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!

Winning App Combats Opioid Cravings
Congratulations to the Department of Psychiatry’s Drs. Andrew James, Ronald G. Thompson Jr., and Mary Bollinger on their honorable mention and cash prize-winning entry in a contest sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to generate working prototypes of products to help with drug cravings. Their entry, “OptiMAT,” is a smartphone application designed to decrease opioid cravings and optimize medication-assisted treatment for opioid disorders. OptiMAT will be evaluated in a randomized control trial to be started later this year in UAMS’ Center for Addiction Services and Treatment (CAST). The team’s entry received a $5,000 cash prize in the NIDA competition. Well done!

Neuro-Oncology Biobank in the National Spotlight
Dr. Analiz Rodriguez, Associate Professor and Director of Neurosurgical Oncology in the Department of Neurosurgery, is one of 11 experts from around the country selected to discuss biological and social determinants of health disparities at the inaugural Precision Health Equity Symposium hosted by Weill Cornell School of Medicine’s Englander Institute for Precision Medicine this week. Dr. Rodriguez will present information on UAMS’ precision neuro-oncology program and the brain tumor biobank she developed. The biobank reflects Arkansas’ diversity and includes many samples from rural patients. Samples are being used to generate cancer models, and by reflecting the state’s diversity they will help further understanding of brain cancer progression and treatment resistance in an unbiased manner.

International Lectures on OI
Dr. Roy Morello, Associate Professor of Physiology and Cell Biology, is an internationally recognized expert in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease. This fall, he was invited to present data from UAMS studies at the OI2022 International Meeting on Osteogenesis Imperfecta in Sheffield, U.K., and at the 2022 International Scientific Symposium on Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders in Rome. His research efforts also garnered a prestigious Innovation Award from the American Lung Association last summer. Read more about Dr. Morello’s research with longstanding collaborator Dr. John Carroll, Chief of Pulmonology for the Department of Pediatrics and Arkansas Children’s, and Research Assistant Dr. Milena Dimori here.

UAMS Well Represented at CHEST Conference
The Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) Division was well represented at the 2022 International CHEST Conference in Nashville last week. Dr. Shahrukh Arif (PGY5) was selected to participate in the fellows course, a unique interactive, lecture-free educational experience. Dr. Arif, Dr. Angel Mitma (PGY5) and Internal Medicine residents Dr. Prachi Saluja (PGY3), and Dr. Tanmay Gandhi (PGY2) presented interesting cases of pulmonary medicine in the interactive case discussion series. Dr. Manish Joshi, Professor, and Dr. Deepa Raghavan, Associate Professor, moderated clinical case sessions. Dr. Thaddeus Bartter, Professor, shared his expertise in pulmonary function testing (PFT) by delivering the PFT Crossfire Lecture. UAMS PCCM fellows scored among the top 25 Institutions participating in the National CHEST Knowledge Challenge for trainees. Kudos to the UAMS team!

Dismantling Ageism and Racism
Dr. Ramona Rhodes, Associate Professor of Geriatrics, co-chaired a writing group that has published a framework to address the intersection of ageism and racism for the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). This work presents a monumental opportunity to dismantle two prevalent “isms” that can impact the health and wellbeing of racially and ethnically minoritized older adults. The framework was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and highlighted in an AGS news release. Dr. Rhodes also recently was named a Deputy Editor for the journal, and she continues to serve as Section Editor for Ethnogeriatrics and Special Populations. Here in Arkansas, Dr. Rhodes also serves as Associate Director for Health Services Research in the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.

National Pathology Appointment
Dr. Murat Gokden, Professor and neuropathologist in the Department of Pathology, has been elected by the American Association of Neuropathologists (AANP) to serve as a Councilor to the International Society of Neuropathology (ISN). During his three-year term, Dr. Gokden’s responsibilities will include facilitating collaboration and communication between AANP and ISN, as well as other neuropathology societies around the world, and representing AANP in international scientific meetings. Kudos to Dr. Gokden for his national service as well as his outstanding work at UAMS.

Championing Streamlined Lab Diagnosis
Dr. Charles Matthew Quick, Professor of Pathology, was part of a consortium of medical directors from pathology labs across the country asking the federal government to continue a COVID-era exemption that helped to streamline the process for remote diagnosis. An open letter to the U.S. Congress was published in Nature Medicine last week.It calls in part for immediate continuation of the exemption, which has led to faster diagnostic times, more workplace flexibility and improved patient care. The letter also advocates for amending the Public Health Service Act to implement much-needed updates to 34-year-old CLIA statutes to account for non-traditional diagnostic modalities and advances in medicine. Kudos to Dr. Quick for his work on this important issue for pathologists and the patients they serve.

Distinguished Alumni Honoree
Congratulations to Dr. Erica Liebelt, Professor of Pediatrics and Medical and Research Director of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, on receiving the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Liebelt, who was recruited to UAMS last year, also serves as Associate Medical Director of the Arkansas Poison and Drug Information Center in the UAMS College of Pharmacy. She is recognized nationally and internationally in the field of medical toxicology for her contributions to clinical service, education and research. The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine recognized Dr. Liebelt at a ceremony during the school’s alumni weekend, paying tribute to her with a video about her path to medicine and her career.

Cleft Lip/Palate Team Highlighted at Conference
A shout-out to Dr. Donald Callan, Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatric and Special Needs Dentistry, Dr. Angie Zaki-Sabet, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatric and Special Needs Dentistry and Arkansas Children’s Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP) orthodontist team member, and simulation specialist Eric Braden, for sharing their expertise at the recent 1^st Egyptian Conference for Cleft Lip and Palate in Cairo. Dr. Callan, who specializes in periodontics, was the keynote speaker for the conference. Dr. Zaki-Sabet, an orthodontist, lectured on a novel approach to nasoalveolar molding for infants born with CLP. All three of the UAMS-Arkansas Children’s colleagues discussed the multidisciplinary team approach, encompassing both medical and dental specialties, at Arkansas Children’s that makes the care of special needs children with CLP so outstanding. Read more about the excellent work of these colleagues here.

National Pediatric Rehabilitation Conference
Pediatrics colleagues Dr. Supriya Jambhekar, Professor in the Pulmonology Division, and Dr. Laura Hobart-Porter, Associate Professor and Interim Chief of Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, were among just five speaker groups selected to present at the annual Community Meeting at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR) conference. They discussed their work on the diagnosis and management of sleep-related breathing disorders in patients with spina bifida at the virtual meeting. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation resident Dr. Zachary Dawes presented a poster at AAPMR, “Starvation Induced Thiamine Deficiency and the Development of Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Polyneuropathy: A Case Report,” with Dr. Hobart-Porter and Dr. Vikki Stefans, Professor, as senior authors.

Thank You, Dr. Kenney
And finally this week, I would like to congratulate Dr. Philip Kenney, Professor of Radiology, on his retirement as the Department of Radiology honors him with a CME event focusing on leadership and mentoring this Saturday morning. Dr. Kenney served as Chair of Radiology in 2008-2012, and he has continued to serve in the Body Imaging Division in the years since then. The program will feature talks from Radiology leaders at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the American Board of Radiology, along with Dr. Kenney. For more information, see this event flyer. Thank you for your service and dedication to UAMS, Dr. Kenney, and best wishes for your retirement!

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!

Showcasing our Best
When legislators visit UAMS, there is never a shortage of things to showcase, from our world-class facilities to innovative programs that are transforming health in Arkansas. But nothing makes us prouder than our students! Special thanks to the student volunteers who participated in the recent joint meeting of the Arkansas Senate and House Committees on Public Health, Welfare and Labor, held at UAMS.

Kudos to students Kimberly Arnold, Zainab Atiq, Katie Beaton, Jennie Burns, Mattison Cato, Faizan Cheema, Ethan Chernivec, Darynne Dahlem, Macey Feimster, Mackinzie Goeke, Carlon Gragg, Christine Hsu, Nathan Johnson, Madison Kelly, Brianna Long, Ryan Pohlkamp, Tariq Salem, Jacob Siebenmorgen, Olivia Tzeng, Conner Webb and Taher Yusufali (and any others who attended but weren’t on the sign-up list).   

Thanks also to our faculty who participated, including Dr. Nirvana Manning, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dr. Jennifer Callaghan-Koru, Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine Division of Community Health and Research, who presented information on maternal health in Arkansas; and Dr. Laura Dunn, Chair of Psychiatry and Director of the Psychiatric Research Institute, who briefed legislators on the UAMS AR ConnectNow program. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

International Honor
Congratulations to Dr. Rosalia C.M. Simmen, Professor of Physiology and Cell Biology, on receiving the 2022 Dr. Severino and Paz Koh Lectureship Award in Science from the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering. Dr. Simmen was honored for outstanding contributions to science relating to women’s health during the academy’s 42^nd annual meeting held virtually from Manila, Philippines, Oct. 11-14. Dr. Simmen presented a lecture, “When Hormone Signaling Goes Wrong-A Female Perspective.”  At UAMS, Dr. Simmen’s research is focused on basic and pre-clinical studies on endometriosis, endometrial cancer and breast cancer.

Spine Surgeon in the Spotlight
Dr. Sam Overley, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, is in the spotlight as one of “20 Under 40” outstanding young spine care providers selected by the North American Spine Society (NASS). Dr. Overley was featured in the September/October issue of SpineLine magazine and recognized during the society’s annual meeting in Chicago last week. As Orthopaedic Surgery Chair Dr. C. Lowry Barnes said, “We are so fortunate to have Dr. Overley as part of our team. His expertise, reputation and dedication to patients will be invaluable to our program as we continue to grow and establish ourselves as a national destination for musculoskeletal care at The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital at UAMS.” Read more about Dr. Overley in the UAMS Newsroom and in his SpineLine profile. Congratulations!

International Conference
Dr. Spyridoula Maraka, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, is lending her expertise to multiple components of the American Thyroid Association Annual Meeting in Montreal this week. She is the invited speaker for a “Meet the Professor” session on subclinical hypothyroidism and when, how and why to treat it. She is also presenting an oral presentation on an abstract on the feasibility and safety of discontinuing levothyroxine therapy for patients with mild hypothyroidism. Finally, Dr. Maraka is the invited Co-Chair of a clinical symposium, “ATA Differentiated Thyroid Cancer and Nodule Guideline: Changes on the Horizon?”

Peer Approach to Preventing Suicide
Dr. Michael Wilson, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry, is rapidly becoming known as the foremost national expert in behavioral health emergencies. Most recently, he was interviewed for an article in the American Psychiatric Association’s Psychiatric News on how peer support specialists can aid in suicide prevention. The article highlighted a promising pilot trial Dr. Wilson conducted with Dr. Angie Waliski and Dr. Ronald Thompson Jr., Assistant Professors in the Psychiatric Research Institute’s Center for Health Services Research. Peer support specialists are individuals who have previously experienced mental illness and are specially trained to help patients in the Emergency Department or other clinical settings. The team assessed how well peer specialists did in helping at-risk Emergency Department patients develop personal suicide safety plans, compared with other personnel such as social workers or mental health specialists.

Raising Neurosurgery’s Profile
The Department of Neurosurgery’s Dr. J.D. Day, Professor and Chair, and Dr. Analiz Rodriguez, Associate Professor, are raising UAMS’ profile in neurosurgery as leaders in the Southern Neurosurgical Society (SNS). Dr. Day has been elected as the 2022-23 President of SNS, and Dr. Rodriguez is serving as Vice President and Program Chair for the SNS Annual Meeting being planned for next February. The meeting’s theme will be “Adapting to Change in Neurosurgery.” Thanks to Dr. Day and Dr. Rodriguez for their leadership in the field in Arkansas and beyond.

UAMS Hosts Advanced Neurotology Course
A shout-out to the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, which hosted neurotology fellows from around the country and world for the recent Otology Fellows Congress and Advanced Course in Ear and Skull Base Surgery. This was the fifth time UAMS has hosted the event, which features experts from around the country and is chaired by Professor and Otolaryngology Chair Dr. John Dornhoffer. The two-day course showcases UAMS’ state-of-the-art facilities and expertise. Dr. Susan Emmett, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Hearing Health Equity, presented a lecture, “How Otologists Can Change the World: Collaboration to Address Hearing Health Disparities.” UAMS fellow Dr. Anna Bareiss and Assistant Professor Dr. Robert Saadi participated in the course. 

How to Write a Case Report
Third-year Internal Medicine resident Dr. Morgan Tripod first-authored and presented a novel scholarly education project at the recent Fall Meeting of the Association for Program Directors in Internal Medicine (APDIM). The project centers on a brief educational module, “How to Write a Case Report in Medicine,” which Dr. Tripod, primary mentor Dr. Steve McKee (Medicine-Pediatrics) and colleagues developed and evaluated. The module, free and available to all, could help medical students and residents become more engaged in satisfying and recognition-garnering scholarly work. Additional collaborators were Dr. Carol Thrush (Surgery), Dr. Mike Anders (Office of Educational Development) and former Internal Medicine/Graduate Medical Education faculty member Dr. Tim Atkinson.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage
UAMS wrapped up Hispanic Heritage Month last week with a thoughtful panel discussion, “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger UAMS,” held over Zoom. Panelists, all from the UAMS Little Rock Family Medicine Residency Program, included Assistant Professor Dr. Monica Ferrero, who is originally from Colombia; third-year resident Dr. Diorella López-González, who is originally from Puerto Rico; first-year resident Dr. Germán Corrales, who is originally from Argentina; and first-year resident Dr. Viridiana Saenz, who is originally from El Paso-Juarez. The panelists talked about their backgrounds, which reflect differences in language and culture and other aspects of diversity within the Hispanic community. Thanks also to the event coordinators, Odette Woods, JD, MDiv, and Dr. Kazandra Wilson of the UAMS Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Dr. Diane Jarrett, Director of Education and Communications for the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Wilson moderated the panel discussion, which you can view here. (Enter passcode: 0r6q4#Wq)

Putting Patients First
For the patients who see the UAMS Radiation Oncology team, just getting out of bed and making it to an appointment is a struggle sometimes. One of them recently wrote to thank the entire team for making her spirits soar while they provided expert, compassionate care.

“Today, I literally almost called to cancel the appointment because I did not feel good at all,” the patient wrote. “But I knew that they would make me laugh, and I would witness their camaraderie, all of which would lift my spirits. Just walking in the front doors of the clinic makes one feel welcomed and important. … Choosing to smile, remember a name, and being kind is a choice! Your team chooses! As a patient who is just tired and worn out, I say, thank you.”

The patient expressed appreciation especially for radiation therapists Ashly Cummings, Angie Chambers, Lindsey Brent and Amy Sherrill, along with Assistant Professor Dr. Adam Wolfe, for his “tender and inclusive bedside manners and professionalism.”

On this particular day, the team had a surprise for the patient – a “diploma” and symbolic ringing of the bell to signify the completion of treatment. Those symbolic steps were all the more special thanks to the Radiation Oncology team. Kudos to you all.

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 Endowed Surgery Leadership Chair
Congratulations to Dr. Ron Robertson, Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery, on his investiture last week as the inaugural holder of the Gilbert S. “Gil” Campbell, M.D., Ph.D., Chair in Surgical Leadership and Innovation. This is a well-earned honor for Dr. Robertson, whose commitment, integrity and vision for the future of surgical care in Arkansas perfectly reflects the name and intent of this endowed chair.

Dr. Robertson has devoted his 28-year career to UAMS and Arkansas, where among many contributions he was instrumental in developing the statewide trauma system. In addition to his current role as Chair of Surgery, he serves as Director of Surgical Services, Trauma Medical Director and UAMS Chief of Staff. He has received many other honors, including the Health Care Heroes Physician of the Year Award from Arkansas Business in 2018. Dr. Robertson considers his greatest achievement to be the more than 140 Surgery residents he has trained and countless medical students he has mentored to date.

The chair’s namesake, the late Dr. Gil Campbell, was a nationally renowned surgeon who served as Chair of Surgery at UAMS from 1965 to 1983 and then as a Professor Emeritus until 2000. The chair was established with generous contributions from family, former trainees and colleagues of Dr. Campbell. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

National Orthpaedics Honor
Congratulations to Dr. R. Dale Blasier, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, on receiving the 2022 Spine Advocacy Award from the North American Spine Society (NASS). Dr. Blasier will be honored during a ceremony this Thursday at the NASS Annual Meeting in Chicago. The award recognizes NASS members who have made exceptional contributions to the federal advocacy efforts on behalf of patients and members of the society. Dr. Blasier has served on many committees and councils on behalf of NASS and other national organizations in the speciality over the past two decades. At UAMS, Dr. Blasier led the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program from 2003 to 2021. The College of Medicine recognized his impact on education with the 2022 Master Teacher Award last May. Learn more about Dr. Blasier’s accomplishments in his NASS honoree bio.

Subcortical Surgery Expertise
Dr. J.D. Day, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and a nationally recognized expert in subcortical surgery, is Co-Editor of a first-of-its-kind textbook on open and parafascicular channel-based approaches for subcortical and intraventricular lesions. The subcortical white matter space is one of the most intricate and least understood regions of the brain, but major strides have been made in the ability to image, navigate and safely treat subcortical tumors and other lesions over the past decade. Dr. Day and Co-Editors Dr. Gabriel Zada from Keck School of Medicine and Dr. Gustavo Pradilla with Emory School of Medicine assembled evidence and knowledge from subcortical experts to provide a major foundation for future development of the field.

Harnessing AI for Cancer Care
The Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) is the only U.S. institution participating in a massive European project to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) for cancer care – and the team’s expertise in cancer imaging data management is being lauded as the best in the world. DBMI Chair Dr. Fred Prior is leading UAMS’ efforts in the EuCanImage Project under an $894,074 grant UAMS received from the European Commission in 2020. Dr. Prior also heads The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA), which is based at UAMS and funded by the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Prior, Dr. Jonathan Bona, and Ph.D. candidate Michael Rutherford are returning to Europe this month for on-the-ground work relating to the project. Other members of the UAMS project team are Dr. Lawrence Tarbox, Kirk Smith, William Bennett and Tracy Nolan. Learn more about the international significance of the project and UAMS’ contributions on the DBMI website.

Geriatrics Team Published
Dr. Pankaj Patyal, a first-year postdoc in the lab of Professor and Department of Geriatrics Chair Dr. Jeanne Wei, is the first author on a study by the group published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Second-author Bachkhoa Nguyen, is a fourth-year medical student at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. In “Rho/SRF Inhibitor Modulates Mitochondrial Functions,” the team reports the effects of CCG-1423, an inhibitor of the Rho A family of GTPases and serum response factor (SRF), which reduces oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial genes and function, and which could be useful for assessing its potential clinical application in conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Insights on the Monkeypox Outbreak
A research team led by Dr. David Ussery, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, has identified genetic mutations in the monkeypox virus that may explain the rapid spread of the virus compared with past outbreaks. The team’s findings were published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology. Co-authors were UAMS postdoctoral fellow Dr. Visanu Wanchai and Dr. Trudy Wassenaar, a genomics consultant and frequent UAMS collaborator, who was first author. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Reducing the Stigma of Addiction: It’s up to all of us
Do you think addiction only happens to certain kinds of people? Are you worried that you or someone you love may have a substance use disorder and you don’t know how to help? Kudos to Dr. Michael Mancino, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Addiction Services and Treatment (CAST) in the Psychiatric Research Institute, for leading an innovative and important new online training opportunity available to all UAMS team members. The “Shatterproof Just Five Education” module, now available in Workday, will raise awareness about addiction and help to reduce the stigma that compounds this dramatic problem in our state. I encourage College of Medicine team members to take advantage of this training. Click here for information on how to access Shatterproof Just Five Education.

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!

Courage to Teach
Congratulations to Dr. Shashank Kraleti, Associate Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine and Program Director for the College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency, on being selected for the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The national award honors Program Directors who find innovative ways to teach residents and provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impulse to care for others in this environment. Dr. Kraleti exemplifies this, serving as a model physician as well as a highly respected educator. The honor is just the latest for Dr. Kraleti, who has been recognized nationally as well as at UAMS for his work in the residency program since 2012 and as Program Director since 2016. Dr. Kraleti will be honored at the 2023 ACGME Annual Education Conference in Nashville next February.

AAP Section Chair
Dr. Gregory Albert, Professor of Neurosurgery and Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Arkansas Children’s, has been appointed to a two-year term as Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Neurosurgery (SONS). SONS addresses issues in pediatric neurosurgery relating to patient management, continuing education and clinical research, and is active in interdisciplinary educational activities and programs to benefit primary care pediatricians as well as pediatric neurosurgeons. The section also assists the AAP in developing practice parameters and position papers on issues related to children with neurological disease. Kudos to Dr. Albert for his national leadership in pediatric neurosurgery as well as his service here in Arkansas.

Telehealth for Endocrine Care
Dr. Spyridoula Maraka, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, is a coauthor on an important position paper for the Endocrine Society on the appropriate use of telehealth in endocrine care. The manuscript was published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and was highlighted in Endocrine News this week. Dr. Maraka, who also directs the Endocrinology Fellowship at UAMS, was one of nine endocrine experts to serve on the panel that developed the evidence-based policy perspective. The panel examined five core aspects of care that determine when telehealth is appropriate and recommended an individualized approach. Significantly, the paper noted that telehealth can play an important role in reducing disparities in health care access.

Microbiology Spectrum Editorial Leadership
Dr. Se-Ran Jun, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics, has been invited to serve as an Editor for Microbiology Spectrum, a journal of the American Society of Microbiology, one of the largest life science societies in the world. Dr. Jun will lend her expertise in computational genomics, computational metagenomics and translational bioinformatics. Her laboratory has long-standing interests in microbial genomics and microbiome research for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance. Currently, her laboratory is working on real-time genomic surveillance for infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship using real-time sequencing technology.

Preventing Physician Suicide
The Psychiatric Research Institute’s Dr. Prasad Padala and Dr. Srinivasa Gokarakonda were instrumental in a national webinar hosted by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) that focused on preventing physician suicide. Dr. Gokarakonda, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, moderated the event, which was held in conjunction with National Physician Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 17 and drew over 150 participants. Dr. Padala, Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics and Program Director for the Baptist Health-UAMS Psychiatry Residency, presented the webinar. Dr. Padala is also a member of the AAPI Distinguished Speakers Club.

Business of Medicine in the Spotlight
The Business of Medicine course founded and directed by Dr. Jason Mizell, Professor of Surgery, continues to draw well-earned national attention. The course for College of Medicine seniors was featured prominently in an online article, “What Med Students Need to Know About Money to Avoid Financial Mistakes,” in Medscape last week. Dr. Mizell has been a national leader in financial education for medical students and residents since launching the course, initially for Surgery residents, a decade ago. The course expanded into an elective for senior medical students in 2015, and UAMS medical students can now also complete a four-year honors track in finance.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers
A shout-out to everyone who made the second Health Partnership in Cancer Research (PCAR) summer research program for medical students a great success. The program is funded by a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health and is led by Dr. Thomas Kelly, Professor of Pathology and Associate Director of Cancer Research Training and Education in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, and Diane McKinstry, BBA, Summer Program Manager. Along with Dr. Kelly, mentors and lecturers this year included Drs. Alan Tackett, Nathan Avaritt, Katy Marino, Marius Nagalo, Samantha Kendrick, Jesús Delgado-Calle, Valandra German, Behjatolah Karbassi, Martin Cannon, Henry Wong, Fenghuang Zhan, Fen Xia, Kevin Sexton, Richard Nicholas, Donald Johann and Richard Crownover. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Fostering Cultural Humility
Kudos to the Department of Psychiatry for its commitment to fostering cultural humility – an approach to clinical work, supervision and research that is guided by self-reflection, recognizing and addressing power imbalances, and advocating for institutional alignment for a more just and inclusive environment. After offering a cultural humility curriculum to Psychology trainees for four years, the department has selected its first cohort of faculty psychologists for the voluntary, year-long program. The faculty include Drs. Melissa Zielinski, Joy Pemberton, Glenn Mesman, Sacha McBain, Jennifer Gess, Lisa Evans, Tisha Deen and Maegan Calvert. The curriculum was developed by Dr. Eva Woodward, this year’s course facilitator, of the Psychiatric Research Institute’s Center for Health Services and Research, and was refined and co-led by Dr. Sufna John of the ARBEST program.

Service to the Community
Hundreds of Arkansans received free health screenings and learned about health topics at the UAMS-sponsored Health and Wellness Expo on Sept. 24. Thanks to the many faculty, staff and students who contributed to this event. Speakers included Dr. Purushottam Thapa, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the UAMS Mindfulness Program; Dr. Mohammed Moursi, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Vascular Surgery; Dr. Dinesh Edem, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine/Endocrinology and Director of the UAMS Medical Weight Management Program; and Dr. Jeanne Wei, Professor and Chair of Geriatrics and Director of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging.

Chancellor’s Circle Grants
Finally this week, congratulations to the 14 programs from the COM and across UAMS receiving Chancellor’s Circle Grant Awards this year. The philanthropy supported awards will support innovative projects such as a culinary medicine program for our residency and fellowship programs, a puberty education workshop for pre-teen and teenage girls, upgrades to regional crisis stabilization units, and digital health initiatives in diverse areas including lactation support, geriatrics, stroke, sexual assault, and image repository/sharing for medical facilities. This year’s awards total $336,000, and members have generously given more than $9 million to support UAMS’ work in education, research and clinical care since the inception of the Chancellor’s Circle in 1984. Read about this year’s grants in the UAMS Newsroom.

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!

Reducing Maternal Mortality
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a report with a staggering finding: Four in five pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable. Arkansas data was included in the report for the first time this year, thanks to the state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC), which is chaired by Dr. William “Sam” Greenfield, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Director for Family Health at the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). Dr. Greenfield also led ADH’s successful application for MMRC funding under the CDC’s recently expanded Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) initiative. You can read about key findings of the new report in this CDC news release.

Arkansas’ participation in ERASE MM is a major milestone for our state. The Arkansas MMRC benefits from the expertise of numerous College of Medicine faculty and UAMS and Arkansas Children’s team members. In addition to Dr. Greenfield, they include Drs. Nirvana Manning, Nafisa Dajani and Gloria Richard-Davis in OB/GYN; Drs. Jill Mhyre and Nadir El Sharawi in Anesthesiology; Dr. Allison Shaw-Devine in Internal Medicine/Cardiology; Dr. Shona Ray-Griffith in Psychiatry; Dr. Ted Brown in Pathology; Joni Yarnell, APRN, in the Woman and Infants Service Line; and Tracey Bradley-Simmons, MSN, RN, with Arkansas Children’s.

Many thanks to Dr. Greenfield for his leadership and to the entire MMRC.

International Spotlight
The Department of Radiology and the Arkansas Children’s Interventional Radiology (IR) team has been in the spotlight at the 10^th International Meeting of the Society for Pediatric Interventional Radiology (SPIR) in Galway, Ireland, this week. Special congratulations to Dr. Charles James, Professor in the Division of Pediatric Radiology, who received the Gold Medal Award, SPIR’s top honor, last night. College of Medicine senior Mallory Heft and Assistant Professor Dr. Kevin Wong also presented during the conference. Click here to learn more about their presentations and Dr. James’ outstanding work with Pediatric Radiology colleagues Dr. Janice Murphy and Dr. Mary Moore to build the pediatric IR service.

African American Women & Menopause
Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis, Professor and Director of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is an author on a new review article in the journal Menopause on the experiences of African American women in menopause. The article discusses how African American women experience distinct differences in physical, psychological, social and quality-of-life measures during this time. Increasing awareness of these differences is critically important for improving the health of this underserved population. Dr. Richard-Davis also was recently appointed as an Associate Editor for the journal.

National Leadership in Bone Research
Dr. Charles O’Brien, Professor of Internal Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of the UAMS Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research, was an invited plenary session speaker for the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Austin, Texas, earlier this month. He discussed his latest groundbreaking research on the topic of “humanized RANKL mice to study rebound resorption.” Following that, Dr. O’Brien served as Vice Chair for the Bone and Teeth Gordon Research Conference on Metabolism and Local Environments in Development, Disease and Regeneration of the Skeleton, in Ventura California, last week. Both of these national activities are a reflection of Dr. O’Brien’s leadership in the field of bone and mineral metabolism.

Transgender Care Symposium
Congratulations to senior medical students Sawyer Hickey, Matty Cato and Carter Pacheco for their excellent presentations at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Scientific Symposium in Montreal Canada. The students, led by Dr. Luann Racher, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Director of the Women and Infants Health Service Line, presented four presentations on various topics related to transgender health care.

Apoptosis Insights
Dr. Tudor Moldoveanu, Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is the senior author on an article published this month in iScience. The research for “Small molecule SJ572946 activates BAK to initiate apoptosis” was conducted in Dr. Moldoveanu’s lab at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis prior to his recruitment to UAMS this summer. Collaborators included investigators from the St. Jude Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Department and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

History Lesson
The medical condition of a single individual can have historical repercussions, as Dr. T. Glenn Pait and Dr. Matthew Helton reveal in an article recently published in a military history-centered volume of Neurosurgical Focus from the Journal of Neurosurgery. Dr. Pait, Professor of Neurosurgery and Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine Institute, and Dr. Helton, a sixth-year Neurosurgery resident interested in brain trauma, tell the story of “The crippled brain that prolonged the Civil War: General Joseph Hooker’s concussions at Chancellorsville.” Appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to command the Army of the Potomac in 1863, Gen. Hooker suffered a traumatic brain injury that prevented him from giving crucial orders. Dr. Pait’s considerable knowledge of history and mentoring of Dr. Helton has resulted in a very interesting article!

FDA Fellows Workshop
Congratulations to Dr. Arpan Prabhu, Chief Resident in Radiation Oncology, on being selected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to participate in the 2022 FDA/American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Fellows Day Workshop. Dr. Prabhu will be at the FDA’s White Oak campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, tomorrow to meet with FDA hematologists/oncologists and learn about oncology drug regulation, disease-specific considerations, clinical trial design and diagnostic developments.

Pediatric Dentistry Expertise
Pediatric and Special Needs Dentistry faculty members are active in dental continuing education across the state, sharing their expertise in cleft lip and palate, dental reconstruction and other topics related to complex dental care. Assistant Professor Dr. Laurence Howe presented to the River Valley Dental Association in Fort Smith on Sept. 13, providing information about the Cleft Lip and Palate and Craniomaxillofacial interdisciplinary teams at Arkansas Children’s. Dr. Howe and Associate Professor Dr. John Jones co-presented a talk on collaborative dental reconstruction during the Fall Scientific Session of the Arkansas State Dental Association on Sept. 24. Dr. Jones presented an additional talk on mouth breathing in children during the state conference.

Assessing Mechanical Ventilation Training
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine colleagues Drs. Matt Malone, Erin Bennett, Katherine Irby, Sanjiv Pasala, Abdallah Dalabih and Ron Sanders, along with Arkansas Children’s Research Institute biostatistician Beverly Spray, authored a new paper in the Journal of Pediatric Intensive Care that assesses the current landscape of mechanical ventilation (MV) practices and training in pediatric critical care medicine (PCCM) fellowship programs. Mechanical ventilation is an integral part of the care of many critically ill children, but the study identified gaps in MV education and training across the country. The research team advocates for PCCM fellowship programs to identify these deficiencies to equip all trainees with a solid knowledge base that will prepare them to use any mode of MV in their future practice.

Neurosurgery Expertise
Dr. J.D. Day, Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery, faculty colleagues and former trainees are authors of a recently published article discussing a treatment for basilar invagination (BI), a congenital or acquired condition in which the top of the spine pushes at the base of the skull, causing neurological deficits. “Basilar decompression via a far lateral transcondylar approach: technical note” was published in Acta Neurochirurgica (European Journal of Neurosurgery). Faculty coauthors include Drs. Analiz Rodriguez, Noojan Kazemi and T. Glenn Pait. Former Neurosurgery residents, fellows and faculty on the project included Drs. Robert Rennert (first author), Marcus Stephens, Angela Palmer and Thomas Morris.

Bringing Smiles
Dr. Larry Hartzell, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, recently returned from a trip with the Global Smile Foundation in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The foundation has provided care for patients with cleft lip and palate in this city for over three decades, and Dr. Hartzell has been involved for more than six years. During the recent trip, the team provided 132 surgeries on 68 patients, predominantly cleft lip and palate repairs. The team’s comprehensive care includes speech therapy sessions, dental procedures, orthodontic care, nutritional counseling and psycho-social support.

Champions of Diversity & Inclusion
And finally this week, please join me in congratulating the recipients of the 2022 Dr. Edith Irby Jones Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Awards. This year’s Lifetime Achievement honoree is Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Breast Surgical Oncology. Dr. Henry-Tillman has strived to eliminate health disparities and achieve health equity, particularly in relation to cancer care, for Arkansans over the past 24 years. Kimberlyn Blann, M.A., Associate Director of Admissions and Outreach Programs in the College of Medicine, received the Staff Award for her dedication to advancing diversity in multiple roles at UAMS. Read what the nominators said about these champions of diversity in this COM newsletter feature.

I would also like to give a shout-out to the COM students and faculty who were nominated for awards in several other categories. They include medical students Carlon “Quincy” Gragg and Kayla Jimmerson and graduate student Luke Childress; Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology (Early Career Faculty); and Thomas Kelly, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology (Leadership).

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!