March Med School Café – ‘Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy’

The March Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. W. George Rusyniak, associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.

His lecture, titled “Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy,” will take place March 13, 2015, at the USA Faculty Club, located at 6348 Old Shell Road, on USA’s main campus. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon.

During the talk, Dr. Rusyniak will discuss epilepsy, a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures over time. He will also explain available epilepsy treatments, including epilepsy surgery, an operation on the brain that can control seizures and ultimately improve the patient’s quality of life.

Dr. Rusyniak is part of an epilepsy team at USA. The comprehensive epilepsy program provides unique and highly specialized care with state-of-the-art technology for patients with epilepsy and other neurological conditions.

Dr. Rusyniak earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, N.Y., where he also conducted his residency. In addition, he completed a fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Med School Café lecture and lunch are provided free of charge, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, call Kim Partridge at (251) 460-7770 or e-mail kepartridge@health.southalabama.edu.

Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by the USA Physicians Group. Each month, faculty from the USA College of Medicine share their expertise on a specific medical condition, providing insight on the latest treatment available.

USA Medical Students Recognized for Service to Student-Run Clinic at 15 Place

University of South Alabama College of Medicine students (from left) Jelaina Scott, Sarita Wagle, Sarah Boyd, Emily Spurlin, Schilling Nechtman, and Brian McGrath pose for a picture with their awards during the awards ceremony for the Student-Run Free Clinic Feb 20, 2015.

Several medical students at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine recently were recognized for their leadership and exemplary dedication to the student-run free clinic at 15 Place, a homeless shelter in Mobile, Ala. 

Students at the USA College of Medicine kick-started the volunteer clinic at 15 Place last year. The clinic is operated by an interprofessional staff including both undergraduate and graduate students and is a collaboration between the students and faculty of the USA College of Medicine; College of Nursing; several departments in the College of Allied Health, including physician assistant studies and speech pathology and audiology; as well as the department of social work in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Click here to learn more about the clinic.

Dr. Lisa Moreno Walton Presents Internal Medicine Grand Rounds

Dr. Lisa Moreno Walton speaks during her Grand Rounds lecture on diversity and inclusion at the University of South Alabama Medical Center Feb. 12, 2015.

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion recently hosted three lectures featuring Dr. Lisa Moreno Walton, professor of clinical emergency medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans.

As part of Internal Medicine Grand Rounds, Dr. Walton presented "Addressing Diversity in Clinical Care," at the USA Medical Center Conference Center. Dr. Walton also presented "HIV/AIDS Courageous Conversation" and "University Hospital Healthcare: Partnering with the Community" during her visit.

Dr. Walton earned her bachelor of science degree and her master of social work degree from New York University. She earned her medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, N.Y.

Click here to view more photos from her visit.

Dr. Di Palma Recognized with ACG Master Award

Dr. Jack A. Di Palma, director of the University of South Alabama Digestive Health Center and professor of internal medicine at the USA College of Medicine, was awarded a Master of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).

Dr. Di Palma has been an active member in the American College of Gastroenterology for nearly two decades. He began his role as an ACG trustee in 1996, and continued to move up through various leadership roles by serving as a member of the ACG executive committee from 2001 to 2007. From 2005 to 2006 Dr. Di Palma served as ACG president. Most recently, in 2013, Dr. Di Palma was an honoree of the Samuel S. Weiss Award. The Weiss award is given to those who have provided outstanding service to the college.

"I am humbled by the recognition. Involvement with national professional associations has helped me grow as a physician and investigator,” said Dr. Di Palma.

The American College of Gastroenterology designated Dr. Di Palma as a Master of the American College of Gastroenterology due to his stature, achievement, and commitment in clinical gastroenterology through clinical practice, education, research, leadership, and service to the College.

Dr. Di Palma earned his medical degree at New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y., and completed his residency in internal medicine at U.S. Air Force Medical Center at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. Dr. Di Palma completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. He went on to establish the Division of Gastroenterology at USA, a program in which he continues to direct.

Dr. Di Palma’s scholarly interests range in areas of digestive disorders and physiology. He has contributed to more than 350 published articles, reviews, book chapters and abstracts. Continuing the tradition of service, he has an abundance of experience as an editor and reviewer of others’ works that have been published in medical journals.

Dr. Di Palma also directs the gastroenterology fellowship training program, which is well-known for providing educational leadership to medical students, residents, physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners. Among his many honors, Dr. Di Palma was previously recognized as “Best Clinical Teacher” by the USA College of Medicine’s Class of 1996, as well as “Best Doctor” in Mobile and Baldwin counties, Alabama, and America.

The ACG was founded in 1932 and holds yearly meetings and regional postgraduate training courses. The ACG establishes research grants and also publishes The American Journal of Gastroenterology. More than 12,000 physicians from 82 countries are members of the ACG. Through annual scientific meetings, regional postgraduate training courses and research grants, the ACG provides its members with the most accurate and up-to-date scientific information on digestive health and the etiology, symptomatology and treatment of GI disorders.

Graduate Student Awarded Grant for Lung Research

Ningyong Xu, a graduate student at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently was awarded a grant for her research on lung endothelial cells. The award, totaling $52,000 for two years of research, is funded by the American Heart Association.

According to Xu, the grant aims to resolve the molecular basis of calcium entry and reveal a novel anti-inflammatory therapy for inflammatory lung disease. Inflammation contributes to lung edema, which makes it difficult to get oxygen into the blood.

“This award allows me to test if two calcium entry channels interact to regulate how much calcium enters the endothelium - as an initiating signal for development of pulmonary edema,” said Xu.

Dr. Troy Stevens, Lenoir Louise Locke Chair of Physiology and Cell Biology, is Xu’s mentor. "It is a privilege to mentor talented students, helping them to have a lasting impact in the biomedical sciences and to prepare for an independent scientific career," Dr. Stevens said.

USA Gold Humanism Honor Society Members Participate in 'Tell Me More' Solidarity Day

Members of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine Gold Humanism Honor Society (front left to right) Angela King, Jane Marie Freeman, Brian Buning and (back left to right) Alonso Heudebert, Dale Shamburger and Griffin Collins, pose for a picture on their way to USA Medical Center to hand out candy as part of Solidarity Day Feb. 13, 2015.

The Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society's (GHHS) Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care was held on Feb. 13, 2015. The University of South Alabama College of Medicine chapter of GHHS participated in several activities to remind students and employees of the importance of compassion in medicine.

“Compassion is a huge part of caring for patients because it opens doors of communication between patients and providers,” said Angela King, a fourth-year medical student and GHHS member at the USA College of Medicine.

This year’s Solidarity Day/Week was entitled “Tell Me More.” After obtaining consent, GHHS members spent time learning about hospital patients’ personal lives in order to craft signs for display over their beds.

GHHS members agree that when providers are compassionate towards their patients, it allows the patients to feel comfortable and to express their concerns without any fear. “Knowing a patient on a personal level is essential to addressing their illness,” said Dale Shamburger, another fourth-year medical student and GHHS member at the USA College of Medicine.

Solidarity Day gives students and staff the chance to stop and remember that every patient has a story and that compassionate care is important.  “It is so easy to get caught up in the medical treatment of patients. It was refreshing to have an event to remind us that the care of our patients extends far beyond their illness or injury,” said JaneMarie Freeman, a fourth-year medical student and GHHS member at the USA College of Medicine.

“The most memorable part of the day was seeing the reactions of the patients and their families when they realized we wanted to learn more about their lives outside of the hospital,” said King. “One of the biggest lessons I have learned from my patients is to count my blessings and never take a single day for granted.”

GHHS members hope that Solidarity Day will inspire healthcare providers to spend a few extra minutes getting to know their patients every day, rather than just once a year. Solidarity Day serves as a reminder of compassionate care that carries on throughout the year between patients and the hospital staff.

The GHHS Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care was initiated after the 2011 shootings in Tucson, Ariz., to honor the humanistic actions of Dr. Randall Friese, the trauma surgeon who first treated Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The “Tell Me More” project was developed in 2014 by GHHS chapter members at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai.

Click here to view more photos from USA's Solidarity Day.

To learn more about Solidarity Day, visit http://humanism-in-medicine.org/ghhs/national-conferences-events/ghhs-solidarity-day/.

Summer Research Proposal Deadline Approaching

The deadline to submit proposals for the 2015 Medical Student Summer Research Program is March 4, 2015.

The USA College of Medicine's Summer Research Program is a 9-week program (June 1 through July 31, 2015) that pairs medical students with faculty mentors.

Through this program, students develop an appreciation of how research contributes to the knowledge and the practice of medicine. Accepted entering students or rising second year students in the USA College of Medicine are eligible. The summer experience includes hands-on research related to basic science and/or clinical medicine; a seminar program that focuses on various scientific and clinical topics; and student presentations at Research Day.

The Medical Student Research Proposal form and the Research Compliance Checklist for the Summer Research Program can be found online here http://www.usahealthsystem.com/MedicalStudentSummerResearchProgram.  Forms should be submitted to Marcina Lang, the program coordinator, at marcinalang@southalabama.edu.

For more information, call (251) 461-1548.

USA College of Medicine Facebook Page Hits Milestone

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/usacollegeofmed) hit a milestone in January when it gained its 10,000th follower.

"We're thrilled to have reached this point," said Bernell Dorrough, web marketing coordinator for the USA College of Medicine. "Two and a half years ago, we had 350 followers, so achieving this goal reflects a 28-fold increase."

Facebook launched in 2004, and by September 2014, it reported having 864 million daily active users worldwide. The USA College of Medicine launched its official page in May 2011 and uses it to share information, photos and videos about students and faculty, as well as the USA Physicians Group.

The college also has a presence on other social networks, with hundreds of followers on both Twitter and Instagram, but Dorrough says Facebook has proven to be the best way to reach the largest number of people.

"We share one or two posts most days,” he said. “An average one will be seen by more than 1,000 people, and popular ones often are seen by more than 10,000 people.”

The Facebook page is an important part of the college's overall digital marketing strategy, which includes the website for the University of South Alabama Health System (www.usahealthsystem.com) and the Med School Watercooler blog (http://medschoolwatercooler.blogspot.com).

"Because Facebook pushes content to users through their newsfeeds, we can share information with people even if they haven't navigated to our website or blog on their own," Dorrough said. "That makes Facebook an incredibly valuable way to draw users to those sites."

Other official Facebook pages within the USA Health System include USA Children's & Women's Hospital (www.facebook.com/usacwhospital), which is approaching its 20,000th follower; USA Medical Center (www.facebook.com/usamedicalcenter); and the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute (www.facebook.com/mitchellcancer).

USA Medical Student Elected Southern Regional Legislative Affairs Delegate

Patrick O’Brien, a third-year medical student at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently was elected as the Southern Regional Legislative Affairs Delegate for the Southern region of the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR).

O’Brien is charged with staying informed about medical policy and serving as an effective liaison between members of the Southern Region, the Administrative Board of the OSR, as well as the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Office of Government Relations.

I Along with the delegates from the other regions, O’Brien will work with the National Legislative Affairs Delegate on projects that aim to improve medical students' knowledge and voice within the governmental policies that will shape the way in which they practice medicine.

“I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to engage students at a regional and national level and encourage them to stay knowledgeable and active in the political environment that will shape their careers,” O’Brien said. “The AAMC and the OSR have a number of incredible individuals working to tackle the evolving state of the healthcare policy.”

Current projects of the Legislative Affairs Committee include the creation and distribution of an information graphic about the Affordable Care Act aimed at medical students, surveying the current status of medical policy education at medical schools across the country, and serving as contact points for an OSR Special Interest Group focused on business in medicine.

“My hope is that with this position, I can stay more abreast of the current state of healthcare policy,” he said. “I also hope to motivate other medical students to take part in the effort to lobby for more effective, efficient healthcare for all of our current and future patients.”

College of Medicine Hosts Charlie Baugh Dawg Day

Dr. Lawrence LeClaire, assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, holds a hot dog hot off the grill during the celebration of Dawg Day in the College of Medicine courtyard Feb. 6, 2015.

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine held its Charlie Baugh Dawg Day on Feb. 6, 2015. Students and faculty gathered for the annual celebration, which is held in memory of Dr. Charles M. Baugh, who served as dean at the USA College of Medicine on two separate occasions.

The Medical Alumni Association sponsors the Basic Medical Sciences Student Organization (BMSSO) in holding Dawg Day. Free hotdogs and snacks were provided to honor Dr. Baugh and his love of hot dogs.

Dr. Charles M. Baugh served twice as dean of the USA College of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs. He began his career at USA in 1973 as a charter member of the medical school faculty and as professor and chair of biochemistry. In 1976, Dr. Baugh was named associate dean for basic medical sciences. In addition, Dr. Baugh was involved in the creation of the USA Health Services Foundation, the South Alabama Medical Sciences Foundation, PrimeHealth, and in the development of USA's biomedical library which bears his name.

Click here to view more photos from the event. 

USA Medical Alumni Association Lecture to Feature COM Alum Dr. David Adkison

The University of South Alabama Medical Alumni Association is hosting a lecture featuring Dr. David Adkison, orthopedic surgeon at St. Vincent’s Orthopedics, PC, in Birmingham, Ala.

The event will be held Feb. 25, 2015, at the USA Medical Sciences Building first floor auditorium from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., as part of the Medical Alumni Speaker Series.  Dr. Adkison’s lecture is titled “Adventures in Medicine: Practicing in China.”

Dr. Adkison, a 1984 graduate of the USA College of Medicine and decorated Navy veteran, served as chair of the department of orthopedics at the National Naval Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Dr. Adkison also served as an attending orthopedic surgeon for the White House Medical Unit and U.S. Capital Physician’s Office.  His patients have included former President Bill Clinton, members of Congress, members of the Cabinet, Supreme Court and foreign dignitaries. Dr. Adkison completed his residency at the National Naval Medical Center and specializes in sports medicine and surgery of the knee and shoulder.

In addition to his impressive military background and experience providing medical care to top U.S. leaders, Dr. Adkison co-founded an orthopedic practice in Shanghai, China, as part of the American Medical Center.

If you plan to attend, notify the medical alumni office at (251) 460-6805.

Three USA Medical Students Match Early in Military Programs

University of South Alabama College of Medicine senior medical student Timothy Parker of Moundville, Ala. poses for a portrait with old photos of family members who served in the U.S. Military. Parker recently matched in an early match program in the military. Parker's father served as a Marine Corps infantry officer and his brother is an active duty Marine. His uncles and both grandfathers also served in the military.

University of South Alabama’s fourth-year medical students Timothy Parker, Anna Christensen and Brent Griffin recently matched in early match programs in the military.

The majority of medical students go through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) to find out where they will be doing their residency training following graduation, but students who wish to match in the military participate in a specialty match program that takes place months before Match Day in late March.

Timothy Parker, from Moundville, Ala., will continue his family tradition of serving in the military. Parker’s father was a former Marine Corps infantry officer, his brother is an active duty Marine and all of his uncles and grandfathers served in the military. “As a child, we were taught to serve our country, so being able to fulfill that duty by serving men and women who have sacrificed their own freedom to protect the lives and freedoms of others is an honor for me,” said Parker. He matched at Navy Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va., where he will complete a general surgery residency.

Parker will be the first physician in his family and is set to begin his residency in June. “I first became interested in medicine at age 14. I felt like medicine provided a venue through which I could serve the less fortunate and underserved populations,” Parker said. “I have always believed we are blessed in order to be a blessing, and becoming a Navy medical officer and physician is simply another way I can make an impact in the lives of others.”

Anna Christensen, from Streator, Ill., started her career as a nurse, earning her master’s degree in nursing at USA. For 12 years, she served as a nurse practitioner in the Navy before returning to school to pursue a medical degree. “I just felt like there was more I needed to learn,” Christensen said.

Christensen matched at Eglin Air Force base in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., where she will complete a family medicine residency. It was her first choice due to the proximity to her family and the excellent program it offered. “Being a family medicine physician has a very good career path in the military, with a lot of options in both focus and duty stations. I was very happy with my match,” she said. “USA has been an excellent school and I am so glad I went back to medical school. When you find the right nitch, it feels very good,” said Christensen, who will also be the first physician in her family. She will begin her residency in June.

Brent Griffin, from Boone, N.C., has served in the military for nearly 11 years. He enlisted in the Navy in 2004 and spent five years as a military police officer.  Griffin said he had been contemplating whether he should get out of the military once his time was up or if he should switch career paths. “I remember talking to a physician on duty and asking him the pros and cons of military medicine. He told me there was always something to learn in medicine and that really appealed to me. I then decided to go to medical school,” said Griffin.

Griffin matched at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Ga., where he will complete his residency in internal medicine. “I was very impressed by the quality of the program,” Griffin said. “The residents receive a lot of one-on-one instruction with the attending physicians, which was exactly what I was looking for.” Griffin will also be the first physician in his family and will begin his residency in June.

During Honors Convocation in May, Parker, Christensen and Griffin will take the military oath of office and receive their new military rank.

The remainder of the USA College of Medicine Class of 2015 will find out where they matched on Match Day, March 20, 2015. The event will take place at the Mobile Convention Center in downtown Mobile.

USA Surgery to Host Greater Gulf Coast Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Symposium

The University of South Alabama Department of Surgery will host the 6th annual Greater Gulf Coast Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Symposium on April 9-10, 2015, at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Ala.

This year’s symposium will feature a different format from previous years. There will be three 15-minute lectures and a discussion panel. There will be a total of nine sessions. The lectures will include updates on trauma, emergency surgery and critical care issues. There will also be a section for nurses.

The 8th annual William A. L. Mitchell Endowed Lectureship in Traumatology and Surgical Critical Care will be held in conjunction with the seminar. This year’s lecture will feature internationally recognized trauma surgeon from Baltimore, Md., Dr. Thomas Scalea. Dr. Scalea is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the Baltimore area, including the University of Maryland Medical Center and Veterans affairs Maryland Health Care System-Baltimore Division. The lecture, titled “Enovascular Techniques for Trauma Care,” will take place April 9, 2015, at 4:45 p.m. at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Ala. A reception will take place following the lecture. The William A.L. Mitchell Lecture and receiption is free and open to the public.

For more information or to register for the Symposium, click here or contact Rebecca Scarbrough at  rscarbrough@health.southalabama.edu.

In addition, an advanced trauma life support course will be offered in conjunction with the symposium on April 8, 2015. To register for the course, visit http://www.usahealthsystem.com/atls.

William A. L. Mitchell Endowed Lectureship to Feature Dr. Thomas Scalea

Dr. Scalea

This year’s William A. L. Mitchell Endowed Lectureship in Traumatology and Surgical Care will feature Dr. Thomas Scalea, an internationally recognized trauma surgeon from Baltimore, Md.

The lecture, “Enovascular Techniques for Trauma Care,” will take place April 9, 2015, at 4:45 p.m. at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Ala. A welcome reception will follow the lecture.

The William A.L. Mitchell Lecture and reception is free and open to the public, this event will be held in conjunction with the 6th Annual Greater Gulf Coast Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Symposium. To register for the Symposium please visit our web site Greater Gulf Coast Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Symposium.

Dr. Scalea earned his medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and has been in practice for 36 years. He is one of 97 doctors at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and one of 33 at Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System-Baltimore Division who specializes in surgery.

Dr. Scalea became the director of critical care and trauma at the King’s County Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., and built them into a nationally-recognized service. In 1991, Dr. Scalea founded the department of emergency medicine at King’s County Hospital and SUNY Brooklyn. In 1977, he became the physician-in-chief at the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. As director, he serves as chair within the school and hospital. As physician-in-chief, he is responsible for clinical care in all medical administrative functions of shock trauma.

The lecture is presented each year in memory of William A. L. Mitchell, who died in 2005 from severe traumatic injuries sustained in a car crash. In appreciation for the care he received at the USA Trauma Center, his family established the endowed lecture series to memorialize their son and brother and to improve trauma patient care in our region through education. Mitchell was a senior at UMS-Wright Preparatory School at the time of his death.

The USA Trauma Center is this region’s only Level I Trauma Center, serving as a community resource for citizens throughout the central Gulf Coast region. The center provides the highest level of care for critically ill and/or injured patients.

For more information about the lecture, contact Rebecca Scarbrough at rscarbrough@health.southalabama.edu.

February Med School Café - 'An Overview of Minimally Invasive Treatments'

The February Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Derek Samuels, assistant professor of radiology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and an interventional radiologist with USA Physicians Group.

His lecture, titled “An Overview of Minimally Invasive Treatments,” will take place Feb. 19, 2015, at the USA Faculty Club on USA’s main campus. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon.

Today, many conditions that once required surgery can be treated less invasively by interventional radiologists. During the talk, Dr. Samuels will discuss interventional radiology and what it means for patients. Interventional radiology is a medical specialty that uses minimally invasive image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat diseases. Dr. Samuels will include information on these procedures as it relates to the oncology patient, the obstetrics and gynecology patient, and patients with renal failure, among others.

Dr. Samuels earned his medical degree at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He completed both his residency in diagnostic radiology and his fellowship in interventional radiology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla.

The Med School Café lecture and lunch are provided free of charge, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, call Kim Partridge at (251) 460-7770 or e-mail kepartridge@health.southalabama.edu.

Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by the USA Physicians Group. Each month, faculty from the USA College of Medicine share their expertise on a specific medical condition, providing insight on the latest treatment available.


Dr Samuels Med School Cafe Promo from USA Health System on Vimeo.

USA Chapter of Gold Humanism Honor Society to Focus on Compassion

In honor of the Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society's (GHHS) Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care on Feb. 13, the University of South Alabama College of Medicine chapter of GHHS will participate in several activities to remind students and employees of the importance of compassion in medicine.

“We are really excited about this year’s Solidarity Day/Week entitled ‘Tell Me More,’” said JaneMarie Freeman, a fourth-year medical student and GHHS member at the USA College of Medicine.

After obtaining consent, GHHS members will spend time learning about hospital patients’ personal lives in order to craft signs for display over their beds.

“We are doing this in effort to get to know our patients beyond their medical background, to provide more compassionate and holistic care to the patients at both USA Medical Center and USA Children's & Women's Hospital, and to find out what makes our patients unique,” Freeman said. “We truly feel this will encourage ongoing communication and trust that will improve patient care from this point forward.”

GHHS members will also hand out candy and buttons to hospital staff to thank them for their hard work and compassion.

The GHHS Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care was initiated after the 2011 shootings in Tucson, Ariz., to honor the humanistic actions of Dr. Randall Friese, the trauma surgeon who first treated Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The “Tell Me More” project was developed in 2014 by GHHS chapter members at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai.

The senior medical students of the USA chapter of GHHS are Brian Buning, Griffin Collins, R. Wes Edmunds, JaneMarie Freeman, Alonso Heudebert, Angela King, Timothy Parker, and C. Dale Shamburger.

To learn more about Solidarity Day, visit http://humanism-in-medicine.org/ghhs/national-conferences-events/ghhs-solidarity-day/.

Life Story of Dr. Meyer Featured in Press-Register

The life story of Dr. Frederick N. Meyer was recently featured in the Press-Register.

Dr. Meyer passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 14, 2014. At the time of his death, he served as professor and chair of the University of South Alabama department of orthopaedic surgery. He also served as program director for the orthopaedic surgery residency training program. 

To view the article in its entirety, visit http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/02/life_stories_dedicated_to_his.html.

College of Medicine's Office of Diversity and Inclusion to Host Three Lectures

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion is hosting three lectures featuring Dr. Lisa Moreno Walton, professor of clinical emergency medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, on Feb. 11 and 12, 2015.

The first lecture, titled "HIV/AIDS Courageous Conversation," will be held on Feb. 11, 2015, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the student center ballroom on USA’s main campus. The lecture is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

The second lecture, titled "Addressing Diversity in Clinical Care," will be held on Feb.12, 2015, at the USA Medical Center Conference Center from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. as a part of Internal Medicine Grand Rounds.

Dr. Walton will also present a special seminar, titled "University Hospital Healthcare: Partnering with the Community," on Feb. 12, 2015, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the College of Nursing auditorium on USA’s main campus.

Dr. Walton earned her bachelor of science degree and her master of social work degree from New York University. She earned her medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, N.Y.

For more information on the lectures, contact Chante’ Hendrix at chendrix@southalabama.edu or Dr. Johnson Haynes Jr. at jhaynes@health.southalabama.edu.