05/02/25
Letter from the Chair
Ruth O'Regan

Today, leaders from the Department of Medicine and UR Medicine affiliate hospitals are convening for our annual Leadership Retreat. This year, we have set an ambitious task: develop a plan to meet the subspecialty care needs of our patients throughout our region. 

Patients prefer to get care close to home, and our colleagues in the regional hospitals provide high-quality care for a majority of their needs. But subspecialty care is lacking in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions. Referrals to our programs mean patients travel an hour or two to Rochester, where long delays are routine for care at Highland and Strong hospitals, which are routinely over capacity. We need to do better, and this planning session will help us move toward a model of shared expertise and specialty services across our hospitals. 

We’ll take the first step toward that goal today by learning about each affiliate hospital’s strengths and needs and working collaboratively to develop tailored solutions that benefit the region as a whole.  

I look forward to sharing more with you soon! 

Be well,
Ruth O'Regan, MD

Top Stories
Cardiology group poses with a cake
Cardiology Team Celebrates 1K LVADs
The Cardiology team is reaching new heights with LVAD surgery volume. Heart failure cardiologists Leway Chen, MD, MPH, and Jeffrey Alexis, MD, highlight our leadership in the field and the impact of these devices on patient care.
composite image of Conrad Gleber, MD, MBA, and Anthony Pietropaoli, MD
Spotting Sepsis Sooner
A new sepsis surveillance system will roll out at Strong Memorial Hospital on May 13 for all units except Obstetrics and Pediatrics. Conrad Gleber, MD, MBA, of Hospital Medicine, and Anthony Pietropaoli, MD, of Pulmonary and Critical Care, helped implement the system, which will help physicians, APPs, and nurses catch sepsis earlier.
Composite image of Dean's teaching fellows Annabel S. Fu, MD, Karlo J. Lizarraga Mendoza, MD, MS, Sarah E. McConnell, PhD, and Erica O. Miller, MD, posing on the stairs in the Flaum Atrium; Joseph A. Nicholas, MD, MPH, posing with President Sarah Manglesdorf and Judith Baumhauer, MD, MPH; and Stephen R. Judge, MD posing with President Sarah Manglesdorf and Judith Baumhauer, MD, MPH
SMD Honors DOM Faculty
Three DOM faculty were honored at this year's SMD Awards Ceremony. Joseph Nicholas, MD, MPH, of Highland Hospital, received the Trainee Academic Mentoring Award in Clinical Programs, Stephen Judge, MD, of Primary Care, was named the Ralph W. Prince Professor in Medicine, and Erica Miller, MD, of Cardiology, received a Dean’s Teaching Fellow Award. Congratulations, all!
composite image of Ilan Goldenberg, MD, presenting at a steering committee meeting, a portrait of Valentina Kutyifa, MD, PhD, against an EHRA backdrop, and David Huang, MD, presenting at a scientific session at EHRA 2025.
Heart Research on Display at EHRA
Ilan Goldenberg, MD, and Valentina Kutyifa, MD, PhD, of Cardiology Heart Research, and David Huang, MD, of Cardiology, showcased their ground-breaking research at the annual congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) at the end of March.
Special Announcements

Publication: Augusto Litonjua, MD, MPH, of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care, was an author of two articles in iScience: “Vitamin D exerts endogenous control over TH2 cell fate and immune plasticity” and “Maternal vaginal and fecal microbiota in later pregnancy contribute to child fecal microbiota development in the ECHO cohort.

Publication: Kah Poh Loh, BMedSci, MBBCh, BAO, MS, of Hematology/Oncology, was an author of an article in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology: “Will evidence-based patient-centered care meet the future inter-generational needs of older adults with cancer? A diverse perspective.” 

Publication: Susan Dent, MD, of Hematology/Oncology, was an author of an article in the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis: “Atrial fibrillation and ischemic stroke in cancer: the latest scientific evidence, current management, and future directions.” 

Publication: Supriya Mohile, MD, of Hematology/Oncology, was an author of an article in BMC Health Services Research: “Users’ perspectives on a demonstration to increase shared access to older adults’ patient portals.” 

Publication: Adnin Zaman, MD, of Endocrine/Metabolism, was an author of an article in Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders: “Adverse health outcomes associated with hypoglycemia following bariatric surgery.” 

Publication: Conrad Gleber, MD, MBA, of Hospital Medicine, and Bethany Marbaker, MD, an Internal Medicine-Pediatrics resident, were authors of “Implementing critical care billing on a pediatric hospital medicine service” in Hospital Pediatrics.

Publication: Chris Mooney, PhD, MPH, co-authored a publication in Advances in Health Sciences Education: "The anatomy of ontological ambiguity: exploring moral distress in cadaveric dissection."

Bulletin Board
Town Hall Reminder
The monthly Town Hall is at 12 p.m., Monday, May 12 via Zoom. This month's town hall will focus on the department's education mission. Everyone is encouraged to attend! 
graphic of three female doctors
SHWIM Webinar on Boundaries
All physicians of all genders are invited to join a Strong and Highland Women in Medicine webinar on Thursday, May 8, from 12 to 1 p.m., featuring life coach Karen Leitner, MD, who helps women physicians set boundaries around their work. 
Arpan Patel, MD
Multi-Institutional Thoracic Symposium
Arpan Patel, MD, of Hematology/Oncology, will be among the presenters at the first Multi-Institutional Thoracic Symposium, which is free to medical practitioners interested in thoracic oncology. Register to attend on Tuesday, May 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Jackrabbit Club, 40 Anderson Ave, Rochester.
Annual Faculty Development Colloquium in the Health Professions; Photo of keynote speaker Calvin Chou, MD, PhD, FACH
Faculty Development Colloquium
This annual colloquium brings together faculty, educators, and healthcare professionals to share best practices. All faculty, students, residents, fellows, and staff are invited to attend on Wednesday, June 4, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Research Roundup

Submit Proposals to the Institute for Human Health and the Environment
The University’s Institute for Human Health and the Environment is seeking innovative ideas to investigate how environmental factors shape human health. Faculty and staff can submit proposals for up to $40,000 to support programs, educational opportunities, community collaborations, symposia, workshops, etc. Submit proposals by June 15.


eRecord Scheduling Now Required for Study Subject Visits at the CRC
The Clinical Research Center (CRC) is implementing eRecord Scheduling for subject-level visits with nursing, DXA, nutrition, and laboratory services beginning January 1, 2026. Each study using CRC services must be in both OnCore and eRecord. Please build the protocol in OnCore using the minimum footprint guide by July 31, 2025. If you do not have access to OnCore, request access. The Office of Clinical Research will contact you about training. Questions? Email Carrie Dykes, PhD.

Off the Clock
Susanne Pallo, DOM communications specialist, poses with her spouse, Pete, and their two dogs on a trail.
 

Hello, Department of Medicine! I am Susanne Pallo, your new communications specialist and the lady behind the Levy Letter. This is the first issue I've produced from top to bottom, so I thought I would introduce myself. When I'm not providing strategic communications support to the department, you can usually find me kicking around Honeoye Falls with my husband, Pete, and/or my hound dogs, Rainie (left) and Waffles (right). Here we are on Lehigh Valley Trail, one of our favorites! (If you ever bump into us, I apologize in advance for the boisterous greeting you'll get from my dogs.)

What do you do when you're "Off the Clock?" Send me photos and descriptions of your leisure time at DOMNews@urmc.rochester.edu to help your colleagues get to know you.

Social Spotlight
Screenshot of a LinkedIn post from Lisa Kitko, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN: I'm honored to have contributed to the American Heart Association’s new scientific statement on advancing palliative care for individuals with advanced cardiovascular disease.  Palliative care isn’t just for the end of life—it’s about improving the overall well-being and quality of life for both patients and caregivers. Grateful to have worked with such a thoughtful and passionate group of colleagues on this important work.  Read more: http://spr.ly/60472Kz7B Begin post from American Heart Association: Palliative care (PC) in advanced CVD is essential to enhance quality of life, extending beyond end-of-life care to encompass the entire disease course. Key components of PC include effective communication, shared decision-making, age-sensitive care, and advance care planning tailored to the needs of the patients. http://spr.ly/60472Kz7B Link card showing the AHA Scientific Statement in the journal Circulation: Palliative Care and Advanced Cardiovascular Disease in Adults: Not Just End-of-Life Care: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.
URMC Department of Medicine
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