Dr. Trimm Named President of APPD

Dr. R. Franklin Trimm, professor and vice chair of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a pediatrician with USA Physicians Group, was named president of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD).

Dr. Trimm served in the organization for 25 years before his appointment as president and describes it as “a professional development organization for individuals involved with residency graduate education programs.” APPD assists pediatric programs across the nation by leading the advancement of education to ensure the health and well-being of children. It includes approximately 800 fellowships and more than 200 pediatric programs in the United States.

“It’s been a professional home. It’s a reminder why we do what we do,” said Dr. Trimm, who has directed the pediatric residency training program at USA almost 23 years. He credits APPD for its extensive networking opportunities and for fostering leadership skills in graduate medical education professionals. He personally helped shape the organization’s approach to leadership training when APPD selected him to manage a team tasked with designing a leadership training curriculum for residency program directors. He also assisted with evaluating the effectiveness of other trainers.

As president, Dr. Trimm plans to continue shaping the organization with his vision for the future. In addition to serving as chair of the board of directors and spokesperson for APPD, he is directly responsible for fulfilling the organization’s strategic plan. “One of four points in our strategic plan is to prepare pediatricians to work within a new health care system. We want to lead the way to define the future of pediatricians,” he said.

Dr. Trimm will continue developing APPD’s role as a professional home where networking and leadership skills create new opportunities. He describes the USA College of Medicine as a medium-sized organization and residency program. “Typically, leadership comes from larger institutions. As the USA College of Medicine continues to gain national recognition, it will continue to gain recognition as an institution able to serve that leadership role.”

Dr. Trimm earned his medical degree and completed his residency training at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, Calif. He specializes in developmental-behavior pediatrics. Click here for more information about Dr. Trimm.

Hippocrates Park Dedication Set for June 11

The University of South Alabama and Mobile’s Greek community organization will dedicate Hippocrates Park June 11, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at the USA College of Medicine.

The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) and USA collaborated to create the park. Representatives of AHEPA will speak, as well as USA President Dr. Tony Waldrop and Dr. Samuel Strada, dean of the USA College of Medicine.

The specially commissioned Hippocrates statue is a donated gift from the Mobile 310 chapter of AHEPA and the focal point of the park between the USA Medical Sciences Building and Health Sciences Building.

Donors will be recognized with an inscription in various formats throughout the park. Click here to read about Hippocrates Park’s groundbreaking ceremony.

USA Surgery Clinic Recognized for Customer Service

The University of South Alabama Physicians Group hosted a celebration for the clinic scoring the highest for courtesy and respect on patient satisfaction surveys. The surgery clinic, located in the Mastin Professional Building, was recognized for having the highest score of 96 percent for the first three months of 2016.

The patient satisfaction survey includes questions concerning ease of appointment, courtesy of staff, waiting time to see the physician, respect shown and privacy needs met. Responses for courtesy, respect and meeting patients’ privacy needs are mathematically averaged to determine scores.

University Physicians Group at USA Commons has the second highest score with a score of 95.5 percent. Other clinics such as family medicine, neurology and plastic surgery also scored in the 90th percentile.

“Excellence in both customer service and health care quality are important factors patients consider when making health care choices,” said Sherryle Givens, manager of quality improvement for USA Physicians Group. “Our attitudes, tones of voice and mannerisms all demonstrate our appreciation for the opportunity to care for patients.”

Givens said the purpose of the awards is to provide a ‘thank you’ to those who work hard to let our customers know they are valued. The winning clinic recently was awarded an ice cream party.

To qualify for the customer service award, the clinic must receive at least 50 patient satisfaction surveys for the quarter. Quarter two began April 1 and will end June 30. For USA Physician Group clinics interested in improving their customer service skills, training sessions are available. To learn more, contact the Office of Compliance at 471-7836.

USA Gastroenterology Welcomes Tanya Rowell

Tanya Rowell recently joined the University of South Alabama department of internal medicine as a nurse practitioner in the division of gastroenterology.

Rowell previously worked at Cardiology Associates in Mobile as a clinical staff nurse and clinical research coordinator from 1998 to 2015.

She earned her bachelor of science in nursing from University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and her master’s of science in nursing from Troy University in Troy, Ala.

Rowell is currently seeing patients at USA Gastroenterology located at University Commons, 75 S. University Blvd. in Mobile. To make an appointment, call (251) 660-5555.

Former USA Researcher Joins Harrison School of Pharmacy

Dr. Timothy Moore, former assistant professor at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently joined Auburn University's Harrison School of Pharmacy as head of the department of drug discovery and development.

Dr. Moore previously worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) as a medical officer and chief of the Lung Biology and Disease Branch of the Division of Lung Diseases. Prior to working at the NIH, Dr. Moore served as an assistant professor at the USA College of Medicine where he held positions in both the department of internal medicine and the department of pharmacology.

Dr. Moore earned his bachelor of science degree in zoology from Auburn University. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in basic medical science as well as a medical degree at USA, where he also completed postdoctoral work in both pharmacology and physiology. He later conducted vascular research and served as a clinical resident in anesthesiology and critical care at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.