Dr. William Richards to Give Community Lecture on Bariatric Surgery

Dr. William Richards, professor and chair of surgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, will present a community lecture titled “Bariatric Surgery for Morbid Obesity” at 6:30 p.m. on June 24, 2010. The lecture will take place in the Atlantis Room in the CWEB-II building behind USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Richards’s clinical interests focus on surgical treatment for Type 2 diabetes and treating motility disorders of the gastrointestinal tract using minimally invasive surgical procedures. He has performed more than 1,000 laparoscopic procedures since 1990, including numerous laparoscopic bariatric procedures.

Dr. Richards received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School Of Medicine in Baltimore. He completed his internship at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., and his surgery residency at the University of Maryland. Following his residency, Dr. Richards completed a surgical fellowship in portal hypertension and endoscopy at Emory University in Atlanta. In addition, he also completed a research fellowship in gastrointestinal motility at the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.

Dr. Richards is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of numerous professional societies, including the American Surgical Association, the Society of University Surgeons, the Southern Surgical Association, the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, the Association for Academic Surgery, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

For more information on the lecture, contact Valerie Heinl at (251) 471-7413.

USA Students Travel to Honduras for Medical Mission Trip

Pictured above: The Christian Medical Ministry of South Alabama's 2009 mission team pose for a group shot in Honduras

Twenty first and second year medical students at the University of South Alabama will be traveling to Honduras with the Christian Medical Ministry of South Alabama (CMMSA) from June 12-25, 2010.

The medical mission team will be serving Hospital Escuela in the capitol city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

“We will perform orthopaedic operations, and we will provide some much-needed surgical equipment,” said Duane Baxter, director of the Christian Medical Ministry. “We will also host free clinics to the poor in the outlying areas of the capitol city by partnering with Honduran physicians. While helping the needy with physical needs, our hope is to also share the gospel and the love of Christ to help meet spiritual and emotional needs.”

This is the fourth year that CMMSA has made the trip to Honduras. The trips began when Mobile orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Robert McGinley and his wife Kelly saw a need to help mentor the students at the USA College of Medicine by spending time with them outside of the states.

“The McGinley’s wanted the students to see the needs of the world,” Baxter said. “Their passion is to share the love of Christ through medicine and mentoring.”

Baxter, who serves as the stateside coordinator and team director while in the country, said that it is important for students to become involved in this type of experience.

“Students will see the importance of charity,” he said. “It builds character and teamwork skills, and it gives them a world vision, allowing them to see the great needs of people not far from our country. It also gives them the opportunity to learn alongside great mentors.”

The students participating in the mission trip will work with six physicians, including Dr. Albert W. Pearsall, professor of orthopaedic surgery at USA.

So far, CMMSA has raised over $35,000 in gifts, grants and donations for this year’s trip. The team would still like to raise over $15,000.

If you wish to support a student or make a monetary donation to pay for medicines and supplies for the trip, send a tax-deductible gift to Christian Medical Ministry of South Alabama, P.O. Box 851898, Mobile, Ala., 36685. Surgical supplies can be accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Contact the CMMSA office at (251) 517-0536 or e-mail office@cmmsa.org if you would like to become involved in CMMSA.

USA Researchers Present Work at ATS 2010 Conference

Researchers at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine have developed a new preclinical model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) that may lead to improved research and better treatment of the disorder.

The study’s results were presented at the American Thoracic Society’s 2010 International Conference in New Orleans on May 19.

The new model mimics the plexiform lesion, which is the characteristic vascular change of pulmonary arteries in pulmonary hypertension.

“This study provides convincing evidence for the first time that the plexiform lesion develops in an experimental lab model of severe PAH,” said Dr. Kotaro Abe, instructor of biochemistry at the USA College of Medicine and lead author of the study. “To date, no lab model of pulmonary arterial hypertension exists that rigorously mimics the plexiform lesion found in human patients.”

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare blood disorder of the lung in which the pressure in the pulmonary artery -- the blood vessel that leads from the heart to the lungs -- rises above normal levels and may become life threatening. It is a disease that affects people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.

Researchers believe the model will reveal more detailed molecular and cellular mechanisms of severe PAH.

“This research gives us the opportunity to test therapies in our laboratories and then use that information in the clinical setting to better predict which treatments are available for patients with PAH,” said Dr. Karen A. Fagan, chief of the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at USA and medical director of the USA Pulmonary Hypertension Center.

“At the ATS conference, the model was incredibly well-received,” Dr. Fagan said. “Scientists from around the world were very excited to see the results, and we believe it will have a significant impact on studies that are ongoing and planned worldwide.”

USA Biomedical Library Promotes Disaster Preparation and Awareness

The University of South Alabama Biomedical Library will partner with two local public library systems to host two community events in an effort to help coastal citizens prepare for disasters – particularly those involving severe tropical weather.

On June 5, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., USA will co-host a Hurricane Preparedness: Community Day Event at the West Regional Branch of the Mobile Public Library at 5555 Grelot Rd. On June 26, 2010, they will co-host another Hurricane Preparedness: Community Day Event at the Fairhope Public Library at 501 Fairhope Ave.

Both events will feature local exhibitors from each county’s public health departments, area first responders, local media outlets, representatives from the USA Coastal Weather Research Center, the USA emergency medical services education department and others. Additionally, representatives from participating groups will staff information booths at both the Mobile and Fairhope events.

The day-long events will include information about hurricanes from weather professionals, interactive talks and demonstrations on cutting-edge communication technologies, safe pet evacuation, first aid, coping with storm-related life interruptions, and other general disaster preparedness information.

Deitra Tate, the weekend/WeatherPlus meteorologist from WPMI-TV, will be a celebrity reader for the children’s story hour at the Mobile Public Library West Regional Branch on June 5 at 11 a.m. Later that day, Alan Sealls, chief meteorologist for WKRG-TV, will present “How Many Hurricanes?” at 2 p.m. at the same location.

On June 26 at 1 p.m., Dr. Bill Williams, director of the USA Coastal Weather Research Center, will present “Hurricanes Past, Present, and Future” at the Fairhope Public Library event.

Community Day is part of “Ready America,” a nationwide effort initiated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, encouraging Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, schools and communities. The goal of the USA Biomedical Library’s two events is to promote libraries as active partners in a community’s emergency advance planning, response and recovery.

Both Community Day events are funded by an award the USA Biomedical Library recently received from the National Network of the National Libraries of Medicine Southeast/Atlantic Region.

For more information, contact Justin Robertson, associate librarian at the Baugh Biomedical Library at (251) 460-7045.

"Women's Health: Beyond Babies"

The May Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Nicole Brooks, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Her lecture, titled “Women’s Health: Beyond Babies,” will take place May 26, 2010, at the Chandler YMCA at 951 Downtowner Blvd. in Mobile. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation begins at noon.

Dr. Brooks, a specialist in urogynecology, will lecture on the physical changes that take place in women following their “child-bearing” years. During her talk, Dr. Brooks will outline the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy; provide information on preventing osteoporosis; discuss sexual health for women in their 40s and beyond; and treatment of urinary incontinence.

The Med School Café lecture and lunch are provided free of charge, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, please call Kim Barnes at (251) 460-7770 or e-mail kebarnes@usouthal.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 as well as promising new research.