Thursday, October 14, 2021

USA Health begins construction on expanded Pediatric Emergency Center

From left, Larry Mellick, M.D.; Krissy Blake; Chris Jett, M.S.H.A., M.B.A.; Edward Panacek, M.D., M.P.H.; John Marymont, M.D., M.B.A.; Owen Bailey, M.H.A., FACHE; and Danny Rickert, participate in the ground-breaking ceremony for the Pediatric Emergency Center at Children's & Women's Hospital.
USA Health today formally kicked off construction of an expansion of the Pediatric Emergency Center at Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

“This will create the first true pediatric emergency center at the hospital,” said Edward Panacek, M.D., M.P.H., professor and chair of emergency medicine at the USA College of Medicine. “The center will combine state-of-the-art technology with the advanced practice associated with an academic health center to improve the care provided to everyone who comes through our doors.”

Scheduled for completion in summer 2023, the new facility will more than double the current emergency department from 9,000 square feet to nearly 19,000 square feet and expand from 14 treatment areas to more than 30 areas, including 25 private treatment rooms. The project also will create two behavioral health rooms and a sensory room to enhance the care for patients with specialized needs.

Edward Panacek, M.D., M.P.H., professor and chair of 
emergency medicine, speaks at the ground-breaking event
for the Pediatric Emergency Center.
Further, the space will provide enough room for parents and caregivers to be with their children to enhance the experience for young patients and their loved ones.

The Pediatric Emergency Center at Children’s & Women’s Hospital is the only healthcare facility in the region offering specialized care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and staffed with pediatric emergency medicine physicians to best meet the needs of sick and injured children.

The expansion will strengthen the educational and training opportunities of future healthcare providers including emergency medicine residents, medical students, nurses and nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other allied health professionals. The new space will enable the installation of the most-advanced equipment that care providers will be using not only now, but for generations to come.

USA Health received accreditation from the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to establish the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, which welcomed its first class of residents in July 2019. 

“This new Pediatric Emergency Center will be an opportunity to provide enhanced, outstanding pediatric emergency care education to our residents and to grow our program to better address the severe shortage of qualified emergency medicine physicians in the state of Alabama,” Panacek said. 

The Department of Emergency Medicine is working to establish a fellowship training program in pediatric emergency medicine at Children's & Women's Hospital, Panacek said.  

“Not only has the demand for our services grown with the population of the region, but the space requirements associated with the delivery of the high quality of care we are known for makes this expansion even more important,” said Chris Jett, administrator for Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “We will have the most up-to-date equipment that matches the high-quality team that delivers the care.”

“For many, our pediatric emergency center is the gateway to resolving their child’s medical issue,” said Owen Bailey, M.H.A., FACHE, chief executive officer of USA Health. “This project is another example of our recent efforts to increase access to the unmatched services we provide. We are excited about having the opportunity to continue meeting the healthcare needs of the children in the Upper Gulf Coast region and hopefully provide some additional peace of mind to families in the area.”

The estimated cost of the renovation, construction and equipment for the project is $15 million, with USA Health already having raised nearly the entire amount through donations and state appropriations. Walcott Adams Verneuille is the architectural firm for the facility.

View more photos from the Pediatric Emergency Center ground-breaking event on Flickr.

Watch video of the ceremony below: 

Mark your calendar for upcoming grand rounds

Orthopaedic Surgery Grand Rounds
"Pediatric Musculoskeletal Tumors"
Tyler C. McDonald, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, USA College of Medicine
Friday, Oct. 15 at 7 a.m.
Zoom: https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/j/91854409584
Contact: Rhonda Smith at 251-665-8251 or rhondasmith@health.southalabama.edu

Surgery Grand Rounds
"COVID SARS Update"
John Vande Waa, D.O., Ph.D., professor of internal medicine, USA College of Medicine
Friday, Oct. 15 at 7 a.m.
Zoom: https://southalabama.zoom.us/u/abrCuEXsXb
Contact: Tyronda Rogers at 251-471-7992 or tmrogers@health.southalabama.edu

Pediatric Grand Rounds
"Pancreatitis in Children: State of the Art in 2021"
Mark E. Lowe, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pediatric science, Washington University School of Medicine
Friday, Oct. 15 at 8 a.m.
Zoom: https://southalabama.zoom.us/j/94119962856
Contact: Jessica Petro at 251-415-8688 or jpetro@health.southalabama.edu

Neurology Grand Rounds
"Evaluation and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease"
Joel Page, M.D., neurology resident, USA Health
Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 8 a.m.
Zoom registration: https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/j/98581771852
Contact: Tommye Mangrum at  251-445-8292 or tmangrum@health.southalabama.edu

Mental Health Grand Rounds
"Cannabis and Psychosis"
Brad Roberts, M.D.
Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 8 a.m.
Zoom registration: https://southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsf-isqjMiHtyYx3UlyuC-50kwlSE7ai2f
Contact: Sharrie Cranford at 251-414-8080 or scranford@southalabama.edu

 Orthopaedic Surgery Grand Rounds
"Optimizing Osteoporisis in Orthopaedic Patients"
Sarah Goode, D.N.P., C.R.N.P., Mobile Infirmary
Friday, Oct. 22 at 7 a.m.
Zoom: https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/j/91854409584
Contact: Rhonda Smith at 251-665-8251 or rhondasmith@health.southalabama.edu

Surgery Grand Rounds
"A Historical Perspective on the Development of Oncolytic Viral Therapies"
John H. Stewart, M.D., center director, LSU Health New Orleans/LCMC Health Cancer Center
Friday, Oct. 22 at 7 a.m.
Zoom: https://southalabama.zoom.us/j/96457019824
Contact: Tyronda Rogers at 251-471-7992 or tmrogers@health.southalabama.edu

See the full schedule of grand rounds on CME tracker

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Meet a Med Student: Meghan Rice

Meghan Rice

Age: 25 

Class of: 2024 

Hometown: Wilmer, Ala. 

Undergrad/grad institution: University of South Alabama 

Degrees earned: Bachelor of Science in biology and biomedical sciences, Bachelor of Arts in psychology 

Interests, hobbies: Hiking, kayaking, baking, gardening, DIY projects 

Something unique about me: Before medical school, I was a research assistant at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Being around so many scientists and clinicians really highlighted the need for physicians in rural areas. One day I want to be someone who helps bring healthcare to rural and underserved areas. 

Three of my favorite things: My two dogs, a new hiking spot and music 

What I enjoy most about being a student at the USA College of Medicine: The people! Every one of my classmates is awesome and they make medical school feel like a family. Our professors and clinicians genuinely care about the student learning.



Faculty Spotlight: Meghan Hermance, Ph.D.

Meghan Hermance, Ph.D.

Academic title: Assistant professor of microbiology and immunology 

Joined the USA College of Medicine faculty: May 2020

What does your position in the USA COM/USA Health entail?
The focus of my position is on research, specifically on emerging tick-borne viruses. I plan and oversee my laboratory's research activities, working toward our overall goal of elucidating the determinants of tick-borne virus transmission and pathogenesis. We communicate the findings of our experiments by submitting our research manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals for publication. Pursuing extramural research funding is also an integral part of my position. 

What is your favorite or most rewarding part of your position?
Having the opportunity to develop my own research themes and lead a research program that focuses on tick-virus-host interactions is incredibly rewarding. Seeing members of my lab organically generate their own interests and scientific questions within the field of vector biology is also very rewarding.

What research initiatives are you involved in?
We're evaluating the ability of an invasive tick species, the Asian longhorned tick, to transmit North American tick-borne viruses. Tick-borne viruses are unique from single-host viruses because they must replicate in both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts; therefore, we are also studying the intra-tick and intra-host dynamics that enable tick-borne viruses to establish infection and disseminate within the distinct environments of the tick and vertebrate host. 

What is your advice for medical and basic medical sciences graduate students?
I advise medical students to seek a basic science research opportunity, as hand-on training in the scientific method will facilitate their ability to integrate basic science knowledge with clinical decision-making. Graduate students are advised to practice their scientific writing and ability to articulate the significance and public health impact of their research.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work? 
I have a 5-year-old basset hound who always loves a good walk in midtown Mobile. I enjoy exploring the history and culture of any city I live in or visit. My alma mater is Texas A&M, so I'm always pulling for my Aggies!




Monday, October 11, 2021

Pediatric nephrologist joins pediatrics faculty at USA College of Medicine

USA Health is expanding the scope of its pediatric practice with the addition of Dunya Mohammad, M.D., a pediatric nephrologist who specializes in caring for children with acute and chronic kidney diseases.

As part of the only academic health system in the region, she also serves as an assistant professor of pediatrics at the USA College of Medicine. Her research interests include hypertension and vesicoureteral reflux.

“I always wanted to become a pediatrician and care for children in need,” Mohammad said. “I was raised in Kurdistan, watching the suffering of children with kidney disease because of the lack of specialty care made me decide to pursue a career in pediatric nephrology.”

Born and raised in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Mohammad earned a bachelor’s degree in medicine and a bachelor’s degree in general surgery in 2010. She worked as an intern physician and general practitioner at hospitals and clinics in and around Erbil city, Iraq, (population 1.5 million) before completing a pediatric residency at Rapareen Pediatric Teaching Hospital in 2015.

Mohammad moved to the United States in 2015, and began a pediatric residency at Michigan State University's Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Mich. After completing her residency in 2018, Mohammad remained in Michigan to complete a pediatric nephrology fellowship at Wayne State University's Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. She is fluent in English, Arabic and Kurdish.

Mohammad is accepting new patients at Strada Patient Care Center in Mobile. Call 251-410-5437 schedule an appointment.

Pediatric orthopaedic surgeon joins USA College of Medicine faculty

Tyler McDonald, M.D., pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at USA Health, pursued different career paths while in medical school.

“I went to school for dentistry, but wanted to study more of the body,” McDonald said. “I love science, and I love talking to people and interested to know more about them, so I studied different fields to see what fit best.”

During medical school, McDonald learned he had a passion for helping young patients.

“I was excited to work with the pediatric consults and felt led to care for children,” he said. “My interest is spine care, but I enjoy treating any pediatric medical needs.”

While at an academic health system, McDonald, who is an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the USA College of Medicine, hopes to further his clinical research in pediatric spine health.

“There are exceptional providers at USA Health who are working towards this goal, and I’m excited to work with them and help educate parents and children about spine health,” he said.

McDonald earned a medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He completed residency training in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., and a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedics and scoliosis at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del.

To schedule an appointment with McDonald, call the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at (251) 665-8200.