May 2023 | Volume 2 Issue 10 |
|
From Dr. Catherine Spong: |
|
|
|
Welcome to a new academic year and the summer months!
We received, reviewed, and identified a number of opportunities to improve based on faculty feedback in our annual survey. Thank you for sharing your ideas, opportunities, and concerns.
Upcoming Changes:
- Change to Monthly Faculty Meeting
- New Twice Yearly "State of the Department" Meeting
- FY25 Incentive Plan
- Budget Discussions
- Faculty Wellness Program
- Clinical Operations Expansion
|
|
Opportunity 1: Change to Monthly Faculty Meeting
Previously, our monthly Faculty Meeting has been a forum for a number of team members to provide news and updates from various areas of the department. Through the survey, many faculty members expressed a desire to meet in a smaller group to enhance more substantive discussion.
To address this feedback, we will transition the monthly Faculty Meeting to individual division meetings to allow you more time to have faculty-centric discussions and to raise concerns and issues in a smaller group. At these meetings, your Division Chief will be able to share with you updates from the university and our department in addition to your division.
Furthermore, we have created a roadmap to address concerns related to departmental communication, administration, time with leadership, culture, trust, and safety. We hope these faculty division meetings will enhance communication and facilitate discussion of topics that are important to you.
We will continue to utilize this newsletter to highlight the news and activities of the department.
I encourage all Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology team members to send items to
Opportunity 2: New Twice Yearly "State of the Department" Meeting
To ensure all team members have an understanding of departmental issues, we will have a “State of the Department” Meeting twice yearly to provide departmental strategic objectives and goals as well as accomplishments.
Opportunity 3: FY25 Incentive Plan
We also heard your feedback about the incentive plan.
We will start working on the incentive plan for FY25 now to allow for the time needed to create a plan that will be effective for the divisions. This may include a revision of both the group and individual metrics. If you have ideas for the incentive plan, please let your division chief know.
Opportunity 4: Budget Discussions
As has been a major topic of conversation, budget season is coming to an end. This budget year is like one not seen in decades across the Institution. Everything is getting extensively reviewed – with a mantra of “not "no", but not now.”
We appreciate the hard work of our team members who worked on our budget. This year the divisions have had substantial input during the departmental budget process, and we will be working toward the divisions having more insight on both the revenue and expenses.
Opportunity 5: Faculty Wellness Program
Under the leadership of Dr. Vanessa Rogers, we will be launching a Faculty Wellness Program that will focus on initiatives to address enhancing faculty wellness, department climate, and trust.
Opportunity 6: Clinical Operations Expansion
Through the divisions, we will be working to enhance our clinical operations both to help our teams to work more efficiently and to leverage opportunities we may not have had access to in the past.
The department will be searching for a Vice Chair of Clinical Operations to help us in these activities, and we welcome your insights and ideas.
|
|
My door is always open for one-on-one or group meetings, and I would love to hear from you all. |
|
Thank you for all that you do. |
|
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion |
|
|
|
From Dr. Kristie Wilburn-Wren |
In an ongoing effort to increase our awareness about the importance of diversity in medicine and the workplace, the DEI Committee would like to share the following reading with the department.
It is our hope that the dissemination of this reading will spark conversation as well as educate. You can find the article using the button below.
|
|
|
Welcome our new team members! Make sure you say hello and introduce yourself. |
|
Delaina Bling
Clinical Research Assistant I
|
|
Zoey Muhia
Student Intern - Chair's Office
|
|
LoAn Pittman
Sr. Program Coordinator - Chair's Office
|
|
Areyana Stigler
Student Intern - Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division
|
|
Ellen Suen
Database Analyst - IMPACT Study/PCORI Grant
|
|
Ghazal Yadav
Student Intern - Gynecologic Oncology Division
|
|
Shelley Altamirano
RN - Women's Center
|
|
Katherine Rico
CMOA - Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic
|
|
Hannah Turner
Sonographer - Ob/Gyn Clinic at POB2
|
|
PACT cards honor UT Southwestern employees and faculty who demonstrate superior organizational values through quality customer service. Recognition can come from managers, co-workers, internal or external customers, faculty, patients, or visitors. |
|
The PACT program has three pin award levels: Blue (four PACT cards), Silver (eight PACT cards), and Gold (16 PACT cards). Submit a recognition online for UTSW members each time great service is noticed.
Congratulations to all our recipients!
|
|
|
Recent PACT Pin Recipients: |
|
Lucy Berry
Education Coordinator
Silver Pin
|
|
Abigail Carranza
Clinical Staff Assistant III
Blue Pin
|
|
Bettina Long
Administrative Associate
Silver Pin
|
|
Tracey Peacock
Graduate Medical Education Coordinator I
Blue Pin
|
|
Morgan Phillips
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Blue Pin
|
|
Dr. Joseph Schaffer
Professor
Blue Pin
|
|
Regina Williams
Education Coordinator
Blue Pin
|
|
|
|
Recent PACT Card Recipients: |
|
-
Andrea Brooks, CSA III
-
Karin Cooper, AMB RN
-
Mary Ellen Culbreth, Sr. Administrative Assistant
-
Linda Delgado, CMOA
-
Sharon Edwards, GME Program Coordinator I
-
Alana Gomez, Administrative Coordinator
-
Lisa Gray, Administrative Associate
-
Bennie Hull, CSA I
-
Xavier Jones, GME Program Coordinator I
-
Amy Leng, Clinical Operations Program Coordinator
-
Dr. Ann Lutich, Assistant Professor
-
Rachael Medrano, Advanced Practice RN
-
Ungelica Moses, Advanced Practice RN
-
Justine Petros, Supervisor - Education Programs
-
Chankeese Reed, CMOA
-
Renee Toscano, GME Program Coordinator II
-
Loretta Ward, AMB RN
|
|
Welcome, New Residents and Fellows! |
|
Our incoming trainees will make their first appearance on campus this week. Introduce yourself and say hello when you see them around. |
|
Education-Related Awards and Honors |
|
Drs. Andrea Johnson and Kristie Wilburn-Wren received recognition for their time of service on the UT Southwestern Medical School Admissions Committee.
As stated by Dr. Craig Rubin, Chair of Admissions Committee and Division Chief of Geriatric Medicine, "Serving on the Medical School Admissions Committee is a very significant time commitment, and we greatly appreciate Dr. Johnson and Dr. Wilburn-Wren's willingness to serve.
Selecting and recruiting the best and brightest students from a large and ever-growing pool of exemplary applicants is one of the most important things we do to sustain our tradition of excellence at UT Southwestern. We simply couldn’t run admissions effectively without faculty like Dr. Johnson and Dr. Wilburn-Wren!"
|
|
Dr. Andrea Johnson
Assistant Professor
Division of Gynecology
|
|
Dr. Kristie Wilburn-Wren
Assistant Professor
Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology
|
|
|
|
Dr. Lisa Thiele and study collaborators from our department, including Dr. Alexandra Ragsdale, Dr. Donald McIntire, Dr. David Nelson, and Dr. Catherine Spong won the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s Disparities Award for Best Research on Diversity/Disparity in Health Outcomes at the 43rd Annual Pregnancy Meeting held in February in San Francisco.
|
|
|
|
Christina Dowden, GME Program Coordinator III for our Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Programs, was recently selected to be a member of the Graduate Medical Education's Program Accreditation and Compliance (PAC) Subcommittee starting July 2023.
Congratulations, Christina!
|
|
Trainee Conference Presentations |
|
|
|
Western Association of Gynecologic Oncology (WAGO) |
Drs. Christina Curtin, Carson Edwards*, Elaine Fleming, Blaine Holloway, Jaya Lea, Lydia Makepeace, Vinita Popat, Alexandra Spirtos, and Christopher Walker presented their work at the WAGO Annual Meeting in Monterey, California, June 14-17. |
|
*Editor's note: Dr. Carson Edwards' name was mistakenly left off of this promotion in last month's edition of The Monthly. |
|
Congratulations to our Graduates |
|
Top row, left to right: Cherelle Leslie, Taibat Eribo, Bethany Werner, Sydney Oesch, Ralynn Brann, Nkeiruka Iwuorie, Larissa Aroche-Gutierrez, Kathryn Serbin, Doreen Pearce, Jennifer Thompson. Bottom row, left to right: Kinjal Mehta, Camice Karing, Shani Chibber, Evelyn Pan, Ashlyn Masterson, Meredith Chardukian, Emily Sendukas, Allison Tracy.
|
|
- Larissa Aroche Gutierrez, M.D.
- Ralynn Brann, M.D.
- Meredith Chardukian, M.D.
- Shani Chibber, M.D.
- Taibat Eribo, M.D.
- Nkeiruka Iwuorie, M.D.
- Camice Karing, M.D.
- Cherelle Leslie, M.D.
- Ashlyn Leigh Masterson, M.D.
- Kinjal Mukesh Mehta, M.D.
- Sydney Pinch Oesch, M.D.
- Evelyn Pan, M.D.
- Doreen Pearce, M.D.
- Emily Sendukas, M.D.
- Kathryn Serbin, M.D.
- Jennifer Thompson, M.D.
- Allison Tracy, M.D.
- Bethany Werner, M.D.
|
|
-
Ruchi Amin, M.D., Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Program
-
Joseph Fixler, M.D., Maternal-Fetal Medicine Program
-
Emily Lin, M.D., Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Program
-
Erryn Tappy, M.D., Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Program
-
Rachel Schell, M.D., Maternal-Fetal Medicine Program
-
Alexandra Spirtos, M.D., Gynecologic Oncology Program
|
|
News release: Receiving treatment for postpartum depression ‘important for the entire family’ |
|
|
|
|
Depression is considered the most common complication of childbirth, and new mothers shouldn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed about seeking mental health care and treatments including therapy and medication, advised experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Mental health is “arguably the most important component of postpartum care,” said Dr. Martin Hechanova, Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UTSW. “This is why we screen for depression at the beginning of pregnancy to ascertain a patient’s baseline, throughout pregnancy as needed, and at the postpartum visit.”
|
|
|
Dr. Hechanova said women may hesitate to discuss their symptoms of depression or anxiety after childbirth because of concerns about the stigma related to mental health. “But they should be reassured that these conversations with their doctor are important and confidential,” he said. “I remind my patients daily that our appointments are a safe space to discuss mental health and they can trust me with their symptoms and concerns about postpartum depression and anxiety. Early recognition and treatment are key.”
|
|
|
News release: Some cervical cancer patients at higher risk for UTIs after radical hysterectomies |
|
|
|
|
Women with early-stage cervical cancer had significantly higher chances of developing catheter-associated urinary tract infections after radical hysterectomies if they were smokers or used a catheter for more than seven days post-surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers found in a study.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, may have implications for patients with cervical cancer, some uterine and ovarian cancers, and any gynecologic tumors that require a radical hysterectomy. |
|
|
The procedure is part of the treatment for early-stage cervical cancer, which remains the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in women between ages 20 and 39.
“This study identified factors – smoking cessation and early removal of a Foley catheter – as modifiable practice patterns that physicians can use to mitigate catheter-induced UTIs,” said senior author Dr. Jayanthi Lea, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chief of Gynecologic Oncology, and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.
|
|
|
2nd Annual Research Symposium |
|
|
Our 2nd Annual Research Symposium took place on Wednesday, May 24. The keynote address was given by Dr. Eric Peterson, Professor of Internal Medicine and Vice Provost and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research.
Our residents and fellows presented 20 abstracts. The following awards were presented:
- Best Resident Abstract: Dr. Lauren King
- Best Fellow Abstract: Dr. Alexandra Spirtos
- Best Presentation: Dr. Blaine Holloway
|
|
|
Dr. Christina Herrera Receives Grant |
|
|
|
|
The Cary Council is dedicated to advancing early-stage research at UT Southwestern. Through engaging programming, they are catalyzing a new generation of community leaders and working to raise awareness of the important cause of academic medicine, research, and medical education in our community.'
Dr. Herrera was awarded $50,000 to continue her research of "Magnetic Resonance and Metabolomic Placental Profiling."
|
|
|
UT Southwestern Clinical Researcher Academy: K to (R)esearch Independence Program |
Dr. Maria Florian-Rodriguez and Dr. Christina Herrera were recently welcomed into the
UT Southwestern Clinical Researcher Academy's K to (R)esearch Independence Program for Fall 2023.
|
|
|
UT Southwestern is dedicated to developing the next generation of clinical and translational scientists. To better support new researchers, the Clinical Researcher Academy developed the K to (R)esearch Independence Program to help support faculty on their research journey.
The K to (R)esearch Independence Program is a comprehensive training program consisting of executive coaching, career development programs, skills workshops, and grant writing assistance.
Congratulations, doctors!
|
|
|
Recent Published Research |
|
|
|
|
Dr. Teale Muir and Dr. Lisa Chao: "Laparoscopic Excision of Retroperitoneal Adnexal Cyst" in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. David Miller: "Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab in
Previously Treated Advanced Endometrial
Cancer: Updated Efficacy and Safety From the
Randomized Phase III Study 309/KEYNOTE-775" in Journal of Clinical Oncology.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Maria Florian-Rodriguez: "Quantification of senescence-associated secretory phenotype proteins in the vaginal secretions of pre- and postmenopausal women with and without prolapse" in Aging Medicine.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Carson Edwards*, Dr. Blaine Holloway and Dr. Jaya Lea: "Role for Immunotherapy in Pretreated, Recurrent, Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma arising from Mature Cystic Teratoma" in Gynecologic Oncology Reports.
*Editor's note: Dr. Carson Edwards' name was mistakenly left off of this promotion in last month's edition of The Monthly.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Emily Lin, Dr. Riley Young, Dr. Jessica Shields,
Dr. Katherine Smith, and Dr. Lisa Chao: "Growing pains: strategies for improving ergonomics in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery" in Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
|
|
|
Upcoming Research Opportunities |
|
|
If you have questions about funding opportunities or would like to discuss your research interests and goals, please email Nicole Beckley or Jessica Hook. |
|
|
2023 Southwestern Gynecologic Assembly Has Been Cancelled |
|
From the Southwestern Gynecologic Assembly:
We appreciate your interest and dedication to Southwestern Gynecologic Assembly. Unfortunately, the SGA has recognized that the fiscal commitments for the upcoming meetings are beyond the finances of the society, thus we must cancel this year’s meeting.
Please know this decision was not undertaken lightly, and we were looking forward to both the educational and social opportunities with you. The leadership and active members of the SGA will get together in the coming months to determine what opportunities might be available in the future.
If you are interested in participating in this discussion, we welcome you. |
|
MFM Plano Wins Regional Center Annual Competition |
Congratulations to our MFM Plano team for taking home the trophy in the first ever Regional Center Annual Competition! |
|
Schedule Your UT Southwestern Headshot |
|
|
|
All department faculty, staff, and trainees:
The department is working on a number of projects for which having updated headshots of the members of our team will be integral. These projects include staff and faculty listings on our Intranet and faculty academic and clinical provider profiles.
Pictured: Dr. Mala Mahendroo
|
|
Years of Service Luncheon |
|
In honor of the UT Southwestern 2023 Employee Recognition program, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology hosted a luncheon honoring our employees for their milestone years of service at
UT Southwestern. The luncheon was held in the Faculty Club on Tuesday, June 13.
5 Years:
-
Linda Delgado, Certified Medical Office Assistant, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic
-
Brenda Espino, Clinical Research Assistant II, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research
-
Sweena Jacob, Senior Research RN, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research
-
Susana Lopez, Certified Medical Office Assistant, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic
-
Tracey Peacock, GME Program Coordinator I, Administration - Education
-
Justine Petros, Supervisor - Education Programs, Administration - Education
-
Alyssa Tovar, Clinic Staff Assistant III, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic
10 Years:
-
Grace Gonzales, Clinic Staff Coordinator, Women's Center
-
Amy Leng, Clinic Operations Program Coordinator, Administration
-
Laurie Marroquin, Supervisor - Ambulatory RN, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic
-
Lori Robinson, Senior Financial Analyst, Administration - Finance
15 Years:
-
Sharon Edwards, GME Program Coordinator I, Administration - Education
-
Brooke Shadday, Ambulatory RN, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic
-
Ana Sias, Clinical Research Assistant Lead, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research
-
Bekele Tekle, Accountant III, Administration - Finance
20 Years:
-
Jesus Acevedo, Senior Research Associate, Florian-Rodriguez Lab
-
Stephanie Gilbert, Senior Administrative Assistant II, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research
-
Joanie Riley, Assistant Director of Operations, Administration
-
Susan Wright, Administrative Coordinator, Administration
25 Years:
-
Lisa Fay-Randall, Senior Research RN, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research
Congratulations to these team members and thank you for your many years of hard work.
|
|
Employee Recognition Week Ice Cream Social |
|
To further the Employee Recognition Week fun, our Employee Engagement Committee hosted an ice cream social on Tuesday, June 13. |
|
Top row, left to right: Fan Xia, Meera Vanmali, Justine Petros, Monica Rincon, Trapti Puranik, Meera Vanmali, Fan xia. Bottom row, left to right: Lisa Hernandez, Yvette Stewart, Candi Hecht, Justine Petros, Kortney Campbell. |
|
Upcoming Employee Engagement Events |
|
- July: Bowling Happy Hour
- August 23rd: End of Summer Potluck
- September 15th: BBQ Tailgate Luncheon
|
|
Our faculty and their work are often referenced by journalists regarding a range of topics. See some examples of recent features below: |
|
|
Our faculty have been busy writing excellent patient-centered information for the MedBlog on UT Southwestern's patient-facing website. Check out our recent blogs below: |
|
|
Did You Have Your Baby at UTSW? |
If you've had a baby at UT Southwestern (CUH or St. Paul), we would love to feature your family in a future photo gallery on our patient-facing website.
Pictured: Eleanor, daughter of Amy Leng, Clinical Operations Program Coordinator.
|
|
|
|
|
Projects and being productive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Morgan Phillips
Marketing and Communications Specialist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
