Winners Announced at M3 Case Report Symposium

The USA College of Medicine class of 2019 participates in the M3 Case Report Symposium.

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine held its annual M3 Case Report Symposium June 7, 2018, at the Strada Patient Care Center.

The symposium provided rising fourth-year medical students the opportunity to present novel, rare or meaningful case studies observed during their third-year rotations to faculty, residents and peers in the form of poster presentations. The symposium also gave students the opportunity to showcase independent projects.

This year's winners were:

• 1st place - Jonathon Whitehead and William Teachey: "Humeroulnar Gap (HUG) Sign of Pediatric Olecranon Osteochondral Flap Fracture"
• 2nd place - William Gambla: "Bartonella henselae Neuroretinitis"
• 3rd place - Kristen Smith: "A Case of Successful VBAC After Unknown Uterine Incision"

The case reports were judged based on originality, strength of conclusions, quality of references, overall appearance, organization and topic. Judges for the symposium were Dr. Anne-Marie Kaulfers, associate professor of endocrinology; Dr. J. Spencer Liles, assistant professor of surgery; and Dr. Charles Harmon, assistant professor of neonatology.

Medical student organizers of the event were Audrey Murphy, Matthew Robson and Kristen Smith.

View more photos from the symposium here.

Second Annual Resident and Fellow Exposition Winners Announced

Dr. Chaowapong Jarasvaraparn, a pediatric resident physician at the University of South Alabama, presents his research to Dr. Elizabeth Minto, assistant professor of neurology.

The Graduate Medical Education Committee at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine recently hosted the 2nd annual Resident and Fellow Exposition, providing an opportunity for residents and fellows to display their scholarly activities in the form of posters.

The competition, which drew 36 entries, was scored by a panel of judges including Dr. David Gremse, professor and chair of pediatrics at the USA College of Medicine and a pediatric gastroenterologist with USA Physicians Group; Christina Clark, clinical project leader for the transforming clinical practice initiative for USA Physicians Group; Dr. Mike Finan, director of USA Mitchell Cancer Institute; Dr. Mark Taylor, associate professor of physiology and cell biology at the USA College of Medicine; Dr. Suneet Dullet, assistant professor of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine and an internal medicine physician with USA Physicians Group; Dr. Elliot Carter, professor and interim co-chair of pathology at the USA College of Medicine; and Dr. Susan LeDoux, associate dean for medical education and student affairs at the USA College of Medicine.

The panel of judges selected the top posters from two competitive categories based on the appearance of the poster, originality of the project, effective presentation of content, quality of the content and interviews with the presenters.

The goal of the scientific posters was to increase understanding of a disease, improve the diagnosis or treatment of a disease, contribute to improving processes that promote health and patient outcomes, increase patient safety, or improve utilization of resources.

Dr. Majel Purvis, a general surgery resident with USA Health, received the Clinical and Translational Research award for her project, “Overutilization of Helicopter EMS in the Central Gulf Coast Region.” Dr. Jon Simmons, associate professor of surgery at the USA College of Medicine and a trauma and critical care surgeon with USA Health, served as her mentor for the project.

The quality improvement and patient safety awards were given to family medicine residents Dr. Zachary Logan and Dr. Rebecca Sollie. Since USA Health has adopted the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle format for improvement projects, posters in the improvement category should demonstrate the use of this quality improvement tool, including the project's aim statement, the planned intervention, the metrics used in data collection during the project, the outcome analysis, and the actions implemented as a result of the project.

Dr. Ehab Molokhia, professor of family medicine and a family medicine physician with USA Physicians Group, served as the mentor for Dr. Logan’s project titled, “Improving Pediatric Asthma Classification in a Primary Care Setting” Dr. Ashleigh Butts-Wilkerson, assistant professor of family medicine and family medicine physician with USA Physicians Group, served as the mentor for Dr. Sollie’s project titled, “Decreasing Missed Opportunities for HPV Immunization.”

The expo also featured nine case-based clinical vignettes, which presented a classic example of unusual process or an unusual presentation of a common condition. These posters were displayed during the expo, but were not part of the poster competition.

View more photos of the 2nd annual Resident and Fellow Exposition here.

Family Medicine Moves to Strada Patient Care Center

The USA Family Medicine Center moved to the Strada Patient Care Center over the weekend and began seeing patients on Monday. Family medicine joins more than 100 multi-specialty services available at the Strada Patient Care Center.

"The new location will enhance our goal of building a work culture of efficiency," said Anthony Beck, director of operations for family medicine. "This includes overall clinic workflow, improving our patients' access, and elevating the total patient experience from start to finish."

Beck said the move from USA's Springhill Avenue Campus to the new location on the second floor of the Strada Patient Care Center would not have been possible without the hard work of everyone in family medicine. "The staff is still adjusting to our new space, but so far the atmosphere has been very positive," he said. "This is credit to the great group of clerks, clinicians, and providers we have -- true professionals."

Upgrades to the phone system and fax servers, as well as the ability to run phone time reports, are significant advantages of the new space, Beck said.

The appointment line remains the same. To make an appointment, call (251) 434-3475.

USA Physicians Group Hosts First Aid Tent at 2018 Grandman Triathlon

USA Physicians Group recently provided racers with medical support at a first aid tent during the 14th annual Publix Grandman Triathlon in Fairhope, Ala.

Dr. Natalie Fox, director of nursing for USA Physicians Group – along with orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Christopher Jones, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the USA College of Medicine; and Dr. Mark Perry, professor of orthopaedic surgery at the USA College of Medicine – volunteered at the tent. Howard Holcomb, assistant administrator for USA Physicians Group, also attended the event.

This year, more than 700 participants attended the race, which began by jumping off of Fairhope Pier and swimming one-third of a mile into Mobile Bay. Following the swim, racers biked 18.6 miles through Fairhope and completed a 3.1 mile run. “We saw injuries such as bike falls and heat exhaustion,” Dr. Fox said. “We we were able to make a meaningful impact and help several racers in need of medical assistance.”

Dr. Fox stresses the importance for both physicians and nurses to use their talents and give back to the community. “Fulfilling the mission of USA Health to help people lead longer, better lives doesn’t end after you leave the hospital or clinic,” she said. “In order to effectively live out our mission we must also be active in the community.”

In its 14th year, The Grandman has become one of Fairhope’s premier annual events, attracting individual and team racers of all ages and skill levels from around the Southeast and beyond. Learn more about the Grandman Triathlon here.

Mark Your Calendar: 3rd Annual Project TIPP Autism Conference

The University of South Alabama Regional Autism Network and USA's Project TIPP (Team-based Interprofessional Personnel Preparation) are co-sponsoring the 3rd annual Project TIPP Autism Conference. The one-day workshop is set for 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. June 8, in the USA Student Center Ballroom.

Regional experts from multiple perspectives will present evidence-based strategies for supporting individuals with autism. Dr. Stephanie Anderson, autism specialist with USA Physicians Group, will present "Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder." Dr. Donna Wooster, chair and associate professor of occupational therapy at USA, and Dr. Brenda Beverly, associate professor of speech-language pathology at USA, will present "EBP Resources Applied in Interprofessional Teams."

Participants may earn up to 6.5 continuing education hours. The registration fee is $50, and registration is available online.

For more information, contact Dr. Donna Wooster at dawooster@southalabama.edu.