Drs. Stigler and Johnson in the Tele-ICU bunker.Thanks to the new Tele-ICU initiative led by Steve Stigler, MD (Associate Professor) and Jim Johnson, MD (Professor), patients in the Intensive Care Unit at Vaughan Regional Medical Center in Selma have access to intensive care that is saving lives. By operating a remote “round and respond” service, UAB’s expert critical care faculty have worked with physicians and nurses in Selma to improve patient outcomes, reducing risk-adjusted mortality by nearly 50% and allowing more patients to be treated at Vaughan without transferring to UAB.
More Good News for December 5, 2018
Sandeep Bodduluri, PhD (Instructor, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) and colleagues have demonstrated that using fractal dimensions of the airway tree as a measure of airway remodeling can provide prognostic information that associates closely with measurements of COPD progression, including lung function decline and mortality. This approach may provide important clinical insights into the mechanisms underlying progression of COPD and other respiratory diseases.
For the second year in a row, the internal medicine and medicine/pediatrics residencies had a 100% fellowship match! A total of 28 residents matched into highly competitive fellowships across the country, and 13 of these fine doctors will be staying at UAB for their next stage in training! Congratulations!
Jasvinder Singh, MD (Professor, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology) was awarded the 2018 Lee C. Howley Sr. Prize for Arthritis Scientific Research during the Arthritis Foundation’s annual meeting. The award recognizes Dr. Singh's innovative arthritis-related research and notable impact furthering the mission of the Arthritis Foundation.
A new series of practice briefs features the work of Maria Pisu, PhD (Associate Professor, Preventive Medicine) which provides perspectives of cancer survivors and providers on how to conduct conversations about costs of care. The work was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and an article is forthcoming in a special issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
The Divisions of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Hematology & Oncology got "hairy" for men's health during No Shave November. Their fundraising efforts culminated in a live barbering session which was aired on ABC 33/40 last week. If you haven't already contributed to this great cause, it's not too late! Donate now!
James Willig, MD, MSPH (Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases) was featured in the School of Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion newsletter. The profile shares his personal story and reveals how his love of video games inspired him to find a better way to use data and technology in patient care.
Coming next week to Medical Grand Rounds
Eric Widera, MD, Professor (University of California San Francisco), will present, “It Takes a Village: Caring for Hospitalized Older Adults with Advanced Dementia” at noon on December 12, 2018, in Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium.
Annoucements:
- Ten years after it kicked off a silent, $1 billion fundraising effort and five years after publicly announcing The Campaign for UAB: Give Something, Change Everything — UAB can now celebrate accomplishing the ambitious fundraising goal. The university surpassed $1 billion this month, reaching its stated goal of achieving the milestone by the end of 2018.
- ICYMI: Seth Landefeld, MD wrote an opinion piece that was featured in JAMA. The publication describes the issue of improving medication use and deprescribing unnecessary medications in older adults.