may/June 2008
Dean's Comments
The next accreditation visit for the School of Medicine has been set for October 2009. In an effort to keep faculty, staff and students up to date on preparation for the site visit and findings in the self-study, we will post regular updates in this newsletter.
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as the reliable authority for accreditation of programs leading to an M.D. Recognition by the secretary confers eligibility for institutional and student participation in certain federal loan programs. LCME accreditation establishes access to licensure examinations, eligibility for entry into graduate medical education programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and–for graduates of U.S. schools—eligibility for state medical licensure.
The accreditation process adopted by the LCME has two general aims: to certify that a medical education program meets prescribed standards, and to promote institutional self-evaluation and improvement. The institutional self-study is central to the accreditation process. In the self-study, a medical school brings together representatives of the administration, faculty, student body, and other constituencies to (1) collect and review data about the medical school and its educational programs, (2) identify institutional strengths and issues requiring action, and (3) define strategies to ensure that the strengths are maintained and any problems are addressed.
Jennifer Kimmel, M.D. has been appointed the self-study coordinator, and is initiating data collection activities in July when we receive our materials from the LCME. The dean will appoint the institutional self-study task force which establishes its objectives, scope of study, and methods of data collection, initiates student analysis, identifies needed section committees and recommends members for those committees. The committees have several months to review and analyze the database for their section and prepare a report for the task force. The self-study task force prepares the summary self-study report compiled from the section committee reports. The self study report is due to the LCME site visit team in July 2009.
The University of Nevada School of Medicine maintained full accreditation during our last site visit in 2001.
John A. McDonald, M.D., Ph.D.
Vice President Health Sciences and Dean
University of Nevada School of Medicine
Medical Education
Covington earns fellowship award for summer study
Derek Covington, Class of 2011, received a 2008 Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship that will provide him funding to pursue his summer research project entitled "Chiari I Malformations: A Natural History Study" at the University of Miami.
Scott accepted to Mayo Clinic career program
Daphne Scott, Class of 2010 (and incoming class president) was accepted to a competitive Mayo Career Development program at Mayo Clinic Arizona this month.
Students offer sports physicals
Members of the Student Outreach Clinic and the Family Medicine Interest Group offered 45 sports medicine preparticipation physicals for Hug High School students in need. These physicals were precepted by the faculty and residents from the Reno Department of Family Medicine.
Professionalism awards given to Class of 2010
The following students from the Class of 2010 received Professionalism Awards at the annual Clinician’s Ceremony in May. These awards are special because awardees are nominated by their peers.
Lisa Kafchinski was awarded the Professionalism Award for respect because she has shown exceptional ability in both academic and clinical settings by treating patients and colleagues with respect by example. Daphne Scott earned the award for integrity because of her strong sense of what is right in the way she treats colleagues, faculty and staff. Tina Kwan was recognized for altruism because she demonstrates concern, kindness and interest for others, even at the expense of her own needs, and prioritizes others ahead of herself. Carissa Sparrow earned the award for duty because she is responsive to accepted duties and needs of classmates, patients and faculty. Justin Korinek was honored for humility and his nature of being helpful and not forceful, capable and never condescending.
Student to have MPH thesis published
Ben Stump, Class of 2011, has learned that his thesis for his master’s in public health has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Ethics under the title "Last Hours of Life: A Qualitative Prospective Examination."
Nicaragua fundraising effort nets more than $21,000
Through a combination of private donations, other contributions and the fundraising efforts of the Class of 2011 Nevadans to Nicaragua auction benefit, more than $21,000 has been raised to support the first-year student trip to Siuna, Nicaragua in May to help staff a free rural medical clinic for that area’s underserved population.
More than 95 donated items were successfully auctioned at the benefit on April 12.
The funds raised were used to help cover the cost of medical supplies, facilities, translators, accompanying physicians and accommodations.
The clinic began May 19.
Students enjoy relief activities before finals
The Office of Students Affairs, the Student Assistance Committee and the Student Wellness Committee combined resources to provide a series of fun events to provide ‘Finals Relief’ for the Classes of 2011 and 2010 as they tackled end of the year exams. Activities inlcuded breakfast, a bounce house, free massages from TMCC students and packs of fun toys like backscratchers, temporary tattoos, hula hoops and bottles of antacid.
Special thanks goes to Sharon Muldoon in the Office of Student Affairs for a marvelous job of coordinating the programs.
Faculty
Pharmacology professor receives significant grant
Dean Burkin, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and director of the Nevada Transgenic Center, has earned a substantial grant from the National Institutes of Health to study integrin-based therapies for muscular dystrophy.
The grant, awarded by the NIAMS (National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) at the NIH, in the amount of $1,000,000, will continue over a five-year period that began May 1, 2008. Read more
Buxton named UNR's Outstanding Researcher
The University of Nevada, Reno recognized the School of Medicine’s Iain L. O. Buxton, Pharm.D., with its Outstanding Researcher Award at its annual "Honor the Best" awards ceremony May 14. Read more
Ellwood to be published
Amy Ellwood, a professor of family medicine in Las Vegas, is co-author of an article with Richard Simmonds, DVM ( retired from the School of Medicine) about pets and healing that was accepted for publication in the fall issue of Annals of Behavioral Science and Medical Education.
Browder earns AAST scholarship
Tim Browder, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, has been awarded a Research and Education Foundation scholarship through the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. The scholarship was established with the objective to sponsor research scholarships in the fields of burns, trauma, and acute care surgery and to foster advances in education.
School, UNR faculty collaborate to study obesity
Two researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Nevada School of Medicine have received a grant to study obesity in Nevada’s adult population.
Doina Kulick, M.D., left, with the School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, and Judith Ashley, an associate professor of nutrition for University of Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources, will combine forces for a one-year study entitled "A model for a primary care weight management program for underserved populations." Read more
Thienhaus heads conference breakout session
Ole J. Thienhaus, M.D., MBA, chair of the psychiatry department, led two breakout sessions discussing the "Emotional Impact of Ataxia" at the National Ataxia Foundation annual meeting in Las Vegas this spring.
Ataxia is an inability to coordinate muscle activity during voluntary movement most often resulting from disorders of the cerebellum or the posterior columns of the spinal cord; and may involve the limbs, head or torso.
Brown selected to receive Excellence in Teaching Award
The American Psychiatric Association and its Committee on Graduate Education selected Gregory Brown, M.D., residency program director for Las Vegas psychiatry, to receive the Annual Irma Bland Award for Excellence in Teaching Residents. The award was presented at the meeting in Washington, DC on May 5.
Pediatrics professor earns grant awards
Echezona Ezeanolue, M.D., MPH, a University of Nevada School of Medicine assistant professor of pediatrics, an infectious disease specialist and Director of Pediatric and Adolescent HIV Services, received two grants from the State of Nevada, Department of Health and Human Services through the Trust Fund for Public Health. The first grant, for more than $96,500, will be used for a study of the Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in pregnant women and their newborns in Las Vegas.
The second grant, totaling more than $55,000, was awarded to Ezeanolue for Contraceptive Choices, Knowledge and Options among HIV+ women of childbearing age (15-44). Read more
Spogen selected assembly chair
Daniel Spogen, M.D., chair of the family and community medicine department in Reno, was selected to be the Chair of the National Scientific Assembly for the American Academy of Family Physicians for 2009.
Antonuccio published in Psychiatric Times
David Antonuccio, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Jeremy Matuszak, M.D., a fellow in child psychiatry at the school, recently co-authored an article entitled, "Common Augmentation Strategies for Depression: Findings Show Lack of Evidence" in a recent issue of Psychiatric Times.
Obstetrics/gynecology residents present abstracts
Two residents from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology presented abstracts at conferences this spring. Aimee Fleury, M.D., presented an abstract entitled "The Use of Radiofrequency Ablation in Advanced Ovarian Cancer: Resection and Ablation of Liver Metastases" at Charles University in Prague. The abstract describes an extraordinary treatment to treat cancer of the ovary in women.
Ming Zhou, M.D., presented an abstract entitled "Case Report: Consecutive declining hCG titers indicating loss of one sac in an otherwise viable early triplet pregnancy" at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society in Rancho Mirage, California. This report was about measuring pregnancy hormone to follow a pregnancy after infertility treatment. Zhou will also present an abstract entitled "Perinatal outcomes in IVF patients with vanishing twin syndrome" at the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis 14th International Conference in Vancouver, Canada next month. This report is about babies born after a complicated pregnancy in a mother who conceived with infertility treatment.
Pediatric faculty lead workshops
Caroline Barangan, M.D., led a workshop at the 2008 Society for Adolescent Medicine Meeting entitled "Junior Faculty Luncheon: Surveying Junior Faculty Regarding Difficulties and Needs" this spring in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Cynthia Seitz, M.D. and Barangan are conducting a workshop at the 2008 Association for Pediatric Program Directors Meeting entitled "Changing the Culture: Using Interactive Small Groups to Teach Professionalism" this month in Honolulu.
Jakoby published, presents at ADA conference
Michael G. Jakoby, M.D., an endocrinologist with the internal medicine department in Las Vegas has co-authored several posters and papers in conjunction with faculty, students and residents at the University of Illinois.
Publication titles include "Levofloxacin-associated Hypoglycemia Complicated by Pontine Myelinolysis and Quadriplegia" in Diabetic Medicine, "Clinicopathological Conference– Odynophagia in a 29-Year-Old Male Prisoner with HIV" in Carle Selected Papers and "Glycemic Control and Clinical Outcomes for Patients Admitted to Non-critical Care Hospital Units" also in Carle Selected Papers.
He also recently made several presentations at the American Diabetes Association 68th Scientific Sessions in San Francisco. Those include "Management of Hospitalized Diabetic Patients by a Hospital Diabetes Care Team Improves both Inpatient and Ambulatory Glycemic Control" and "Glycemic Control is Strongly Correlated with Clinical Outcomes for Diabetic Patients Admitted to Non-Critical Care Internal Medicine and Family Practice Hospital Services."
CV workshop now on June 27
The CV workshop originally scheduled for April 27 will now be held on June 27 in Reno in the dean's conference room from noon to 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
RSVP to the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development.
New hires and promotions
Daines, Brown to head psychiatry department July 1
With Ole J. Thienhaus taking over for me as dean on July 1, leadership changes will follow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science where he currently serves as chair.
Effective July 1, Michael K. Daines, M.D., will head the psychiatry operation in Reno while Gregory P. Brown, M.D., will do the same for Las Vegas.
Daines, who is board-certified in both psychiatry and internal medicine, has served as vice chair of the School of Medicine's psychiatry department since 2004. He has served as the medical director of the school’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health outpatient clinic since 2002 and has more than 25 years experience in both academic and private practice psychiatry.
Daines has demonstrated a commitment to community service in healthcare quality improvement by serving as a council member and trustee of HealthInsight, a non-profit partnership serving Nevada and Utah.
Brown, an associate professor at the School of Medicine, was also residency training director in Las Vegas and medical director of the Department of Psychiatry in Las Vegas. He has held medical director positions at several medical institutions in Las Vegas and conducts civil commitment evaluations for Clark County. He is board-certified in forensic and general psychiatry.
Both appointments are for two-year terms.
Carillo promoted to billing director
Heather Carrillo has been promoted to the director of billing for the northern clinics. She has worked for University Health System, the clinical practice of the University of Nevada School of Medicine, for 11 years in various capacities, most recently as the billing lead.
Clinical departments hire new staff
Paula Thompson joins the Family Medicine Center as a medical records specialist. She is new to the medical field but brings more than six years of administrative experience with her. Rocio Ayala joins the pediatrics department as a medical assistant. Brian Walsh joins The Ruvo Clinical Practice in Las Vegas and the Reno office as administrator. He brings close to 20 years experience in healthcare and has his MBA from University of Phoenix.
Job availabilities within the School
Click here to view job opportunities available within the University of Nevada School of Medicine.
School Notes
School to establish first acute care surgery fellowship in U.S.
The University of Nevada School of Medicine Department of Surgery has received approval to create the country’s first acute care surgery fellowship program.
The training will be completed at University Medical Center in Las Vegas which performs 6,500 surgical procedures each year in all surgical specialties and provides care for 4,000 seriously injured patients annually across 10,000-square mile area of the southwestern United States. School of Medicine surgeons staff many of these surgical services. Read more
School department among top ranked
The University of Nevada School of Medicine Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology is among three graduate programs at the University of Nevada, Reno to rank in the U.S. News and World Report magazine 2008 listings of the top 50 public institutions.
Chancellor addresses needs of medical school
Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Jim Rogers addressed School of Medicine faculty and staff this spring regarding the needs of the school and to dispel rumors concerning "moving" the School to Las Vegas. Click here for a link to the video of the Reno version of his address.
Faculty, students inducted into medical honor society
One faculty member and nine third and fourth year students were inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society this spring.
Samuel Parks, M.D., professor of pathology; Kyle Klingler and Ryanne Walther, Class of 2009; and Bill Edwards, Aicha Hull, Suzanne Larson, Chantal Reyna, Justin Smith, Whitney Waldroup and Nancy Wong, all from the Class of 2008, were inducted at a ceremony at the Atlantis Hotel in Reno.
The purpose of Alpha Omega Alpha is to recognize and perpetuate excellence in the medical profession and promote scholarship and research in medical schools. It also strives to encourage a high standard of character and conduct in medical students and recognize high achievement in medicine.
Alumna helps with disaster relief
One of our 2004 graduates, Vallory Tramonte, M.D., reports that as of early May he was scheduled to go to Myanmar to help with cyclone relief efforts before moving on to help those in need following the earthquake inChina. He has also served on missions to Indonesia and other international areas suffering natural disasters.
In This Edition
Medical Education
Covington earns fellowship award for summer study
Scott accepted to Mayo Clinic career program
Students offer sports physicals
Professionalism awards given to Class of 2010
Student to have MPH thesis published
Nicaragua fundraising effort nets more than $21,000
Students enjoy relief activities before finals
Faculty
Pharmacology professor receives significant grant
Buxton named UNR's Outstanding Researcher
Browder earns AAST scholarship
School, UNR faculty collaborate to study obesity
Thienhaus heads conference breakout session
Brown selected to receive Excellence in Teaching Award
Pediatrics professor earns grant awards
Spogen selected as assembly chair
Antonuccio published in Psychiatric Times
Obstetrics/gynecology residents present abstracts
Pediatric faculty lead workshops
Jakoby published, will present at ADA conference
New hires, promotions
Daines, Brown lead psychiatry department July 1
Carillo prom0ted to billing director
Clinical departments hire new staff
School Notes
School to establish first acute care surgery fellowship in U.S.
School department among top ranked
Faculty, students inducted into medical honor society
Alumna helps with disaster relief
Past Editions 2008
Inside Nevada Medicine is a service of the Office of Health Science Communications, University of Nevada School of Medicine and is published monthly. Faculty, staff, residents and students are encouraged to submit items of school-wide interest to Editor Anne McMillin for publication. Deadline is the 20th of the month prior to publication. Copyright 2008 University of Nevada School of Medicine.