Emory Family & Preventive Medicine Department News 2023: Volume 6, issue 5 55 Words from the Chair Lots of exciting news this month, from recognition for educators to service awards to staff rubbing elbows with President Fenves and coordinating Diversity and Inclusion Week! Our researchers continue to garner accolades for their work. We have a new LinkedIn site for the department and graduations on the horizon – scroll down for all the details! Sharing Our Good News! DFPM is on LinkedIn! Click here to follow our department on LinkedIn and please encourage any alumni that you keep in touch with to connect with us! FPM Staff Meets President Fenves A downpour at Staff Fest did not stop our FPM staff from having a great day and snagging a selfie with Emory's President Fenves! Pictured left to right: Yan Wang, Tammi Teeters-McDae, President Fenves, Patricia Woodard, and Mary Davis. Congratulations Tina-Ann Thompson, MD, MBA! Congratulations to Dr. Tina-Ann Thompson for completing her MBA at Goizueta School of Business! Kicking Off our As you travel, relax, and enjoy your summer, please share pictures of yourself and your family to celebrate the importance of work-life balance! Pictured below: Joanna Boyles and her son Xander enjoy a sunny day at the beach! Pictured below: Dr. Leslie Johnson and her son Cooper decorating stacking blocks at a baby shower at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Below: Dr. Richard Goodman and his daughter went on the trip of a lifetime to Antarctica on the expedition ship Ultramarine. A photojournalist from USA Today happened to be on the trip with them and you can read his full account of the journey here. Pictured below, clockwise from top left: the 4 pairs of parents-offspring on the trip; Dr. Goodman and his daughter (both University of Michigan alums) on the actual Antarctica Peninsula, holding the Antarctica flag and claiming this land for the University of Michigan, as well as Emory; On South Georgia Island visiting the largest penguin colonies in the world (approx.. 300,000); and on board the Ultramarine, with South Georgia Island in background. Screens and well-being, part 3 Although we suspect it’s not great for us, we all sit in front of screens A LOT, both for work and for entertainment: television, computers, smartphones, and gaming devices to name a few. And we know that digital technology is here to stay. How can we inculcate healthy digital habits? This article concludes the 3-part series. If you missed parts 1 & 2, you can find them in the DFPM newsletter archive. Can we consume digital content to promote well-being (or at least not harm it too much)? Interestingly, a recent study found that movies depicting character strengths (e.g., perseverance, courage, and teamwork) make 88% more money at the international box office than movies that don’t depict character strengths. This research comes from a partnership with Common Sense Media, an independent nonprofit that provides ratings and reviews of digital media (“from Elmo to Game of Thrones”). Unfortunately, their report also found that movies targeting teenagers are the least likely to depict character strengths. Here are lists of recent films that “highlight the best in humanity”: FSAP has a new website! The Emory Faculty Staff Assistance Program has moved over to the Human Resources website and can now be accessed from the HR site’s top navigation menu. The FSAP website can also be accessed directly at their web address of www.fsap.emory.edu Transformative Research Dr. Sara Turbow's article, “Trends and Demographic Disparities in Diabetes Hospital Admissions: Analyses of Serial Cross-Sectional National and State Data, 2008-2017,” published in Diabetes Care, is one of two papers selected for the 2023 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Award for Outstanding Research, sponsored by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and AcademyHealth. Dr. Turbow will be recognized during the 2023 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, June 24-27 in Seattle. Dr. Ali John Zarrabi has been awarded the highly prestigious Kornfeld Scholars Award from the National Palliative Care Research Center. Dr. Zarrabi will be applying cutting-edge methodologies to test and advance a core tenet of our field – the concept of “total pain” – which holds the promise of allowing for the provision precision palliative care by matching patients with interventions that address their complex and interrelated sources of suffering. His mentoring team includes Dio Kavalieratos, PhD, Boadie Dunlop, MD (Emory Psychiatry), May Hua, MD PhD (Columbia University), and John Blosnich, PhD MPH (University of Southern California). This large award in conjunction with Division support will protect Dr. Zarrabi for 75% time to work on his research beginning July 1, 2023. Dr. Zarrabi (along with colleagues in pulmonary) also received an I3 grant ($250k) to study the antiaging role of psilocybin. Dr. Sathish Thirunavukkarasu has been awarded International Best Researcher Award in Public Health by ISSN International Research Awards 2023 as well as Asia’s Outstanding Researcher Award in Epidemiology by Asia’s Science, Technology and Research Awards (ASTRA) 2023. In addition, Dr. Thirunavukkarasu was awarded Georgia CTSA funding as Principal Investigator for "Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on Fasting Hyperglycemia in People with Isolated Impaired Fasting Glucose: A Proof-of-Concept Study" in collaboration with researchers from Emory School of Public Health, University of Georgia, and Georgia Institute of Technology. He has also recently served as a grants reviewer for ADA's “Innovative Research to Improve the Lives of Women with Diabetes Across the Lifespan” and was appointed as an Editorial Board Member of Open Access Journal of Disease and Global Health. Ambar Kulshreshtha's paper Physician Attitudes and Self-reported Practices Toward Prostate Cancer Screening in Black and White Men won the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine CERA Paper of the Year award. Welcome new palliative research staff! Please welcome the newest team members for Palliative Medicine Research! Pictured above, left to right: Jaycie Emery, Clinical Research Coordinator, Camille Murray, Clinical Research Coordinator, and Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Alexandre Cammarata-Mouchtouris. Recent Presentations FM at STFM and HSR Day Family Medicine faculty and residents presented at the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine 2023 Annual Spring Conference in Tampa, FL. Pictured below, left: Dr. Yiam Garay, Dr. Kimberly Eide, and Dr. Mirtha Aguilar with their poster "Covid vaccine response in communities with Disparities: A closer look into the Latino and African American Population." Pictured below, right: Dr. Kimberly Eide with her poster "Simulation Lab: To Increase Confidence and Technical Skills in Knee Aspiration and Injection Amongst Emory Family Medicine Residents." The Family Medicine Residency Program was also well-represented at Health Sciences Research Day 2023. Pictured below, left: Divya Arora, Inara Rajwani, Avantika Rastogi, and Dr. Megha Shah with their poster "A Community Engaged Needs Assessment of South Asians in Atlanta: the CENSAA Study, a Qualitative Study." Pictured below, right: MPH student Manju Ramakrishnan presenting "Cost-Related Medication Non-Compliance and Cardiovascular Risk in the U.S. 2019-2021." Authors include FM resident Dr. Nikhila Gandrakota and FM faculty Dr. Megha Shah. Dr. Dio Kavalieratos gave Medicine Grand Rounds for NewYork-Presbyterian last month on the role of palliative care in heart failure. Dr. Sathish Thirunavukkarasu received a Travel Grant to present his poster "Prediabetes Phenotype Influences the Effect of Lifestyle Interventions on Diabetes Incidence: A Meta-Analysis" at the IDF-WPR Congress 2023/15th Scientific Meeting of AASD, Kyoto, Japan from 21-23 July 2023. Dr. Thirunavukkarasu also had a poster "Effects of structured lifestyle interventions on cardiovascular risk and risk factors in individuals at high-risk of developing type 2 diabetes: A protocol for a systematic review" selected for presentation at The Baker Institute – La Trobe Research Symposium, Melbourne, Australia on 14 June 2023. Faculty publications Dr. Richard Goodman published an opinion piece, Addressing the Need for Accountability in Public Health, in the American Journal of Public Health, addressing serious issues regarding misinformation that arose and were brought into focus during the pandemic, but that have enduring implications. Collaborative Faculty Publications Palliative faculty Dr. Jane Lowers and Dr. Dio Kavalieratos published Prevalence of unmet pain and symptom management needs in adults with cystic fibrosis. Preventive Medicine faculty Dr. Sara Turbow and Vice Chair for Research Dr. Mo Ali published Association of Fragmented Readmissions and Electronic Information Sharing With Discharge Destination Among Older Adults. Dr. Mo Ali Screening for Prediabetes and Diabetes: Clinical Performance and Implications for Health Equity. Dr. Kimberly Curseen: Ambulatory palliative care among patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: A qualitative study. Dr. Jodie Guest: Effects of mode of transportation on PrEP persistence among urban men who have sex with men. Dr. Ted Johnson: Dr. Dio Kavalieratos: Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha: Global rural health disparities in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: State of the science. Educational Investments for our future
Congratulations to our DFPM Faculty Recognized for Educator Appreciation Day! See the full list of 2023 Emory School of Medicine faculty recognized for Educator Appreciation Day here. Jeremy Amayo teaches with case-based examples helping students learn with critical thinking. He has led our POCUS program teaching hand-held ultrasound in every organ system and has led our POCUS team to several national championships. He inspires students to understand complex concepts with excellent examples and engaged problem-solving. His teaching style is encouraging, and he is always available to answer questions. Kim Curseen is the consummate mentor. She listens deeply to her mentees’ goals, aspirations, challenges, and needs. She also listens to what’s underneath the surface of their words and asks curious questions to help them realize what’s worrying them or driving their behavior. Through this deep listening, she’s able to effectively guide fellows to the steps needed for them to reach their greatest potential, both during their year of fellowship and in their career beyond fellowship. Amber Davis is one of the most dedicated educators and PA advocates I know. She delivers an exceptional lecture and lab-based didactic learning through the PA program across multiple specialties. She precepts students in her Internal Medicine clinic, helping learners grow into strong and thoughtful clinicians. Amber advises students with compassion while creating solutions that support the students’ mental health and progress. She creates an enthusiastic environment for learning. Richard Goodman has been serving in he role of Program Director for the Emory Preventive Medicine Residency/Fellowship Program for 8 years. He has dedicated his time to individualizing training experiences for our residents/fellows during their training in Preventive Medicine. His passion for mentorship and teaching has produced leaders in public health as well as public health physicians who are committed to improving the health of populations and communities in which they serve. Emily Herndon is an exemplary teacher to medical students, medical residents, and her fellow Student Health Services colleagues. Over the years, Dr. Herndon has dedicated significant time to supporting the medical student experience. She served as the Primary Clerkship Director for many years as well as Small Group Leader. She was instrumental in creating the Culinary Medicine elective for second-year students. She was critical in establishing the GYN procedure program at Student Health. Leslie Johnson has been my teacher, mentor and advisor as I took QRL workshop wanting to build my qualitative research method skills and competencies. This led me to an opportunity to VECD Fogarty Fellowship award and to date she still supports my learning and research work. She is a competent teacher, team player and aspires to see others succeed. She is a dedicated and committed teacher. Given her experience working in India, her mentorship style is inclusive and respectful of different cultures and contexts. She has particularly helped me in advancing my understanding of qualitative and mixed-methods research and connected me with faculty members both within and outside Emory to build network. Ashima Lal continues to lead the M3 Palliative Care Rotation with vision and enthusiasm. She ensures that each medical student is set up for success by attending to clear faculty and student expectations, faculty development, and logistics for the one-week rotation. On the wards, she is a well-respected teacher for all levels of learners and is always open to having additional learners join her on palliative care rounds at Grady. Jimi Malik is an enthusiastic teacher. His way of teaching is to value the whole human while maintaining a methodical and evidence-based approach. He possesses an inordinate amount of knowledge of palliative care which he shares generously with all the team members. He sends us evidence-based articles on each patient care topic we encountered that day. He practices the socratic method of teaching and learns from his students. His cheerful demeanor, humility, and warmth are a beam of light in a challenging fellowship. He is a paragon of how to continue growing and learning throughout one's career. Lawson Marcewicz serves as an assistant program director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program and as Chief of Palliative Care at the VA. As APD, he has re-envisioned our quality improvement program and is working closely with fellows to ensure that they are able to participate in meaningful QI work. As Chief, he has spearheaded an initiative with VA colleagues to offer a new elective in palliative medicine for Morehouse Internal Medicine residents which has been highly rated. Meredith Maxwell is such an excellent preceptor. She is able to read what the learner is needing and provide this well. She knows when to jump in and when to allow the learner to take the lead. She serves as an assistant program director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program and also leads the curriculum for learners of all levels in the Emory Supportive Care Clinic. Her initiative and attention to detail in these two roles have led to success in both, with increasing numbers of learners clamoring for outpatient palliative medicine experiences. Robert Palm skillfully balances the demands of a busy palliative care service at Emory Decatur Hospital with the joy of having medical students spend their 1-week required rotation in palliative care with him. His love of learning is infectious, and students enjoy seeing the challenges and successes of patient care through his eyes. He also serves as a teacher for the advanced practice provider on the team, having become a trusted colleague for her as they care for patients together. Dr. Emily Pinto Taylor is not only an exceptional role model for patient care and advocacy, but she also looks for opportunities for growth and learning for her trainees, both at the bedside, but also by actively seeking out professional development opportunities, such as collaborating on papers and submitting cases to conferences. She plays an extremely active role in developing the aging/dying course for M1 students and, over the past 3 years, I have seen her tirelessly work and respond to feedback to make this course as meaningful for students as possible. She has spearheaded an innovative program in our residency program designed to provide residents the skills in peer debriefing that are essential for physician and personal wellness. She is a strong trainee advocate and works tirelessly to improve the clinical and professional acumen of those around her. Dr. Ryan Smith is the Director for Family Medicine undergraduate medical education. He is beloved by the Emory medical and PA students. He works with learners at all levels, and is always willing to give extra time. He's been a fantastic mentor to students, representing our specialty so well! Dr. Jabeen Taj has been one of my most important teachers as a new member of faculty. Her steadiness and reliable advice has been invaluable to my own growth as a teacher and clinician. She is easily reachable and very open to sharing her advice. She genuinely cares about us as junior colleagues and wants to help us grow as physicians. She is open to feedback, makes us feel heard, and addresses our concerns. I am thankful for her leadership on our team. Dr. Laura Waddle is an outstanding teacher and mentor. She treats her learners as fellow humans with respect and care, just as she treats her patients. She titrates her teaching and level of supervision to their needs, which she determines via asking and observation. She shares her extensive skills with generosity. She gives practical, timely advice, both professional and personal. Her tactful approach, authenticity, deep listening, and wisdom is a source of support and growth for all her learners. Dr. Erin Weinisch is an innovative thought leader in medical education and student advocate. She started with the PA program less than two years ago and quickly became an invaluable member of our team. She is a dedicated advisor; students and peers regularly seek her out for her visionary and progressive approach to collaborative and simulated education, and students rely on her for years after graduation for support and guidance. Recently she has taken on leadership responsibilities and our program will continue to benefit from her expanded role. Zarrabi featured on GPB Dr. Ali John Zarrabi was featured on Episode 5 of Emory's “Your Fantastic Mind” on Georgia Public Broadcasting. The episode, on psychedelic medications, follows a participant in a clinical trial studying the use of psychedelics to alleviate mental suffering and depression. Leading researchers and clinicians discuss the latest scientific breakthroughs and the challenges in bringing this innovative therapy to a wider audience. He was also featured in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about the use of medical marijuana in Georgia. WHSC Office of IPECP launches new programs and celebrates interprofessional education The Woodruff Health Sciences Center’s Office of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP), co-directed by Dr. Jodie Guest, recently held an open house to highlight exemplary Emory interprofessional (IPE) educational programs and introduce two new programs that will begin during the 2023–24 academic year. Read more about the IPECP and the new programs. The student panel included Camille Murray, a Rollins School of Public Health student who participated in the Atlanta Interprofessional Student Hotspotting program and who is a new clinical research coordinator for Palliative Medicine; and Caroline Wells, a physician assistant student who participated in the Emory Farmworker Project. Educational Events Diabetes Conference June 10 Emory Diabetes Education Training Academy invites you to participate in a half-day event on the latest developments in diabetes technology. Join us for informative presentations and engaging workshops on topics such as the Standard of Care 2023, CGM in Primary Care, CGM data interpretation, and CGM workshops. This event is designed for Primary Care Providers and Support Staff (Nurses, CDCES, and Dietitians). Please note, this is a hybrid event. 6th Annual Southeast Review and Update
A course designed to provide basic and cutting-edge knowledge for optimizing the delivery of services to the expanding older adult population. The care of older adults requires a special approach and skill set for identifying and treating common problems in this demographic, and by 2030, an estimated 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65 years of age. Service for our future Palliative Care Center Plans for Future On May 25, members of the Emory Palliative Care Center (pictured above) gathered for a Strategic Planning Retreat at the Emory Center for Ethics. The retreat marks an important milestone in the 14-year history of the Center, as current members met to consider the progress and current state of palliative care at Emory and collaborated to creatively envision the future of the Center. Dr. Laura Waddle won a National-level VA award called the “Distinguished leader in Connected Care” award for her efforts in maintaining connection to patients utilizing telehealth. She will be awarded this award at a virtual ceremony on June 2. Major kudos to Dr. Waddle and to the whole team for helping make this happen. This is a measure of how much we are utilizing telehealth, and importantly, how we shifted to keep meeting our patients’ needs using telehealth. Boyles Celebrates Successful Joanna Boyles helped organize Health Equity Day, the scholarly event of the School of Medicine's Diversity and Inclusion Week with poster presentations, breakout room discussions, and a keynote speaker. Pictured below: Dr. Sheryl Heron and Joanna Boyles celebrate a successful Diversity and Inclusion week at the Block Party, which included food trucks and dancing! Lowers Shares Advice on Aging and Illness Dr. Jane Lowers was recently interviewed for the Our MBC Life podcast, which is focused on metastatic breast cancer. She was invited to talk about aging alone with serious illness. Here’s a link. You can listen to the full episode HERE. Thompson Promotes EAWiMS Dr. Tina-Ann Thompson volunteered to share information about the Emory Alliance for Women in Medicine and Science at the Diversity and Inclusion Week Block Party. She is pictured above with Dr. Gulisa Turashvili from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Pinto-Taylor Goes Above and Beyond Dr. Emily Pinto-Taylor received an "Above and Beyond" Award from Grady Cancer Center for calling Harbor Grace Hospice and made arrangements for a patient to be enrolled in inpatient hospice when he could not receive hospice services at a PCH he was placed in. Marcewicz named Senior Physician Marcewicz named Senior Physician. The designation of senior physician requires continued board certification, a demonstrated commitment to excellence in clinical care, and a trajectory of expanding the breadth and volume of clinical practice during time in rank. If you are interested in the 2024 Clinical Distinctions application process, please contact Leigh Partington. News from the FPM DEI Council SOM Juneteenth Event: Juneteenth event featuring panel presentations on 3 areas of wellness: mental, spiritual, and physical from Rev. Tolton Pace, Clevevoya D. Gaston, and Shaquita Starks. Co-sponsored by the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing. DEI Grand Rounds is Back! Watch your email for the Zoom link for Dr. Lawson Marcewicz's DEI Grand Rounds on June 15, 12:15-1:15 pm! Videos from Diversity and Inclusion Week If you missed the keynote or other lectures during Diversity and Inclusion Week, you can find them here. News from the Office of Faculty Development New Emory Women's
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