In this month’s Chair’s Spotlight, we highlight the work of Sarah McGee, MD, MPH, clinical chief and a professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, whose career has spanned more than 30 years. We recently spoke with Dr. McGee about her work and what makes her chosen field of practice unique.

“I can't say that I had a light bulb or aha moment when I was drawn to Geriatric Medicine…[but] when I was a third-year resident, I made my first home visit, by myself, for an older patient and that was a real eye opener. After that…I decided that I enjoyed that population. I liked hearing their stories. I liked talking to them. I liked trying to help them.”

Accelerating Discharge Initiative 

Michael Devine, DO, a physician and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine, is currently leading an innovative initiative to improve discharge orders at UMass. In a new conversation with Dr. Devine, he discusses the drivers of this initiative, results thus far, and goals for future applications.

“[In our initial pilot], we specifically looked at the metric of discharge orders before noon because when we initially reviewed the data, we found that the resident teams were about 10% lower than uncovered attendings…[We] decided the goal for our internal medicine resident teams would be to improve discharge by noon to around 25% from 15%. Over the last year, our residents were able to reach that goal.”

In this month’s Fellow Spotlight, we feature Mark Skiba, MD, PhD, a current Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellow at UMass Chan. Here, Dr. Skiba discusses his clinical interests, why he chose UMass, and his favorite place to travel!  

"UMass provides many opportunities for growth and for that, I’m very grateful. UMass has given me the opportunity to 'follow my bliss'."

In this month’s Resident Spotlight, we highlight Daniella Gonzalez, DO, a third-year Internal Medicine resident at UMass Chan. We recently caught up with Dr. Gonzalez to learn more about her clinical and research interests, what makes UMass a great place for residency, and the book club she started with Dr. Lauren Feld!  

"The general culture of teamwork and collegiality makes UMass such a special place and I feel so lucky to be part of the UMass family. The network of people I have met, the mentors I have acquired, and the friendships have made my time here very special. Not to mention, the clinical exposure, research opportunities, and our amazing program director."

Pamela Burgwinkle Recognized for Excellent Patient Care 

Pamela Burgwinkle, a nurse practitioner in the Anti-Coagulation clinic, was recognized by a patient for her excellent care this past summer. The patient stated that Pamela was exceptionally helpful, understanding, and empathetic. 

We thank Pamela for her hard work and exceptional care of her patients. 

Recognition for Outstanding Collaboration and Organization during Code 

In late September when a patient coded on 5 West, resident, respiratory, nursing, anesthesia, and pharmacy teams worked together, responding in a collaborative, organized, and respectful manner. This exceptional effort was recognized by team members and leaders who were present, including Christine Bielick Kotkowski, MD, a pulmonary and critical care physician and chief of Medicine-Pediatrics, who said, in part, “…it was reassuring how calm and collected the entire team was, and they worked cohesively throughout.…witnessing the closed-loop communication between the unit secretary and the nursing staff to ensure adequate messages were relayed, was great.” Additionally, there was an organized debrief afterward where the teams deliberately and methodically went through the occurrence and offered support to each other.  

We thank all team members for their commitment to quality care. 

Brittany Tran, MD, a second-year Internal Medicine resident at UMass Chan, received first place for her quality improvement poster, “The Difficult IV Access (DIVA) Project: Improving IV Access at Nighttime Rapid Responses.”

Additionally, Divya Sudireddy, MD, a third-year Internal Medicine resident, earned second place for her quality improvement poster, “Enhancing Cardiovascular Care for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.” 

Michelle Nabi, MD, a current Internal Medicine residency intern, was also awarded second place for her clinical vignette, “Bilateral Posterior Cerebral Strokes Post-Cardiac Catheterization Leading to Anton-Babinski Syndrome.” 

Please join us in congratulating our IM residents on their accomplishments!  

On Saturday, September 9, UMass Memorial Health, along with other community partners, hosted the Worcester Multicultural Community Health Fair at the YMCA Fuller Family Park in Worcester, MA. Members of the community were invited to attend this event for health education, screening, and other resources. Among the many volunteers at this event were Deborah Nadler, MD, Shantel Brissett, MD, and Sakeina Howard-Wilson, MD, cardiology fellows, and Irina Radu, MD, MHA, a postdoctoral cardiology research fellow. They took blood pressure measurements and offered participants valuable insights on essential topics such as blood pressure management, cholesterol control, smoking cessation, weight management, sleep improvement, increasing physical activity, blood sugar management, and adopting healthier diets.  

“By showing cohesion and team spirit, while serving our community, we had a significant impact representing UMass Cardiology at the Worcester Multicultural Community Health Fair. We had a lot of fun together,” said Dr. Radu.  

We applaud our Cardiovascular fellows for their service and dedication to the Worcester community! 

Members of the Department of Medicine Support UMass Cancer Walk

Providers across the Department of Medicine joined fellow UMass colleagues at Polar Park on Sunday, September 24, to participate in the annual UMass Cancer Walk. The event supports adult and pediatric cancer research and care, and clinical trials of new, potentially lifesaving therapies taking place at UMass Chan.

Department of Medicine Faculty Shine in 2023 PACE Awards 

This year’s Prize for Academic Collaboration and Excellence (PACE) Awards were announced at the end of September and we are proud that all of the winning projects included faculty members from the Department of Medicine! Awardees will be honored at the UMass Memorial Health Family Fun Day at Polar Park on October 22.  

“The PACED Intervention: The Paramedic-Assisted Community Evaluation (after) Discharge”  

Learn about this project.

Department of Medicine faculty involved in this project included: 

Stephanie Sison, Kouta Ito, David McManus, Sarah McGee, and Kimberly Eisenstock

Other project faculty included: 

Laurel O’Connor and John Broach

Christine Bielick Kotkowski Works to Improve In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes 

Christine Bielick Kotkowski, MD, chief of the Division of Medicine-Pediatrics, and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, was recently featured in UMass Memorial’s Quality Matters newsletter, describing how the Resuscitation Committee and a SAFER team focused on the failure to rescue quality measure, are taking action to reduce in-hospital cardiac arrest mortality rates. 

Deepika Devuni Receives Women Physicians Section Inspiration Award 

Deepika Devuni, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, has received a 2023 Women Physicians Section Inspiration Award from the American Medical Association. This award honors and acknowledges physicians who have offered their time, wisdom, and support throughout the professional careers of their fellow physicians, residents, and students.  

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Devuni!  

The Department of Medicine Grand Rounds series kicked off this year with presentations from Dr. David McManus, chair and the Richard M Haidack Professor in Medicine titled “Can Digital Health Innovations Save American Healthcare?”, Dr. David Dosa, associate professor, Brown University, titled “Understanding the Effects of Climate Change on Older Adults,” Dr. David Asch, senior vice dean for strategic initiatives, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, titled “Automation and Emotion in Health and Health Care,” Drs. Peter Smulowitz, Milford Regional Medical Center, Douglas Salvador, Baystate Health, Stephen Tosi, UMass Memorial Medical Center, and George Abraham, who presented a Grander Rounds titled “Medical Malpractice and Support Systems for Faculty,” and from Dr. Jatin Vyas, associate professor, Mass General Hospital, titled “Has ‘Climate Change’ Endangered the Physician Scientist?”  

It has been a fantastic start to the year with outstanding presentations from our speakers. If you missed them or would like to view them again, please click the button below.