The Department of Medicine is delighted to report the opening of a new clinic in Hematology and Oncology. Our new providers Dr. Arnab Basu, Dr. Aparna Hegde, Keri Mclendon, and Kaci Weaver, began seeing patients with a pending cancer diagnosis on November 1. This expanded access will help us see these patients faster, and hasten them on the road to treatment.
More Good News for November 6, 2019
Tiffany Carson, PhD (Assistant Professor, Preventive Medicine) published Heavy Hunger—Managing Weight and Obesity in Black American Communities in JAMA Arts and Medicine. This commentary draws from the memoirs of two best-selling authors to inform health care providers about the complexities of weight management, particularly among black Americans. Kudos, Dr. Carson!
Brooks Vaughan, MD (Professor, Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism) has been named to the national ACGME Review Committee for Internal Medicine. His six-year term begins next July. Three cheers for this prestigious appointment, Dr. Vaughan!
The Lupus Research Alliance has announced the recipients of its Target Identification in Lupus grants, which are designed to accelerate the development of promising discoveries into potential therapies. Hui-Chen Hsu, PhD, has earned one of these grants to test whether the combination of two immune system molecules can prevent B cells, which promotes lupus symptoms, from becoming harmful. Kudos, Dr. Hsu!
Congratulations to Christy Carter, PhD (Associate Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) on her election to the Board of Directors for American Aging Association (AGE). The group is comprised of experts in the field of biogerontology and geroscience, and are focused on understanding the basic mechanisms of aging.
We are proud to share some kudos for extraordinary patient care from Drs. Sam McElwee and Mark Sasse (Cardiovascular Disease). One of our own UAB nurses reported that her mom recently suffered from a STEMI and was treated in the CCU. She describes these doctors as "phenomenal" and complimented the entire care team for their patience and clear communications. High fives all around for setting such a great example of caring and competence.
Win Williams, MD (Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine) and colleagues recently published an article in Academic Medicine on the characteristics that are most important, from an attending physician's perspective, for determining clinical honors in clerkships. Nice scholarship, Dr. Williams!
The Department celebrates the ten residents selected by their clinic attending physicians as 2019-2020 Clinic Exemplars in recognition of their skill in the outpatient setting. As a clinic exemplar, they will be leading innovative teaching sessions designed to highlight the importance of high-quality care in the outpatient setting.
Clinic Exemplars for 2019-2020: Steven Allon, Anjali Das, Sean Carter, Seema Kumar, Leslie Avant, Rachel Naramore, Caitlin Hill, Cameron Pywell, Carissa Lau, Kevin Schwalbach
The Department is delighted to welcome Ashley Vorenkamp, MD, to the Division of General Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Vorenkamp trained in our residency and was a member of one of our first cohorts of Clinic Exemplars. She is a primary care physician, and she is accepting new patients at Whitaker Clinic.
Vivekanand Jha, MD, Professor of Nephrology at the George Institute for Global Health, India, will present "Public Health Innovations for Management of Kidney Disease-Towards Sustainable Development Goals" at noon on Wednesday, November 13, in Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium.