Dear Medical College of Georgia Friends,
Alumni Weekend brings almost 100 members of the Class of 1976 back home to MCG
Alumni Weekend is always one of the most energizing times of the year. It’s certainly a full stretch of events, but what makes it truly special is the chance to reconnect with graduates who have carried the MCG spirit with them across the state, the country, and the world. Hearing where their lives and careers have taken them is a powerful reminder of the reach and impact of this medical school.
We welcomed alumni back from the Classes of 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016. Saturday night’s reunions were a lot of fun, and I handed out many of our signature MCG green Nike polos. They were in high demand and I’d say almost as popular as the elusive Masters Gnome.
The Class of 1976’s reunion led the pack this year, with nearly 100 attendees, thanks to the leadership of Dr. Frank Farmer, an internist, and his wife, Peggy. Among them was Dr. George Williams, the OB/GYN who delivered all four of my children, which made seeing him especially meaningful. I also got to reconnect with Dr. Kimford Meador, a neurologist who taught me during my own time as a resident at MCG and who now serves at Stanford. Dr. Daniel Birchmore, an internist who was once ranked the number one tennis player in the state and is in the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame, also joined us. Many of our alumni made significant journeys to return, like Dr. Meador and like Dr. Kenneth Reynolds from the Class of 1961 and his wife, Lucy, who traveled all the way from Idaho.
Dr. Billy Lanier, ’69, is this year’s Distinguished Alum
The dedication of these alums and the stories they shared truly embody the spirit of our medical school.
I also want to point out here that Alumni Weekend is strengthened every year by the support and presence of our students. Many of our Alumni Association Scholarship recipients joined us at the Friday evening Awards Reception and again at the reunion dinners on Saturday. We were fortunate to also have three students from our Partnership Campus in Athens – Stephen Michaels, Kenny Ume, and Owen Kennedy – travel in and stay for the entire weekend’s events. Our alumni always enjoy meeting the next generation of MCG physicians, and all our students represented us well.
On Friday night, we recognized our annual Alumni Award winners. This year’s MCG Distinguished Alumni Award for Loyalty was presented to Dr. Willis “Billy” Lanier. A 1969 graduate, Dr. Lanier practiced as an OB/Gyn at Northside Hospital in Sandy Springs, where he served as chief of staff and OB/Gyn chair before retiring. He recently received the Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society’s (GOGS) Distinguished Service Award, has been a member of the society since 1976, and is a past president. Like so many of you, his service extends beyond medicine. He has volunteered with the Sandy Springs Police Department, is a North Fulton Master Gardener, and is currently a member of Les Marmitons, an international men’s cooking club. A true Renaissance Man!
Although Dr. Lanier could not be with us this weekend, we were proud to recognize his longstanding commitment to MCG.
Dr. Janelle McGill, ’15, is Outstanding Young Alum
We also celebrated Dr. Janelle McGill as this year’s Outstanding Young Alum. A 2015 graduate, Dr. McGill completed her pediatrics residency at MCG and the Wellstar Galisano Children’s Hospital of Georgia, before she joined our Department of Pediatrics faculty in 2019. She quickly became a leader in pediatric medical education, and now serves as Director of Pediatric Student Education, where she oversees the curriculum for our students and mentors dozens each year as they prepare for residency. Her work has earned her three MCG Exemplary Teaching Awards and the 2023 MCG Faculty Senate Clinical Science Teaching Distinguished Faculty Award. She has also built a national reputation through her involvement with the Association of Pediatric Program Directors, national collaboratives and statewide committees. Her students’ presentations at major national and international conferences are just one example of the impact she is making as a mentor and educator.
Make plans to attend next Alumni Weekend, April 23-25, 2027
We wrapped up the weekend with the annual MCG Alumni Memorial Service, which is always a meaningful way to honor our alumni who have passed and to reflect on the mark they left on our profession and our world. It’s a somber gathering, but an important one, and I’m always grateful for the chance to pause and remember them together.
I would be remiss today, if I didn’t say thank you to our amazing Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement team, who work so incredibly hard to make Alumni Weekend a success – not just for MCG, but for all AU alums. It’s a long, busy, exhausting stretch, but always worth it, and I want them to know how much they are appreciated. In particular, Wes Zamzow, AVP of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving; Allison Toney, Director of Alumni Engagement; and Maddy Baker, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement; as well as the entire PAE staff. I also want to thank Dr. Vanessa Spearman‑McCarthy, Class of 2005 and our current Alumni Association president, for her support throughout the weekend.
I hope to see just as lively a crowd at next year’s celebrations – April 23-25, 2027.
Inaugural “Thomasville Six” visit with legislators in Washington, DC
Being with our alumni always reminds me that MCG has long excelled in its mission to prepare the best possible physicians for our state and beyond. That same mission was front and center during a visit to Washington, D.C., last week for the inaugural group of six students who are living and learning in Thomasville at Archbold. They were there as part of their clinical leadership immersion elective – something unique to our Southwest Campus. As you all well know, clinical leadership often means advocating for your profession and for your patients, and these students had the chance to see that firsthand during their meetings with federal lawmakers, including Health and Human Services Undersecretary for Health, Admiral Brian Christine, who is a physician himself; U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff; and U.S. Congressmen Rick Allen and Buddy Carter.
The students shared about their experience training in a rural, community‑based setting and spoke about what it means to care for patients in underserved regions. They also were given the opportunity to speak with these national leaders regarding leadership styles and traits. The student’s perspectives offered valuable, real‑world context to ongoing national conversations around physician workforce development and rural health access. This experience was a powerful reminder to lawmakers about why expanding MCG’s presence in South Georgia matters. Their enthusiasm and commitment to helping shape these future physician leaders speak volumes about the impact of the Thomasville campus. I know our students represented us all well.
Thank you to our Office of Government Relations, particularly our Director of Federal Relations, Monty Philpot Brock, for coordinating this visit and helping our students see just how important their voices are in shaping the policies that impact their profession and their patients.
MCG psychiatrists supporting primary care physicians at FQHCs across Georgia
That commitment to improving the lives of Georgians, and to making sure people have access to the care they deserve, is central to our mission at MCG. It’s our responsibility, and what we’re here to do. Here’s another way we are: The Georgia Primary Care Association (GPCA) and our Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior have launched a first‑of‑its‑kind collaboration to strengthen mental health care in underserved communities across the state.
GPCA represents 35 Community Health Centers – most of them in rural Georgia – that together care for about 750,000 people through 330 clinic sites in 142 counties. Starting June 1, MCG psychiatrists will be available to those clinicians through a real‑time consultation line, Monday through Friday. When a primary care clinician has a question about diagnosis, treatment options, medications, or next steps, they’ll be able to pick up the phone and talk directly with one of our specialists.
This collaboration is the first of its kind in Georgia
It’s practical, it’s timely, and it’s designed to fit the realities of busy primary care practices. It’s also the first of its kind in Georgia, where an academic medical center is providing direct, real‑time psychiatric support to clinicians serving Community Health Centers statewide. The goals are simple but important: give clinicians in underserved communities better access to psychiatric expertise and learn from the questions they’re facing every day so we can build continuing education that truly meets their needs.
My thanks to the GPCA and our Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior faculty, particularly our chair, Dr. Boadie Dunlop, for helping ensure people who live in communities where specialty mental health care is hardest to reach are getting the help and care they need.
Dr. Satish Rao receives international award recognizing his work in better understanding gut-brain disorders
The work of our amazing faculty and their dedication to serving others truly moves the needle for patients here in Georgia and far beyond. Their work changes lives, advances science, and raises the standard for all of us. Dr. Satish Rao is another great example.
Dr. Rao is one of the world’s leading figures in neurogastroenterology and motility and his work has transformed how we diagnose and treat complex and often debilitating GI conditions. He has pioneered new diagnostic tools and therapies now used around the world and built a research program that has been continuously federally funded for over two decades. With more than 500 peer‑reviewed publications, multiple patents, and invitations to teach in more than 30 countries, his impact on the field is nothing short of extraordinary.
That is why it came as no surprise to learn that he has been selected by a joint scientific board of the International Rome Foundation, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with disorders of gut-brain interaction, and the Aldo Torsoli Foundation, which shares a similar mission, to receive the prestigious Aldo Torsoli Award for his outstanding contributions to research, education, and patient care. Certainly, a tremendous and well‑deserved honor. Congratulations, Dr. Rao.
New Internal Medicine Residency Program at St. Joseph’s Candler receives ACGME accreditation
On another exciting note, we reached an important milestone this month in our ongoing work to expand graduate medical education across Georgia. The new Internal Medicine Residency Program at St. Joseph’s/Candler in Savannah has officially received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This program, a collaborative effort between us and our great and longtime educational partners at SJCHS, will welcome its first class of residents in 2027 and will significantly strengthen the physician workforce in coastal Georgia and the surrounding areas. It also creates a continuous pipeline from undergraduate through graduate medical education for our students at MCG Savannah and establishes a destination residency program for our Peach State Scholars. This is possible because of our shared commitment to increasing training opportunities in the regions that need them most and ensuring that more of our graduates can stay and serve communities across our state. I am grateful to St. Joseph’s Candler CEO Paul Hinchey; MCG Savannah Campus Dean, Dr. Elizabeth Gray; Program Director, Dr. John Cinicola; and our Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Dr. Natasha Savage for the vision and hard work that made this possible.
Remembering Dr. Ellen LeMosy
We have much to celebrate at MCG, but today we end on a sad note with the loss of someone who meant a great deal to this medical school, to this university, and to this community. Dr. Ellen LeMosy was a cherished member of the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy for nearly 25 years. She was a gifted teacher, a strong advocate for undergraduate research, and someone who believed deeply in the value of mentoring young scientists. Her influence reached across MCG, The Graduate School, and the broader university, and her passing is felt by all who had the privilege of working with her.
Just last month, she brought together faculty and students from across campus for the STEM Undergraduate Research Education Symposium — an event she poured herself into and one that reflected her commitment to creating meaningful research experiences for our undergraduates. It was something she was proud of, and we were proud of her.
My best to you all,
David C. Hess, MD
Dean, Medical College of Georgia
Upcoming Events
May 7 – MCG Hooding Ceremony, 2 p.m., Bell Auditorium
May 21 – MCG Faculty Awards Ceremony, 5 p.m., Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium
