Urology resident presents research at international conference

Kevin Parham, M.D., presents at the Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons (GURS) Academic Congress.

By Carol McPhail

Kevin Parham, M.D., a third-year urology resident at USA Health, presented research in September at the Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons (GURS) Academic Congress in Minneapolis. 

Parham presented two posters at the meeting, which drew urologists, fellows, residents, medical students, and allied health professionals from around the world. 

“Expanding the Reconstructive Footprint: Lessons from the First 18 Months of a Rural Urethroplasty Program,” retrospectively reviewed 44 urethroplasty cases performed over 18 months in a region previously lacking consistent access to urethral reconstruction. Urethroplasty is a surgical procedure to repair or rebuild the urethra and is typically performed by a urologist with advanced training in reconstructive urology. 

“We showed that even in a rural region with limited prior access to urethral reconstruction, targeted program development can meaningfully expand care,” Parham said. “Our early experience reinforces that geography shouldn’t limit a patient’s ability to receive complex urologic surgery.” 

Another presentation, “Can Chatbots Guide Gender-Affirming Surgical Decisions? An analysis of Five Artificial Intelligence Models,” evaluated the quality of AI chatbot-generated responses to common patient questions about gender-affirming surgery. 

“Our findings show the promise of AI tools, but also the gap that remains before they can reliably support patients considering gender-affirming surgery,” Parham said. “This reinforces the importance of physicians guiding patients through complex, deeply personal surgical decisions.” 

Parham credited USA Health urologist Jatinder Kumar, M.D., for his mentorship and presentation co-authors Christian Manganti, M.D., a second-year urology resident; Hanna Moreland, M.D., a fourth-year resident at USA Health; and Dylan Peterson, a first-year medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine. 

Medical students, residents present research at APPA Fall Conference

Evan Chavers, M.D., and Stephen Richardson, D.O., presented on AI tools in clinical psychiatry.

By Carol McPhail

Medical students, psychiatry residents and a psychiatry fellow recently presented research at the Alabama Psychiatric Physicians Association (APPA) Fall Conference in Prattville, Alabama. 

The APPA is a district branch of the American Psychiatric Association. 

Evan Chavers, M.D., a fourth-year psychiatry resident at USA Health, won first place for his presentation, “Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Tools in Psychiatry: Promises and Pitfalls.” 

Chavers worked with third-year psychiatry resident Stephen Richardson, D.O., and William Tilllman III, M.D., on the project, which evaluated the current state of AI tools in clinical psychiatry including OpenEvidence, administrative tools for scheduling and letter writing, ambient scribe programs and LLM-based therapy chatbots. 

They reviewed literature and their experiences with the tools to develop a “stoplight” model of safety/readiness for clinical use. “We gave a green light to workflow and administrative tools, yellow light for clinical decision support and ambient scribes, and a red light to therapy chatbots,” Chavers said. “We cautioned against the risks of ‘de-skilling’ or the atrophy of clinical skill, due to reliance on AI and pointed out that therapy chatbots have a long way to go in ensuring patient safety.” 

Chavers said that while AI tools hold potential, physicians should always prioritize patient safety and privacy. “If you cannot critically evaluate the tool’s output based on your own clinical knowledge base, it should not be used,” he said. 

Anthony Fant and Sebrina Burnett, D.O.

Anthony Fant, a third-year medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine, won third place for his presentation, “Simplified Lithium Loading Strategies for Rapid Initiation and Early Maintenance.” 

The poster presented two simplified inpatient lithium loading strategies that can be used for rapid initiation and early maintenance in a hospital setting – a weight-based, extended-release loading protocol with a transition to once-nightly maintenance dosing, and a single-dose “test dose” loading protocol with a 24-hour level to predict the maintenance dose using the Cooper’s nomogram. 

Fant said that both loading regimens presented an individualized approach to treatment, illustrating how medicine is becoming more personalized to each patient. “It goes to show that patients are frequently not ideal textbook cases, and having advancements in medicine that can be tailored to those individual nuances is what makes personalized medicine, in any specialty, very exciting for me,” he said. 

Sebrina Burnett, D.O., a second-year psychiatry resident, worked with Fant on the presentation. “What was surprising to me regarding this topic was how well both of these methods worked when used at our inpatient psychiatric facility, and also how underutilized inpatient lithium loading is, in general, despite there being two relatively straightforward and safe methods available,” she said. 

Other posters at the conference included: 

• “The Impact of In-School and Out-of-School Suspension on Future Criminal Legal System Involvement and the Need for Mental Healthcare Collaboration in Prevention,” presented by Chelsea R. Miller, M.D., a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at USA Health/AltaPointe. 
• “Lithium as a Potential Disease-Modifying Agent in Dementia: A Review of Emerging Evidence,” presented by Burnett. 
• “Ketamine Administration Following an Acute Traumatic Event,” presented by Maria Verde, a third-year medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine. 
• “Ketamine-Assisted Buprenorphine Induction for Kratom-Induced Opioid Withdrawal,” presented by Billy Nguyen, M.D., a second-year resident. 
• “Differentiating Between Catatonia and Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome,” presented by Alina Teslenko, D.O., a third-year resident. 
• “Lithium Limbo: The Balance of Lithium Dosing and Toxicity,” presented by Leah Kunneth, a third-year medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine. 
• “From Thoughts to Thyroid: A Case Report on Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Depression,” presented by Caleb Thomas, a fourth-year medical student. 

USA Health residents and fellows present at national CHEST conference

Representing USA Health, from left, are Muhammad Dawood Sheikh, M.D.; Sangya Sharma, D.O.; Philip Almalouf, M.D.; José Acevedo Echevarría, M.D.; Aman Dutta, M.D.; Taylor Cook, M.D.; and Chibuzo Clement Odigwe, M.D.

By Michelle Ryan

Three internal medicine residents, one med/peds resident, and a pulmonary critical care fellow from USA Health presented research posters at the 2025 CHEST annual meeting last month in Chicago. Each year, the national conference brings together thousands of physicians, researchers and healthcare professionals specializing in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. 

Residents and fellows had opportunities to engage with leading experts in pulmonary and critical care medicine, showcase ongoing research efforts, and collaborate with peers from across the United States. 

Taylor Cook, M.D.

“I’m honored to represent USA Health at the CHEST Annual Meeting with our poster presentation,” said Taylor Cook, M.D., a pulmonary/critical care fellow. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to share our work and learn from so many leaders in pulmonary and critical care.”  

In her presentation, Cook analyzed a rare marine-related infection that led to rapid sepsis and shock in an immunocompromised patient, underscoring the urgency of early recognition and treatment of uncommon bacterial pathogens in patients with chronic conditions. 

Sangya Sharma, D.O.

“It was truly a surreal experience to represent USA Health at CHEST,” said Sangya Sharma, D.O., a third-year internal medicine resident. “I’m extremely grateful for my colleagues and mentors for their unwavering encouragement and enthusiasm.” 

Sharma’s poster detailed a rare instance of stress-induced cardiomyopathy linked to cancer immunotherapy, emphasizing the importance of recognizing potential cardiac side effects in patients receiving advanced oncologic treatments. Her case stressed the value of multidisciplinary collaboration in identifying and managing complex therapy-related complications. 

José Acevedo Echevarría, M.D.

“It is always an honor to represent our program, and I proudly celebrate the success of my colleagues,” said José Acevedo Echevarría, M.D., a third-year med/peds resident. “Participating in CHEST was a valuable opportunity that advanced our growth as physicians.” 

Echevarria explored a complex case of metabolic acidosis and highlighted the importance of a systematic, evidence-based approach to identifying underlying causes. By emphasizing comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, the report reinforced how careful clinical reasoning can guide timely and effective treatment for critically ill patients. 

Pavel Hurtado Cabrera, M.D.

Pavel Hurtado Cabrera, M.D., a third-year internal medicine resident, presented a case involving a patient with pancreatitis who developed life-threatening systemic inflammation, who was ultimately diagnosed as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) using established clinical criteria and biopsy findings. It noted the importance of early recognition and treatment of HLH, especially in patients with severe inflammatory complications of pancreatitis, to improve outcomes and prevent fatal progression. 

Muhammad Dawood Sheikh, M.D.

Muhammad Dawood Sheikh, M.D., also a third-year internal medicine resident, shared a rare and compelling case of non-germinal center B-cell diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with direct cardiac invasion. The patient initially presented with breathing difficulty and chest discomfort, and imaging revealed extensive pulmonary masses along with involvement of the heart. Diagnosis was confirmed through biopsy, and urgent treatment including chemotherapy and effusion management was initiated. Sheikh concluded that clinicians should consider lymphoma in severe cardiopulmonary presentations, as early recognition and intervention are critical for improving patient outcomes. 

Aman Dutta, M.D., a pulmonary/critical care fellow; Aariez Khalid, D.O., a second-year internal medicine resident; and Philip Almalouf, M.D., and Chibuzo Clement Odigwe, M.D., both attending physicians in pulmonary/critical care medicine and assistant professors of internal medicine at the Whiddon College of Medicine, were also part of USA Health’s presence at the national event. 

CHEST, hosted annually by the American College of Chest Physicians, features groundbreaking research presentations, hands-on clinical sessions, and networking opportunities that advance the field of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. The American College of Chest Physicians is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care.