Practicing medicine is practicing listening.

That was the message of the Young at Heart Luncheon hosted Feb. 23 by students in the UAMS College of Medicine for patients and volunteers in the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging.

Junior Eric Peeler and sophomore Stephanie Dayer organized the event with the help of their peers in the Geriatric Interest Group and its faculty mentor Gohar Azhar, M.D., professor of geriatrics and co-director of the Cardiovascular Aging Program.

The group enjoyed lunch, played games and heard from speakers, all while seated at small round tables to facilitate conversation.

“All of you have such wonderful individual stories that you can teach us,” Azhar said to the guests. “When you come and visit us in the clinic, not only do you learn from us, I always learn from you.”

To the students, Azhar said she wants them to learn to live their lives in a spirit of listening.

Jeanne Wei, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of the Reynolds Institute, agreed. After hearing guest speaker Charles Norman tell the story of how having his complaints of fatigue and “something being off” ignored by his physician nearly cost him his life, Wei advised the guests to “find someone who will listen to you and someone where you will listen to them, so that we can help and support each other, as providers, patients and family members and friends.”

“And the same goes for you,” she told the students. “Listening of course goes both ways.”

Dayer and Peeler said the inspiration for the event developed out of a desire to give back, but learn as well.

“It’s an opportunity for students to get to know the older generation, to form a bridge between the two groups,” Dayer said. “The patients can see that they’re a part of our training. When we see them in the clinic or at events like this, it’s a reminder that they’re giving back by helping guide the next generation of doctors. Hopefully, they can see that we appreciate them.”

The Geriatric Interest Group, like many other interest groups across campus, provides a way for students with common interests but who may be at different stages of their training to interact, network and integrate more deeply with life on campus. There are about 15-20 students in the geriatric group, and their interests range from those who want to become geriatric physicians to those who want to do research to those who simply want to know more about working with older populations.

“The truth is that with most of the disciplines I could go into, a lot of my patients are going to be older, so I feel that it’s important to learn about working with them,” Peeler said. “There is a need there and I don’t think we as a society are addressing it as much as we should.”

Peeler is working on a project in the Institute on Aging and Dayer is conducting research on osteoporosis.

“One of the great things about working on a project here is you get exposed to a variety of things,” Dayer said. “Geriatrics is a discipline that is actually all-encompassing.”

Speaker Betty Scull advised the students about happiness and success as they follow their career paths: “tie good knots in your thread,” she said, meaning for them to always remember to pay attention to the fundamentals. The group ate a buffet-style lunch and played a few rounds of computer-aided Wheel of Fortune together, complete with prizes for first, second and third place.

Taking home the top prize was team Desiderata, a nod to the Max Ehrmann poem by the same name referenced by Scull during her talk. She said the poem helped her turn things around during a dark time in her career and helped her develop the attitude that sustained her in the years to come. It reads, in part:

“Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

…

they too have their story.”

By Amy Widner| March 6th, 2018 |

Deanne L. King, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as director of clinical research for the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in the College of Medicine.

King will facilitate collaborations on otolaryngology topics between researchers on campus, assist residents and medical students with publishing their research, increase the number of clinical trials in the department, and pursue grant funding. She is also an assistant professor in the College of Medicine.

“This is a new position for the department and is part of our overall effort to expand our research program,” said John Dornhoffer, M.D., department chairman. “The department is already nationally known in clinical and academic circles. Research is a key area where we have the opportunity to provide an even more academically comprehensive and rich learning environment for our faculty, students, residents, and fellows.”

King has a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the Texas A&M University in College Station. She has an M.D./Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology and pathobiology from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She completed an internship in general surgery and a surgery residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, both at UAMS.

King said she enjoys helping researchers make connections.

“Research can sometimes be an isolating pursuit, but collaboration and idea-sharing is so important to the overall process,” King said. “I’m also looking forward to helping our students and residents. Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery is a highly competitive field. Having published research to your name early in your career is not only a valuable experience, but, increasingly, a necessity for medical students to successfully match into an otolaryngology residency.”

Dornhoffer has held the privately funded Samuel D. McGill Jr. Endowed Chair in Otolaryngology Research since 2002. There are a total of six endowed chairs within the department to assist with research funding.

Faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery are fellowship-trained in their specialty and cover all the sub-specialties in the field (otology, endocrine, head and neck, rhinology, laryngology, pediatric and vascular anomalies). The faculty consistently receive high scores on patient satisfaction, and six faculty are listed in “Best Doctors in America.” They practice at UAMS Medical Center, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System.

Department faculty also publish their research at a high level, with several textbooks and dozens of peer-reviewed manuscripts published each year. Faculty present their research at numerous national and international events and invited lectureships.

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UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; northwest Arkansas regional campus; statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Myeloma Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,834 students, 822 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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By Amy Widner| March 6th, 2018 |

There is a bulletin board in John Musser’s apartment with a big number on it: 50,000. That’s the number of eyes the first-year UAMS medical student would like to save in his lifetime.

“That’s my dream,” said Musser. “I just want to help anyone who wouldn’t have an opportunity otherwise.”

Musser came to this goal pragmatically. It averages four eyes a day over a 35-year career. He’s already ahead of schedule after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

On Jan. 22, his nonprofit, Rural Ophthalmology Optometry Treatment and Screening (ROOTS) treated 12 area students, ages 5-16, who had failed multiple school-required eye screenings.

When a child fails a school-sponsored eye screening, he or she is required to take another within 30 days. If the second test is failed, the child is referred to an ophthalmologist or optometrist for further testing; however, some children are never seen by a specialist. They sit in classes with possible eye issues or conditions that hinder their ability to learn.

That’s where Musser hopes to help.

He, five of his fellow medical students and two UAMS Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute physicians — Katie Brown, O.D., an optometrist, and Sami Uwaydat, M.D., an ophthalmologist and associate professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology — treated the dozen students in January.

It was ROOTS’ first community event, but Musser said it won’t be its last. He’s already working on events for the summer and fall, and ways to incorporate other medical professionals such as advanced practice nurses, physician assistants and registered nurses, as well as optometry and ophthalmic medical technology students.

Dr. Brown said Musser deserves to be applauded for his efforts to provide this service.

“He’s incredibly organized and motivated,” said Dr. Brown. “He has a vision and wants to help restructure and reform screening processes so more kids don’t fall through the cracks. John’s work is commendable.”

Starting and running a nonprofit would be challenging for almost anyone, let alone a student trying to adapt to the rigors of medical school. In addition to courses like Human Structure, Brain and Behavior, and Molecules to Cells, there are hours upon hours of studying.

Musser doesn’t seem to mind the added requirements of running a nonprofit.

“The passion is there,” he said. “None of it is work to me.”

Musser was first attracted to ophthalmology in high school while shadowing physicians near his home in Michigan.

“I learned the impact of different eye procedures, like for cataracts,” said Musser. “In 10 or 15 minutes, someone could have their life changed and their vision restored. I decided right then I wanted to spend the rest of my life providing that type of care and opportunity to the less fortunate.”

Wherever his medical career takes him, Musser plans to take ROOTS along for the ride.

“Fifty thousand eyes will be ROOTS’ mission,” he said.

By Lee Hogan| March 5th, 2018|

Teresa Kramer, Ph.D., a Professor and Chief Psychologist for the Department of Psychiatry, has been named the recipient of the 2018 Senator Percy Malone Child Protection Award by the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas (CACA).

The award recognizes Dr. Kramer’s contributions as Director of Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST), a program in the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute and supported by the Arkansas Legislature. Under her leadership, ARBEST has provided training in evidence-based trauma treatments to hundreds of mental-health professionals and child advocates across the state. The program also provides clinical services and follow-up care at UAMS for children who have experienced trauma. Dr. Kramer will be honored at CACA’s annual award luncheon at the Clinton Presidential Center on April 11.

Linda L.M. Worley, M.D., a nationally recognized psychiatrist who has served in numerous leadership roles on the College of Medicine faculty for over 20 years, has been appointed Associate Dean for Northwest Arkansas.

Dr. Worley relocated to Fayetteville part-time in late 2012 and has been based in Northwest Arkansas full-time since early 2014. She served as the Physician Mental Health Chief Officer for the South Central United States Veterans Integrated Services network from 2016 until assuming her new post with the College of Medicine this month.

Dr. Worley will oversee initiatives to strengthen and grow the College of Medicine’s burgeoning education, clinical and research programs in Northwest Arkansas. The college initiated a national search to fill the post when Chris Smith, M.D., left UAMS for another opportunity in late 2016. Thomas K. Schulz, M.D., Director of the Internal Medicine Residency at UAMS-Northwest, served as Interim Associate Dean.

Dr. Worley first joined the College of Medicine faculty full-time in 1992 and rose through the ranks to full Professor of Psychiatry with a secondary appointment in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2007. With special expertise in women’s mental health, she founded the Women’s Mental Health Program and authored guidelines for the state of Arkansas under the UAMS ANGELS (Antenatal and Neonatal Guidelines, Education and Learning System) program. She also founded the Student Mental Health Program and the Faculty Wellness Program and has held numerous campus leadership positions in psychiatry.

Dr. Worley is board certified in psychosomatic medicine (consultation liaison psychiatry). She is a Past President of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. She has also served since 2010 as an Adjunct Professor of Medicine in the Center for Professional Health at Vanderbilt University, where she teaches a course for distressed physicians.

Dr. Worley currently serves as Chair of the American Psychiatric Association Scienti c Program Committee. She is a Past President of the Association for Academic Psychiatry, which awarded her its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

She has also received numerous accolades at UAMS for her teaching, mentoring and clinical achievements. These include 10 annual Red Sash awards from senior medical students, the Department of Psychiatry’s Robert F. Shannon Award for educational contributions in the state of Arkansas, and the Outstanding Woman Faculty Award from the UAMS Women’s Faculty Development Caucus.

Dr. Worley received her medical degree graduating A.O.A. from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City, where she also completed her residency in general psychiatry and one year of fellowship training in child psychiatry.

UAMS College of Medicine junior Sarah Martin chooses a celebrity magazine from the stack beside her chair in the 12^th Street Health and Wellness Center and flips through it. A popular actress graces the cover. Gorgeous couples advertise perfume. Pearly white smiles and flawless complexions fill the pages.

“Do you know anybody who looks like this?” Martin asks the group of pre-teen and teen-age girls and handful of mothers who are gathered around her. “This isn’t real – but society tells you at every turn that if you don’t look like this, you aren’t good enough. Well I am here to tell you, that is a big, fat lie.”

Martin, who is from Conway, Arkansas, and classmate Jordan Fletcher, from Benton, Arkansas, are co-founders of the Confidence Project, which offers one-day educational and confidence-boosting workshops for girls. The Feb. 3 event at UAMS’ student-run free clinic was the sixth that they have led at various venues in central Arkansas since July 2016.

After three educational sessions focusing on nutrition, women’s health and social wellness, participants are invited to have their photo taken while they hold signs that they’ve created to express positive things about themselves.

10-year-old Taylor Giles beamed from behind her statement: “I am Taylor, and I am brave.”

Fletcher, who wants to train in obstetrics and gynecology, and Martin, who intends to pursue surgery, began developing the curriculum during the last half of their freshman year. They were initially concerned that too many girls receive inadequate education about women’s health and sexual wellness.

As they continued their research, they recognized that they could also help girls by improving their understanding of general health and nutrition. Ultimately, they realized that all of these areas were connected to self-esteem and confidence. A curriculum began to take shape.

Martin and Fletcher wrote a 20-page booklet for Confidence Project participants, gleaning information from their medical school training and multiple other sources. They drew on the expertise of nutritionists and adolescent psychologists as well as a key contributor, Laura Hollenbach, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The program aims to empower girls through education and resources – as well as through the camaraderie of other girls and women. The goal is clear from page 1 of the booklet, which includes a line for each participant to fill in her name, followed by a quote: “She’s a force to be reckoned with.”

Fletcher smiled when talking about some of the transformations that occur during workshops.

“Some of the girls can be very shy coming in,” she said. “They might sit at the back of the room and seem disinterested. But then you notice them slowly start to come out of their shell. They start talking with other girls and asking questions. And by the time they get to the final session of the day, they’re the ones standing up and volunteering to answer what makes them unique and special.”

“It was really fun,” 12-year-old Olivia Jones said at the end of the Feb. 3 program. “All of the girls were really, really nice, and I learned a lot of cool things.” She said she enjoyed the nutrition session most. “I don’t have very good eating habits,” she said, laughing. “So I hope it helps me do better.”

Olivia’s mom, Alena Jones, was impressed as well.

“It’s always great when there are programs that can help you keep an open dialog with your kids,” she said. “In our society now it is really difficult to get them to block out all of the other things they are bombarded with. Programs like this help you come together and listen to each other and find out what they need – things you might not know otherwise. This was a safe environment for asking questions, and to get the perspectives of others.”

Half a dozen other medical students, all female, assisted during the February workshop. When young participants were nervous about a topic, the students helped to keep conversation flowing.

In addition to a host of volunteers, Fletcher and Martin garnered financial support for the project from sources including the UAMS College of Medicine’s ANGELS (Antenatal and Neonatal Guidelines, Education and Learning System) and the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care.

At the end of a recent team-based learning session on bone marrow failure, the entire freshman class of the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) pulled swabs from sterile packets and collected their own saliva samples.

It could save someone’s life one day.

The class was participating in a bone marrow registry drive conducted by volunteers from the class above them. The tradition began last year, when then sophomores Bethany Verkamp and Ryan Steele organized a drive for their own class and then conducted a drive for that year’s freshmen during their hematology-oncology module.

“We thought that a group of 174 eager medical students who had just learned how important bone marrow transplants are for patients with certain leukemias, lymphomas and other conditions would be a great group to ask to register,” Verkamp explained. “It was also a way that students could actively feel like they were helping the patients that they were learning about.”

With a goal of establishing a sustainable annual drive coordinated by the sophomores for the freshmen, they passed the baton for this year’s drive to sophomore John Patterson and volunteers from his class.

“This is a great way for medical students to help those who are in need of life-saving bone marrow transplants while simultaneously learning about the pathophysiology of diseases,” Patterson said. “My aunt had leukemia as a child and received a life-saving bone marrow donation. That was always interesting to me while growing up, but I didn’t fully understand the process until coming to medical school.”

“Donating bone marrow is similar in respect to donating other organs, in that an individual needing a transplant must be matched as closely as possible to a donor to avoid rejection,” Patterson explained. “This is done primarily through HLA (human leukocyte antigen) typing, with other factors such as ethnicity also taken into account. HLA markers are recognized by the immune system, so the more that the HLA matches between the donor and patient, the less likely the chance of rejection is.

“While that may sound simple, it is actually quite difficult to find good matches for many people, with some patients dying before ever finding a match. However, unlike other organs, our bone marrow can be stimulated to grow, and it will return to its normal state after donations. This means the best way we can help is by getting registered and getting others to register.”

The College of Medicine drives were coordinated through DKMS, an international nonprofit bone marrow donor center affiliated with the National Marrow Donor Program, which operates “Be the Match,” the U.S. bone marrow donor registry.

If students had any doubt that they could make a difference by registering, two of their peers have proven otherwise.

Patterson relayed an uplifting testimonial from Matt Denefe, a junior who registered last year during the first drive at UAMS. Denefe has since matched and traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to donate bone marrow for a 39-year-old woman with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Freshmen also heard directly from one of their own classmates, Chris Quesada, who had participated in a registry drive elsewhere four years ago. He received word last fall that he appeared to be a match for a patient. More testing followed, and just a few weeks before the recent UAMS drive, Quesada traveled to Tulsa to donate marrow for a 66-year-old woman with AML.

“It was a really cool experience and I would highly suggest you guys register,” he told his class members. “It really could save someone’s life.”

Hematology-Oncology Module Director Jerry Ware, Ph.D., and Shelley Crary, M.D., an associate professor of pediatrics who teaches in the module, are more than happy to carve out time from the team-based learning session for the annual drive.

Crary told students about the importance of bone marrow transplants for benign hematologic conditions such as sickle cell disease in addition to leukemia and other malignancies. While sickle cell disease disproportionately affects certain ethnic groups including African-Americans, the national bone marrow donor registry has very small numbers of individuals from these groups.

Ware, a professor of physiology and biophysics, applauds students for initiating and participating in the drives. “I just think it speaks to the caliber of our students that they so willingly embrace helping others even before becoming clinicians,” he said.

Learn more about the National Bone Marrow Donor Program at BeTheMatch.org and about DKMS, the donor center that supported the COM drive, at DKMS.org.

By Amy Widner| February 27th, 2018 |

Two new faculty members have recently joined the Department of Radiology.

Jane Cook, D.O., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Radiology. Dr. Cook received her medical degree from Michigan State University. She completed her residency in diagnostic radiology at the Oakwood Southshore Hospital in Trenton, Michigan, and continued her training with a fellowship in pediatric radiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Prior to joining UAMS, Dr. Cook practiced in Pensacola and Tampa, Florida. She is practicing primarily at Arkansas Children’s Northwest.

Spencer Lewis, M.D., has joined the Department of Radiology as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Radiology at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and UAMS. He will also serve as Associate Program Director for the Diagnostic Radiology Residency.

Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., FACS, Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, Director of the Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute, and Director of the Surgical Services Service Line, has been named Interim Dean of the College of Medicine.

Dr. Westfall will lead the college during a national search for a successor to Pope L. Moseley, M.D., who announced his decision to step down on Feb. 23.

Dr. Westfall received his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and his Doctor of Medicine from the Ohio State University College of Medicine. He completed a residency in general surgery at Keesler Medical Center, was certified by the American Board of Surgery and awarded fellowship in the American College of Surgeons (FACS). Dr. Westfall went on to complete a residency in ophthalmology at Wilford Hall Medical Center. He continued his training with a two-year fellowship in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School in Boston. He is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Westfall served as Department Chair and Residency Program Director for the Department of Ophthalmology at Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Medical Center. He retired at the rank of Colonel, as Chief Consultant in Ophthalmology to the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General.

Dr. Westfall joined the faculty in 1997 and served in numerous leadership positions prior to his appointment as Chair in 2009. These included Vice Chairman and Medical Practice Leader; Chief of the Oculoplastics Surgical Services at UAMS Medical Center, John L. McClellan Veterans Hospital and Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH); Chief of Service at ACH; and Chairman and Medical Director of the Ophthalmic Medical Technology Program in the UAMS College of Health Professions. He served as UAMS Chief of Medical Staff from 2014-2016. He was invested in 2008 as the inaugural holder of the Pat Walker Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology.