Thanks to the UAB House Calls program, many frail, older patients who once bounced in and out of the emergency room or the hospital for their care are experiencing life changing results. By employing an interdisciplinary team—a physician, nurse practitioner, medical assistant, case manager and social worker—to visit in the home, this vulnerable population can better cope with serious and chronic illness. What's more, thanks to frank and honest discussions about their goals of care, many reach the end of their lives at home surrounded by family, rather than in the hospital. House Calls Medical Director Marianthe Grammas, MD (Assistant Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) is encouraged by her recent findings, which demonstrate that these patients are both living and dying with greater hope, comfort, and security.
More Good News for September 5, 2018
Grant Williams, MD (Assistant Professor, Hematology and Oncology) will be exploring myopenia and its association with chemotherapy toxicity and survival in older adults with metastatic colorectal cancer. He plans to use computed tomography (CT) imaging to assess muscle mass at baseline and evaluate trajectories during chemotherapy treatment. Congrats Dr. Williams!
Eric Wallace, MD (Associate Professor, Nephrology) has been invited to serve as a panelist for the upcoming U.S. Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee's Rural Summit in Washington, DC, where he will discuss increasing access to health care via telemedicine.
Dr. Well-Be, aka John I. Kennedy Jr., is encouraging all of us to take the stairs in September! All month long, he will be promoting the benefits of stairclimbing for wellness. Stay tuned for more stair-related tips on Twitter, LinkedIn and Good News!
Veena Antony, MD (Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care) won the Dean’s Excellence Award for Service for senior faculty. See her video interview.
Stefan Kertesz, MD (Professor, Preventive Medicine) along with Dr. Scott Hadland of Boston Medical Center, commented in BMJ on a major study of the role of prescriptions in opioid-related deaths in Ontario, noting that prescriptions still play a real role in about a third of opioid-related deaths. They also reviewed downsides of policies focused narrowly on control of prescriptions when not accompanied by comprehensive approaches to tackle both addiction and pain.
Campus Security will begin Phase I of its three-phase plan to increase campus safety this fall. All main building entrances will require key card access and cameras will be installed outside every entrance. Exit doors will be equipped with alarms and cameras that go off if a door is propped open.
Coming next week to Medical Grand Rounds: General Charles C. Krulak, past president of Birmingham Southern College and retired Commandant U.S. Marine Corps will present the RIME Week keynote lecture, “Leadership… Lessons Learned from the Battlefield.” at noon on Wednesday, September 12 in Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium.
Announcements:
- September is Rheumatic Diseases Awareness Month! The goal of this campaign is to improve public understanding of rheumatic disease and advance the well-being of millions of Americans. We can all come together to encourage people living with rheumatic disease to take the ACR’s pledge to live well during #RDAM.
- The UAB Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center’s 7th Annual Symposium: Focus on Heart Failure will take place September 6-7, 2018 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel. The two-day update in cardiovascular disease will feature keynotes from Thomas J. Wang, MD, Physician-in-Chief at Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, and Douglas L. Mann, MD, Cardiologist-in-Chief at Barnes Jewish Hospital. Submit abstracts to Megan Pickering.
- The 2018 Update in Gastroenterology and Hepatology conference will take place Friday and Saturday, September 7 and 8, at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham (The Wynfrey Hotel).