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L to R: Amy Allon, MSW (Caseworker), Alex Edgil, M.D., (PGY3) and Sal Kamal, M.D., (CMR)

Internal medicine residents Alex Edgil (PGY3) and Sal Kamal (CMR) recently organized a food drive for patients they serve at the Providing Access to HealthCare (PATH) Clinic. The clinic provides free insulin, food supplies, and health care to uninsured patients with poorly controlled diabetes. After noticing food reserves were low, the residents joined together to ensure the patients could maintain their diets. Thank you to the residents for going above the call of duty to meet patients’ needs inside and outside of UAB facilities. Great Job!

L to R: Chris Ives (Cardiology), Dane Johnson (GI), Star Ye (Hematology/Oncology), Hyndavi Kandala (Hematology/ Oncology), Oscar Bascug (Hematology/Oncology), Nicholas Baldwin (GI)

The Department was delighted to celebrate our incoming fellows at a reception in their honor last week. We could not be more excited to have these exceptional trainees join us at UAB. DOM has onboarded 50 new fellows this year in 18 training programs. Welcome all! We can't wait to see you shine!

Did you know Alabama has the 7th highest rate of adult obesity and the 3rd highest diabetes and hypertension rates in the U.S.? The Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism will address these statistics by offering specialized training in obesity and nutrition with its new Obesity Medicine Fellowship. The one-year program will require fellows to complete a minimum of 500 hours of training focused on evaluating and managing patients with obesity, including pre-and-post surgical care. The core faculty involved in this program include Program Director, Monica Agarwal, M.D., (Associate Professor, Endocrinology) as well as a multidisciplinary team of endocrine and nutrition specialists: Drs. Amy Warriner, Laura Rogers, Tim Garvey, Stephanie Wallace, and Richard Stahl. Applications for the 2022-2023 academic year are open until the end of August.

Above: Hamm is greeted by friends, family and media after 187 days of admission.

On January 10, medevac helicopter pilot Ricky Hamm was admitted to the hospital for severe breathing issues caused by COVID-19. His condition was severe, and physicians had to treat Hamm with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for an unbelievable 147 days. ECMO is delivered by a device that’s similar to the heart-lung bypass machine used in open-heart surgery. It pumps and oxygenates a patient's blood outside the body, allowing the heart and lungs to rest. Fortunately for Hamm, the treatment worked, and Hamm was well enough to be discharged on July 16—the day before his 51st birthday. Thanks to the entire care team for their perseverance and expertise!

Above: Jessica Jones, Manager - Ambulatory Services and Chelsea Andrews, Registered Nurse, help provide outpatient HiDAC therapy that has saved a total of 115 patient days in the hospital.

In December 2020, the Division of Hematology and Oncology began offering High-Dose-Ara-C (HiDAC) through the UAB Extended Care Clinic, an outpatient chemotherapy service that eliminates the need for patients to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. Prior to this service, some patients with lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, and acute lymphocytic leukemia who generally required minimal medical intervention would be admitted to the hospital to receive two daily infusions. Physicians report that offering this type of treatment in the ambulatory environment has been well received by patients and healthcare personnel alike.