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!

Enhancing the Physician-Patient Relationship
The Department of Family and Preventive Medicine (DFPM) and UAMS Regional Programs welcomed 14 faculty members and behavioral health providers from DFPM, Regional Programs and Baptist Health to campus last week for the first Balint Leadership Training Intensive. A Balint group is a group of clinicians who meet regularly to present clinical cases in order to better understand and improve the clinician-patient relationship. Dr. Richard Turnage, Vice Chancellor of Regional Programs and Interim DFPM Chair, has championed the initiative and is the Principal Investigator of a Health Resources and Services Administration grant that is underwriting the training. The goal is for training participants to initiate Balint groups in their residency programs and clinics.

Kathy Emans, LCSW, Director of Behavioral Health for Regional Programs, and Dr. Beth Schmit, an Assistant Professor in DFPM, have been instrumental in organizing the training. Chris Rule, LCSW, Director of Behavioral Health for the UAMS-Baptist Residency Program, led the training along with representatives from the American Balint Society. I join with Dr. Turnage in thanking these team members and the training participants from across the state for their commitment to enhancing patient care.

Implementation Science Scholars
The UAMS Translational Research Institute (TRI) and UAMS Center for Implementation Research (CIR) have named five College of Medicine clinical faculty members as Implementation Science Scholars. Congratulations to Dr. Stephen Foster (Family and Preventive Medicine/UAMS Northeast Regional Campus); Dr. Chelsea Mathews (Orthopaedic Surgery); Dr. Veronica Raney (Psychiatry); Dr. Jarna Shah (Anesthesiology); and Dr. Shruti Tewar (Pediatrics). Over the next two years, CIR faculty will guide the scholars in didactic sessions and mentor them in experiential implementation science projects. Learn more about the scholars and their projects on the TRI website.

Vascular Anomalies Conference Hosts
A shout-out to the Vascular Anomalies team at Arkansas Children’s, which is hosting the American Society for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) Vascular Anomalies National Fall Conference this Friday. About 30 vascular anomalies experts from across the country will be in Little Rock for the all-day meeting, with another 50 joining virtually. Kudos to Dr. Joana Mack, Dr. Shelley Crary and colleagues in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery’s Dr. Gresham Richter, and colleagues for their leadership on this conference. This is a big honor and great national exposure for the program.

Nationally Ranked Ophthalmology Training
The Ophthalmology Residency Program’s commitment to excellence in education, research and clinical care is reflected in the latest Doximity Residency Navigator rankings for medical students interested in matching into the specialty. Significantly, the program was ranked 13^th this year for research output among 124 schools nationwide. Special thanks to Residency Program Director Dr. Ahmed Sallam, Ophthalmology Chair Dr. Paul Phillips, and everyone on the Jones Eye Institute team who contributes to residency education.

Otolaryngology Shares Expertise
The four-day annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) in Philadelphia this month was chock-full of insightful presentations by College of Medicine Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery faculty and trainees. Click here for an overview of the 17 oral presentations, panel discussions and more. The presenting authors and lead presenters included 12 faculty members, four residents and one fellow. Kudos to Professor and Chair Dr. John Dornhoffer and team for sharing their expertise and representing UAMS so well.

Urology in the Spotlight
Department of Urology faculty and medical students were in the spotlight at the recent South Central Section (SCS) of the American Urological Association Conference in Coronado, California. Congratulations to Dr. Julie Riley, Associate Professor and Program Director for the Urology Residency, who was elected SCS Secretary. Assistant Professor Dr. Bruno Machado presented his research on a novel surgical approach for Peyronie’s disease using 3D printed penile models. Dr. Riley and Dr. Tim Langford, Professor and Urology Chair, served as panelists for podium sessions. And third-year medical students Tara Bates and Alberto Ocampo did a great job presenting the research they conducted in the Honors in Research Program under Dr. Stephen Canon.

International Honors
Congratulations to the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine’s Dr. Jawahar “Jay” Mehta and Dr. Srikanth Vallurupalli on the honors they received at the recent joint North American Meeting of the International Society of Heart Research and the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences in Winnipeg, Canada. Dr. Mehta, Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine, Physiology and Cell Biology, and Pharmacology and Toxicology, received a Medal of Merit for his many contributions to the field. Dr. Vallurupalli, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, received the Roberto Bolli Young Investigator Award for his oral presentation, “Gender differences in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy – etiology or biology?”

Outpatient Treatment for Hemangioma
Dr. Gresham Richter, Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and colleagues have published a study into the use of propranolol to treat infantile hemangiomas. While there has been a shift toward outpatient management for these patients, no prior studies had looked at the costs and safety of this practice. Using data from the Pediatric Health Information system to assess trends, Dr. Richter and team determined that outpatient management is safe and cost-effective. UAMS collaborators included Dr. Hayden Hairston, Dr. Anvesh Kompelli and Dr. J. Reed Gardner (residents); research fellow Dr. Kyle Davis; Dr. Elijah Bolin (Pediatrics), and 2021 COM graduate Dr. Muhammad Abu-Rmaileh.

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!

Perinatal Excellence
Kudos to everyone who had a role in UAMS receiving Perinatal Care Certification from The Joint Commission. This certification reflects that the Women and Infants Health Service Line has met and exceeded strict standards of care for maternal, fetal and newborn health. UAMS is the only hospital in Arkansas and one of only 61 hospitals nationwide with this certification. While many faculty and nursing team members contributed greatly to this accomplishment, the following service line leaders were instrumental: Dr. Nirvana Manning, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Dr. Sara Peeples, Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology and Medical Director of the UAMS NICU; Dr. Dora Smith, Associate Professor of OB/GYN and Director of Labor and Delivery; and Michelle McFail, MSN, Senior Nursing Director for the Medical/Surgical and Women and Infants Health service lines.

World-Class Breast Cancer Care
The UAMS Breast Cancer Program in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute has been reaccredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). The UAMS program’s world-class reputation is further reflected in the appointment of Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Breast Surgical Oncology, and Dr. Sindhu Malapati, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, as Vice Chairs of the NAPBC. UAMS has been accredited by the NAPBC, a program of the American College of Surgeons, since 2011. Another longstanding accreditation accomplishment is the UAMS Breast Center’s designation as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. The center is led by Dr. Gwendolyn Bryant-Smith, Associate Professor of Radiology. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom. 

National Pathology Leadership
Congratulations to Dr. Ted Brown, Associate Professor of Pathology, on becoming Chair-Elect of the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Pathologists Council. Dr. Brown will assume the role of Chair in September 2023.The council is the voice of ASCP Fellow members and provides advice and recommendations to the ASCP Board of Directors. Dr. Brown’s leadership roles in Arkansas include Director of Autopsy at UAMS and Chief Medical Examiner for the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory.

Diversity Scholars Program
Dr. Roopa Ram, Associate Professor of Radiology and Program Director for the Diagnostic Radiology Residency, has been selected for the Association of University Radiologists (AUR) Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Allyship (IDEA) Scholar Program. The six-month program is designed to increase knowledge of issues relating to these principles and to build skills for educating others in them. The program consists of five workshops this fall and winter, and follow-up activities such as lectures or workshops at the participant’s home institution. Congratulations and kudos to Dr. Ram for her dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Conference Presenters
A shout-out to several Pediatrics colleagues who presented at the 2022 Pediatric Hospital Medicine conference. The Division of Hospital Medicine’s Dr. Rebecca Cantu was a collaborator on a mini-plenary presentation, “Don’t Just Pump and Dump: Managing Breastfeeding Mothers on Medications and More.” Dr. Cantu, Dr. Brittany Slagle (Hospital Medicine) and Dr. Paul Drake (Pediatric Neurology), presented a poster, “The Head and the Heart: A Missed Connection.” COM Collaborators on this project included Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics fellow Dr. Claire Foster, Medicine-Pediatrics resident Dr. Trevor Meece, and fourth-year medical student Andrew Campbell. Dr. Cantu, Dr. Slagle and Dr. Sara Sanders (Hospital Medicine) presented a well-received talk on the utility of procalcitonin levels for detecting serious bacterial infections that also earned them an invitation to recap the talk on the PHM podcast. 

Rare Case Study
Dr. Emily Barnes, Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, was a coauthor on a case report, “Rapid Facial Swelling in a 15-year-old female,” published in Clinical Pediatrics. The incident was unique as the only documented case of bilateral septic cavernous sinus thrombosis – the rare formation of a blood clot within the cavernous sinus – caused by a ruptured acne vulgaris near the upper philtrum. Coauthors on the study were 2021 College of Medicine graduate Dr. Muhammad Abu-Rmaileh and former faculty member Dr. Courtney Edgar-Zarate.

Putting Patients First
Looking back at some of the patient comments that have been shared with me this past summer, I am again once again struck by how much excellent physician communication skills matter. While clinical expertise is vital, so many patients focus their praise on what their doctor and other care providers said and how they made the patient feel even when circumstances were difficult. Here are some examples.

“I don’t think they come more compassionate and attentive than Dr. Lee Archer and Mary Caroline Carnes (APRN). … I’m astounded, literally, at how easy it is to communicate my care or follow-up concerns.”   (Neurology)

“Dr. Brian Kirkpatrick made me feel comfortable with this appointment, being the first time I have seen a psychiatrist. He was attentive to what I was saying.”   (Psychiatry)

“Dr. Geeta Sakariya is such an interested, concerned health care provider. She treats the whole patient, physically and emotionally. We have never had a more interested physician.”   (Family/Preventive Medicine)

“Dr. Matt Steliga and Patricia Franklin (APRN) were outstanding … so easy to talk to. Just genuine through and through.”   (Surgery)

“Dr. Michael Smith is one of the most caring, knowledgeable medical care staff I have ever met. He not only discussed my overall medical history, but he explained some medical concepts to me and suggested questions to ask during my visit tomorrow.”   (OB/GYN)

“I was exceptionally fortunate to have Dr. Katie Kimbrough as the head of the surgical team who took care of me. What made this a unique experience is that she did not talk to me or at me, but with me. Together we discussed the various options, and together we came up with a care plan. Including me in the decision process has made this a plan I am truly comfortable with.”   (Surgery)

Very special thanks to all of these compassionate, patient-focused colleagues.

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!

National Pathology Leadership
Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Laudadio, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology, on her election to the Board of Trustees of the American Board of Pathology (ABPath). Dr. Laudadio will lend her expertise in molecular/genetic and clinical pathology to the panel of highly esteemed pathologists, which sets board certification and continuing certification standards for specialists in the field. Dr. Laudadio’s other national roles include molecular pathology section editor for the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and extensive current and past service on committees for ABPath, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the Association for Molecular Pathology. She is a former president of the CAP Foundation and served ex-officio on the CAP Board of Governors.

Resuscitation Guidelines
Dr. Steve Schexnayder, Professor and Chief of the Critical Care Medicine Section in the Department of Pediatrics, is a coauthor on new guidelines, published in Pediatrics, for cardiopulmonary resuscitation of children with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The guidelines are the result of a collaboration of the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Committee and Get with the Guidelines-Resuscitation Pediatric Task Force, in Collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Respiratory Care and American Society of Anesthesiologists.

National Podcast Guest
Dr. Susan Emmett, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Director of the UAMS Center for Hearing Health Equity, was a guest this week on a Physicians Weekly podcast focusing on recent news in hearing loss and treatment. Dr. Emmett shared insights from the recent landmark study that she and Dr. Samantha Kleindienst Robler, Associate Director of the center, led into harnessing the power of telemedicine to provide quicker access to specialized hearing care for rural children following school-based screening. Their randomized controlled trial, which was conducted in 15 communities in rural Alaska, was published in The Lancet Global Health in June.

Vascular Leadership Development
A shout-out to Dr. Kyla Shelton, Assistant Professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery, on being selected for the prestigious Society for Vascular Surgery Leadership Development Program. Dr. Shelton also serves as Medical Advisor for the Vascular Sonography Concentration in the College of Health Professions Division of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. During the year-long national leadership program, Dr. Shelton will participate in numerous mentoring activities, a leadership webinar series and an in-person workshop. The program will culminate with recognition at the Vascular Annual Meeting next June.

Tackling Food Insecurity
Food insecurity is one of many important issues being addressed by the outstanding team in the Office of Community Health and Research at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. Numerous recent news reports have highlighted the team’s work in this area. One recent study, led by Dr. Chris Long and colleagues, discusses how Arkansans were more likely to rely on food pantry services after a job loss or sustaining a serious illness.

Kudos also for the team’s work in securing $350,000 in recent grants from the Walmart Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation to support an initiative that provides Northwest Arkansas residents access to affordable, healthy foods at local farmers markets, nutrition education, and more. Vice Chancellor Amy Wenger, MHSA, and Dr. Pearl McElfish, Director of the Office of Community Health and Research, discuss the importance of the program in this UAMS news article. The office also recently received $255,000 in American Rescue Plan grant funding for a food insecurity initiative in Arkansas under the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Great job!

Surgery Colleagues to be Invested in Endowed Chairs Today
And finally this week, very special congratulations to the Department of Surgery’s Dr. Jonathan Laryea and Dr. Matthew Steliga, who will be invested in endowed chairs this afternoon.

Dr. Laryea, Professor and Chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery, will be invested in the Nolie and Norma Mumey Endowed Chair in Surgery. Dr. Laryea has led the development of the division since his recruitment to UAMS as our only colorectal surgeon in 2008. He also provides excellent leadership as Medical Director of Cancer Services in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Among many national and international roles, he currently chairs the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association.

Dr. Steliga, Professor and Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery, will hold the Kent C. Westbrook, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Surgical Oncology. Dr. Steliga is a widely recognized expert in lung cancer, cancer screening, smoking cessation and surgical education. He has lent his expertise nationally and internationally through lectures, workshop leadership, service as a board examiner for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, advisory roles for the American Cancer Society and the Arkansas Department of Health, and more.

These are well-deserved honors for these colleagues, and I hope you can join us for the celebration. The dual ceremony starts at 4:00 in the Fred Smith Conference Center on the 12^th floor of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine Institute. If you plan to attend in person, please RSVP to rsvp@uams.edu. The ceremony also will be livestreamed at go.uams.edu/live.

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!

Award-Winning Mentor, Distinguished Scholar
Congratulations to Dr. Stacie Jones, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Immunology, on being selected for the 2023 Mentorship Award from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). Dr. Jones will be formally recognized at the organization’s annual meeting next February for her outstanding mentorship of students, residents, fellows and faculty during her 27 years as a physician scientist. As her AAAAI honoree profile so aptly states, Dr. Jones is greatly appreciated for providing insight and guidance and “lighting the way without squashing curiosity or creativity.”

Meanwhile, I am delighted to announce that the College of Medicine has selected Dr. Jones as this year’s Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Scholar. She will be honored and will present the Faculty Scholar Lecture later this year. Watch for information soon. Dr. Jones is internationally recognized for her research into life-threatening peanut allergies in children. She was a key leader in the ground-breaking study that led to FDA approval of the first ever drug for treating children with peanut allergies.

Opioid Awareness Leadership
The Opioid Prevention for Aging and Longevity (OPAL) team in the Department of Geriatrics and Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging received a well-earned Leadership Award at the 2022 Arkansas Prevention Summit. The award from the Arkansas Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Sciences recognized the federal- and state-supported OPAL program’s impact in raising awareness of opioid use in older Arkansans. Congratulations and kudos to Patricia Savary, Amanda Pangle, Naomi Armstrong, Dr. Regina Gibson and Dr. Gohar Azhar.

Vascular Lab Accreditation
A shout-out to the UAMS Vascular Lab for achieving vascular testing accreditation from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). UAMS is one of only two IAC accredited vascular labs in the state, and the only one dedicated exclusively to vascular testing. Special thanks to Dr. Mohammed Moursi, Medical Director of the lab and Director of the Division of Vascular Surgery, and Steven Schulze, B.S., RVT, Lab Director, for their hard work and commitment to providing outstanding vascular care and services.

New Accreditation for Crisis Stabilization Unit
Congratulations also to the Pulaski County Regional Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), a 16-bed facility staffed by UAMS personnel, on its new accreditation last week from CARF International, which provides accreditation for behavioral health programs around the world. The Pulaski County CSU is directed by Dr. Lisa Evans, Associate Professor of Psychiatry. Surveyors declared the CSU a model unit to be emulated around the country, praising it for remaining open during the pandemic in addition to meeting CARF’s 1,300 behavioral health standards. The CSU was the state’s first nationally accredited unit in 2019 and is the first UAMS program to be credentialed by CARF International.

Preventing In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Dr. Parthak Prodhan, Professor in the Cardiology and Critical Care Medicine sections of the Department of Pediatrics,  is an author on a recent article in JAMA Pediatrics discussing how a collaborative learning network of pediatric cardiac intensive care teams was able to significantly reduce in-hospital cardiac arrest across multiple pediatric cardiac critical intensive care units through a low-tech practice bundle. He also recently co-authored articles on consensus recommendations for management of post-operative chylothorax in pediatric CHD, in Cardiology in the Young, and on the Norwood Operation and timing of sternal closure, in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Lawrence Greiten, Assistant Professor of Surgery, also was a coauthor on the consensus recommendations.     

Making Puberty a Little Easier 
The years around puberty can be a challenging time for girls, but the inaugural “Girlology” event hosted by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology earlier this month undoubtedly made it a little easier for about 220 pre-teen and teenage girls, parents and caregivers who attended. As OB/GYN Chair Dr. Nirvana Manning said, the goals were to “provide medically accurate information, create a shared experience and to keep the lines of communication open in the future.” The event was a great success thanks to Dr. Manning, Dr. Laura Hollenbach and Dr. Kathryn Stambough, along with nine medical student volunteers from the Obstetrics Interest Group. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom. Great job everyone!

Transplant Donors & COVID-19
First-year Surgery resident Dr. Hailey Hardgrave is first author on a recently published article, coauthored with the UAMS Transplant Research Group, indicating no evidence of donor-derived COVID-19 infection resulting from non-thoracic organ transplantation using COVID-19 positive donor organs. “Negative COVID-19 Plasma PCR Following COVID-19+ Donor Kidney Transplant” was published in Transplantation, the official journal of the Transplantation Society and the International Liver Transplantation Society. Dr. Hardgrave’s faculty coauthors were Drs. Lyle Burdine, Raj Patel and Emmanouil Giorgakis. Well done.

Ultrasound Training for Arkansas Physicians
Kudos to the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine for hosting a recent two-day point-of-care ultrasound training session for more than two dozen physicians from across the state. The training was the first step in a program to expand the use of point-of-care ultrasound with the help of a grant from the Health Resources and Services (HRSA) Medical Student Education Program. Ultrasound devices can help physicians diagnose their patients more efficiently, including in rural areas where patients have reduced access to specialty care. Special thanks to Assistant Professor Dr. Leslie Stone and team for their work on this initiative. Thanks also to the nine COM students who served as model patients during the training. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom. 

Diversity Mentoring Awards
A shout-out to the Department of Anesthesiology’s Dr. Destiny Chau, Dr. Matthew Green and Dr. Jill Mhyre and fourth-year medical student Breyanna Dulaney on their 2022 Mentoring Awards from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Committee on Professional Diversity. In her second consecutive annual mentoring grant from the ASA, Dr. Chau, a Professor, will mentor Dr. Green, an Assistant Professor, on a project to implement a curriculum to identify implicit biases and foster transparency and inclusivity in a diverse workplace. With their grant, Dr. Mhyre will mentor Breyanna on an evaluation of the Anesthesia Tech Pipeline Program for underrepresented minority college graduates that Dr. Mhyre developed as part of her 2020-2021 Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) fellowship.

Thank a Postdoc!
Postdocs aren’t only tomorrow’s senior scientists – they are, in the words of some UAMS faculty, the engine of our research enterprise today, the men and women who keep our research afloat, and a key driver in our mission to advance discoveries that improve health. Sept. 19-24 is National Postdoc Appreciation Week, and a slate of special activities has been planned for postdoctoral scholars at UAMS.

Additionally, faculty and colleagues can post a note of thanks using this kudoboard link. The board already contains some wonderful tributes to our postdocs, so check it out and add your own words of encouragement! 

I also want to take a moment to thank those behind this collegial initiative, which was a team effort of the UAMS Division of Research and the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Spearheaded by Dr. Peter DelNero, Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Community Health and Research, the core planning team also includes Dr. Mohamed Elasri, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, and Brandi Dawson, Administrative Coordinator for the Cancer Research Training and Education Core. Kudos also to Dr. Debasmita Saha, President of the UAMS Postdoctoral Society; Beth Taggard, Marty Trieschmann and Dr. Brigette Serfaty.

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!

Top Bone Research Honor
Congratulations to Dr. Teresita Bellido, Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, on being named the 2022 recipient of the Stephen M. Krane Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). The award will be presented at the ASBMR annual meeting in Austin next month and is one of the society’s most esteemed honors. Dr. Bellido has held numerous leadership roles in ASBMR, including President in 2020 and Chair of multiple committees. She also has been an active contributor to the journal JBMR Plus, serving as an editor. Dr. Bellido is internationally recognized for her NIH- and VA-funded research into bone biology and pathophysiology, osteocyte biology and bone and cancer. At UAMS, she also serves as leader of the Creativity Hub in Musculoskeletal Health and Disease.

Resident’s Paper in Lancet Psychiatry
Dr. Wesley White, a second-year resident in the Department of Psychiatry, is the first author on an insightful correspondence article in The Lancet Psychiatry, one of the world’s leading psychiatric journals. Dr. White and coauthors Dr. Jessica Coker and Dr. Shona Ray-Griffith, Associate Professors in the department, call for an increased awareness of Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) and the importance of having psychiatrists participate fully on them. Most states have convened MMRCs to address high mortality rates among pregnant and postpartum women. While obstetrical causes of maternal deaths traditionally have been a primary focus, recent data indicates that non-obstetrical causes of death, including suicide and accidental overdose, are a significant contributor to this crisis. Well done.     

Prestigious Immunology Fellowship
Miguel Mercado, a graduate student working with Dr. Lin-Xi Li, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, has received a prestigious Careers in Immunology Fellowship from the American Association of Immunologists (AAI). The program provides independent research scientists from around the world with fellowships supporting one year of salary for a predoctoral student or postdoctoral fellow in their labs. I join with Microbiology and Immunology Professor and Chair Dr. Dan Voth in congratulating these outstanding colleagues. 

Pediatric Critical Care Insights
Dr. Erin Bennett, Assistant Professor in the Critical Care Medicine Section of the Department of Pediatrics, was first author on an article in Hospital Pediatrics assessing the biochemical and clinical outcomes of hospitalized children who receive prophylactic enoxaparin against hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism. Also recently, Dr. Bennett and Assistant Professor Dr. Salim Aljabari were coauthors on an “Editor’s Choice” article in Respiratory Care on high-frequency percussive ventilation (HFPV) in viral bronchiolitis. The study improves knowledge of the alternative mode of mechanical ventilation’s uses and provides a base for future, broader research efforts.

Diversity Honor for MSPH Scholar
And finally this week, congratulations to Nabeel Alwan, a member of the second class of our Medical Scholars in Public Health (MSPH) post-baccalaureate program, who has been awarded the Minority Healthcare Diversity Scholarship from the Arkansas Minority Health Commission. As a student in the one-year MSPH program, Nabeel is working toward a Master of Public Health and will eventually apply for admission to medical school.

Nabeel and his family immigrated to the United States from Palestine. A first-generation college student, he graduated from UA Little Rock with a bachelor’s in biology and chemistry in the prestigious McNair Scholars program. Nabeel is an outstanding student with a strong commitment to academics and service. Prior to joining our program, he had volunteered over 200 hours at the Harmony Health Clinic in Little Rock. We are so proud to have Nabeel in the MSPH program and at UAMS!

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!

NMA Surgical Leadership
Congratulations to Dr. Jonathan Laryea, Professor and Chief of the Division of Colorectal Surgery, on his appointment as Chair of the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association (NMA). The NMA is the largest and oldest national organization representing African American physicians and their patients and a leading force for parity and justice in medicine and the elimination of health disparities. At UAMS, Dr. Laryea also serves as Medical Director of the Cancer Service Line. Dr. Laryea will provide stellar leadership for the NMA Surgical Section as Chair through August 2023.

National Statisticians Honor
Dr. Paula Roberson, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biostatistics in the College of Medicine and Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, has been awarded the American Statistical Association (ASA) Founders Award, the ASA’s highest honor. Already a Fellow of the ASA, Dr. Roberson was recognized at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Washington, D.C., last week for three decades of distinguished service to the organization and the profession. She has held numerous roles within the ASA, including President of the Arkansas Chapter, leadership of the Council of Chapters, and as a member of many committees including Women in Statistics, the Joint Committee on Women in Mathematical Sciences, and awards committees. Congratulations, Dr. Roberson, on this well-earned honor!

Safer Care for Agitated Patients
Dr. Michael Wilson, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry, is at the forefront of national initiatives to provide better care for Emergency Department (ED) patients who are severely agitated due to mental illness or drug intoxication – and de-escalate crises that can result in violent assaults on ED providers. Dr. Wilson’s insights are highlighted in a new special report in Emergency Medicine News about the impact of Project BETA, the Best Practices in the Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation. Dr. Wilson was senior author on a key earlier article on Project BETA in the Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open. Project BETA guidelines underlie many of the protocols currently in use in the UAMS Emergency Department, including the order set for behavioral health patients developed in coordination with Psychiatry. Well done.

Camp Laughter
A shout-out to the Arkansas Children’s and College of Medicine team members who made this year’s Camp Laughter, a beloved event for cleft and craniofacial patients and families, so much fun. The event at Camp Aldersgate is also important to patients and families because of the opportunity to share and learn from one another’s experiences. Leaders of the multi-disciplinary effort included Dr. Larry Hartzell and the ENT/Cleft team, Dr. Sagar Mehta and the Plastic Surgery/Craniofacial team, Dr. Kirt Simmons and the team in Pediatric and Special Needs Dentistry, and the Audiology, Speech and Nutrition teams at Arkansas Children’s. Very special thanks to Camp Coordinators Sarah Valdez, Jordan Davis, Dana Thomas and Nicolle Boswell.

Student to Present Nationally
Congratulations to third-year MD/MPH student Blaire Taggart, who will be giving an oral abstract presentation at the annual Thrombosis & Hemostasis Summit of North America in Chicago tomorrow. She will present the “Role of a multidisciplinary ‘Period’ Clinic for management of adolescents with abnormal uterine bleeding – a single institution experience.” The presentation is the result of her work toward an Honors in Pediatrics with coauthors and mentors Dr. Divyaswathi Citla-Sridhar, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Shelley Crary, Professor,of the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology; and Dr. Laura Hollenbach, Associate Professor in the  Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Way to go, Blaire!

Helping Duchenne MD Families
The Comprehensive Neuromuscular Program team at Arkansas Children’s did a great job co-hosting a recent workshop for families impacted by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disease that causes progressive muscle degeneration in about 1 in 5,000 male births. The team partnered with the non-profit CureDuchenne on the workshop, which drew families of boys with DMD, or the similar condition Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), from Arkansas and neighboring states. Several team members shared information on the neuromuscular program and current developments in the field. Kudos to Dr. Aravindhan Veerapandiyan (Pediatric Neurology); Dr. Kindann Fawcett (Postdoctoral fellow and nutritionist); Tiffany Boyd, RN; Dr. Amit Agarwal (Pulmonology); Dr. Shipra Bansal (Endocrinology); Dr. Vikki Stefans (Developmental Pediatrics/Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation); Dr. Seth Sorensen (Neuropsychology); Wanda Mitchell, RN; and Melissa Hicks-Wittman, PT.

International Teaching
Dr. Ariel Berlinski, Professor of Pediatric Pulmonology, has been invited to share his expertise in an upcoming webinar on pediatric respiratory care organized by the Respiratory Therapy Program at Chang Gung University in Taiwan. At Arkansas Children’s, Dr. Berlinski serves as Medical Director of the Pulmonary Diagnostic Laboratory, Medical Director of Respiratory Care Services, and Director of the Arkansas Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center. Dr. Berlinski also directs the Pediatric Aerosol Research Laboratory at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute.

EM Ultrasound & Lawsuits
Department of Emergency Medicine faculty members Dr. Jason Arthur, Dr. Zachary Lewis and Dr. Gregory Snead were co-authors on a paper first-authored by former faculty member Dr. Brian Russ that examined malpractice lawsuits relating to point-of-care emergency ultrasound. The team of emergency ultrasound experts found that not performing an ultrasound appeared to convey the greatest legal risk for emergency medicine providers, lending further credence to the conclusions of previous studies. The study indicates that performance of point-of-care ultrasound may convey a protective legal effect. The article was published this month in the Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Program Coordinators Rock!
And finally this week, as we look forward to GME Professionals Day this Friday, I want to take a moment to thank our GME Program Coordinators for their hard work, creativity and dedication to the professional and personal success of our residents and fellows. As Dr. Molly Gathright, Vice Dean for GME and Designated Institutional Official, said in this recent announcement, this is a great opportunity to consider how important Program Coordinators are to our training programs. These outstanding professionals are an important part of our mission to train the next generation of physicians for Arkansas and beyond. I join with Dr. Gathright in encouraging all residents, fellows, program directors and department leaders to do something special for your Program Coordinator this Friday. They truly rock!

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!

White Coats & Welcomes
It was an honor to welcome the Class of 2026 and watch as they donned the symbol of the highest ideals of the medical profession at the White Coat Ceremony last Friday evening. The ceremony was in person after two years of virtual ceremonies during the pandemic. And in a historic first, some of our new freshmen joined us from the stage at Fayetteville’s Butterfield Trail Village while others completed this rite of passage at Robinson Center in Little Rock.

Kudos to Dr. Sara Tariq, Associate Dean for Students, and the entire Academic Affairs team for their spectacular work on this very special event. Thanks as well to Dr. Linda Worley, Associate Dean, and our UAMS Northwest faculty; and to Dr. Becky Latch, Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Pediatrics, for her inspiring keynote address.

Each year during the ceremony, the Honors Council presents White Coat Awards to students from the upper classes who were chosen by their peers for exemplifying the qualities of integrity and professionalism during the previous year. Congratulations to sophomore Smit Patel, junior Chase Brazeal and senior Kaitlin Rose.

Pease join me in welcoming our new Freshman Class!

Third NEJM Article of the Year
Congratulations to Dr. Katherine Irby, Associate Professor in the Critical Care Medicine Section of the Department of Pediatrics, on her third publication in the New England Journal of Medicine in the past year (and fourth during her career). Her latest NEJM article, coauthored as a member of the multi-center Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators group, is “Maternal Vaccination and Risk of Hospitalization for Covid-19 among Infants.” She coauthored two additional articles with the group that were published this summer, a study in Clinical Infectious Diseases that found a decreased likelihood of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in vaccinated children, and a study in Pediatrics regarding health impairments in children and adolescents after hospitalization for acute COVID-19 or MIS-C.

Pediatric Critical Care Papers
Dr. Peter Mourani, Professor of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and President of the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, has had several recent publications including an article in Nature Communications that showed a more robust adaptive immune response to SARS-Co-V-2 in upper airway gene expression in children compared with older adults. Dr. Mourani also coauthored papers in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, on sodium bicarbonate use during pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and an assessment of patient health-related quality of life and functional outcomes in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome. He also coauthored a study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases on the association between host respiratory transcriptome signature and poor outcome in children with influenza-Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia.

Symposium Highlights Undergraduate Research
A shout-out to the UAMS Graduate School, the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Arkansas INBRE (IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) for their great work hosting the ninth Arkansas Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium. Almost 100 college students from Arkansas and nine other states presented their research during the July 27 event, which was back and better than ever after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Special thanks to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology faculty members Dr. Grover P. Miller, who oversaw planning of the event, and Dr. Eric Enemark, who delivered the keynote talk and emphasized the importance of his own summer undergraduate research in understanding his calling in research. Read more about the symposium and some of the excellent research presented by students in the UAMS Newsroom.

Lung Cancer Prevention
Lung cancer takes the lives of more Arkansans than the next four common cancers combined. And while lung cancer screening is safe and effective, it is underutilized. The American Cancer Society hosted the National Lung Cancer Roundtable workshop in Washington, D.C., to explore opportunities to prevent cancer deaths. Dr. Matthew Steliga, Professor of Surgery, was among the invited leaders from multiple disciplines across the U.S. to participate in a working group focused on addressing barriers to lung cancer screening and accelerating the uptake of screening on a national level. The UAMS lung screening program has gained significant recognition regionally and nationally, particularly for efforts spearheaded by Patricia Franklin, APRN, and Claudia Barone, EdD, APRN, to integrate tobacco cessation into the clinical screening workflow.

Big Data Insights into Antibiotic Resistance
Congratulations to Dr. Se-Ran Jun, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics, postdoctoral fellow Dr. Zulema Udaondo and colleagues on their new article in Microbial Genomics. Dr. Udaondo is first author and Dr. Jun is senior author on the study, which provides novel insights into how resistance to daptomycin – an antibiotic used to treat serious bacterial infections – disseminates, revealing a new therapeutic target. Through big data analysis, the team was the first to identify the putative implication of composite transposons (transposable DNA sequences) in the molecular mechanism of dissemination of daptomycin resistance.

Conference Talk Lauded
Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine faculty members Dr. Rebecca Cantu, Dr. Brittany Slagle and Dr. Sara Sanders presented an excellent talk on the utility of procalcitonin level tests for the detection of serious bacterial infection during the Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) National Conference in July. Their presentation was one of the most attended during the conference and was so well received that the colleagues were invited to recap their talk on a national PHM podcast. Well done!

UAMS Northwest Team Research
UAMS Northwest third-year Internal Medicine resident Dr. Alex Belote is first author on a paper showing that subcutaneous monoclonal antibiotic treatment was equally efficient in preventing COVID hospitalizations as the more resource-intensive and time-consuming intravenous administration, in an analysis of patients in Northwest Arkansas. In addition to its clinical significance, the paper highlights the strong collaboration and partnership with Washington Regional Medical Center, which is home to senior author Dr. James Newton. UAMS Northwest medical students Megan Clark, Spencer Parnell and Caroline Geels are among the coauthors. All three students are beginning their second year at UAMS Northwest, and Spencer is participating in the accelerated three-year MD track. Great job!

The Path to Pathology
At UAMS, Dr. Matthew Quick, Professor of Pathology, is greatly respected and appreciated by medical students for his award-winning initiatives to expand pathology education and the exploration of pathology as a career path. Programs such as the pathology interest group, a summer pathology preceptorship and the integration of autopsy pathology into first-year gross anatomy have led to a dramatic increase in UAMS graduates choosing pathology. Dr. Quick recently shared his expertise with members of the Royal College of Pathologists in Australia, co-presenting a talk on “Helping Medical Students and Junior Doctors Discover Their Path.”

Award-Winning Research
Congratulations to second-year Internal Medicine resident Dr. Vignesh Chidambaram on receiving the first place Early Career Research Award at the American Society for Preventive Cardiology Congress on CVD Prevention. Dr. Chidambaram works in the laboratory of Dr. J.L. Mehta, Stebbins Chair in Cardiology and Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine, Physiology and Cell Biology and Pharmacology and Toxicology. Dr. Chidambaram’s research, which indicates that elevated HDL levels may decrease susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, was highlighted in an article in Cardiology Today.

Terrific Teamwork
I would like to share a note I received from Dr. Mollie Meek, Professor of Radiology, about the collegiality and teamwork of Associate Professor Dr. Shannon Dare and others on the Anesthesiology team on a recent day in Interventional Radiology when two medically complicated patients in a row needed procedures that could not be delayed.

“On a regular day, working in IR can be a challenge due to the physical space and equipment,” Dr. Meek wrote. “We are very appreciative of the continued dedication from all of the anesthesia team members in caring for our challenging patients. Dr. Dare and her team took excellent care of the patients, and we were able to complete the procedures safely. Dr. Dare exemplifies UAMS’s core values and we are lucky to have her as part of our faculty.”

Top Docs
Congratulations to all of the fantastic College of Medicine physicians who were named on the 2022 Top Docs list by Little Rock Soirée this month. Nearly 140 of our faculty practicing at UAMS Medical Center, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System are on Soiree’s list (and presented alphabetically on the UAMS website.) We are equally proud of our faculty who were named to the 2022 Castle Connolly Top Doctors in Arkansas list, which will be published in the Arkansas Times in October. These UAMS physicians also are currently listed on the UAMS website. Kudos to all of you for providing world-class care while teaching and training the next generation of physicians and scientists for Arkansas and beyond.

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!

Mentor Spotlight Podcast
Bravo to medical students Manasa Veluvolu, Weijia Shi, Hannah Hubbard and Jasmin Cotoco, the team behind the excellent new Mentor Spotlight Podcast. The students recently released the first episode, an interview with Dr. Hakan Paydak, Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, who is widely recognized for his outstanding teaching and mentoring as well as his expertise and leadership in cardiac electrophysiology. Sharanda Williams, M.A., Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity, and Web Manager Chris Lesher also helped get the project off the ground. The podcast was created to connect medical students with potential mentors and to share insights from faculty across the COM on career paths and more. Dr. Paydak’s interview was a great way to start!

National Service in Pathology
A shout-out to Dr. Eric Yee, Associate Professor of Pathology and Director of the Anatomic Pathology Laboratories, on two recent national appointments. He has been named Chair of the Case of the Month Section of the Education Committee for the Rodger C. Haggitt Gastrointestinal Pathology Society, and Co-Chair of the Gastrointestinal and Liver Pathology Subcommittee for the Chinese American Pathologists Association. Dr. Yee also serves as an Assistant Editor for the American Journal of Clinical Pathology.

Congratulations to Dr. Felicia Allard, Associate Professor of Pathology and Director of the Cytopathology Fellowship, on her appointment to the Journal Watch Section of the Education Committee for the Rodger C. Haggitt Gastrointestinal Pathology Society. Dr. Allard’s other national roles include serving on the Education Committee of the Pancreatobiliary Pathology Society and as an Assistant Editor for GI pathology for the American Journal of Clinical Pathology. 

Spine Surgery Expertise
Dr. Noojan Kazemi, Associate Professor and Director of Spine and Peripheral Nerve Education in the Department of Neurosurgery, recently shared his expertise in minimally invasive developments in lumbar spine surgery with an international audience. Dr. Kazemi was the presenter for an online program hosted by Izmir Katip Celebi University in Izmir, Turkey, and endorsed by the Turkish Neurosurgical Society. Dr. Kazemi has published extensively on topics including spinal tumors, minimally-invasive surgery and craniocervical distraction injuries. He also has authored several book chapters in major neurosurgery textbooks.  

Residency Celebrations & Honors
It has been a pleasure to share highlights from graduation and year-end ceremonies from across the college this summer. This week, we are featuring the Department of Anesthesiology, which presented awards to residents for excellence in several areas, along with recognitions for outstanding teaching by faculty at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s. Program Directors and Coordinators can continue to share reports of ceremonies and honorees for upcoming editions of Accolades. Use this template for your overview and send it to COMInternalCommunications@uams.edu.

Surgery & the Pandemic
A new paper by Drs. Lori Wong, Moriah Hollaway, Hanna Jensen and colleagues shows how the initial triaging system UAMS used during the early months of the pandemic to postpone or cancel elective surgeries when possible worked well. The study, published in Surgery in Practice and Science, found there were minimal urgent admissions or Emergency Department visits due to canceled surgical cases. Dr. Wong worked on the project while completing her Clinical Informatics Fellowship in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. Dr. Hollaway, now a Surgery resident, was working toward her MD/MPH degree and received a U.S. Public Health Service award for the project. Dr. Jensen, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Radiology, was senior author and is leading the team’s follow-up study analyzing similar outcomes in later stages of the pandemic. Kudos to the team for this important work – and to Team UAMS for ensuring the very best surgical care throughout this challenging time.

Robotic Surgery Leadership
UAMS’ leadership in robotic surgery has led to designation as one of a select number of da Vinci Observation Epicenters for Colorectal Surgery. UAMS will host surgeons from across the country to demonstrate colorectal surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System, which is used by more than 1,500 hospitals nationwide. Dr. Conan Mustain, Associate Professor of Surgery, hosted the first visiting surgeon last Friday. The colorectal surgeon is head of the UAMS Robotics Steering Committee and one of 16 certified robotic surgeons at UAMS across nine specialties – Colorectal, General Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Thoracic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Urology, Urologic Oncology, Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Giving Matters
Dr. William C. “Bill” Culp, who retired from UAMS in 2020, devoted his expertise, energy and resources to finding new treatments for stroke and advancing the field of interventional radiology during his two decades on the faculty. The retired Professor of Radiology, Surgery and Neurology also served as Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Radiology. A $500,000 gift commitment from this visionary and forward-thinking scientist, clinician and educator will be used to establish the Dr. William Culp Endowed Professorship in Interventional Radiology. We are grateful to Dr. Culp, whose gift will support this important area of research for decades to come. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom. 

Putting Patients First
Sometimes, “putting patients first” goes beyond providing exceptional care at the bedside. Dr. André Wineland, Associate Professor in Pediatric Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, turned a tragedy into a statewide training opportunity. A young patient with a tracheostomy died earlier this year after it accidently fell out and was not replaced in time. To prevent something like this from happening again, Dr. Wineland and his team organized the first annual Statewide Pediatric Tracheostomy Training Course.

Almost 50 people devoted their entire day on July 22 to learn how to better care for children with tracheostomies. Participants included therapists, nurses and administrators of day cares and schools. Parents of children with tracheostomies also participated, providing their unique perspective on caring for a child with a tracheostomy. The mother of the little girl who inspired Dr. Wineland shares why the initiative is so important in this video from Arkansas Children’s.

Kudos, Dr. Wineland. Creating a one-of-a-kind conference that will benefit countless lives is the epitome of putting patients first.