Trammell and Hanks honored with community health leadership awards

The Mobile Medical Museum hosted the first Mobile Community Health Leadership Awards on Aug. 6. Presented via Zoom and Facebook Live broadcast, the museum recognized local leaders in education, awareness and action around Mobile's most urgent community health issues.

“Healthcare professionals have partnered with grassroots community leaders to confront some of the most urgent and challenging public health crises in history,” said Daryn Glassbrook, Ph.D, executive director of the Mobile Medical Museum. “This event honored the work of extraordinary individuals and organizations who recognized an unmet health need in our community and charted a path forward for others to follow.”

Katrina Roberson-Trammell, M.D.

Among the 2020 honorees were Katrina Roberson-Trammell, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a pediatrician with USA Health; and Roma Stovall Hanks, Ph.D., co-director of the Community Engagement Core at the USA Center for Healthy Communities.

As a clinical faculty member, Trammell teaches and supervises medical students, nurse practitioner students and physician assistant students. Since 2013, she has served as medical director for several regional Medicaid programs, including the Alabama Coordinated Health Network and Gulf Coast TotalCare. Known affectionately by her patients as "Dr. T.," Trammell uses community platforms to discuss topics such as childhood obesity, adolescent health issues, the doctor-patient relationship, preventive screenings and well child visits. She is also a state liaison coordinating communication between pediatricians and school nurses.

"It is truly an honor for me to be one of the recipients of the Mobile Community Health Leadership Award. I have always had a passion to give back to my community, and I strive to be a mentor to others and promote health wellness and awareness," Trammell said. "My pediatric practice at USA Health for over 20 years has allowed me to stay engaged with community activities, teach students, as well as provide leadership in our regional Medicaid-managed care program. I am truly grateful that I can play a fundamental role in the children of our future. Receiving recognition for my contributions in the Mobile medical community is very rewarding."

Roma Stovall Hanks, Ph.D.

In addition to her work with the USA College of Medicine’s Center for Healthy Communities, Hanks is professor and chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work at the University of South Alabama. Her research has been funded by the Administration on Aging; the Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities; the Alabama Department of Public Health; the Community Foundation of South Alabama; and the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission-Area Agency on Aging.

"I am so grateful to be recognized by the Mobile Medical Museum as a Community Health Leader and for the privilege of working with healthcare educators, researchers, providers and advocates to address health inequities in our community," Hanks said.

"The current pandemic has made us keenly aware of the disparities that result in poorer health outcomes for black and brown communities and communities with high rates of poverty," Hanks added. "But broader current events have also shown that it is possible for people from all backgrounds to come together in support of justice. Committed individuals like the Community Health Advocates of the USA Center for Healthy Communities are creating change. They are the true leaders."

Reminder: Complete the College of Medicine Justice Initiative Survey

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine has been tasked with identifying and addressing areas for improvement in the culture and climate of both USA Health and the USA College of Medicine.

The Justice Initiative Survey will help us assess how we are doing on a variety of themes that focus on racial justice by deepening our understanding of your perceptions of racial justice as they relate to the College of Medicine. This information will be used to develop plans that will become improvement goals for the College of Medicine and will be tracked by the Continuous Quality Improvement Committee.

“The goal of this survey is to hear the voices of all members of the COM community and listen to what those voices are telling us we can do better,” said Franklin Trimm, M.D., associate dean for diversity and inclusion at the USA College of Medicine and assistant vice president for medical affairs at USA Health. “The more individuals who share their perspectives through the survey, the more complete the picture will be as we plan the hard work necessary to improve the culture and climate of our community for everyone. Everyone belongs. Everyone has a voice.”

A link to the survey, which is unique to each person, was sent to USA College of Medicine medical and graduate students, faculty and staff via their USA email. The survey will be open until 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28.

The USA Office of Institutional Effectiveness is conducting the administration and analysis for the survey. Responses are anonymous and will not be seen by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion or anyone within the College of Medicine.

Scholarship fund established in honor of Samantha Thomas

In honor of our beloved classmate, Samantha Thomas, a memorial scholarship fund is being created. While the specifics of the scholarship fund are still under consideration, donations are being accepted.

If you would like to make a memorial gift to the future Samantha Alison Thomas Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund, please make a secure, online donation at https://giving.usahealthsystem.com/sthomas, or mail a check to the Office of Medical Affairs Development, 650 Clinic Drive, TRP III, Ste. 150, Mobile, AL 36688.

USA College of Medicine names Emily Wilson, Ph.D., associate dean of faculty affairs and faculty development

Emily Wilson, Ph.D., will be joining the University of South Alabama College of Medicine as associate dean of faculty affairs and faculty development. She also will serve as a professor in the department of physiology and cell biology.

Plans call for Wilson to join the USA College of Medicine October 1, 2020.

“The continued development of our faculty, including implementing a sustainable faculty mentoring program, enriches the educational environment for students, residents and fellows in our academic healthcare system,” said John Marymont, M.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs and dean of the USA College of Medicine. “In this newly created role, Dr. Wilson will have the responsibility of organizing and growing faculty development initiatives across our college, ensuring an optimal experience for faculty members and those we educate.”

Wilson currently serves as associate vice president of faculty development at Texas A&M Health Science Center. She also serves as the associate dean for faculty development in the Texas A&M University College of Medicine in College Station, Texas, where she is also a professor in the department of medical physiology.

Wilson has held many leadership roles within the Texas A&M Health Science Center and College of Medicine, where she began working in 1997 as an assistant professor. She is a charter member of the Michael E. DeBakey Institute for Cardiovascular Research and served as director of the office of graduate studies. She was also appointed assistant vice president for graduate studies and served as the executive associate dean for the school of graduate studies. In 2014, Wilson was appointed associate vice president for academic affairs. She also serves as the director of the Education for Healthcare Professionals MS/Certificate Program.

She earned a master’s degree in biochemistry from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, a doctor of philosophy in biochemistry from Emory University, in Atlanta, and performed postdoctoral studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.