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.
Department News
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.
Family Medicine Resident Featured in UAMS Video
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
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
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
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.
DFPM-RED Professor discusses kids and COVID with local TV news outlet.
DFPM-RED Assistant Director Nikki Edge, Ph.D., discussed the mental health consequences of COVID among young children with local ABC affiliate KATV-7.
“We had no idea we would be, 18 months later, still talking about potential disruptions to school life and to the other kids’ normal everyday life”
“If you’re seeing changes in mood and behavior, if there’s changes starting to impact their ability to succeed in school and their other activities, then it’s time to think about talking to a professional”
Nikki Edge, Ph.D
Article shines spotlight on DFPM-RED’s Project PLAY
A recent article in The 19th discusses the links between mental health support and the lowering of expulsion rates in schools. The article features the work of DFPM-RED’s Project PLAY and highlights the great work of DFPM-RED team member Elizabeth Waldrum.
Read the full article.
Blue & You awards $1.95 million grant to include new K-12 project led by DFPM-RED’s Dr. Nikki Edge.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Blue & You Foundation has awarded a $1.2 million grant to UAMS Arkansas Trauma Resource Initiative for Schools (TRIS), a program in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Education and multiple statewide partners designed to build trauma-informed schools in which all staff, students, families and community members recognize and respond to traumatic stress. TRIS is led by DFPM-RED’s Dr. Nikki Edge.