6/23/23
Letter From the Chair
 
Ruth O'Regan

June has been a fantastic month for celebration and reflection. Happy Pride Month to all who celebrate! In case you missed it, Chunkit Fung, MD, our associate chair for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, gave his heartfelt insights for the Q&A, "Staying Visible." Earlier this week, the University observed Juneteenth to honor the strength and resilience of the Black community throughout history. While it may be a single day on the calendar, I hope we can keep the spirit of that message all year long, because the day serves as a reminder that our journey for equality and justice is always ongoing.

Another reminder to everyone that the Wilmot Warrior Weekend will take place from September 29 to October 1. You can register as an individual or with a team, and I'm excited to share that the DOM has one going: the UR DOMinators! You can join our team directly here. The University recently received a $10,000 anonymous gift to cover the registration fees for the first 100 cyclists who are UR employees that register before July 1. As you register, use the discount code URBREAKAWAY. I hope to see many of you there! Let's leave "cancer in the dust."

Be well,
Ruth O'Regan, MD

 
 
 
    Top Stories  
 
 
Marc Berliant Stepping Down as
Chief of General Medicine
 

Marc Berliant, MD, has led the division for 14 years, transforming clinical care and medical education. He will continue to stay active with the Internal Medicine residency program, and will remain vice-chair of Clinical Programs for the department. Catherine (Kit) Gracey, MD, MS, will take on the role of interim chief, and Melissa Mroz, MD, will serve as medical director of Strong Internal Medicine. Thank you, Marc, for your years of dedicated service.

 
 
 
Stephen Judge Selected as Interim Director of Primary Care Network
 

Stephen Judge, MD, has served as medical director of the PCN since 2015, expanding and enhancing the network through recruitment and development. He is dedicated to patient safety, medical education, and improving access to primary care in our communities. His new role takes effect on July 1.

 
 
 
    Special Announcements  
 
 

Honors: Mary Bonnet, MD, from Geriatrics & Aging, received the Elaine and Irwin Karron Memorial Prize for Excellence in Geriatrics. The prize is awarded each year to a fellow or junior faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional skill, commitment, and compassion in caring for older adult patients.

Publication: Stephen Hammes, MD, PhD, is senior author of "Estradiol Augments Tumor-Induced Neutrophil Production to Promote Tumor Cell Actions in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Models," published in Endocrinology, which was selected as a featured article on the journal's homepage. Authors include Hammes Lab members Briaunna Minor, BS, Christina Seger, MS, and Erin Gibbons.

Publication: Margaret Connolly, MD, a fellow in Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, is corresponding author of "Diagnostic Impact of a Race-Composite PFT Interpretation Strategy," published in CHEST, a timely article as the ATS recently recommended switching from traditional race-based strategies to a race-neutral strategy. This is one of the first papers to discuss how the change will impact labs. Co-authors include fellow Patrick Donohue, MD, Internal Medicine resident Rohith Palli, MD, PhD, Sandhya Khurana, MD, and Steve Georas, MD.

Publication: Steve Georas, MD, Daniel Croft, MD, MPH, and fellow Margaret Connolly, MD, from Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, are co-authors of "Towards a Race-Neutral System of PFT Interpretation," also published in CHEST.

In the News: Jennifer Muniak, MD, from Highland Hospital, is the featured physician in the May edition of "Meet Your Doctor" from In Good Health.

In the News: Brian McGarry, PhD, and Dallas Nelson, MD, both from Geriatrics & Aging, are co-authors of "Hospital Proximity and Emergency Department Use Among Assisted Living Residents," published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. The study was covered in the news article "Nearby ED means more avoidable visits from assisted living residents, study finds," published in McKnights Senior Living.

 
 
 
    Discover DEI  
 
 
Learn about the unique DEI initiatives from each of our divisions!

Division: Geriatrics & Aging, the UR Aging Institute

Spotlight: Focused on bringing the 4 Ms of Age-Friendly Care to the community, the division built a partnership with Centro de Oro, a senior educational center for Spanish-speaking older adults.

 
 
 
    The DOM Remembers  
 
 

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Ashok Shah, MD, professor emeritus of Medicine in Gastroenterology/Hepatology. He is fondly remembered in this family-written obituary.

 
 
 
    DOM Photo Album  
 
 
The Senior Leadership Education and Development (SLED) program held their graduation ceremony on June 7 at the Country Club of Rochester. Congratulations to Thomas Caprio, MD, from Geriatrics & Aging, Benzi Kluger, MD, MS, from Palliative Care, and Michael Nead, MD, PhD, from Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine. (Click the image for full view.)
 
 
 
On May 22, members of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine gathered for the ATS Climate Change Rally across from Capitol Hill to urge immediate action. "As our community witnessed in the past weeks, despite our area being classified as a 'climate refuge,' we are not immune to the harmful effects of this global issue," said Daniel Croft, MD, MPH. Pictured L to R: PCCM fellow Patrick Donohue, MD, PCCM graduate Julia West, MD, Steve Georas, MD, Croft, David Nagel, MD, PhD, and Internal Medicine resident Amanda Kaley, MD. (Click the image for full view and an additional photo!)
 
 
 
    Featured Tweet  
 
 
Click on the Tweet to view the entire thread, which celebrates even more people!
 
 
URMC Department of Medicine
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