55 Words from the Chair

Welcome to the FPM Family!

Penny (Penelope Hazel Payne, born April 29, 2022) and Dr. Maha Lund, her happy Oma (German for "grandma").

Welcome to our New Faculty!

Her research integrates a variety of ambulatory assessment methods, including ecological momentary assessment, accelerometry, GPS trajectories, ambulatory cardiovascular monitoring, voice diaries, and the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR). She leads a program of research focused on the optimization of ambulatory assessment methods for clinical science and behavioral medicine. She also frequently collaborates as a research methodologist on projects that use ambulatory assessment to advance treatment research for populations with co-occurring psychological and physical health concerns.

Dr. Kaplan is a developer of the EAR, a research method for naturalistically assessing social interactions and language use in daily life. In partnership with Emory Spiritual Health, several current projects apply this method to investigating social-ecological mechanisms of spiritually-integrated and contemplative interventions. Other current interests include implementation concerns in digital health, including identifying adverse implementation outcomes of digital assessment and intervention technologies.

Dr. Kaplan received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona, completed her predoctoral residency in Behavioral Medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and completed an NHLBI-funded F32 postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University. Prior to this, she worked as research specialist in public health policy evaluation, conducting community health needs assessments in the southwestern United States. She is a past recipient of a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health and a PEO Scholar Award for Dissertation Research from the PEO Foundation.

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After his Ph.D., he did two years of Post-Doctoral training at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Imperial College London, and three more years at McMaster University in Canada. His main research interests are to investigate the risk factors of chronic diseases, specifically diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and to develop effective and cost-effective strategies for the prevention of these diseases. He is also keen on translating the evidence from research into clinical and public health practice. Dr. Thirunavukkarasu has, so far, published 91 peer-reviewed articles, including in some very high impact factor journals such as Nature Reviews Endocrinology, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Diabetes Care, and PLoS Medicine as the lead author. His research papers have, so far, received >16,000 citations with a Google Scholar h-index of 27 and an i10-index of 51.

News from the Faculty Development Committee

Promotions and Tenure News!

Coming Soon: FPM Department Awards!

These awards will not replace existing or new division or program level awards but will offer an additional opportunity to recognize faculty and staff excellence across all of the divisions and programs.

More details will be announced in the June newsletter.
Nominations can be submitted June 20-July 20.

Wellness Corner

Using Telehealth Resources
for Mental Health

These days it can be difficult to find a psychologist. Remember that you're not confined to working only with the psychologists in your state: If you live in one of 28 states (and counting), you can work with a PSYPACT certified psychologist via telehealth within any of those 28 states (again, and counting)! Georgia is a PSYPACT state! (to check other states, see: https://psypact.site-ym.com/page/psypactmap)

More resources are available on the Department Intranet. Scroll down to Quick Links and click on Mental Health Resources.

Remember your Sharecare challenges – Start tracking and earn Emory medical incentives by completing activities! Sign In - Sharecare

Two ongoing/upcoming:

• Spring Green Day Challenge (ongoing; runs through June 30th)
• The Healthy Plate Challenge (begins on June 20^th)

Transformative Research

Recent and Upcoming Presentations

Above: "Significant primary care preceptor shortage remains one year after the pandemic started," (Poster) a collaborative project between 9pictured below) PA Program faculty Dr. Maha Lund, Family Medicine and PA Program faculty Dr. Susana Alfonso and Family Medicine faculty Dr. Miranda Moore was presented by Dr. Moore at the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Spring Conference, in Indianapolis, IN, May 2022.

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Highlighted Opportunities:
 

July 2022 Faculty Writing Retreat

Application deadline: June 15
Retreat date and location: July 25 – July 28 at Dahlonega Resort

The Office of the Provost is sponsoring an in-person, residential faculty writing retreat. The structure will be flexible to allow participants to "take what they need" from the three days: long stretches of writing/focus/deep concentration time and little else; work with a writing coach to develop a sustainable and productive writing practice; or focus on building a writing practice within a community of other faculty writers and establish a writing group. All regular, full-time faculty members (both tenure and non-tenure-track) are welcome to apply. Participating faculty must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. All participants must also be able to commit to attending the full four days of the retreat. All expenses will be paid except for transportation to and from the retreat. Space is limited; participants will be selected by the Office of the Provost. Applicants will be notified of their selection status no later than June 27. Application Form. Contact Allison Adams, director, research and scholarship, Center for Faculty Development and Excellence, aadam02@emory.edu.

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Save the date for 2022 DOM Research Day, October 27!

On behalf of the Department of Medicine's Office of Research, you are cordially invited to attend the 15th annual Research Day Thursday, October 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Emory Student Center.

Abstract submission and event registration will open shortly. FPM faculty are welcome to submit abstracts. For questions about Research Day, please contact Sarah McClellan.

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Recent Publications

Collaborative department publications
 

Family Medicine faculty Dr. Mo Ali and Dr. Megha Shah and Preventive Medicine faculty Dr. Sara Turbow published Trends and Variations in Emergency Department Use Associated With Diabetes in the US by Sociodemographic Factors, 2008-2017.  JAMA Netw Open. 2022 May 2;5(5):e2213867. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.13867.

Family Medicine faculty Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha and Dr. Ashley Owen published A mixed-methods approach to understanding the perspectives, experiences, and attitudes of a culturally tailored cognitive behavioral therapy/motivational interviewing intervention for African American patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized parallel design pilot study. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2022 May 21;8(1):107. doi: 10.1186/s40814-022-01066-4. 

Palliative Medicine faculty Dr. Lawson Macrewicz, Dr. Susan Kunihiro, Dr. Kim Curseen, and Dr. Dio Kavalieratos published Application of Critical Race Theory in Palliative Care Research: A Scoping Review. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2022 Jun;63(6):e667-e684. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.02.018.

Faculty publications

Dr. Mo Ali:

• Association of family history of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) and individual health behaviours: Analysis of CARRS study from South Asia. Indian Heart J. 2022 May 17:S0019-4832(22)00076-1. doi: 10.1016/j.ihj.2022.05.004.
• Improving care for hypertension and diabetes in India by addition of clinical decision support system and task shifting in the national NCD program: I-TREC model of care. BMC Health Serv Res. 2022 May 23;22(1):688. doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-08025-y.

Dr. Sarah Cross

• Trends in Location of Death Among Older Adult Americans After Falls. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. March 2022. doi:10.1177/23337214221098897
   

Dr. Ted Johnson:

• Bedwetting from the heart: Time for a paradigm shift in the minimal diagnostic evaluation of enuresis. Heart Rhythm. 2022 May;19(5):862-865. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2022.01.031. Epub 2022 Apr 7. 

Dr. Dio Kavalieratos:

• Parents' experiences caring for children with acute otitis media: a qualitative analysis. BMC Prim Care. 2022 May 23;23(1):123. doi: 10.1186/s12875-022-01737-4.

Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha:

• COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Healthcare Workers in Four Healthcare Systems in Atlanta, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 2022;, ofac224. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac224

• Family Medicine Musculoskeletal Medicine Education: A CERA Study. Fam Med. 2022 May;54(5):369-375. doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2022.975755. 

Dr. Maha Lund: 

• authored a chapter titled "PA Education: Origins, Advancements, and Challenges Ahead" in Physician Assistants as Social Innovators in Healthcare, published by Physician Assistant History Society.

Dr. Megha Shah:

• Barriers to participation and lifestyle change among lower versus higher income participants in the National Diabetes Prevention Program: lifestyle coach perspectives. Transl Behav Med. 2022 May 12:ibac032. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibac032. Online ahead of print.

• Promises and Pitfalls of Dyads in the National Diabetes Prevention Program: Lifestyle Coach Perspectives. Am J Health Promot. 2022 Apr 22:8901171221088580. doi: 10.1177/08901171221088580. 

Dr. Sara Turbow:

• Unmasking Challenges and Boosting Innovation: the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Education. J Gen Intern Med. 2022 May 13:1-2. doi: 10.1007/s11606-022-07666-3. 

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Being of Service

Educational Investments for our future

Dr. Ali selected for Foege Professorship

Congratulations to Dr. Mo Ali, who has been selected as the next William H. Foege Distinguished Professor of Global Health. Dr. Ali is pictured below at the first annual Excellence to Eminence in Preventive, Primary, and Palliative Care Lecture, the new lecture series spearheaded by Dr. Ali to host dynamic thought leaders to highlight innovations and future directions in the fields of preventive, primary, and/or palliative care research, teaching, and clinical practice. 

The inaugural speaker in the Excellence to Eminence lecture series was Dr. Sandro Galea, presenting "Rethinking our approach to health after a pandemic: Lessons learned from Covid-19." Sandro Galea, a physician, epidemiologist, and author, is dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at Boston University School of Public Health. He previously held academic and leadership positions at Columbia University, the University of Michigan, and the New York Academy of Medicine. He has published extensively in the peer-reviewed literature and is a regular contributor to a range of public media, about the social causes of health, mental health, and the consequences of trauma. Galea holds a medical degree from the University of Toronto, graduate degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow. If you missed the lecture, you can watch the lecture recording here.

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Dr. Guest named RSPH Faculty of the Year!

Congratulations to Dr. Jodie Guest, PA Program faculty, for being named Faculty Member of the Year at Rollins School of Public Health!

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Dr. Thompson lectures on stress

Dr. Tina-Ann Thompson, Family Medicine Division Director, gave a webinar on Women's Health and Stress as part of the All of Us Emory education series.

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PA Ultrasound Team Wins 3rd National Championship!

The Emory PA Program Ultrasound Team won the 2022 National PA Iscan Competition! This is the 3rd National Championship for the Emory PA Program  (2018, 2021, and 2022). Congratulations to team members (pictured above) Beverly DiCorso, Melayna Prudhomme, Christina Schroeder, Kruesi Baker, and faculty coach Jeremy Amayo (not shown is Jamie Schatz who could not attend). 

Pictured below: the team at work!

Pictured below: At the Blinded Taboo Station, team member #1 was responsible for managing the ultrasound machine (selecting the correct probe and handing it to the "blinded" person wearing the helmet, etc.), team member #2 had to hold up the card with the assignment (i.e. the structure they had to identify), team member #3 had to describe (without using certain terms – similar to the game Taboo) what team member #4 - the "blinded" team member - had to find with the ultrasound probe. As an example, they were not allowed to say "aorta" but they had to find a branch off of the aorta – so they could say "we are looking for the largest pulsating structure in the abdomen." Team member #3 was the only person who was allowed to give instructions. The whole thing was timed - how fast they were able to find the structures and display them correctly on the ultrasound monitor – and when they found a structure, they had to switch places.

In addition, the second Emory team, pictured below, took Fourth Place in this competition! Not a small feat for 1st-year students! Jordan DaSilva, Ryan Shepherd, Jeremy Amayo, Ashley Davis, in front Kaizeen Badshah, and Magdalyn Spitzer.

A huge thank you to PA faculty and ultrasound coach Jeremy Amayo who spent many hours teaching and mentoring both teams! 

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FM resident Shackelford named GHR Scholar

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Congratulations to our Graduates!

Family Medicine will celebrate the Family Medicine Residency graduates on June 26.

Palliative Medicine will celebrate the Hospice and Palliative Fellowship graduates along with their first division awards ceremony on June 22 at 6:30 pm

Preventive Medicine will celebrate the Preventive Medicine Residency graduates on June 22.

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CME Opportunities

5^th Annual Southeast Review and Update on the Medical Care of Older Adults

July 15-17, 2022

Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA

Older adults require a different approach to care and skill set for identifying and treating medical issues and geriatric syndromes.  By the year 2030, an estimated I in 5 Americans will be over age 65 years. At the 5^th Annual SE Review and Update on Medical Care of Older Adults, physicians and other primary care providers will have an opportunity to improve and update their knowledge and skills in many critical aspects of the care of older adults. REGISTRATION. ABIM MOC Points - 12.00

• Physician: $425.00
• Allied Healthcare Professional: $325.00
• Residents/Fellows: $100.00

News from the DEI Council

Virtual Listening Session

The FPM DEI council will hold a virtual listening session on June 6, 2022 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, for faculty and staff to reflect and provide a safe space for reflection and togetherness.  The link to join the session is below.

As we stand in solidarity with the country, as they stand with the devastated communities in Buffalo, Laguna Woods, Uvalde, and elsewhere, the FPM DEI Council has a charge. It is so important that we stand united.  We will not condescend to say that our thoughts and prayers are with the families. We will not ask for you to march, participate in a course, watch a webinar, or take a knee. We will ask that our community reflect deeply on the reality that many of our colleagues live with and raise their families in every day. We will ask our community to reflect the values of respect, equity, and inclusion in our professional interactions with each other and especially for our patients. We will ask that you act as vehicles for change and promote values we espouse concerning social justice and diversity.  We ask that in every clinical program, research endeavor, and administrative decision you treat the principle of diversity, equity, and inclusion as foundational. We ask that you and our leaders not tolerate inequities couched as institutional culture. We ask that you name racism both interpersonal, institutional, and structural when you see it and avoid euphemisms to spare the feelings of others. We ask that we care for one another and treat each other and our patients with the same grace we hope to receive.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/97623740244?pwd=R2pFVEF5RHdBMFJncXhmZFhiQThJdz09

Emory Mental Health Resources (scroll down to Quick Links)
 

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Juneteenth becomes official Emory holiday

This new holiday applies to Emory University faculty, staff, and students only. Emory Healthcare employees and health sciences students with clinical and lab requirements should refer to their units for more information.  More information.

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SOM Juneteenth Program
June 16 noon-1:30 pm

The School of Medicine's annual Juneteenth Program will feature a panel discussion on the documentary, Power to Heal. The online program will be hosted by Dr. Sheryl Heron and moderated by Drs. Tyrese Hinkins-Jones and Nate Spell. Panelists include Drs. Nanette Wenger, Joanne McGriff, Yolanda Wimberly, Jasmine Clark, and Mr. Ildemaro Gonzalez. This should be an engaging discussion on the historic struggle to secure equal and adequate access to healthcare for all Americans. Film and registration details.

Details about other Juneteenth events taking place on campus will be announced in the coming weeks.

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SAVE THE DATE:
Inaugural FPM DEI Grand Rounds
August 1
5-6 pm

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American Attitudes towards
Asian Americans in 2022

In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, The Asian American Foundation partnered with Leading Asian Americans United for Change (LAAUNCH) to release the second annual STAATUS Index, which reveals the attitudes and stereotypes towards Asian Americans in the U.S. 

This year’s findings illustrate that we can no longer attribute the anti-Asian sentiment in our country to political rhetoric and the COVID-19 pandemic alone. Racism directed at Asian Americans continues to rise in America and is deeply embedded in American history, culture and institutions.

A few key takeaways from the report this year reveal a somber reality for Asian Americans in 2022:

• Attacks on Asian Americans are increasing, yet one third of Americans are unaware of this increase in violence.
• Asian Americans are among the least likely to feel they belong and are accepted in the U.S.
• Asian Americans remain invisible despite their economic and cultural contributions—58% of Americans couldn’t name a prominent Asian American and 42% couldn’t name a significant Asian American historical moment more recent than the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

The good news, though, is that there are some bright spots in the data: 

• 71% would like to see more Asian Americans in TV and movies. This is especially true for younger and more liberal Americans. 
• 72% of Americans believe anti-Asian American racism should be addressed.
• Americans regardless of race would like better education on AAPI history, culture, and experiences.  We see this as an important step in addressing anti-AAPI hate and are proud that TAAF's work focused on education is seeding the teaching of AAPI history as part of the American story.

 Read the full report and share it with your own communities and social circles. 
 

SOM DEI Ongoing Programs

Don't miss out on all that's going on. View the DEI Calendar.

• Affinity Month celebrations
• Anti-Racism Resources
• Racism & Social Justice Webinar Series
• Unconscious Bias Education Program
• URiM and Women Faculty Speakers Bureau

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