“You must play boldly to win.”
-Arnold Palmer
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Top Doctors…
Most of you likely know that each year about this time Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. publishes a list of “America’s Top Doctors” to help consumers make great choices for their health care. This starts with a survey of better than 50,000 physicians and health care executives and proceeds, with a lot of additional scrutiny, from there. This year 14 of our docs were noted, familiar names that are a constant source of pride to us all. This year the list includes our Dr. Cargill H. Alleyne Jr., Neurosurgery; Dr. Ricardo Azziz, Reproductive Endocrinology and Surgery; Dr. Sharad A. Ghamande, Gynecology/Oncology; Dr. David C. Hess, Neurology; Dr. Walter J. Moore, Rheumatology; Dr. Julian J. Nussbaum, Ophthalmology and Vitreo-Retinal Disorders; Dr. Gregory N. Postma, Voice and Swallowing Disorders; Dr. Satish S. C. Rao, Gastroenterology; Dr. Kapil D. Sethi, Neurology; Dr. Sandra G. B. Sexson, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Dr. Robert A. Sorrentino, Cardiac Electrophysiology; Dr. David J. Terris, Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery; Dr. Martha K. Terris, Urology; and Dr. Jack C. Yu, Pediatric Plastic Surgery. Congratulations to each of you and thank you for your amazing talent, insight, and commitment.
Future Top Doctors…
How’s this for a list of future top docs? A dozen of our students and three residents were recently elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. They include these juniors at our main campus in Augusta, Richard Browning, Christopher Johnson, Caitlyn Duffy, Eric Mason, Mark Ellis, David Moore, Katherine Gartin, Jordan Paynter, and Anna Kim; and juniors Kalie Deutsch, Shannon O’Brien, and Phillip Yun at our Athens campus. New resident members are Drs. Daniel Hackett and Daniel Maxwell in Orthopaedic Surgery, and Dr. Jinsol Oh in Surgery. New AOA faculty members are Drs. Monte Hunter, Kristopher Lewis, and Natasha Savage.
And Awesome Alumni….
Two of our fabulous alumni also received this remarkable recognition, Dr. Wiley S. Black, a surgeon in Gainesville, Ga., and Dr. John Cope, an internist in Demorest, Ga. The volunteer clinical faculty award, who also happens to be an AOA member and was picked by our AOA student members for being such a great teacher, went to Dr. George Rainsford, a family medicine physician in Edgefield, S.C. who has been helping us educate the next generation for years as part of our statewide family medicine clerkship (we also have two sites in our border state!). As if all that weren’t plenty, our Dr. LaMar S. McGinnis Jr., a 1954 graduate and general and cancer surgeon who is now Senior Medical Advisor/Research & Cancer Control Science at the American Cancer Society, will share his thoughts on the relationship between professionalism and quality and safety in health care delivery at the AOA recognition banquet April 23. He is an absolute leader in his field who continues to have a tremendous impact on his alma mater as well. Welcome back Dr. McGinnis, congratulations everyone, and thank you again Dr. Clarence Joe for your significant work as our AOA Councillor.
Community and Professional Leaders…
Our already famous Dr. Leonard Reeves, Campus Assistant Dean in remarkable Rome, is heading up the Future Industries Initiative for the Greater Rome Area Chamber of Commerce. This on-target initiative is helping identify technology opportunities for the city and Floyd County by bringing together the significant community resources of the colleges, universities, medical centers, and private sector up that way. Dr. Reeves has been a member of the Rome Chamber of Commerce for about a decade with a leadership role for about four years. This is absolutely the kind of team effort and grassroots work we talk about all the time and for which all of you are famous. We so appreciate Dr. Reeves taking on yet another important role in his community.
Amazing Scientists, Clinicians, and Educators…
We have talked in the past about our medical school’s long, proud history of contributing to better understanding and treating sickle cell disease. Hopefully, many of you know a major contribution in recent history is finding a simple way to identify children whose sickle cell disease also puts them at high risk for stroke and how to dramatically reduce that risk. Lots of similarly important work going on as we speak including helping inspire and train the next generation of sickle cell researchers. We are currently looking for young investigators with diverse expertise from across the U.S. to come be part of this strategic initiative. Our Dr. Betty Pace, whose own work includes finding better ways to enhance fetal hemoglobin production, because, interestingly, it can’t sickle like adult hemoglobin, is leading this important charge. We wish you the very best Dr. Pace in this endeavor and hope each of you who read this, will help spread the word. For more info visit www.gru.edu/htrc/.
Sharing Your Time and Talent… In Remarkable Rhythm
As we leave you this week, we just had to share one more bit of great news. When the Augusta GreenJackets are taking on the Rome Braves at Lake Olmstead Stadium in Augusta Thursday, April 16, there will be some magic at the end, regardless of the score. Our video stars from the Class of 2017, who put together that get-your-feet-tapping piece to benefit children with cancer and their families that we shared with you earlier this year, will be performing their “study, study, study” version of the Usher song and probably making a few cool moves as well. The game starts at 7 p.m. and the students will be on right after the game ends, probably about 9:30 p.m. We know they will hit it out of the park! Also, please excuse us for not previously thanking the clearly talented videographers Trey LaMarr with Deus Media Works in Augusta and Morgan Parham with Greenlight Studios. What a great effort for a great cause. And, just in case you want to check it out again, http://youtu.be/rokoUFKT2t0!
Upcoming Events
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, please visit http://greport.gru.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SAAM-SOE-2015-FINAL-AEH-1.pdf for a full listing of events.
April 17 – MCG Faculty Senate, noon, Lee Auditorium
April 17 – Raft Debate, sponsored by the MCG Alumni Association, 6 p.m., Lee Auditorium.
April 18 – MedWar, the Southeast Medical Wilderness Adventure Race, tests your physical fitness and medical knowledge, see http://www.active.com/augusta-ga/adventure-racing/races/southeast-medwar-2015.
April 23-26 – Alumni Weekend, http://grualumni.com/file/MCGAlumniWeekend_Web.compressed.pdf.
April 22 – Dr. Ricardo Azziz’s final State of the Enterprise address, noon, Lee Auditorium. The Small Auditorium (BC-1400) will serve as an overflow room. Lunch will be provided.
April 28 – Town Hall meeting with students, noon-1 p.m., Harrison Commons, GB 1220A.
May 1 – State of the Medical College of Georgia address, Road Trip to Excellence, 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., The Augusta Convention Center, 901 Reynolds St., (New location!), 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.
May 14 – MCG Faculty Senate Awards Ceremony, 5 p.m., location to be determined.
June 25 – MCG Investiture Ceremony, 5:30 p.m., location to be determined.
July 14 – Town Hall meeting with students, noon-1 p.m., Harrison Commons, GB 1220A.
Oct. 27 – Town Hall meeting with students, noon-1 p.m., Harrison Commons, GB 1220A.
Jan. 12 – Town Hall meeting with students, noon-1 p.m., Harrison Commons, GB 1220A.
Hope you have a terrific spring break. You have earned it!