2009

Charles Leads Surgical Care Advancement Initiative in Malawi

December 11, 2009 — As part of UNC’s surgical initiative in Malawi, Dr. Anthony Charles, UNC Trauma and Critical Care Surgery, and a volunteer surgery team from UNC travel to Malawi regularly to provide surgical care, but Dr. Charles aims to make adequate surgical care permanently accessible to Malawians. “Currently, there are only 15 trained Malawian surgeons of any specialty in the entire country of 14 million people.” However, Dr. Charles hopes to change that by initiating a five-year surgical residency program to train Malawian doctors to become surgeons, implementing a patient data collection database to aid surgeons to provide the most effective care, and enouraging a long-term sustainablity of the changes through policy.

Best Doctors in America 2009-2010

November 12, 2009 — Congratulations to the following Department of Surgery doctors who are identified as being among the best physicians in the nation, as compiled by the Boston-based Best Doctors, Inc.

McPhail Presents Gallbladder Study at ACS Clinical Congress

Dr. Lindsee McPhail, a fellow in Laparoscopy and Advanced GI Surgery, reported results of a study involving patients treated for gallstones at the Oct. 14 session of the 2009 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. The study indicated that a more expedient referral for surgery could reduce pretreatment charges, for ER visits and diagnostic tests, by 50%. Read full article at Reuters.

Lee Article Published in the Journal of American Medical Association

October 15, 2009 — Clara Lee, MD co-authored an article discussing the need to evaluate surgical procedures based on maximization of benefits for the patients. The article entitled “Beyond Outcomes-The Appropriateness of Surgical Care” (.pdf) is published in the October issue of the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA. 2009;302(14):1580-1581).

Damitz Promoted to Associate Professor

October 14, 2010 — Dr. Lynn Damitz, of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, has been promoted to Clinical Associate Professor, effective Oct. 14, 2009.

Heart Transplant Patient Finds New Enthusiasm For Life

October 13, 2009 — Russell Ford received a heart transplant at UNC Hospitals in July 2009 after suffering from congestive heart failure for 10 years. Dr. Michael Bowdish of the UNC Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery was his transplant surgeon. In “Family House Diaries,” written by Elizabeth Swaringen for UNC Health Care, Mr. Ford tells the story of his illness, his surgery and the experience his family had at SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals. The Family House is a non-profit hospital hospitality house, offering housing and other support services to adult patients and their families.

Thoracic Surgeons Directors Association Renames Award to Honor Wilcox

The Thoracic Surgery Directors Association has renamed its Resident Award the Benson Wilcox Award for Best Resident Paper in honor of former TSDA president, Dr. Benson R. Wilcox. The award is presented annually at The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting for the best scientific abstract submitted by a cardiothoracic surgery resident. Dr. Wilcox was instrumental in establishing TSDA and drafting the association’s Bylaws. A leader in cardiothoracic surgery education, Dr. Wilcox was TSDA’s first secretary/treasurer from 1977-1980. He also served as president-elect from 1983-1984 and as president from 1985-1986. TSDA remains committed to Dr. Wilcox’s goal to improve cardiothoracic surgery education.

Sheldon Cited in Articles on Health Care Reform

Sept. 23, 2009 — Dr. George Sheldon has been cited in several recent publications and postings on health care reform, including front page articles in The News and Observer (Sept. 23) and General Surgery (Sept. issue). On July 8, Dr. George Sheldon emphasized the looming surgeon shortage to a House of Representative committee. He urged congressmen to take this shortage and its implications into consideration while working on health care reform.

Prostate Screenings Publicized on WRAL News

Dr. Raj Pruthi, Urologic Surgeon at UNC, emphasized the importance of early detection of prostate cancer on a WRAL News broadcast aired on Sept. 21. He recommended that all men should begin PSA and digital rectal exam screening by age 50, but African American men and others with a family history of prostate cancer should begin screening by age 40. The North Carolina Cancer Hospital at UNC is offering free prostate cancer screening on Sept. 23rd and 24th from 1 to 7 P.M., no appointment necessary. For additional information, please call 919-966-1315.

GoDuke.com: Keeping Up With Courtney Sommer

Duke Sports Information has published an interview with Dr. Courtney Sommer, a UNC General Surgery resident who was a three-time All-American field hockey player while an undergraduate at Duke University.

McLean Receives NIH Award

Sean McLean, MD, of Pediatric Surgery, has been awarded a two-year grant supplement for career development. Dr. Cam Patterson, division chief of Cardiology, is the principal investigator of the parent R01 and will serve as Dr. McLean’s mentor. The project, entitled “The role of FGFR1 and FGFR2 in Repair of Damaged Intestinal Epithelium,” covers the period 09/01/2009 – 08/31/2011 and was awarded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

NC Biotechnology Center Gives Loan to Egan’s Biotech Firm

Sept. 16, 2009 — The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has made a $30,000 loan to X-In8 Biologicals Corp., a new biotechnology company founded by Thomas M. Egan, M.D., M.Sc., a faculty member in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The company is a spinoff from work that Dr. Egan has done in his lab at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Carson Promotes Prostate Screening on NBC 17 News

September 12, 2009 — Dr. Culley Carson III, of Urologic Surgery, was featured on a prostate cancer news segment aired by NBC 17 News on Sept. 12. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and the UNC Urology Clinic is offering free prostate screenings on Sept. 22nd and 23rd.

CT Surgery Launches 6-Year Integrated Residency Program

In 2010, the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will begin a new six-year integrated residency program, which residents will enter directly from medical school. The Residency Review Committee for Thoracic Surgery, the national residency accrediting body, approved the program in July 2009. Students at North American medical schools may now apply for the program through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), for a residency position to begin July 1, 2010. UNC is one of just six institutions in the United States to offer such a program.

Urology Clinic Offers Free Prostate Cancer Screenings

The Urology Clinic at UNC Hospitals will offer free prostate cancer screenings from 1 to 7 p.m. Sept. 23-24 for men 40 years old or older and younger men with a family history of prostate cancer. The screenings, which are being conducted as part of National Prostate Health Month, consist of a blood test and digital rectal exam. No appointment is necessary. For additional information, please call (919) 966-1315.

Surgery Alum Performs Heart Procedure on Pat Robertson

Dr. Andy Kiser, who completed residency training (General Surgery in 1997 and Cardiothoracic in 2000) at UNC, treated Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson for atrial fibrillation at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, NC. Kiser performed a convergence procedure and said he expects Robertson to make a full recovery. See full article at MSNBC.

Ewend Promoted to Full Professor

Congratulations to Matt Ewend, MD, Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery, whose promotion to Full Professor is effective Sept. 1, 2009.

Multidisciplinary Care: Germanwala and Zanation

Drs. Anand Germanwala, UNC Neurosurgery, and Adam Zanation, UNC Otolaryngology, are featured on UNC Health Care’s Weblog in a story about multidisciplinary care.

Calvo Featured in UNC Health Care Video Highlighting New Cancer Hospital

Aug. 21, 2009 — Dr. Benjamin Calvo, chief of the division of Surgical Oncology, is featured in a video about the evolution of cancer care at UNC Hospitals. His clip is one in a series that coincides with the opening of the North Carolina Cancer Hospital. The full video, N.C. Cancer Hospital – Then and Now, is available on YouTube.

Family House Diaries: A New Liver for a New Life

UNC Health Care ran a series of stories on some of the patients and families who live at the SECU Family House in Chapel Hill while receiving treatment at UNC Hospitals. The most recent article featured Anna Barnhill, who received a liver transplant performed by Dr. Alexander Toledo of the division of Abdominal Transplant.

Dreesen Appointed Associate Chief of Staff

Dr. Brian Goldstein, Chief of Staff and Executive Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, has appointed Dr. Elizabeth Dreesen, Ann Bailey, and Tony Lindsey to Associate Chief of Staff positions. Effective Oct. 1, 2009, Dr. Dreesen will assume a broad range of duties aimed at improving patient care and the practice environment for our faculty and residents.

Stitzenberg Joins Faculty

Karyn Stitzenberg, MD, MPH, was appointed Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management effective Aug. 17, 2009. Dr. Stitzenberg completed her medical degree as well as a masters degree in public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her post-graduate training included a general surgery residency program, also at UNC, and a two-year surgical oncology fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA.

McLean Named Amos Scholar

Sean McLean, MD, in the division of Pediatric Surgery, has been selected by the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to receive a four-year mentored grant. His project, Smooth Muscle Cell Related Mechanisms of Pulmonary Hypertension in Congenital Diagphragmatic Hernia, will be mentored by Dr. Cam Patterson, chief of UNC’s Division of Cardiology.

Jones Makes Sports Section of Chapel Hill News

The accompanying photo of Sam Jones, MD, of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, was published in the Aug. 12, 2009 edition of the Chapel Hill News. Dr. Jones is shown finishing the Fifth Annual UNC Wellness Super Sprint Triathalon held on Aug. 9 in Chapel Hill.

Lee Article Published in Journal of American College of Surgeons

Clara Lee, MD, is the primary author of an article published in the July 2009 edition of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (Vol. 209, Issue 1, Pages 123-133). The article, “Patient-Reported Outcomes of Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy: A Systematic Review,” (.pdf) was also featured on NBC Health News.

Goodwin Joins Faculty

Dr. Robert Brock Goodwin joined the Department of Surgery effective July 1, 2009, after completing a one-year Critical Care fellowship at UNC.

Dr. Goodwin graduated from the University of Health Sciences, Kansas City, MO, with a degree in osteopathic medicine, and performed his general surgery residency at the Doctor’s Hospital, Ohio University, OH. He specializes in trauma and critical care.

Feins Coordinates 2nd Annual Thoracic Surgery Resident Boot Camp

The Thoracic Surgery Directors Association has scheduled the second annual Thoracic Surgery Resident Bood Camp for July 31 through August 2 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. Under the leadership of Dr. Richard Feins, the Boot Camp is a unique educational experience in which 32 cardiothoracic residents from across the country undergo 2½ days of intensive simulator-based training. The forty-plus faculty members are comprised of senior-level cardiothoracic educators and will oversee four half-day modules in:

Dr. George Sheldon meets with Secretary of Health and Human Services

July 27, 2009 – Last July, George F. Sheldon, MD, traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius. The meeting centered around Dr. Sheldon’s work with the ACS HPRI, American College of Surgeons Health Policy Research. Dr. Sheldon serves as the Director of the ACS Health Policy Research Institute and along with Co-Director Thomas J. Ricketts, Ph.D. has developed a collection of national, regional, and state-level maps of the total and general surgeon workforce relative to population density. These maps provide the ratio of providers to population at the county-level for the purpose of assessing the geographic distribution of surgeons in the United States.

Lung Injury Article by Egan Lab Published in American Journal of Physiology

In its July 2009 issue, American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology published a paper, “Novel critical role of toll-like receptor 4 in lung ischemia-reperfusion injury and edema,” from the lab of Thomas M. Egan, M.D., M.Sc., of the UNC Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Sheridan and Friday Discuss Heart Surgery on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina People”

On UNC-TV’s “North Carolina People,” host Bill Friday recently interviewed Brett Sheridan, M.D., about heart surgery and heart health. Dr. Sheridan replaced Mr. Friday’s aortic valve last winter, and Mr. Friday asked him questions about this surgery. Dr. Sheridan is associate professor of surgery at UNC and is director of adult cardiac surgery at UNC Hospitals. Mr. Friday was president of the University of North Carolina for 30 years and hosts “North Carolina People” weekly on UNC-TV.

Lynne Farber Recognized as One of the Great 100 Nurses in NC

July 14, 2009 — Lynne Farber, MSN, RN, CPNP, has been recognized as one of the Great 100 Nurses in North Carolina. Recipients are recognized for their outstanding professional ability and for their contributions to improving the healthcare services in their community. The Great 100, Inc. is a grassroots peer recognition organization honoring the nursing profession in North Carolina.

Farrell Awarded Medical Alumni Distinguished Professorship

The Office of Medical Alumni Affairs has identified Dr. Tim Farrell as the recipient of a four-year Medical Alumni Distinguished Professorship. The selection recognizes a demonstrated excellence in teaching and is intended to facilitate service to the School of Medicine and its teaching and learning mission.

Wilcox Featured in “The Carolina Curator”

The 7/13/09 issue of the The Carolina Curator, published by UNC’s Health Sciences Library, features “Dr. Benson Wilcox: Surgeon, Scholar, and Benefactor.”

Sheldon Testifies on Surgical Workforce Crisis

July 10, 2009 — George F. Sheldon, MD, FACS, Director of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Health Policy Research Institute and Zack D. Owens Distinguished Professor of Surgery and professor of social medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, testified on behalf of the ACS at a July 8 House Committee on Small Business hearing.

Ewend Honored by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

July 6, 2009 — Matthew G. Ewend, M.D., director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center program in neuro-oncology, received the Alumni Achievement Award from the ewendcyber2Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery.

Helmrath Receives R01 Award

Michael Helmrath, MD, in the Division of Pediatric Surgery, has been awarded a 5 year grant for his project studying “Mechanisms of intestinal stem cell expansion following resection”. The award, R01DK083325, is supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and covers the project period 07/01/2009 – 06/30/2014.

Germanwala Presents First Aneurysm Patient Treated Through Nose

June 25, 2009 — The UNC Health Care YouTube site features a novel aneurysm approach by Dr. Anand Germanwala, on faculty in the Divison of Neurosurgery.

Gerber Appointed to Provost Search Committee

David Gerber, MD, of Transplant Surgery, has been appointed by Chancellor Holden Thorp to the search committee for the University’s next executive vice chancellor and provost, a position being vacated by Bernadette Gray-Little. The seventeen-member search committee, chaired by H. Shelton Earp, MD, will recommend a final slate of candidates to the chancellor, who will forward his recommendation to the Board of Trustees for approval. The position serves as chief academic officer and oversees all academic operations including thirteen schools and the College of Arts and Sciences, the University Library, a variety of centers and several cultural and and educational units.

Cairns Receives R01 Award

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded a 5 year grant to Bruce A. Cairns, MD, Director of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, for his project studying the “Cellular mechanism of immune dysfuncton following burn injury”. The project, supported by Award Number R01GM076250, covers the period 04/06/2009 – 03/31/2014.

GI Surgery Separates into Two Sections

The Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery is pleased to announce that the division will be split into two Sections.

Dr. Koruda will remain the Chief of the Division and head the Section of General GI Surgery. This section will include Dr. Timothy Sadiq, Dr. Christopher Rupp and their support staff.

Sybert Featured on UNC Health Care’s YouTube Site

The UNC Health Care YouTube site features a medical news update by Dr. Cathleen Sybert, General Surgery resident, on the patients injured in the ConAgra plant explosion.

Nelson Article Published in ACS Bulletin

“The Modern Surgical Lifestyle” is published in the June issue of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Jennifer Nelson, a General Surgery resident at UNC, is a co-author.

DeMore Study Published in Cancer Research

UNC scientists identify growth factor as possible cancer drug target

Nielsen Selected for KL2 Award

Dr. Matt Nielsen, in the Division of Urological Surgery, has been selected as a Clinical Research Scholar on the UNC Clinical Translation Science Award – K12 Scholars Program (KL2). The goal of this national consortium is to transform how clinical and translational research is conducted, ultimately enabling researchers to provide new treatments more efficiently and quickly to patients. Dr. Nielsen will be mentored by Michael P. Pignone, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine, and Paul A. Godley, MD, PhD, Professor of Hematology/Oncology and Director of the Program on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health Outcomes. The award, KL2RR025746 (Pisano), is funded through the NIH National Center for Research Resources.

Kim Re-elected to Medical Staff Executive Committee

Surgical Oncology’s Hong Jin Kim, MD, was re-elected to a second two-year term on the Medical Staff Executive Committee.

Two From Surgery Inducted into Academy of Educators

Drs. Mark Koruda and Robyn Stewart were inducted into the UNC School of Medicine Academy of Educators at the 2009 Induction Banquet on May 20. The Academy was founded in October 2006 as a part of the School’s strategic plan to enhance research and scholarship towards excellence in teaching.

Farber to Perform Country’s First AAA Endograft

A UNC patient will be the first in the country to undergo the placement of an A-A-A Endograft. The surgery will be performed tomorrow by Dr. Mark Farber, an associate professor and program director of the vascular surgery fellowship at UNC. Dr. Farber says the new device enables the medical field to treat more patients suffering from Aneurysms in a less invasive way.

Ewend and Hadar Recognized as “Friends of Nursing”

Drs. Matt Ewend and Eldad Hadar, faculty in the Division of Neurosurgery, are the first “Friends of Nursing” to be recognized as part of Nursing Staff Recognition Week at UNC Health Care. They were among those honored on Thursday, May 7, 2009, for outstanding work in their area of expertise.

Germanwala Appointed Public Relations Liaison to AANS

On 5/10/09, during the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Anand Germanwala, MD, was appointed Public Relations Liaison to the Young Neurosurgeons Committee. The committee includes neurosurgical residents, fellows and neurosurgeons in their first five years of practice. His PR training included meeting with Sunjay Gupta, MD, widely known as CNN’s chief medical correspondent; and the Healthcare staff of President Barack Obama. In conjunction with his liaison duties, Dr. Germanwala has assumed responsibilities as associate editor of the Young Neurosurgeons Committee Newsletter, and Director of the AANS Top Gun competition, scheduled for the 2010 AANS annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Anthony Charles, MD, Honored at School of Medicine Commencement

Dr. Anthony Charles was presented with the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award at the UNC School of Medicine Commencement Ceremony on May 9, 2009.  The award, sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, recognizes a medical school faculty member who integrates humanism into the delivery of care to patients and their families. The recipient … Read more

UNC Transplant Center to Receive Medal of Honor

UNC Comprehensive Transplant Center to receive Medal of Honor for Organ Donation from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services   WHO:  Speakers include Gary Park, president of UNC Hospitals, who will be accepting the Medal of Honor; Rep. Dale … Continued

Dr. Keith Amos is Recipient of 2009 Bryan Public Service Award

Keith Amos, MD, a member of the Surgical Oncology division in the Department of Surgery, was honored with the 2009 Robert E. Bryan Public Service Award for his work on “Breaking Free.” This award is sponsored by the Carolina Center for Public Service, which engages and supports the faculty, students and staff of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in meeting the needs of North Carolina. The Center strengthens the University’s public service commitment by promoting scholarship and service that are responsive to the concerns of the state and contribute to the common good. The Center relies on private gifts to sustain and grow its programs. Dr. Amos received the award on Friday, April 17, 2009, during the 2009 Public Service Awards Ceremony and Reception at The Carolina Club.

ACS Bulletin Features Health Policy Research Institute

The March 2009 issue of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons features the ACS Health Policy Research Institute, based out of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Policy Research at UNC-CH.

Surgery Residents Acknowledged for Work on Rounds Report

Dr. Brian Goldstein, Chief of Staff and Executive Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, acknowledged Surgery residents Megan Fuller, MD, Jeffrey Dehmer, MD and Alim Ladha, MD, for their contribtion to the new inpatient Rounds Report.

Dr. Samuel Receives Fogerty Fellowship

Dr. Jonathan Samuel (PGY 5, General Surgery) is the recipient of the Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellowship. The fellowship runs from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010, and will fund living expenses, insurance, travel, and research efforts at the Kamuzu Central Hospital in Malawi.

Third Neurosurgeon on Faculty at Pinehurst Satellite Office

PINEHURST — The addition of David B. Kee Jr., M.D., to the medical staff at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital brings the number of neurosurgeons affiliated with the hospital and the Carolina Neurosurgical Services neurosurgical practice to three. Neurosurgeons Carol Wadon, M.D., and Bruce Jaufmann, M.D., joined Moore Regional’s neurosurgery program in late summer 2008.

Dr. Brett Sheridan Promoted to Associate Professor

Congratulations to Brett Sheridan, MD, of Cardiothoracic Surgery, for his promotion to Associate Professor, effective Feb. 1, 2009.

Updated Universal Protocol for Operative/Procedural Areas

This policy serves to supplement UNC Health Care System Administrative Policy “Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Patient, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Site Surgery” which will be followed at all times.

Dr. George Sheldon Cited in Articles on General Surgeon Shortage

Dr. George Sheldon was cited in a Jan. 1 article written for the Washington Post on “Shortage of General Surgeons Endangers Rural Americans.” Reference to the article and a quote by Dr. Sheldon were also published in the Jan. 2 Morning Rounds section of The New York Times.