Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

Published in Pediatrics
Congratulations to Dr. Lorraine McKelvey, Professor in the Research and Evaluation Division (RED) of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and colleagues in Family Medicine, Pediatrics and the College of Public Health, on their new article in Pediatrics. Dr. McKelvey and co-authors Drs. Kanna Lewis, Jared Beavers, Patrick Casey and Anthony Goudie reported on the positive impacts of the Following Baby Back Home (FBBH) program. The home-visiting program, administered through the Department of Pediatrics’ Kids First, supports families of low birth weight preterm infants after discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The team found that education and support were instrumental in effecting positive infant health-care use and reduced mortality during the first year of life.

Highest Honor
Congratulations to Dr. Cindy Kane, Professor Emerita in the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, on receiving the Rosett Award from the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group. Dr. Kane received the international organization’s highest honor and delivered a virtual talk at the FASDSG’s recent annual meeting. She was recognized for her pioneering research into fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), including development of one of the first and most extensively used animal models of FASD. The model helped to expand understanding of the mechanisms by which alcohol use in pregnancy can negatively affect the developing central nervous system. You can read more about Dr. Kane’s important contributions to the field here.

Serving Southwest Arkansas
UAMS recently opened its first gap services office in Prescott to provide a wide range of free health services, access to food and clothing and much more for residents in southwest Arkansas. I want to take a moment to thank the many team members behind this important community resource. The team also did a great job hosting a visit from U.S. Senator John Boozman and local leaders last week. A driving force in this initiative has been the Research and Evaluation Division (RED) in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. Special thanks to RED new faculty member LaTunja Sockwell, Instructor, RED Associate Director Dr. Nicola Edge, Research Assistant Berry Marks, who directs the new office, and RED HIV Program Manager Courtney Hampton. Kudos also to UAMS Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Stephanie Gardner and Tonya Johnson, Executive Director of UAMS Nutrition & Hospitality Services, who are working with the RED team to develop food pantry services for the site.

Best Practices Paper
Dr. Rohit Dhall, Professor of Neurology and Director of Neurodegenerative Disorders at UAMS, coauthored an important article in Frontiers of Neurology that provides the first best-practices consensus for treating two rare Parkinson’s-related disorders. The paper presents decades’ worth of knowledge from experts at 25 CurePSP Centers of Care, including UAMS, to help improve the care of patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). Learn more in the UAMS Newsroom, and read the journal article here.

Silver & Gold
Congratulations to the teams at the UAMS 12^th Street Health and Wellness Center in Little Rock and the North Street Clinic in Fayetteville on their latest recognitions from the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC). Both of these student-run, interprofessional free clinics were recognized for meeting high quality standards in their work to ensure access to affordable health care for the medically underserved. This year, 12^th Street received the NAFC Gold Rating, and North Street received the Silver Rating. Special thanks to 12^th Street Director Dr. Melissa Halverson, Medical Director Dr. Elizabeth Gath and Assistant Director Dr. Erin Puryear; and to North Street Co-Directors Maryalice Kelly, MSN, APRN and Dr. Thomas Schulz and Clinical Services Manager Stacia Dean.

Residency Celebrations & Honors
As I mentioned in last week’s Accolades, June was a time for celebration in our residency and fellowship programs as they honored their graduating residents. Many presented special awards for outstanding residents as well as awards selected by residents for faculty and staff. I shared awards lists from some of our programs and am delighted to highlight honorees from more departments this week!

The Department of Anesthesiology presented awards to residents and faculty at a June 19 virtual celebration. Click here to see who was honored.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology celebrated graduating residents and presented awards to residents, faculty and staff on June 23. Click here to see who was honored.

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s celebration was held on June 25. Click here to see their graduating residents and faculty and staff honorees.

The Department of Pediatrics honored many residents, faculty and staff at their graduation ceremony. Click here to see the award winners.

The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation celebrated its graduating residents on June 26. Click here to see the residents from multiple classes who were honored.

Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

MIS-C Study in NEJM
Dr. Katherine Irby, an Assistant Professor in the Critical Care Medicine Section of the Department of Pediatrics, is a coauthor on a national study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, of initial therapies and outcomes for children with COVID-19 induced multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). Some 4,000 children have been diagnosed with MIS-C in the U.S. since the pandemic began, and at least 35 have died. Dr. Irby and faculty colleagues Dr. Ronald Sanders and Dr. Peter Mourani are members of the Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators group, which found that initial treatment with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) plus glucocorticoids was associated with a lower risk of new or persistent cardiovascular dysfunction than with IVIG alone. The NEJM study is the latest example of Dr. Irby’s remarkable and important work in this area. She also was a co-author on a study describing the manifestation of COVID-19 in children published in JAMA earlier this year.

Postpartum Psychosis & the Pandemic
Dr. Jessica Coker, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Director of the Psychiatric Research Institute’s women’s inpatient unit, and fourth-year Psychiatry resident Dr. Erin Bider recognized another manifestation of the pandemic – a dramatic increase in cases of postpartum psychosis. Their findings of an association between the pandemic and a higher risk for developing the rare, serious condition were published in the Archives of Women’s Mental Health. Read more about their incisive study in the UAMS Newsroom.

Age-Friendly Health System
The Thomas and Lyon Longevity Clinic in the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging has attained Level I Certification as an Age-Friendly Health System. Special thanks to the Arkansas Geriatric Educational Collaborative (AGEC), which partnered with the Longevity Clinic to assist in achieving this recognition from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the John A. Hartford Foundation. AGEC nurse educator Danette Scherer, MSN, RN, provided special trainings for the entire staff of the Longevity Clinic. The Age-Friendly Health System initiative centers on a “4Ms” framework of evidence-based elements of high-quality health care for older adults: Medication, Mentation, Mobility and What Matters.

Muscular Dystrophy Association Care Center Award
Congratulations to Dr. Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Neurology and Director of the Comprehensive Neuromuscular Program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and his team in the Arkansas Children’s Neuromuscular Clinics on being recognized as an individual Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Care Center. The program has been awarded the MDA Care Center Grant for the next three years, which will support the team’s excellent multidisciplinary care for children with neuromuscular problems and their families throughout Arkansas and beyond.

OB/GYN Excellence
Congratulations to Dr. Luann Racher, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, on passing the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Minimally Invasive Gynecology Surgery (MIGS) Exam. She is the first in Arkansas with the additional surgical expertise for the MIGS focused-practice designation, which establishes standards and assessments for this surgical technique within the field of obstetrics and gynecology. The designation reflects Dr. Racher’s dedication to the care of women with benign and complex gynecologic diseases and management of complications using minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Gratitude from a Graduate
Dr. Jason Mizell, Professor of Surgery and founding director of the award-winning Business of Medicine course for College of Medicine students, received a well-earned shout-out from a recent graduate. The Class of 2021’s Dr. Alixandra Hunzicker noted the 40-minute crash course on “all things finance” she and fellow interns at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville received during orientation last week. “So, so grateful for the Business of Medicine course, to not have heard all of this for the first time and be confused like my co-residents,” she wrote. Let me add my appreciation for Dr. Mizell’s vision and leadership of this important course.

A+ Maternity Care
UAMS has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The designation reflects the Labor & Delivery team’s expertise, efficiency and strong commitment to quality patient care. Kudos to Dr. Nirvana Manning, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Women and Infants Service Line, and everyone involved in maternity care at UAMS for making this possible.

In the Spotlight
Two UAMS team members – Dermatopathology fellow Dr. Aadil Ahmed and Lindsey Clark, MPH, an Assistant Professor in the College of Health Professions Department of Laboratory Sciences – were recognized by the American Society for Clinical Pathology in ASCP’s 2021 “40 Under Forty” list. The program recognizes ASCP members – pathologists, laboratory professionals and residents – for their achievements and leadership qualities that are making an impact on pathology and laboratory medicine. Congratulations to both!

Residency Celebrations & Honors
Celebration was in the air this month as College of Medicine residency and fellowship programs honored their graduating residents. A wonderful part of these ceremonies is the presentation of annual awards for outstanding residents, as well as awards selected by residents for faculty and staff members who have made a positive difference during their years of training. Our departments and programs honor the best of the best in teaching, research, clinical care, service and other achievement. I am very pleased to share some of these annual awards with you this week and look forward to highlighting honors presented in other programs in the weeks ahead.

The Department of Emergency Medicine honored graduating residents in a virtual ceremony on June 11. Awards were presented to 16 residents, faculty members and staff from within their program and beyond. Click here to see who was honored.

The Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery celebrated its graduating residents in a virtual ceremony on June 11. Awards were presented for teaching, service, research, in-service exam performance and overall excellence. Click here to see who was honored. Congratulations to all!

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 PM&R Award
Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Means, Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, on being selected to receive the Distinguished Member Award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R). The award honors pioneering physiatrists, clinicians, researchers and public servants who, like Dr. Means, have made significant contributions to the specialty and to individuals with disabilities and populations at risk for disabilities. Dr. Means will be honored at the AAPM&R Annual Assembly in November. He has been a leader in PM&R clinical care and training in Arkansas for over 35 years as a founding faculty member of the department at UAMS. He also has served as Medical Director for the Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute since 1997.

ECMO Heroes
The UAMS ECMO Team ended last week on a high note, successfully completing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment of the third and fourth patients to receive the life-support technology at UAMS for severe complications of COVID-19. The team has a 100% success rate with ECMO to date, setting the first four patients on the path toward recovery. ECMO technology externally pumps and oxygenates the blood of a patient, allowing the heart and lungs to rest for days, weeks or even months. We once again salute the entire ECMO team for their dedication and hard work to get this vital service off to such a remarkable start.

National Service
Dr. Ramona Rhodes, Associate Professor of Geriatrics and Associate Director for Health Services Research in the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, has been elected to the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Board of Directors. The AGS provides leadership on geriatrics patient care, research, professional and public education and public policy for health care professionals, policymakers and the public. Dr. Rhodes is passionate about examining disparities in health care for older adults and those at the end of life. She currently chairs the AGS Ethics Committee and is Section Editor for Ethnogeriatrics and Special Populations for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Welcome, Medical Scholars in Public Health!
We were delighted to introduce the inaugural class of our post-baccalaureate program, Medical Scholars in Public Health (MSPH), at a June 9 reception. The program is a collaboration of the colleges of Medicine, Public Health and Pharmacy and is directed by the Department of Emergency Medicine’s Dr. Jerrilyn Jones. Associate Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Sara Tariq chaired the MSPH planning committee at the request of now Transitional Dean Dr. Christopher Westfall. Many UAMS leaders were instrumental in developing the MSPH program. I hope you will take a moment to read about the initiative and the reception here.

Meanwhile, a warm welcome to our pioneering MSPH students: Austin Anderson, Michael Bunyard, Florenz Cruz-Artiga, Samuel Edogun, Madison Hershberger, Savannah Hickman, Tierra Holland, Xavius Hymes, Kayla Jimmerson, Maria Meneses-Ramos, Nidal Shah, Xochitl Shields, Stefany Sierra, Alexandria Smith and Savannah Stacks. We are so glad you are here!

Mindfulness Meets Anatomy
What may seem like an unlikely intersection of mindfulness and work in the Anatomy Lab is addressed in a thoughtful article by Dr. Edgar Meyer, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, in Anatomy Now, the newsletter of the American Association for Anatomy. Dr. Meyer, a member of the association’s Committee for Early-Career Anatomists, discusses the value of incorporating mindfulness practices into the daily lives of anatomists, anatomy educators and students who work in the anatomy lab. Dr. Meyer brings expertise to the topic from his role on the faculty team that facilitates mindfulness sessions at UAMS.

In the Spotlight
I recently shared the great news that Dr. Jerrilyn Jones, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, has been selected to receive the Arkansas First Lady’s Woman in Public Service Award from the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, an honor highlighted on the cover and inside the June issue of Little Rock Soiree. It was also a joy to read about Dr. Jones and Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Breast Oncology, in Soiree’s “Women to Watch 2021” special section featuring Q&As with outstanding professionals who are making an impact in health care, business, philanthropy and the community.

Pediatric Angioplasty Insights
Dr. Harrison Cobb, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and pediatric cardiologist at Arkansas Children’s Northwest, is the first author on an article in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, the international journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions. “Cutting balloon angioplasty on branch pulmonary artery stenosis in pediatric patients” is the culmination of research he conducted with Pediatric Cardiology colleagues during his fellowship at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s prior to joining the faculty last July. Associate Professor Dr. Michael Angtuaco is the senior author on the paper.

Anatomy Scholars
Two years ago, five M3 and M4 medical students were recruited as “Anatomy Scholars” to serve as teaching assistants in the Human Structure course for freshman medical students. The program – now entering its third year – has been a resounding success. Kudos to Module Director Dr. David Davies and the entire anatomy teaching faculty – and the outstanding students who set a very high bar as the first scholars. The inaugural students included 2021 graduates Drs. AlleaBelle Gongola, Jared Gowen, Hamilton Newhart and Merry (Molly) Peckham, who were juniors when the program started in 2019, and Dr. Zachary Schwartz, who was then a senior.

The Anatomy Scholars presented medical and surgical education papers in a weekly journal club, devised a survey, and began working on a manuscript and research abstract. This month, they received word that their manuscript “Anatomy Scholars Program for Medical Students Entering a Surgical Residency” has been accepted for publication in the journal Medical Science Educator. Last fall, the group’s first abstract, “Anatomy Scholars Program Develops Nontechnical Skills in Medical Students,” was published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Faculty contributors on the publications included Dr. Davies and the Department of Surgery’s Dr. Mary Katherine Kimbrough and Dr. Carol Thrush, along with Rebecca Reif, MHA.

Last fall, two extraordinary M3 students, Jake Allison and Alexander Kwok, served as Anatomy Scholars, which required a concerted and creative response to restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, the Human Structure team looks forward to working in the dissection laboratory with our five new 2021 Anatomy Scholars: senior Paige Gocke and juniors Brian Bumpous, Mallory Heft, Kyle Jackson and Carter Pacheco. These excellent students were selected from a very competitive pool of applicants. Congratulations!

First Author
2021 graduate Dr. AlleaBelle Gongola, one of the Anatomy Scholars noted above, also was the first author on a paper about the impacts of smoking and alcohol on mortality and complications in rib fracture patients treated at UAMS. The paper has just been published in Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open. Her primary mentor was Dr. Kyle Kalkwarf, Assistant Professor in the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. Dr. Gongola starts her General Surgery residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center this summer.

Above & Beyond
Finally this week, it is a great pleasure to congratulate this year’s recipients of the Chris Hacker Awards for Excellence in Medical Ethics. Kudos to all three honorees for going above and beyond in demonstrating exemplary commitment to ethical issues that impact patient care at UAMS. The University Hospital Ethics Committee presents the annual award to a faculty member, a non-faculty staff member and a resident.

Dr. Nikhil Meena, Associate Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit, was nominated by many colleagues because of his compassionate work with patients and their families, often in very challenging circumstances requiring difficult conversations. “He handles all encounters with empathy and authenticity,” a colleague wrote. And while COVID-19 ramped up in Arkansas, Dr. Meena “rose to the challenge,” spending continuous days and nights at the hospital to fight for critically ill patients. “Throughout, Dr. Meena continues to impart his generous spirit with patients and colleagues alike.”

Surgery/Trauma APRN Britney Beumeler was honored as a “fierce patient advocate” whose compassion and commitment to medical ethics has shined more than ever during the pandemic. Adamant that no patient dies alone, she has sat with dying patients and held their hand when families could not be present. Before visitors were again allowed in the hospital, she often wheeled patients down to the first floor so they could see their family members through the windows.

Obstetrics and Gynecology Chief Resident Dr. Georgia Gamble was honored for her work with interdisciplinary colleagues to work though ethically challenging situations and for serving as a strong advocate for patients. “Dr. Gamble handles difficult situations with ease and always puts the patient’s needs first,” a nominator wrote. “She has shown honesty and integrity with difficulty issues.”

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!

Best Children’s Hospitals
Congratulations to our colleagues at Arkansas Children’s on their national rankings in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021-2022 Best Children’s Hospitals. Arkansas Children’s ranked nationally in four specialties: Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery, and Urology. Arkansas Children’s is also ranked within the Southeast Region along with pediatric hospitals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. As President and CEO Marcy Doderer, FACHE, noted in her message to the Arkansas Children’s Team yesterday, this important national recognition reflects the incredible work of the team and the strong commitment to provide the very best care for the children of Arkansas. Thank you all.

Serving Arkansas Physicians
Congratulations to Dr. Danny Wilkerson, Professor of Anesthesiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, on his inauguration as the 2021-2022 President of the Arkansas Medical Society. As AMS President, Dr. Wilkerson plans to continue the organization’s work to address health care disparities in Arkansas, address scope-of-practice issues and reduce the stigma of substance use disorders. He also will lead AMS’ ongoing vaccine advocacy and other work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The role is one of many examples of Dr. Wilkerson’s service and leadership in Arkansas and beyond, in addition to his outstanding work on our faculty since 2000. He was also recently reelected by his colleagues in the Arkansas Society of Anesthesiologists to serve as the Arkansas Director on the American Society of Anesthesiologists Board of Directors.

Genetic Sequencing Policy Update
Dr. Kent McKelvey, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Genetics, contributed to a major new article in Nature, Genetics in Medicine that is receiving international attention. Dr. McKelvey serves on the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) Secondary Findings Committee, which reviews genes for inclusion or exclusion on clinical exomes and substantially impacts what molecular data labs report out when exome sequencing – sequencing of the small fraction of the genome that contains all of the protein coding genes – is performed. “ACMG SF v3.0 list for reporting of secondary findings in clinical exome and genome sequencing: a policy statement of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)” can be read here. Thank you, Dr. McKelvey, for serving in this important national role in the field of genetics.

Outstanding in Orthopaedics
Congratulations to the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery on a slate of recent accomplishments, including receiving the Joint Replacement Excellence Award from Healthgrades. The award recognizes UAMS as among the top 10% in the nation for quality and safety relating to joint replacement surgery. It was presented last week to Dr. Steppe Mette, senior vice chancellor for UAMS Health and CEO of UAMS Medical Center, Orthopaedic Surgery Chair Dr. Lowry Barnes, and orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Simon Mears, Dr. Jeffrey Stambough and Dr. Ben Stronach. Read more here.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jeffrey Stambough has been named Chair of the Young Physicians Committee (YPC) of the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR). He will lend his expertise, passion for mentoring young physicians, and fervent involvement in research through the AJJR to the YPC as it works to shape the growth and strength of the registry. AJJR operates under the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and is the preeminent registry of its kind, capturing the details and outcomes of more than 40% of all total hip and knee replacements in the country.

A shout-out also to Dr. Ramon Ylanan, who was a co-winner of the Southeastern Conference’s Michael L. Slive Distinguished Service Award for his work as a University of Arkansas team physician serving on the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force. Dr. Ylanan and physicians for other SEC teams were honored for developing policies and protocols to support a healthy and safe return to intercollegiate athletics competition during the pandemic.

National Service in Pathology
Department of Pathology faculty members are doing a great job in national service roles as well as in their work here in Arkansas. Most recently, Dr. Eric Rosenbaum, Director of Clinical Microbiology at both UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital, assembled and led a laboratory inspection peer-review team for the College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation program, the gold standard for clinical laboratories. The team, which also included UAMS Cytopathology fellow Dr. Ryan Campbell, earned an excellent evaluation for their inspection of a laboratory in Texas.

Kudos as well to Dr. Tina Ipe, Director of the UAMS Blood Bank and Transfusion Division, for her contributions as a member of the American Society for Apheresis Public Affairs and Advocacy Committee on a guidebook to help peer therapeutic apheresis programs around the country ensure accurate billing and appropriate reimbursement for the important services they provide to patients.

Cancer Testing Innovation
Congratulations to Dr. Donald Johann, Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Internal Medicine, who is among the national leaders from academia, industry, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration to co-author an important new paper  in the high-impact journal Genome Biology. The paper concerns the establishment of a new genomic reference sample to be used in creating advanced Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) assays for small to large oncopanels and liquid biopsies. Studies focusing on this aspect of translational science don’t tend to grab headlines, but they are foundational to valid testing and the future benefit of cancer patients. UAMS is involved in national efforts to bring liquid biopsy and other types of advanced NGS assays to the clinic for our patients – and this work is important in our efforts to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation.

Scholarships Matter
Hundreds of College of Medicine students have benefited over the decades from the generosity of the late Dorothy Snider Surles, a Manila, Arkansas, native who later lived in Memphis. This year, we reached a milestone with more than $2.5 million in cumulative scholarship funding from the Dorothy Snider Foundation. Combined with matching funds from the college, these scholarships have now surpassed $5 million. Assistant Dean for Admissions Tom South has expertly shepherded this process since joining UAMS in 1984, working with the Dorothy Snider Foundation, our scholarships selection committee, and UAMS Institutional Advancement to ensure the continuity of this important funding and that outstanding students receive the scholarships. I join with Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Dr. James Graham in expressing gratitude to the Dorothy Snider Foundation and to Tom, his team, and all at UAMS who have made this possible.

Multicenter Study
Dr. Hannah Baer Wilkins, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Dr. Lindsay Arthur, a graduating Pediatric Cardiology fellow and upcoming inaugural Pediatric Advanced Cardiac Imaging fellow, did  a great job on in important multicenter study. They are among the authors of “Rheumatic Heart Disease in the United States: Forgotten But not Gone-Results of a 10-Year Multicenter Review,” which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

ASTROnomical Potential
2020 UAMS graduate Dr. Scarlett Acklin is on a trajectory for great success as a radiation oncologist. After wrapping up her internship at UAMS, she begins her radiation oncology residency at Duke University next month. And she has just been awarded the Basic/Translational Science Abstract Award in the Radiation and Cancer Biology category from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). Her abstract was one of only 30 selected from more than 2,000 submitted. She is also invited for an oral presentation of her research, “SIRT2 promotes murine melanoma progression through natural killer cell inhibition,” at the ASTRO annual meeting in October. Dr. Acklin started her adventure of cancer research in Radiation Oncology Chair Dr. Fen Xia’s laboratory when she was a first-year medical student. She went on to win a research award, have four invited oral presentations at national and international cancer research meetings, and produce four papers including one in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and two as first author. I join with Dr. Xia and her team in congratulating Dr. Acklin!

Above & Beyond
A recent patient in the Medical Intensive Care Unit experienced the very best of UAMS, thanks to the MICU team, Neurology colleagues and others who helped to get to the bottom of a condition that is often misdiagnosed. Just as noteworthy was the kindness of first-year Internal Medicine resident Dr. Tanya Savenka. Second-year resident Dr. Lana Abusalem told us about the case, saying it reminded her of why she wanted to go into medicine. Dr. Savenka had gone out of her way to obtain a great history, establish rapport with the patient’s mother and check back on the patient after she had been transferred to another service. She even gave the mother a book about another patient’s experience with the same disease, to let her know her daughter was not alone.

“I was very impressed by how caring, thoughtful and compassionate Dr. Savenka is,” said Dr. Abusalem. “I was reminded of how vulnerable our patients and their families feel when they are sick and alone in the hospital, and that small gestures like this can go a long way to make them feel seen.”

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 Leadership
Congratulations to Dr. José Romero, Professor of Pediatrics, on his appointment to the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases. The appointment is the latest example of Dr. Romero’s exemplary service as a state and national leader in public health policy relating to infectious diseases. Dr. Romero has been instrumental in Arkansas’ response to the pandemic in his roles as Arkansas Secretary of Health and Director of the Arkansas Department of Health. At the national level, he has helped to guide the safe rollout of COVID-19 vaccines as Chair of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Commission Appointment
Congratulations to Dr. Manisha Singh, Associate Professor in the Division of Nephrology and Director of the Home Dialysis Program, on her appointment to the Arkansas Kidney Disease Commission by Governor Asa Hutchinson. The appointment reflects Dr. Singh’s longstanding dedication to Arkansans with kidney disease, including her work in education for rural and underserved Arkansans to help them implement lifestyle modifications to slow the progression of the disease. The commission provides financial support for life-saving care and treatment for Arkansans in need.

Excelling in MFM
The Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine has excelled in training fellows and generating collaborative scholarly work since 2011, when the MFM Fellowship was founded by Dr. Everett “Pat” Magann, Professor and Division Director. I enjoyed learning about some of the program’s accomplishments, along with many others from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at a recent faculty meeting. The three-year fellowship has maintained a remarkable 100% first-time pass rate by all of its graduates to date on both the written and oral MFM board exams. The MFM Division also has had a fantastic year for publications, with 21 listed in PUBMED in June 2020-May 2021. Click here for a look at the publications and the many current and former faculty, residents, fellows and students who contributed.

Section Editor
Dr. Manish Joshi, a Professor in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division of the Department of Internal Medicine, edited a recent issue of Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine. He has served as a section editor for the annual issue of the journal that focuses on obstructive, occupational and environmental lung diseases for the past five years and has been invited to serve for the 2022 issue as well. Dr. Joshi was also the first author on a review article in the issue, “Unprecedented: the toxic synergism of Covid-19 and climate change.” Coauthors were Pulmonary and Critical Care colleagues Dr. Thaddeus Bartter, Professor, and Dr. Jose Caceres, Assistant Professor, along with fellows Dr. Sarenthia Epps and Dr. Steven Ko.

Above & Beyond
In a time of unimaginable pain and grief, an obstetric patient found transformation thanks to the incredible team in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Labor & Delivery. “I did not expect to be treated with such respect and dignity,” began a letter from a patient who lost her baby, but found healing. The letter went on to describe the kind and thoughtful actions of many team members, including nurses Becky Sartini, Amy Brooks, LaSharon Tubbs and Jennifer Divino, and second-year resident Dr. Tucker Doiron. This is a story of compassion and dedication. It’s a story of why we are in medicine. I join with Dr. Nirvana Manning, Chair of OB/GYN and Director of the Women and Infants Service Line, in thanking this wonderful team. I hope you will take a moment to read this extraordinary letter.

Greetings, colleagues!

I am very pleased to continue the tradition of sharing Accolades with you each week. I have been reading Accolades over the past couple of months, and it has been a joy to learn about some of the great things College of Medicine team members are doing. Here are some of the honors and accomplishments of faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently! – Susan S. Smyth, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean

Newly Invested Colleagues
Congratulations to Pediatrics faculty members Dr. Elizabeth Sellars and Dr. Jessica Snowden on their investitures in endowed chairs at Arkansas Children’s last Thursday.

Dr. Sellars, Section Chief of Genetics and Metabolism, was the recipient of the Committee for the Future Endowed Chair in Genetics. Among other leadership roles, she serves as Medical Director of the INSTEP Clinic for children with differences in sexual differentiation and development, Co-Medical Director for the Neurofibromatosis Clinic at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH), Co-Director of the UAMS Genetic Counseling Master’s Program, and Medical Director of the Arkansas Reproductive Health Monitoring System.

Dr. Snowden, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, was invested in the Horace C. Cabe Distinguished Chair for Infectious Diseases. Her leadership roles include Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pediatrics and Co-Principal Investigator of the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network Data Coordinating and Operations Center, which directs clinical operations for trial implementation and professional development across a 17-state NIH-funded research group.

Watch the virtual ceremony here, and learn more about Dr. Sellars, Dr. Snowden and the philanthropists who made these endowed chairs possible in the ceremony program.

Public Service Award
Congratulations to Dr. Jerrilyn Jones, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, on being selected to receive the Arkansas First Lady’s Woman in Public Service Award from the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas (WFA). Dr. Jones’ longstanding dedication to public service has been front and center during the pandemic. She serves as Medical Director for Preparedness and Response at the Arkansas Department of Health and was named to the Governor’s Medical Advisory Group for Post-Peak COVID-19 Response and the Winter Task Force. Dr. Jones will be one of three women honored at the WFA Power of the Purse Luncheon on September 22. You can read more about Dr. Jones in the latest issue of Little Rock Soiree magazine.

Team Publication
Department of Radiology faculty, residents and fellows contributed substantially to a special issue of Pediatric Radiology focused on child abuse imaging. Professor and Chair Dr. Arabinda Choudhary, who is internationally recognized for his expertise in pediatric neuroimaging and imaging related to pediatric abusive head trauma, served as Co-Editor, and UAMS authors collaborated on nearly a third of the 32 articles. Congratulations to Drs. George Vilanilam, Rangarajan Purushothaman, Iqbal Haq, Flavio Garcia-Pires, James Sorensen, Shivang Desai, Sateesh Jayappa and Raghu Ramakrishnaiah on this impressive and important work.

Maternal Disparities
Dr. Nirvana Manning, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Women and Infants Service Line, did a great job as a panelist for a “Conversations on Health Equity” event hosted by the Clinton Presidential Center on May 25. Dr. Manning and other experts discussed policies and systems that impact the reproductive health care of marginalized women, as well as resources to help ensure good health for women and their babies before, during and after pregnancy. A recording of the virtual discussion is available here.

Stress & Meth
Dr. Michael Wilson, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, is leading the first ever study of its kind to better understand meth addiction and the stress of an Emergency Department visit experienced by a meth user. Dr. Wilson’s novel study will use simulation to model such stress. The project, which was featured in this KATV news report, is the latest example of Dr. Wilson’s outstanding research into diverse aspects of psychiatric emergencies.

Cardiovascular Health & Longevity
The Class of 2021’s Dr. Brandi Mize is first author on an article published in SAGE Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, “Cardiovascular Health in Individuals with Exceptional Longevity Residing in Arkansas.” Dr. Mize will begin a vascular surgery residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta this summer. Dr. Brandon Duke, a 2020 graduate currently completing his family medicine residency at the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa College of Community Health Sciences, is a coauthor. Their mentors and collaborators in the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging included Research Associate Amanda Pangle, Dr. Jeanne Wei, Professor, Chair of Geriatrics and Institute Director, and Geriatrics Professor Dr. Gohar Azhar, who served as senior author.

Scholarly Collaborations
2021 UAMS graduate Dr. Muhammad Abu-Rmaileh and 2020 graduate Dr. Santiago Gonzalez are first authors of separate studies resulting from collaborations with Dr. James Yuen, Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery, and others. Dr. Abu-Rmaileh’s article, a timely review of live-streaming technologies in surgery, has been accepted for publication in the Annals of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Abu-Rmaileh will start his internal medicine residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas this summer. Dr. Gonzalez and third-year resident Dr. Tamara Osborn also were collaborators. Dr. Gonzalez, who is completing his plastic surgery residency at the University of California San Francisco, is first author on “Self-development Tools Utilized by Plastic Surgeons: A Survey of ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons) Members,” published in PRS Global Open. Former faculty member Dr. Michael Golinko, now at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is also among the collaborators.  

Cardiology Mentorship
Mentorship and collaboration among Cardiovascular Medicine faculty, fellows and residents continue to result in publications on timely issues such as treatment of COVID-19 complications. Dr. Khalid Sawalha, a resident with the White River Health System Internal Medicine Residency Program in Batesville who rotated with the UAMS team, has had two case reports accepted for publication. The latest is “Theophylline in Treatment of COVID-10 Induced Sinus Bradycardia,” in Clinics and Practice. Coauthors included Chief Cardiology Fellow Dr. Fuad Habash, Associate Professor Dr. Srikanth Vallurupalli and Professor Dr. Hakan Paydak, senior author on the study.

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 Example
The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA), a UAMS-housed public database funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and led by Biomedical Informatics Chair Dr. Fred Prior, was recognized recently as a prime example of a High-Value Data Asset (HVDA) for national research. The recognition stemmed from a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) working group that has been charged with building a framework to ensure the sustainability of HVDA across the NIH. The program manager for TCIA at the NCI relayed the good news to Dr. Prior, emphasizing that it reflected the excellent work and contributions of the UAMS team. Kudos to Dr. Prior and his colleagues on the TCIA: Drs. Jonathan Bona, Mathias Brochhausen and Lawrence Tarbox, Instructors Tracy Nolan, Kirk Smith and William Bennett, Project Manager Roosevelt Dobbins and the entire TCIA staff.

Leadership Fellow
Congratulations to Dr. Matt Quick, Associate Professor of Pathology, on being selected for the highly competitive Association of Pathology Chairs Leadership Fellows Program. He is one of only 25 pathologists nationwide to be chosen for the new program, which cultivates leadership potential and opportunities by providing experiences and education to accelerate understanding and competency in academic administration skills. At UAMS, Dr. Quick serves as Vice-Chair for Anatomic Pathology, Co-Course Director for the Musculoskeletal and Reproduction & Endocrinology modules in the medical curriculum, and an Academic House Advisor. He has been approved for promotion to Professor on July 1. 

Tomorrow’s Researchers
Bench-to-Bedside research in infectious disease was the timely topic of a virtual workshop for undergraduates hosted by Arkansas INBRE (IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence). INBRE, which is directed by the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology’s Dr. Larry Cornett, sponsored the event for Arkansas college students who are interested in careers in medicine and biomedical research. Dr. Tom Kelly of the Department of Pathology did a great job organizing the workshop, and many faculty members lent their expertise to clinical case discussions, interactive sessions on infectious disease topics, and a panel discussion focused on aspects of COVID-19.

I join with Dr. Cornett and Dr. Kelly in thanking these colleagues: Drs. Juan Carlos Rico and Robert Bradsher in Internal Medicine; Dr. Amanda Novack (UAMS/Baptist Health); Drs. Karl Boehme, Roger Pechous, Jon Blevins and Mark Smeltzer in Microbiology and Immunology; Dr. Samantha Kendrick in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Dr. David Ussery in Biomedical Informatics; and Dr. Bobby Boyanton in Pathology.

ECMO Excellence
UAMS completed its first ECMO course of treatment this week, helping a COVID-19 patient overcome a very dire situation. ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) life-support technology allows the heart and lungs of a patient to rest and heal over weeks or months. Implementing ECMO care at UAMS was a big team effort that took many months of hard work. I join with Department of Surgery Chair Dr. Ron Robertson and Cardiovascular Medicine Division Chief Dr. Paul Mounsey in expressing gratitude to all who made this initiative – and this remarkable patient success story – possible. Special thanks to Dr. Ben Davis, Carmen Eaken, RN, Allison Lord, MNSc, RN, CCRN, Shawn Welch, Dr. Julius Balogh and Dr. Jay Bhama.

Student Published
Congratulations to rising junior medical student Sarah E. “Liza” Hill on the publication of her article in the American Journal of Surgery. Ms. Hill is the first author on “National Readmissions Database characterization of post-cholecystectomy care for inpatients: Readmissions and bile duct repair.” Co-authors included her primary mentor on the project, the Department of Surgery’s Dr. Lyle Burdine, along with Surgery faculty Drs. Hanna Jensen, Kevin Sexton, Kyle Kalkwarf and Emmanouil Giorgakis, and graduate assistant Rebecca Reif, M.H.A., and Dr. Saleema Karim of the College of Public Health. The study analyzed and compared readmission and other complications for patients who had either laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal).

Anesthesia Study
A shout-out to Dr. Muhammad Athar, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, on his new article in the International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia. Dr. Athar is the first author on “An observational pilot study of a novel loss of resistance syringe for locating the epidural space.” He collaborated on the study with colleagues at Stanford University School of Medicine while completing a fellowship in obstetric anesthesia prior to joining UAMS last year.

Wellness Champion
A colleague recently emailed me to express gratitude for Dr. Puru Thapa, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Faculty Wellness. The faculty member has referred several colleagues for help with various struggles, and was not surprised to learn that all were treated with exceptional compassion and respect. “Dr. Thapa is invariably a kind, thoughtful, reflective listener and always seems to help faculty put things into perspective,” she wrote. “Dr. Thapa is an institutional treasure, and we are so lucky to have him.” I couldn’t agree more!

For an overview of some of the wellness resources available to UAMS faculty, residents, students and employees, click here.

An Accolade for YOU
When I launched Accolades in the fall of 2018, I saw it as an opportunity to pass along some of the many great things I was hearing about College of Medicine team members every day. I also knew that sometimes a pat on the back for hard work well done is just what is needed to inspire us to get up the next day and do it all over again. I have been amazed at – and certainly inspired by – the stories, honors and accomplishments you have shared with me during my time as Dean.

Next week, we welcome your new Dean, Dr. Susan Smyth, to UAMS. I know she, too, will enjoy hearing and passing along good news about the College of Medicine family. So please do keep those accolades coming!

Thank you for your service to our college and those we serve. Thank you for your extraordinary collegiality. It really is what makes the College of Medicine and UAMS so special.