Congratulations to our four graduating Palliative Care Fellows:

• Matt Rhinewalt, MD, will join a Med/Peds Practice in New Albany, Mississippi
• Quintesia Grant, MD, will practice at Emory and Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia
• Lucas McElwain, MD, is headed to North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi
• Erica Leonard, MD, will join Hospice of the Chesapeake in Annapolis, Maryland

Patient care kudos to Quintesia “Q” Grant, MD (Fellow, Palliative Care) who was able to prevent an encephalopathic and unresponsive patient from having an unnecessary admission to the hospital last Friday. Working tirelessly with the Emergency Department social worker, Q was able to find her patient a hospice bed near the family home in Gadsden, which aligned with the patient’s previously expressed wishes and provided the best possible care for her patient.

A Birmingham woman has just completed her first year in the clinical trial of verapamil as a beta cell survival therapy in type 1 diabetes led by co-principal investigator Fernando Ovalle, MD (Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism).

Cynthia I. Joiner, PhD, MPH (Cardiovascular Disease) has been appointed Assistant Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine effective July 1. Cindy’s tremendous talent, dedication, and creativity in the roles of Director of the Cardiovascular Clinical Trial Unit and Administrator of the UAB Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center will be leveraged to advance the Department’s overall research goals. 

Victor J. Thannickal, MD (Director, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine) was one of four people to receive the American Thoracic Society’s 2016 Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishment for his outstanding contributions to lung disease research.

Surya Bhatt, MD (Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine) will investigate “Smart Telehealth Exercise Intervention to Reduce COPD Readmissions” thanks to a new REACT Center Pilot Study Grant.

Sonali Advani, MD, MPH (Fellow, Infectious Diseases) was featured in the the Infectious Diseases Society of America Education and Research Foundation annual report entitled “Looking to the Future of ID.” Her interview promotes the IDWeek Mentorship Program which was established by Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH, in 2014.

Gareth Dutton, PhD (Preventive Medicine) will serve as a member of the Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention Study Section, NIH Center for Scientific Review.

William Curry, MD (General Internal Medicine) was recently featured in a Medical Xpress article on the health care behaviors of millennials who often choose urgent care centers or consult internet resources in lieu of establishing a relationship with a primary care physician.

There’s still time to find a great neck tie today. Visit the North North Pavilion 2^nd floor Atrium until 6:00 pm and choose from hundreds of neck ties donated by Dr. Bob Bourge. Choose from designer, seasonal, traditional, funky, and fabulous ties! Great Father’s Day gifts. All price ranges. Proceeds support the Hospital Auxiliary.

There will be NO MEDICAL GRAND ROUNDS until July 13. Enjoy a summer break.