The Scope E-Newsletter January 2011

The New Year provides us an opportunity to reflect on 2010. The pieces in this month's issue show our faculty, residents and staff sharing their expertise around the world from high schools and colleges to Guatemalan villages. GSM scholarly activities pay tribute to the basic sciences with Dr. Alan Solomon and Dr. Scott Stevens and Susan Rawn on the clinical trial side of research. One of our surgical residents, Dr. Sagar Ghandi, presented at a prestigious meeting in Australia while Dr.George Sneed, a resident in Pathology, received the resident research symposium award at the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Rounding out the tripartite I ask that we applaud the Programs that have earned maximum accreditation. As several of you know this is no small feat! Education is the thread woven throughout all our efforts and as such has brought us to the point where we are exploring the opportunity to bring the first two years of medical school to this campus. The students (Lindsay Luttrell and Eric Tiner) on our task force share their views in this issue. I want to thank all of you for making the GSM so successful in 2010. We are making great progress in going from good to great.

James J. Neutens, PhD, FASHA
Dean

George F. Schuchmann, MD, passed away on December 16, 2010. A "Celebration of Life" was held in Wood Auditorium at 7:00 a.m. on January 26, 2010, to honor the devoted physician, faculty member, and administrator.

Dr. Schuchmann served the UTGSM and the UT Medical Center community for more than 23 years as a cardiothoracic surgeon and most recently as Medical Director of the Heart Lung Vascular Institute. His leadership and dedication inspired the establishment of the Schuchmann Heart Lung Vascular Gift Fund to support the furtherance of excellence in patient care, education and research.

Dr. Schuchmann's medical career began after graduating Cum Laude from Creighton University in 1963. He joined the U.S. Army that same year and was assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington to begin his internship. In 1964, he served as Brigade Surgeon to the 3rd Armor Division in Friedberg, Germany. He returned to Tacoma in 1966 to complete his internship in General Surgery, followed by two more years of residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Schuchmann held several positions with the U.S. Army including: Commander, 11th Evacuation Hospital, Pusan, Korea; Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas; and Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Uniformed Services of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1983 with the rank of Colonel Medical Corps.

His civilian medical career began in Knoxville in 1983 when he opened a private practice at UT Medical Center. He served as Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Clinical Professor of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, beginning in 1985. One of the many highlights of his career at UTMC includes the first heart transplant surgery performed in East Tennessee in 1986. He was named Medical Director/Advisor to the Heart Lung Vascular Institute at UTMC after his retirement from private practice in 1998.

Dr. Schuchmann gave this advice for everyone to live by in the article "Rumination & Recollections of an Old Surgeon" from 2006 edition of the Frontiers Magazine: "My advice: Walk, go fishing, get some fresh air, plant a garden, and eat those vegetables. See your physician for 'oil changes and 30,000-mile checkups.' Take charge of your opportunity to live a long and healthy life."

Thank you, Dr. Schuchmann, for your advice. Your larger-than-life presence, sense of humor and caring ways will be missed by all in the Graduate School of Medicine and the UT Medical Center.

Dr. Schuchmann is survived by his wife, Martha, and six children.

The UT Graduate School of Medicine earned national reaccreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for a five-year period, the maximum period awarded by ACGME, extending its accreditation through 2015. ACGME is responsible for the accreditation of post-graduate medical education programs within the United States.

In addition to the institution, several Graduate School of Medicine programs have also been awarded top-level accreditations for five or more years within the last 18 months.

"This kind of success takes a collective effort that depends on the goodwill and cooperation from program directors and coordinators as we move our programs and institution from good to great," said William Metheny, PhD, Assistant Dean, Graduate Medical and Dental Education.

Programs recently accredited for maximum periods include

James Neutens, PhD, Dean, said, "More than two years ago we set a goal to be the best in medical education. One of our major benchmarks toward reaching that goal is to have all residency and fellowship programs earn maximum accreditation from the accrediting bodies. These strides in education will help us recruit the best medical students to complement the residents currently in our programs."

A year ago, Kathy Martin and her husband, Paul, a minister in Akron, Ohio, were in a head on collision, hit by a drunk driver on their way to eat lunch at a restaurant near the Tri-Cities.

As a result of the crash, Kathy suffered 27 broken bones and collapsed lungs. But those injuries were of minimal concern compared to her torn aorta. The aorta is the largest artery in the body. Kathy said if her condition changed just slightly, the tiny tear in her aorta could have resulted in death in a matter of minutes.

"I was so afraid," Kathy said. "I was afraid to cough. I was afraid to sneeze."

Doctors at the hospital in the Tri-Cities transferred Kathy to the Level I Trauma Center at The University of Tennessee Medical Center for stent graft repair of the aorta. Vascular surgeons at the medical center had just started Phase I clinical trials, led by Scott Stevens, MD, Professor of Surgery's Division of Vascular/Transplant Surgery at the UT Graduate School of Medicine and Medical Director of the UT Aortic Center, to evaluate new stents specifically designed for the repair of torn aortas. One clinical trial studies the repair of aortic dissections. Dissections occur when high blood pressure delaminates, or causes to erode, the layers of tissue that make up the wall of the aorta. The second trial is for the repair of aortas torn from violent impact, most commonly during car accidents.

"It’s a devastating problem we can see on any given night in the trauma center," said Dr. Stevens. "It’s very important for people to know that there’s now, particularly when compared to the open, more invasive procedures previously used, an elegant therapy and solution available for many of these patients."

The procedure is minimally invasive, meaning it avoids the higher risk open procedure that requires large incisions. During this procedure, a small incision is made in the femoral artery, located in the upper thigh area. The surgeon remotely guides the stent through the artery until precisely in place and "deploys" it to expand to perfectly fit and seal the torn wall of the aorta.

Kathy, an ideal candidate for the procedure, which was performed by Michael Freeman, MD, Professor and Director of Vascular Surgery, said it worked like a charm for her.

"It didn’t feel like anything had even been done to me," Kathy said. "I just woke up and almost immediately began feeling better. In almost no time, I felt like myself again."

Less than one year later, Kathy walked into the medical center to visit the doctors, nurses and physical therapists who treated her.

"It was important for me to come back and thank them for saving my life," Martin said. "I wanted to show them how far I’ve come in my recovery. I was in rough shape when they last saw me."

These studies represent a significant advancement in the treatment of torn aortas, Dr. Stevens said. Prior to these clinical trials no device existed specifically crafted for these types of aortic repairs.

The University of Tennessee Medical Center is the only site in the East Tennessee region selected to participate in an FDA-approved study using a specifically designed stent graft for the repair of a torn aorta. For more information about these clinical trials or the Aortic Center and Heart Lung Vascular Institute at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, call (865) 305-3222.

Read news coverage of the clinical trials on knoxnews.com and volunteertv.com.

The UT Graduate School of Medicine has created a task force to explore offering a four-year medical school on its campus by expanding the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine from 165 students to 195 students or more. The task force, chaired by Eddie Moore, MD, Associate Dean and Designated Institutional Official, includes UT Health Science Center College of Medicine fourth-year student Lindsay Luttrell and third-year student Eric Tiner, who have been completing their third- and fourth-year curricula at GSM. As part of the task force, Luttrell and Tiner provide students' perspectives on the benefits of offering four years of medical school in Knoxville, and they are also learning more about the challenges of initiating a four-year medical school curriculum.

Luttrell and Tiner agree that Knoxville and specifically the University of Tennessee Medical Center is an ideal location for a medical school.

Luttrell said, "Medical school in Knoxville would have been my number one choice had it existed when I was applying. I was born and raised in East Tennessee and am planning on ultimately practicing medicine in this area.

"I also would have chosen Knoxville due to the vast pathology and disease processes present at UT Medical Center. Although the new first- and second-year curriculum has not yet been determined, I am confident the Knoxville campus will be a great place to study the basic sciences. For example, Dr. Bass is a world renowned forensic pathologist with UT's Forensic Anthropology Center, which would be a great resource for learning pathology."

Luttrell and Tiner also agree that in addition to the resources at the Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville is an ideal setting for medical school because of the extracurricular activities available such as hiking in the Smoky Mountains or going to Vols sporting events. They also said that Knoxville is a safe and friendly place to live, making it ideal for medical school.

By participating on the task force, Luttrell and Tiner have also learned more about the challenges involved with starting a four-year program.

Luttrell, who is on the Student Services Committee with Missy Maples, Student Affairs Coordinator, has been focusing on the needs of future students, including facility needs, financial aid, health and counseling services, student assistance programs and more. She said that through the task force she has learned about Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) restrictions and requirements on medical education.

She said, "UT students (in general) believe that our current education curriculum is an excellent program based on the class average [U.S. Medical Licensing Examination] board scores and residency placements and match rates. However, despite the school's success, LCME is requiring every medical school conform to certain guidelines which will greatly alter our current educational process."

Tiner is working with Mitchell Goldman, MD, Assistant Dean for Research and Surgery Chair, to analyze the necessary addition in library resources that would be needed to support first- and second-year medical students. He said while the task force has made clearer to him the logistical and economic issues associated with laying the foundation for a medical school, working on the task force has shown him these are hurdles that can be surpassed.

The Task Force also includes Jerry Epps, MD; John Lacey, MD; Cristis Lockridge, MD; Murray Marks, PhD; Karla Matteson, PhD; Steve Ross, DPh; David Stockton, MD; Nirmala Upadhyaya, MD; and Jonathan Wall, PhD.

Robert Elder, MD, Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and his surgical team recently spent five days completing 26 major gynecologic surgeries at Clinica Ezell in Guatemala, where he has led a mission trip to serve women with serious medical needs for the past six years. Dr. Elder serves on the board of directors of Health Talents International, which built Clinica Ezell, a modern surgical building and dormitory, in 2001.

Each year, except one, an OB/GYN resident has traveled with Dr. Elder, using vacation time to complete an international elective. Residents say this elective gives them increased surgical experience not often gained in the U.S. and instills in them a sense of volunteerism and service. This year, third-year resident Kristen Sorenson, MD, joined Dr. Elder's mission team.

"I have a passion to serve underprivileged people in a mission role," Dr. Sorenson said. "A lot of the women we helped in Guatemala have medical conditions that cause serious quality of life issues. Had we not been there, they may not have otherwise had access to these surgeries. And the patients were all extremely grateful, which is truly rewarding."

One case that had a great impact on Dr. Sorensen involved a woman suffering from prolapse, a condition that involves weakening in the muscles and ligaments that support the pelvic organs, often causing considerable discomfort. A recent accident left the woman's husband a quadriplegic. Constant lifting of her husband likely contributed to the woman's condition, which made it more difficult for her to take care of the couple's six children. Surgery by Dr. Sorensen and her team corrected the prolapse.

Lisa Buckingham, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident Alumnus, joined the mission team for her second time this year. As a chief resident last year, Dr. Buckingham participated in the international elective and then completed a study based on her experience, "Crossing Borders to Improve OB/GYN Resident Surgical Education."

For her study, Dr. Buckingham compared the number of surgical procedures performed in a week by her and the four previous residents who had participated in the international elective in Guatemala to an average week of gynecologic services performed at their home institution. Dr. Buckingham found that on average, residents were exposed to 12 hysterectomies during a week in Guatemala compared to only one per week at home. Dr. Buckingham said the discrepancy is due to healthcare reform, work hour restrictions and advancing technologies and by participating in the international elective, residents were able to broaden their skill sets while being exposed to global health issues.

Dr. Buckinghgam continues to find her mission work beneficial to her career in private practice. She said, "I think the most important thing about my experience in Guatemala is that it takes me back to why I became a physician in the first place, to help people. When all of the problems with politics and insurance and money are taken out of the mix, you are left with a group of people who truly need our help and are exceedingly grateful for any help we can give them. It is such an uplifting experience and can help reinvigorate you for your work at home.

"I have also been lucky enough to share this experience with my mom who helps as a translator. We are both planning on going again next year."

Through the collaborative efforts of the UT Knoxville College of Engineering and the UT Graduate School of Medicine Department of Surgery, the Graduate School of Medicine has expanded the Vascular Research Laboratory with the creation of the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory (RegenMed). Led by Chris Stephens, PhD, Assistant Professor, Surgery, a multi-disciplinary approach is used to research and create devices to be used in regenerative medicine. This includes research in tissue engineering, development of artificial organs, and development of medical implants and stem cells. The laboratory's primary focus is the use of basic, translational and clinical research to develop off-the-shelf treatments that do not require personalized cell culture prior to implantation.

Currently, clinical research is being done in collaboration with the Medical Simulation Center; Roberto Benson, PhD, Professor and Associate Head, Materials Science and Engineering, UT; and Scott Guelcher, PhD, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, to develop tissue simulants that will allow for more accurate surgical models for surgical training.

In translational research, investigators are developing an endovascularly delivered surface treatment to reduce intimal hyperplasia (IH) after angioplasty. This treatment has the potential to help a significant portion of the more than one million patients in the US suffering from IH caused by restenosis. The research team is also working on a venous valve design to help patients presenting with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) that takes a biometric approach and is also endovascularly delivered. Statistics indicate 500,000 US patients present with lower leg ulcers due to CVI.

In basic research, an in-vitro model that simulates damaged vessel lumen and can be imaged in real-time conditions is being created as well as vascular tissue models for the study of potential drug treatments.

In addition to research, RegenMed offers a program to junior-level high school students to prepare them for graduate study in medical research. Including students from Bearden, Central, Farragut and West high schools, in Knox County, students participate in a year-long course in research basics with the opportunity to conduct research in the RegenMed laboratory their senior year. High school sophomores interested in participating in next year's class may contact Dr. Stephens for more information.

Graduate School of Medicine faculty and staff collaborating in RegenMed with Dr. Stephens include Oscar Grandas, MD, Lead Medical Advisor; Deidra Mountain, PhD; Mitchell Goldman, MD; Thomas Gaines, MD; Jeffrey Everett, MD; Raymond Dieter, MD; Michael Freeman, MD; Leonard Hines, MD; Paul Huffstutter, MD; David Cassada, MD; Melinda Klar, RN; and Judy Roark, CST.

Cynthia Talley, MD, Surgery Residency and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Alumnus, graduated from the UT Graduate School of Medicine in 2009 and is now an Instructor of Surgery at Vanderbilt University. Upon completion of her first weekend of solo trauma attending call, she wrote a letter of gratitude and thanks to Mitchell Goldman, MD, Surgery Chair and GSM Assistant Dean for Research, and the Department of Surgery for her experience and training. In the letter published in Surgery's Scalpel newsletter, she details how her training played an integral role in the success of her first weekend.

She said in the letter, "Over the course of the weekend, I performed a thoracotomy for massive hemothorax and diaphragm repair. I remembered closing the chest with Dr. [Raymond] Dieter and him poking me with the blunt needle to show me that it is the best needle for closing the chest. I immediately asked for a blunt needle for my closure. The lady was extubated the next day and one of her chest tubes has been removed. She will go home soon.

"Next, I was summoned to an emergent decompressive laparotomy in a nearby OR. I remembered opening an abdomen with Dr. [Dana] Taylor using only a knife and scissors. This man is recovering well in the ICU. The primary attending (an orthopedic surgeon) was very grateful.

"The next night, I had blunt injury to the distal stomach, pancreas and duodenum with bleeding. Oh boy! I told myself on the way to the OR, ‘I know this anatomy well.' I just did this man's reconstruction yesterday: hand-sewn Billroth II with distal feeding jejunostomy, cholecystectomy and external pancreatic drainage. I did it just how Dr. [Keith] Gray had shown me so many times in my chief year. Several attendings came to look over my shoulder and were impressed with my technique, they said. He was immediately extubated and is tolerating his tube feeds.

"Throw in a couple of diaphragm repairs and small bowel resections, I finished the weekend with a 16-year-old male gunshot wound to the superficial femoral artery (SFA), exsanguinating in the trauma bay! Again, I told myself in the elevator ride up to the OR, ‘I've done this many times before, no problem.' I put on my UT loupes and within 30 seconds, I had proximal control at the common femoral. I opened the wound to find a 10 centimeter defect in the SFA and vein that was shredded. I performed a reversed saphenous vein graft (from contralateral limb) with muscle coverage, deep Jackson-Pratt drainage, and four-compartment fasciotomy with palpable pulses post-op (all in two hours.) This young man is extubated and walking on his leg now. His fasciotomies are being closed today. On an unrelated case, Dr. Colleen Brophy, a well-known vascular surgeon here, remarked on my excellent vascular training.

"I just want you to know how grateful I am of the experience I had at UT."

In follow-up to her letter, Dr. Talley said, "I have now seen all these patients back in clinic and they are doing great. The gentleman with the Billroth II reconstruction tracked me down to deliver a hug and a thank-you card. He said that I saved his life. He is now back to eating a regular diet with normal bowel function ready for his Florida vacation. What a great feeling! What a great job we have!"

Alan Solomon, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director, Human Immunology and Cancer Program, has been recognized by the UT Graduate School of Medicine and beyond for his excellence in basic science research. He is a world-renowned physician in amyloidosis research, spending much of his career searching for answers to currently incurable diseases and making discoveries that put the Graduate School of Medicine on the cutting-edge of research.

While many people may be familiar with his accolades, they may not know why he chose to study medicine, why he is committed to finding a cure for amyloidosis, or that he finds peace and healing in working with stone and creating his nationally acclaimed garden. The Fall 2010 Achievement, a magazine for alumni and supporters of UT, tells Dr. Solomon's story in, "Hands of a Healer: Demystifying the Mysteries of Incurable Diseases, Dr. Alan Solomon Finds Beauty in the Roughest Places."

Surgery Resident Dr. Gandhi Presents ODAM Research to Melanoma Experts in Australia

Sagar Gandhi, MD, Surgery Resident, recently returned from Sydney, Australia, where he presented, "ODAM, A Novel Tight Junction Protein, Predicts Sentinel Node Metastasis in Cutaneous Melanoma," at the 7th International Melanoma Research Congress, considered one of the most comprehensive melanoma conferences available. Dr. Gandhi was the only resident invited to speak among a group of international soft tissue cancer experts, and his presentation marks the second time a UT Graduate School of Medicine resident has spoken internationally on Odontogenic Ameloblast associated protein (ODAM) and its characteristics in cancers.

Dr. Gandhi said his research presented ODAM as a biomarker for cutaneous melanoma with prognostic implications as ODAM has shown to up-regulate in the primary tumors of patients with sentinel lymph node positive melanoma. ODAM was first detected by Alan Solomon, MD, Director, Human Immunology and Cancer Program and is currently being researched by a team including Dr. Gandhi; Todd Bruker, MD; Sabina Siddiqui, MD; Daniel Kestler, PhD; Keith Gray, MD; John Bell, MD; and James Lewis, MD.

"I presented about a disease process that everyone else probably knew more about than me. I was presenting new data, which was exciting. The experience also helped me with my public speaking and got me more excited about my research. The participants asked questions and brought up points we hadn't thought of before that we are now looking at as we write the paper," Dr. Gandhi said.

Dr. Gandhi said he thanks the Graduate School of Medicine and the Department of Surgery for the opportunity to attend the conference. "It's not often we get to go to an international conference."

Dr. Bruker, Pathology resident, also recently presented ODAM research at an international conference for cutting-edge peptide and protein research in Beijing, China.

George Sneed, DO, Pathology Resident, recently attended the American Society for Clinical Pathology annual meeting where he received the Resident Research Symposium Award for his research, "Quantifying the Extent of Invasive Carcinoma and Margin Status in Partial Mastectomy Cases Having a Gross Lesion: Is a Defined Tissue Processing Protocol Needed?"

Resident-authored abstracts were selected by the American Journal for Clinical Pathology editorial board as finalists for presentation and presentations were then judged on delivery, content, relevance of the abstract, visual aids and responses to questions. Dr. Sneed's abstract was published in the October issue of AJCP along with other resident finalists.

UT Graduate School of Medicine employees were honored recently for years of service to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Faculty and staff with 10 or more years of service were honored in five year increments, along with retirees.

45 Years:
Carmen Lozzio, MD, Medical Genetics

40 Years:
Darlene Kilgore, Obstetrics and Gynecology

35 Years:
Lucille Simpson, Medical Genetics

30 Years:
Christine Delores Brown, Surgery
Tammy Devine, GSM Business Office
Sissy Ensor, Medicine
David Gerard, PhD, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Vichien Lorch, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology

25 Years:
Lisa Davis, General Dentistry
Bertha Jarnigan, Radiology
J. Michael McCoy, DDS, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Charles Murphy, Human Immunology and Cancer Program
Richard Obenour, MD, Medicine
Don Pearson, Jr., MD, Anesthesiology
Paige Rinehart, Anesthesiology
Kenneth Rule, MD, Radiology
James Taylor, MD, Surgery

20 Years:
Tara Burnette, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Daniel Bustamante, MD, Anesthesiology
Lolita Davis, Human Immunology and Cancer Program
Jeffrey Keenan, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Rose LaSorsa, General Dentistry
Maricarmen Malagon-Rogers, MD, Family Medicine
Carolyn Snider, Anesthesiology
Tina Tindell, Obstetrics and Gynecology
O. Lee Wilson, DMD, General Dentistry

15 Years:
Gregory Blake, MD, Family Medicine
George Chacko, MD, Radiology
Robert Elder, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology
William Law Jr., MD, Medicine
Laura Maples, Communications and Outreach
Edward Mobley, MD, Anesthesiology
Julio Solla, MD, Surgery
Jonathan Wall, PhD, Medicine
Camilla Williams, Pediatric Consultants Inc.
Hope Wright, Surgery

10 Years:
Jack Chavez, MD, Anesthesiology
Rick Green, Health Information and Management Systems
Alan Grindstaff, MD, Pathology
Amy Keenum, DO, Family Medicine
Jane Obenour, Medicine
Cynthia Pearman, MD, Family Medicine
Shuching Wang, Human Immunology and Cancer Program

Retirees:
Antonin Bukovsky, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Patty Huff, Graduate Medical and Dental Education
Mary Kendall, Human Immunology and Cancer Program
Jo Kendrick, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Debra Moore, Family Medicine
John Neff, MD, Pathology
Sherry Potter, Family Medicine
David Townsend, PhD, Medicine
Norman Walton, MD, Medicine
Jane White, PhD, RD, Family Medicine
Melinda Willocks, Dentistry
Kelly Wright, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology

As physicians, residents have the opportunity to join medical associations that allow them to be advocates, network and provide community service. The Knoxville Academy of Medicine is a professional organization for medical doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine that is the local affiliation of the Tennessee Medical Association and the American Medical Association. The local organization recently welcomed 37 residents and fellows into its membership.

Brian Adams, MD, Transitional Year
Joshua Arnold, MD, Vascular Surgery Fellowship
Tonya Baker, MD, Internal Medicine
Camille Blackledge, MD, Surgery
Joanna Blankner, MD, Transitional Year
Jeremy Clark, DO, Transitional Year
David Dahl, MD, Transitional Year
Mitch Dizon, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Matthew Edwards, DO, Internal Medicine
Emily Edwards, DO, Family Medicine
Prince Esiobu, MD, Surgery
Lynn Ferguson, MD, Pathology
Meredith Fields, DO, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Charles Ford, Jr., MD, Surgery
Katherine Frederick-Dyer, MD, Transitional Year
David Graham, MD, Internal Medicine
Alan Haney, MD, Family Medicine
Melissa House, MD, Transitional Year
Benjamin Huff, MD, Family Medicine
Vaughn Jackson, Jr., MD, Family Medicine
Shane Kelley, MD, Internal Medicine
Eric Kujawski, MD, Sports Medicine Fellowship
Jonathan Laymance, MD, Family Medicine
Solomon Lee, DO, Pathology
Kamran Manzoor, MD, Pulmonary Fellowship
Michael Martin, DO, Family Medicine
Muhammad Mir, MD, Pulmonary Fellowship
Donald Monroe III, MD, Surgery
Adrianne Netterville, MD, Internal Medicine
Cheryl Onwuchuruba, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Ryan Owen, MD, Radiology
Stephen Pacifico, MD, Surgery
Soham Patel, MD, Internal Medicine
Owaisur Rahman, MD, Internal Medicine
Deepti Reddy, MD, Internal Medicine
Lindsay Rumberger, MD, Surgery
Christopher Schrock, MD, Transitional Year

Susan Rawn, RN, BSN, Clinical Research Coordinator, Surgery, recently earned professional certification through the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA) and is now a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP). The certification program was established by SoCRA to create an internationally accepted level of knowledge, education and experience by which research professionals will be recognized by the medical research community. Certified research professionals come from a variety of occupations, including physicians, nurses, medical technologists, business administrators, health information managers and professors.

Rawn began working in clinical research in 2001 at the University of Kentucky and joined the UT Graduate School of Medicine in September 2009. In her position, she supports investigative projects, typically sponsored projects involving investigative devices; however, she also works with faculty and residents on investigator-initiated projects. She is currently working with Dr. Scott Stevens and the UT Aorta Center on two FDA-approved studies using investigational aortic stent grafts.

Abbey Putnam, MS, Genetic Counselor, passed the American Board of Genetic Counseling certification examination and is now a Certified Genetic Counselor (CGC). Putnam has worked for the UT Genetics Center since August 2009, seeing pediatric and adult patients. She is one of two genetic counselors, with Amanda Noyes, CGC, at the Genetics Center. When a child is diagnosed with a genetic condition, Putnam and Noyes meet with the family to discuss the condition, the inheritance risk and recurrence risk, and provide support to the family. They also counsel adults regarding family histories of genetic conditions, cancer gene susceptibility, Huntington Disease presymptomatic testing, multiple miscarriages, hemochromatosis and thrombophilia.

Manoj Kumar Gupta, PhD, Post-Doctoral Trainee, Radiology
Victoria Hale, Research Technician III, Surgery
Michael Wortley, Research Coordinator I, Family Medicine

As of January 1, 2011, the University of Tennessee Medical Center is a tobacco-free campus. This policy applies to everyone on its campus, including patients, visitors, staff, physicians and their office staff, the UT Graduate School of Medicine, and vendors. The campus includes all University Health Systems properties and facilities throughout the region. Smoking cessation information is available by calling 865-305-8577.

Joining the medical center in this policy change as a community-wide health initiative are other major health systems in the Knoxville region: Blount Memorial Hospital, Covenant Health, East Tennessee Children's Hospital and Mercy Health Partners.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is celebrating its centennial anniversary year in 2011. To commemorate its historic first century, the University is planning a variety of special activities, including the release of a commemorative book.

The centennial book, The Legacy, The Future: A Centennial Portrait of The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, can be purchased in the UTHSC bookstore and online. The oversized coffee table book includes vivid photographs and insightful text that tell the story of the impact of the statewide academic institution. Several programs of UT Graduate School of Medicine are represented in the hardcover book.

The book is priced at $60, but the advance price is $50, plus applicable taxes and shipping ($6.95 for the first book, $1.95 for each additional book shipped to the same address). Plus, the first 1,000 orders will include a free book, The University of Tennessee, Memphis, 75th Anniversary—Medical Accomplishments, written by James E. Hamner. This book is filled with stories and facts about the campus.

From advancements in the treatment of women's cancers to the great increase in the number of women in the medical field, women have been the catalyst for dramatic changes in medicine over the past decade. The December 2010 issue of Frontiers magazine features a compelling look at some of these changes, including the fields of gynecologic oncology and urogynecology, robotic surgery options for women and programs for weight management. Also featured are a local perspective of women in medicine, updates on promising clinical trials and investigation of women's health issues conducted at the UT Graduate School of Medicine.

To request a print copy of this issue of Frontiers, contact the UT Graduate School of Medicine at 865-305-9190, or request to be added to the mailing list.

Frontiers magazine is a publication for alumni and friends. It is produced by the University of Tennessee Medical Center and UT Graduate School of Medicine, which form the region's only academic medical center.

The dates have been set for the annual UT Graduate School of Medicine and Academy of Scholars Committee Resident Research Day and Fellows' Research Day, to be held Wednesday, May 25, and Friday, May 27, respectively. Abstracts will be due Monday, April 25, via The Pulse.

Presentations will be given in PowerPoint format. See examples from some of last year's winners.

Additional details are available on The Pulse.

The Research @ Lunch series hosted by the Office of Medical Education, Research and Development, led by Lorraine Wallace, PhD, and William Metheny, PhD, will continue Tuesday, February 8, with "Data Mining and IRB-Related Considerations," presented by Will Wallace. Everyone is welcome to attend. Workshops will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in Morrison's Conference Center. Lunch will be provided to those who RSVP to Dr. Wallace prior to the provided deadline.

2011 Spring Series Schedule

Tuesday, February 8
Topic: Data Mining and IRB-Related Considerations
Speaker: Will Wallace
RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, February 2

Tuesday, February 22
Topic: Overview of Study Designs Used in Clinical Research
Speaker: Lorraine Wallace, PhD
RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, February 16

Tuesday, March 15
Topic: Designing Questionnaires and Data Collection Instruments
Speaker: Lorraine Wallace
RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, March 9

Tuesday, March 29
Topic: The Ins and Outs of Data Management
Speaker: Eric Heidel
RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, March 23

Tuesday, April 26
Topic: Identifying the Appropriate Statistical Test
Speaker: William Metheny, PhD
RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, April 20

The 2010-2011 Business Course for Residents series will continue Thursday, February 17, from noon to 1 p.m. in Wood Auditorium. Cheryl Baxter with Vista Radiology will present on the physician compensation model. On March 24, Heath Hildreth with The Hildreth Agency will speak on disability and life insurance.

At the November 2010 meeting, Laura Lyons and Chad Schollaert from The Trust Company presented, "A Roadmap for Financial Success (And How to Avoid Pitfalls)." The presentation focused on significant financial decisions medical professionals are immediately faced with after residency, including purchasing a home, retiring student loan debt, taking on new debt and planning for retirement. At the January 2011 meeting, Jennifer Pearson-Taylor with London and Amburn, P.C. led a discussion on contracts. An archive of series presentations is available on The Pulse.

Plan now to attend these CMDE-certified activities, sponsored by the UT Graduate School of Medicine.

January 27: Surgery Grand Rounds: Hobart Akin Annual ABSITE Lecture, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

February 3: Surgery Grand Rounds: GI Pancreas, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

February 8: Internal Medicine Grand Rounds: Upper GI Bleeding, Morrison's Conference Center, 8-9 a.m.

February 10: Surgery Grand Rounds, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

February 17: Surgery Grand Rounds: Venous Disease, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

February 24: Surgery Grand Rounds: Vascular, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

March 3: Surgery Grand Rounds, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

March 8: Internal Medicine Grand Rounds: Hypercoagulability—An Evolving Problem, Morrison's Conference Center, 8-9 a.m.

March 10: Surgery Grand Rounds: Mass Casualty, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

March 17: Surgery Grand Rounds: Trauma, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

March 19: Seventh Annual Diabetes Regional Conference, UT Conference Center, Knoxville, 7:00 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

March 24: Surgery Grand Rounds: Trauma, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

March 27-April 1: Lean for Healthcare, Haslam Business Building, UT-Knoxville, Contact TheCenter@utk.edu

March 31: Surgery Grand Rounds: Minimally Invasive, Morrison's Conference Center, 7-8 a.m.

Visit CMDE Upcoming Courses or contact Communications and Outreach for a complete list of CMDE activities.

Plan to attend a CME-certified conference, Discouraging Disruptive Behavior: The Why and How of Dealing with Special Colleagues, Wednesday, January 26, 10:00-11:30 a.m., Wood Auditorium.

The guest speaker, Gerald B. Hickson, MD, FAAP, Director, Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, will describe a method for identifying professionals with patterns of unacceptable behavior, explain the disruptive behavior pyramid, and discuss interventions for addressing disruptive behavior.

This conference is free of charge and is approved for 1.5 AMA and AAPA credits and .15 CEUs. Contact hours and recertification credits also are available. Registration is not required. The conference is jointly sponsored by University of Tennessee Medical Center UHS Patient Safety and UT Graduate School of Medicine.

The popular diabetes conference is back and scheduled for Saturday, March 19. Register now to attend the Seventh Annual Diabetes Regional Conference at UT Conference Center in Knoxville.

The conference is presented for medical professionals in family medicine and internal medicine as well as pharmacists and other healthcare professionals involved in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. The topic, "New Treatments for Old Problems: Where Are We Going in Diabetes Mellitus," will be discussed by regional experts and led by keynote speaker, Jennifer B. Marks, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Presentations will include endocrinology and nutrition, plus new this year: neurology, pharmacy, urology and surgery.

At the conclusion of the conference, participants will be able to

The Seventh Annual Diabetes Regional Conference is presented by the UT Graduate School of Medicine and Department of Family Medicine, Knoxville, and is directed by Don Keeble, MD, and John Eaddy, MD.

Two courses offered by the UT Knoxville Center for Executive Education in the UT College of Business are among the first of their kind in the country and are now certified for CME and CDE credits: Lean for Healthcare and The Challenge for Healthcare: A Roadmap to Performance Improvement in a Constantly Changing Environment.

Lean for Healthcare is a six-day course offered three times in 2011: March 27-April 1, August 21-26 and November 6-11. Each session will be held at the Haslam Business Building on UTK campus. This course uses the concept of lean processes traditionally practiced in the manufacturing industry but applied now to improving efficiencies and eliminating waste in healthcare. Each Lean for Healthcare course is approved for 35.25 AMA and AGD credits.

The Challenge of Change in Healthcare: A Roadmap to Performance Improvement in a Constantly Changing Environment is a three-day course offered March 9-11 and October 24-26, at the Haslam Business Building at UTK. The course teaches strategies to manage performance and reach sustainable success while meeting the demands of changes in the U.S. healthcare system. The Challenge of Change in Healthcare is approved for 18.5 AMA and AAPA credits.

Both courses are appropriate for healthcare professionals and those who impact medical and financial decisions in an organization.

For more information about these courses, contact the Center for Executive Education at or 865-974-0460.

Lean for Healthcare and The Challenge of Change in Healthcare are jointly sponsored by the University of Tennessee College of Business Center for Executive Education and the UT Graduate School of Medicine.

In November, oral surgeons and dental professionals attended the 2010 Dr. R. Ben Alley, DDS, Endowed Lecture to learn more about contemporary maxillofacial trauma management. Featured speaker was former president of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Edward Ellis III, DDS, MS. Participants earned education credits from AMA and AGD at this CME-certified activity that was presented by the UT Graduate School of Medicine and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

66th Southwest and 62nd Southeast Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 1-4, 2010

Poster Presentations
Min-Liang Yao, PhD; Murthy Akula, PhD; George Kabalka, PhD
"The Preparation of Radiolabeled Baclofen"

Li Yong; Min-Liang Yao, PhD; Kelly Hall; George Kabalka, PhD
"PEG-Supported Organotrifluoroborates and Their Application in Radio-iodination"

David Blevins; Min-Liang Yao, PhD; George Kabalka, PhD
"Synthesis of (Z)-Dibromoalkenes via Bromodeboronation of Stereodefined Trifluoroborates"

Thomas Moore; Murthy Akula, PhD; Thomas Collier; George W. Kabalka, PhD
"Microfluidic Synthesis of [18F] Fluoroarenes via Fluorodenitration"

Society of Academic Anesthesiology Associations, Washington, D.C., November 5-7, 2010

Oral Presentation
Robert Craft, MD
"Best Practices"

7th International Melanoma Research Congress, Sydney, Australia, November 4-7, 2010

Oral Presentation
Sagar Ghandi, MD
"ODAM, A Novel Tight Junction Protein, Predicts Sentinel Node Metastasis in Cutaneous Melanoma"
Contributors: Todd Bruker, MD; Sabina Siddiqui, MD; Daniel Kestler, PhD; Keith Gray, MD; John Bell, MD; Alan Solomon, MD; James Lewis, MD

Annual American Society of Clinical Pathology Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California, October 27-31, 2010

Poster Presentation
George Sneed, DO
"Quantifying the Extent of Invasive Carcinoma and Margin Status in Partial Mastectomy Cases Having a Gross Lesion: Is a Defined Tissue Processing Protocol Needed?"

Dr. Sneed received the Resident Research Symposium Award and was published in the recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Pathology.

14th International Congress on Neutron Capture Therapy, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 25-29, 2010

Invited Lecture
George Kabalka, PhD
"Boronated Unnatural Amino Acids as New Boron Carriers for BNCT"

American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, October 16-20, 2010

Poster Presentations
Robert Craft, MD
"PlateletMapping Detected Aspirin Resistance Compared to VerifyNow in Interventional Cardiology Patients"
Contributors: Dale Wortham, MD; Elizabeth Thomas, MD; Carolyn Snider; Joseph Sherer; Roger Carroll, PhD

Carrie Francisco, MD
"Pain Clinic Survey: Potential Impact of Physician Guidance in Patient Internet Use"
Contributor: Matt Vance, MD

Michael Godbold, MD
"Three Novel Uses of the Alsius Cooling Catheter"
Contributor: J. Russell Langdon, MD

John Gold, MD
"A Difficult Airway in a Patient with a History of Intrauterine Herpes"
Contributor: Michael Hosking, MD

Matthew Kimball, MD
"Epidural Anesthesia for Cesarean Delivery in a Patient with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita"
Contributor: Robert Craft, MD

Zachary Lazarus, MD
"Pharyngeal Soft Tissue Injury During Videolaryngoscopy"
Contributors: Daniel Bustamante, MD, and Jeffrey Ollis, MD

Robert McGee, MD
"Anesthetic Management for Elective Repair of a Vertebral Aneurysm"
Contributor: Eric Cox, MD

S. Timothy McIlrath, MD
"Resection of Cardiac Metastasis from Malignant Skin Melanoma: Anesthetic Management and Intraoperative TEE"
Contributor: Warren Bagley, MD

Brigitte Messenger, MD
"Alveolar Myofibrosarcoma – A Rare Tumor Presenting with Tension Hydrothorax"
Contributor: Silvio Sitarich, MD

Jeffrey Ollis, MD
"Anesthetic Considerations in a Patient with Stiff Person Syndrome"
Contributors: Robert McGhee, MD, and Doug Keller, DO

L. Matthew Pittman, MD
"Pentobarbital Induced Coma Causing Propylene Glycol Toxicity"
Contributors: J. Russell Langdon, MD, and Robert Craft, MD

Kip Robinson, MD
"ASA 2010 Annual Meeting: Problem Based Learning Discussion How Sweet Are They? The Challenges of Perioperative Hyperglycemia Objectives"

Jeffrey Staack, MD
"Recombinant Factor VII Used in Refractory Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy Following Placental Abruption"
Contributor: Stephen K. Patteson, MD

Negishi-Brown Novel Lectures, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, October 11, 2010

Invited Speaker
George Kabalka, PhD
"Development of New Organoborane Methodologies and Their Use in Medical Imaging"

Oral Presentations
Nikki Zite, MD
"Contraceptive Management for Women Approaching Menopause: Strategies for Transition"
"Counseling Patients about Bleeding Profiles and Possible Side Effects" and
"Medical Eligibility Criteria for LARC"

44th Annual National Association of Medical Examiners Annual Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, October 1-6, 2010

Oral Presentation
Samantha Evans, MD
"Patterns of Breaks in Umbilical Cords by Different Mechanisms"

College of American Pathologists 2010 Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, September 26-29, 2010

Poster Presentation
Daryl Tharp, Jr., MD
"Pathology Image Storage in Picture Archiving and Communication System Has a Positive Impact on Patient Care"

Wallace LS, Keenum AJ, DeVoe JE
Characteristics of container labeling in a sample of commonly prescribed children's oral medications.
Res Social Adm Pharm. 2010 Dec;6(4):272-9. Epub 2009 Dec 7.
PMID: 21111385

Wallace LS, Brinister I
Women family physicians' personal experiences in the republic of moldova.
J Am Board Fam Med. 2010 Nov-Dec;23(6):783-9.
PMID: 21057075

Phipps JE, Kestler DP, Foster JS, Kennel SJ, Donnell R, Weiss DT, Solomon A, Wall JS
Inhibition of pathologic immunoglobulin-free light chain production by small interfering RNA molecules.
Exp Hematol. 2010 Nov;38(11):1006-13. Epub 2010 Jul 14.
PMID: 20637260

Connolly CP, Coe DP, Kendrick JM, Bassett DR Jr, Thompson DL
Accuracy of Physical Activity Monitors in Pregnant Women.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Nov 11. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 21085037

Monheit G, Cognetta AB, Ferris L, Rabinovitz H, Gross K, Martini M, Grichnik JM, Mihm M, Prieto VG, Googe P, King R, Toledano A, Kabelev N, Wojton M, Gutkowicz-Krusin D
The Performance of MelaFind: A Prospective Multicenter Study.
Arch Dermatol. 2010 Oct 18. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 20956633