The Center for Palliative and Supportive Care partnered with Palliative Psychology and Counseling Services to provide patient and family-centered care through the Thumbs Up for Love legacy project. Sylvia Huang, PhD (Assistant Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care) came up with the idea to pair the thumbprint of a patient with one of a family member, to create the shape of a heart. This special craft has given families the comfort needed while coping with illnesses and end of life.
More Good News for February 20, 2019
Navkaranbir Bajaj, MD (Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) co-authored a letter in the NEJM that explores the relationship between heart donation rates and deaths from drug overdose. They note a regional variation that seems to indicate that some states have different practices in donor organ recovery that have decreased the size of the heart transplant waiting list.
Mike Wells, MD (Associate Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care) published results of a study using 4 to 5 different sampling methods in multiple sites in both lungs during bronchoscopy. The report in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society shows the comprehensive procedure was well tolerated with adverse events occurring in fewer than 7% of study participants, similar to frequencies observed in bronchoscopies with less complex sampling methods.
Kudos to William Benton, MD (Former CMR, Internal Medicine Residency), Erin Snyder, MD (Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine), Carlos Estrada, MD, MS (Professor and Director, General Internal Medicine), Teri Bryan, MD (Professor, General Internal Medicine), Internal Medicine Residents, and the BVAMC Red Clinic raised test result notifications to the 90th percentile after implementing a new standardized process. Great work!
Meghan Black, MD (Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine) joined UAB in 2018 after completing a fellowship in quality improvement and serving on faculty at University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill. Dr. Black works at the Birmingham VAMC as a Hospitalist in the Red Clinic. She also attends in the teaching service at University Hospital and at the VA. She serves as Assistant Director to the recently renewed VA Quality Scholars fellowship program. She has an interest in High Value Care, procedural training, and systems of care. Welcome Dr. Black!
Coming next week to Medical Grand Rounds
Paul Shekelle, MD, PhD, MPH (Director of the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center at RAND Corporation) will present, “The Pros and Cons of Performance Measurement” at noon on February 27, 2019, in Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium.
Announcements:
- Dr. Well-Be wants you to mark your calendars for America Saves Week, February 25 – March 1, 2019! This annual nationwide initiative encourages Americans to save money, reduce debt and build their wealth. The UAB Employee Assistance Counseling Center will be offering free seminars to educate employees on improving their financial wellness. Learn more.
- Mark your calendars for the Physicians and Faculty for the ASO reception and concert that will be held at 6 p.m. on March 2, 2019, at the Alys Stephens Center. Contact nwilliams@alabamasymphony.org for more information.
- UAB Medicine wants to hear your ideas for its medical education and clinical information podcast series, UAB Medcast. These podcasts – which are eligible for CME credit – are ideal for physicians, nurses, technicians and other medical professionals interested in staying abreast of clinical and research developments at UAB Medicine, while helping satisfy their ongoing professional education requirements. If you have an idea for UAB Medcast, email Carolyn Walsh.
- The J. Michael Kilby, MD, Infectious Diseases Clinic at the Medical University of South Carolina was dedicated on February 15, 2019. Dr. Kilby was the first UAB Infectious Diseases fellow to be appointed as a Division Director outside of UAB. Dr. Kilby left UAB in 2008 and met an untimely death on August 10, 2015. We are delighted to share this thoughtful tribute to his memory.
- ICYMI: Stefan Kertesz, MD, MPH (Professor, Preventive Medicine) commented on an opinion piece, “When the Cure is Worse than the Disease” about patients who need opioids for chronic pain but are denied them due to federal regulations.