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The Department is delighted to celebrate the appointment of Luciano Costa, MD, PhD (Associate Professor, Hematology and Oncology) as the new Associate Director for Clinical Research in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Costa currently directs the Multiple Myeloma and the Immune Effector Cellular Therapy programs at UAB, and his primary research focus is the development of new therapies for plasma cell malignancies. In this new role, Dr. Costa will work with the team of O’Neal clinical investigators to expand the number of potentially disease-altering clinical trials that we can offer our cancer patients, and to accelerate the transition of research discoveries to clinical care.

Pictured above: Research nurses Sue Ellen Binkley, RN, and Dorothy Nieters, RN, in the Infusion Clinic.

When patients with chronic illness like sickle cell disease or cancer also test positive for COVID-19, they still need access to their intravenous medicines. Similarly, people who are participating in COVID research, such as convalescent plasma therapy or development of new treatments, also need a dedicated space for infusion care. Now, thanks to a collaborative effort between leaders in Ambulatory Services and the Department of Medicine, a new clinic space in West Pavilion provides a 9-chair space to safely cohort both patients and research subjects as they receive infusions. We are thrilled to be proactively providing this standard of care with partners across the institution.

The Staging Transition for Every Patient (STEP) Program begins next week as a collaboration between Children’s of Alabama and UAB. The program will help adolescent patients with chronic and complex childhood medical conditions transition to adult health care. Medical Director Carlie Stein, MD (Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine) explains that many conditions that were previously associated with shortened lifespans now have increased life expectancy due to treatment advances. The program will help these patients foster independence as they take over responsibility for health-related concerns from a parent or caregiver. 

Pictured above: Teammates Harpreet Arora, Chance Phelps (Anesthesiology), Rebekah Weil, and Tyler Magnussen

As the volume of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 reached an all-time high, the Internal Medicine Residency Program implemented a new inpatient team to help manage patient flow in the hospital. The Tinsley Harrison "Surge Team" currently carries a full load of 20 non-COVID patients daily, helping to lighten the load for other hospital teams. The all-volunteer crew is staffed by residents Jordan Tannenbaum, Robert Camacho, Harpreet Arora, Tylan Magnussen, Kelly McMaster, Reed LaHaye, Elizabeth Babin and Chance Phelps, along with attending physicians Win Williams, Rebekah Weil and Carlos Estrada. Kudos to all on this collaborative and important work in caring for our patients.

UAB's COVID Respiratory Clinic has implemented a new telehealth device to help physicians remotely keep track of their patients' progress. Turner Overton, MD (Professor, Infectious Diseases) and Dr. Irfan Asif (Chair, Family & Community Medicine) describe the monitor as easy to wear, similar to a watch. The hope is that the new technology will help keep physicians informed of oxygenation and other vital signs, allowing for timely and appropriate care interactions.