04/04/25
Letter From the Chair
 
Ruth O'ReganThe pressures and demands of our daily tasks can take a toll, and it is important for each of us to ensure our health and wellbeing.

One wonderful cure for relieving stress is laughter.

This month, International Moment of Laughter Day is being commemorated around the world on April 14. I encourage you to do something that makes you laugh that day – such as sharing a favorite joke with colleagues and friends.

As Charlie Chaplin once said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Let’s make the most of our time together and take time to laugh a bit.

Thank you for all you do. Happy spring!

Be well,
Ruth O'Regan, MD

 
 
    Top Stories  
 
 
Strategic Plan: Supporting a Thriving Workforce and Culture
 
DOM leaders are expanding ways to support team members to provide a positive work environment to improve patient care and discovery. The Wellness Committee is working to combat burnout.
 
 
 
Send-off for Thu Le
 
Nephrology Chief Thu Le, MD, was recognized for her leadership and achievements as she prepares for her next role as Chair of Medicine at University of California, Irvine. We are grateful for her service and wish her all the best on the west coast. Check out photos from her send off earlier this week.
 
 
 
    Awards  
 
 
Cardiologist Joins QI Scholar Program
 
Parag P. Patel, MD, of Cardiology, was selected for the Quality Institute (QI) Scholar Program to improve healthcare quality and outcomes through collaborative research, teaching and mentoring opportunities.

As an associate scholar, he’ll expand collaborative efforts for quality and performance improvement.

 
 
 
Train Gets Dean’s Teaching Fellowship
 
Meghan Train, DO, of Hospital Medicine, was selected to the Dean’s Teaching Fellowship Program. The three-year program is open to early and mid-career faculty committed to careers in medical education. Train will focus efforts on residents’ quality improvement training.
 
 
 
Health Equity Research Award Winners
 
Several scientists were recognized for outstanding research presentations during the Research in Health Equity Symposium.

Topics centered on expanding care in Rochester schools and LGBTQ cancer survivors, improving behavioral health care for Deaf populations, and changing experiences for hospitalized patients with sickle cell disease.

 
 
 
    Bulletin Board  
 
 
Town Hall
 
The monthly Town Hall is at 12 p.m., Monday, April 14 via Zoom. Discussion will focus on quality improvement, and everyone is encouraged to attend. 
 
 
 
Progress in Action
 
Renovations to the Morning Report room (7.2346/7.2366) are nearing completion. This project improves functionality of the space with new furniture, sound system for interactive, hybrid meetings, an additional workstation for residents and learners, kitchenette, and water cooler. We can’t wait to celebrate its reopening soon.
 
 
 
    Special Announcements  
 
 

Presentations: During the 2025 New York State Thoracic Society meeting, Jeremy Rawlings, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care fellow, was selected to present a case. And resident Charles Springer, MD, shared research during the poster session. Alexandra Adams, MD, and Manoj Mammen, MD, also attended as hosts for the host the society’s 2026 conference, under Mammen’s leadership, as he will be president, and Adams will be program director.

Publication: Patricia Rivera, MD, of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, was an author of “Protecting the Future of Medical Innovation: Balancing Fiscal Responsibility with the Need for National Institutes of Health and Federal Health Funding,” published in ATS Scholar, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology and Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Publication: John M. Bennett, MD, of Hematology/Oncology, was an author of “Standardization of Bone Marrow Reporting for Myelodysplastic Syndromes/Neoplasms on Behalf of the International Consortium for Myelodysplastic Syndromes/Neoplasms,” in Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. He was also an author of correspondence in Blood Cancer Journal: “Myeloid Neoplasms with MYC-Positive Double Minutes: Towards Recognition as a Distinct Entity.”

Publication: Alexandra Yamshchikov, MD, Colleen M. Burgoyne, NP, Sonal Munsiff, MD, and Nurhan Calisir, of Infectious Diseases, and Tim Heffer, vice chair of finance and administration, were authors of “Quantifying and Financing the Non-Billable Workload of Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT)- a Model for Assessing and Supporting Staffing Needs for OPAT Programs,” published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Publication: Daniel Lachant, DO, and R. James White, MD, PhD, of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, published “Peak Steps to Measure ''Capacity for Activity'': Actigraphy in the ADAPT Registry with Oral Treprostinil,” published in Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation Open.

Publication: Ghinwa Dumyati, MD, of Infectious Diseases, was an author of “Comparison of Medicare Claims-based Clostridioides difficile Infection Epidemiologic Case Classification Algorithms to Medical Record Review by the Emerging Infections Program Using a Linked Cohort, 2016-2021,” published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

Publication: Edith Williams, MS, PhD, and Allen Anandarajah, MBBS, of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, were co-authors of “Partnership with Minority Ethnic Communities is Crucial to Tackling Health Inequalities in Rheumatology: Lessons from Rochester, New York, US,” published in Clinical Rheumatology.

 
 
 
    Off the Clock  
 
 

When Cardiology’s Leway Chen, MD, MPH, never misses an opportunity to check out a Costco store when traveling the country or world. He’s visited stores in a variety of cities and made stops during visits to Taiwan, Hawaii, Alaska and most recently, Puerto Rico. His affinity for the store goes back to when he studied public health at University of Washington, and now he compares and contrasts the stock. Pro-tip for anyone planning a family vacation in Orlando – that Costco offers many of the Disney items available in the theme parks...for much less.

Inquiring minds want to know: did Leway and his son Michael find the rum to make that pina colada at Costco?

 
 
 
    Social Spotlight  
 
 
 
 
URMC Department of Medicine
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