Department News

DFPM-RED Faculty Member Added to Governor’s Task Force

DFPM-RED’s Dr. Nicola Edge, Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine, and Dr. Sufna John, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, were appointed by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the Blue Ribbon Task Force to End Child Abuse. Created during last year’s regular session of the Arkansas General Assembly, the task force will pursue a systematic and holistic approach to eliminating child abuse in the state. Dr. Edge and Dr. John are Co-Directors of the ARBEST (Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma) program, which works to improve outcomes for children and families who have experienced trauma through activities promoting excellence in child care, advocacy, training and evaluation.

In Memoriam: Kent McKelvey, M.D., CHE Medical Director and Leader in Genetics Research

February 1, 2022 – Kent McKelvey, M.D., 52, of Little Rock died Monday, Jan. 17. He was an Associate Professor in the Division of Genetics and served as Director of Cancer Genetics Services in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. He was also a long-time medical director for the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine’s Community Health and Education division.

Dr. McKelvey had been battling acute myeloid leukemia for the past five years. His devotion to his patients, his mission in his field and his love of life sustained him through three stem cell transplants, the most recent in July 2021.

A faculty member since 2003, Dr. McKelvey was a founding member of the Division of Genetics and served as Director of Cancer Genetics Services in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. He was a champion for Arkansans with Down syndrome and other genetic conditions and was instrumental in establishing the Adult Genetics Clinic at UAMS. He was invested as the inaugural recipient of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Chair in Clinical Genetics in 2009.

Dr. McKelvey was a nationally recognized leader on the ethical use of predictive genetic testing in clinical medicine and was on the forefront of teaching the responsible use of molecular genetics in preventive medicine. Between his own stem-cell transplants, he tenaciously continued his career seeing patients and families via telemedicine and working closely with the Arkansas Down Syndrome Association on their behalf. After many years of research, despite his ongoing battle with AML, he published definitive guidelines for treatment of adults with Down syndrome in JAMA in October 2020, and continued his collaboration with fellow members on the American College of Medical Genetics Secondary Findings Committee, which resulted in authorship of his final publication on genome sequencing in Nature Genetics in Medicine in May 2021.

Dr. McKelvey is one of six doctors from three generations of his family to practice in the state of Arkansas. He received his medical degree from UAMS in 1996 and completed his residency at the UAMS Family Medicine program in Texarkana. After working in emergency departments in DeQueen and Nashville, Arkansas, and two years in private practice in Mountain Home, he completed a fellowship in medical genetics at his college alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2003, he returned to Arkansas to raise a family and rejoined UAMS as Director of the Family Medicine Pre-doctoral Program in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. Dr. McKelvey served in the Division of Genetics following its establishment in 2008, and continued to hold an additional appointment in Family Medicine. He directed the Medical Genetics Course in the College of Medicine, and was elected by his students for numerous teaching awards.

Dr. McKelvey brought his gift of strength and determination to the diverse roles he served at UAMS throughout his life. He was an intense person with a good sense of humor and a force of vitality wherever he went. Although his career goal was to give back to those around him, he spent much of his final years at UAMS as a patient rather than a physician, and he found himself overwhelmed with gratitude for the physicians, colleagues, nurses and staff who would treat him like family at the only hospital that would ever feel like home. He considered these final years to be the happiest of his life. Dr. McKelvey’s family would like to extend their thanks to all those who cared for him.

Service arrangements are on hold due to the recent pandemic surge, but a celebration of life is being tentatively planned both in Memphis and in Little Rock, and dates will be forthcoming.

He is survived by his wife, Elise; his children, Caroline and Kent David McKelvey III; his stepdaughters, Anna Douglas Piper and Mary Catherine Piper; his sister and fellow UAMS faculty member Dr. Samantha McKelvey; his sister and Neonatal Intensive Care CNP, APRN at ACH, Betsy McKelvey Peeler, and their entire family in your thoughts during this difficult time. He is also survived by his mother and stepfather, Don Varner and Josephine Charlotte Egner Varner, and half-brothers Michael Varner and Matthew McKelvey. He was pre-deceased by father Dr. K. David McKelvey Sr.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Up Eight Percent in Northeast Arkansas with Community Health and Education’s PiCS-AR! Project

September 2022 – Colorectal cancer screening rates jumped by almost eight percent in northeast Arkansas clinics that partnered with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) during the first year of a five-year project to increase screening in the state.

The Partnerships in Colorectal Cancer Screening (PiCS-AR!) is a project of the UAMS Department of Family and Preventive Medicine’s Community Health and Education Division. In 2020, the division received a $2.5 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out the project.

Since then, its first clinic partner, 1st Choice Healthcare, exceeded its initial screening goals in five out of six clinics it operates in Salem, Pocahontas, Paragould, Corning and Ash Flat. The provider’s screening rate was 37% a year ago, and most of the clinics now hover in the mid-40s, with the Pocahontas clinic making the biggest jump, from 29% to 45% in one year.

Denise Boyer, RN, a patient navigator for 1st Choice Healthcare clinics in Ash Flat and Salem, displays her “Fit Just Takes a Bit” button that clinic staff wore to initiate patient conversations about colorectal screening, and a cookie shared during an educational activity on stool-based screening.

The project targets primary care clinics, especially in counties with low screening rates and low average household incomes. It works directly with providers to teach them best practices and help them implement techniques for increasing screening in their clinics.

Since September of 2020, UAMS and the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) have coached patient navigators at the clinics. The navigators – experienced registered nurses who educate patients about the risk of developing colon cancer and explain screening options – are credited for making a noticeable impact on screening rates in a short period of time.

“More and more conversations between providers and patients are happening about the importance of colorectal screenings,” said Alysia Dubriske, M.Ed., director of the Community Health and Education Division. “Not only is that an objective of the project, but it’s also the first step in preventing late-stage colon cancer.”

She said provider reminders and chart alerts in the clinics’ electronic health system also worked particularly well, noting, “When patients visited, the clinic staff would check to see if they were due for a screening, and set up appointments for those who were.”

“Screening for colorectal cancer is extremely important in that it is one of the few measures that can prevent cancer from developing,” said Jonathan Laryea, M.D., chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. “There are very few cancers that can be prevented that way. Not only does it prevent cancer, but it allows cancer to be identified at an early stage, which improves survival and also prevents the complications of cancer.”

A colonoscopy is the clearest, most complete screening, but another option is an at-home screening test that is designed to detect DNA abnormalities or blood in the stool, both of which could be indicators of colon cancer or precancerous conditions.

“The best colorectal cancer screening test is the one that patients are most likely to complete,” said Marybeth Curtis, RN and program manager for the PiCS-AR! Campaign, quoting a senior health analyst at the Mayo Clinic.

“I love that quote,” she said. “Forty-six percent of colorectal cancer deaths in the United States are a result of missed screening opportunities. Patient adherence to screening is the key.”

Curtis said one goal of the grant project is to educate providers and patients that stool-based tests are an effective, low-cost alternative to colonoscopies in screening average-risk patients for colorectal cancer.

She noted that stool-based tests are actually preferred by patients, “which leads to improved follow-up in completing their screening.”

“Screening is the best way to beat colorectal cancer,” Laryea agreed. ”My best advice to all adults 45 years and older is, ‘Get your rear in gear and get screened.’”

“Ultimately, our goal is to reduce the amount of late-stage colorectal cancer in Arkansas and the number of colorectal cancer deaths in Arkansas,” Dubriske said.

Nationwide, colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths for men and women combined and is expected to cause about 53,000 deaths during 2021, including 500 deaths in Arkansas, according to the American Cancer Society.

MaryBeth Curtis, RN, of the UAMS Department of Family and Preventive Medicine (second from left), holds a card alerting patients that 45 is the new baseline age for colorectal screening. Curtis, PICS AR program manager, is surrounded at 1st Choice Healthcare’s Ash Flat clinic by clinic employees (from left) Deborah King, APRN; Starla Smith, APRN; and Denise Boyer, RN and nurse navigator. The card says “45 is the new FIT-ty” and will be sent to patients as they turn 45, along with a kit they can use for their at-home test.

Healthy Brain and Child Development Study

As part of a nationwide study, The HBCD study: HEALthy Brain and Child Development, DFPM-RED’s Dr. Lorraine McKelvey’s team (along with Dr. Leanne Whiteside-Mansell) have been studying new techniques in assessing family life using virtual assessments. Preliminary results suggest that using zoom to interview families is useful and will likely be used in the new national study funded and starting data collection in 2022. Her team has a presentation accepted to the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) National Research Conference on Early Childhood 2022 titled Home Observation Measurement of the Environment: Shifting to Virtual Assessments.

DFPM-RED Faculty to Present

Four RED faculty members will speak at Dr. Ward’s invitation to present on Team Science in January: How Faculty Work Together to Stay Funded and Keep Trained Research Staff.

https://calendar.uams.edu/tri/view/event/event_id/1069125

Family Medicine Resident Featured in UAMS Video

John Ukadike D.O., MPH discusses his experiences as a UAMS Little Rock Family Medicine resident.

Our own PGY-2 resident Dr. John Ukadike and other UAMS residents discuss what makes their training here so special. Watch the video and learn more about why UAMS is the place to be.

Faculty Members Earn Distinctions in the Past Year

Our faculty members always perform notable work, but 2020-2021 was a special year of note.

Faculty distinctions include:

Shashank Kraleti, M.D., FAAFP, received a 2021 Program Director Bronze Recognition Award from the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors.

Leslie Stone M.D., MPH. received the UAMS Edith Irby Jones Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award for Early Career Faculty.

Steve Sorsby M.D., MHA, received the 2021 Outstanding Family Medicine Teaching Award from our graduating residents. Dr. Sorsby also received the Master Evaluator Award from the residency program for his superior work on evaluating resident clinical performance.

Lauren Gibson-Oliver M.D., MBA, was featured in a UAMS-produced YouTube video about the importance of breastfeeding.

Taren Swindle, Ph.D., was named a Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Dr. Swindle also received the 2021 Norman Kretchmer Award in Nutrition and Development from the American Society for Nutrition. And there’s more: She also received a UAMS Implementation Science Pilot Award for her project titled “Assessing the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Virtual Approach to De-implementation of Inappropriate Feeding Practices in Early Care and Education.”

Lorraine McKelvey, Ph.D., received national notice for her work on home-visiting support for low-birth-weight preterm infants.

Articles written by Dan Knight M.D., FAAFP, and Diane Jarrett Ed.D., were added to the AAFP Academy Updates LGBTQ Health Toolkit, an online resource for clinicians.

Chief Residents for 2021-2022

Dr. Bryant and Dr. Moore have already begun to assume the many responsibilities that fall to Chief Residents.

The 2021-2022 Chief Residents for the UAMS Little Rock Family Medicine residency program are Wayne Bryant, M.D., M.S., and Rebecca Moore, M.D.

Dr. Bryant is originally from Florida. He has a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Florida, along with an M.S. in Molecular Medicine. He is a graduate of the American University of Antigua College of Medicine.

Dr. Moore grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She has a B.A. in History and French from the University of Kansas and is a graduate of the UAMS College of Medicine.

Dr. Bryant and Dr. Moore join the long list of Chief Residents who have provided outstanding service and leadership during their tenure.

Community Medicine Liaisons Are Ready to Serve

Photo of Dr. Lopez-Gonzalez and Dr. Ukadike — Dr. Lopez-Gonzalez and Dr. Ukadike have big plans for the coming year.

The UAMS Little Rock Family Medicine Residency Program has chosen Diorella López-González, M.D., and John Ukadike, D.O., MPH, as the Community Medicine Liaisons for 2021-2022.

These PGY-2 residents will lead initiatives and outreach to promote the health and well-being of central Arkansas dwellers, especially for persons in socio-economically depleted and/or underserved areas. A particular focus will be COVID-19 vaccinations.

Dr. López-González and Dr. Ukadike follow in the footsteps of the inaugural Community Medicine Liaison, 2021 residency graduate Dr. Alexa Martin. Our thanks to these excellent residents for taking on this important work.

DFPM-RED Researcher Leading $3.1 Million Preschool Intervention to Reduce Obesity and Cancer in Arkansas, Louisiana

Taren Swindle, Ph.D., here visiting a Head Start classroom in 2019, is leading the NCI-funded study that aims to improve diets in early care and education settings. — Taren Swindle, Ph.D., (left) here visiting a Head Start classroom in 2019, is leading the NCI-funded study that aims to improve diets in early care and education settings.

DFPM-RED faculty member Taren Swindle, Ph.D. leads a major new effort to reduce cancer by addressing eating habits in early childcare and education settings.

The project, led by UAMS’ Taren Swindle, Ph.D., will reach about 5,000 children and 500 teachers across Arkansas and Louisiana. It is supported by a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NCI upgraded the grant to an R37 MERIT Award, giving Swindle the option to extend the project another two years.

Read the full article here.