Thursday, December 15, 2011

Free Flu Vaccine - Act Now!


It's your last chance to receive a free seasonal flu vaccine provided by USA Physicians Group!

The vaccine is available free of charge for USA employees, as well as family members covered by the USA Health & Dental Plan.

Flu vaccines are available at the Urgent Care clinic on USA's main campus. No appointments are necessary.

Follow this link to learn more - www.usahealthsystem.com/flushot.

USA Physician Named Chair of APPD Program Director School

From left to right: Dr. Franklin Trimm, professor and vice chair of pediatrics; Dr. Benjamin Petty, family medicine resident on pediatric inpatient rotation. 

Dr. Franklin Trimm, professor and vice chair of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, was recently selected as chair of the Association for Pediatric Program Directors’ (APPD) newly developed Program Director School.

Dr. Trimm, who has served as the residency program director for pediatrics at USA for 18 years, said the Program Director School will train both current and future program directors.

“In the past, serving as a residency program director was a stepping stone in one’s career,” he said. “Now, it is a role that is considered a long-term career choice because it takes time to learn all of the skills necessary. The skill set needed to be a pediatric residency program director is complex, and on-the-job training is the best way to learn.”

Including Dr. Trimm, seven program directors from around the country were selected to serve on the leadership council of the Program Director School.

“Helping others develop their abilities as an educator has been a part of my career for over 25 years,” Dr. Trimm said. “Being a leader of this national program is the perfect next step for my interests in medical education.”

As chair, Dr. Trimm will be responsible for establishing a curriculum and an evaluation program to ensure the program is accomplishing its goals. In addition, he will establish selection criteria for applicants, as well as a method to track the participants’ success in the future.

As the residency program director for pediatrics at USA, Dr. Trimm has helped develop and refine the core curriculum for residents. In addition, the program recently implemented a national policy that is intended to improved patient care.

“The policy limits the hours residents can work,” Dr. Trimm said. “This reduces errors by having more rested medical professionals. We must do our best effort at patient safety and the quality of residency education.”

Dr. Trimm said he will use his experiences at USA to inform others about the training process involved in being a successful program director.

“My hope is that I am able to inspire the next generation of program directors to become competent so future pediatricians trained in their programs can take care of children at the highest level possible,” he said. “It’s all about the patients.”

Students, Faculty Present Research Projects at 5th Annual COM Research Forum

Terrance Platt (left), a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology and Center for Lung Biology, presents his poster presentation to Dr. Brian Fouty, associate professor of internal medicine at USA.

Presenter Jamie Hill (center), a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology and Center for Lung Biology, presents her poster during the fifth annual College of Medicine research forum.
The University of South Alabama College of Medicine's 5th annual Research Forum was held Dec. 9, 2011, at USA's main library.

The forum consisted of two sessions -- the morning session was comprised of nine oral presentations and the afternoon session hosted 37 poster presentations. Graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and clinical fellows were encouraged to present their work.

According to Dr. Donna Cioffi, assistant professor of biochemistry at USA, the goal of the research forum is to foster new ideas and collaborations. "Research projects were presented by members of the College of Medicine to colleagues and students at USA and visiting institutions," she said. "We hope that through this forum, perspective students will become interested in USA for graduate work."

In addition, Dr. Cioffi said the forum helps to achieve a strong integration between the basic medical science departments and the clinical departments. "It is important for them to communicate in order to integrate education both in a research and bedside clinical fashion and thus work toward our common goal of improving human health."

To learn more about participating in the annual COM Research Forum, contact Dr. Cioffi at dlcioffi@usouthal.edu or Dr. Jody Brewer at jbrewer@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.

USA Lions Club Sponsors Christmas Party for Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind

Members of the USA Lions Club (above) sponsor the Christmas party for the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind.

The annual Christmas party for the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, sponsored by the University of South Alabama Lions Club, was held on Dec. 13, 2011.

Members of the USA Lions Club provided a Christmas gala for the children affected by hearing and sight impairments at the institute. Approximately 20 children were present. The USA Lions Club was responsible for providing lunch and Christmas gifts for every child.

The USA Lions Club was founded in 1993. For more information on the USA Lions Club, contact Tommie Carlisle at tcarlisl@usouthal.edu or Judy Burnham at jburnham@usouthal.edu.

USA Health Services Foundation Remains Leader in United Way Contributions

Coordinators for the United Way Campaign for the Health Services Foundation are Kim Partridge (left) and Patsy Kennedy (right), shown with two patients cared for in the USA Department of Pediatrics.
According to Becky S. Tate, chief executive officer of the University of South Alabama Health Services Foundation, this year’s United Way Campaign set a new record of $41,021.75, up from $35,571 last year.

The campaign for the Health Services Foundation was led by Patsy Kennedy and Kim Partridge. “I’d like to give special thanks to Patsy and Kim for their efforts in organizing our participation,” Tate said. “The enthusiasm these individuals demonstrated had a significant impact on our level of giving as a division.”

“I am equally proud of all of our faculty for the support they have demonstrated for our community,” Tate said. “Their generosity is a reflection of their character and commitment to our region.”

The USA Health Services Foundation remains the leading division in dollars raised for the entire University. Contributions came from 247 Health Services Foundation employees, with the average gift totaling $166.08.

The Health Services Foundation also had the highest number of Leadership Givers and Women’s Initiative Givers than any other division in the University. Ten of the 38 “Women’s Initiative” givers and 24 of the 162 Leadership Givers are employees of the Health Services Foundation.

The United Way has been serving the community for 84 years, tackling issues by partnering with 52 agencies in Mobile, Clarke, and Washington counties. Approximately 700 companies and organizations run an employee-giving campaign to support more than 125,000 individuals each year.