Category: Department News
Medicine Providers Recognized For Rapid Response Excellence
The “Rapid Response Recognition Report” is a quarterly recognition of providers who are “remarkable examples of excellence” during rapid response events at UNCMC. Effective utilization of the Adult Rapid Response System at UNC Medical Center is essential in the early detection of clinically worsening patients to ensure necessary resources are mobilized and adverse outcomes preven … Continued
Carolina Research Leads to Effective Experimental Pill to Treat COVID-19
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill research set the stage to seek emergency authorization of the first oral antiviral drug to treat COVID-19, a pill developed by the pharmaceutical companies Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. William Fischer, MD, at the UNC School of Medicine led pivotal clinical trials on the drug molnupiravir. Scientists at the University of North Ca … Continued
Barnes Receives Sherman Emerging Leader Prize
Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, is a recipient of the 2021 Sherman Prizes and Sherman Emerging Leader Prize, recognizing excellence in the field of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, also known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). “When I started doing IBD research, it was the best thing that happened in my … Continued
Penicillin Allergy Assessments Expand to Inpatient Areas
Imagine: You have a patient with a penicillin allergy documented in their chart. Typically, you would prescribe amoxicillin for their infection, but that is not an option because it is a penicillin-class antibiotic. Instead, you prescribe a broader-spectrum antibiotic–not your first choice except for the allergy. But, what if you learned that it is not a true allergy? Less than o … Continued
Muss Receives Three Research Grant Awards
Hyman Muss, MD, the Mary Jones Hudson Distinguished Professor of Geriatric Oncology in the Division of Oncology, recently received three research awards. From the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), Muss received $190,000 in funding for “p16INK4a Expression, Chemotherapy Toxicity, and Aging in Women with Breast Cancer.” There is significant variability in chemotherapy-relat … Continued
Drummond Leads VCAG Project to Reduce COPD Readmissions
People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience long-term progressive damage to their lungs which worsens airflow and typically leaves a person short of breath. Patients with COPD frequently experience acute worsening in their breathing, called an acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). AECOPDs are a known predictor of COPD disease progression, overall mortality … Continued
Serody Receives Grant to Evaluate Epigenetic Changes in Innate Immune Cells During Stem Cell Transplantation
Jonathan Serody, MD, the Elizabeth Thomas Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and chief of the Division of Hematology, received an NIH (NHLBI) R01 grant of $3.4M to evaluate epigenetic changes in innate lymphoid cells as a mediator of acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GvHD) after stem cell transplantation. The grant is in collaboration with Samantha Pattenden, PhD, … Continued
6 Bedtower Earns Gold Beacon of Excellence
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has awarded 6 Bedtower (6BT) a gold-level “Beacon Award for Excellence” at UNC Medical Center. The Beacon application unfolds a story of a nursing unit’s continuous pursuit of excellence and often tells a story of resilience. Patient Services Manager Turkeisha Brown, MSN, RN, NE-BC, says the three-year recognition represents … Continued
Medicine Researchers Receive NC TraCS Pilot Grant Awards
NC TraCS recently announced the recipients of new pilot grant awards, and five recipients are from the Department of Medicine. Following is a list of the recipients and their project titles. Andrea Azcarate-Peril, PhD (Associate Professor, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology) Project Title: Safety, Tolerability, and Biosignature of Humanized Prebiotics in Healthy Adults J … Continued
Raffs Receive NC TraCS Health Equity Research Award
Evan Raff, MD, associate professor of medicine in the division of hospital of medicine, and Lauren Raff, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, were awarded a NC TraCS Health Equity Award to improve rapid response outcomes in patients whose primary language is Spanish. The project “Reducing Health Inequities in the Rapid Response System for Hospitalized Patients th … Continued