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!

Quality First
The latest report from the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Project (TQIP) reflects the UAMS Trauma Team’s continuing excellence and commitment to quality improvement. The program ranked in the first decile in a number of metrics and categories, and the UAMS Level 1 Trauma Center continues to be one of the nation’s top performers for ventilator-associated pneumonia in all patients and traumatic brain injury patients. This is all the more impressive in light of the ongoing pandemic and with several new surgeons on the team. I want to thank Surgery Chair Dr. Ron Robertson for his leadership, and I join with him in thanking the entire Trauma Team for their outstanding work.

Surgery Scholars
I also recently learned of several scholarly accomplishments in the Department of Surgery. For example, Dr. Garrett Klutts, a third-year General Surgery resident, presented excellent and timely original research at the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Regional Meeting last week. After noticing that the amount of trauma seemed to increase during the pandemic, Dr. Klutts led a retrospective review of the UAMS trauma database during the period of strict quarantine in Pulaski County last spring and found that penetrating and violent trauma rates had indeed gone up. This trend has been described to a limited extent at other institutions, but there has been a dearth of published data. Dr. Klutts is collaborating on a manuscript with Drs. Kyle Kalkwarf, Kevin Sexton, Hanna Jensen, Saleema Karim and Avi Bhavaraju.

COVID Task Force
UAMS colleagues will lend their expertise to the COVID-19 Winter Task Force established by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson last week. The panel will advise the Governor as the state battles the increasing challenges of the pandemic in the months ahead. The initial 19 appointees include Chancellor and UAMS Health CEO Dr. Cam Patterson, Dr. Jerrilyn Jones of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Keyur Vyas of the Division of Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Jose Romero, Arkansas Secretary of Health and Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Greg Bledsoe serves as Vice-Chair, and colleagues from the Department of Health, other agencies and health care systems, hospitals and organizations around the state round out the Task Force. Please join me in expressing gratitude to all of these members for their service at this critical time.

First in the Nation
A shout-out to Dr. Bobby Boyanton, Professor of Pathology, who is the first physician nationwide to receive the American Board of Pathology Focused Practiced Designation in Microbiology. Dr. Boyanton was also invited to serve on the ABPath Certlink Test Development and Advisory Committee for continuing certification in Clinical Pathology. As recognized experts in their field, committee members develop, edit and critique exam questions and provide guidance on content.

ELAM Nominee
Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Snowden, Associate Professor and Director of the Infectious Diseases Section in the Department of Pediatrics, on her selection and nomination by UAMS for the prestigious Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program at Drexel University. Dr. Snowden’s work in many areas, including her co-leadership of the Data Coordinating and Operations Center for the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network, make her an exceptionally strong candidate for the highly competitive ELAM program.

International Presentation
Dr. Vishank Shah, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, presented research as a platform presentation at the combined European Stroke Organization and World Stroke congress this month. His presentation, “One year fate of survivors of large intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage with poor outcome at day 30,” was the result of a collaboration with mentors at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where Dr. Shah completed a clinical and research fellowship before his recruitment to UAMS in 2018. Great job!

Two in a Week
The Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism’s Dr. Spyridoula Maraka and colleagues had two articles published last week in Thyroid, the journal of the American Thyroid Association. One article, “Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and treatment burden related to the use of levothyroxine in hypothyroid pregnant women in the United States” was a collaboration with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The second article is “Clinical Outcomes After Discontinuation of Thyroid Hormone Replacement – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Well done!

Poster Presentation
Congratulations to the Department of Ophthalmology’s Dr. Sami Uwaydat for his contributions to an excellent poster presentation at the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s virtual annual meeting this past weekend. Dr. Uwaydat was a co-author on “One Year Outcomes of Anti-VEGF Therapy in Peripapillary CNV.”

Applied Informatics
Congratulations to Mitra Rocca, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biomedical Informatics, on being inducted as a Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association (FAMIA) during the AMIA annual symposium this week. The FAMIA program recognizes the contributions and professional accomplishments of AMIA members who apply informatics skills and knowledge in their professional setting. Her primary mentor is Professor and Biomedical Informatics Chair Dr. Fred Prior.

Getting Through This, Together
Finally this week, my thanks to Dr. Erick Messias and the many faculty members from throughout our college who participated in a working group and additional conversations to find solutions to some of the logistical challenges and stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group held two productive open forums as part of their efforts over the past few months, and their suggestions were shared with clinical leaders and others.

A key accomplishment was the compilation of a comprehensive resources guide to help faculty, residents, staff and students, as well as their families during the pandemic. These resources address wellness and many other areas, and I encourage COM team members to explore them.

Special thanks to the working group. Joining Dr. Messias were Drs. Renee Bornemeier, Romona Davis, Molly Gathright, Katie Kimbrough, Michelle Krause, Abby Nolder, Melda Onal, Sowmya Patil, Tamara Perry, Angie Scott, Tony Seupaul, Sara Tariq and Puru Thapa, along with Emily Freeman, MHSA, UAMS Faculty Center Director. Associate Provost for Faculty Dr. Wendy Ward and her team were instrumental in preparing the resources guide.

This outstanding effort proves, once again, that we will get through this together.

Accolades will return December 2. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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!

STEM Outreach
A shout-out to Dr. E. Robert Burns, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, for his newly published analysis of the Partners in Health Science (PIHS) Program, which he directed for 28 years until his retirement last year. “Professional Development for PreK-12 Teachers in Health Science Content Using a ‘Train and Equip’ Approach: 28 Years’ Experience” was published in the Journal of STEM Outreach. The program provided workshops on health sciences content, along with take-home resources, for 22,731 pre-K through 12^th grade teachers from 1991 through 2019. That translates to a phenomenal impact on health sciences teaching in Arkansas.

Prolific Pathologists
The Department of Pathology’s Dr. Terry Harville and Dr. Soumya Pandey are collaborators on eleven chapters in the recently published edition of “Pediatric Autoimmunity and Transplantation,” published by Springer. Dr. Harville and Dr. Pandey shared their expertise for chapters relating to autoimmunity, secondary immunodeficiency and transplantation. Great work!

Dedicated Resident
I heard two glowing reports recently about Ophthalmology resident Dr. Heather Broyles and her dedication to clinical care, scholarly work and teaching. The Department of Emergency Medicine’s Dr. Chris Fowler wrote the Ophthalmology team to applaud Dr. Broyles for going the extra mile on a complicated case as well as for her ongoing graciousness and excellent work on consults and teaching in the Emergency Department. I also join with Ophthalmology Chair Dr. Paul Phillips in congratulating Dr. Broyles for her work as the first author on a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology. The article by multiple colleagues in the Jones Eye Institute describes a retinal finding that will enable earlier detection and treatment of temporal arteritis to reduce blindness. Great job!

Epilepsy Symposium
Kudos to everyone who made the second annual UAMS Epilepsy Symposium a great success. In keeping with Epilepsy Awareness Month, the November 7 virtual event focused on the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy and seizure disorders. This year’s speakers included the Department of Neurosurgery’s Dr. Gregory Albert and Dr. Viktoras Palys; Dr. Sisira Yadala of the Department of Neurology; the Division of Pediatric Neurology’s Dr. Freedom Perkins and Dr. Kapil Arya; and Neuropsychology fellow Dr. Chrystal Fullen.   

Research Society
Dr. Abdallah Dalabih, Associate Professor in the Critical Care Medicine Section of the Department of Pediatrics, has been accepted into the national Society of Pediatric Research. Dr. Dalabih was nominated by Pediatrics colleagues Dr. Parthak Prodhan and Dr. Michael Stroud. Congratulations!

EM Education
The Department of Emergency Medicine’s Dr. Chris Fowler and Dr. Amanda Young, Assistant Professors in the Division of Education, are among the authors of a recently published, peer-reviewed eBook, “Education Theory Made Practical (Volume 3).” The publication is associated with the Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) Faculty Incubator Program. Dr. Young and Dr. Fowler contributed to a chapter on the Kirkpatrick Model for evaluating results of training programs. Well done!

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!

Successful Conference
Kudos to the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine’s Community Health and Education Division for their excellent work on the 24^th Annual Family Medicine Update with Tobacco and Disease Symposium. More than 150 health care providers attended the department’s first virtual CME/CE conference, which featured faculty and clinician presenters from multiple departments and UAMS colleges. Special thanks to planners Alysia Dubriske, M.Ed., Marybeth Curtis, RN, BSN, and Andrea Hooten, M.B.A., along with Annemarie McGahagan, B.S.E., Leesa Freasier, M.Ed., Matt Mitchell, B.S., Colleen Lassiter and staff from UAMS Learn on Demand and UAMS audiovisual. Read more about the event and the outstanding presenters here.

Making a Difference
Congratulations to the Department of Emergency Medicine’s Dr. Casey Smolarz on becoming the first person to be re-elected as Chief of Staff for Baptist Health-Conway. Dr. Smolarz, Emergency Department Medical Director for the hospital, was also named Physician of the Year by the Conway Chamber of Commerce early this year. We’re proud of the difference Dr. Smolarz is making in patient care in the Conway community as well as here on the UAMS campus!

Cardiotoxicity Research
The Division of Hematology and Oncology’s Dr. Valentina Todorova continues to do superb research into cardiotoxicity from the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin (DOX). Most recently Dr. Todorova was the co-first author with the College of Public Health’s Dr. Ping-Ching Hsu on a paper in the American Journal of Cancer Research, “Biomarkers of inflammation, hypercoagulability and endothelial injury predict early asymptomatic doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in breast cancer.” Dr. Todorova and Dr. Hsu collaborated with faculty from multiple departments on the study.

Motivational Interviewing
A shout-out to Dr. Nihit Kumar, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, for his work to train clinicians in Motivational Interviewing. The intervention can be used to strengthen the commitment to change behaviors and improve outcomes for patients with chronic health conditions. It can also assist with treatment compliance in physical therapy, smoking cessation and weight loss, as well as in substance-use behaviors. Dr. Kumar recently chaired an extended workshop on Motivational Interviewing during the American Academy of Adolescent Psychiatry’s Virtual Annual Meeting, and he is available to conduct similar training for UAMS clinicians. Medical professionals interested in learning more can contact Dr. Kumar at NKumar@uams.edu

Graduate Scholars
UAMS Graduate School Ph.D. students Lance Benson and Brian Parks have been named the inaugural Dr. Glenn and Lori Millner Distinguished Scholars in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Mr. Benson is working with the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology’s Dr. Shengyu Mu to study how salt-sensitive high blood pressure develops. Mr. Parks is working with Pharmacology’s Dr. Lisa Brents to study the effects of prenatal opioid exposure. I join with Graduate School Dean Dr. Bobby McGehee in congratulating these outstanding doctoral students, thanking their stellar mentors, and expressing gratitude to the Millner family for making the Distinguished Scholars scholarships possible. Read more here.

On the Case
Jace Bradshaw, a fourth-year College of Medicine student planning to train in emergency medicine, did a great job presenting at the “Case-Con” competition sponsored by the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA) at the American College of Emergency Physicians virtual annual conference. He took second in the October 25 student competition for his poster presentation on a case of myxoma – a non-cancerous tumor in the heart – that led to a stroke. Way to go!

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!

Thank You, Dr. Marsh
This month marks the close of Dr. James Marsh’s 16-plus years of service as the Nolan Family Distinguished Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Marsh has provided superb leadership for one of our largest and most critical departments, overseeing the growth and strengthening of numerous divisions. He has made extensive contributions to our educational, research and clinical mission through his leadership and his own masterful teaching, collaborative scientific work and highly regarded, compassionate care as a cardiologist.

One mark of Dr. Marsh’s leadership has been that while always thoughtful and diplomatic, he has unfailingly stood firm on matters of principle. Jim is a collegial and gracious colleague, and he will be missed when he moves on to retirement in January. Fortunately, Dr. Marsh will remain with us as a senior cardiologist for a couple of more months as we welcome incoming Chair Dr. Edward Yeh.

Dr. Marsh has been appointed to the rank of Distinguished Professor, and I am struck by how truly distinguished he is. I know I speak for all of us at UAMS in expressing our gratitude for his extraordinary service and wishing Jim all the best in his retirement.

Life Support Leader
Dr. Steve Schexnayder, Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, is the senior author of the American Heart Association (AHA) 2020 Pediatric and Advanced Life Support Guidelines. The guidelines, published in Circulation, serve as the gold standard for pediatric CPR and resuscitation for approximately 180 countries, as well as the scientific basis for AHA courses that train more than a million pediatric health care providers around the globe each year. Dr. Schexnayder also serves as one of four U.S. representatives on the Pediatric Task Force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Children here and around the world are the beneficiaries of the expertise and many hundreds of hours that he devotes to this work. Thank you for your leadership in this field, Dr. Schexnayder.

Landmark Paper
Dr. Terry Harville, Professor of Pathology and Internal Medicine, and Dr. Kent McKelvey, Associate Professor of Genetics and Family and Preventive Medicine, are among the eight co-authors of a landmark paper from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. Published October 20 in the Special Communication Section of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the paper presents the first evidence-based medical care guidelines for adults with Down syndrome. The UAMS colleagues and their peers at some of the largest adult Down syndrome clinical centers in the country worked for four years on the guidelines, which include 14 recommendations and four statements of good practice. The guidelines address behavioral health, dementia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, atlantoaxial instability, osteoporosis, thyroid and celiac disease. Congratulations and kudos to Dr. McKelvey and Dr. Harville on this very important work.  

COVID Cardiology
College of Medicine cardiologists and researchers continue to publish important papers that advance the understanding of the links between COVID-19 and the heart. Dr. Jawahar L. (Jay) Mehta, Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics and the Stebbins Chair in Cardiology, most recently co-authored a paper with Internal Medicine resident Dr. Husam Salah. “Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and COVID-19 infection” was published in the European Heart Journal-Cardiovascular Imaging and discusses a newly defined phenomenon in some patients with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, colleagues in the Department of Pediatrics Division of Cardiology have just had an article accepted for publication in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. Fellow Dr. Lee Crawford, Associate Professor Dr. Kenneth Knecht, Professor Dr. Parthak Prodhan, Associate Professor Dr. Elijah Bolin and Assistant Professor Dr. Markus Renno collaborated on “Variable Presentation of COVID-19 in Pediatric Patients,” a case series indicating at least two different pathways that can result in cardiac involvement with acute infection or delayed inflammatory response.

Resident Leadership Award
Child Neurology resident Dr. Praveen Ramani recently received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Section of the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Ramani received the largest share of nominations in the history of the award, and for very good reason. Nominators praised his commitment to patient care, exceptional clinical skills and mentorship of interns. During his rotation, he made an exceptional “catch,” saving a patient’s life by identifying a pericardial effusion in tamponade before the patient’s symptoms escalated. Congratulations Dr. Ramani. We are proud of you.

Super Symposium
A shout-out to the Department of Dermatology for their excellent work hosting the second annual UAMS Dermatology Fall Clinical Symposium last Saturday. This year’s virtual format enabled approximately 40 providers from across the state and beyond to participate. The symposium was organized by Dr. Henry Wong and Ms. Amanda Blagg. Along with Dr. Wong, presenters included Dr. Vivian Shi, Dr. Rodrigo Valdes-Rodriguez, Dr. Megan Evans and resident Dr. Hugh Nymeyer, as well as case presentations by UAMS medical students heading into dermatology: Amanda Ederle, Alyson McKinnon, Dmitry Nedosekin, Sophia Ly and Blake Richardson. 

Student Scholar
Congratulations to third-year M.D./M.P.H. student Anusha Majagi on being selected for the Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC) 2021 Geriatric Student Scholars Program. Supported by a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant, the program is designed to increase health professions students’ knowledge about older adults and the specialized care they need. Anusha’s nomination was supported by Dr. Sara Tariq, Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Read more about Anusha and the program here.

Service Awards
Let’s have a round of applause for all of the outstanding, dedicated colleagues being honored with UAMS Employee Service Awards this week. UAMS recognizes employees after each five years of service, and many of this year’s 1,220 honorees have served on Team UAMS for three, four or even five decades. Six College of Medicine faculty and staff are being honored for an incredible 40 years of service: Dr. Teresita Angtuaco (Radiology), Dr. Robert Bradsher Jr. (Internal Medicine), Dr. Lawrence Cornett (Physiology/Biophysics), Wyvonne Ora (Northwest Arkansas IM Residency), Dr. Robert Reis (Geriatrics) and Dwana McKay Yarberry (Housestaff Affairs). We are grateful for the service of these and other COM colleagues as well as our friends in ICE, other colleges and areas throughout UAMS.

Grateful Students
The College of Medicine freshman class hosted a beautiful and moving ceremony last week to express gratitude for the anatomical donors who helped them learn the intricacies of anatomy during their Human Structure course this fall. While the foundational course lasts only a matter of weeks, the memory and impact of the gift of an anatomical donor stays with a physician throughout their lifetime. Many thanks to M1 Class President Tamanna Basri and fellow 2024 Class Officers for planning and conducting the largely virtual event, along with ceremony speakers Dr. David Davies and Dr. Edgar Meyer and all of the Human Structure faculty.

Above & Beyond
A patient recently wrote to thank UAMS for the exceptional care provided by the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery’s Dr. Mauricio Moreno, Dr. Jumin Sunde and Samantha Rose, APRN. The multi-page letter made it clear that this patient faced an extremely serious and frightening condition. The patient was grateful for the expertise of the Otolaryngology team – but something else meant just as much. “The clarity and kindness that they provided was far beyond just being conventionally compassionate and dramatically exceeded any type of expectations,” the patient wrote. Kudos to these colleagues for their exceptional work. This is what we are all about!

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!

Vaccine Leadership
Dr. Jeannette Lee, Professor of Biostatistics, has been appointed to serve on the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee as it reviews COVID-19 vaccines. She will bring exceptional expertise to the crucial work of ensuring the approval of safe and effective vaccines to prevent the spread of the deadly virus that has changed the world as we know it. This is the latest of many national roles for Dr. Lee. Earlier this year, she and Co-PI Dr. Jessica Snowden were awarded a $39 million grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health for the UAMS-based Data Coordinating and Operations Center, which oversees the 18-site Idea States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network. Dr. Lee also serves on the FDA Cellular Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee. We are grateful for your service nationally and here at UAMS!

Bringing the Fight
Many UAMS researchers and staff are bringing the fight to COVID-19, with 75 studies either active or in the pipeline. I join with Translational Research Institute Director Dr. Laura James in recognizing two particularly prolific COVID-19 clinical researchers: 

Dr. Tina Ipe, Associate Professor of Pathology and Director of the Blood Bank and Transfusion Division, is leading the Arkansas Expanded Access to COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Treatment Program Trial. She also has two COVID-19 clinical trials pending as well as two retrospective chart review studies. Dr. Nikhil Meena, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit, is leading two active clinical trials for COVID-19 therapeutics. He also has two clinical trials pending, plus two prospective registry studies and one retrospective chart review study.

We are proud of the many investigators who are focused on this virus and contributing to a knowledge base that will save lives. Thank you all.

AAMC Chair-Elect
Maurice Rigsby, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Relations, is a fantastic advocate for UAMS here in Arkansas and beyond. As the newly nominated 2021 Chair-Elect of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Government Relations Representatives Steering Committee, his impact will be even broader. Mr. Rigsby will serve as Chair of the AAMC-GRR Steering Committee in 2022. Congratulations and thank you for your excellent service to UAMS, Arkansas and the nation’s academic medical centers.

STEM Star
Dr. Keshari Thakali, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and researcher in the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, is being honored by the Museum of Discovery as one of Arkansas’ top innovators in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). She will be recognized, along with STEM leaders such as Arkansas First Lady Susan Hutchinson and former Arkansas Secretary of Health Dr. Nate Smith, at the Spark! 2020 Luncheon on November 2 and during the organization’s virtual Gala on November 10. Read more about Dr. Thakali here. We are proud to have you as a colleague, Dr. Thakali!

Quality & Safety
Congratulations to the Institute for Digital Health & Innovation’s Dawn Brown, B.S.N., RN, on becoming the very first person to achieve national certification in Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety. Ms. Brown serves as Clinical Director for POWER (Perinatal Outcomes Workgroup through Education & Research), an initiative of the IDHI High-Risk Pregnancy Program and labor and delivery facilities throughout Arkansas. The prestigious new credential from the National Certification Corporation (NCC) is earned by meeting stringent educational and/or practice requirements and taking a rigorous national examination in the specialty area.

Best Paper
Congratulations to Dr. Ariel Berlinski, Professor of Pediatrics, on receiving the 2020 Draeger-Shreyas Roy, M.D. Memorial Award from the American Respiratory Care Foundation. The award recognizes Dr. Berlinski’s paper “Albuterol Delivery Efficiency in a Pediatric Model of Noninvasive Ventilation with a Single-Limb Circuit” as the best paper, published during the previous year in the journal Respiratory Care, to address mechanical ventilation and its current technology as it relates to respiratory care. Dr. Berlinski is Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Care Center, Medical Director of the Respiratory Care Services Department, and Director of the Pediatric Aerosol Research Laboratory at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

International Appreciation
This week, the American Medical Association and many others are celebrating International Medical Graduates Recognition Week. Our IMG faculty, residents and fellows bring broad expertise, selfless dedication to our profession and those we serve, and a wealth of new and unique perspectives to Team UAMS. Please join me in thanking our IMG colleagues for their many contributions to our mission and the UAMS community!

PA of the Month
The Department of Surgery,Division of Burn Surgery’s Ryland Walt Steele, PA-C, is the featured Physician Assistant of the Month on the Arkansas Academy of Physician Assistants (ARAPA) website – and for good reason. Ms. Steele has been doing incredible work caring for critically ill adult and pediatric patients in the Burn Unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital for the past two years. She is also a voting member of the Advanced Practice Provider Credentialing Committee at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Next month she will present at ImPAct 2020, the ARAPA CME Conference, discussing “Burn Care for the Primary Care and Emergency Medicine Provider.” Great job!

Above & Beyond
Finally this week, a shout-out to Child Neurology Resident Dr. Paul Drake for the compassionate care he provides patients and their families. A family recently reached out to express how well Dr. Drake explained a challenging condition and the path forward, and the difference he is making in the ongoing care of their loved one. Thank you for kindness and dedication to our young patients, Dr. Drake.

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!

Zoom with the Dean
While the pandemic is preventing in-person breakfasts with students this year, I am delighted to be able to visit with our M1s and M2s in our new “Zoom with the Dean” sessions. Just as in past years, the students I visited with last week had great things to say about faculty educators. They appreciated Dr. Alan Diekman (Biochemistry/Molecular Biology) for his exceptional organization and course leadership; Dr. Sung Rhee (Pharmacology/Toxicology) for his help preparing them for the Step 1 exam; and Dr. Matt Quick (Pathology) for his passion and inspiration. Three Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences faculty members earned praise: Dr. Mohsin Syed for his encouragement and great teaching; Dr. David Davies for his course leadership and ability to lower stress; and Dr. Edgar Meyer for his ability to make complicated material easier to understand. Kudos to these fine faculty members for their dedication to medical education!

P.S. – Watch for information about a brand new teaching award, and the inaugural recipients, in the COMmunication e-newsletter later this month!

Newly Invested
Congratulations to Dr. Ahmed Sallam, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program, on his investiture in the John W. Nutt Chair in Ophthalmology. While a formal investiture ceremony has been postponed due to COVID-19, this is a wonderful and well-earned honor for Dr. Sallam, who is a superb eye inflammation and retinal specialist as well as a dedicated educator and excellent researcher. Dr. Sallam has excelled in all of our core mission areas since joining our faculty in 2016. The endowed chair was established with a gift from the late Mr. John Nutt, who was a longtime supporter of the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, and his family and friends. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.   

Championing Diversity
A shout-out to Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility) and Executive Director of the UAMS Division for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, for her service on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). As a Co-Chair of the Task Force, she will join other leaders to present an overview of the group’s charge and ongoing work at the ASRM Congress next week. The Task Force is developing recommendations for addressing health disparities and non-inclusivity in the field of reproductive medicine and within the ASRM. She founded ASRM Health Disparities Special Interest Group in 2014 to focus on inequities in reproductive medical care and reporting.

Transport Titans
Department of Pediatrics faculty and fellows were well represented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Transport Medicine. Dr. Michael Stroud of our Critical Care Medicine Section served as Program Chair for the virtual meeting, finessing many challenges posed by the pandemic. He was also the driving force behind the development of the section’s first ever in-training research grant. Third-year Critical Care Medicine (CCM) fellow Dr. Courtney Cox won over some stiff competition to take home the new grant! Another rising star, second-year CCM fellow Dr. Nathan Epps, gave a virtual poster presentation. Dr. Stroud and Dr. Franscesca Miquel-Verges of the Neonatology Section serve together on the AAP Section on Transport Medicine Executive Committee. Great job everyone!

Top 10%
Congratulations to third-year Anesthesiology residents Dr. Jonathan Aronson, Dr. Bryce Ferry and Dr. Nikhil Kamath on their remarkable, top 10% in the nation performance on the American Board of Anesthesiology BASIC exam. Thanks as well to Dr. Charles Napolitano, Program Director, and all of the faculty members contributing to our residents’ success!

The Doc Talk
Dr. Amir Mian, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Arkansas Children’s have launched a new podcast, “The Doc Talk.” The podcast, which debuted this week, will feature conversations with physicians and medical leaders. Dr. Mian, who serves in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and his guests will discuss innovations, medicine, personal and professional growth and other topics, with a goal of helping colleagues stay connected during this time of social distancing. Way to go!

Stellar Staff
This month I have had the honor of presenting some of our COM staff members with awards for their excellent work and service. You may recall that while we were unable to gather in person for our traditional Dean’s Honor Day ceremony in April due to the escalating pandemic, we announced all of the highly deserving faculty and staff winners on our website and in the April COMmunication. Since then, Dean’s Office and Faculty Affairs representatives have found various ways to present the awards to honorees – and more will be scheduled in the future.

I encourage you to read (or re-read) about the stellar staff and faculty we honored this year. Meanwhile, I want to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to this year’s non-faculty honorees:

Residency Educator – Program Coordinator
Emily Stotts, Pediatrics Residency

Staff Excellence – Administration
Debbie Holliman, Department of Anesthesiology

Staff Excellence – Clinical
JoAnn Conley Cooper, Interventional Pain Clinic

Staff Excellence – Research

Debbie Hodges, Psychiatry

Staff Excellence – Education
Marcie Johnson, COM Curriculum Office

Wingman on the Weekend
And finally this week, congratulations to Neurosurgery resident Dr. Angela Palmer on earning her Federal Aviation Administration Formation Card at Grider Field in Pine Bluff last week. Dr. Palmer, who goes by the apt call sign “Scrubs,” is an experimental aircraft pilot and member of the Bulldog Formation Flight Team. Her wingman check ride on Friday was the final hurdle to earning the FAA Formation Card, which is required for performing flyovers at events in FAA-waivered airspace. Dr. Palmer and the formation flight clinic were featured in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Pine Bluff Commercial.

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!

Virtually Amazing
The students we admit to the College of Medicine are the lifeblood of our education mission in Arkansas – and applicant interviews are crucial to the process of selecting the very best future physicians. Hats off to everyone who made our first-ever virtual medical school applicant interview day a great success last Saturday. Very special thanks to Tom South, Dr. Jeanne McLachlin and Tammy Henson in our Admissions Office, and IT team members James Arledge, Kevin Hollins, Ernie Bailey and Allen Finne.

Special thanks also to the 85 faculty members and 14 senior medical students who interviewed applicants and many other M2, M3 and M4 students who shared their insights about medical school, balancing study and personal life, and much more during three post-interview Q&A Zoom sessions led by Dr. McLachlin. Dr. Bobby McGehee facilitated a virtual orientation session for faculty interviewers, and Dr. James Graham led an orientation for applicants.

I join with Dr. Graham in expressing our gratitude to all who participated on Saturday, and to those who will contribute to the upcoming interview days on October 24, November 14 and January 9. We can still use more faculty interviewers for those sessions. Please sign up here. Your service is greatly appreciated, especially under the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic.

Spine in the Spotlight
A shout-out to the Neurosurgery and Orthopaedic Surgery faculty and Neurosurgery residents who recently hosted a very well received Virtual Spine Journal Club session for the Seattle Science Foundation – a well-recognized leading foundation for medical and surgical education. Organized by Dr. Noojan Kazemi, the session on “Patient Selection and Predicting Outcomes in Spine Surgery” was presented internationally to numerous institutions. The event featured article presentations by four residents, Drs. Patrick Paullus, Marcus Stephens, Natalie Guley and Matthew Helton. Dr. Kazemi moderated the discussion with the help of Drs. T. Glenn Pait, Richard McCarthy and David Bumpass. Nationally recognized leaders in spine surgery lauded the quality of article selection and the session overall, and UAMS has been invited to host again in the future.

Transplant Excellence
Congratulations to the kidney and heart transplant teams at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, which has just been designated as a Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center for solid organ transplant. The designation, which recognizes excellence and expertise in transplant programs, is a first for the kidney transplant team, and the first in several years for the heart transplant program. I join with Drs. Rick Barr, Richard Blaszak and Paul Seib in thanking the many Arkansas Children’s, Pediatrics and Surgery faculty and staff whose hard work and dedication made this possible. Kudos to all.

New Textbook
Fathima Fijula Palot Manzil, M.D., Assistant Professor in the Nuclear Medicine Division of the Department of Radiology, is a co-author on the new edition of “Diagnostic Imaging: Nuclear Medicine,” being published this month by Elsevier. The chapters will also be available in STATdx, a comprehensive diagnostic radiology online support tool by Elsevier. Dr. Manzil is a cover author and wrote or co-wrote multiple chapters, lending her expertise to topics relating to nuclear medicine and PET-CT, including nuclear cardiology. Congratulations!

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!

Outstanding in OB/GYN
Congratulations to Dr. Linda Teal, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, on her nomination and selection by UAMS residents for the National Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Education from the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG). Dr. Teal also was selected by a national committee of her peers for the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) Mentor Award.

Top 20
A shout-out to Dr. Michael Wilson, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, who was recognized by the Journal of Emergency Medicine this month for being one of the top 20 reviewers for the publication last year. With over 400 reviewers for the journal, that’s quite an accomplishment. As a leading expert in behavioral emergencies, Dr. Wilson brings important perspective and insights to his role as a reviewer. Great job!

National Appointment
Dr. Spyridoula Maraka, Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, has been invited to serve a three-year term on the Guidelines and Statements Committee of the American Thyroid Association. Thank you, Dr. Maraka, for your excellent service at the national level as well as here at UAMS.

Well Represented
The Department of Radiology continues to be well represented nationally, thanks to the recent accomplishments of several residents. The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) selected Dr. Ronald Mora (PGY3) for the Introduction to Academic Radiology program, and Dr. Surbhi Raichandani (PGY3) for the RSNA Resident Representative (R3) program. Meanwhile, PGY2 residents Dr. George Vilanilam and Dr. Rangarajan Purushothaman were awarded Clinical Interventional Oncology Scholarships, and Dr. Vilanilam was appointed to a two-year term on the RSNA’s RadioGraphics Resident Subspecialty Panel for Neuroradiology. Congratulations to all! 

On the Cover
Dr. Meryll Pampolina Bouldin, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, puts a friendly and enthusiastic face on a career in medicine in the new edition of Arkansas Next: a Guide to Life After High School. The Arkansas Business Publishing Group publication for high school students features medical careers in this year’s lead feature. Dr. Bouldin graces the cover and shares her insights for young Arkansans considering careers as a physician on page 34. Dr. Corey Montgomery, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, is featured on page 32. Kudos to both for representing your profession and specialties so well!

Above & Beyond
A patient who was recently hospitalized for a neurological condition took the time to thank the Department of Neurology faculty, residents and staff, along with many other clinical team members, who participated in her care. The patient was grateful for the knowledgeable, empathetic and caring individuals who truly listened to her and made her smile during a difficult time. The “angels” she mentioned by name included Neurology Chair Dr. Lee Archer, Neurology Residency Program Director Dr. Mitesh Lotia, Neurology resident Dr. Rohan Sharma and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation resident Dr. Zachary Dawes. Great job!

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!

Quality First
Our ongoing health care quality and accountability efforts made strides this past year, with UAMS Medical Center advancing to three-star status and 80^th in the national rankings tracked for us by the performance improvement organization Vizient. Our recently received scorecard shows UAMS ranks particularly well in metrics related to efficiency, equity and patient-centeredness. Kudos to all whose hard work made this happen, with special thanks to Troy Schmit, M.S., Trenda Ray, Ph.D., RN, Tony Seupaul, M.D., Sofie Morgan, M.D., and Thea Rosenbaum, M.D.

Gold Standard
Dr. Matt Quick, Associate Professor of Pathology, served as the lead author for three chapters in the new edition of the World Health Organization’s “WHO Classification of Tumours – Female Genital Tumours.” One of the chapters describes mesonephric-like carcinoma of the ovary. Dr. Quick helped describe this new entity in gynecologic pathology in 2016 with Dr. Glenn McCluggage, who serves on the editorial board for the reference books. Also known as the “WHO Blue Books,” the series is regarded as the authoritative, international gold standard for the histological and molecular classification of tumors.

COVID & Pancreatitis
The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology’s Dr. Sumant Inamdar recently published research that strengthens the evidence that patients with COVID-19 are at risk of developing pancreatitis, and that pancreatitis should be included among the gastrointestinal symptoms of the virus. Dr. Inamdar’s carefully designed research was published in the leading journal Gastroenterology. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

SUPER Project
The SUPER (Serving Underrepresented Populations through Engagement and Research) Project is off to a great start with the recent wrap-up of its Summer Institute. The institute prepared students at Philander Smith College and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to conduct research with mentors at their home institutions and UAMS. SUPER is part of the HBCU Med Track Program and our HRSA-funded Arkansas Medical Education Primary Care Partnership. Kudos to Education Coordinator Renisha Ward, M.Ed., and all who participated in the event. Thanks also to the UAMS mentors, Drs. Antino Allen, Clare Brown, Kristy Caldwell, Alan Diekman, Nakita Heard, Grover Miller and Tremaine Williams. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Postdoctoral Scholars
Congratulations to postdoctoral fellow Dr. Zijing Zhang on her Postdoctoral Scholar Award and $200,000 in funding from the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equality. Dr. Zhang, who works with Dr. Michael Birrer in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, is studying how biological changes in the ovary due to aging may influence reproductive health. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Congratulations also to Dr. Brittany Allman, a postdoctoral fellow at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC), on her Loan Repayment Program for Pediatric Research award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases. The two-year award repays up to $50,000 in educational debt per year. Dr. Allman’s research focuses on how maternal obesity can contribute to offspring obesity and impact substrate metabolism in early life. Dr. Elisabet Borsheim serves as Dr. Allman’s primary mentor, with Dr. Aline Andres serving as an additional mentor.

National Talk
A shout-out to MD/PhD student L. Clai Morehead, who has been selected to present a talk at the annual MD/PhD National Student Conference this week. Clai also received a Diversity Award to support her participation in the virtual conference. Her talk, “Caloric restriction mimetics as an adjuvant to immune checkpoint inhibitors for treatment of melanoma,” is one of only six in the conference’s general medicine category, and Clai is among just 24 MD/PhD students chosen to present at the conference. We’re proud of you Clai!

Consultant of the Month
Congratulations to Dr. Timothy Hereford, third-year Orthopaedic Surgery resident, on being named Consultant of the Month by Emergency Medicine residents. The award recognizes residents from other departments for their collegial contributions to clinical care and education in the Emergency Department. Residents applauded Dr. Hereford’s exceptional willingness to help, noting that he often checks for potential cases before being officially consulted. Way to go!

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!

Lifetime Achievement Award
Congratulations to Dr. Rodney Davis, Professor and Chair of the Department of Urology, on receiving the Headstream Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Arkansas Urologic Society. As many know, Dr. Davis is an internationally recognized expert in minimally invasive techniques to treat urologic malignancies. He has made innumerable contributions since his recruitment to UAMS from Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College in Nashville in 2012, both in Arkansas and nationally. A Malvern native, Dr. Davis has also earned many honors for his service in U.S. Army and Army Reserve, where he retired at the rank of Colonel.

New Patent
Congratulations to Dr. Lee Ann MacMillan-Crow, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, on her new U.S. Patent. Dr. MacMillan-Crow devised new, efficient methods and compositions for detecting mitochondrial dysfunction, the malfunctioning of the structures that produce energy for a cell, often due to stress or disease. Her patent relates to certain reporter molecules (OMA1) that are especially useful for drug discovery and detection of diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Way to go!  

Blood Tests for Cancer
Dr. Donald Johann, Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Internal Medicine, had an integral role in an important new publication that establishes a set of generic analytical protocols and helps to define industry standards for the development of liquid biopsy tests – or blood tests – for detecting cancer. “Generic Protocols for the Analytical Validation of Next-Generation Sequencing-Based ctDNA Assays: A Joint Consensus Recommendation of the BloodPAC’s Analytical Variables Working Group” was published in Clinical Chemistry by the Blood Profiling Atlas in Cancer Consortium (BloodPAC). Dr. Johann has been a contributing member of the BloodPAC Analytical Variables Protocols Working Group since its establishment three years ago. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

National Presentation
Dr. Ericka Olgaard, Assistant Professor of Pathology and CLIA Laboratory Medical Director, was invited to give a webinar for the College of American Pathologists 2020 Focus on Laboratory Compliance webinar series. Her webinar on the topic of “Competency Compliance: Strategies to Avoid the Top Deficiency” is being presented today. This latest national contribution dovetails nicely with Dr. Olgaard’s work as an appointed member on the College of American Pathologists Accreditation Education Committee. Thank you for your excellent work nationally and here at UAMS, Dr. Olgaard.

MEFFA Awards Support Medical Education
A wide range of educational projects are underway this academic year thanks to the longstanding support of the Arkansas Medical Society and the Medical Education Foundation for Arkansas (MEFFA). The foundation has provided grants to support College of Medicine educational initiatives for many decades. This year’s projects focus on crucial clinical skills including prenatal care and ear examination, culinary medicine, interview skills for colorectal/cancer screening, a telemedicine “buddy” program pairing medical students with isolated senior citizens, and the annual Teach-the-Teacher conference.

Congratulations to Drs. Shashank Kraleti (Family Medicine); Puru Thapa (Psychiatry); Gloria Richard-Davis (OB/GYN); Andre Wineland (Otolaryngology); Ronda Henry-Tillman (Surgery); Pebbles Fagan (College of Public Health); Priya Mendiratta (Geriatrics); Tobias Vancil (Internal Medicine); and Karina Clemmons (Medical Humanities/Bioethics). You can read about their projects in this summary.

100% Pass Rate
Congratulations to Drs. Jerry Johnston, Jed Kinnick, Patrick Page, and all of their fellow 2020 graduates of the Anesthesiology Residency Program on their 100% pass rate on the American Board of Anesthesiology Advanced Exam – and kudos to all who contributed to their success. Special thanks to Program Director Dr. Charles Napolitano, Anesthesiology Chair Dr. Jill Mhyre, and Drs. Shannon Dare, Faiza Khan, Riley Lide, Jill Ramsey and Matthew Spond.

Teaching Excellence
A shout-out to the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology’s Dr. Sung Rhee and the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine’s Dr. Allison Shaw-Devine and Dr. Srikanth Vallurupalli – the team that helps second-year medical students get “from zero to 60” on ECG and arrhythmia in a matter of days. As the curriculum was winding down in August, Dr. Vallurupalli received a call from a Little Rock cardiac electrophysiologist who was highly impressed with the questions his son, an M2, was asking him about ECG and anti-arrhythmic drugs. The father thanked the educators for teaching the next generation of physicians – and potential cardiologists – in a thought-provoking, impactful manner.

Social Media & Medicine
Dr. Arpan Prabhu, a Radiation Oncology resident, was mentioned in an article published in Ophthalmology Times. ​Dr. Prabhu mentored Heba Mahjoub, a medical student at Johns Hopkins University, and collaborated with Dr. Shameema Sikder at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, to study the information that patients seek regarding eye care on the popular social media site Reddit. Dr. Prabhu has published internationally on the digital presence of physicians and social media interactions among patients and physicians. Great job.

Above and Beyond
Third-year medical student Merit Jennings Turner was driving home after rounding with the General Internal Medicine team at the VA hospital recently when she came upon a major motor vehicle collision. Merit was the first person to stop and help. She immediately called 911 and tended to the collision victim, who was in and out of consciousness, while waiting for the EMS crew to arrive. Thank you for your selfless heroism, Merit. We are so proud of you!

The Gift of Creativity
Special thanks to Dr. Paulette Mehta, Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, and Dr. Jay Mehta, Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics, for their thoughtful and generous gift to establish an endowed annual creative writing award open to all UAMS students, staff and faculty. The Mehtas’ recognition of the value of having a creative outlet is especially timely during the current, stressful public health crisis. Submission information is available here, and you can read about what inspired the Mehtas to create the award in this Inside UAMS feature story.

Champions for Diversity & Inclusion
Finally this week, congratulations to the exceptionally deserving recipients of Dr. Edith Irby Jones Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Awards. These individuals have strived to make UAMS and the broader community more inclusive – and stronger – through diversity. They have led by example, shared stories that amplify the humanity and dignity of each person, and joined with other voices to speak out against inequality. We are all fortunate to work, learn and grow with these colleagues.

Lifetime Achievement | Billy Thomas, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Pediatrics

Honored for his leadership and many years of service as the first Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion and Director of the Center for Diversity Affairs (now the Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), for his steadfast dedication to students of all backgrounds, and his extensive support for diversity- and volunteer-focused student groups.

Leadership | Mildred Randolph, D.V.M., Director, Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine (2007-2020)

Honored for her strong commitment to an inclusive culture and positive working environment, and for initiatives such as bringing the Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) program to UAMS.

Middle/Senior Career Faculty | Erick Messias, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., COM Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

Honored for his excellence and dedication to raising awareness about racial and ethnic disparities, implicit and explicit bias, and the extraordinary legacy of Dr. Edith Irby-Jones, as well as for his efforts to expand monitoring and reporting of faculty diversity metrics.

Early Career Faculty | Leslie Stone, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Family and Preventive Medicine

Honored for his devotion to patients in underserved communities and educating the next generation of dedicated and diverse family physicians who will care for these patients across Arkansas, and for fostering diversity, equity and inclusion at UAMS through mentorship of students and other activities.

Trainee | Oluwatomi “Tomi” Adegboyega, M.D., resident, Pediatrics

Honored for his service to patients, Arkansas Children’s, UAMS and the community, and for his insightful leadership, in collaboration with fellow resident Dr. Michael Grassi, of a peaceful march to the state Capitol after the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

Staff | Sharanda Williams, M.A., COM Director of Academic Affairs

Honored for her broad service and volunteer activities at UAMS and in the community, including service as Chair of the UAMS House of Delegates and her mentorship of Project Search interns and younger employees.

Student | Arthur Shaw, College of Pharmacy

Honored for modeling the tenets of diversity, equity and inclusion and demonstrating caring and compassion in his many volunteer service activities and student leadership roles at UAMS and in the community.