July 5, 2024

In this month’s Chair’s Spotlight, we highlight Sarah Hyder, MD, MBA, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and director of endoscopy at UMass Memorial Medical Center. We recently sat down with Dr. Hyder to learn about her, her work, and how recent initiatives aim to address the backlog of patients waiting for an endoscopy at UMMH.  

Over the last six months, Dr. Hyder’s team has been utilizing the GI Risk Score Pilot in Epic to leverage machine learning and other AI technologies that can help score patients’ risks based on the data in their medical records.

This initiative has been incredibly helpful in moving through the backlog of patients waiting for an endoscopy and establishing an effective protocol moving forward. “The risk score pilot has made a huge impact on the efficiency of the team,” said Dr. Hyder. “We are continuing to make adjustments here and there, but ultimately our goal is to make the experience as seamless as possible for the patient.”

In this month’s Fellow Spotlight, we feature Ikechukwu (Ike) Achebe, MD, a second-year Gastroenterology fellow at UMass Chan. We recently caught up with Dr. Achebe to learn more about his clinical interests, why he chose UMass, and his favorite place to travel! 

"Not all programs have a therapeutic endoscopy fellowship associated with the program – UMass is one of the unique institutions that does that," said Dr. Achebe. "I knew I wanted to pursue that even before coming into the gastroenterology fellowship, so a program that had an on-site therapeutic endoscopy fellowship was incredibly appealing. I’ve also received excellent mentorship from our program director, Dr. Krunal Patel, and there’s a strong sense of collegiality among the fellows."

In this month’s Resident Spotlight, we highlight Katie Cooper, MD, a third-year Internal Medicine Resident on the research track. Here, Dr. Cooper describes her clinical and research interests, what makes UMass Chan a great place for residency, and her favorite hobbies. 

"UMass Chan offers exceptional clinical training with comprehensive exposure to a wide range of sub-specialties, ensuring a well-rounded medical education," said Dr. Cooper. "As residents, we gain experience in advanced heart failure, bone marrow transplantation, and liver transplant. UMass Chan is also at the forefront of several emerging fields of digital medicine, providing exposure to telehealth, wearable technologies, and artificial intelligence in healthcare."

Physician Retention Focus of Department of Medicine Survey 

Left to right: Drs. Lauren Feld and Terrell Johnson

Physician retention is one of the most challenging problems in medicine today and turnover is a major stressor that can lead to additional burden on physicians, staff, and patients.  

Lauren Feld, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and physician executive for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the Department of Medicine is interested in understanding the root causes of retention issues and burnout, and is leading initiatives to investigate these topics in the Department of Medicine.   

In the summer of 2023, a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) physician retention survey was sent to providers in the Department of Medicine. The survey included sections on retention, belonging, burnout, and demographics.  

With the data collected, Dr. Feld and Terrell Johnson, MD, assistant professor of medicine and director of diversity, inclusion, and social justice in the Department of Medicine, are now meeting with divisional leadership to create action plans tailored to each division’s specific results and unique needs.

“We hope to use this tool to make an impact and improve our physicians’ quality of work and life," said Dr. Feld.

Patients Awaiting Appointments with New PCPs Offered Care Through Virtual Care Bridge

It is a common challenge across primary care—a patient’s primary care provider has moved or retired and they need to make an appointment with a new provider. It seems simple enough but the problem is that PCPs are scheduling new patients out six to twelve months or more in some cases, which can create lapses in regular health screenings, staying on track with medications, and a variety of other issues.



To address these challenges, with the support of Dr. Eric Dickson, president and CEO of UMMH, and the UMMH system, the Virtual Care Bridge pilot program has been launched in the Benedict Internal Medicine Practice in the Division of General Internal Medicine. This program gives patients the opportunity to meet with an advanced practice provider (APP) by telehealth, to help “bridge” the gap in care before their first appointment with their new physician. During these virtual appointments, the APP can provide the patient with referrals and prescription refills, and ensure they stay on track with chronic disease management and regular screenings such as colonoscopies.

Nikolaos Kakouros Performs Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement on 100-Year-Old Patient

In a recent article by UMass Memorial Communications, Nikolaos Kakouros, MD, PhD, medical director of the Structural Heart Program and associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, was highlighted for his work on a minimally invasive heart procedure at UMass. Dr. Kakouros, along with Dr. Jennifer Walker of cardiac surgery, performed a successful Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) on 100-year-old patient, Margery Dearborn, who returned to UMass for a follow-up and to thank her team for their incredible work. 

Read the story on our website.

Ryann Quinn and Ryan Holstead Explore Major Tumor Sites in Educational Podcast 

Left to right: Drs. Ryann Quinn and Ryan Holstead

Ryann Quinn, MD, and Ryan Holstead, MD, assistant professors of medicine and physicians in the Division of Hematology/Oncology have many things in common. They are both oncologists, they began their careers at UMass Chan Medical School/UMass Memorial Health at the same time, they are married, and perhaps most obviously, they share the same first name. Now, they have added popular podcast co-hosts to their list.  

 

In April 2022, Drs. Quinn and Holstead officially launched their educational podcast Talking about Tumors with Ryann and Ryan, aimed at medical oncology trainees. They have since recorded about 40 episodes, where they focus their discussions on major tumor sites.

Dr. Holstead noted that their podcast has recently gained momentum and their reach is widening, commenting, “We've had more people picking up lately, with about 30% of our listeners being international.”

Physician-Scientist Training Program named in honor of Robert Finberg Launches at UMass Chan

Applications are now being accepted for a new physician-scientist training program aimed at bridging internal medicine residency and basic science research.

The Robert W. Finberg Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) is named in honor of the late Robert W. Finberg, MD, chair emeritus and distinguished professor of medicine, whose career as an accomplished physician, infectious disease researcher, teacher, and mentor spanned four decades. The goal of the program is to help trainees establish themselves as independent physicians under the mentorship of research faculty.

The Finberg PSTP is directed by Read Pukkila-Worley, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology. “Considering our incredible prowess in basic science, translational science, disease-oriented research on our campus, creating such a program is a huge win for UMass Chan, because we use these resources to train our future physician-scientists,” he said.

Initiated by David McManus, MD, ScM, the Richard M. Haidack Professor of Medicine, chair and professor of medicine, and Kate Fitzgerald, PhD, the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research Chair III, professor of medicine, associate vice provost for basic science research, vice chair for research in the Department of Medicine, chief of the Division of Innate Immunity and director of the Program in Innate Immunity, the Finberg PSTP also has the strong support of Scott Kopec, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, and program director of the internal medicine residency program, and PY Fan, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Renal Medicine and vice chair for education in the Department of Medicine.

Lara Kovell and Katherine Sadaniantz Find Correlation Between Food Insecurity and Pregnant Patients with Hypertensive Disorders in Recent Study 

Left to right: Drs. Lara Kovell and Katherine Sadaniantz

Lara Kovell, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and Katherine Sadaniantz, MD, a recent graduate of the Internal Medicine Residency, were highlighted in an article by UMass Chan Communications for their study that they presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session in Atlanta, GA, this past spring. In the study, Drs. Kovell and Sadaniantz found that roughly one-third of surveyed pregnant patients with or at risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy reported food insecurity. Additionally, they reported that healthy maternal dietary patterns may lower the odds of preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders.



“Hopefully this study and others like it help to support the policy change needed to enhance access and funding to food support programs and screening programs in pregnancy, in order to improve food security and health outcomes for pregnant individuals with these risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Sadaniantz. 

Christine MacGinnis Appointed Co-Director of Learning Communities Program 



Christine MacGinnis, DO, chief and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Community Internal Medicine, has been appointed the new Co-Director of Learning Communities, a foundational program at UMass Chan. Dr. MacGinnis joined the Learning Communities program in 2014 and continues to be deeply involved with the implementation of new curriculum.  

Please join us in congratulating Dr. MacGinnis as she begins her new role!

Read the story on our website.

David Dosa Weighs in on Risks of Planned Power Outages for Nursing Homes 

David Dosa, MD, MPH, chief and professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, was quoted in a recent article in KFF Health News, titled, “Nursing Homes Are Left in the Dark as More Utilities Cut Power to Prevent Wildfires.” The article describes the practice of planned power outages to keep downed power lines from sparking wildfires in the western United States. Most recently, power was shut off in Boulder, Colorado, affecting 52,000 homes and businesses, including assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. During power shut-downs, these facilities are forced to rely on power generators to keep oxygen machines, refrigerators, lights, and more up and running, putting residents at risk. 

“We need to prioritize these folks so that when the power does go out, they get to the front of the line to restore their power accordingly,” said Dr. Dosa. 

Read the story on our website.

Our trainees have much to celebrate! Enjoy the photos of their graduation events and celebratory outings below.

Internal Medicine Residency Graduation Grand Rounds

Primary Care Track Graduation Celebration

Palliative Care Fellow Graduation Celebration

Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Fellow Graduation Celebration

Rheumatology Fellow Graduation Celebration

Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellow Graduation Celebration

Internal Medicine Residents Graduation Dinner

Cardiovascular Fellow Graduation Celebration

Geriatric Fellow Graduation Celebration

Hematology/Oncology Fellow Graduation Celebration

Rheumatology WooSox Outing

McManus and Soni Labs Volleyball Match

Fellow Educator of the Year

Dr. Suong Nguyen, first-year Pulmonary fellow - recipient of award (right), pictured with her husband Danison Emmerson

Pictured above: Internal Medicine Residency Graduation Grand Rounds

in the Albert Sherman Auditorium

The Department of Medicine Grand Rounds series continued in June with presentations from Dr. George Abraham, Shari Erickson, MPH, Dr. Gayatri Narayan, Dr. Gregory Campbell, and Mike Knapik, VP, who presented a Grander Rounds titled, "Physician Advocacy: Speak Now for Forever Hold Your Peace." Additionally, the Department of Medicine held its annual Internal Medicine Residency Graduation Grand Rounds.

If you missed any of the presentations or would like to view them again, please click the button below.

Congratulations to the following faculty on their recent appointments:

Ryann Quinn, MD

Hematology/Oncology

Assistant Professor

Please join us in welcoming our newest hires:

Charu Bajracharya, MD

Hospital Medicine

Arun Chutani, MD

Cardiovascular Medicine

Evan Dang, DO

Hospital Medicine

Changqing Li, MD, PhD

Hospital Medicine

Fernando Martinez, MD, MS

Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine

Bryan Quintanilla, MD

Hospital Medicine

Onica Washington-Moore, MD, PhD

Renal Medicine

Bruce Watrous, MD

Renal Medicine



Vania Wu, DO

Hospital Medicine

UMMMC: Huddle Up for Safety - Sepsis

Learn more about the Huddle Up for Sepsis for June by clicking the button below.

Learn more about the latest news from the Department of Medicine by visiting our website at the button below!

To submit your ideas for a future DoM CONNECT story, please email us.