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 Cardiology Teaching Honor
Congratulations to Dr. Eudice Fontenot, Professor and Vice-Chair for Education in the Department of Pediatrics, on being named the 2023 recipient of the Maria Serratto, M.D., Master Educator Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (SOCCS). The award has recognized leading pediatric cardiologists for their teaching and evaluation, development of educational materials and educational leadership. It will be presented at the SOCCS/AAP annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in October.

Dr. Fontenot has taught countless fellows, residents and medical students as a faculty member since 1998, earning many honors including the Betty Ann Lowe, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Pediatric Education. He founded the Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program and served as Director from 2012-2020. In their nomination letter, Pediatric Cardiology Section Chief Dr. Paul Seib and Fellow Dr. Murad Almasri described Dr. Fontenot’s impact: “Whether in the classroom explaining transposition physiology, in the cardiac catheterization lab directing a cardiology fellow in their first right heart cath, or at the bedside of a child in the cardiac ICU, Dr. Fontenot makes every situation a learning opportunity.”

The Pandemic & Prenatal Care
A study by researchers in the Institute for Digital Health & Innovation (IDHI) into the pandemic’s impact on the use of telehealth for prenatal care nationwide has been published in JAMA Network Open. The study revealed a significant jump in the use of digital health services for pregnancy care during 2020. While the use of telehealth had declined by late 2021, it remained higher than pre-pandemic levels. Dr. Mahip Acharya, a senior data analysist for the Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center, was first author. Dr. Hari Eswaran, Professor and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Research for IDHI, was the study’s Principal Investigator. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Cochlear Implant Conference Leadership
Dr. John Dornhoffer, Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, was among the organizers of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance annual meeting in Dallas last week as a member of the organization’s Board of Directors. The meeting drew over 1,000 participants focused on the alliance’s mission of eliminating barriers to cochlear implantation. Dr. Dornhoffer also moderated a scientific roundtable session.

Exploring Health Disparities
Researchers in the Office of Community Health & Research at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus continue to shed light into multiple facets of health disparities. One recent study showed that people who experience racial discrimination are more reluctant to get vaccinations. Dr. Sheena CarlLee, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Program Director for the UAMS Washington Regional Internal Medicine Residency Program, was first author of the study. Read more here. Another study, with Assistant Professor Dr. Jennifer Andersen as first author, examined the strikingly high rates of diabetes and heart disease in residents of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Read more here. Dr. Pearl McElfish, Professor and Division Director of the Office of Community Health & Research, was senior author on both studies.

Arthroplasty Insights
Rising M3 medical student Kathleen Kinder was the first author on an article recently published in – and highlighted on the cover of – the Journal of Arthroplasty. The article examined the use of articulating knee spacers in the treatment of periprosthetic joint infection and whether all polyethylene tibia (APT) or polyethylene insert, which costs less, would have lower complication rates and higher efficacy and durability. Dr. Jeffrey Stambough, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, was senior author on the study, which discovered that APT and PI tibial components have similar results.

Putting Patients First
Dr. James Suen, Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, was part of a volunteer team of medical experts who spent a week this spring treating patients in war-torn Ukraine. Dr. Suen and other physicians treated babies and children with congenital deformities and adults who were injured in the war. “Since the war started, I have been watching and trying to understand,” Dr. Suen explained for a story on the UAMS website. I was seeing the horrors of the war, and I always felt I wanted to do something to help Ukraine.” This is just the latest example of dedication to service for Dr. Suen, who chaired Otolaryngology from 1974 to 2017 and co-founded what is now the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.

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!

Radiology Paper in the Spotlight

A recent paper by Pediatric Interventional Radiology colleagues, students and others about the positive results of the launch of an interventional radiology consult service at Arkansas Children’s has been in the spotlight. 2023 graduate Dr. Mallory Heft, who will begin her residency in interventional radiology at UAMS this summer, was first author on “Establishing a pediatric interventional radiology inpatient consult service,” which was published in Pediatric Radiology and highlighted in Radiology Business. Second-year medical student Evan Hicks was among the coauthors. Dr.  Charles James, Professor of Radiology, led the publication efforts as corresponding author, concluding a 2019 clinical initiative spearheaded by former faculty member Dr. Daniel Ashton.

Conference Collaboration
Dr. Samidha Tripathi and Dr. Payton Lea from the Department of Psychiatry and Dr. Shobhit Sharma from the Department of Radiology teamed up to present a session on the essentials of neuroanatomy and neuroimaging in consultation-liaison (CL) psychiatry during the recent American Psychiatric Association annual meeting in San Francisco. CL psychiatry focuses on the care of patients with co-existing psychiatric and general medical conditions. Dr. Tripathi, Director of the UAMS CL Service, chaired the session. Dr. Lea, also a CL psychiatrist, introduced an innovative case conference model that is used in the CL service to enhance trainee education. Dr. Sharma, a neuroradiologist, reviewed the basics of neuroimaging for participants.

Health Literacy Education Call to Action
Collaborators from the Center for Health Literacy, Department of Surgery, College of Nursing and Centers for Simulation Education have completed important work to improve the quality of health literacy education delivered through simulation at UAMS. Better understanding of health literacy is crucial for improving health and reducing disparities. The UAMS team’s work was published in the International Journal of Healthcare Simulation and outlines a national call to action for simulation educators. First author is Alison Caballero, MPH (Center for Health Literacy), and senior author is Dr. Karen Dickinson (Surgery). The initiative also led to their recent presentation of the first educational session in a LEGOS educational series for health care educators, which was well received.

AAFP Fellowship Supports Historical Research
Dr. Diane Jarrett, Director of Education and Communications for the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, has been awarded the 2023 Sandra L. Panther Fellowship in the History of Family Medicine from the American Academy of Family Physicians. The fellowship will support her research at the Center for the History of Family Medicine in Leawood, Kansas. Dr. Jarrett’s research project is titled “The Family Physician on TV: A Reflection of Societal Changes, 1969-1976” and will focus on the development and importance of Family Medicine in a time of social upheaval.

Fellows Research Day at Arkansas Children’s
A shout-out to the fellows in UAMS fellowship programs based at Arkansas Children’s for the outstanding research presented at the annual Fellows Research Day, as well as their excellence and hard work throughout their training. Neonatology fellow Dr. Sarah Diamond took home top honors in both the abstract and poster competitions, while Neonatology fellow Dr. Ashton Walters won for the best oral presentation. At a banquet that evening, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology fellow Dr. Tucker Blackledge received the Fellow Educator of the Year Award, which is voted on by pediatric housestaff. Otolaryngology fellow Dr. Jeffrey Dorrity received the Sam Smith Fellow of the Year Award from Program Directors. Click here for more information about the event, additional honorees, and a photo of our fellows at ACH.

Internal Medicine Research Symposium
The annual Internal Medicine Research Symposium, held on May 16, celebrated the hard work, insightful research and quality improvement initiatives of Internal Medicine and Medicine-Pediatrics housestaff. With 17 posters and six oral presentations by trainees, the event showcased numerous activities within the department. Congratulations to this year’s award winners: Dr. Amisha Gupta, for best poster abstract; Dr. Vidhu Vadini, for best oral QI presentation; and Dr. Farah Mazahreh, for best oral research presentation. Visit the Internal Medicine website for more information and photos from the event.

New RCP Fellow
Congratulations to Dr. Sri Obulareddy, Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, on her election as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP). Fellowship in the UK-based organization is an honor held by renowned physicians around the world who contribute to the RCP’s mission to improve health care and health. Candidates are selected for service in their field, contributions to medical education, research and other criteria.

National IM Chief Residents Honor
Congratulations to Dr. Husam Salah, Internal Medicine Chief Resident, on receiving the 2023 American College of Physicians (ACP) Herbert S. Waxman Chief Resident Teaching Scholarship. Dr. Salah was one of only six chief residents from across the country to receive the honor, which covered expenses to attend ACP’s annual Internal Medicine Meeting in San Diego this spring. As a Waxman Scholar, Dr. Salah assisted with teaching popular clinical skills workshops under the guidance and mentorship of expert faculty, including multiple sessions on the basics of point-of-care ultrasound.

Short Story Published
Medicine and art so often go hand in hand, as Dr. Humaira Khan, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology, demonstrates in a fictional short story, “The Resident,” published in the spring issue of Intima, a journal of narrative medicine. Dr. Khan’s story – which follows a resident on a fast-paced stroke unit as she tries to balance her devotion to patients, fellow residents and her family – will resonate with many. The story was also highlighted on the journal’s main webpage.

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!

Mentors Make the Difference for MSPH
The second year of Medical Scholars in Public Health (MSPH) is drawing to a close, and leaders and students in the post-baccalaureate, pre-med program recently hosted an appreciation celebration for the program’s faculty mentors. The program serves as an educational bridge for Arkansas residents who come from socially, economically or geographically disadvantaged backgrounds, to help prepare them for successful application and admission to medical school. Five members of the first MSPH class started medical school at UAMS in 2022. Seven members of this year’s class have been accepted to medical school, including five at UAMS.

The mentors include Dr. Meredith Von Dohlen in Emergency Medicine; Dr. Leslie Stone in Family and Preventive Medicine; Dr. Renee McGraw in Obstetrics and Gynecology; Drs. Paul Phillips and Romona Davis in Ophthalmology; Drs. Jennifer Laudadio, Aaron Wyble and Eric Yee in Pathology; Drs. Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, Billy Thomas and Shae Merves in Pediatrics; and Drs. Kevin Means and Lindsay Mohney in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

I join with MSPH Director Dr. Jerrilyn Jones, Associate Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Sara Tariq and MSPH Coordinator Kimberlyn Blann in thanking these outstanding faculty mentors.

Promoting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Dr. Sufna John, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST) Program, shared her expertise in a video on the “Zero to Three” website, explaining why it is crucial to equip professionals with the knowledge they need to promote infant and early childhood mental health. Zero to Three is the website of the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs, a non-profit focusing on the importance of early identification and intervention relating to infant and early childhood mental health. Dr. John also was recognized by Zero to Three as a national thought leader for diversity-informed practice. Read her insights on how culture affects mental health services for children here.

Robotic Bronchoscopy Program Transforms Care
When UAMS activated the first robotic lung biopsy system in Arkansas in September 2021, it enabled our pulmonologists, surgeons and other team members to discover, biopsy and often immediately treat previously undetectable cancerous nodules in the far reaches of the lungs. The interdisciplinary team led by Dr. Nikhil Meena, Associate Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, completed 100 robotic bronchoscopies over the next 13 months. That number had doubled only six months later, in April. “Everyone has stepped up to the proverbial plate, and I have been in awe of the commitment shown by all involved,” Dr. Meena recently said in a thank you note to the team. Let me add my thanks to all.

Spine Surgery Fellowship Recognition
The UAMS Integrated Spine Surgery Fellowship has been recognized as an AO Spine North America (AOSNA) Designated Fellowship site, a designation that will provide additional networking opportunities, academic resources and support for AO Spine Fellows at UAMS. Kudos to Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty members and spine surgeons Dr. Samuel Overley, who serves as the fellowship Program Director, Dr. David Bumpass and Dr. Jordan Walters for their excellent work preparing the AOSNA application. Read more here. 

Symposium Showcases Surgical Research
The second annual Surgical Research Symposium, held on May 9, showcased collaborative work by residents, students and faculty from the Department of Surgery and numerous other departments and divisions across the College of Medicine and UAMS. Congratulations to this year’s poster award winners. Best Overall honors went to Ph.D. student Ana Azevedo-Pouly. The Speaker’s Pick was a poster by third-year General Surgery resident Dr. Seana Corbin. The Chair’s Pick went to third-year medical student Collin Pilkington. Read more on the Surgery website.

Graduate School Celebrates Students and Faculty
The UAMS Graduate School’s recent Spring Awards Reception celebrated the achievements of dozens of students as well as the service of faculty teachers and mentors. Dr. Lee Ann MacMillan-Crow, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, was named Graduate Faculty of the Year. Dr. Samantha Kendrick, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, received the Outstanding Mentor Award. Click here to read about the many other faculty, students and staff who were recognized. The reception was the final one for Dr. Robert E. McGehee Jr. as Dean of the Graduate School, which he has led since 2004. Dr. McGehee, a Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, is stepping down from the role as Dean Emeritus, a well-earned honor for a colleague who has been one of the most influential educators of medical and graduate students during his three decades on the faculty. Congratulations to all.

Mehta Creative Writing Awards
The third annual Mehta Awards in Creative Writing demonstrated once again that UAMS team members are infinitely creative. Congratulations to this year’s category winners: Poetry – Haylee Shull (Pediatrics/Schmieding Developmental Center); Fiction – Reade Zodrow (Northwest Campus); and Creative Nonfiction – Brook Scalzo (College of Nursing). Several College of Medicine faculty and students also earned honorary mentions. Kudos to Drs. Paulette and Jay Mehta for their continuing support of the annual competition, and to Dr. Micah Hester, Chair of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, who leads the award committee. Read more about the awards here.   

Medicine & Meaning
The latest issue of Medicine & Meaning, UAMS’ online literary journal, is further proof of the links between art and medicine. The Winter/Spring 2023 issue includes works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and images by many faculty, staff and students. Medical student authors included Stephen Aguilar, Melanie Beehler, Claire Gist Bradberry, Olivia Brown, Philomena Mackean, Quentin Parker and Bailey Sutliff. Other COM contributors included Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Instructor and poet Dr. John Marecki; an anonymous physician; and Dr. Hanna Jensen, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Radiology and Course Director for the Cardiovascular Module, who penned an excellent memoir about her not-so-typical journey from being a surgery trainee in her native Finland to the highly regarded clinical research educator and mentor she is today.

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!

Inspiring Future Cancer Scientists
Dr. Tom Kelly, Professor of Pathology and Associate Director for Cancer Research Training and Education in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, has strived to encourage and inspire future generations of cancer researchers through multiple initiatives over the years. The Little Rock School District recently recognized Dr. Kelly with a Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) “Partners in Education” award for his outstanding service on behalf of the district.

Dr. Kelly was nominated by Nancy Rousseau, Principal of Little Rock Central High School, for his work to establish the Cancer Institute’s awards for outstanding cancer research by science fair participants. The Cancer Institute has been a formal VIPS partner for the district since 2022, providing judges and mentors for competitions. Dr. Kelly has presented the Institute awards at the Arkansas State Science Fair since 2021 and in additional local and regional fairs for the past two years. Each year, winners are invited to present their work at the Cancer Institute. In April, the Cancer Institute celebrated 50 students from five schools at the “Celebration of Student Discovery.” Congratulations to Dr. Kelly on this well-earned award.

Otolaryngology National Conferences
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery faculty and trainees contributed to a number of recent national conferences. Dr. Larry Hartzell, Associate Professor, served as Chair for the Otolaryngology and Audiology Discipline Forum at the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association Annual Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, last week. Meanwhile, at the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meeting (COSM) in Boston, third-year resident Dr. Celeste Gibson presented during a scientific session on pediatrics and foreign bodies, on a case involving a .22 caliber bullet that was discharged into the airway of a three-year-old. Dr. Ozlem Tulunay-Ugur, Professor, presented a poster on the effects of swallowing exercises in healthy older adults for the American Broncho-Esophageal Association Program at COSM.

Honors in Underserved Primary Care
The graduating class of 2023 includes the first cohort in our Honors in Underserved Primary Care (HUPC) track. The track was developed under the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Medical Student Education Grant to increase exposure to quality experiences in rural and medically underserved areas and, ultimately, to generate excellent physicians for these communities. The first HUPC class includes Alexandra Diaz-Cruz, who will train in Internal Medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago; Morgan Campbell, who matched in Neurology at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Hospital; and Andrew Campbell, who will train in Medicine-Pediatrics at Ann Arbor. I join with Vice Chancellor Dr. Richard Turnage and the HUPC grant team in UAMS Regional Campuses and the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, in congratulating these honors graduates.

“Pit Crew” Builds Wheels for Special Needs Children
A volunteer “pit crew” of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) residents, Pediatrics PM&R faculty members and a medical student recently teamed up with faculty and students at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) to build modified toy vehicles for children with significant mobility impairment. The “Go Baby Go” event, hosted by UCA in partnership with Arkansas Children’s Hospital, provided retrofitted ride-on toy Jeeps for four children with special needs. Read more and check out the smile on one of the recipients here. The UAMS crew included residents Dr. Jonathan Ross, Dr. Neha Anand and Dr. Daniel Trinh, Associate Professor and PM&R Section Chief Dr. Laura Hobart-Porter, Professor Dr. Vikki Stefans, and third-year medical student Aaron Gaul. Way to go!

Top Poster   
Congratulations to Dr. Leonard Ferdman, a first-year resident in the UAMS Northwest Internal Medicine Residency, on taking home first place in the poster competition at the recent Arkansas Rheumatology Association conference. He earned top honors for a rheumatology-related case poster presentation.

Putting Patients First
Collegiality and teamwork are hallmarks of our college. Dr. Hakan Paydak, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, shared a great story about efforts to help a former patient from another country who had increasing concerns about potential pulmonary issues. Concerned about the level of specialty care back home, the patient hoped to be seen at UAMS during a planned brief return visit to Little Rock. Dr. Paydak praised the work of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Professor Dr. Manish Joshi and Assistant Professor Dr. Jose Caceres, along with Shatericka McKenzie, RN, to make sure the patient was worked in and received excellent care.

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!

Groundbreaking Study Published in NEJM
Congratulations to the team in the UAMS-based Data Coordinating and Operations Center (DCOC) on the publication of a groundbreaking study in the New England Journal of Medicine. UAMS played a key role in a nationwide clinical trial confirming an effective way to wean newborns from opioid withdrawal symptoms. The “Eat, Sleep, Console” care approach significantly reduces hospital stays and the traditional use of drug therapies for infants born with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). UAMS contributors to the study included the DCOC’s Dr. Song Ounpraseuth, Zhuopei Hu, M.S., and Dr. Jeannette Lee in the Department of Biostatistics and Dr. Jessica Snowden in the Department of Pediatrics. UAMS led the statistical design, analysis and reporting for the study, in addition to other key work. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

National Leadership in Translational Research
Dr. Laura James brings nearly three decades of leadership experience in clinical and translational research to her role as Director of the NIH-supported UAMS Translational Research Institute since 2014. She will continue to share her expertise with leaders of other Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) institutions across the country following her recent re-election to a second three-year term on the Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS) Board of Directors. ACTS supports research that continually improves team science across the translational science spectrum and is the academic home for translational research education and career development. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Addressing Cancer Health Disparities
Dr. Analiz Rodriguez, Associate Professor, Director of Neurosurgical Oncology and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Neurosurgery, has a growing national reputation for her contributions to initiatives to increase diversity and reduce health disparities in cancer research. Most recently, she was selected by the leadership of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) to serve on the steering committee for the organization’s Cancer Disparities 2024 Progress Report, as well as on the program committee for the AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and Medically Underserved to be held this fall.

Impactful Research into Long COVID
A research article into a potential cause of “long COVID” by Professors Dr. John Arthur, Chief of Nephrology, Dr. Terry Harville (Pathology and Internal Medicine) and several other College of Medicine colleagues has gained substantial national attention since its publication in 2021. “Development of ACE2 autoantibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection,” published in The Public Library of Science ONE (PLOS ONE), has achieved an impressive Altmetric Attention Score of 549. The score is a weighted count of the attention that a scholarly article has received online. In general, a score of 20 or more indicates the article is doing much better than most of its contemporaries, according to Altmetric. Read more about the article and the research team in the UAMS Newsroom.

Insightful Publications
Dr. John Ukadike, a third-year resident in the Little Rock Family Medicine Residency, is gaining well-earned notice nationally for his insightful and personal telling of his journey in medicine. Dr. Ukadike has been selected for an upcoming edition of Academic Medicine’s collection of “transformative moment” works by medical students, residents, fellows and other health professions trainees. “Navigating Failure Through the Teary, Determined Eyes of a Future Physician,” which you can read here, recounts his determination to overcome all obstacles on the way to a career in medicine. Meanwhile, his narrative essay “The Janitor Will See You Now” has been published online in Family Medicine. This essay recounts his experiences as an African American male physician frequently being mistaken for a nursing assistant or a janitor. Well done, Dr. Ukadike.

Otolaryngology Events Showcase Expertise
A shout-out to the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery for its continuing impact in the field across Arkansas and around the world. The third annual Otolaryngology Diamond Conference attracted over 100 otolaryngologists, oncologists, hematologists, speech pathologists and audiologists from across the state. Professor and Chair Dr. John Dornhoffer served as Conference Chair; Professor Dr. Mauricio Moreno was Course Director; and numerous other UAMS faculty presented talks and served as panel moderators. Meanwhile, Dr. Dornhoffer recently wrapped up 24 years of service as Executive Director of the Prosper Meniere Society at the organization’s annual International Symposium on Inner Ear Disorders. The weeklong forum, held in Austria, highlighted the latest research on inner ear diagnosis, medicine and surgery.

Impacts of Biases in Palliative Care
Dr. Masil George, Associate Professor of Geriatrics, presented on how microaggressions can negatively impact palliative care at the recent Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care in Montreal. Microaggressions – brief statements or behaviors that communicate a negative message – are a manifestation of conceptualized learned behaviors informed by implicit and/or explicit biases. Understanding how microaggressions impact key areas of palliative care is important for achieving diversity, equity and inclusion in palliative care, education and research. Dr. George collaborated on the presentation with colleagues from Emory University.

Bone and Mineral Research Leader
A shout-out to Dr. Teresita Bellido, Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, who was highlighted on the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) website as part of Women’s History Month for her leadership in the field. Dr. Bellido served as President of the ASBMR in 2019-2020, only the ninth woman elected to the post since the organization’s inception in 1977. Read the ASBMR feature here. Dr. Bellido led the ASBMR during the onset and escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing a successful virtual annual meeting and dramatically expanding virtual educational and professional development opportunities.

Gift of Sight
Kudos to the many Department of Ophthalmology and Jones Eye Institute team members who made the fourth “Gift of Sight” event a great success, providing cataract surgery and related services for eight Pacific Islander patients from Northwest Arkansas. The patients are now among dozens who have received the life-changing care thanks to volunteers for the initiative. I join with Ophthalmology Chair and Jones Eye Director Dr. Paul Phillips in thanking all who participated. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Congratulations to our 2023 Dean’s Honor Day Award Winners!

It is always a pleasure to share examples of the excellent work being done across the college through our weekly Accolades. This week, I am very pleased to announce the recipients of awards to be presented at the 2023 Dean’s Honor Day celebration next week. These faculty and staff members exemplify the expertise, hard work and commitment to service that make our college a vital institution for our state and those we serve. The event is a tribute to the outstanding work and service of all COM team members.

Please join us for the celebration from 4:00-5:00 p.m. next Tuesday, April 25, in Fred Smith Auditorium, 12^th floor of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute. We will also present video tributes to more than 70 faculty members who are receiving promotion and/or tenure this year. A reception will follow the ceremony. The event will also be livestreamed on the College of Medicine website.

Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees!

Staff Excellence | Education
Kelly Hamman, LCSW
Psychiatry/ARBEST

Staff Excellence | Research
Angela Kyzer, B.A.
Family and Preventive Medicine/Research and Evaluation

Staff Excellence | Administration
Mark Mosby, B.S.
Internal Medicine/Endocrinology and Metabolism

Residency Educator | Program Coordinator
Stephanie Veach, B.A.
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship

Residency Educator | Program Director
Mollie Meek, M.D.
Interventional Radiology Integrated Residency

Master Teacher
Rosalia C.M. Simmen, Ph.D.
Physiology and Cell Biology

Educational Innovation
Leslie Stone, M.D., MPH & William Ventres, M.D., M.A.
Family and Preventive Medicine

Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine
Deidre Wyrick, M.D.
Surgery/Pediatric General Surgery

Excellence in Research
Paul Drew, Ph.D.
Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences

Clinical Excellence | Quality & Safety
Zachary Lewis, M.D.
Emergency Medicine

Clinical Excellence | Service & Professionalism
Konstantinos Arnaoutakis, M.D.
Internal Medicine/Hematology-Oncology

Clinical Excellence | Best Consulting Physician
Samidha Tripathi, M.D.
Psychiatry

Clinical Excellence | Collaborations & Teamwork
Patient Care, Laboratory Diagnostic and Antimicrobial Stewardship Project Team:
Eric R. Rosenbaum, M.D., MPH
Katherine T. Lusardi, Pharm.D., BCIDP
Ryan K. Dare, M.D.
Juan Carlos Rico, M.D.
Nicole M. Emery, M(ASCP)
Brett J. Bailey, Pharm.D.

Clinical Excellence | Rising Star
Joseph Henske, M.D.
Internal Medicine/Endocrinology and Metabolism

Clinical Excellence | Outstanding APP
Jennifer York, APRN
Pediatric Surgery and Trauma

Clinical Excellence | Physician of the Year
Thomas Kiser, M.D., MPH
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Distinguished Faculty Service Award
David L. Davies, Ph.D.
Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences

Click here for a list of faculty members receiving promotion and/or tenure this year.

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!

Congratulations, Golden Apple Winners
Every year, students in each of the four medical classes vote for the faculty member they consider to be their best teacher of the year. I am delighted to announce and congratulate this year’s winners, who will be recognized by students at Honors Convocation on May 19. Our college is grateful to all four of these colleagues for their exceptional teaching.

M1 Class – Dr. Alan Diekman, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Urology. This is Dr. Diekman’s 11^th Golden Apple from freshmen, who rave about his teaching and support as Course Director for the Molecules to Cells module. He also is Course Director for the M2 Endocrine/Reproduction course.

M2 Class – Dr. Hanna Jensen, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Radiology. Dr. Jensen directed the M2 Cardiovascular course for the first time this year – making her debut as a Golden Apple winner all the more impressive. She is also the first faculty member based at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus to receive the Golden Apple.

M3 Class – Dr. Nick Gowen, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine. Dr. Gowen is a hospitalist at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System and teaches students on that service. He also conducts a highly rated weekly teaching session with all students on the Internal Medicine Clerkship.

M4 Class – Dr. Lindsey Sward, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Assistant Dean for Clinical Education. Dr. Sward, who teaches in the OB/GYN clerkship, has received the Golden Apple from the senior or junior class for the past six years. Seniors have chosen her to deliver the Faculty Address at Honors Convocation in three of the last four years, including this year’s ceremony.

National Pediatric Otolaryngology Recognition
Dr. Graham Strub, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, has been selected to receive the 2023 Richard J.H. Smith Young Faculty Award in Pediatric Otolaryngology from the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO). Dr. Strub will be honored May 6 at the ASPO Annual Meeting in Boson, where he also will present his award-winning manuscript, “Multi-omic analysis of miRNA-mRNA-protein network dysregulation in lymphatic malformation endothelial cells uncovers novel molecular targets.”

Advancing Health Care in the Criminal Justice System
Dr. Melissa Zielinski, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Health and the Legal System (HEALS) Lab in the Psychiatric Research Institute, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Academic Consortium on Criminal Justice Health. The organization is dedicated to advancing the science and practice of health care for individuals and populations within the criminal justice system.

National Pediatric Allergy & Immunology Leadership
Dr. Amy Scurlock, Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Allergy and Immunology, has been elected to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section of Allergy and Immunology (SOAI) Executive Council. The 10-member council leads SOAI’s efforts to ensure children receive the highest quality of allergy, asthma and immunology care through education, training and research programs as well as advocacy. Dr. Scurlock’s three-year term starts in November.

Leadership Development in Surgery
Dr. Mary Katherine Kimbrough, Associate Professor of Surgery, has been selected for the Southern Surgical Association’s Leadership Development Program. She is one of six members in the program’s 2023 cohort, joining peers from leading universities such as Duke, Harvard and Vanderbilt. The program pairs participants with Southern Surgical Association members for mentorship, sponsorship and networking. At UAMS, Dr. Kimbrough is doing an outstanding job in leadership roles including Program Director of the General Surgery Residency.

Genomic Surveillance Yields EHR Insights
Assistant Professor Dr. Se-Ran Jun and colleagues in the Department of Biomedical Informatics have a new article in Microbiology Spectrum that takes an innovative “top down” analytical approach – utilizing population genomics to molecular biology – to comprehensively analyze hospital-associated Enterococcus faecium and associated antibiotic resistance in cancer patients. The study provides new insights into genomic surveillance of E. faecium to help monitor and further limit the spread of multidrug-resistant E. faecium. Contributors included Instructor Dr. Zulema Udaondo (first author) along with Ph.D. student Kaleb Abram and Dr. Atul Kothari.

Gynecology Conference Presenters
Associate Professor Dr. Laura Hollenbach, Assistant Professor Dr. Kathryn Stambough and Courtney Lambert, CNP, of the Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Division of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, along with medical students Liza Hill, Emma Johnson and Sally Barnes, attended the recent North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Annual Clinical and Research Meeting in Nashville. Liza presented a poster on a case report of menstrual suppression in Ogilvie’s Syndrome. Emma presented a poster on a case report and literature review on the treatment of Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS) using PIK3CA inhibitor. Both were co-authored with Dr. Hollenbach and Dr. Stambough. Dr. Stambough also presented in the “Fellows Boot Camp” on pediatric vulvovaginal care.

Tops in Brain & Behavior
Second-year medical student Madeline Richards was honored by educational leaders on April 5 for earning the top score in the M1 Brain and Behavior Module as a freshman last year. In recognition of her excellent work in the foundational course, she received a plaque, letter of commendation from the Dean in her file, and a monetary award. Her name also will be added to the Neuroscience Award plaque located on the south wall of the ground floor of the Education II building. I join with Brain and Behavior Co-Module Directors Dr. Shona Ray-Griffith, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Dr. Laura Stanley, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, in congratulating Madeline. 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!

Ensuring Good Doctors through NBME Service
The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and the United States Medical Licensing Program (USMLE) are essential to our profession, ensuring the highest quality assessments of competencies relevant to medicine. The NBME depends on the expertise and service of medical school faculty from around the country to contribute to NBME exams and fulfill this mission. Each year, a number of our outstanding faculty serve on NBME or USMLE committees. I join with the NBME in expressing gratitude for our colleagues who served in 2022: Dr. James Graham, Professor of Pediatrics and Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Dr. Rachel Slotcavage, Assistant Professor of Surgery; Dr. Neil Masangkay, Associate Professor of Neurology; Dr. Tobias Vancil, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine; and Dr. Stacy Rudnicki, Adjunct Basic Science Professor in Neurology. Their service is noted in this letter from the NBME.

Spina Bifida Presentations
Pediatrics faculty members Dr. Laura Hobart-Porter, Associate Professor and Section Chief for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Dr. Rachel Millner, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Nephrology, presented three abstracts at the World Congress on Spina Bifida Research and Care in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Hobart-Porter presented research conducted with coauthor Dr. Supriya Jambhekar, Professor in Pediatric Pulmonology: “Strategies to improve polysomnography access for children and adolescents with spina bifida: an implementation science approach.” This work was part of Dr. Hobart-Porter’s research as an Implementation Science Scholar, with mentorship from Dr. Geoffrey Curran and funding support from the UAMS Translational Research Institute. She also presented “Rates of autism in children with spina bifida higher than general population.” Dr. Millner presented “Prevalence of elevated blood pressure in a pediatric spinal cord disorders clinic,” which was done in collaboration with Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation resident Dr. Neha Anand.

Surgical Oncology Presenters
Dr. Michail Mavros, Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, had one of the top abstracts submitted for the recent Society of Surgical Oncology meeting in Boston and was given the rare honor of presenting the research during the plenary session. His oral presentation discussed the use of extended venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after complex gastrointestinal cancer surgery. Also recently, Assistant Professor and Surgical Oncology Division Director Dr. Sonia Orcutt and Surgery resident Dr. Lauren Johnson presented a poster on the clinicopathologic features of colloid carcinoma at the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association meeting in Miami.

Building Compassion for Patients with Rare Diseases
Congratulations to second-year medical students Melanie Beehler and Claire Peterson on being accepted into the 2023 RARE Compassion Program, a yearlong experience that helps medical students learn about the unique needs and challenges faced by patients and families living with an undiagnosed or rare disease. The international program connects students with patients virtually, to discuss how their rare disease diagnosis has impacted their lives. Kudos to Melanie and Claire for their commitment to the program’s goals of building compassion, understanding and communication skills for working with such patients, and to learning about medical specialties relevant to rare disease. 

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!

Matched!
Let’s have a round of applause for members of the Class of 2023 on their matches to outstanding residency programs here and around the country. This class had a medical school experience like none before them. They started with us in the fall of 2019, and by the end of their freshman year, the entire world had changed with the emergence of COVID-19. But these students persevered. They pivoted to new ways of learning (with the help of many College of Medicine faculty and staff) and overcame numerous obstacles. Because of their hard work and dedication, they will be strong assets to the programs they are joining. Click here to see where our graduating seniors will be heading this summer. Congratulations to all.

Top 20 Anesthesiology Chairs
Dr. Jill Mhyre, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, has been elected to the Morton Society, a select group of leaders considered as the top 20 Anesthesiology department chairs in the country. Morton Society members nominate and vote to accept new members, and Dr. Mhyre was one of two chairs selected to join the group. The society serves as a network focused on innovative solutions to align and advance the academic missions of clinical service, education and research in Anesthesiology departments nationwide.

Healthcare Communication Leader
Dr. Laura Sisterhen, a Professor in the Section of General Pediatrics, has become a faculty member of the Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH) following completion of the ACH faculty-in-training program. The professional development program is highly selective with a small number of health care leaders accepted each year. Its goal is to improve health care through better communication. Participants work to enhance, and then teach, skills in group facilitation, coaching and workshop content and development, along with interpersonal skills relating to leadership, diversity, teamwork and conflict engagement. At Arkansas Children’s, Dr. Sisterhen serves as Medical Director for the General Pediatrics Clinic and for Quality Improvement for Primary Care. (By the way, Dr. Calvin Chou, Senior Faculty Advisor for External Education with the Academy of Communication in Healthcare, will be speaking at UAMS on April 12.)

Arkansas Dentistry Leadership
Dr. Laurence Howe, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatric and Special Needs Dentistry, has been elected to a three-year term as Secretary/Treasurer of the Arkansas State Dental Association (ASDA). Dr. Howe is a Life Member of the American Dental Association and has been an active member of the ASDA for over 35 years. At Arkansas Children’s, he provides prosthetic treatment for cleft palate and craniomaxillofacial patients.

Surgery Residents Present Trauma Projects
General Surgery residents Drs. Andrew Smedley, Joe DeLoach, and Garrett Klutts recently presented trauma research projects at the Southeastern Surgical Congress in Savannah, Georgia – and all three of the projects have been accepted for publication in The American Surgeon. Dr. Smedley’s podium presentation was on the availability of blood products in trauma centers in the Arkansas Trauma System. Dr. DeLoach’s podium presentation was on the accuracy of initial imaging to predict pneumothoraces (collapsed lungs) in trauma patients. Dr. Klutts’ quickshot presentation used geospatial analysis to evaluate prehospital triage of potentially preventable trauma deaths. Dr. Kyle Kalkwarf, Assistant Professor of Surgery and UAMS Trauma Medical Director, mentored the residents and was the senior author of the projects.

Orthopaedic Conference Speakers
Dr. Lowry Barnes, Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Dr. Jeffrey Stambough, Assistant Professor, shared their expertise with over 1,000 participants as invited speakers for the Combined Hip and Knee Society Specialty Day during the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery Annual Meeting in Las Vegas on March 7. Dr. Barnes discussed the use of medial pivot as part of the program section on total knee arthroplasty. Dr. Stambough presented on the use of cemented vs. cementless stems during a section on revision knee implants.

Patent for Clot Detection
Congratulations to Dr. Vladimir Zharov, Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and Dr. Ekaterina Galanzha, Associate Professor, on their latest U.S. Divisional Patent for “Device and method for in vivo detection of clots within circulatory vessels. This is their fourth patent for early noninvasive detection of clots followed by well-timed treatment to prevent lung emboli, stroke, and possible heart attacks. Major collaborators in this research were Dr. James Suen (Otolaryngology), Drs. Laura Hutchins and Issam Makhoul (Internal Medicine), and Eric Siegel, M.S., (Biostatistics).

Bioinformatics Conference
A shout-out to the many faculty and staff who contributed to the Arkansas Bioinformatics Consortium Annual Meeting on March 13-14. The conference centered on the interrelated areas of bioinformatics, big data, artificial intelligence and public health. Keynote speakers included Dr. Joseph Sanford and Dr. Kevin Sexton, and faculty from multiple departments presented talks or posters. Two of the three Student Poster Awards were presented to individuals associated with UAMS. First place went to Michael Rutherford, a doctoral student and Instructor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI), who collaborated with DBMI and Myeloma Center colleagues on “Toward Automation of Diagnosis for Multiple Myeloma using Natural Language Processing.” Third Place was awarded to Anu Iyer – a senior at Little Rock Central High School – who worked closely with Dr. Fred Prior and others in DBMI along with the Department of Neurology’s Dr. Tuhin Virmani on “A Novel Multimodal Machine Learning Method to Detect Parkinson’s Disease and Assess Severity.”

Students Help Make ‘Girlology’ a Success
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology did a great job this month hosting its second “Girlology” workshop – and 16 medical student volunteers helped make it possible. The 2½-hour course provided information on topics relating to puberty for girls ages 8-14 and their parents or other caregivers – 236 attendees in all. OB/GYN Chair Dr. Nirvana Manning and faculty members Dr. Laura Hollenbach and Dr. Kate Stambough led the event, which you can read about in the UAMS Newsroom. The medical student volunteers, all female, didn’t just help ensure a smooth-running event – they also served as role models for the young girls in attendance. Maybe we will see some of them in medical school one day.

I join with Dr. Manning, Dr. Hollenbach and Dr. Stambough in thanking student leaders Sally Barnes and Bailey Sutliff and fellow volunteers Anna Benafield, Savannah Busch, Mallory Caldwell, Carolina Coleman, Lindsey Herberger, Sarah Jong, Savana Kuhn, Jade Matthews, Sophie Meyers, Laura Miron, Anna Claire Pilkington, Alleigh Stahman, Kristen Stringfellow and Blaire Taggart.