Volume 35 | May 1, 2020
Surgical Notes
Thank You
We want to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your outstanding work maintaining operations these last few weeks as we’ve navigated such unprecedented times at our organization. Your commitment and dedication has allowed us to continue caring for patients while ensuring the safety of everyone here and at home. As COVID slows down and we work to ramp back up, we look forward to having our team back together (at a safe distance!) again soon so we can continue the incredible work we do here in Surgery every single day.
Administrator Announcement
Congratulations to Katie Golob on her official appointment as Administrator for the Department of Surgery!

Katie joined VCU in 2017 from UVA where she served as the manager for neurosurgery, neurology, and psychiatry clinics. She has since been the associate administrator for Acute Care Surgical Services at VCU. She has been instrumental in the growth and development of acute care surgery clinical services and programs into the largest division in Surgery. Since serving as interim-administrator she has helped lead the department through unprecedented times with a calm and thoughtful approach in collaboration with the division chairs and other leaders. We will look forward to continued growth and success with her administrative leadership in Surgery. 

Please join us in celebrating our newest leader!
Surgery's Class of 2020
COVID-19 has affected each of us these last few weeks as businesses have closed and events have cancelled. One of the most profound cancellations is that of graduations across the nation. With all that in mind, we want to take this opportunity to celebrate the many graduates from across our department. They may not have gotten to walk across a stage but we are celebrating each of them nonetheless!
Jeanette Amery
Nurse Practitioner
Transplant Surgery

Lesley Coots
Nurse Practitioner
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Doctor of Nursing Practice
Virginia Commonwealth University
May 2020
Amy Callahan
Intern
Injury & Violence Prevention


Master of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
May 2020
Jennie Card
Intern
Injury & Violence Prevention


Master of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
May 2020
Jessica Carey
HR Administrator
Surgery Administration

Master of Science
Human Resource Development &
HR Business Partner
Villanova University

SHRM - Certified Professional
May 2020
Jerry Harris
Substance Abuse Coordinator
Injury & Violence Prevention


Master of Social Work
Fordham University
May 2020
Kyra Houck
Associate Administrator
Children's Surgery


Master of Science
Health Administration
Virginia Commonwealth University
May 2020
Emma Roney
Intern
Injury & Violence Prevention


Master of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
May 2020
Rachel Wilson
Division Supervisor
Bariatric & GI Surgery


Master of Science
Health Administration
Virginia Commonwealth University
May 2020
Ashley Xavier
Program Support Assistant
Trauma Program


Ma ster of Public Administration
Virginia Commonwealth University
May 2020
Advances in Critical Care Medicine
Congratulations to Kwame Akuamoah-Boateng, DNP, Advanced Practice Provider with the Division of Acute Care Surgical Services, for his recent publication in Advances in Critical Care Medicine.

His paper titled "Current Infrastructure in Mitigating Burnout Syndrome" discusses the incidence, work-related associations, and current infrastructure available to support clinicians experiencing burnout syndrome.

Richard R. Lower Endowed Professorship
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Mohammed Quader for his recent appointment as the Richard R. Lower, MD endowed professor of cardiovascular surgery. Named after MCV legend and internationally renowned surgeon, this professorship is awarded to those who encompass the characteristics and passions for which Dr. Lower himself was best known.

Dr. Quader, now Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and the surgical director of the heart transplantation program, joined VCU in 2011. Since his arrival, he has supported the expansion of the incredible cardiovascular programs provided at VCU and led research efforts leading to a variety of funding opportunities. This includes a prestigious VA Merit grant looking at heart preservation after cardiac arrest. Through his many clinical, educational, and research endeavors, he clearly exemplifies the spirit of Dr. Lower with his dedication to caregiving and mentorship.

Congratulations, Dr. Quader!
ERAS Updates
ERAS is an ongoing hospital and department initiative to standardize our care and improve our outcomes. Current efforts underway include:

  • Access your individual and division data from the Anesthesia/ERAS homepage. This data will allow individuals and divisions to look at their outcomes and identify action items for quality improvement. Click here to check it out.

  • The ERAS team will be reaching out to division chairs to facilitate orders for OR scheduling. The order has all the same information currently included in the ESPN. However, the order will be automatically directed to multiple teams after it is signed. This will include PACE and Surgery schedulers. It will also reduce mistakes as information will not have to be entered multiple times.

  • Anesthesia is partnering with surgical specialists to standardize intraoperative management of surgical patients. To contribute to this effort for your patients, discuss with your division head or contact Pranav Shah.

For questions or concerns regarding ERAS implementation for your patients, contact Jaime Bohl
Surgery Administrative Intern Update
We are excited to announce that Surgery Administrative Intern, Robin Kelsey has been accepted into her Master of Health Administration third-year residency with the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia!

At CHKD, Robin will be working specifically under the preceptorship of the Vice President of Physician Practice Management, contributing to projects and organization leadership on the hospital operations and medical group sides. 

Robin joined us in 2018 and has been instrumental in supporting a variety of administrative and operational programs and projects during her internship with Surgery administration. Her last official day with Surgery will be May 12th.

Congratulations Robin! You will be greatly missed!
2019-20 Ramsey Award
Congratulations to PhD student Ria Fyffe-Friel, MS for receiving the 2019-2020 Ramsey Award from the Department of Physiology and Biophysics! This award is given in honor and memory of Dr. Robert W. Ramsey, a most distinguished muscle physiologist and the first Chair of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, to the most outstanding doctoral student in Physiology. 

Ria is currently finishing her PhD program under the mentorship of Dr. Martin Mangino, Professor and Associate Chair for Basic Research in the Office of Research, Biomedicine, Innovation, and Technology (ORBIT).
Monthly Wellness Note
Congratulations to Surgery staff members Amy Hall and Jessica Carey as winners of the 2020 VCU/VCUHS Staff Senate Awards for Excellence! Amy Hall, Division Supervisor for the Division of Acute Care Surgical Services, won the New Employee Award for the MCV Campus. Jessica Carey, HR Administrator with Surgery Administration, won the Staff Advocacy Award for the MCV Campus.

Well done Amy and Jessica!
Monthly Wellness Note
Health System administration has created a page on the intranet dedicated to wellness during the COVID-19 crisis. Check it out here .

Additionally, VCU HR has developed a full virtual wellness program for the spring. Check out the schedule here .
Upcoming Events
Research Open Forum
Monthly, 2nd Mondays
4:00 - 5:00 PM
West 16 Conference Room (16-103)

All encouraged to attend!
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Have a story to tell? Contact Jessica.Carey@vcuhealth.org
Department of Surgery | Virginia Commonwealth University | (804)828-7874 | surgweb@vcu.edu