Dr. Allen Perkins named president-elect of ADFM

Dr. Allen Perkins, professor and chair of family medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently was named president-elect of the Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM).

During the past 25 years, Dr. Perkins has been deeply involved in resident and student education. His current interest is in practice transformation and the delivery of value-based care with a particular interest in care for rural and underserved populations. He has also served as president of the Alabama Rural Health Association and the Alabama Academy of Family Medicine.

The Association of Departments of Family Medicine supports academic departments of family medicine to lead and achieve their full potential in care, education, scholarship and advocacy to promote health and health equity.

USA Health Physicians give young patient second chance with life-changing surgery

Kim Renihan holds her son, Liam, 3, who recently had surgery for epilepsy.

Kim and Matt Renihan had nearly lost hope for their 3-year-old son, Liam, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at 15 months old.

Liam was experiencing up to 100 seizures a day, causing his head and upper body to fall to the floor. He had speech and other developmental delays and could not maintain eye contact. He had been on countless anti-seizure medications - up to five a day - and had a vagus nerve stimulator implanted in his chest. After almost a full year of being seizure-free, the seizures came back.

Matt Renihan swings his son, Liam, in their front yard.

The Renihans took Liam to three neurologists, who all said he was not a candidate for epilepsy surgery. Then, his mother heard that Dr. Juan Ochoa, a neurologist with USA Physicians Group and director of the SouthCEP Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, was accepting pediatric patients. Dr. Ochoa reviewed Liam's files and saw something that none of the other neurologists saw in his EEG and MRI - Liam was, in fact, a candidate for surgery.

Dr. Ochoa and Dr. George Rusyniak, a neurosurgeon with USA Health, worked collaboratively to map Liam's brain and define a focal point where the seizures were occurring. In mid-January, Liam underwent surgery to remove the parts of the brain with seizure activity.

The results have been remarkable. Just five days after surgery, the boy who once struggled to maintain eye contact was throwing a ball back and forth with Dr. Ochoa. He started babbling and showing affection again for the first time in nearly two years. His mother said he now loves to give kisses and high fives. Liam will continue speech therapy and will return to preschool soon.

FOX10 News recently interviewed the Renihan family, as well as Dr. Ochoa and Dr. Rusyniak. Watch the story here.

Mark your calendar: Lunch and Learn sessions

The Office of Faculty Affairs will be hosting the following "Lunch and Learn" sessions for faculty:

• March 12, noon to 1 p.m.: "Writing Abstracts and Manuscripts" 
• May 8, noon to 1 p.m.: "Implicit Bias and How It Impacts Our Health Care Encounters"

All sessions will be held in the USA Children's & Women's Boardroom. Lunch will be served. Email Nicole Schultz at nschultz@southalabama.edu to sign-up for the sessions.

In good hands: Dr. Michael Chang ensures quality care for trauma patients across the nation

Dr. Michael Chang, chief medical officer for USA Health, plays a vital role in how patients with life-threatening injuries are cared for at trauma centers along the Gulf Coast and across the United States.

Dr. Chang serves as chairman of the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) at the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, and is a recognized national expert in quality assessment and performance improvement.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The ACS is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery.

This fall, Dr. Chang will lead a national meeting of the Trauma Quality Improvement Program in Dallas where more than 1,800 health care providers from across the United States will gather for continuing education on treating patients with traumatic injuries.

Fellowship-trained in critical care and trauma surgery, Dr. Chang’s national leadership role with the Trauma Quality Improvement Program also means he is responsible for visiting and assessing trauma centers across the nation. “I make sure patients get the highest quality care possible,” he said. “That includes identifying best practices for the care of injured patients and sharing the processes to make that possible.”

Back in Mobile, Dr. Chang works with division leaders across USA Health’s 3,900-employee system that includes USA Health University Hospital, USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital, USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute and USA Health Physicians Group to ensure quality, safety and efficiency of care to all patients.

In September 2018, Chang was named chief medical officer for USA Health, associate vice president for medical affairs and professor of surgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Previously, he served as chief medical officer for Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and chief quality officer for the Wake Forest Baptist Health System in Winston-Salem, N.C. He also served as a professor of surgery at the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

About USA Health
Beginning with the founding of the USA College of Medicine in 1973, USA Health stands as the only academic medical center along the upper Gulf Coast. It provides excellent health care to the region's diverse population at USA University Hospital and the renowned USA Children's & Women's Hospital, one of only five freestanding hospitals in the country dedicated to the health care of children and women. Continuous research and technological advancements keep USA Mitchell Cancer Institute at the forefront of cancer treatment and outcomes. The health system employs 3,900 clinical and nonclinical staff members, including some 190 academic physicians who serve dual roles treating patients and teaching the next generation of medical doctors.

Jasmine Horn named February Employee of the Month

Colleagues in the department of surgery congratulated Jasmine Horn, center, on her Employee of the Month Award.

Jasmine Horn, a customer service leader in the call center for the department of surgery, received the USA Physicians Group Employee of the Month Award for February.

Horn has worked for USA Health for 16 years and was recently promoted to her current position after serving as a billing/insurance clerk.

Anne Norton, director of operations for surgery, nominated Horn for the award and presented her with the certificate and flowers. "Jasmine is a definite leader in providing excellent customer service," Norton said. "You can always hear a smile in Jasmine's voice over the phone, and she is always smiling when greeting people in person. It is a pleasure working with her."

A new patient left the following feedback of Horn: "Jasmine Horn answered the phone and was absolutely, positively the most helpful and pleasant person to speak with. I can't say enough about how kind she was and how patient she was with all of my questions."

The USA Physicians Group Employee of the Month Award recognizes employees who exhibit exceptional customer service, compassionate patient care, teamwork, and a willingness to go above and beyond their professional duties. To nominate an employee, fill out the USA Physicians Group Employee of the Month Nomination Form.