55 Words from the Chair
My prediction(s) for 2024? Exciting developments from our divisions and programs; continuing excellence in education, research, service, and leadership; launching faculty and staff development and mentorship programs; growing via new faculty and staff hires (including a PA Program Director), and 12 months working with the best learners, staff, and faculty! Happy Holidays to all y’all!
Year-End Messages from DFPM Leadership
Slideshow from Department Quarterly Meeting
If you missed the slideshow before the Department All-Staff, All Faculty Quarterly Meeting on Thursday or you just want to see it again, here's the link.
Don't Miss Opportunities!
January 8, 2024, 4 - 4:45 pm
Poetry and Medicine: A Juxtaposition
James B. Williams, Room 120
Register for an engaging and interactive session that will challenge and enrich your perspective on poetry and medicine. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing Jericho Brown will introduce the power of juxtaposition. This literary technique places two or more things side by side to create contrast and meaning.
Save the Date: Registration Coming Soon
February 6, 2024, 8 - 9 AM: 2024 Montgomery Lecture in Palliative Care
Amber Barnato, MD, MPH, MS
Director, Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
March 26, 2024, 5 - 7 PM:
2024 Paul W. Seavey Lecture in Internal Medicine
Helene Gayle, MD, MPH
President of Spelman College,
Former president and CEO of CARE,
Former Director of HIV, TB, and Reproductive Health Program for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
Former Director for the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention
Celebrations!
Pictured below: Dr. Sathish Thirunavukkarasu celebrated Garba Night with his wife (center) and students. Garba Night is in celebration of an Indian festival called Navaratri.
Pictured below: Staff from the Office of the Chair, the Preventive Medicine Residency, and the Family Medicine Residency celebrated the winter holidays together. (L to R): Lynn Gissendanner-Tarleton, Leigh Partington, Yan Zhang, Chariss Smith, Mary Davis, and Patricia Woodard.
Transformative Research
Welcome to DFPM, Dr. Chehal!
Dr. Puneet Chehal joined the DFPM as an assistant professor in October 2023. Prior to arriving at Emory, she completed a postdoc at the University of Chicago. Dr. Chehal’s professional career in economic research began as a research associate in the Economic Research Department at the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank. She subsequently pursued doctoral training in Public Policy at Duke University with a focus on health policy and economics. Dr. Chehal’s research focuses on Medicaid programs, race disparities, and diabetes. She aims to understand how Medicaid programs can improve health over the life course of low-income populations. She is a 2023 KL2 Scholar, and her project entitled, “The Association between the ACA Medicaid Expansion and Cardiometabolic Disease Severity Across Heterogeneous State Medicaid Managed Care Programs” aims to reconcile mixed empirical findings on changes in health outcomes attributed to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) Medicaid expansion by analyzing measures of cardiometabolic disease severity, and exploring differences in state Medicaid managed care programs that likely affect policy outcomes across states. She is also a co-investigator on an R01 project studying race/ethnic disparities in diabetes management among Medicaid enrollees receiving care from managed care organizations with Dr. Mo Ali.
Fun facts about Dr. Chehal: She is Canadian; she is a rescue dog mom to an almost 10-year-old Schnauzer named Rocky; and she overlapped in the same graduate program with Dr. Sarah Cross. In her spare time, she likes to watch Hawks' games, try new eateries, put off home repairs, and most recently Dr. Chehal discovered her passion for competitive canoeing and pinecone polo in small ponds.
Welcome to DFPM, Kyra Ayala!
Kyra Ayala is the new Sr. Program Coordinator for Palliative Research and Education. She will be working directly with Dr. Lynn O'Neill and Dr. Dio Kavalieratos to support Education and Research for the Emory Palliative Care Center. Ms. Ayala was born and raised in San Diego, CA and graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Public Health. She has lived in Atlanta for 4 years with her now-fiancé, Eli. Ms. Ayala started her professional career working for a non-profit specializing in creating HIV prevention programs. During COVID, she transitioned to a role in healthcare staffing. Outside of work, she thoroughly enjoys reading, Braves baseball, Alabama football (sorry Georgia fans!), and traveling.
Research News
In October, Dr. Dio Kavalieratos, Dr. Ali John Zarrabi, Dr. Rachel Hadler, and Dr. Sarah Cross attended the Sixteenth Annual Kathleen M. Foley Palliative Care Retreat and Research Symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Dr. Zarrabi attended as a National Palliative Care Research Center Kornfield Scholar and Dr. Hadler and Dr. Cross attended as American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Research Scholars, with Dr. Kavalieratos attending as their mentor. Dr. Hadler and Dr. Cross gave poster presentations and Dr. Kavalieratos led a session on Building a Serious Illness Research Center.
Pictured above: Beautiful aspen trees in Jackson Hole.
New Funding for Thirunavukkarasu
Dr. Sathish Thirunavukkarasu is Principal Investigator on a new project: ‘Urinary Biomarkers of Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Harm: An Exposomics Approach to Understanding the Smoking Paradox (TE00000540)’. Funder: McMaster University, Canada. Funding amount: U$31,008.
Dr. Leslie Johnson and Mentee Presentations
Dr. Leslie Johnson gave a presentation entitled, "Mental Health and T1D" on a webinar for the JDRF Georgia and South Carolina Chapter on November 16th.
Additionally, one of Dr. Johnson's mentees from the UGA School of Social Work, Zach Cooper, presented some joint work at the APHA conference last month:
Cooper, Z., Washington, T.W., Johnson, L. Addressing social determinants: Examining roles of social workers on healthcare teams American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. November 2023, Atlanta, Georgia. [Poster Presentation].
Cooper, Z., Mowbray, O., Johnson, L. Social determinants of health and diabetes: Using a nationally representative sample to determine which social determinant of health model best predicts diabetes. American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. November 2023, Atlanta, GA. [oral presentation]
Thirunavukkarasu and Students Present
Dr. Sathish Thirunavukkarasu and three of his students presented a poster titled “Incidence, Risk, and Clinical Course of New-Onset Diabetes after COVID-19: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies" at Emory Global Health Institute's INFOCUS '23.
DFPM Research Retreat
DFPM Trainees Win Poster Competitions
Ms. Abby Wilson, MD candidate, Class of 2024 and Discovery student working with Dr. Dio Kavalieratos, won first place for her research poster presentation "Patient Experiences During Therapeutic Breakthroughs for Cystic Fibrosis: A Qualitative Study" at the Association of Medicine and Psychiatry.
Dr. Allison Choi was the winner of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians (GAFP) Poster competition. Dr. Choi's poster was titled “Prolonged Hospital Stay for a Pregnant Patient With Psychosis and Suicidal Ideation” and presented work by Dr. Choi and her mentor Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha.
Faculty publications
Collaborative Faculty Publications
Dr. Sarah Cross, Dr. Kimberly Curseen, Dr. Tammie Quest, Dr. Ali John Zarrabi, and Dr. Dio Kavalieratos published Social Deprivation and End-of-Life Care Use Among Adults With Cancer.
Dr. Deanna Kaplan and Dr. Jennifer Mascaro published Diversity, equity, and inclusivity in observational ambulatory assessment: Recommendations from two decades of Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) research
Dr. Jane Lowers and Dr. Dio Kavalieratos published Pulmonary Function and Quality of Life in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis. and Clinician Perspectives on barriers and solutions to symptom management in cystic fibrosis.
Dr. Megha Shah, Family Medicine resident Dr. Nikhila Gandrakota, and Dr. Mo Ali published Trends in Health Behaviors of US Adults With and Without Diabetes: 2007-2018.
Faculty Publications
Dr. Mo Ali:
Dr. Dio Kavalieratos:
Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha:
Dr. Miranda Moore:
Dr. Sathish Thirunavukkarasu:
Educational Investments for our future
Educational News and Events
New Art of Palliation Cohort
Congratulations to Dr. Paul DeSandre and Dr. Ali John Zarrabi on the upcoming interdisciplinary annual Art of Palliation course. This is the fifth year that the course has been offered. Congratulations also to Palliative faculty Dr. Janelle Holder, Dr. Joanne Kuntz, and Dr. Lynn O'Neill who will be participating in the program.
The Art of Palliation course meets at the High Museum of Art and the Carlos Museum. This 3-part art museum-based experiential curriculum is designed to foster core palliative care clinical and team-based skills outside of the usual structures and hierarchies of the healthcare environment. Topics covered include bias, cultural humility, and empathy, and uses works of art to have learners generate meaning, reflect on their mortality, and potentially experience awe.
Pictured above: The Art of Palliation 2021 cohort at the High Museum of Art
Thompson chosen for WLA
Congratulations to Dr. Tina-Ann Thompson who has been selected for the Woodruff Leadership Academy as part of the 22nd WLA cohort. The screening process for this prestigious program is extremely selective, and the WLA Fellows are chosen from a large pool of stellar candidates each year. All WLA graduates improve their leadership skills, learn more about the challenges and rewards of leadership, and learn much more about themselves.
T. Johnson presents on GWEP Partnerships
L. Johnson Chosen for Junior Faculty Development
Dr. Leslie Johnson was selected to participate in the 2024 SOM Junior Faculty Development Course. This year-long course is designed especially for junior faculty, holding monthly sessions on the Business of Academics, Human Resources, Crucial Conversations, Presentation and Speaking Skills, Promotions, Teaching Skills, Manuscript and Grant Writing, Negotiations, Ethics, and Leadership to support the professional develop of early-career faculty. This competitive program accepts 25-30 SOM faculty each year.
Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Emory Hospice & Palliative Medicine Adult Track Fellows!
Listed below, you'll find the fellows, their specialty, and their current residency program.
Min Yi Dong (Family Medicine) - University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston
Kenneth Harang (Internal Medicine) - Tulane University
Thanh (Tang) Nguyen (Emergency Medicine) - HCA Florida Kendall Hospital (Miami)
Eunsong (Grace) Park (Family Medicine) - The Christ Hospital/University of Cincinnati
Olivia Victoriano (Emergency Medicine) - UHS Southern California Medical Education Consortium
Ramya Yeleti (Family/Preventive Medicine) - Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Congratulations to Prev Med Resident Dr. Doshi!
Dr. Kunal Doshi, one of our PM-2s, successfully matched into the Addiction Medicine fellowship at Loma Linda. He is a Southern California native and is thrilled to be heading back to the region to continue his training.
SOM Community Engagement Champion Awards
Jan. 18 | 5:30 - 7 p.m. | Zoom
The SOM will have a webinar to honor the exceptional community partners who engage with Emory medical students through the Community Learning and Social Medicine course. SOM will recognize the people and organizations who work with our medical students to train future healthcare professionals who are responsive to community needs. This work strengthens our academic community partnerships to help improve the health of our community. Register.
2024 GME DEI Virtual Open House:
Jan. 31 | 6 - 7:30 p.m. | Zoom
Join GME for their Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Virtual Open House for Residency and Fellowship Applicants sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs in partnership with the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME). Register.
The open house will include:
- A high-level overview of DEI efforts at GME, departmental, and SOM levels
- Presentations from DEI leadership and Under-Represented in Medicine (URiM) trainees
- Open discussion with residents and faculty about living in Atlanta and training at Emory SOM
Service for our future
Emory Palliative Care Physicians leading
ESJH hospital quality efforts
Each month all unexpected Hospital deaths (indexed based on diagnosis codes as a proxy for severity of illness) at the hospital must be reviewed and reported according to CMS quality regulations. Each case is reviewed and investigated by a quality review team led by a physician, and then assessment and opportunities for improvement or corrective recommendations (eg peer review) are discussed at the EMOC (Emory Mortality Oversight Committee).
There are six physician leaders at ESJH on a monthly rotation to whom all cases are assigned/trusted. Two are hospital chief leaders, the Chief Medical Officer Dr McGahan, and Chief Quality Officer Dr Balk. Two are leaders in hospital medicine, one representing Emory, and one representing Kaiser Permanente. And two are Emory Palliative Medicine physicians, Dr. Hillary Fitzgerald and Dr. Dan Bell.
Kudos to our ESJH palliative care team stepping up to sit at the table with a big presence with Hospital leadership to improve hospital safety and care delivery, outside of palliative medicine (but always representing for palliative medicine!).
Primary Care Consortium Primary Care Service Awards - Nominations Open!
Award Descriptions and past recipients can be found here.
15 award categories for individuals and teams to honor the dedication and achievements of Emory's primary care providers
Actively engaged (≥ .40 effort) in longitudinal, comprehensive primary care within Emory Clinic, Emory Specialty Associates, or an Emory affiliate (VA, Grady, Emory University Student Health, Emory Corporate Medicine, Emory linked senior care sites) as a staff member or provider.
Provider disciplines include geriatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, nurse practice, physician assistant, preventive medicine, and palliative care.
News from the DFPM
JEDI Council
DEI Grand Rounds - In Case You Missed It
Did you miss the DFPM JEDI Grand Rounds on December 7? You can watch Dr. Jodie Guest talk about the Emory Farmworker Project and lessons learned while caring for migrant workers.
News from the Office of Faculty Development
NEW: Free Emory Resource to Satisfy GCMB
Professional Boundaries Training Requirement
Key Points
- Emory now offers a free resource to assist providers in meeting the Georgia Composite Medical Board (GCMB) Professional Boundaries training requirement. Click here to register for the course.
- The 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM course is available for free to Emory-employed physicians and non-employed, Emory-affiliated providers.
- The course explains strategies to use when faced with patient behaviors that cross professional boundaries and how to recognize situations that risk violating professional standards regarding sexual conduct with patients.
As shared earlier this year, the GCMB has added a new question to the physician license renewal application. This question requires the physician to attest to having completed one-time education and training in professional boundaries and physician sexual misconduct.
To-date, most training available to satisfy this requirement had to be purchased from external organizations or vendors. Emory now offers a free resource to aid providers in meeting the Georgia Composite Medical Board (GCMB) Professional Boundaries requirement that can be accessed via our new CME platform. Click here to register for the course.
Please take note of the following important points:
- The requirement to attest to Professional Boundaries education and training only applies to providers who are renewing their license. It is not a requirement for those who are applying for a Georgia License for the first time.
- Licensees can renew their licenses through the Board's online account portal. If providers attest that they have not completed this training, a hold will be placed on their license renewal. This hold will remain until they can attest that they have completed the required training.
- For more information on CME requirements, please refer to Chapters 360-15 in the Rules and Regulations in the State of Georgia or the Board's webpage on CME.
