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US News & World Report continues to rank Cardiology, Endocrinology, Geriatrics, Nephrology, Pulmonary, and Rheumatology among the Top 50 programs in the U.S. Rheumatology remains #10, Nephrology and Pulmonary moved up further in the Top 20, and Cardiology moved into the Top 20. These improvements are driven in part by falling 30-day mortality for our patients. Congratulations to each of our Divisions and to all our faculty, staff, residents, and fellows! A program is highly ranked only when each patient receives care from a high-functioning team.

L to R: Laura Hughes, MD; Elizabeth McAlister; Fellows Amanda Schnell, Maggie Guthrie, Marcum Collins and Lee Day; and Angelo Gaffo, MD, from the Division of RheumatologyThe Department of Medicine is delighted to celebrate 47 new fellows for the 2018/19 academic year. Our subspecialty training currently comprises 14 ACGME accredited programs and 3 non-ACGME programs with 152 total fellows. Welcome aboard!

Virginia Wadley Bradley, PhD (Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care) co-led the group that administered the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial’s (SPRINT) Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (MIND) study. Preliminary results reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference indicate that lowering systolic blood pressure reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairment, often a precursor to dementia. These benefits are in addition to the previous findings of the SPRINT study that cardiovascular complications, from heart attacks to heart failure and even death, were significantly reduced with the same treatment. These findings and others inform new guidelines that normal systolic blood pressure (<120 mm Hg) reduces risk of cardiovascular disease.

Front L to R: Ashley Vorenkamp, Lauren Pacheco, and Stacey Watkins. Back L to R: Eduardo Mulanovich and Jeremey Walker (CMR). Not pictured: Madeline Eckenrode.The Learning Communities Program honored Internal Medicine residents Madeline Eckenrode, MD, Eduardo Mulanovich, MD, Lauren Pacheco, MD, Ashley Vorenkamp, MD, Jeremey Walker, MD (CMR), and Stacey Watkins, MD, who served as housestaff mentors in the Program over the past year. The Learning Communities Program is a four-year course with a focus on professionalism, wellness, and ethics. It was one of several efforts that resulted in an improvement in the percentage of students who were satisfied with the overall quality of their medical education last year!

Pictured Above: Kellie Flood, MD; Vicki Nelson, MSN, RN; Seth Landefeld, MD; Katrina Booth, MD (ACE Unit Medical Director); and Terri Middlebrooks, RN.Alabama’s first Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Unit celebrates its tenth year at UAB! The ACE Unit utilizes an interdisciplinary care team trained in geriatrics to provide acutely ill older adults with holistic care of the highest quality. Promoting health, preventing complications, optimizing function and preserving dignity are all important components of the Unit’s mission. Happy 10^th Birthday to the team that makes ACE amazing!