DOM Runs 5K for Equal Access Birmingham Free Health Clinic
L to R: Sal Kamal, MD; Win Williams, MD; Jason Morris, MD; Todd McCarty, MD; Oliver Sinquefield, MD; Jordan Tannenbaum, MD; and Danielle Witt, MDUAB Internal Medicine took the award for most competitors in the Equal Access Birmingham Heart + Sole 5K thanks to strong turnout by residents, fellows and faculty. Our top faculty runner was Todd McCarty, MD (Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases) who finished #8 overall. Shout outs to all participants, especially to the enthusiastic Dr. Well-Be, for their support of the EAB cause!
Six DOM Programs Earn “Top 50” Rank in US News & World Report Best Hospitals List
US News & World Report continues to rank Cardiology, Endocrinology, Geriatrics, Nephrology, Pulmonary, and Rheumatology among the Top 50 programs in the U.S. Rheumatology remains #10, Nephrology and Pulmonary moved up further in the Top 20, and Cardiology moved into the Top 20. These improvements are driven in part by falling 30-day mortality for our patients. Congratulations to each of our Divisions and to all our faculty, staff, residents, and fellows! A program is highly ranked only when each patient receives care from a high-functioning team.
Department of Medicine Welcomes New Fellows
L to R: Laura Hughes, MD; Elizabeth McAlister; Fellows Amanda Schnell, Maggie Guthrie, Marcum Collins and Lee Day; and Angelo Gaffo, MD, from the Division of RheumatologyThe Department of Medicine is delighted to celebrate 47 new fellows for the 2018/19 academic year. Our subspecialty training currently comprises 14 ACGME accredited programs and 3 non-ACGME programs with 152 total fellows. Welcome aboard!
Bradley Reports MIND Trial Findings That Lowering Blood Pressure Can Reduce Dementia Risk
Virginia Wadley Bradley, PhD (Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care) co-led the group that administered the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial’s (SPRINT) Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (MIND) study. Preliminary results reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference indicate that lowering systolic blood pressure reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairment, often a precursor to dementia. These benefits are in addition to the previous findings of the SPRINT study that cardiovascular complications, from heart attacks to heart failure and even death, were significantly reduced with the same treatment. These findings and others inform new guidelines that normal systolic blood pressure (<120 mm Hg) reduces risk of cardiovascular disease.
Learning Communities Program Honors Internal Medicine Residents
Front L to R: Ashley Vorenkamp, Lauren Pacheco, and Stacey Watkins. Back L to R: Eduardo Mulanovich and Jeremey Walker (CMR). Not pictured: Madeline Eckenrode.The Learning Communities Program honored Internal Medicine residents Madeline Eckenrode, MD, Eduardo Mulanovich, MD, Lauren Pacheco, MD, Ashley Vorenkamp, MD, Jeremey Walker, MD (CMR), and Stacey Watkins, MD, who served as housestaff mentors in the Program over the past year. The Learning Communities Program is a four-year course with a focus on professionalism, wellness, and ethics. It was one of several efforts that resulted in an improvement in the percentage of students who were satisfied with the overall quality of their medical education last year!