5/27/22
Letter From the Chair
 
Ruth O'Regan

I would like to take a moment to reflect on the tragedy and loss that our neighbors in Buffalo are enduring, and the shockwaves it has sent out to friends, family, and community members. Still reeling from one shooting, our country saw another school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. My deepest condolences go to everyone affected by this, whether directly or indirectly, as I believe we all are. We all condemn hatred and acts of violence.

The weight of these incidents is tremendous, and we have compiled ways that you can help others, and ways that you can find support for yourself. In these dark moments, we can find light in each other.

Now more than ever, acceptance of all people should be at the forefront of every aspect of life. For us as a medical center, this means a focus of DEI in medical education, career development, patient care, and research. To this end, I would like to offer a hearty congratulations to Marie Laryea and Laura Stamm for hosting a successful DEI & Healthcare Equity Symposium. The event was a great success, and we hope that all who attended could walk away with new perspectives and a greater spirit of collaboration. There will be a wrap-up available soon to share more information.

On a final note: congratulations to the graduating Class of 2022. These medical students have faced unprecedented challenges in the last two years during the pandemic, and I believe it has made our future doctors, APPs, and nurses more resilient, more creative, and they will truly make our world a better place. Meliora.

Be well,
Ruth O'Regan, M.D.

 
 
 
    Top Stories  
 
 
COVID Vaccine Development was Quick. What's Holding HIV Back?
 
Vaccine researchers turned their focus to developing a COVID-19 vaccine with decades of HIV research to draw from. Now, researchers like Michael Keefer, M.D., from the division of Infectious Diseases, are looking at HIV again, with new knowledge gained from COVID.
 
 
 
Strong and Highland Hospitals Achieve Age-Friendly Health System Certification
 
Annie Medina-Walpole, M.D., director of the UR Aging Institute, announced that both hospitals have earned the highest level of certification. "This is one of the first steps on our transformative journey to ensure age-friendly care to older adults across all UR Medicine care settings," Walpole said.
 
 
 
    Special Announcements  
 
 

Funding: Brian McGarry, Ph.D., from the division of Geriatrics & Aging, has been awarded the Valerie and Frank Furth Fund, a program that assists with research activities in natural and biological sciences. McGarry's project is "The Impact of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias on Older Adults' Medicare Coverage Choices, Financial Well-Being, and Health."

Research: Ghinwa Dumyati, M.D., from the division of Infectious Diseases, is a senior author of the research paper "Genomic Analysis of Clostridioides difficile in 2 Regions of the United States Reveals a Diversity of Strains and Limited Transmission" in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Publication: Alec O'Connor, M.D., M.P.H, from the division of Hospital Medicine, is a co-author of the article "Internal Medicine Residency Program Director Support and Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of a National Survey," published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.

Education: Melissa Loh, M.B.B.Ch., B.A.O., from the division of Hematology / Oncology, has been selected as an mHealth Scholar for the 2022 mHealth Training Institute. The institute serves as an incubator where participants share ideas, technologies, and conceptual frameworks in scientific and technical disciplines. The program will run through November.

 
 
 
    Department News  
 
 

Department of Medicine Shows Up Strong at National Conferences

In the past few months, many professional societies have hosted annual meetings for their first in-person sessions since the pandemic began. Eager to once again share ideas with the world at large, many people from the DOM hosted symposia, moderated sessions, and presented posters and abstracts. Follow the links below to view a full list of presenters and their project titles.

Division of General Medicine at the SGIM Annual Meeting

Division of Geriatrics & Aging at the AGS Annual Scientific Meeting

Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine at the ATS International Conference

 
 
 
    Off the Clock  
 
 
Craig Morrell, D.V.M, Ph.D., from the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, is an amateur beekeeper! It started two years ago when his wife got him a beehive for his birthday. Their family loves "critters" of all sorts (you can spot dogs and ducks at their house) and their big yard is conducive to keeping bees. Craig is well educated on apiculture thanks to YouTube, and has many jars of smooth honey thanks to his 10,000 bees, each of which has a name, Craig just can't remember them all.
 
 
 
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URMC Department of Medicine
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