News

New endowment honors Stafford’s commitment to community service

On June 26th, during the UNC Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship graduation ceremony, the newly created Harry C. Stafford Endowment for Community Service was announced. Alumni of the program surprised its Director, Harry Stafford, MD, MBA, with the endowment that honors his ongoing commitment to humanitarian service beyond clinical care. 

Sloane, Sheps Center study finds oral hygiene training can significantly reduce pneumonia in nursing homes

The UNC Sheps Center’s Mouth Care Without a Battle training program shows promising results after one year, underscores need to establish new standards of care for residents with dementia.

Celebrating National Nurses Week

National Nurses Week is celebrated from May 6th – May 12th, and honors nurses around the country for the incredible work they do in helping and caring for others. Here at UNC Family Medicine, we are extremely grateful for our nurses and the dedication they have for our patients and our practice. Their skill, warmth, … Continued

Applications Open for Family Medicine Summer Academy

The UNC Family Medicine Summer Academy (FMSA) is accepting applications through June 1, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FMSA program will be offered in two virtual sessions during the summer of 2020. Session 1 will take place from July 13th – 14th, and Session 2 will be July 15th-16th. The program will host … Continued

COVID 19: Why It’s Even More Crucial to Quit Smoking Now

COVID-19 has become a global pandemic that now impacts everyone. People with any underlying lung condition, including people who smoke, have much higher rates of death if they become infected with COVID-19.

UNC researchers publish book on retiree migration to Latin America

A newly published book by UNC faculty details the results of research on the rapidly-increasing tendency of retirees to relocate to Latin America.

FIRST Program welcomes 5th class of scholars

The UNC School of Medicine is pleased to announce the acceptance of the fifth class of the Fully Integrated Readiness for Service Training (FIRST) Program.

UNC Program in Nicaragua expands partnership with addition of PhD program

UNC has expanded its partnership with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua-León (UNAN) to include the development of a PhD program housed at UNAN.

Katrina Donahue, MD, MPH, Appointed to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Family Medicine professor and vice chair of research, Katrina Donahue MD, MPH, has been appointed to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) as one of its newest members.

YOUR HEALTH® radio show concludes after 12 years on air

In October 2008, Family Medicine physicians Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, and Cristy Page, MD, MPH, began hosting a radio show that would benefit listeners across North Carolina and the country for years to come. Since its debut, nearly 500 episodes of YOUR HEALTH® have aired, sharing more than 1,500 research articles with the public, answering … Continued

Duke-UNC Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program Announces Dates for March and June 2020

Leading southeastern US smoking cessation training program provides comprehensive NCTTP certification preparation for healthcare and public health professionals.

DFM Experiences: Highlights from the 12th European Public Health Conference

Family Medicine Research Specialist Larissa Loufman recently attended the 12th European Public Health Conference: Building Bridges for Solidarity and Public Health, and recapped her main takeaways as they relate to the future of healthcare and Family Medicine.

Family Medicine researchers funded to study shift to value-based care

Led by Erin Fraher, PhD, MPP, associate professor of family medicine, researchers at the UNC School of Medicine have been awarded a $255,000 grant from The Duke Endowment to study UNC Family Medicine’s shift to a value-based health care model.

Preventive Medicine Resident (and School of Cardiology Fellow) Sameer Arora is leading a study reviewing hospitalizations for a certain type of heart attack in two hospitals in northern India. This is the first prospective cohort study of this magnitude in the region and is already providing unique data about opportunities to improve STEMI management in … Continued

Kistler named to steering committee for new PREVENTABLE trial

Christine Kistler, MD, MASc, will serve on the steering committee for a new clinical trial funded by the NIH: The Pragmatic Evaluation of Events and Benefits of Lipid-Lowering in Older Adults, or PREVENTABLE trial.

Ashkin serves as co-guest editor for November issue of NCMJ

Evan Ashkin, MD, founder of the Formerly Incarcerated Transition (FIT) Program, has three articles published in the current issue of the North Carolina Medical Journal, all of which center on health and the criminal justice system.

E-cigarette flavors decrease perception of harm among youth

Led by UNC Family Medicine and UNC Lineberger researchers, a systematic review of scientific literature revealed the role flavored e-cigarettes have on product preference, appeal, harm perceptions, willingness to use, and initiation among youth.

Erin Fraher Granted North Carolina Institute of Medicine Award for Excellence in Health Policy Leadership

The North Carolina Institute of Medicine presented Erin Fraher, PhD, MPP, director of the Carolina Health Workforce Research Center, with the Award for Excellence in Health Policy Leadership at the NCIOM 2019 Annual Meeting today.

Researchers find combined therapy for RA may help speed remission

RTI and UNC-Chapel Hill researchers, including Katrina Donahue, MD, MPH, and Beth Jonas, MD, analyzed results from 22 studies to support combination therapy as a way improve outcomes for some rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Byron Awarded NIH grant to correct health misperceptions about nicotine

Justin Byron, PhD, MHS, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine, is the principal investigator on a new R21 $428,000 grant from the FDA and the National Cancer Institute.