Spring, 2017  




From the Desk of Dr. Sinnott...

As another great academic term ends, we also approach a new beginning for many graduating residents and fellows. In the past few years, we have seen a diverse group of Internal Medicine residents and fellows working hard to achieve the goals they set for their future. This year will be no exception. We are indeed proud of every single Internal Medicine resident and fellow for their relentless pursuit of excellence in medicine. Your effort and hard work will be reflected by the lives you touch.

In the US, our society is demanding a change in the "social contract" with medicine. Calls for "transparency", "accountability" and "quality" now echo through the halls of academic medicine. I am proud to say that our department has leaders who can help to meet these challenges. As medicine becomes more complex and demanding, our work requires transformational leadership not only from management, but from every single individual within the organization. This inclusive leadership has helped us overcome the challenges of the past and will continue to aid us with the challenges of the present and future.

Warm regards,

John Sinnott MD FACP
James Cullison Professor and Chairman
Department of Internal Medicine
Morsani College of Medicine
University of South Florida 
By the Numbers

- The Department of Internal Medicine is now in the Top 4% AAMC Ranking in undergraduate medical education preparation for Residency.

- Blue Ridge Rankings by NIH funding reached 35/130 for USF (Highest in Florida!)


Inside this Issue Top
Patient Centered
Teaching

Patient Centered
Research

Patient Centered
Care






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Take a Moment TakeAMoment


The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.   -William Osler, MD


Welcome Aboard! Welcome
New Faculty

Tambi Jarmi, MD
Associate Professor, Transplant Fellowship Program Director
Division of Nephrology & Hypertension

Dr. Tambi Jarmi joined the Division of Nephrology & Hypertension in March 2017 as an Associate Professor and Transplant Fellowship Program Director. His recruitment is another milestone in our goal to offer quality mentoring and research opportunities to our trainees and quality care to our patients.


Adam Winkler, MD
Hospital Physician
Division of Hospital Medicine

Dr. Adam Winkler joined the Division of Hospital Medicine after completing his residency at the MCOM in 2016. Dr. Winkler has been part of USF since 2003, completing his Bachelors in 2007 and receiving his MD in 2011 from USF Health.  Dr. Winkler has received numerous awards: USF Internal Medicine Resident of the Month, TGH Nursing Practice Council Resident of the Month and the Nathan L Marcus Award.
New Staff

Shieloh Stephens, ARNP
Moffitt Cancer Center
Division of Infectious Disease and Critical Care

Shieloh Stephens ARNP, graduated with a BSN from USF in 2005. She currently works as an ARNP at Moffitt Cancer Center supporting both Infectious Disease and Pulmonary Critical Care. She graduated from USF with her MSN in 2016 and obtained a American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) certification in Adult-Gerontology, Primary Care. She joins USF Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at Moffitt.  


Tony Brown, MSW
Medical Social Worker/Program Planner
Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology

Tony Brown is an advocate, published co-writer, educator, and  a USF Alum. He completed his Masters of Social Work and Bachelors of Social Work at USF. Mr. Brown  provides resources, education and therapeutic counseling to patients within the Bleeding Disorder Community. Tony has been involved with the Bleeding Disorder Community for over 10 years ranging from being Co-Chairman of the Bleeding Disorder Coalition of Florida as well as being an advocacy speaker. Tony brings his unique knowledge, experience, creativity and commitment to the department. 


Amie Centeno
Administrative Specialist
Division of Hospital Medicine

Amie Centeno was born and raised in Tampa. She attended Armwood High School and Sanford Brown Institute of Tampa where she received her Medical Assistant Certification. Amie has spent the last seven years in the legal field working for lawyers as a Paralegal / Administrative Assistant. Mrs. Centeno joins the Department of Internal Medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine as an Administrative Specialist, supporting all faculty within USF Health located at Tampa General Hospital.


Lizanne Gonzalez
Administrative Assistant
Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine

Lizanne Gonzalez was born and raised in Tampa. She has worked in the Customer Service & Administrative field for more than 15 years and is very excited to work at USF Health. She joined  the Division of Pulmonary/Sleep Medicine in February 2017. 



Appointments and Promotions Appointments
Michael Teng PhD, Appointed the new Associate Dean of PhD and Postdoctoral Programs
 
Dr. Michael Teng was appointed the Associate Dean of PhD and Postdoctoral Programs, beginning at the end of the spring semester 2017. Dr. Teng's scientific training and academic experience prepared him well for this position.  He received his BS from MIT and PhD from the University of Chicago, followed by postdoctoral work at Scripps in La Jolla.  He started his career as an Assistant Professor at Penn State in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  USF recruited him in 2010 to a faculty position in Internal Medicine, with joint appointments in Molecular Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology.  

Rosa Codina PhD, Promoted
  
Rosa Codina, PhD, Affiliate Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, was promoted in June 2017, to Affiliate Associate Professor of Medicine.


Valerie Morales MSN ARNP, Receives ACHPN Credentials
  
Valerie Morales received her credentials as an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN). Her hard work and persistence paid off in a great way.

Patient Centered Teaching, Research & Care
Patient Centered Teaching Teaching
2017 Internal Medicine Graduation Ceremony


We would like to congratulate the Internal Medicine Graduating Class of 2017. 

 
IM Residency Program Excels with an Outstanding Match Day
 
Internal Medicine's Residency Program had an excellent Match Day this year for 33 categorical residents and 6 preliminary residents. The average Step 2 score for the categorical residents was 246. The Residency Program's ability to recruit top applicants is a testament to the growing strength of the entire department.
 

 
Patient Centered Research PatientCenteredResearch
Morsani College of Medicine Rises 6 Spots in USNWR

USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM) rose six spots in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings of the nation's Best Medical Schools - Research. From 63 last year, we are now ranked number 56th based on the Best Graduate Schools rankings released Tuesday, March 14. Among all public medical schools in the United States, MCOM now ranks No. 27 for research. 
 
CDC launches Positive Health Check app

USF Division of Infectious Disease received funding to conduct the CDC's Positive Health Check Intervention Trial. The CDC's most recent medical app is called Positive Health Check - an app focused on people living with HIV. The medical app was designed to help people living with HIV supplement their HIV primary care visits and at this time is still in study mode.

Dr. Charurut Somboonwit serves as PI and Dr. Jamie Morano serves as a clinical champion on the study.

Read the full article here.

Dr. Kolliputi's Lab Receives Two Best Poster Awards - USF Health Research Day - Feb 2017 

Nima Hosseinian
Title: Oxidative Stress Induces Fibrotic Lung Reactions in Atp8b1 Mutant Mice through Club Cell Dysregulation

Sanjay Mahendrasah
Title: The Involvement of Lung Epithelial Cells Expressing Both Type II Alveolar Epithelial and Club Cell Markers in IPF


Patient Centered Care PatientCenteredCare
Dr. John Carter Among the Top Performers in Press Ganey Scores


We would like to congratulate nationally recognized Dr. John Carter, for becoming one of the Top Performers in patient satisfaction in Press Ganey Scores. As a Care Provider, Dr. Carter has reached a 99th percentile score in Patient Satisfaction. Additionally, USF Health patient satisfaction scores have made significant progress in provider related CAHPS and Press Ganey domains in Q1-17, achieving the highest scores since surveys began. We also congratulate Dr. Hugo Narvarte as a very close runner up.

  • CAHPS: "Overall Doctor Rating" and "Recommend this Provider Office", both reached the 51st percentile. 
  • Press Ganey: "The Care Provider" domain improved to the 58th percentile and "Overall Assessment" increased to the 54th percentile. 
Congratulations to all Top Performers and we thank every Internal Medicine team member for contributing to our ever evolving, high quality service.
GIM Winners of the "MyChart" Initiative Contest

For six weeks, during the months April and May of 2017, the USF Health, General Internal Medicine team of Medical Assistants, accepted the challenge to promote the use of MyChart for our patients. During this initiative, the staff also educated patients on the positive benefits of using the MyChart application. The USF Health Clinical Operation Team has been working diligently to improve the overall utilization of MyChart, and our Internal Medicine team was able to activate nearly sixty new patient accounts!

The first place winner, with the most MyChart activations during the six week contest, Iris Sanchez CMA, pictured here to the left of the runner-up, Kim Ross CMA.  Each participant received a token of our appreciation during the annual staff luncheon. Thank you to all of the staff in General Internal Medicine for making a huge effort in promoting the utilization of MyChart in our patient population. These "change initiatives" make a positive difference for patients and doctors by increasing awareness of health information technology and its benefits.
Announcements Announcements

Haim Pinkas MD, to Retire from USF Internal Medicine

Dr. Pinkas retires after many years of service to the University of South Florida. An outstanding doctor, teacher and researcher of many years, he will be missed by all and we wish him much success in his future endeavors.




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Highlights Gallery Gallery
Achievements and Awards Achievements
Narasaiah Kolliputi PhD, Awarded R01 Grant
 
The University of South Florida was awarded an R01 grant entitled, Molecular Mechanisms of Hyperoxic Lung Injury from the NHLBI- Principal Investigator: Narasaiah Kolliputi, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine.

Project narrative: " Worldwide, over 1 million cases of ALI and ARDS occur annually with approximately 200,000 adult cases per year in the U.S. alone. The goal of the proposed research is to develop a therapy that will improve survival and standard of living to individuals affected by hyperoxia-induced lung injury using animal models. It is important to develop this therapy since current treatment is ineffective.

Marian Menezes MD, Receives BRIDGE Service Award 
 
Dr. Marian Menezes received a BRIDGE Clinic Service Award for his contributions.








Drs. Guerra, Oxner and Myers Chosen as ACP Champions



Dr. Lucy Guerra, Dr. Asa Oxner and Dr. Andrew Myers were chosen as American College of Physicians Quality Connect Champions for atrial fibrillation; a program aimed at working with residents, students and other healthcare professionals to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation. Goal: Stroke reduction.

USF Making Headlines at  AACE 2017 Meeting
 
"Austin, TX - Should Repeat FNA for Thyroid Nodules Again Be Recommended?  Repeat fine needle aspiration (FNA) allowed most cases of thyroid nodules initially identified as atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) to be reclassified, researchers reported here.

The systematic review and meta-analysis showed that 55% of thyroid nodules with AUS/FLUS cytology were identified as benign following repeat FNA, according to Cesar Abuchaibe, MD, of University of South Florida, and colleagues."

Read the full article here.

Presentations Publications

Barbara Hansen, PhD

Dr. Hansen was an invited lecturer at the Asia Pacific Association for the Study of Liver (APASL).  She spoke on NASH/NAFLD in nonhuman primates with or without diabetes. The lecture, February 17, was entitled: "Optimal Animal Model for Naturally-Occurring NAFLD".  On March 6th 2017 she also spoke at the Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Chaudhari, U.K., Newcomb, J.D. and Hansen, B.C.  Serum levels of amylase are associated with the progression of metabolic syndrome and the development of diabetes in nonhuman primates. American Diabetes Association, San Diego, CA, June, 2017.

Liang, Z., Liang, Y., Yang, Z., Shen, Y., Yao, Z., Chen, Y., Zeng, W., Hansen, B.C.  A plant-derived drug improves the cardiac function of monkeys with heart failure and type 2 diabetes.  American Diabetes Association, San Diego, CA, June 2017.

Liang, Y., Yang, Z., Liang, Z., Yu, Y., Chen, Y., Yao, Z., Shen, Y., Hansen, B.C., Gong, L. and Zeng, W.  Determination and evaluation of hypertension in a nonhuman primate model of type 2 diabetes.  American Diabetes Association, San Diego, CA, June 2017.

Hansen, B.C., Liang, Z., Sun, F., Yang, Z., Tang, C., Chen, Z., Shen, Y., Yao, Z., Wu, M., Chen, Y., Gao, F., Zeng, W.  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese rhesus monkeys provides the first animal model that accurately reflects the human condition.  American Society of Investigational Pathology, Experimental Biology, Chicago, IL, April 2017.

Hansen, B.C., Newcomb, J.D. and Chaudhari, U.K.  Characterization of spontaneous severe hypertriglyceridemia in diabetic nonhuman primates. American Physiological Society, Experimental Biology, Chicago, IL, April 2017.

Hansen, B.C., Liang, Z., Sun, F., Yang, Z., Tang, C., Chen, Z., Shen, Y., Yao, Z., Wu, M., Chen, Y., Gao, F., Zeng, W., Cusi, K.  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese nonhuman primates (NHPs) is comparable to humans for metabolic features, histology and imaging.  Keystone Symposium on Bile Acids Receptors as Signal Integrators in Liver and Metabolism, Monterey, CA, March 2017.

Yang, Z., Sun, F., Liang, Z., Tang, C., Chen, Z., Shen, Y., Yao, Z., Wu, M., Chen, Y., Gao, F., Zeng, W., Hansen, B.C.  A novel FXR agonist for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in rhesus monkeys with NASH: evaluation by dual-energy CT (DECT) and histopathology. Asian Pacific Association for the Study of Liver (APASL), Shanghai, China, March 2017.


Lucy Guerra, MD MPH FACP FHM

Dr. Guerra was an invited lecturer at the Excellence in Geriatric Health Care Conference in Tampa this June 2017. The lecture was entitled: "The ABCs of Healthcare Literacy in the Geriatric Population".




Max Feldman, MD

Dr. Feldman was an invited lecturer at the Excellence in Geriatric Health Care Conference in Tampa this June 2017. The lecture was entitled: "Causes of Memory Loss in the Geriatric Population".





Asa Oxner, MD

Dr. Oxner was an invited lecturer at the Excellence in Geriatric Health Care Conference in Tampa this June 2017. The lecture was entitled: "AFib in the Elderly: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment".





Andrew Myers, MD

Dr. Myers was an invited lecturer at the Excellence in Geriatric Health Care Conference in Tampa this June 2017. The lecture was entitled: "Geriatric Hip Fractures".





Claude Bassil, MD

Dr. Bassil was an invited speaker at the National Kidney Foundation meeting on April 19th 2017. His presentation was entitled: "Hematological Abnormalities in Hematological Malignancies".




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