“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
Benjamin Franklin
Awesome Observerships… China’s Top Doctors
We’ve been anticipating the terrific visit that began this week by six of our physician colleagues from China’s Jiangsu Province. No doubt many of you have heard about our university’s global initiative and this upcoming four-week observership fits perfectly with the goals of sharing knowledge, culture and experience. A special thanks to our MCG colleagues Drs. Phillip Coule, Adam Berman, Norman Chutkan, Bruce Davis, Colleen McDonough and Cargill Alleyne for giving their time and energy to this important university initiative. Our visiting physicians will be observing these fine physicians as they go about their busy professional lives. Please join in giving a warm welcome to our guests Dr. Liqun Sun, Consultant, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Dr. Hongzhuan Sheng, Chief Physician, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University; Dr. Hongwei Li, Associate Chief Doctor, Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College; Dr. Chuanyong Mu, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Respiratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University; Dr. Yongjun Fang, Senior Consultant and Chief Doctor, Department of Hematology and Oncology, the Affiliated Nanjing Children Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; and Dr. Xudong Zhao, Attending Doctor, Department of Neurosurgery, Wuxi Second Hospital Affiliated Nanjing Medical University. Thanks as well for the hard work of Drs. Walter Moore and Charles Li, Jeanette Balotin, Yilin Lou and Leslie Bedenbaugh that made this happen. Read more here http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/health/2013-10-22/chinese-partner-gru-docs-learn?v=1382492126 and here http://news.gru.edu/archives/10089. .
Powerful Progress…Growing GME
We also are so pleased to share that graduate medical education is moving forward on several fabulous fronts. The Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education recently came calling on the GRU/UGA Medical Partnership and St. Mary’s Hospital as part of the initiative to establish Athens’ first medical residency program. The Medical Partnership is the sponsor for the new Internal Medicine program developing there. This is terrific news in the effort to provide more physicians for our expansive state. Great efforts on the part of folks like Dr. Shelley Nuss at our Medical Partnership campus in Athens and Dr. Bruce Middendorf at St. Mary’s and so many others on behalf of this important cause are absolutely showing. Plans are to have 10 residents begin their training at St. Mary’s in July 2015. Athens Regional Medical Center is another committed partner in GME in the beautiful Northeast portion of our state, planning programs in Internal medicine, OB/GYN, General Surgery and others. In other parts of our state, the South Georgia Medical Education and Research Consortium and Gwinnett Medical Center also heard from the ACGME this week. We are so pleased to share that these institutions have received initial accreditation!! They will now proceed with hiring program directors and filing specialty program applications over the next year. A little closer to home, things also are going very well with our friends and colleagues at University Hospital where our OB/GYN residents now have space to call their own, our internal medicine residents are spending more time at this terrific, thriving community hospital, and our surgery residents are getting great experience as well. We simply cannot say often enough what incredible partners the state’s medical school has in educating the next generation. No doubt more news to come on this essential front. Check out a story on Georgia Health News featuring our senior students in Athens and the all-important search for a residency, http://www.georgiahealthnews.com/2013/10/residency-hunt-big-chapter-lives-young-doctors/?ref=ft.
Taking Care of Children…. Bright from the Start
Talk about a commitment to the future, Bobby Cagle, Commissioner of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, which is responsible for the early care and education of hundreds of thousands of Georgia’s children, recently came calling on the university’s Child Care Center. We enjoyed his visit here as part of his across-the-state tour of child care facilities and pre-K classrooms. Commissioner Cagle has a long history of looking out for the best interests of children and we applaud his significant efforts and accomplishments and so appreciate him coming to see us. We also thank Dr. Nancy Webb and her team for their kindness and care to our very own.
Vital VA …. Strong Signs
More now about great partners and progress. The Affiliations Partnership Council, which is working to strengthen and expand our vital relationship with the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, is working like a charm. The physical connection of our adult hospital with the VA across Harper Street is a literal reminder of how closely linked we are. We collaborate on research, we educate students and residents on both sides of Harper Street, many of our faculty take care of patients at both facilities. Michelle Cox-Henley. Associate Director for Patient/Nursing Services who is serving as interim Medical Center Director while Robert Hamilton is away, continues to be a terrific partner in ensuring that our connection is strong and that both places are better because of it. We so appreciate the commitment to excellence, look forward to continued progress, and thank our colleagues as well for their service to our veterans.
Awesome Association ….. MAG
Our magnificent colleagues at the Medical Association of Georgia recently gathered for the 159th House of Delegates (HOD) & Related Meetings at truly beautiful Lake Lanier. It was a productive HOD meeting with lots of topics of direct impact on our academic mission. It was also a terrific, fun gathering and another great opportunity to interact with our alums. When we talk about educating physicians, we often talk about how physicians tend to be leaders in their community, most by their very nature. Boy is this true of our awesome alums and faculty. Just look at these examples! Our alumnus Dr. Scott Bohlke, passed the presidential gavel to Dr. William E. Silver. Dr. Silver is a 1963 graduate of our fine institution who once directed head and neck surgery for the U.S. Army and is the founder of a thriving cosmetic and laser surgery practice in Atlanta. As the new MAG President, he promised to build bridges and embrace diversity. Seriously the stuff that makes great leaders. Dr. Dan DeLoach, a past President of MAG as well as our Alumni Association who also is past Chair of the MCG Foundation, we reelected as an alternate AMA delegate. Way to go Dr. DeLoach. Our 1955 graduate and Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences Emeritus Dr. Joseph P. Bailey Jr. is a tremendous presence always and of great note during this meeting was the awarding of the Distinguished Service Award that bears his name. Our dear alum, Dr. Bill Collins, and his wife Jan, also were honored. Also of incredible note is that our very own Drs. Ted and Sharon Kuhn were honored as the recipients of the Jack A. Raines Humanitarian Award for their outstanding contributions to their fellow man across the globe and at home for numerous years. No doubt! Our congratulations and thanks go to these two who tirelessly work to meet the significant health care needs of so many. Our Dr. Neal Weintraub gave the keynote, sharing his significant insight regarding Advances in Aortic Aneurysm Disease. It was great to have our medical student leaders there, too. As you can see, all these individuals are the definition of ‘inspiring’ and ‘leadership’ and we are very, very proud to call them- and all our friends at MAG- colleagues.
Professional Development … Keeping it Real
Speaking of leaders, our Dr. Leonard Reeves who leads the Northwest Campus based in Rome where we just officially cut the ribbon last week, is the new chairman of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Commission on Continuing Professional Development. Reeves, who definitely knows how to organize a show, planned the academy’s Annual Scientific Assembly this year in San Diego that drew more than 10,000 participants. Talk about a crowd!
Help Health Care…. Start with Patients
A focus on patients was at the core of a recent, insightful piece about the kind of innovative thinking that’s needed generally in health care today. Drs. Michael E. Porter and Thomas H. Lee tell us in the Harvard Business Review what most of unfortunately know: despite the best intentions of a lot of great physicians, our system does not always serve our patients best. The authors say that’s because our system needs to start with patients and ensure that they get the best outcomes for the best price. That we must put aside a supply-driven health care system built around what physicians do, how much we can do and how much money can be made, and start just doing what works for patients. As examples they suggest – much as we have done and are doing in realigning how medicine is taught – integrated practice units organized around patient conditions. They also suggest that while there is movement in this general direction, our environment and our patients tell us the time for change is now. Check out the article here: http://hbr.org/2013/10/the-strategy-that-will-fix-health-care/ar/1.
Teaching teachers … Everyone Benefits
As we all know, part of being great at anything means learning well. We are proud to share that Dr. James Rawson has led a national initiative to help residents be better educators on behalf of the American College of Radiology. As most of you likely know, residents do a lot of medical student education in our clinics and hospitals, so Dr. Rawson, along with our neuroradiology fellow Dr. Braxton Fields, and Dr. Robert Novelline, a colleague at Harvard Medical School, have put together a free, online lecture series that actually could help any of us be better teachers. Part of this comes from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education standard that now tells us resident training should include this sort of information. It also just makes sense to help shape these new physicians, many of whom may end up being lifelong educators. Way to go all! Check it out here: http://www.acr.org/Education/e-Learning/ACR-AMSER-APDR-Lecture-Series.
New Name … Same Great Department
Speaking of radiology and as our final footnote this week, the Department of Diagnostic, Therapeutic and Interventional Radiology is now officially dubbed the Department of Radiology and Imaging. This change reflects shifting academic roles as well as the creation of the Department of Radiation Oncology. All good news!
Events
Oct. 26 – The MCG Alumni Association Regional Reception will be held in Augusta, Ga. at 6 p.m. at the Augusta Country Club.
Oct. 27 – The MCG Alumni Association Board Meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Alumni Center Ballroom on the GRU Campus.
Oct. 29 – Student flu shots, Game Room, University Village Housing Complex, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Nov. 4-8 – Human Research Academy, comprehensive research training for investigators, coordinators and research team members involved in human research. Register here: https://login.elsevierperformancemanager.com/systemlogin.aspx?virtualname=GHSU
and select here to preview the course agenda.
Nov. 14 – President Ricardo Azziz’s State of the Enterprise Address, noon, Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre, Summerville Campus.
Nov. 15 – GRU EII Health Sciences Education Grand Rounds, co-sponsored by the Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, Critical Thinking: Teaching and Measuring, noon-1 p.m., GC 5002.
Nov. 15 – Annual memorial service for body donors, 1 p.m., Lee Auditorium.
Nov. 21 – ElI Career Development 101 for new faculty will be held noon-5:15 p.m. at the GRU Alumni Center.
Nov. 22 – MCG Faculty Senate, noon, Lee Auditorium.
Dec. 13 – MCG Faculty Senate meeting, noon, Lee Auditorium.
Jan. 23 – MCG Faculty Senate meeting, 5 p.m., Lee Auditorium.
Feb. 13 – MCG Faculty Senate meeting, noon, Lee Auditorium.
March 13 – MCG Faculty Senate meeting, 5 p.m., Lee Auditorium
May 1 – Annual State of the College Address, noon, Lee Auditorium.
Ongoing – The GRU Cancer Center is offering a two-step tobacco cessation service for all Georgia Regents University & Health System students and employees who need help quitting tobacco use. Step 1: Initial Visit and Health Assessment. Make an appointment by calling 706-721-6744 or on-line at www.grhealth.org (click on “Request Appointment”). Step 2: Tobacco Cessation Classes, one-hour group sessions for six weeks, provide tools and support to help you quit tobacco. Cessation classes are held on the Summerville and Health Sciences campuses. For more information, visit http://gru.edu/cancer/tobaccofree/.
Check out our MCG Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/grumcg and Twitter page as well #Follow.
Enjoy the beautiful fall weekend.