Dr. Chris Winters to Speak at USA Medical Center

Dr. Chris Winters, the H. Eustis Reilly Professor of Urology and chair of the department of urology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, will give a presentation at the University of South Alabama Medical Center on Oct. 13, 2014, at 4 p.m.

The talk, titled “A Medical Odyssey: The evolution of mid-urethral slings for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence,” will be held in the USAMC second floor conference room.

A native of New Orleans, Dr. Winters earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. He completed his urology residency in the combined LSU/ Ochsner program, where he served as chief resident and assistant clinical director at Charity Hospital. He then completed a fellowship in female urology and voiding dysfunction at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio in 1995.

At LSU, Dr. Winters also currently serves as urology director of the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship, which is involved in the multidisciplinary training of urologists and gynecologists in the field of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Winters' work includes extensive publications regarding techniques and outcomes of the sacral colpopexy procedures, and he was one of the first to report on recurrent prolapse following this procedure.  In addition, he has published extensively on graft biomechanics and histology and is recognized as a leader in graft technology on vaginal surgery.

To learn more about Dr. Winters, click here.

Retirement Reception Honors Dr. Jorge Alonso

The University of South Alabama Department of Orthopaedic Surgery hosted a retirement reception honoring Dr. Jorge Alonso, professor of orthopaedic surgery, on Sept. 29, 2014.

Dr. Alonso is retiring after approximately six years of service to the university and 35 years in orthopaedic surgery.

Dr. Alonso presented a lecture, "Orthopaedic Trauma: 30 Years in 30 Minutes," at Surgery Grand Rounds on Sept. 26, 2014. Click here to view the talk in its entirety.

Click here to view more photos from the retirement reception.

USA College of Medicine Alum Presents Grand Rounds

Dr. Monica Williams-Murphy, an award-winning writer and board-certified emergency physician at Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Ala., gave a presentation during the Internal Medicine Department Grand Rounds on Sept. 4, 2014.

The presentation was titled “American Beliefs about the End of Life and the Importance of Advanced Care Planning.”

Dr. Williams-Murphy is a passionate author, blogger and public speaker whose focus is empowering patients and families in critical and end-of-life decision-making. Her book, "It's OK to Die™" and companion website are tools devoted to transforming the end of life into a time of peace, closure and healing.

She also serves as a medical expert and writer for ThirdAge.com, the leading online Baby Boomer lifestyle site; and is guest faculty for the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Medicine where she lectures on ethics and end-of-life decision-making.

Dr. Williams-Murphy earned her medical degree at USA and completed her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.

Support for Dr. Williams-Murphy’s presentation and visit was provided by the Dr. Richard Goldhamer Endowment.

For more information about Dr. Williams-Murphy, click here.

Mobile Medical Museum Fall/Winter Lecture Series Starts Oct. 8

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The first lecture of the Mobile Medical Museum's Fall/Winter Lecture Series will take place Oct. 8, 2014, at 7 p.m. at the USA Library, Room 181.

The lecture will be presented by Dr. Bert E. Park, a trained historian and neurosurgeon who currently practices part of the year in Africa.

His lecture, titled "Adolf Hitler and John F. Kennedy: A Shared Pathographic Legacy," will examine the dependence of these two world leaders on central nervous system stimulants and its impact on history.

For more information, contact the Mobile Medical Museum at (251) 415-1109.

Postdoctoral Researcher Attends 'Hill Day' in Washington D.C.

Audrey Vasauskas, a postdoctoral researcher in the USA College of Medicine biochemistry department, poses in front of the Capitol with her colleague Carter Holland, a graduate student at Mississippi State. Vasauskas was selected to attend "Hill Day" in Washington D.C.

Audrey Vasauskas, a postdoctoral researcher in the USA College of Medicine biochemistry department, recently attended “Hill Day.” The event was sponsored by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. For “Hill Day,” 20 students and postdocs from across the nation are selected to go to Washington D.C. to meet with their Congressional representatives.

This year’s Hill Day took place on Sept. 9, where participants took part in a “Policy 101” training session. After the training session, the students and postdocs broke down into smaller group for Congressional meetings. Not only do these young researchers get involved in science advocacy, the experience also exposes them to how the government works.

“I was extremely honored to have been selected to advocate for biomedical research with ASBMB through Hill Day.  I not only learned a great deal regarding the way in which Congressional meetings are held, I feel that I really had a chance to have my voice heard on behalf of the University, the state of Alabama, and for biomedical research in general,” said Vasauskas.

Vasauskas met directly with Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana regional senators and representatives throughout the day. Issues facing biomedical research today were discussed, particularly the economic and social benefit that the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have on these regions and the need to increase the budget for biomedical research though these agencies.

USA Welcomes Dr. Alana Schilthuis

Dr. Alana Schilthuis was recently appointed assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Prior to her appointment, she served as a clinical instructor and chief resident in the internal medicine department at the USA Stanton Road Clinic.

Dr. Schilthuis earned her medical degree from the USA College of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at USA. In addition, she is a member of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and the American College of Physicians.

In her spare time, Dr. Schilthuis volunteers with the Christian Medical Ministry of South Alabama. During her time volunteering she has served in Honduras and Rwanda, helping individuals challenged by access to sufficient health care.

Dr. Schilthuis is the attending physician at Stanton Road Clinic.