Mark Your Calendar: Pediatric Grand Rounds Feb. 15

Dr. Rosina Avila Connelly, associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, will present February's pediatric grand rounds.

Her lecture, “Texas Children's Hospital's Complex Care Clinic: An Overview of a Structured Health Care Delivery Model for Medically Complex Children,” is set for 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 15, in the Strada Patient Care Center first-floor conference room.

Dr. Connelly will describe the structure of a primary care-centered model of healthcare delivery for children who are medically complex and technology dependent; identify areas of opportunities for improvement in quality care, patient safety, health outcome and advocacy for medically complex and technology-dependent children; discuss the importance of care-coordination and patient-centered approach to care when building healthcare delivery systems for children with complex healthcare needs; appreciate the value of engaged and well-informed parents and/or caregivers as key components in the care of children with complex healthcare needs.

Pediatric grand rounds is every third Friday of the month. The event is open to USA faculty, staff and students. A light breakfast, coffee and beverages will be provided.

For more information, contact LaTasha Williams at latashawilliams@health.southalabama.edu or (251) 415-8688.

Dr. Barry Porter Named Director of Operations for Emergency Medicine, Radiology

Dr. Barry Porter recently was appointed director of operations for emergency medicine and radiology with USA Health. He fills a position previously held by Ron Ori, who recently retired.

Dr. Porter is responsible for the daily operations of both departments, including strengthening communications and workflows, coordinating with hospital operations to create efficiencies, and supporting the departmental chairs as they grow their capabilities and increase patient access.

“I look forward to being an active part of the planning and growth of both of these vital departments,” Dr. Porter said. “As a native Mobilian, and being familiar with USA Health over the years, it's exciting to have the opportunity to be a part of the ongoing success, working with great leaders, talented providers and outstanding clinical professionals. USA Health, as an academic health system, has strong forward-momentum right now. It's exciting to be a part of the growth.”   

Dr. Porter previously served as director of family medicine project development with USA Healthcare Management, where he provided leadership in the design and development of a population health service line. Prior to that, he served as coordinator of the Longitudinal Experiences in Ambulatory Practice at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.

“I've learned so much about what it takes to have systemic success during my time at USA. Academic healthcare is a different animal, and I've been fortunate to have experience both as an academic and as a manager,” Dr. Porter said. “Academic medicine is about learning and growing together as a community, focusing on improving the lives of both patients and employees who make the mission possible, and taking ownership of all opportunities when they arise, as they arise. I believe in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care to everyone who comes to USA Health.”

Prior to joining USA in 2015, Dr. Porter served as chief operating officer and administrator for Immediate Care Companies, where he managed the day-to-day business and clinical operations in urgent care practices for Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Dr. Porter earned his bachelor’s degree from Spring Hill College, and a master’s and doctorate from the University of South Alabama. He is currently pursuing his M.B.A. at USA and just completed Lean Six Sigma green belt certification at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

USA Department of Neurology Recognized as a Partner in MS Care by National Multiple Sclerosis Society

From left, Dr. William Kilgo, assistant professor of neurology at the USA College of Medicine and an MS specialist with USA Physicians Group; Dr. Elizabeth Minto, director of clinical skills at the USA College of Medicine and an MS specialist with USA Physicians Group; Andrew Bell, president of the National MS Society, Alabama-Mississippi Chapter; and Deborah Kirkland, manager of healthcare provider engagement at the National MS Society.

The University of South Alabama department of neurology, a leading provider of care for people living with multiple sclerosis in the Mobile area, has been officially recognized as a Partner in MS Care by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The Partners in MS Care program recognizes providers who have demonstrated knowledge and expertise in treating patients with MS and whose practices support the Society’s initiative of affordable access to high-quality care for everyone living with MS – regardless of geography, disease progression and other disparities. Partners in MS Care also have a relationship with the National MS Society that helps connect their patients to the information, resources and support available.

"We are so proud to partner with the University of South Alabama’s department of neurology to enhance coordinated, comprehensive care for the people who live with MS in Mobile and along the Gulf Coast," said Andrew Bell, president of the National MS Society, Alabama-Mississippi Chapter. "In earning this recognition, the USA department of neurology has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in MS care, making a tremendous impact on people affected by MS in our community."

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling, disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms vary from person to person and range from numbness and tingling, to walking difficulties, fatigue, dizziness, pain, depression, blindness and paralysis. Approximately 500 people in the Mobile area are living with multiple sclerosis, and more than 900,000 people across the United States have been diagnosed with the disease.

Dr. William Kilgo, assistant professor of neurology at the USA College of Medicine and a neurologist with USA Physicians Group who specializes in multiple sclerosis, said the Partners in MS Care designation is the first step to becoming an MS Center for Comprehensive Care, which the USA department of neurology hopes to achieve in the next two years.

"Partnering with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is an essential step forward here at the University of South Alabama," Dr. Kilgo said. "We look forward to continuing to provide a high level of service to patients with multiple sclerosis along the Gulf Coast who in the past have driven as far as Birmingham, New Orleans or Atlanta for their care."

Marlo Blankenship speaks about her personal experience of 

living with multiple sclerosis. 

Dr. Elizabeth Minto, director of clinical skills at the USA College of Medicine and a neurologist with USA Physicians Group who specializes in multiple sclerosis, said, "This recognition from the National MS Society calls attention to the commitment of our physicians and staff to providing excellent comprehensive care to our patients living with MS. It also offers the opportunity for more patients in the region to be made aware of USA Neurology as a cutting-edge care provider, closer to home."

Marlo Blankenship of Mobile serves as an advocate in the community for those living with and affected by multiple sclerosis. She was diagnosed with MS by an internal medicine physician in 2004, after experiencing periods of blindness and paralysis in the leg. At the time there were no MS specialists in Mobile, so she traveled to Birmingham for care.

With the expertise of her doctors and medications to slow the progression of the disease, Blankenship is now healthy and active. She said the partnership between USA and the MS Society will greatly benefit the community.

"This partnership is amazing, and it's something that Mobile should be very excited about," Blankenship said. "I know I am, and I know other MS patients will love the comfort of having a specialist locally and the connection with the MS Society."

"We're very proud of this achievement and our partnership with the MS Society," said Dr. Dean Naritoku, professor and chair of neurology at the USA College of Medicine and a neurologist with USA Physicians Group. "We now have many disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis, and there are more on the horizon. We look forward to helping better care for people living with multiple sclerosis."

For more information on the Partners in MS Care program, visit www.nationalMSsociety.org/partnersinMScare.

Dr. Kilgo recently presented "The Importance of Specialized Care for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis" at Med School Café. Watch the full presentation on YouTube.

New Members Elected into USA Chapter of GHHS

Ten University of South Alabama College of Medicine students, three residents and one USA College of Medicine faculty member recently were named to the USA Chapter of the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society (GHHS) – a national society that celebrates compassionate, patient-centered care.

Each year, a select group of students, residents and faculty members are named to GHHS. Through a peer-nominated process, GHHS membership recognizes those who are exemplars of compassionate patient care and serve as a role model, mentor and leader in medicine.

Together, Christina Artz, Hilda Watkins, Trevor Stevens and Matthew Robson – fourth-year students at the USA College of Medicine and members of GHHS – assembled gold-themed goodie bags containing hand-written notes from current GHHS members to distribute to the recently elected students, faculty and residents.

This year, to announce those elected, fourth-year members of the honor society decided to “tap” each new inductee in everyday places – such as the classroom or hospital hallways – to publicly recognize the recipient.

“I was waiting for our pediatrics lecture to start when I saw the current GHHS members walk into the room with gift bags,” said Maria Siow, a third-year student at the USA College of Medicine. “I was a little nervous at first as this was something I’ve aspired to participate in since freshman orientation.”

Each member of the Class of 2020 completed a ballot with statements such as “the classmates who have shown exceptional interest in service to those in need in our community” and “the classmates you would like to have work at your side during a medical emergency or unforeseen disaster,” among others. The students named two of their classmates who would best fit the situations described.

Tyler Kaelin, a third-year student at the USA College of Medicine, said he was surprised to hear his named called. “The honor has grown in meaning and value to me,” he said. “Practicing humanistic care is not done for recognition or esteem, but is for connecting with patients and their families to provide the best care we can offer. To be recognized for doing this as a student is nothing I expected, so it is all the more humbling to receive such an honor from my peers.”

The following USA students, residents and faculty were selected:

• Erin Bouska – student
• Joseph Cortopassi – student
• Aaron Dinerman – student
• Bonnie Holley – student
• Tyler Kaelin – student
• Elisabeth Potts – student
• Maria Siow – student
• Destini Smith – student
• Patrick Steadman – student
• Jeremy Towns – student
• Dr. Gabriel Bolanos Guzman – resident, department of internal medicine
• Dr. Rajesh Paladugu – resident, department of obstetrics and gynecology
• Dr. Eli Fox – resident, department of pediatrics
• Dr. Spencer Liles – faculty, department of surgery

This year’s GHHS class officers are Tyler Kaelin, president; Destini Smith, secretary/treasurer; and Joseph Cortopassi, social coordinator. New members will be officially inducted and pinned at the USA College of Medicine’s annual White Coat Ceremony on June 15, 2019, at 10 a.m. at the USA Mitchell Center.

“I am so honored to have been chosen by my classmates as someone who displays the characteristics of a GHHS member,” Siow said. “There are so many great compassionate students in the USA Class of 2020, so it means a lot to me to get to represent the class in this way.”

The Arnold P. Gold Foundation sustains the commitment of health care professionals to provide compassionate, collaborative and scientifically excellent patient care.  The society currently has approximately 30,000 members in training and practice.

Each year, the GHHS participates in Solidarity Week for Compassionate Patient Care to remind students and employees of the importance of compassion in medicine. This year, Solidarity Week will take place Feb. 11-15, as the GHHS Class of 2019 and 2020 will participate in several activities to remind students and employees of the importance of compassion in medicine.

February Med School Café – “Personalized Medicine: The Future is Now”

Dr. Allen Perkins, left, and Dr. Errol Crook will present February's lecture. 

The February Med School Café lecture will feature Dr. Allen Perkins, professor and chair of family medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, and Dr. Errol Crook, Professor and Abraham Mitchell Chair of Internal Medicine at the USA College of Medicine and director of the USA Center for Healthy Communities.

Their lecture, titled “Personalized Medicine: The Future is Now,” will be held Friday, Feb. 8, 2019 at the Strada Patient Care Center conference room on the first floor. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the presentation will begin at noon.

In their talk, Drs. Perkins and Crook will discuss the importance of knowing your family history, controversies in practicing personalized medicine, and the importance of preconception care in having a healthy baby. They will also cover how precision medicine will impact you in the future and now.

Dr. Perkins earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed his residency training in family medicine at USA.

Dr. Crook earned his medical degree from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He then completed his residency training and a fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

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

Med School Café is a free community lecture series sponsored by the USA Health 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.

The Strada Patient Care Center is located at 1601 Center St. in Mobile.