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Whether you trained with us, are visiting us, or just want to learn more about us, the UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery now has a better way to stay connected. By completing this online form, friends of the department will be added to our newsletter distribution list and receive a monthly email newsletter outlining updates from our team.

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery celebrated Women in Orthopaedics last month with a community event for local orthopaedic surgeons to learn more about mentorship and participate in open dialogue related to professional development for women in the field of orthopaedic surgery.

Beginning Nov. 1, UAB Department of Neurosurgery Business Officer Michel Thomas, MSHI, will assume a new role as quality outcomes analyst. This position will support the Department of Neurosurgery, the Department of Otolaryngology and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Michel Thomas

Thomas will serve as a resource to the three departments by obtaining quality data and assisting with quality improvement projects. First-year goals for this position include developing and providing quality reports and benchmarks to faculty.

This position will work in collaboration with the UAB Hospital Quality Team.

“I have a very close and personal connection to UAB and patient care,” said Thomas, who had a blood clot removed from his brain two years ago by his colleagues in the Department of Neurosurgery. “With my passion for data and knowing firsthand what a patient experiences, I feel it is very important that providers have the information they need to make decisions regarding the quality of care they are providing.”

Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, Thomas has worked for The University of Alabama at Birmingham since he was 19. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UAB in 2012 and completed the UAB Medicine Quality Academy in 2015. This year, Thomas received his master’s degree in health informatics from UAB while continuing to work as a business officer in the Department of Neurosurgery. In January 2020, Thomas will begin pursuit of a Master of Science in Analytics degree with a concentration in computational data and analytical tools from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he will focus his thesis project on the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to predict surgical outcomes.

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery's Micheal Johnson, M.D., recently co-authored a paper entitled "Forefoot Supination and Medial Column Instability in the Setting of AAFD: The Role of the Medial Column" in Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery.

It often feels like one of the biggest decisions a medical student has to make. What type of medicine do I want to practice? The answer to this question will influence the next several years of schooling, residency, and fellowship.

Congratulations to the following UAB orthopaedic surgery residents who have matched into various fellowship programs across the country:

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery's Elie Ghanem, M.D. was a recent guest on UAB Medicine's podcast - UAB MedCast. This podcast series is geared toward medical professionals who wish to learn about new advances in academic medicine and surgery. This on-the-go tool allows listeners to collect continuing medical education credit with each episode.

Last month, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Directory Michael Johnson, M.D., and Vice Chair of Research Ashish Shah, M.D., were awarded membership to the American Orthopaedic Association.

Research authored by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s Clay Spitler, M.D., was published last month in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma as the lead article of the journal’s August 2019 issue.

Last month, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery used its medical partnership with the Birmingham Legion FC to connect with local attendees at a UAB Orthopaedics community outreach table at the July 27 home game against the Charlotte Independence.

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery welcomes its new communications director last month, Marissa Keppley, MBA. Prior to this position, Keppley worked in the UAB Health System Department of Marketing and Communications as the physician marketing manager.

Last month, Fred Horton joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as its new executive administrator, a role he previously held in interim during the search process.

By Ashton Cook

The UAB Foot and Ankle Fellowship was recently awarded a grant from the Orthopaedic Medical Grants Association.

Orthopaedic Surgery residents, Drs. Trevor Stubbs, Even Sheppard, Brad Wills, Christoph Fuchs, Megan Severson and Sierra Phillips, gathered together at the 2019 Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program graduation.

Last month, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery said “goodbye” to its six outgoing residents who will leave UAB for fellowship programs at different institutions across six different states throughout the country. As part of this year’s resident graduation and annual Resident Research Day, the department presented the Class of 2019 with several awards in recognition of their accomplishments.

The American Orthopaedic Association held its 132nd annual leadership meetings in San Diego, California, June 25-29, 2019. (Photo via aoassn.org)

Last week, a team of Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty and residents represented UAB at the American Orthopaedic Association's 132nd annual leadership meetings in San Diego, California.

UAB Orthopaedics APPs Megan Allmendinger, Kristen Cravens, Jessica Sanford and Alyssa Rice attend the 2019 Musculoskeletal Galaxy conference in Nashville, Tennessee, June 25-29.

A group of UAB Orthopaedics advanced practice providers traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, last week for this year’s Musculoskeletal Galaxy.

Fourteen of this year’s UAB and UAB HSF service award recipients are Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty or staff, 10 of whom are now celebrating at least 20 years of service at the university or the hospital. Of those 10, about half were formally recognized at the 2019 UAB Service Awards Program luncheon for non-hospital employees in March.

Assistant Professor Stephen Gould, M.D., MPH, was recently elected to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Council of Delegates as its Alabama representative. Gould will begin his three-year term on the council this August and will be eligible to serve another three-year term after his first has ended.

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery traveled to Destin, Florida, last month for the annual meeting of the Alabama Orthopaedic Society, the Mississippi Orthopaedic Society and the Florida Orthopaedic Society.

Professor Brent Ponce, M.D., was recently named the vice chair of clinical affairs for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. In this new role, Ponce will lead the growth and development of the department’s clinical enterprise, including improvement initiatives and external growth.