last year, another in final proofs and several articles. Most recently, Dr. Watson’s work was central to discussions at the 15^th Cologne Summer School in Philosophy, a weeklong international seminar held virtually this year.

Mentoring Award
A shout-out to Dr. Destiny Chau, Professor of Anesthesiology, and Dr. Caroline Martinello, an Assistant Professor in the department, on their 2021 Mentoring Award from the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committee on Professional Diversity. Dr. Chau will mentor Dr. Martinello as she works on a multidisciplinary initiative to design and implement an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocol for patients undergoing elective Cesarean delivery. The experience will be used to develop a curriculum promoting leadership skills for junior faculty engaged in representing the department in multidisciplinary team initiatives, with an emphasis on faculty of diverse backgrounds who are underrepresented in academic medicine.

Student Published
Second-year medical student Iad Alhallak is the first author on the article “Breast adipose regulation of premenopausal breast epithelial phenotype involves interleukin 10,” just published in the Journal of Molecular Endocrinology. Iad carried out part of the study as a recipient of the Endocrine Society Summer Research Fellowship. Senior author of the study is Dr. Rosalia C.M. Simmen (Physiology and Cell Biology) with collaborators Dr. Keith Wolter (Surgery), Dr. Frank Simmen (Physiology and Cell Biology), Dr. Lin-Xi Li (Microbiology and Immunology) and graduate student Ana Castro Munoz.

Best Health Care Professionals
As AY About You magazine notes atop its 2021 list of Best Health Care Professionals of Central Arkansas, “the professionals of the vast landscape of health care are responsible for so much of what goes into our quality of life today.” Thousands of AY readers voted on the best providers across many health care disciplines and specialties. As with the Soiree Top Docs list I mentioned last week, the AY Best Health Care Professionals list includes many of our team members. Congratulations to all!

Floored by the Generosity
The Department of Emergency Medicine got a nice shout-out on Facebook from the Women & Children First organization for contributing a mountain of much-needed items to the shelter for victims of domestic violence. The shelter said it was “FLOORED” by the generosity. Kudos to Assistant Professor Dr. Meryll Pampolina for organizing the successful drive. The Pediatric Emergency Medicine team pitched in as well, with fellow Dr. Abby Russ leading efforts at Arkansas Children’s. Well done!

Putting Patients First
Dr. Issam Makhoul, Professor and Director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, often double or triple-books appointments in his clinic to accommodate the needs of his patients, while juggling many other obligations. Some patients may not realize how much Dr. Makhoul manages to work in – but a colleague who has been his patient for three years understands and is all the more grateful. When a time-sensitive issue recently arose, Dr. Makhoul arranged an appointment outside of his regular clinic schedule and initiated a crucial series of steps to meet the patient’s urgent needs. “I am so grateful for Dr. Makhoul’s wonderful care,” the colleague said. “I trust him with my life, which every day is better because of him.”

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!

Kudos, Pediatric Heart Team
The Heart Institute at Arkansas Children’s, under the direction of Dr. Brian Reemtsen, Professor of Surgery, achieved an outstanding milestone of zero surgical mortality for congenital heart disease patients in FY 21 – an accomplishment never before achieved by the program. Congratulations and many thanks to Dr. Reemtsen and his team, including Dr. Lawrence Greiten, Assistant Professor of Surgery, along with the faculty in Pediatric Cardiology, led by Dr. Paul Seib, Professor and Section Chief. I join with Dr. Reemtsen in expressing appreciation as well for team members in Anesthesiology, ICU and OR staff, and colleagues in Nursing. This remarkable team effort was achieved through excellent collaboration, accurate diagnosis, skilled surgical care, cutting-edge ICU care, and cohesive inter-stage management of children and adults with congenital heart disease.

Nationally Ranked – Again!
The Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) program at UAMS has been ranked among the top 50 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for the third straight year. Kudos to Dr. John Dornhoffer, Chair of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the ENT team for their dedication to world-class patient care, education and research. The ENT program wasn’t the only UAMS standout in the new rankings. UAMS was recognized as a Best Hospital for 2021-2022, and five clinical care areas were named as high performing – Colon Cancer Surgery, Diabetes, Hip Replacement, Knee Replacement and Stroke. Way to go! Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Transitional Year Success
A new paper by Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education Dr. Molly Gathright and colleagues discusses the first three years of the College of Medicine Transitional Year Residency Program and its success in meeting the needs of unmatched medical graduates. The paper, published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, explains that such a program can provide an institutionally valued, feasible and sustainable solution to the concerning national trend of having graduates who do not initially match to residency positions. Jennifer Hankins, M.P.H., Dr. Mohammad Zia Siddiqui, Dr. Carol Thrush and Dr. Tim Atkinson collaborated on the study with Dr. Gathright, who serves as UAMS’ Designated Institutional Official.

A Nonideal World
The latest book by Dr. Laura Guidry-Grimes, Assistant Professor of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, has just been published by Springer. “Applying Nonideal Theory to Bioethics,” edited by Dr. Grimes and Dr. Elizabeth Victor of William Paterson University, contributes to scholarly discussions about whether the world and its challenges – and how we think through them – are best handled through an “ideal” or “nonideal” lens. The book argues that because the world in all its imperfections is nonideal, idealizing misses the mark and cannot address real-world issues, including bioethical considerations in fields such as medicine and public health.

Bone Health & Longevity
Dr. Stephanie Dayer, a 2020 graduate now completing her internal medicine residency at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus, is the first author on a paper with Geriatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery colleagues, “Does Superior Bone Health Promote a Longer Lifespan?” Dr. Gohar Azhar, Professor of Geriatrics, is senior author on the article published in Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation. Co-authors include Dr. Simon Mears, Amanda Pangle, B.S., Dr. Priya Mendiratta and Dr. Jeanne Wei. The team evaluated the bone health of the oldest community-dwelling individuals living in rural Arkansas and found a low percentage of osteoporosis and fractures, which likely reduced the morbidity and mortality in this population and potentially contributed to their overall longevity.

Top 10%
We just heard the good news that Anesthesiology residents Dr. Bardia Azar and Dr. Dylan Trujillo scored in the top 10% of residents nationwide who took the American Board of Anesthesiology BASIC examination in June. As Dr. Charles Napolitano, Professor and Program Director noted, this is a testament to their hard work and dedication. I join with Anesthesiology Chair Dr. Jill Mhyre in congratulating Dr. Azar and Dr. Trujillo and thanking Dr. Napolitano for his leadership along with Dr. Shannon Dare and Dr. Riley Lide for their outstanding work overseeing this area of the residency program.

Community Liaisons
The UAMS Little Rock Family Medicine Residency Program has named Dr. Diorella Lopez-Gonzalez and Dr. John Ukadike as Community Medicine Liaisons for 2021-2022. The second-year residents will lead initiatives and outreach to promote the health and wellbeing of Little Rock residents, especially those in socio-economically depleted and/or underserved areas. A particular focus will be COVID-19 vaccination. Dr. Gonzales and Dr. Ukadike follow in the footsteps of the inaugural Community Medicine Liaison, 2021 residency graduate Dr. Alexa Martin. Our thanks to these excellent residents for taking on this important work.

Student Leadership Award
College of Medicine senior Anusha Majagi has already demonstrated the exceptional leader she will be as a physician in the years ahead. Among many service activities, she established the UAMS branch of Walk with a Doc, a program that promotes health and wellness and fosters connections between UAMS physicians, students and community members. The M.D./M.P.H. student serves on the executive board of the 12^th Street Health and Wellness Center, where she directs volunteer training, and works with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine as a rural student ambassador. Dr. Danny Wilkerson, Professor of Anesthesiology and President of the Arkansas Medical Society, presented Anusha with the AMS Student Leadership Award at the White Coat Ceremony earlier this month. Congratulations on this well-earned honor, Anusha!

Student Published
Fourth-year medical student Helena Drolshagen is the first author on an article, “Surgical and non-surgical treatment of inguinal hernia during non-elective admissions in the Nationwide Readmissions Database, published in Hernia. She had previously presented the study at the American Hernia Society Conference last year. Dr. Hanna Jensen, Assistant Professor of Surgery, was senior author on the project.

Top Docs
Congratulations to the many College of Medicine physicians named to Little Rock Soiree’s inaugural “Top Docs” list. The magazine compiled the list of outstanding physicians in numerous specialties based on votes of peer physicians in the Little Rock metro area. You can check out the list here.

Putting Patients First
It is always wonderful to hear about great patient experiences at UAMS and our partnering hospitals. For me, they reaffirm the impact we can have on patients in so many circumstances, whether it is an emergency that brings them to us, a need for expert specialty care, or the pursuit of compassionate primary care. Here are excerpts from patient surveys I’ve heard about recently. Kudos to these outstanding physician colleagues!

“Dr. Meryll Pampolina (Emergency Medicine) was absolutely the best ER doctor who has ever treated me. 10 on a scale of 10 on professional conduct and very thorough when explaining treatment options.”

“Dr. Romona Davis (Ophthalmology) is an outstanding ophthalmologist. She is not only very professional and knowledgeable in her field, but extremely personable as well. She is thorough and goes above and beyond to provide the best possible care, often identifying and treating issues early, before they become potential threats to one’s vision.”

“It was my first time seeing Dr. Jarrett Lea (Family/Preventive Medicine), and I came to him with a very complex condition. He listened carefully, read over all of the notes from previous doctors and even collaborated with them to come up with the best treatment plan for me. I was blown away by his attention to detail and willingness to help. Happy to say we officially found our new family PCP!”

I would also like to share some kinds words from the parent of a patient of Dr. Sarah Cobb and the Pediatric Neurology team at Arkansas Children’s. “Dr. Cobb is a perfect example of family-centered care. She always asks for my input on complex matters related to his treatment and options. I cannot thank her and her team enough for taking such great care of my kiddo. He is thriving today because of them.”

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!

Addressing Barriers
Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Executive Director of the UAMS Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, authored an article for a special series in Fertility and Sterility on Black patients’ and Black physicians’ experiences in reproductive medicine. The journal is the flagship publication of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Richard-Davis lent her expertise and insights in “The pipeline problem: barriers to access of Black patients and providers in reproductive medicine.” The article discusses implicit bias in medicine and outlines the many places along the academic and professional pipeline that must be bolstered with educational efforts to address systemic racism.

Boosting Clinical Research
The Department of Neurology is doing a great job in its efforts to boost clinical research into neurological diseases and treatments. Most recently, Professor and Chair Dr. Lee Archer named Dr. Rohit Dhall, Professor and Director of Neurodegenerative Disorders, as the department’s first Vice Chair for Clinical Research. Dr. Dhall, who has served on our faculty since 2016, brings extensive experience in both operating and designing clinical trials, particularly in his subspecialty area of expertise, Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Dhall also serves as Medical Director for the UAMS Translational Research Institute. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Physiology Publications
Physiology and Cell Biology Chair Dr. Teresita Bellido and Assistant Professor Dr. Jesus Delgado-Calle are authors on two new publications, including  “The Osteocyte as a Signaling Cell,” published in Physiological Reviews. They were also authors, with Dr. Delgado-Calle serving as corresponding author, on an article in Cancer Research, “Targeting Notch inhibitors to the myeloma bone marrow niche decreases tumor growth and bone destruction without gut toxicity.” Graduate student Hayley Sabol was first author on the Cancer Research paper. Lab colleagues Dr. Manish Adhikari, Sharmin Khan and Meloney Cregor also contributed.

Cleft Surgery Expertise
A shout-out to Dr. Larry Hartzell, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, for his work as an expert panelist and co-leader of a webinar series on cleft surgery that is attended by surgeons around the world. In Arkansas, Dr. Hartzell serves as Director of the Cleft Team at Arkansas Children’s and Director of the Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship. He most recently lent his expertise to a webinar by CSurgeries, a peer-reviewed surgical video journal company, on best practices for bilateral cleft lip repair.

Crowdfunding for Cancer Care
Congratulations to Radiation Oncology resident Dr. Arpan Prabhu and his mentor, Assistant Professor Dr. Gary Lewis, on their new article in Anticancer Research. Dr. Prabhu and Dr. Lewis collaborated with colleagues from the University of Texas Southwestern and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to study the use of online crowdfunding by patients to raise funds for radiation therapy cancer treatments. They found that a majority of funds have been raised to cover indirect costs of treatment such as travel and living expenses, indicating that increased focus should be placed on discussing the indirect costs of care with patients and their families.

Resident Published
Dr. Tyler Merrill, a fourth-year resident in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, had an article titled “A Case of Pott’s Puffy Tumor from Odontogenic Source” accepted for publication in the European Journal of Dentistry. Dr. Merrill completed the project with Otolaryngology Research Fellow Dr. Kyle Davis, first-year resident Dr. J. Reed Gardner and Associate Professor Dr. Alissa Kanaan. 

Kudos, Course Directors
As the new academic year begins, I would like to take a moment to thank all of our course directors for their relentless efforts to provide excellent medical education despite the obstacles posed by COVID-19. I am reminded of the many successes of the last academic year. For instance, first-year medical students in 2020-2021 awarded the highest average course evaluations to date for Practice of Medicine 1, which like other courses was revamped to an online format. This was a particularly challenging situation, given the need for interpersonal experiences to build clinical skills. Kudos to Course Directors Dr. Angela Scott and Dr. Kristen Shealy for their outstanding leadership of POM 1, and to all of our course leaders and faculty.

Anesthesiology Honors
Congratulations to Drs. Julius Balogh, Shannon Dare and Riley Lide of the Department of Anesthesiology on being elected as associate members of the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA). The organization is a prestigious and select group of individuals who are nationally recognized by their peers for their contributions to clinical practice, teaching and research in anesthesiology. The faculty members were nominated by Professor and Chair Dr. Jill Mhyre.

Supporting our Clinical Colleagues
As I noted in my “At-a-Glance” update yesterday, the College of Medicine research community is partnering with the UAMS Hospital Auxiliary on an incredible initiative to help front-line clinical team members at UAMS. Our basic science chairs and the COM Research Office have begun a fundraising drive to furnish a “Rejuvenation Room” that is being developed to provide clinical staff a place to rest and de-stress from the hard work of caring for patients with COVID-19. In just the first day of the campaign late last week, team members in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Informatics, Biostatistics, Microbiology and Immunology, Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Physiology and Cell Biology, along with the departments of Medical Humanities and Bioethics and Pathology, donated more than $5,000.

Learn more about the initiative in this message from Dr. Nancy Rusch, Executive Associate Dean for Research and Chair of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Watch for more news about this generous and inspired project soon. Meanwhile, if you would like to pitch in, click here to contribute (select Rejuvenation Room in the drop-down menu) by next Monday, August 16.

Wonderful White Coat
Finally this week, I want to thank everyone who made the virtual White Coat Ceremony last Friday evening such a wonderful event for our new freshmen. Keynote speaker Dr. Romona Davis inspired the Class of 2025 with her story of her own journey in medicine. Chancellor Cam Patterson and Dr. Danny Wilkerson, who spoke as President of the Arkansas Medical Society, also motivated students as they embarked on their journey to becoming physicians. Dr. James Graham led the recitation of the Medical Student Oath. Faculty advisors from our seven Academic Houses called the name of each student as they donned their white coat with the help of family and friends, via Zoom. Special thanks to Dr. Sara Tariq for planning and leading the ceremony.

Last but not least, congratulations to the three students from upper classes who were presented White Coat Awards from their classmates for representing the values and ideals of medicine: M4 – Hailey Hardgrave; M3 – Ethan Clement; and M2 – Eric Porter. As M4 Honors Council representative Monroe Albertson said when presenting the awards, “Thank you for representing what we all aspire to be.”

Click here for a larger view and more info on the faculty members shown below!

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!

Safer Walking for Better Health
The Arkansas State Physical Activity and Nutrition Project (SPAN), a CDC-funded program housed in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine’s Community Health and Education Division, is lending its expertise to a national effort to increase walking safety in rural communities for people of all abilities. The initiative is in keeping with SPAN’s goal to reduce obesity and increase physical activity in the Arkansas Delta and beyond.

The SPAN team was one of two recruited by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) to participate in the Step It Up: Walkability Action Institute. SPAN and NACDD recently brought together community teams of local officials, public health experts and transportation planning experts from across the country for a four-day, applied-learning course. SPAN is providing technical assistance as the community teams use what they learned to develop action plans for improving walking safety in their communities. Special thanks to Leesa Freasier, M.Ed., and Alysia Dubriske, M.Ed., for their great work.

Surgical Research Soars
The Department of Surgery had a banner year for research in FY 2020-21, publishing 103 articles and other publications. That was more than twice many as the previous year – despite the many challenges of the pandemic. A big reason for the increase is the team in the Division of Surgical Research, which has worked tirelessly to initiate projects and support research initiatives of colleagues throughout the department and beyond. The team also has done a great job engaging students and residents in research. I join with Surgery Chair Dr. Ron Robertson in extending special thanks to Division of Surgical Research Director Dr. Marie Burdine, along with Dr. Hanna Jensen, Dr. Kevin Sexton and Dr. Lyle Burdine.

Engaging Virtual Learners
Learner engagement is an important topic in medical education and training as the pandemic continues to require many educational events to be conducted virtually. Dr. Karen Dickinson, Assistant Professor and Director of Interprofessional Simulation and Clinical Skills Training in the Department of Surgery, has been recognized for her expertise in this area by the Association of Surgical Education (ASE). As an invited guest on a recent ASE podcast, Dr. Dickinson discussed the work she led on behalf of the ASE Committee for Educational Technology on both the development of a tool to assess virtual learner engagement and a national survey on perceptions of virtual education events. She previously presented this research at plenary and podium presentations at the Surgical Education Week conference in April.

Thankful Scholars
Several members of the inaugural class of Medical Scholars in Public Health (MSPH) took a moment last week to surprise Dr. Christopher Westfall with a presentation to thank him for initiating the program. The program serves as an educational bridge to medical school and/or a master’s in public health for promising college graduates from socially, economically or geographically disadvantaged backgrounds. It’s just one example of Dr. Westfall’s efforts to build an outstanding and diverse physician workforce in Arkansas during his time as Dean. The students presented him with a signed class photo. Click here for a photo of the presentation and to learn more about the MSPH program.

Diversity Matters
We recently learned that Forbes magazine has named UAMS to its 2021 list of Best Employers for Women. You may recall that this good news comes on the heels of UAMS being ranked seventh nationally on Forbes’ list of Best Employers for Diversity a few months ago. For me, these rankings represent more than just spots on national lists. They signify the determination and steady progress we are making toward being a university, health system and workforce that embraces diversity in all of its facets. As Dr. Cam Patterson notes in this UAMS news story, our diversity really is our greatest strength. The outstanding women on Team UAMS contribute to our mission in Arkansas in unique and myriad ways. Here’s to all of you – and to our continued work to create a more vibrant and diverse institution.

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!

Newly Invested Colleagues
Congratulations to Dr. Michael Birrer and Dr. Jennifer Laudadio on their well-earned investitures in endowed chairs at UAMS. The recent ceremonies paid tribute to these outstanding leaders and to the namesakes of the chairs – COM faculty members who inspired generous philanthropists to make the chairs possible.

Dr. Birrer, Professor of Internal Medicine, Vice Chancellor and Director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute since 2019, assumed the Kent C. Westbrook, M.D., Director’s Chair for the Cancer Institute. The July 15 ceremony highlighted Dr. Birrer’s scholarly work and past career accomplishments as well as his ongoing dedication to attaining National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation for UAMS. The investiture also reflected on the impact of Dr. Westbrook, Distinguished Professor of Surgery, who was the Founding Director of the Cancer Institute.

Dr. Laudadio, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology, was invested July 22 in the Aubrey J. Hough Jr., M.D., Distinguished Chair in Pathology. Dr. Laudadio was honored for her contributions on the faculty since 2013 and her leadership as Chair since 2020 amid the many challenges of the pandemic. Dr. Hough, now a Professor Emeritus, was lauded for his 40 years of service on the faculty in many roles, including Chair of Pathology in 1981-2002.

Outstanding Mentor
Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Greenberger, Associate Professor and Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, on being selected as the recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Mentor Award from the American Association of Women Emergency Physicians. The annual award honors a female emergency medicine mentor who has significantly enhanced the careers of women mentees through research, education, advocacy and/or administration. Dr. Greenberger will receive the award during the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Scientific Assembly in October.

National Awards for Pain Medicine
Two of the 10 national awards presented at the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) annual meeting last weekend went to College of Medicine faculty members. Dr. Erika Petersen, Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery and Neuromodulation at UAMS, was named Functional Neurosurgeon of the Year for her work to advance the science around neuromodulation. In particular, she served as the lead author on a seminal paper that led to FDA approval of high-frequency spinal cord stimulation as a treatment for painful diabetic neuropathy. Dr. Petersen also became President-Elect of ASPN. Dr. Johnathan Goree, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of the Chronic Pain Division, received the Lisa Stearns Legacy Diversity Award from the ASPN for his exemplary work to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the field of pain and neurosciences. So proud to have these colleagues on our team!

Leadership Fellow
Congratulations to Dr. Jill Mhyre, the Dola S. Thompson Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, on completing her yearlong fellowship in the prestigious Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program at Drexel University. As part of the program, Dr. Mhyre initiated an institutional project to create a pipeline for underrepresented minority college graduates who are interested in pursuing a career in health care. Their time at UAMS is divided between clinical work as anesthesia technicians, professional development, research, and coaching to apply for medical school or other health professional training. Four individuals participated last year, and three are enrolled this year. Dr. Mhyre’s initiative contributes to our efforts to build a more diverse health care workforce and could serve as a model for similar pipeline programs in other areas.

A Better Learning Community
A survey-based study of student satisfaction with our Academic Houses learning communities confirms the effectiveness of the model for advising and mentoring medical students and highlights areas for potential improvement. Co-first authors Dr. Jasna Vuk of the UAMS Student Success Center and Dr. Steven McKee of the departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, along with Associate Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Sara Tariq and Dr. Priya Mendiratta of the Department of Geriatrics, led the study published in the Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development. Our students have benefited substantially from the mentorship, support and community provided by our academic houses since their inception in 2016. Many thanks to Dr. Tariq for her leadership of this important initiative and to all of our academic house faculty advisors.

National Resource
Did you know that a highly-specialized team at UAMS, led by Dr. Alan Tackett, provides proteomics expertise for researchers across the country as the only such National Institutes of Health (NIH) “National Resource” of its kind? The team recently helped the University of North Carolina discover a key driver of cancer cell development, and the findings were published in the journal Nature. Along with Dr. Tackett, who serves as Deputy Director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the team and UAMS coauthors of the study included fellow Biochemistry and Molecular Biology faculty members Drs. Stephanie Byrum, Rick Edmondson, Samuel Mackintosh and Aaron Storey. Read more about the study and the incredibly successful first year of the IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics in the UAMS Newsroom.

COVID & Surgery
Kudos to Dr. Manos Giorgakis, Assistant Professor in the Division of Transplant Surgery, for his leadership of UAMS’ important work with the COVIDSurg Cohort Study Group. Dr. Giorgakis has worked with various teams in the Department of Surgery to make valuable contributions to the international study group throughout the pandemic. Their most recent publication created a mortality risk calculator for patients undergoing surgery with perioperative Sars-CoV-2. The risk calculator has been validated and deployed online.

Psychiatric Nursing Scholar
Congratulations to the Division of Developmental Pediatrics’ Lindsay Van Parys, APRN, on being named a 2021 American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) Scholar. Ms. Van Parys, an APRN in the James L. Dennis Developmental Center and a post-master’s student in UAMS’ Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program, is one of only 15 graduate students and 30 students overall nationwide to be chosen for the honor. She will be recognized at, and receive a scholarship to attend, the APNA 35^th Annual Conference in October.

Neurocritical Care Fellow
Congratulations to the Department of Neurosurgery’s Ebonye Green, APRN, Lead Advanced Practice Provider for the Inpatient Neuroscience Service Line, on being named a Fellow of the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS). Fellows are selected based on their contributions to the field in the areas of professionalism and collaborative multi-professional practice, program development, scholarly activity and leadership. Ms. Green will be recognized during an awards ceremony at the NCS Annual Meeting in October.

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!

Igniting Imagination
The first NIH-funded Partners in Cancer Research Program for rising second-year medical students is underway in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, and as Dr. Thomas Kelly explains, the goal is “ignite the imaginations of future physicians.” Kudos to Dr. Kelly and Dr. Richard Nicholas, the program leaders, for bringing this initiative to fruition. Thanks also to program evaluator Dr. Beatrice Boateng, program manager Diane McKinstry and the many faculty mentors who are working with students on cancer-related projects. Read more about this exciting program, mentors and the student participants in the UAMS Newsroom. 

Student Published in JAMA
Congratulations to third-year medical student Austin Morgan on the publication by JAMA of his insightful study into diversity among the leadership teams at National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers across the country. The article, published in JAMA Network Open, examined racial, ethnic and gender representation and found that individuals in marginalized racial/ethnic groups may face challenges that limit advancement into senior leadership positions. Policies and pipeline programs will be crucial for addressing the leadership disparities. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Pain Management Insights
Dr. Johnathan Goree, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of the Chronic Pain Division, and Dr. Carrie Hyde, Assistant Professor in the Palliative Medicine Division of the Department of Internal Medicine, shared tips for breaking down barriers to meeting patients’ pain needs in an under-resourced state in Practical Pain Management. The UAMS colleagues were invited to author the article, published last week in the nation’s premier teaching journal for clinicians in the field, after collaborating on a national talk last fall. Their work generated many positive observations about the strides UAMS has made to provide excellent, comprehensive pain care for patients despite barriers such as literacy, health and lifestyle factors and access to mental health care.

Banner Year
Congratulations to our colleagues in Neurology, Neurosurgery and the Neurosciences Service Line for wrapping up a banner year in FY21 across our clinical and academic mission areas. UAMS received recertification of our Comprehensive Stroke Center and Level 4 Epilepsy Center designations. Our Movement Disorders Team attained Center of Excellence Status for the Huntington’s Disease Clinic, and there were many surgical “firsts.” The service line partnered with the Institute for Digital Health & Innovation to contract with two outside hospitals to provide inpatient neurological consults, expanding access to neurological care for Arkansans. Scholarly output also was impressive with accomplishments such as 100% faculty participation in scholarly activities by Neurosurgery faculty this year.

Great Way to Start
It would be hard to beat the first week on the faculty that Isis Martel, M.S., an Instructor in the Research and Evaluation Division (RED) of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, experienced. The former Research Program Manager in the department has made many contributions to RED initiatives. But less than a week into her new faculty role, she received a 5-year, $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) for an initiative to fill a trauma-specific services gap for children of women with substance use disorders in Northwest Arkansas. Read more about the project, Parents and Children Together (PACT), here.

Cancer Testing Guidelines
Dr. Donald Johann, Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Internal Medicine, is among the national leaders to coauthor a second important paper published recently in the high-impact journal Genome Biology. The paper concerns the establishment of new actionable guidelines for cancer gene panel-based Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and will help to better facilitate the rapid implementation, validation and quality control of oncopanel testing in clinical use. UAMS is involved in national efforts to bring more advanced NGS assays to the clinic for our patients. Well done.

Residency Celebrations & Honors
I have been enjoying the opportunity to highlight many of the awards presented to residents, fellows, faculty and staff at ceremonies for our graduating residents and fellows last month. This week I am pleased to share the awards presented in three departments.

The Department of Family and Preventive Medicine celebrated graduates of the Little Rock Family Medicine Residency Program, along with outstanding faculty, on June 25. Residents were honored for overall excellence, scholarly work, fostering strong physician-patient relationships, medical student teaching and much more. Click here to see who was honored. 

The Department of Radiology honored graduating residents in a June 5 virtual ceremony. Awards were presented to both residents and faculty for professionalism, research, teaching, excellence in the practice of radiology and outstanding support for residents. See who was honored here.

The Department of Surgery paid tribute to graduating residents and fellows in a June 19 virtual ceremony. Awards were presented for faculty and all levels of trainees, from an “Iron Intern” to a research-savvy fellow. Faculty, residents and medical students voted on various honors. Click here to learn about the honorees. 

Housestaff Heroes
The onboarding of new residents and offboarding of graduating trainees each summer is no small feat. For many of her 41 years at UAMS, Assistant Dean for Housestaff Dwana McKay and her team in the Housestaff Office have orchestrated many of the steps in these processes, ensuring that our residents have what they need to be successful during residency and beyond. This year, 221 residents and fellows joined our campus, and each one of them benefits from Dwana’s attention to detail as well as the wonderful efforts of our GME and residency/fellowship program teams. “Dwana’s shop” is tucked in the back corner of the Dean’s Office suite, and her work may go unnoticed. Here’s a shout-out to Dwana and team members Suzie Robertson and Christy Brazil for their excellent work and dedication!  

Consultant of the Month
Third-year Otolaryngology resident Dr. Mary Catherine Brown is being honored by Emergency Medicine residents as their newest Consultant of the Month. Residents appreciated Dr. Brown for taking advantage of opportunities to teach while on consults and her willingness to help patients – and the Emergency Department team – at any hour of the day or night. “Dr. Brown is always willing to come see patients and goes above and beyond to take care of them,” one resident said. Congratulations Dr. Brown!

Summertime R&R
Accolades is taking next week “off” – which could serve as a reminder about the importance of finding a little time to relax, rejuvenate and connect with family and friends. I hope you have an opportunity this summer to do just that! If you are traveling or getting together with others, please remember to follow COVID-19 precautions to keep you and those you love safe. Accolades will return on Wednesday, July 28.

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 12^th 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, 12^th Street received the NAFC Gold Rating, and North Street received the Silver Rating. Special thanks to 12^th 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.

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!