Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Snapshots: 5th Annual Celebrate Hope


The University of South Alabama Mitchell Cancer Institute recently hosted its premier fundraising event, Celebrate Hope, on Nov. 21, 2013.

The funds raised benefit MCI, the only academic cancer research institute in the upper Gulf Coast and have enabled MCI to partner with NIKON to build the Nikon "Celebrate Hope" Advanced Microscopy Center.

To view more photos from the event, click here. To learn more, visit www.usahealthsystem.com/celebratehope.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Carolyn Hupp Recognized for Customer Service

Carolyn Hupp, C.R.N.P., clinical nurse practitioner in the USA division of nephrology, was recently presented an Employee Recognition Award for her outstanding customer service skills.

"Every day that passes, I see Ms. Hupp go the extra mile to help our patients - whether it is a clinic patient, dialysis patient or transplant patient. She never fails to giver her all and then some. She continually looks for ways to help our patients whether it is just making a call to see if all is well or helping get a dialysis patient taken care of because they have transportation problems. What an example of 'Making a Difference.'"

     - Excerpt taken from co-workers' nomination form

To learn more about the USA Physicians Group Customer Service Performance Recognition Program and to print a nomination form, click here.

Six USA Physicians Named ‘Top Doctors’

From left: Drs. Michael Finan, David Lewis, William Richards, Allen Perkins, Johnson Haynes Jr., and Arnold Luterman.
This year, six physicians from the University of South Alabama Physicians Group and USA Mitchell Cancer Institute appear in the Top Doctors directory issued by U.S. News and World Report. They are the only doctors in our region to receive this honor.

Drs. Michael Finan, Johnson Haynes Jr., David Lewis, Arnold Luterman, Allen Perkins, and William Richards were each listed among the top physician specialists in the United States.

Dr. Michael Finan is professor and chief of the gynecologic and oncology division at the Mitchell Cancer Institute and is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the USA College of Medicine. He specializes in the management of cancers of the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and the lower genital tract. He is also the first gynecologist in Mobile to perform robotic surgery. Prior to joining USA, Dr. Finan served as the residency program director of gynecologoc oncology and chair of the cancer committee at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans.

Dr. Johnson Haynes Jr. is a professor of internal medicine and director of the USA Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. Dr. Haynes also serves as assistant dean for diversity and cultural competence at the USA College of Medicine. His interests are in the research and treatment of sickle cell disease. Dr. Haynes is a graduate of the USA College of Medicine and conducted his residency training at the USA Medical Center. Dr. Haynes completed his clinical fellowship in pulmonary medicine at USA, as well as fellowship in pulmonary vascular research at the University of Colorado in Denver.

Dr. David Lewis is a professor and chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the USA College of Medicine. He is board-certified in maternal-fetal medicine with more than 20 years of experience in academic medicine. Dr. Lewis’ clinical and research interests include maternal-fetal and perinatal medicine focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of disorders in the mother and fetus during pregnancy and childbirth, focusing largely on pre-eclampsia and hypertension. Dr. Lewis earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine. Prior to his appointment at USA, he was professor and vice chair for the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Dr. Arnold Luterman recently retired as the Ripp-Meisler professor of surgery at the USA College of Medicine and medical director of the USA Burn Center. He is a nationally known burn care expert, and is noted for his leading-edge burn and wound treatment and research. He helped establish the USA Burn Center in 1981 and has played a vital role in the care of burn victims in our region for more than 30 years.

Dr. Allen Perkins is a professor and chair of family medicine at the USA College of Medicine. He has been a member of the USA College of Medicine faculty for 20 years. During that time, he has been involved in many educational and clinical facets of the USA Health System, including serving as director of the family medicine residency program and as medical director for the USA Family Medicine Center. His academic interests are devoted to improving care delivery to underserved populations and care of patients with chronic diseases.

Dr. William Richards serves as professor and chair of surgery at the USA College of Medicine. He directs the laparoscopic and bariatric surgery programs at USA and is also a member surgeon with the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute. Dr. Richard’s clinical interests focus on surgical treatment of achalasia, paraesophageal hernias, Barrett’s esophagus, adrenal tumors, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Type 2 diabetes and motility disorders of the gastrointestinal tract using minimally invasive surgical procedures. He has performed thousands of laparoscopic procedures since 1989 and is internationally recognized for his research and surgical expertise in these disorders.

U.S. News Top Doctors was created in collaboration with Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. It draws from their database of America’s Top Doctors, all recommended for their clinical skills by other doctors and individually vetted by a physician-led research team. Consumers can search for a Top Doctor by location, hospital affiliation, and a full range of specialties and subspecialties. The site lists nearly 30,000 peer-nominated physicians across the country.

The selection process for America’s Top Doctors is based on a rigorous research process that begins with mail and telephone surveys of board certified physicians. A comprehensive review of the training and credentials of those physicians considered for the inclusion is conducted by the Castle Connolly physician-led research team.

Sharrie Cranford Selected as Co-Editor of INTERCOM

Sharrie Cranford, director of continuing medical education (CME) at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, was recently selected as the co-editor of INTERCOM, a newsletter produced by the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education.

The newsletter, which is published three times a year for professionals in CME, is sent to hundreds of medical institutions throughout the United States.

According to Cranford, INTERCOM provides invaluable information to not only those who provide CME, but also to the entire medical community.

Cranford said she is looking forward to assisting with a forum that will improve patient care and outcomes. “CME is underutilized by many institutions,” she said. “This publication provides an opportunity to reach the CME community to better enable us to exert our positive influence on today’s health care.”

To view past issues of INTERCOM, click here.

To learn more about the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, visit www.sacme.org.