“A book is a gift you can open again and again.”   -Garrison Keillor

 

Our Students Send Their Best… To the Children of Ferguson, Mo.

No doubt that this time of year particularly makes us think of others and, especially, of children. We wanted to share with all of you this amazing story in The Augusta Chronicle this week about our Class of 2017 donating books for the children of Ferguson. Like so many us, Ashlee Nicole Sharer saw the turmoil in Ferguson, but she also took action. Since the library there has become a safe haven, she created a wish list of children’s books and her classmates helped it come true. It’s hard to know what to say here other than, you make us very proud. See http://bit.ly/1r2ChQk.

And To Our Own… Smallest Patients

In that very same spirit, we are excited to share with you that our second-year students also delivered $700 worth of gifts to young patients at our Children’s Hospital of Georgia this week. Talk about playing Santa! Gifts were purchased with student and faculty donations, but also with funds raised by selling produce out of their class garden. Another of our second-year students, Rachel Calhoun, has started her own charity in memory of her cousin who died last year. Rachel makes beautiful handmade wreaths and other crafts to raise money for our children’s hospital in her cousin’s memory. Amazing individuals, all who will make great doctors. See http://bit.ly/1sOqJS1.

Their Magazine, Panacea… Helps Tell their Story

Congratulations to our students as well on the latest issue of their magazine, Panacea, which is now online. http://bit.ly/1yZgfM0, Great info and pictures on our curriculum, such as the Health Equality and Access elective, created by the Office of Student and Multicultural Affairs nearly five years ago to give our students insights and experience in health inequities. Great coverage as well of our regional campuses. It’s hard to beat a headline like: There’s no place like Rome. Our special thanks to second-year Alexandra Dodd, Co-Editor, for pulling this significant effort together, and to our students, who always go that extra mile.

Two Regional Campus Partners… Get High Honors for Teaching

Speaking of our regional campuses, Albany’s Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, the home base of our oldest regional campus, the Southwest Campus, made Georgia Trend magazine’s Top 10 Teaching Hospitals list this year as did Floyd Medical Center, a terrific partner for our newest campus, the Northwest Campus based in Rome. No doubt they are both terrific colleagues in the huge and awesome privilege of educating the next generation of physicians. Our congratulations and high praise to Phoebe Putney, Floyd Medical Center, and to all our amazing partners across this great state. Check it out. http://bit.ly/1z5xAb9.

Our University is Honored… For Diversity

And speaking of terrific honors, for two years in a row – the entire time we have been Georgia Regents University – our university has received the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity, or HEED, Award for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. What a remarkable and important accomplishment. We congratulate Dr. Kent Guion and his team and all of you for making our college and our university a place that embraces and excels. You are all simply the best.

The Jaguar Collaborative… Is Off and Running

The Jaguar Collaborative, a powerful partnership between our clinical system and the Cerner Corp. that’s using the latest health care information technology to help optimize our care of patients, continues to make progress.  Together we have strengthened the leadership team, and, with the input of many, created an operating roadmap. Things should really heat up, in a great way, in the coming year. You can see one way this partnership is already enhancing medical education by checking out Dr. Paul Wallach’s column in the latest issue of MCG Medicine magazine, http://bit.ly/1v0RjT4.

Georgia’s Public Health… Is Also In Good Hands

Many thanks to Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health and State Health Officer, who shared with our first-year students this week how public health is affecting Georgia’s future. Dr. Fitzgerald, who practiced for decades as an OB/GYN,  talked about the resources public health provides doctors across our state, including protocols for treating acute illnesses like Ebola and tuberculosis as well as for management of chronic, long-term conditions that many Georgian’s face. Public health is also addressing tough issues such as high infant mortality rates and language development deficits in children. We appreciate Dr. Fitzgerald and her team being advocates for better health and for sharing their story with us. See http://bit.ly/1wsq4oR.

Saying Goodbye… To a Graduate

Finally today, we note the passing of another terrific alumnus, Dr. Sherry Lea (DeLoach) Maloney, a 1982 graduate of our school who also completed her pediatric residency with us. Her husband is fellow MCG graduate, Dr. Michael James Maloney from the Class of 1981. Dr. Maloney practiced her chosen profession at Sherwood Parks Pediatrics in Gainesville, Ga., and made time as well for taking care of abandoned and abused children at the Orphanage Emmanuel in Honduras. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

Upcoming Events

Jan. 13 – Town Hall meeting with students, noon- 1 p.m., GB1220A, Harrison Commons, Large Classroom.

Jan. 15 – MCG Faculty Senate, Noon, Lee Auditorium (Please note time change, previously scheduled at 5 p.m.)

Feb. 6 – MCG Faculty Senate, noon, Lee Auditorium.

Feb. 24 – MCG Alumni Association Planning Committee, Nominating Committee, Board Meeting and Regional Event, starting at 2:30 p.m., Idle Hour Country Club, Macon.

March 5 – MCG Alumni Association Regional Reception, 6 p.m., Northeast History Museum, Gainesville.

March 6 – MCG Faculty Senate Awards Ceremony, 5-7 p.m., Lee Auditorium.

March 12 – MCG Faculty Senate, 5 p.m., Lee Auditorium.

March 20 – Match Day, noon, location to be determined.

April 17 – Raft Debate, sponsored by the MCG Alumni Association, 6 p.m., Lee Auditorium.

April 23-26 – Alumni Weekend.

May 1 – State of the Medical College of Georgia address, noon, Lee Auditorium, lunch provided.

May 4 – MCG Graduation Dinner, 6:30 p.m., location to be determined.

May 7 – Hooding Ceremony, 2-4 p.m., Bell Auditorium, Dr. James L. Olds, Assistant Director for the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), the National Science Foundation.

May 8 – Graduation, 2 p.m., James Brown Arena.

June 25 – MCG Investiture Ceremony, 5:30 p.m., location to be determined.