2011

ACS NewsScope Highlights Rowland Performance Courses

December 2, 2011 — The Dec. 2nd issue of NewsScope, the electronic weekly update from the American College of Surgeons, promoted Dr. Pamela Rowland’s Oral Board Review courses scheduled for February and September of 2012. The full text of the article:

Ollila Promoted to Full Professor

December 1, 2011 — Dr. David Ollila, in the Division of Surgical Oncology, has been promoted to Professor of Surgery effective December 1, 2011.

Rich Receives DOD Funding to Develop Plasma Substitute

November 17, 2011 – The Department of Defense has awarded Entegrion, of which Dr. Preston Rich is Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, $43.7 million to develop a plasma-derived drug that may someday be a substitute for fresh frozen plasma.

Sheldon Participates in Conference on GME Education Reform

November 18, 2011 — Dr. Sheldon recently participated in a conference sponsored by the Josiah Macy Foundation, entitled “Ensuring an Effective Physician Workforce for the United States: Recommendations for Graduate Medical Education to Meet the Needs of the Public” that was held in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this year.

Kircher and Schultz Recognized for Nursing Excellence

November 15, 2011 — Amanda Kircher, RN, and Heather Schultz, NP, were presented with the 2011 Nursing Recognition Award at today’s semi-annual School of Medicine Medical Staff Meeting.

Wallen and Yeh Recieve Faculty Promotions

November 1, 2011 — The Department of Surgery is pleased to announce the promotion of two faculty members.

Ollila Advocates for Melanoma Surgery Research

October 25, 2011 – Dr. David Ollila, associate professor of surgical oncology, was recently featured in The Lancet with an editorial discussing current and future melanoma surgery research.

Haithcock Gets Dual Appointments

October 21, 2011 — Benjamin E. Haithcock, M.D., assistant professor in the UNC Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, holds a joint appointment as assistant professor in the UNC Department of Anesthesiology as of Oct. 15, 2011.

UNC Professor Celebrates Aunt’s Nobel Prize

October 10, 2011 — Dr. Estrada Bernard, professor emeritus and Chief of UNC’s Division of Neurosurgery from 1997 through 2004, shared news that his aunt, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was among those awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011.

Farrell Awarded Fellowship Grant

The Foundation for Surgical Fellowships has announced that Dr. Tim Farrell, Professor in Gastrointestinal Surgery, has qualified for a fellowship grant for the 2012-2013 academic year.

UNC Department of Surgery Welcomes New Attendings September 2011

September 20, 2011 — The Department of Surgery would like to welcome the following new Attendings to our faculty:

Chancellor Presents Sheldon with Thomas Jefferson Award

September 16, 2011 — George F. Sheldon, MD, is the 2011 recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award.

Farrell Serves as Secretary/Treasurer in ACS NC Chapter

September 16, 2011 — The North Carolina Chapter of the American College of Surgeons has posted the following article in the Sept. 16 issue of its electronic newsletter, E-News:

Lee Receives Grant to Study Reconstruction Decision-Making

September 15, 2011 — Clara Lee, MD, Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery, has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study patients’ decision-making process to undergo breast reconstruction surgery following mastectomy.

Two Surgery Clinics Among Top Five for Patient Satisfaction

September 15, 2011 — The Burn Clinic and Surgical Oncology Minor Procedure Clinic were voted by patients as among the top five for the most recent quarter.

WRAL features Rupp-Led Sponge Study

September 8, 2011 — Dr. Christopher Rupp, Assistant Professor in Gastrointestinal Surgery, was the principal investigator of a study featured on WRAL.com

Garrison and Reid Win Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching

August 24, 2011 – Doctors Aaron Garrison and Trista Reid have been awarded the 2011 Kaiser Permanent Excellence in Teaching Award.

Jones Accepted into NC TraCS Development Program

Dr. Samuel Jones, was recently accepted into the KL2 program run by the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS).

Two from Surgery Included in “Great 100 Nurses” of NC

August 18, 2011 — Of the five UNC Health Care nurses named to the list of North Carolina’s “Great 100 Nurses” for 2011, two are affiliated with the Dept. of Surgery.

SICU Wins Beacon Award

August 18, 2011 – Surgery Services is proud to announce that the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) received the Beacon Award for Excellence at the bronze level by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Surgeons Featured in New Cancer Care Commercials

August 11, 2011– Several surgery physicians are featured in a set of commercials promoting UNC Cancer Care that will air across North Carolina beginning Monday, August 15th.

Stitzenberg Quoted in Latest NCI Cancer Bulletin

August 11, 2011– Karyn Stitzenberg, MD, MPH, is quoted in an article entitled “Tracking the Rise of Robotic Surgery for Prostate Cancer” in the August 9th issue of the NCI Cancer Bulletin.

UNC Department of Surgery Welcomes New Attendings August 2011

August 10, 2011 — The Department of Surgery would like to welcome the following new Attendings to our faculty:

Second Chance for Jakeina

July 21, 2010 — Sixteen-year-old Jakeina Sutton receives a second heart as well as a new kidney.

Fraher Awarded Grant to Track Physician Shortages

July 20, 2011 — The Physicians Foundation has awarded Erin Fraher, PhD, a two-year, $750,000 grant to develop a tracking system that will monitor the country’s physician workforce in hopes of anticipating shortages.

UNC Department of Surgery Welcomes Dr. Michael Woods

July 18, 2011 — The Department of Surgery would like to welcome the following new Attending to our faculty:

Chapel Hill Magazine Names UNC Plastic Surgery the “Best”

July 18, 2011 — The July/August 2011 edition of Chapel Hill Magazine names the “Best of Chapel Hill Awards.”

UNC Surgery Well Represented at ACS Resident Research Forum

July 18, 2011 — Several general surgery residents participated in the Resident Research Forum at the North and South Carolina Chapters of the American College of Surgeons, held in Asheville, NC, on July 15-17.

Vital Signs Features Udell in “real doctors, real people”

July 13, 2011 — Dr. Ian Udell, a resident in urological surgery at UNC Hospitals, is also an accomplished wakeboarder sponsored by O’Brien Watersports.

Kiser Named Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery

July 1, 2011 — Dr. Andy Kiser, recognized as an international leader in arrhythmia surgery, has been named the new Chief of UNC’s Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He succeeds Dr. Micheal Mill, who led the division as interim chief from 1998 to 1999 and as chief from 2000 to 2011.

New Titles for Farrell and van Aalst

July 1, 2011 — Promotions for Tim Farrell, MD, and John van Aalst, MD, are effective July 1.

Castle Connolly Names ‘Top Regional Doctors’

June 17, 2011 — Thirty UNC Health Care physicians, including eight from the Department of Surgery, have been recognized as “top regional doctors” by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.

Meyers Published in The New York Times

June 6, 2011 — Dr. Michael Meyers’ letter to the editor was published in the June 4, 2011 issue of The New York Times.

Lee Promoted to Associate Professor

June 1, 2011 — Clara Lee, MD, was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, effective June 1, 2011.

Three from Surgery Honored with Cefalo House Officer Award

May 31, 2011 — The annual presentation of the Dr. Robert C. Cefalo House Officer Award occurred at Tuesday’s UNC SOM Spring Faculty Meeting.

DeMore Study Identifies Growth Inhibitor for Breast Cancer

May 27, 2011 – A UNC laboratory study led by Dr. Nancy DeMore has found that Tacrolimus, a drug commonly used to prevent a patient’s body from rejecting organs following a transplant, also inhibits breast cancer growth in pre-clinical studies. The findings of the study were reported in the May 26 Public Library of Science.

Lee Named Health Policy Scholar

May 26, 2011 — Clara Lee, MD, was named a 2011 Health Policy Scholar with the American College of Surgeons and American Society of Plastic Surgery.

Thomas Awarded Distinguished Alumni of Shattuck-St. Mary’s

May 26, 2011 — Colin G. Thomas, Jr., was recognized as the 2011 Distinguished Alumni of Shattuck-Saint Mary’s, a coeducational Episcopal Church-affiliated boarding school located in Faribault, Minnesota.

NC Children’s Hospital Ranked as One of Nation’s Best

May 19, 2011 – North Carolina Children’s Hospital at UNC Hospitals has been ranked in six of 10 U.S. News Media Group’s “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” ranking categories, including a Top 50 ranking in Cardiology and Heart Surgery

Kiser Featured in Family House Diaries

May 19, 2011 — A new heart and a new kidney have given a 28-year-old Wilson woman a second chance at life.

Adamson Named Chief of Pediatric Surgery

May 18, 2011 — William Adamson, MD, has been named Chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery.

Carson presented with Distinguished Contribution Award at Annual AUA Meeting

May 18, 2011 – At the Annual AUA Awards Dinner, Dr. Culley Carson, from the Division of Urologic Surgery withing the UNC Department of Surgery, was presented with the “Distinguished Contribution Award,” presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the science and practice of urology.

Urology One of Top Five Clinics in Patient Satisfaction

May 13, 2011 — The Ambulatory Patient Experience Team has named the top five clinics for the first quarter of 2011 as determined by UNC Health Care’s patient satisfaction scores.

Revamped OR Makes Surgery Less Scary For Kids

May 6, 2011 – UNC Hospitals, which performs over 5,000 general pediatric surgeries every year, has redesigned its pediatric surgery operating room to help make children less anxious about their visit.

Charles Speaks at SOM Commencement

May 9, 2011 — Anthony Charles, MD, was invited by graduating medical students to speak at the May 7 commencement ceremony.

Unger Presented Henry C. Fordham Award

May 9, 2011 — General Surgery Chief Resident Joshua Unger was honored at the 2011 School of Medicine Commencement ceremony with the Henry C. Fordham Award.

Feins and Schmits honored as part of Nursing Staff Recognition Week

May 6, 2011 — Grace Schmits, BSN, RN, NC Jaycee Burn Center, and Rick Feins, MD, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, were recently honored as part of UNC Health Care’s “Celebrate Success” 2011 Nursing Staff Recognition Week.

Feins Wins Grant to Study Surgical Simulation Training

April 27, 2011 — The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded a three-year, $1.05 million grant to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study use of simulators for cardiac surgery training. The multi-institution project will study whether resident physicians who are learning cardiothoracic surgery can become safer surgeons by using surgery simulators to acquire skills before they operate on people.

Fraher Consulted on Physician Shortage Article

April 4, 2011 — Erin Fraher, PhD, is quoted in an article in today’s “Daily Tar Heel.”

Jones Lecture welcomes new Alpha Omega Alpha inductees

April 1, 2011 — Dr. Sam Jones gave the spring lecture at the induction ceremony of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, where trauma surgeon, Dr. Anthony Charles, was an inductee.

Kiser Offers Novel Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation

March 29, 2011 — The “Convergent” procedure, pioneered by Andy Kiser, a UNC cardiac surgeon, is an innovative, minimally invasive procedure that provides effective treatment of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation.

Kim Cited in ABC News Article

March 10, 2011 — ABC News consulted UNC surgical oncologist Hong Jin Kim, MD, for a Healthbeat article on pancreatic cancer.

Lange Warns of ATV Dangers on WRAL News

March 1, 2011 — A WRAL News story about an ATV accident victim highlights two members of the UNC Pediatric Surgery team: Patty Lange, MD, and Robin DeLoach, NP.

Weiner Featured on Rex HealthBreak

March 1, 2011 — Pediatric surgeon Timothy Weiner, MD, is featured in this week’s HealthBreak, a 90-second news clip produced by Rex Healthcare.

First Gentleman Eaves Visits Burn Center on 30th Anniversary

February 24, 2011 — Mr. Bob Eaves, First Gentleman of North Carolina, visited the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospitals yesterday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Burn Center, which opened Feb. 23, 1981.

New Consult Service for Severe Acute Pancreatitis

February 25, 2011 — The Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, in conjunction with the Divisions of Gastroenterology and Interventional Radiology, as well as the Medical Intensive Care Service, have established this consultation service with the goal of expediting and directing care for patients with acute pancreatitis and the complications that may develop from it.

Rowland Joins UNC Surgery

February 15, 2011 — The Department of Surgery is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Pamela A. Rowland as the first Associate Chair of Education in the department.

Weiner Promoted to Full Professor

February 9, 2011 — Dr. Tim Weiner, in the Division of Pediatric Surgery, has been promoted to Professor of Surgery effective February 9, 2011.

“America’s Top Doctors” Includes Nine from Surgery

February 8, 2011 — Castle Connolly has named “America’s Top Doctors,” which it bases on an annual survey and research. The 2011 list includes nine physicians on faculty with the Department of Surgery.

International Medical Outreach Program wins Medical Achievement Award

January 21, 2011 — Program headed by Dr. Francis Robiscek, UNC Surgery affiliate at Carolinas Medical Center, wins an award for medical achievement in Central America.

Meyer Appointed to Family House Board of Directors

January 10, 2011 — Anthony Meyer, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Surgery, has been appointed to the 2011 Board of Directors of UNC Hospitals SECU Family House.

Dreesen, Meyer and Stafford Participants on Geriatic Care Grant

January 6, 2011 — The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation has awarded a $1.5 million grant for the development of a program on “Next Steps in Physicians’ Training in Geriatrics.” Principle investigator is Jan Busby-Whitehead, MD, Director of the UNC Center for Aging and Health in the Division of Geriatric Medicine.

van Aalst Featured in “Southern Neighbor”

January 3, 2011 — The extraordinary volunteer efforts of UNC plastic surgeon, John van Aalst, MD, and local dentist, Bilal Saib, DDS, to treat pediatric cleft palate patients in the West Bank are featured in the current edition of “Southern Neighbor.”

Pruthi Assumes Leadership of Urologic Surgery

January 3, 2011 — Raj Pruthi, MD, has been appointed Chief of the Division of Urologic Surgery effective January 1, 2011.