News from
Family & Preventive Medicine

September 2020

Just 55 Words: 

Did you miss an issue?

Links to previous department newsletters can be found on
the department website HERE.

Equine assisted stress relief
for frontline workers 

Stride Ahead Equine Assisted Therapy, located on 13 acres of serene pastureland at the Little Creek Horse Farm in Decatur, is now providing a unique experience for COVID-19 frontline workers and their loved ones to help deal with the elevated stress brought about by the pandemic. See flyer below for more information.

Transformative Research

Department of Family and Preventive Medicine faculty, staff, and learners are cordially invited to attend the Department of Medicine's
13th annual Research Day!

Register Now for 2020 Department of Medicine Research Day

The 2020 event will take place virtually Thursday, October 15, 2020, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The program includes both oral and poster presentations, as well as a keynote address titled “Hemolytic anemia as a mechanism for vasculopathy and pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell disease and other hemolytic conditions” from Mark Gladwin, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine and director of the Vascular Medicine Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. Awards are given at the conclusion of the day to recognize the most outstanding presentations. 

Department of Medicine Research Day has celebrated research efforts across the department since 2008. The event brings together researchers from all divisions and provides an opportunity to share exciting new findings, facilitate scientific exchange, and identify potential new collaborations. 

The registration deadline is Friday, October 9. For questions about Research Day, please contact Sarah McClellan, senior research program coordinator, at DOMResearch@emory.edu or (404) 712-3280.

Recent Funding

Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha is an investigator on a $200,000 WHSC COVID-19 CURE Award for the proposal :  "Clinical Characteristics, Outcomes, and Predictors of Readmission in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients at Eight Atlanta Hospitals."  

Recent Awards and Honors

Drs. Dio Kavalieratos, Ambar Kulshreshtha, and Miranda Moore were highlighted for 2020 Researcher Appreciation Day by the School of Medicine. 

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Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha was selected for the "Clinician Scientist Rising Star Program by the American Geriatrics Society."

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Dr. Jodie Guest was invited to give the Silas Lecture on Ethics and Leadership at GA Tech. She spoke on "Public Leadership and Communication during a Time of Two Pandemics."

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Drs. Ashima Lal, Paul DeSandre, and Tammie Quest received special recognition for their abstract poster submission Implementation of telehealth in a safety-net palliative care (PC) clinic from the 2020 Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) 2x4 virtual event. The poster will be presented at the members-only special event December 7-10, 2020.

Recent Presentations

1. Nylander Z., Lin M., Moore, M., Villalon-Gomez J., Ghose N. Implementing a standard operating procedure for PrEP increased provider comfort, knowledge and prescribing in a Georgia residency program. ACT HIV virtual conference. Aug 2020.

Pending poster presentation:

1. Nylander Z., Lin M., Moore, M., Villalon-Gomez J., Ghose N. Implementing a standard operating procedure for PrEP increased provider comfort, knowledge and prescribing in a Georgia residency program. Poster to be presented at the FMX eposter conference 2020.

Recent Publications

Rasmussen SA, Ward JW, Goodman RA. Protecting the Editorial Independence of the CDC From Politics. JAMA. Published online September 22, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.19646

Smith, J. L. Allen, J. W. Haack, C. Wehrmeyer, K. Alden, K. Lund, M. B. Mascaro, J. S. (in press) The impact of app-delivered mindfulness meditation on functional connectivity and self reported mindfulness among health profession trainees. Mindfulness

She Z, Gaglioti AH, Baltrus P, Li C, Moore MA, Immergluck LC, Rao A, Ayer T. Primary Care Comprehensiveness and Care Coordination in Robust Specialist Networks Results in Lower Emergency Department Utilization: A Network Analysis of Medicaid Physician Networks. J Prim Care Community Health. 2020 Jan-Dec;11:2150132720924432. doi: 10.1177/2150132720924432. 

 Moore MA, Munroe D. COVID-19 brings about rapid changes in the telehealth landscape. Telemed J E Health. 2020 Aug 17 (Epub ahead of Print).

Bergquist SH, Partin C, Roberts DL, O’Keefe JB, Tong EJ Zreloff J, Jarrett TL, Moore MA. Non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19 differ noticeably from hospitalized adults in their demographic, clinical, and social characteristics. SN Compr Clin Med. 2020 Aug 14:1-9.

Bernadette Baker MD, one of our Family Medicine residents, has published Doctor to Be: A no-Nonsense Guide to Premed Studies, Medical School, and Beyond.

Research Resources

A searchable External Funding Opportunities Database has been compiled from FOAs in the weekly What's Up in DOM Research newsletter.
Emory credentials required to view.

Educational Investments for our future

Dr. José Villalón-Gómez was recently selected to participate in the National Summit on Family Medicine Residency Education. This summit will focus on a “major revision” of the standards for Family Medicine residencies. Such major revisions are rare—at most every 10 years. Given the practice life of family physicians, this revision will determine the shape and promise of family medicine for the next generation.

This opportunity comes at a momentous time. Even before COVID-19 and renewed attention on social justice and health disparities, the amplitude and pace of transformation of health care in the US has been greater than any time in our careers. Life expectancy has begun to decrease, health indicators have not improved in any measurable fashion, and health inequities continue to plague us. More information on the summit can be found HERE. 

New SOM general residency video 
now available

 Feel free to share this video with your applicants!

Being of Service

Dr. Paul DeSandre has joined Dr. James Hamilton, Assistant Professor, ENT for the 2020-2021 Emory Faculty Development in Quality Improvement program to create a multidisciplinary approach to Head and Neck Cancer care at Grady. 

Dr. Joanne Kuntz is featured in an article in Forbes magazine titled For Isolated Covid-19 Patients Nearing the End, Creating A Final Connection.  Along with many of you, Dr. Kurtz was one of our colleagues on the front lines in the early days of COVID.  Her work and innovation, as described in this article, paved the way for all of us to work to ensure that patients and families get to visit virtually during this time of ongoing visitor restrictions. The collaborative group mentioned, COVID Tech Connect, is responsible for our supply of Google Slates which have been distributed to our clinical sites.

Pictured below is the swearing-in oath, administered by Lieutenant Commander Javier Valle, MD, US Navy Reserves, to Major Alex Paras, DO, US Air Force Reserves, on the occasion of Dr. Paras' official transition into the USAF reserves from prior active duty. This (i.e., capturing the event as it occurred virtually through Zoom because of COVID-19) may not be a first in general, but it could be a first for Public Health / Preventive Medicine Residency training!

Dr. Jodie Guest continues to lead monthly COVID-19 testing events with the Mexican Consulate. Department faculty are welcome to volunteer. Shout-out to Alex Kendall, and Drs. Susy Alfonso and Anne Dunlop who have already helped out!

Pictured below: Drs. Anne Dunlop, Jodie Guest, and Susy Alfonso

Pictured below: Alex Kendall and Dr. Jodie Guest 

All-Around Awesomeness!

Dr. Jodie Guest named 
Iditarod Epidemiology Czar

For its 49th running in March 2021, the Iditarod is developing a multi-tier COVID-19 mitigation plan to account for various permutations of the pandemic and our own Dr. Jodie Guest, a long-time Iditarod volunteer, is their infectious disease consultant. Her plan outlines specific safety protocols for different scenarios, contingency drills and rapid responsiveness with the goal of zero community transmission. Addressing every facet – from the race rookie meeting to food drops to protocols on the trail and beyond – ensures that all race related activities can adapt to any COVID-19 dynamic while preserving goodwill, enhancing social consciousness, and ensuring stringent risk mitigation protocols. Much like the 1925 serum run to Nome, the Iditarod has shown that it too can persevere through a pandemic. You can find more details HERE.

Dr. José M. Villalón-Gómez spotlighted by SOM for Hispanic Heritage Month

With support from the SOM Recognitions Committee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, the Office of Faculty Academic Advancement, Leadership and Inclusion is excited to launch a celebratory initiative to acknowledge the diversity of our community and promote sharing, awareness, and learning. As part of this effort, we are recognizing and celebrating our faculty by hearing their stories and their experiences.

Read the stories of Dr. Villalón and other outstanding faculty members and learn more about how the Latinx community has impacted their careers, hear stories about their favorite traditions, and how they stay engaged with the Latinx community.

Dr. Leslie Johnson named one of
Emory 40 under 40

Emory Alumni Association has selected our postdoctoral research fellow,  Dr. Leslie Johnson, as one of 2020's 40 under 40. When describing her winding career path and discussing her multiple degrees, Leslie Johnson 09Ox 11C 14PH 18L laughs. “It’s just being open to opportunities, connections, and a bit of serendipity,” Johnson says. Read about Dr. Johnson and the rest of the recipients HERE.

Dr. Jodie Guest to speak at NIAID 

Drs. Jodie Guest and Carlos Del Rio are the invited speakers at the National Institutes of Health Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Diversity series for National Hispanic Heritage Month on 10/14.

Don't Miss Opportunities!

2020 William T. Branch Jr. Innovations in Primary Care lecture series

Dr. Danielle Ofri

Tuesday, October 6

12:00 -1:00 pm: "Medical Errors. " Joint Department of Medicine and School of Nursing Grand Rounds. 

Medicine Grand Rounds Zoom (use this link to enter the Zoom at noon)
Meeting ID: 282 292 464
Password: MGR

7:00 - 8:00 pm: "What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear." Inaugural William T. Branch Jr. Innovations in Primary Care lecture

The lecture will be moderated by Hughes Evans, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and will include a virtual door prize book giveaway for 30 participants sponsored by the Primary Care Consortium. All interested raffle participants must include their mailing address when completing the event registration form. 

Dr. Ofri will also be giving a public virtual lecture at the Decatur Book Festival on Wednesday, October 7th from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. 

About the Lecture Series
William T. Branch Jr., MD, is an innovator and pioneer in medical education of trainees and practitioners with a focus on primary care. The William T. Branch Jr. Fund for Innovations in Primary Care supports education and research activities focused on primary care at Emory University. The purpose of the William T. Branch Innovation in Primary Care Series will be to offer innovative, interactive presentations that: 

• Promote the life-long learning of humanism in medicine 
• Support the development of professional identity and a bond to the primary care profession 
• Foster collaborative, collegial relationships among health professionals

Applications Open for EM-ProLEAD

The School of Medicine is pleased to announce the opening for applications to the 2021 Cohort of EM-ProLEAD, the Emory Professional Leadership Enrichment and Development Program.

EM-ProLEAD is designed to foster and develop professionals across the entire Emory enterprise. The focus will be on enriching leadership skills, enhancing business knowledge, and developing strong partnerships across Emory and its affiliates. EM-ProLEAD will be open to Emory faculty and leadership including Emory specialty associates, nurses, and administrative leadership, and is under the direction of Harold (Hal) Simon, MD; Nathan Spell III, MD; and leaders from the Goizueta Business School and Emory School of Medicine.

Click here to complete the nomination form. Please submit this form by October 7 at 5 p.m. For additional information, or for any questions, please contact Jessica Graber, program coordinator, Emory Office of Leadership and Management Development Programs at jessica.graber@emoryhealthcare.org.

Cardiology in Primary Care
Virtual Conference

October 16-17, 2020

Target Audience:  Family Practice, General Practice, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Cardiovascular physicians, Physician Assistants, PharmD, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners.

·         Sponsored by Department of Medicine, Emory Heart & Vascular Center, Division of Cardiology

·         This conference will be a recorded livestream. The recording will be available for a year post conference.

·         CME credit: 10.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™

·         MOC credit: 10.00 MOC points

Contact: Milini Mingo, MPA, CMP 
General Registration:  Register for Conference
Conference Website: www.cpc.emory.edu

Events from the Office of
Faculty Academic Advancement, Leadership and Inclusion​ (FAALI)

September 15 – October 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month

Research:
October 22: Webinar: Using REDCAP to Manage Clinical Data. 12-1 pm. Presented by Sean Mann, moderated by Kathy Griendling. RSVP.

Education:
October 13: Best Practices for Teaching During Telehealth Visits, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Zoom.  The FAALI Lecture Series continues with insight from Dr. Suephy Chen on teaching during telehealth visits. RSVP

Clinical Service and Quality:
October 14 & 21: Leadership for Healthcare Improvement, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m., Zoom. This course is an overview of foundational principles of quality improvement (QI) and patient safety, not intended to create QI experts, but designed to give leaders the core knowledge to support the environment where QI activities are operating. Learn more 

December 8: Making Telehealth Financially Viable, 12-1 pm. Come and learn how Emory launched telemedicine and accomplished over 200,000 outpatient visits within 4 months. Learning about the operations, project management, and impact on finances can help you understand principles that you can apply to work you are doing in your own environment. Presented by Greg Esper. Moderated by Nate Spell. RSVP

Advocacy:
November 10: Race and Health Policy, 5:30-6:30 pm. Presented by Tracey Henry. Moderated by Sheryl Heron and Carolyn Meltzer. RSVP.

November 19: Leading Through Challenging Times/Crises, 12-1 pm. Presented by General Ken Kenn. Moderated by Kathy Griendling. RSVP.

Visit the FAALI website for information about future lectures and other programs. 

Got news? Please send your announcements and photos to leigh.partington@emory.edu. The DFPM newsletter is published monthly.