Message from the Chair – Gwenn Garden, MD, PhD
November 1, 2021
Fall often brings in a sense of the new. New school year with new students, new weather, new tree color, and new produce at the famers market. Within the Department of Neurology, we are also experiencing a lot of newness.
The most profound change is the move to our new Adult Neurology clinic space in Meadowmont. Kudos to our clinic leadership and our UNCH administrative partners for enabling a smooth transition for patients and providers, especially during a time of severe labor shortage. We anticipate the move of the Child Neurology Clinic to the Caroline Point II building to be in December.
We also welcome four new faculty: Dr. Claudia Testa, Dr. Yasmeen Rauf, Dr. Jordan Broman-Fulks and Dr. Hokuto Morita.
Dr. Testa was recruited from UNC from Virginia Commonwealth University to start a new UNC Neurology Division of Neurogenetics and Precision Neurology. Many existing faculty in a variety of clinical divisions will collaborate with Dr. Testa in bringing genetic counseling to our clinical program as well as increasing the department’s participation in clinical trials focused on treating genetic contributions to neurological disorders.
Dr. Rauf comes to UNC from Cleveland Clinic Neuro-oncology. Dr. Rauf will join Dr. Tim Gershon to create a new Division of Neuro-oncology within the Department of Neurology. She will provide care for adults with brain tumors in the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Rauf will also develop new opportunities for neurology residents to learn about the sub-specialty of neuro-oncology.
Dr. Broman-Fulks was recruited back to UNC from Mission Health in Asheville. Dr. Broman-Fulks is a child neurologist (trained at UNC) with an interest in the care of children during and following time spent in the neonatal intensive care unit. Dr. Broman-Fulks will be building a new program for delivery of neurology consults in the NICU, as well as a specialized outpatient program for long-term follow up of infants and toddlers after time spent in the NICU.
Dr. Morita is moving to UNC from Stanford University where he worked as a movement disorder sub-specialist. Dr. Morita will be helping to expand our ability to evaluate and care for patients receiving deep brain stimulation for the treatment of movement disorders. Dr. Morita will also work with Dr. Testa on developing new comprehensive care programs for patients with inherited forms of movement disorders.
As we welcome the change of seasons, please welcome these new members of the UNC Neurology faculty and ask them about their goals within the department.
Finally, fall 2021 brings in one more type of change, new hope that the worst of COVID-19 is behind us. As we move forward from this common experience of stress and isolation, we will learn to re-engage with each other in new ways. In the UNC School of Medicine Working Forward program, some members of the department will continue to work exclusively from home. Others will take on hybrid work schedules, spending part of their time on site. While we adjust to this new reality, we are still feeling our way around new forms of communication and new ways of setting work expectations to match our new working environments. One key tool for this adjustment phase is for everyone to remain consciously engaged in the process of change. We all need to share our perspectives, express our concerns and reveal our ideas for improvement. As the weather moves from sticky to crisp, I hope we can all embrace the change in front of us to hone our skills and processes for the new paradigm we have encountered.