DECEMBER 2024

Welcome to the first edition of our new quarterly departmental newsletter called "Internal Medicine Team Rounds." The "why" behind this newly formatted newsletter is to share important information, updates, and good news with all of you in a refreshed format. An intentional communication vehicle is an important way for us to commune together asynchronously and is closely linked to our departmental value of shared accountability. The leadership of the department is responsible for providing timely, important, and useful content. In doing so, we desire our audience to read it and feel more connected to our work. As I start this first message, I wish to recognize the likely numerous versions of this newsletter that have existed in the history of the department. I desire to honor the legacy of those offerings while looking to the future. I also wish to thank Jennifer Newcomb and MyVan John for their invaluable assistance with this creative effort.

It feels as if we have been on a mad dash towards the winter holidays at a frenetic pace hereto never previously achieved. I suppose it is always this way, but perhaps this year, with the lingering impact of the storms, it is more poignant. Despite this (or perhaps contributing to it), I recently had the privilege to represent our department at a national meeting of healthcare executives. What I took away from this meeting was perspective of the themes impacting leading health systems across the country: workforce challenges, financial pressures and headwinds (layoffs, downsizing, etc.), physician, provider, and staff engagement challenges, and the impact of disruptive technology. There was an undercurrent of anxiety about an uncertain future and the challenge of the profound changes shaping our profession. But in perspective to our department and our academic enterprise, it was my observation that we were doing far "better" than many of our peers. Perhaps it speaks to our amazing "people capital" in the department and our unflinching commitment to our mission. I am sure both are true, but I would posit that some of it is that we have simply accepted the inevitability of uncertainty and change better than most.  

Change is difficult. As human beings, we crave stability, and there is a strong pull to keep things the same. This reminds me of the famous quote attributed to Giuseppe Tomas di Lampedusa: "If we want everything to remain as it is, it will be necessary for everything to change." Change is a constant, and no matter what our feelings are about change, it is an inevitable fact of life. How can we maintain a sense of stability while still embracing the need for change? I would contend that holding true to our values, traditions/rituals, and our relationships are a big part of the answer. These virtuous and beneficial commitments can help bolster us and help us as we do battle with time poverty and being pulled by competing priorities. In making our commitments and priorities clear, I believe we can enhance our adaptive capacity, and as a result, find comfort and certainty in the midst of all the change.  

To this end, my wish is that you are able to spend time this holiday season with those you love and support. Thank you for all you are doing to "Make Life Better" for our department, our medical school, and our community. Happy Holidays!

USF Health honors Patti Lane with a Culture Coin for excellence in coordinating patient care

Patti Lane’s professional journey is rooted in a deeply personal experience that shaped her career aspirations and motivated her to ensure every patient that she meets receives the care they need.

Lane was introduced to the challenges and rewards of health care when she took on the role of caregiver for her mother, where she saw first-hand the difficulties that can arise when trying to schedule appointments, track health information and manage medications on behalf of a loved one. 

This formative experience led her to pursue a career dedicated to helping others traverse the complexities of the health care system, a commitment she continues today as a patient navigator for USF Tampa General Physicians (USFTGP).

Written by: Ryan Rossy

Read the full article here.

Claude Bassil, MD

Director

Division of Nephrology & Hypertension

Seong Cho, MD

Interim Director

Division of Allergy & Immunology

Loutfi Succari, MD, MPH

Interim Director

Division of Rheumatology

Arjun Patel joins Internal Medicine as Department Administrator

Arjun serves as Department Administrator for the Department of Internal Medicine; in collaboration with the Chair, he is responsible for planning and organizing the department’s financial affairs, including business development, and for administering its clinical, educational, and research programs. 

Arjun serves in various community leadership positions with the University Administrative Advisory Council and the Children’s Dream Fund—First Team, an organization dedicated to making dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses in West Central Florida. He has completed leadership development via the USF Leadership Foundations and Leadership Development Programs. Arjun is passionate about early childhood reading via the Reach Out & Read Program and his local library systems. An avowed global sports fan, he loves football equally in all forms: the NCAA, NFL, and the English Premier League. 

Arjun has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida in Developmental Biology & Embryology, a Master of Science degree from USF MCOM in Microbiology & Immunology, and an MBA from Warrington College of Business from the University of Florida.

New Leadership

Outstanding young faculty members continue to lead our programs in the Department of Internal Medicine. New program directors include Dr. Ju Hee Katzmann (ID), Dr. Jennifer Dulin (Pallative Care & Hospice), Dr. Farnaz Tabatabian (Allergy & Immunology), Dr. Naveen Narayanankutty (Nephrology & Hypertension), and Dr. Dwight Miller (Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine). Additionally, the programs have been made stronger with succession plans that include new associate program directors to help lead many of our residencies and fellowships. 

Ju Hee Katzman, MD

Program Director

Division of Infectious Diseases

Jennifer Dulin, MD

Program Director

Division of Hospice & Palliative Medicine

Farnaz Tabatabaian, MD

Program Director

Division of Allergy & Immunology

Naveen Narayanankutty, MD

Program Director

Division of Nephrology & Hypertension

Dwight Miller, MD

Program Director

Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine

Recognition

Jose Lezama, MD, MACP, was selected as a National ACP Laureate recipient and was elevated to the Mastership level of the American College of Physicians (the third Master in the history of the USF Department of Internal Medicine) in the national ACP meeting in Boston this past spring. 

Kellee Oller, MD, FACP, was recognized with the ACGME Courage to Teach Parker Palmer Award, which gives the distinction to only ten program directors throughout all disciplines of medicine. She will be recognized at the annual ACGME meeting in February 2025. 

The Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine's MPPDA Brendan P. Kelly, MD, Award is presented to an Associate Program Director of a Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program who demonstrates the teaching excellence, collaborative leadership, and compassionate patient care that Dr. Kelly modeled so well.

Tampa General Hospital honored Michael Roberts as Educator of the Year for his work in faculty development.

The Infectious Diseases division had several of their faculty members at the James Haley VA (Dr. John Toney, Dr. Sandra Gompf, and Dr. Anthony Cannella) recognized by the IDSA for their successful efforts toward designating the JAHVA as an Antibiotic Stewardship Center of Excellence, becoming only the second ID program at a VA to be recognized by this distinction. 

The Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition was recognized with an ACG award this year thanks to the efforts of program director Dr. Camille Thelin and Associate Program Director Dr. Shreya Narayanan.

Photo L to R: Shreya Narayanan, Wojciech Blonski, Jay Jacobs, Brijesh Patel, Camille Thelin 

Thursdays, 12:00 to 1:00 PM

January 9       Updates on the Management of Chronic Sinusitis

                       Seong Cho, MD (Division of Allergy & Immunology)

                       Virtual via TEAMS

January 16     Treating Chronic Abdominal Pain: Current and Novel Treatments

                       Camille Thelin, MD (Division of Digestive Diseases)

                       Virtual via TEAMS

January 23     Advanced Lung Disease and Lung Transplant

                       M Raheel Qureshi, MD

                       Virtual via TEAMS

January 30     Team Learning as a Catalyst for Organizational Change-Strategy

Development & Execution at a Complex AMC

                       William Daniel, MD (UT Southwestern)

                       Hybrid (TGH Valdes Auditorium)

Watch previous Grand Rounds on the department’s

YouTube channel.

Amanda McNamara, LPN

Associate Director

Clinical Research Operations

Areas of Impact

The Digestive Disease Research Division achieved remarkable growth, with revenue more than doubling compared to 2023. This success stems from the establishment of a dedicated research team to provide continuous support and the transition of trial management to departmental oversight. With 18 new trials slated for 2025, this division is the fastest-growing in the department and is poised for continued expansion.

Pulmonary Research maintained its status as the top revenue-generating division, surpassing $1.39 million in revenue. A key milestone was the launch of a critical care research program featuring a globally recognized, high-enrollment study. The transition of pulmonary trial management to internal oversight streamlined operations, while the division’s success has inspired other teams to adopt similar approaches.

Cardiology Research demonstrated steady growth, with revenues exceeding $590,000. Enhanced recruitment strategies were instrumental in increasing trial participation, driving consistent progress within this division.

The department opened 39 clinical trials in 2024, maintaining an impressive pace of more than three trials per month. This steady output ensures a robust pipeline of opportunities for advancing research and innovation to benefit our patients.

Key Contributing Factors

The reorganization of study teams significantly improved efficiency and productivity. By establishing specialized research teams to support various specialties and aligning them with the geographical locations of clinics, the department optimized its staffing model.

Streamlined study start-up processes were a major contributor to the department’s success. Document submission times were reduced from approximately 90 days to just two weeks. Collaboration with the Office of Clinical Research and shared process improvements further accelerated site selection and trial initiation, with two months in 2024 seeing 10 site selections each. These improvements allowed the department to focus on high-quality, well-funded trials, enhancing productivity while managing a leaner portfolio of open studies.

Targeted investments in experienced research staff further strengthened the department’s capabilities, ensuring trials were executed efficiently and effectively.

Looking Ahead

The accomplishments of 2024 underscore the impact of strategic investments and operational enhancements. With a strong pipeline of new studies and an unwavering commitment to innovation, the department is well-positioned for continued growth in 2025.

Acknowledgments

A heartfelt thank you to the Internal Medicine Research staff and all others whose contributions have driven the department’s research excellence.

Spotlight on Hospital Medicine

We are delighted to report success and positive momentum within the Division of Hospital Medicine in 2024. When a Medicine Department has a thriving Hospital Medicine section, it realizes downstream successes to all other Divisions that care for inpatients and subsequently drives outpatient business. Here we highlight successes for the year:

1.      Clinical operations

2.      Education

3.      Scholarship

4.      Quality and safety

James Austin Follett, MD

Division Director

Shanu Gupta, MD, FACP

Associate Division Director

Clinical Operations

This year brought lots of productive change to our group, now numbering 48 Attendings – meet our newest additions here. Our strength is, and always has been, our people. Our faculty have diverse interests in clinical care, medical education, and administrative leadership roles. These individuals provide world-class patient care that is quality-focused and responsive to patient needs. We forecast nearly 100,000 total annual patient encounters as a division. Our involvement includes targeted care for cardiothoracic surgery patients and a growing partnership with TGH Malignant Hematology. We support other inpatient services, including urology, ophthalmology, geriatric orthopedic trauma, and gynecology-oncology. We aim to bring this outstanding standard of care to patients both within and outside the USF umbrella. We continue to benefit from deliberate faculty growth and recruitment and aim to add more FTE in 2025 that will support our team and provide excellent patient care.

Education

While we specialize in patient outcomes, medical education is perhaps our most valued service. We house the BEST educators in the country. Dr. Kellee Oller was the recipient of the Courage to Teach Award through the ACGME. Dr. Elimarys Perez-Colon was nationally recognized for her teaching excellence by the Alliance for Academic Medicine. TGH recognized Dr. Michael Roberts as educator of the year for his work in faculty development. Dr. Candice Mateja and Dr. Deborah Humphrey have been invited this year to serve on the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Our GME trainees in 2024 saw success with specialty matches in Infectious Disease, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Hematology/Oncology, Pulmonology, and Sleep Medicine, with seven trainees remaining with us at USF. Our learners come from many areas of the University: medical, physician assistant, pharmacy, international observers, and nursing students all have contact with our Division. Our best testament to the caliber of our care and training are the trainees who choose to stay with USF Hospital Medicine to grow in their careers. You’re likely to see many of our faculty rounding with learners on the wards and our goal is to expand our footprint in 2025. 

Scholarship

Our faculty supports scholarship and dissemination in all forms, incorporating learners through the Internal Medicine Research Group (IMeRG) and supported by MCOM’s RISE office. Did you know the DOIM has been assigned our own statistician?

If you haven’t yet, please check out our narrative medicine publication Reflejos, edited by Dr. Jennifer Caputo-Seidler.

As Associate Editor, Dr. Shanu Gupta is proud to share a recent issue from the Society of General Internal Medicine Forum with letters from internists on lessons learned through a career in medicine. Check out the November issue here. 

Quality and Safety

Central to our success is our focus on Quality Improvement, reflecting the dynamic nature of Hospital Medicine standards and care guidelines. With Dr. Liz Peek as our Director of Quality, we are proud to report patient outcomes that meet our expected length-of-stay, mortality, and patient satisfaction goals. Our initiatives in 2025 include a focus on sepsis care, led by Dr. Doug McConnell, and congestive heart failure, led by Dr. Nikesh Kapadia - two important conditions that positively impact patient outcomes when managed effectively. Under the direction of Dr. Colleen McIntosh, we also pride ourselves on effective and timely documentation and communication amongst our clinical team, including specialists and nurses as drivers for success.

What we’re looking forward to!

In the coming year, we are excited to host the 2^nd Annual Hospital Medicine Conference on March 6th—National Hospitalist Day. A collaborative effort with TGH to highlight our expertise and collaborations—we hope you can join us.

This next year will herald the arrival of the Family Medicine residency, a Department we’ve directly supported for years as they’ve gained inpatient experience. July will bring the first group of interns for them, and they will be integrated into our Inpatient Resident Teaching teams. 

The USF Division of Hospital Medicine is proud, successful, and growing. Our faculty and administrative staff represent the best of Hospital Medicine and we look forward to the new year. We are grateful for the ongoing support from the Department and all its Divisions that we work alongside. The trust you put in us to care for your patients and family members is a compliment to our success. We aim to continue to meet and refine this standard to deliver excellent care for our community. 

Sarah Burbank, MD

Assistant Professor

General Internal Medicine

Denise Feradov, MD

Assistant Professor

Cardiovascular Sciences

Jessica Koehler, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

APP

Digestive Diseases and Nutrition

Keidy Martinez

Fellowship Program Administrator

Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology

Jad Mroe, MD

Assistant Professor

Cardiovascular Sciences

Bryant Nguyen, MS, BME

Clinical Research Associate

Hematology, General Internal Medicine, and Gastroenterology

Arjun Patel, MS, MBA

Department Administrator

Natasa Pejcic, MD

Assistant Professor

Rheumatology

Julie Shaju, APRN

APP

Rheumatology

Larissa Staudacher

Fellowship Program Administrator

Pulmonary & Critical Care, Interventional Pulmonary, Advanced Lung Disease & Transplant

Allah Whittaker

Fiscal & Business Manager

We have a significant need for philanthropy to be able to support many of the events of our trainees, including graduation ceremonies of our residencies and fellowships in the Department of Internal Medicine. State funding for such events has been severely limited in recent years, such that we need your help in order to be able to help our residents and fellows celebrate graduation the way that you ended your journeys in residency or fellowship (or both for lifetime graduate medical education MD Bulls!). Other needs for which we ask for alumni help include the ability to support residents to attend conferences to present their scholarly work, the ability to provide wellness events and activities to help decrease physician burnout and other networking events that help build the camaraderie that this department has always featured as a hallmark of its training.

It is the incredible nature of our training programs and the tradition of a “championship medical team” that we set that makes those bonds between all of us timeless. We are asking for your help to help keep that mentality and environment of a champion intact through your donation to our fund listed below. We will recognize all alumni who give $1000 or more throughout the year at numerous events so that your legacy here at USF Internal Medicine will continue. Thank you for your commitment to maintaining the level of resident and fellow excellence that you came to know during your time with us in the USF Department of Internal Medicine.

Joe Lezama, MD, MACP

Vice Chair of Education