v.12,no.2 - CCHS historical collections University of Alabama

The University of Alabama
College of Community Health Sciences
Volume 12, Number 2
26th Annual Honors Convocation
Recognizes Medical Graduates and
Excellence in Performance, Teaching
Spring/Summer 2002
Funding Sought for Betty Shirley
Clinic in New Building
The psychiatry clinic at The University of Alabama's Capstone Medical
Center has been named in honor of Tuscaloosa mental health advocate
Betty Shirley. The UA Board of Trustees, in naming the clinic the Betty
Shirley Clinic for Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, called Shirley "a
beacon of strength and vision for our
nation who has brought honor and
recognition to her alma mater and to
the state of Alabama ... "
"Betty Shirley has been a longtime
advocate of the services provided by
·the psychiatry clinic at The University
of Alabama," said Dr. William Curry,
Dean of UA's College of Community
Health Sciences. "She is well known
as a proponent for treatment and destigmatization of mental illness, thus
encouraging those who are reluctant to
seek treatment and support. We are
proud to name our clinic in her honor."
Fund-raising for the construction of Dr. William Curry, dean of the College
a new building for patient care and
of Community Health Sciences at The
University of Alabama, and mental health
teaching is currently underway. The
advocate Betty Shirley look over plans
fund drive includes a goal of $500,000
for the new Medical Center at UA . The
for the Betty Shirley Clinic's facility in
building, site of patient care and medical
the new building for construction,
training will include new facilities for the
Betty Shirley Clinic for Psychiatry and
furnishings, equipment, and--if funds
Behavioral Medicine, which was
permit--endowment of operating costs
renamed recently in Shirley's honor.
of the clinic. Staffed by psychiatrists,
psychologists, and a social worker, the clinic specializes in individual
psychotherapy; comprehensive psychiatric evaluation; marital, family,
and group therapy; psychopharmacology, and psychological testing.
In addition to treating patients, the psychiatrists and psychologists at
the Betty Shirley Clinic are CCHS faculty, teaching and working closely
with medical students and family practice residents. Elizabeth Rand,
MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine,
said this teaching role is critical.
"As teachers who focus on primary care physicians, rather than on
specialists in psychiatry," said Rand, "we have an important opportunity
to bring a high level of expertise into general medical practice where the
vast majority of mental health problems are initially treated."
The Betty Shirley Clinic is the outpatient facility of the department of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine and part of the multi-specialty
Tuscaloosa medical center operated by UA's College of Community
Health Sciences, a branch campus of the University of Alabama School
of Medicine, which provides clinical training for medical students and
medical graduates specializing in family medicine.
Recognized by former President George H.W. Bush during his
presidency as one of "A Thousand Points of Light," Shirley has been a
leading supporter of UA's RISE program, which has become one of the
nation's finest preschools for special needs children. In appreciation for
her efforts, RISE has raised more than $3 million in her honor for an
endowment fund known as the "Betty Shirley Tree of Life."
Shirley is a lifetime member of the board of directors of the Mental
Health Association of Tuscaloosa County, was a member of the DCH
Foundation Ball when proceeds were designated for a psychiatric unit
at DCH Regional Medical Center, and was chairperson in 1991 of the
first Decorator Show House to benefit the Mental Health Association.
Dr. John Meigs (center), aBibb Countyfami~ physician ,was presented with the Preceptor of the Year Award by
Groundbreaking for the new Medical Center is expected this fall.
Thirty CCHS seniors, members of the University of Alabama School of
Medicine class of2002 who completed clinical training in Tuscaloosa were
recognized by the College of Community Health Sciences at the 26th Annual
Honors Convocation on May 17. The Tuscaloosa Senior class selected
Kris Cummings, MD, as recipient of the James H. Akers Memorial
Award. This award is presented annually to the Tuscaloosa Senior who
best personifies both the art and
the science of the practice of
medicine as chosen by the
graduating senior class. The Dean
presented Dr. Cummings with the
Scholastic Achievement Award
for the highest academic average
during the clinical years. Dr.
Cummings, who was a member of
the first class of UA Rural Health
Scholars in 1993, graduated
summa cum laude from the
University of Alabama School of
Medicine (UASOM), also earning
the Hugh J. Dempsey Memorial
Award given at the Honors
Convocation in Birmingham for the
highest academic achievement
ClassPresidentJulialettBoothe,MD,presentsthetop over four years at UASOM.
honor given bytheseniordass, the James H. Akers
Beverly Flowers Jordan,
Award,toKrisCummings,MD. Dr.Cummingsalsowon
MD
· d h w·11·
R
1
theScholasticAchievementAwardandlntemaiMedicine
' receive t e
Iam ·
AwardandgraduatedfirstintheentireUASOMclass. Dr. Willard Award (Dean's Award).
BoothewashersentherecipientoftheFami~Medicine Dean William A. Curry, MD,
Award (More photos, pp. 4-5)
presented this singular recognition
awarded annually to a senior medical student for outstanding contributions
to the goals and mission of the College of Community Health Sciences.
Dean Curry welcomed families and guests, and introduced members
of the class. Senior Class President Julia Boothe, MD, introduced the
speakers, Steadman Shealy and Dr. William Shamblin. Mr. Shealy, a
graduate of UA and the UA School of Law, was the guest speaker; and
Professor Emeritus William R. Shamblin, MD, former Chair of the
Department of Surgery, made a special address to the class.
E. Eugene Marsh, MD, Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of
Neurology and Internal Medicine, received both Faculty Recognition
Awards ·
the senior class.
Dr. John Wheat (r), Professor of Community and Rural Medicine, and Dr. Bill Owings, Interim Fami~ Medicine Chair
REFLECTIONS
by William A. Curry, MD, Dean
The Next Thirty Years
July 1 is a red-letter day not only fornew interns, but also fornew practicing
physicians. For me, it was July 1, 1979. I was a fresh internal medicine residency
graduate, assigned by the National Health Service Corps to my hometown of
Carrollton, Alabama. The citizens of that county had recently agreed to consolidate
two smaller hospitals into one, and the combination of a new facility, better
technology, and sustained community support made it likely we could provide good
hometown health care.
That last piece- sustained community support- would tum out to be even
more important than I imagined. What none of us knew was that we were living in the
Last Days of the American hospital boom.
What began in the 1950's through the Hill-Burton Act would head for a
controlled crash landing that is only now ending- maybe. First came a totally new
federal reimbursement scheme, the Prospective Payment System (PPS), associated
with the now-familiar Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG 's). More budget cutting
followed, masquerading as unintelligible alphabet soup: OBRA, COBRA, BBA.
Rural hospitals closed in waves, each new "reform" being followed by a couple of
years of desperate efforts to survive.
At times, Alabama has led the nation in closings. While consolidation can be
good, lost access, long distances to other hospitals and providers, the loss oflocal
physicians, and the impact oflost hospital payrolls gave a body blow to rural
community health and rural economies.
It is true that the same era has brought a measure of equity in physician
reimbursement, but the results are mixed at best. In 1979, my urban counterparts
were paid about 25% more than I for the same service by Medicare, while in most
cases the difference now is 5% or less. However, rural physician income is decreased
by higher numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients. The regulatory load increases
both expenses and the hours a physician must work. Again, the bitter alphabet soup:
OSHA, CLIA, HIPPA, and others.
At the same time, rural economies have been changing, many of them for the
worse- especially here in the South. Row crop agriculture, the rural economic
backbone, contracted as technology led to high yields and decreased the required
acreage. Light manufacturing made a strong showing through the 1950's and 60's, but
fell to global competition, leaving a large economic void.
There already had been sizable migration to Southern cities and to the North,
and these job losses accelerated that trend. This economic void was filled by the
timber and poultry industries, the "welfare economy," and commuting. The net effect
has been lower incomes, fewer benefits (including health insurance), economic
stagnation, and less cohesive communities.
Rural schools, never well funded, suffered from the resulting decline in tax
bases. With the loss of many families, fewer local children returned as teachers. This
created the ironic phenomenon of urban teachers commuting to rural schools passing
rural parents on their way to city jobs. In many communities, there is the added
effect of many white parents choosing private education over public schools for their
children. Through these and other forces, local schools became less cohesive, less
unifying, and less able to be an effective force for community development.
Threatened health care, declining economies, challenged educational systems: It
seems overwhelming. Is anybody out there listening? Is anybody doing anything?
Fortunately, there is more interest than ever in understanding and addressing the threats
facing our rural communities.
At The University of Alabama and the School of Medicine, we have special
responsibilities to the people who live and work in rural Alabama. CCHS has been in
the vanguard of those efforts for all of its thirty years, as rural health has been part of
our mission since the legislature founded this College. What can we show for our
efforts?
As a perplexed new primary care physician in 1979, one of the places I found
support was CCHS. Through its conferences and continuing education programs, from
formal consultations and from informal visits and encouragement, I was made to feel
welcome, valued, and supported. Beyond that, CCHS faculty welcomed me as a
colleague in medical education, and specifically wanted students and residents to hear
the point of view of a practicing rural physician. For me, it was like cool water on a hot
August Alabama day.
Integrating community physicians into the clinical education and training of medical
students and family practice residents is a hallmark of CCHS, and that alone has made
significant contributions to their learning and to their career choices. Rural Alabama is
benefiting today from our graduates practicing there.
What else has CCHS done to answer the tough challenges of rural communities?
Here is a partial list:
• The Annual Alabama Rural Health Conference, which in 2002 explored the
relationships of rural economies and health care (a joint effort with other UA
colleges)
• The Rural Scholars Pipeline (Rural Health Scholars, Rural Medical Scholars, and
the new Minority Rural Health Pipeline Program)
• The Institute for Rural Health Research (another joint UA effort)
• The Rural Alabama Area Health Education Center
• State-of-the-art Information Technology in patient care and education
• One of the oldest and most successful Family Practice Residencies in the nation,
which among its many accomplishments has done what it was founded to do
(get doctors to rural Alabama)
And what do we plan? Certainly continued growth of all of the above. Besides
that, we expect to break ground in November for a new building that will house our
clinical and academic programs, to position CCHS for the next thirty years of medical
education. Another project in which I am particularly interested is one in which our
faculty are exploring ways to apply information technology to rural practice. I'm
certain we'll combine that with the same kind of personal welcome I received 23 years
ago. We want the next generation of new rural primary care physicians to know they
can depend on CCHS/UA School of Medicine- Tuscaloosa to be the 21st Century
version of what has become an essential source for Alabama's rural health.
Dean Curry Receives Laureate Award
Dr. William A. Curry, Fellow, American College of Physicians
(F.A.C.P.) received the Laureate Award from the Alabama Chapter
on May 31, 2002. The prestigious Laureate Award honors those
Fellows or Masters of the College who have demonstrated by
their example and conduct an abiding commitment to excellence
in medical care, education, or research, and in service to their
community, their chapter, and the American College of PhysiciansAmerican Society of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Curry, who is Dean of The University of Alabama College
Dr. Curry
of Community Health Sciences and Associate Dean for Rural
Programs for the University of Alabama School of Medicine, has a record of
service in his community and to his patients in seventeen years of private practice
in Pickens County, more than twenty years as teacher and preceptor, and in
leadership positions in administration of both medical education and professional
organizations. The following biographical information was included in the program
at the ceremony which recognized Dr. Curry as Laureate of the Alabama Chapter:
Bill Curry grew up in the hills and swamps of Pickens County, in rural West Central
Alabama. He graduated as valedictorian of a high school class of 23, where he was
guard on the football team, Eagle Scout,surveyor of cotton land,and part-time radio
announcer. His physician role model and mentor was (and is) Dr. William E. Hill of
Carrollton, the fourth generation of his family to practice in that small town. He
moved on to The University of Alabama for pre-medical studies, graduating Phi Beta
Kappa. He attended medical school at Vanderbilt, where his interest in medically
underserved populations continued to grow. He served as Director of the Vanderbilt
Urban Student Health Coalition and for that work received a CIBA Award. He
graduated Vanderbilt AOA and received the Albert Weinstein Prize in Medicine.
After two years in the U.S. Public Health Service, he returned to Vanderbilt to
serve as Hugh J.Morgan Chief Resident in Medicine under Dr. Grant Liddle. He
then began what was to be a long relationship with the Tuscaloosa program of The
University of Alabama School of Medicine. Working under Dr. Bill Winternitz, he
combined practice in rural Pickens County with part-time clinical teaching in
Tuscaloosa. In 1997, he became CCHS Chair of the Department of Interrol
Medicine, Interim Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs,and Assistant UASOM Dean
for Rural Medicine. He subsequently was appointed Senior Associate Dean,and in
1998 he became Dean of the College of Community Health Sciences and Associate
Dean forTuscaloosa and Rural Programs, University of Alabama School of
Medicine. HeisagraduateoftheHarvardinstituteon~andleadership
in Education. He is past president of the Alabama Society of Interrol Medicine and
of the Medical Association of the State of Alabarroand has been a member of the
State Board of Medical Examiners and the State Committee of Public Health. Dr.
Curry has worked in a number of rural projects, serving as founding Chairman of
the Rural Alabama Health Alliance, playing a leadi~ role in the reform of state law
and regulations for nurse practitioners and physicians' assistants, and founding both
the Arru:tl Alabarro Conference on Rural Health and the UA Institute for Rural
Health Research. His published work involves clinical reviews, health policy, and
medical education. He remains an active clinical trials investigator. His interests
include the appropriate role of technology in medical education, the changi~
character of rural communities, and the relationship of community and economic
development to rural health outcomes. His greatest professional satisfaction comes
from teachi~ junior medical students. Dr.Curry was the 1996 Alabama Society of
Internal Medicine Internist of theYear. He also received the Alabama Hospital
Association Distinguished Service Award and the Alabama Nursing Association
Outstandi~ Non-Member Award in 1996. He and his wife Glenda have two
daughters. Hobbies include essay writing and fly-fishi~.
2 • On Rounds • Spring/Summer 2002
CCHS Anniversary Events
Set for Thursday, Nov. 21
Third Annual Rural Health Conference
The Time for Action: Building Connections to Improve Rural Economies and Health
Lister Hill Society to Host 30th
Anniversary Celebration
CCHS observes its 30th anniversary this year.
Founded by an act ofthe Alabama Legislature in
1972, the College of Community Health Sciences
was established at The University of Alabama as a
branch campus of the
University of Alabama
School of Medicine, which
is based in Birmingham.
The mission of the new
Tuscaloosa program was
providing primary care doctors for rural and underserved Alabama. William R. Willard, MD, who had
started the University of Kentucky medical school,
was recruited as founding Dean. He set up clinical
medical training for third and fourth year medical
students that emphasized the importance of
community involvement in health care and the
leadership role of the physician in a small town.
More than 450 medical students have been here for
their junior and senior years of medical school,
scoring well on boards, entering virtually every
specialty in an array of prestigious residency
programs.
Dr. Willard, who became known as the "Father
of Family Medicine" after reporting to Congress on
the need for family physicians to meet the doctor
shortage crisis in America, also set up the Family
Practice Residency at CCHS. The Tuscaloosa
program is one of the most productive family
practice residencies in the country, having
graduated 282 family practitioners over the 27 years
since accepting its first residents. Fifty-four
percent of the Family Practice Residency graduates
from CCHS are practicing in Alabama, half of these
in towns of25,000 or less. One in eight Alabama
family physicians graduated from the Tuscaloosa
Family Practice Residency at the College of
Community Health Sciences.
The College is planning special events to celebrate
the anniversary on November 21 in conjunction with
the groundbreaking for the new building to house the
clinic and academic offices of CCHS. The Lister Hill
Society, which hosts an annual reception each fall,
will host a 30th Anniversary Gala on that Thursday
evening (two days before the Alabama-Auburn game).
Alumni are invited to contribute photos, stories, and
special memories and to return for this occasion.
Special awards and recognitions are planned, and we
by N aorni Clewett, Assistant Director
UA Institute for Rural Health Research
The 3rd Annual Rural Health Conference was held
April25-26 at the Bryant Conference Center. Titled
'The Time for Action: Building Connections to
Improve Rural Economies and Health," the event
drew health care professionals, community
activists, business leaders, government officials,
academic researchers, students, representatives of
faith-based organizations, and concerned citizens
from throughout Alabama. Several participants
came from outside the state, such as speaker
Constantinos I. Miskis, Alabama's Regional
Representative for the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services: As HHS Secretary Tommy G.
Thompson's representative, Mr. Miskis oversees
coordination of the department's policies in the
region. He discussed Secretary Thompson's
mandate that the department consistently and
comprehensively address rural health issues.
The participant who traveled farthest to attend
the conference was Evan Morris, who came roughly
2,000 miles from Saskatchewan, Canada. A
consultant on numerous health-related research
projects for provincial and federal government
agencies, Mr. Morris saw the conference advertised
on the internet and volunteered his expertise. He
was one of about two dozen speakers and panelists
who conducted break-out sessions on "Resources
for Rural Health," "Barriers to Rural Health," and
"Notes from the Field."
Sessions consisted of five concurrent groups,
each addressing a separate topic. "Needs l"
focused on basic needs such as food, clothing, and
shelter, while "Needs 2" focused on secondary
needs like education, transportation, and recreation.
"Health Disparities" discussed uneven distribution
of health care professionals between rural and
urban areas, as well as the uneven distribution of
health problems and disease among different
populations within rural communities. "Economic
Development" explored the interplay between
community economics and community health.
Finally, "Recruiting and Retaining Health Care
Professionals" dealt with attracting health care
professionals to live and work in rural communities.
Dr. John C. Higginbotham, Director of the UA
Institute for Rural Health Research, described
pervasive health disparities. Other keynote
speakers, UA Chancellor Malcolm "Mack" Portera
and Dean Barry Mason of the College of Commerce
and Business Administration, discussed the crucial
connection between rural health and economics.
The conference was hosted by The University
of Alabama's College of Community Health
Sciences/UA School of Medicine, College of
Human Environmental Sciences, Capstone College
of Nursing, Culverhouse College of Commerce and
Business Administration, School of Social Work,
and the College of Continuing Studies, with support
from a variety of professional organizations and
leading public and private agencies.
To contribute feedback on the 2002 conference
or ideas for next year, please contact Naomi Clewett
at the Institute for Rural Health Research at (205)
348-3079 or [email protected].
encourage you to e-mail suggestions to Vicki Johnson
(CCHS Advancement Officer) [email protected]
The CCHS History Committee, chaired by Dean
Emeritus Wilmer Coggins, MD, will present
highlights of its book compiled from interviews by
former deans and founding faculty members.
The faculty and former faculty of CCHS hope all
alumni will join us for this special occasion .
Invitations to alllurnni will be sent in early November,
and information will be posted on the CCHS website,
http://cchs.ua.edu/
Contact: Office of Advancement, Dean's Office (205)
348-0093 ore-mail: [email protected]
"Founding fathers" of CCHS were together at aresearch conference held
in April: John Bumum, MD; David Mathews, PhD; William OMngs, MD; Dick
Rutland, MD. The 30th Anniversary will celebrate resultsoftheirvision.
Rural Alabama AHEC Spearheads Tobacco Control Project Aimed at Sixth Graders
The Rural Alabama Area Health Education
Center (AHEC) and the Westside Community
Action Council in Tuscaloosa have received a
grant for prevention of smoking in several
target audiences. The $30,000 Tobacco
Prevention and Control Grant by the State of
Alabama Department of Public Health will
enable these organizations to expand the Life
Skills Training and "Doctors Ought to Care"
(DOC) curricula to sixth graders at Westlawn
Middle School and Walker Elementary School
as well as to children enrolled in Elizabeth
Project Care 100 Men and Boys, Project
Bethel, and Project ROY. This one-year grant
(through May 31, 2003) is renewable.
"Through combining these two types of
training we hope to change young people's
attitudes about tobacco use and reduce the use
of all tobacco products by youth in Tuscaloosa
County," said Sonya Wilder, Community
Program Coordinator for the Rural Alabama
AHEC. The Rural Alabama AHEC is housed
in the CCHS Department of Community and
Rural Medicine and works closely with the
college to recruit rural students into health
professions and provide community-based
training experiences.
For information about this project or other
AHEC activities, contact Sonya Wilder at
(205) 348-1945 or [email protected].
Annalyn Whitt, Area Tobacco Coordinator, Alabama Department of Public Health (left) presents a check to Sonya Wilder,
AHEC Community Program Coordinator (right) and Dr. Alan Blum, founder of Doctors Ought to Care (DOC) and
Professor of Family Medicine at CCHS (second from right);Tuscaloosa Mayor AI Dupont (second from left) represented
the agencies in Tuscaloosa which will participate in the joint projects. Local nurse practitioner and health educator
Earnestine Tucker, member of Westside Community Action Council, and Ms. Angie Eatmon, teacher at Martin Luther King
Elementary and coordinator for Project ROY, will be working with AHEC as partners to implement the project. They were
unable to be present for the photo.
3 • On Rounds ·· Spring/Summer 2002
Honors Convocation
(continued from page I)
Departmental Awards
2002 Honors Convocation
Family Medicine
Julia Lett Boothe, MD
Internal Medicine
Kris Cummings, MD
William W. WintemitzAward
Pediatrics
Psychiatry
Margaret TaitMoore, MD
MargaretTaitMoore,MD
Peter Bryce Award
Community Medicine
Robert F Gloor Award
Surgery
Obstetrics-Gynecology
Beverly Flowers Jordan, MD
and Zanthia Evon Wiley, MD
Bradley Thomas Smith, MD
NadaBashir Memon,MD
Finney!Akers MenwrialAward
Neurology Award
Beverly Flowers Jordan, MD, received the William R. Willard Award (Dean's Award).
Dean William A. Curry, MD, (right) presented this singular recognition awarded annually
to a senior medical student for outstanding contributions to the goals and mission of the
College of Community Health Sciences. Professor Emeritus William Shamblin, MD, (left)
gave a special address to the graduating class.
Dr. Marsh was honored for Outstanding
Contributions to Undergraduate Medical
Education during the Junior Year and
received the Patrick McCue Award for
Outstanding Contributions during the
Senior Year. Dr. Allison Paulk made the
presentations on behalf of the senior
class. Salih Faldon, MD, received the
Resident Recognition Award from the
Senior Class.
Bibb County family physician John
Meigs, MD, was recognized as Rural &
Community Medicine Preceptor of the
Year. Dr. Meigs is a native of Brent and
has been in solo practice in Centerville
Dr. Marsh receives teaching awards
since 1982, when he completed residency from Dr. Allison Paulk.
training in Selma. He is a graduate of
The University of Alabama and earned
his M.D. dgree at the University of South
Alabama. He has been a medical student
preceptor for twenty years.
Dr. Cathy Gresham, Director of
Medical Student Affairs, presented
special scholastic honors. Margaret
Tait Moore, MD, a magna cum laude
graduate recognized at the Birmingham
Dr. Gresham (I) and Dr. Meg Moore,
who received the Glasgow Award
Honors Convocation on May 19 as an
honors graduate in the top ten percent
of the UASOM class, received the American Medical Women's Assoc.
Janet M. Glasgow Award to a female student for scholastic excellence.
Dr. Teresa Gottstine Magruder won The Merck Manual Award
for excellence in medical education, one of only four given in the School
of Medicine this
Dr. Gresham also presented the Larry Mayes
Memorial Scholarship awarded to
a rising junior medical student for
assistance in work in an
underserved area to Birminghambased student Anna Sobel.
Tuscaloosa seniors who were
admitted for membership in the
medical honorary Alpha Omega
Alpha (AOA) are Kris
Cummings, MD; Teresa
Gottstine Magruder, MD;
Margaret Tait Moore, MD;
and Brad Smith, MD. AOA is
the only national medical honor
society in the world. It was
founded in 1902 to recognize and
perpetuate excellence in the
medical profession. Students in
Dr. Gresham presents the Merck Manual
Award for Excellence to Dr. Teri Magruder.
the top 15% of their class are
eligible for membership in their
junior year. Senior medical students are elected to the honor society
based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, research
endeavors, and commitment to the community. In addition, each chapter
of AOA elects deserving housestaff, full-time faculty, and medical
school alumni each year.
Departmental and research awards were presented (See column 2),
and Rural Medical Scholars in the class were recognized.
Bradley Thomas Smith, MD
(first time awarded)
Student Research
Beverly Flowers Jordan, MD,
andNadaBashir Memon, MD
Salih Faldon, MD, with the
Resident Recognition Award he
received from the senior class for
outstanding contributions to their Julia Boothe, MD,MPH, receives the Family Medicine
raduate education.
Award from Dr. Laura Satcher.
Margaret Tail
Moore,MD ,holding the Award
for Pediatrics,
which was
presented by
Dr. Ashley
Evans (I) and
Dr. Elizabeth
Cockrum.
4 • OnRounds • Spring/Summer 2002
NATIONAL RESIDENT MATCH PROGRAM- 2002
University of Alabama School of Medicine- Thscaloosa
PROGRAM
Dr. Kris Cummings (left) accepts the Scholastic Award from
Dean William Curry, MD. Dr. Cummings also received the
William W. Wintemitz Award for Internal Medicine.
Nada Bashir Memon, MD, (r) received the Finney-Akers
Memorial Award for Obstetrics and Gynecology. Presenting
the award was Dr. Harvey Fair, Interim Chair of OB/GYN.
SPECIALTY
Patrick Austin
UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL
Surgery
Julia Boothe
Tuscaloosa Family Medicine, Tuscaloosa, AL
Family Medicine
Tracy Brookings
Wayne State U/Detroit Med. Cntr., Detroit, Ml
Pediatrics
Kris Cummings
Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Prelim. Int. Medicine
Radiology
Jeffrey Faggard
UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL
Internal Medicine
Clifton Garris
Univ. of TN-Memphis, Jackson, TN
Family Medicine
Joey Gassen
Oregon Health Sciences Univ., Portland, OR
Pediatrics
Heath Hale
Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, TX
Family Medicine
Christopher Hillman
Tucson Hospital Med. Ed. Program, Tucson, AZ
UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL
Transitional
Anesthesiology
Beverly Jordan
Tuscaloosa Family Medicine, Tuscaloosa, AL
Family Medicine
Rutwij (Rick) Jotani
Spartanburg Regional Med. Cntr., Spartanburg, SC Family Medicine
Teri Gottstine Magruder UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL
Pediatrics
Benjamin Kerr.
E. Virginia Graduate SOM, Norfolk, VA
Int. Med/Fam. Med
Nada Memon
Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Internal Medicine
Margaret (Meg) Moore
UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL
Pediatrics
Anthony Narducci
Univ. of TN-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL
Transitional
Radiology
Alexander Nettles
Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
Medicine/Pediatrics
Allison Paulk
Baptist Health System, Birmingham, AL
Internal Medicine
Nikki Price
Tuscaloosa Family Medicine, Tuscaloosa, AL
Family Medicine
Todd Sanford
Self Memorial Hospital, Greenwood, SC
Family Medicine
Brad Smith
Presbyterian Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
Transitional
Jefferson Univ, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, PA Ophthalmology
Richard Thomason
Univ. of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY
Anesthesiology
Robert Thornton
Carraway Methodist Med. Cntr. Birmingham, AL
Vanderbilt Univ. Medical Center, Nashville, TN
Prelim. Int. Medicine
Anesthesiology
Joseph Tubbs
LSU/Earl K. Long Mem. Hosp., Baton Rouge, LA
Emergency Medicine
Robert Vickers
LSU/Earl K. Long Mem. Hosp., Baton Rouge, LA
Emergency Medicine
Mark Wall
Carraway Methodist Med. Cntr., Birmingham, AL
Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
Transitional
Radiology
Wendy Wasden
UAB-Montgomery Int. Med., Montgomery, AL
SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse, NY
Transitional
Radiology
Robert Watson
Carraway Methodist Med. Cntr., Birmingham, AL
UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL
Transitional
Anesthesiology
Danny Whitaker
Univ. of TN-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
Pediatrics
Zanthia Wiley
Emory Univ. School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Internal Medicine
Brad Smith, MD, (I) received the Surgery Award, presented
by Dr. Joseph Wallace, Chair of the Surgery Department. Dr.
Smith also won the award forbes! performance in Neurology.
Tuscaloosa Senior Class President Julia Lett Boothe was a member of the 1997 Rural Medical
Scholars class which graduated this year. Dr. John Wheat, Professor of Community and Rural
Medicine and founder/airector of the UA Rural Medical Scholars Program, (left) recognized Rural
Medical Scholars who graduated this year (See page 6). Dr. Boothe worked closely with Dean
Curry (right) to address matters relating to medical students and to plan the Convocation program.
The CCHS Medical Student Research Award was
presented by Dr. Rubin (center) to Beverly Flowers
Jordan, MD, (I) and Nada Bashir Memon, MD.
5 • On Rounds • Spring/Summer 2002
Second Class of Rural Medical Scholars
Graduate from UA School of Medicine
The 1997 Rural Medical Scholars, the second class in the program, were recognized at the 2002 Honors Convocation in
Tuscaloosa on May 17 along with other graduates of the University of Alabama School of Medicine (UASOM) who completed
their clinical training during the third and fourth years of medical school at the College of Community Health Sciences. Rural
Medical Scholars are (front): Danny Whitaker, MD, Winston County; Beverly Jordan, MD, Coffee County; Teresa Gottstine
Magruder, Mobile County; Tuscaloosa SeniorCiass President Julia Boothe, MD, Tuscaloosa County; and Brad Smith, MD,
Fayette County. (Back) Dr. John Wheat, Professor of Community and Rural Medicine and founder of the UA Rural Scholars
programs; Robert Vickers, MD, Mobile County; Clifton Garris, MD, Washington County; Heath Hale, MD, Bibb County; and
Rutwij Jotani, MD, Talladega County. Rural Medical Scholars received several special awards at the convocation. Dr.
Jordan won the William R. Willard Award (a top CCHS honor named for the founding dean of the college), the Community
Medicine Award, and the Student Research Award. Dr. Gottstine, a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) national
medical honorary, won the Merck Manual Award for excellence in medical education and received a UASOM research
award at the Birmingham awards ceremony. Dr. Booth received the Family Medicine departmental award. Dr. Smith, an
AOA member, won the Surgery Award and the Neurology Award and graduated from UASOM with cum laude honors.
Programs for Rural Students at CCHS Target Alabama's
Need for Physicians to Enter Practice in Rural Areas
UA Rural Scholars Programs
The Rural Health Scholars Program (RHSP)
which encourages high school students to consider
careers in med icine and health professions and
experience college first-hand. In this 5 -week summer
program, sen iors from rural counties live on campus,
take college courses, and learn about health careers.
Since 1993, 248 Rura l Health Scholars from 58
Alabama counties have attended.
The Rural Medical Scholars Program (RMSP)
for premed and medical students includes a year of
special study prior to entry into medical school and
spe c ifically ru r al-oriented me d ical school
experiences. College seniors or graduate students
from rural area s are chosen each year to enter th is
highly selective progra m ofThe University of Alabama
and the University of Alabama School of Medicine.
RMSP focuses on rural primary care and community
medicine and gives Scholars experience in rural
set tings. Peer sup port and interaction with
practicing rural physicians begun d uring the ··
prematriculation year continues as rural stu dents
matriculate to medica l school in Birmingham for
basic sciences, returning to the Tuscaloosa campus
for cl inical training during years 3 and 4 of medical
school.
A number of minority students from ru ral Alabama
high schools have attended RHSP, but fewer minority
students sought or qualified to become Rural Med ical
Scholars.
The Minority Rural Health Pipeline Program
(MRHPP) was initiated in 2001 in an effort to
increase the number of minority students from
rural Alabama who qualify for admission to
medical school through the Rural Medical
Scholars Program (RMSP) at The University of
Alabama.
For more information: (205) 348-589
http:!/bama.ua.edul~ruralmed
To further the mission of CCHS--to supply well-trained doctors for rural Alabama and focus
on ways to improve health services in rural communities--The University of Alabama College of
CommunityHealth Sciences, a branch of the University of Alabama School of Medicine, has
established several programs for rural students.
The Rural Medicine Pipeline is a series of
programs created at The University of Alabama
whose goal is finding and nurturing capable rural
students who are interested in becoming
physicians and practicing in their hometowns or
similar rural areas. These students are more
likely than non-rural students to establish their
medical practices in underserved areas after
completing their training in urban medical centers.
The "pipeline" includes the programs for high
school, minority, premed, and medical students.
See boxed program descriptions. The "pipeline"
also incorporates summer field work and rural
research options for students at all levels, an
interim course at UA for Rural Health Scholars
and other rural students during college, and rural
rotations for medical students and physicians in
the family practice residency program at UA's
College of Community Health Sciences. Other
important components of the pipeline are a
required community medicine rotation for all
UASOM students, fellowships in rural medicine,
and physician recruitment and retention activities.
All these activities are conducted in partnership
with the Alabama Family Practice Rural Health
Board, The University of Alabama, The
University of Alabama School of Medicine
(UASOM), other medical training programs, the
Alabama Department of Public Health, the
Cooperative Extension System, the Rural
Alabama Health Alliance (RAHA), the Alabama
Area Health Education Center Program, and
Alabama communities.
Bridgette Singleton (RHS '01 ), Joseph Walker (RHS, RMS, RHS Counselor)
A1998 RMSfarmfiek:lbipto SOOter was sponsored byW.I.F.E. (Women lnvotved in Fann Ea:J11001K:s). Candace Teny (RMS'OO) and her classmates with
Bullock County children at Farm Safety Day Camp.
Left: Membersofthefirst class of University of Alabama Rural Health Scholars
(who attended afive-week summer session in 1993 after their eleventh grade
year) graduated from medical school in May. They are pictured with the founders
of RHSP after Honors Convocation in Tuscaloosa. (L-R) Cynthia Moore, RHSP
Director, Dr. Robert Gamer,ProfessorEmeritusofChemislryandformer Assistant
Dean of Arts and Sciences and Director of the Minority Rural Hea~h Pipeline
Program (MRHPP), both of whom helped establish the program at CCHSto
introduce rural high school students to careers in hea~ and medical fields and
give them acollege class and riVing experience; Kris Cummings of Chitton County,
aTuscaloosa senior who ranked at the top of the 2002 UASOM class this year,
Aprile Brown of Greene County, a2002 graduate of the University of South
Alabama College of Medicine, Joey Gasson of Limestone County, also a
Tuscaloosaseniormedical student and UASOM graduate, and Dr.John Wheat,
Professor of Community and Rural Medicine, and Director of the Rural Medicine
Pipeline programs.
Bowden (RHS '93) is now in dental school.
6•
OnRound~
• Spring/Summer 2002
Notes from Alums
Dr. Thomas Named First
Emmanuel Jones, MD, Memorial
Rural Family Physician Fellow
Hayneville, AL, family physician George
G. Thomas, MD, a 1986 graduate of the
Dr. Emmanuel Jones
Tuscaloosa Family Practice Residency, is
Memorial
the first recipient of the Dr. Emmanuel
Rural
Jones Memorial Rural Family Physician
Family
Physician
Fellowship.
Dr. Thomas was born in Salisbury,
Fellowship
North Carolina, and graduated from
Morehouse College in Atlanta. He earned EmmfoJUelJones, MD
his MD degree at Howard University in
Washington, OC, and completed his Family • Memorializes the late Dr. Emmanuel Jones,
who practiced Family Medicine in rural
George G. Thomas, MD, (front) a fami ly physician in Hayneville, Alabama, and
Practice residency training in Tuscaloosa
Macon
County,
Alabama
1986
residency graduate, is the f irst Dr. Emmanuel J ones Memoria l Rural
at The University of Alabama's College of
Family Physician Fellow. The fellowship, given by Mrs. Jones of Marion in
Community Health Sciences in 1986,
memory of her late husband, was jointly presented at the Annual Meeting of
becoming Board Certified in Family Practice • Honors an African-American physician
the Alabama Chapter of AAFP by J immie Clark, MD, MPH, (r) a member of the
currently
in
practice
in
rural
Alabama
that year. Dr. Thomas was Managing
AAFP Board, and John Wheat, MD, MPH, (back) Professor of Community and
Physician of the Greensboro Center, West
Rural Medicine and founder/director of the University of Alabama Rural
Alabama Health Services, for four years • Encourages African-American students to
Scholars programs. Dr. Ann Chu (I) of Huntsville, outgoing president of
pursue careers in rural Family Medicine
before assuming the same position at the
AAFP, presided at the event in Destin on June 15.
(Photo by Holley Midgley)
organization's Lowndes County Center in
1990. Since 1991,hehaspracticedfamily • Fosters cultural understanding among health
professional students in The University of
medicine at the Lowndes Center of Health
Alabama Rural Medicine Pipeline
Services, Inc.
CCHS alumni serve in leadership positions throughout the Alabama
Dr. Thomas has been married for 18
Chapter of AAFP (American Academy of Family Practice). Dr.
years and has five sons. He is a member of the Steward Board and serves as Church Melissa Behringer, who finished both medical school and residency at
Treasurer for Old Ship A.M.E. Church.
_CCHS (91/94), is the new President Elect of the Alabama Chapter. A
Dr. Thomas participated last spring in a round table discussion of rural health care list of of AAFP 2001/2002 board and officers taken from the annual
sponsored by the Montgomery Advertiser and was featured in a series of articles by dinner program (boldface type indicates CCHS alumni):
Advertiser reporter Cynthia Yeldell about rural medical care because of his choice to
practice in a rural area.
Bd. Chairman: Blane Schilling, MD
Cong. Dist. 3: Beverly Joseph, MD
President-elect: Claude Ouimet, MD
"Minority health is a major component of rural medical practice," said Dr. John
Cong. Dist. 4: Fred Yerby, MD
Treasurer: Randall Weaver, MD
Wheat, Professor of Community and Rural Medicine at The University of Alabama
Cong. Dist. 5: Jacquelin Perry, MD
School of Medicine, Tuscaloosa campus, and founder of the Rural Scholars Programs at VP Northwest: Jerry Harrison, MD
Cong. Dist. 6: Carol Johnson, MD
- UA. ·'The Ernillanuel Jones , MI),Memorial Rural. FariiiJY Physic1anFellowship · -~
VP Northeast: Mike O'Dell;1\.ID Cong. Dist. 7: Jerry McKnight,-~--­
VP Southeast: Florencia Patterson, MD Gulf Coast Br.: Mike McBrearty, MD
strengthens the pipeline in its aim to prepare students for culturally sensitive
approaches to all patients in rural Alabama."
VP Southwest: Boyd Bailey, MD
Calhoun Co. Br.: Nelson Cook, MD
At Large: Mark Keating, MD
Jefferson Co. Br.: Lisa Columbia, MD
At Large: Melissa Behringer, MD
Tenn. Valley Br.: Robert Chappell, MD
Dr. Richard Streiffer (left) in June, 2000, when he was the
At Large: James Chambers, MD
Tuscaloosa Co. Br.: Jimmie D. Clark, MD
speaker at the Tuscaloosa Family Practice Residency
Congressional Dist. 1: Sage Smith, MD Resident Rep. Joanna Carioba, MD
graduation dinner, and below with Jerry McKnight, MD,
Cong. Dist. 2: Lon Haskell, MD
Student Rep. Beverly Jordan, (now an MD)
Chair of Family Medicine at CCHS,
Clip and retum
and Sam Gaskins, MD, Residency
Director, after the event.
CCHS Alums Provide Leadership
.Notes from Alums
Please send alumni news to OnRounds.
Include medical school and residency info
and your current e-mail and phone. We
are collecting pictures and stories from
alumni and former faculty for the 30th
Anniversary of the college this year.
NAME: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
name used at CCHS, if different
Medical School (name and graduation date): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Residency (where and when?)._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Other training_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Streiffer Is Top Family Doctor
Describe your current practice: ___________________
Dr. Richard Streiffer (1980 grad, Tuscaloosa FP Residency)
was included in a list of the best doctors in the country for
families in a recent article in Ladies Home Jounwl. Castle
Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Connolly, the publisher of the consumer health-care guide
America's Top Doctors, helped identify the nation's top
doctors based on mail and telephone surveys, electronic
FMI, to make recommendations, or to
ballots, and other research which asked area physicians to
nominate persons for recognition,
identify highly skilled, exceptional doctors. Educational and
contact: Vicki Johnson, (205) 348-0093
[email protected]
professional experience was used in making the final
selection among those physicians most highly regarded by
Please attach details of awards or recognition, elected positions, research,
their peers, said the magazine's introduction to the listings.
community activities, or other professional and personal news:
Dr. Streiffer is Professor and founding Chair of Family
I
Clipping
or article attached?
Photo?
(Specify who and what.)
Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine. He
also set up the Family Practice Residency at Baton Rouge : Return to: Linda Jackson,CCHS • Box 870326 ·Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0326
General.
I
(205) 348-1302 · [email protected]
7 • OnRounds • Spring/Summer 2002
New Class of Rural Medical
Scholars Chosen as Program
Enters Seventh Year
The 2002-2003 Rural Medical Scholars were notified of
their admission to the program after interviews in June
with practicing rural physicians and medical school faculty
from Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. Three undergraduates
and seven graduate students make up the seventh class to
Continuing Medical Education Offers Medical Emergency Series
Continuing Medical Education (CME) at the College of Community Health Sciences annually offers a series on medical
emergencies during the summer. Lectures have been scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays in July and August
and will take place in the William R. Willard Auditorium atDCHRegionalMedical Center, 12:15-1:15 p.m. The
University of Alabama School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical Education to
physicians. The University of Alabama School of Medicine designates this educational activity for up to one (1) hour of
Category 1credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award.
CCHS conference schedules are available on the Hea~h Sciences Library web site:
www.bama.ua.edu/,.,f,sfibl
Tuesday, July 9
Thursday, July 11
Friday, July 12
Tuesday, July 16
Thursday,July 18
Friday, July 19
Tuesday, July 23
Thursday, July 25
Friday, July 26
Tuesday, July 30
Thursday, Aug. 1
Friday, August 2
Tuesday, August 6
Thursday, August 8
Michael Luther, 1998 Rural Health Scholar from
DeKalb County, is interviewed for admission to
RMSP by Dr. Beverly Jordan, a 1997 RMS and
graduate of the program now in the Tuscaloosa
Fami~ Practice Residency.
enter RMSP --the Rural Medical Scholars Program. The
first two classes of Rural Medical Scholars have graduated
from medical school at UASOM and are now in residency
training, most in primary care fields.
2002 Rural Medical Scholars
~
Homefuwn
JonBinkerd
Ashley Coleman
David Corbett
CarrieFreeman
Brad Guy
JebHomsby
MichaelLuther
DeanahMaxwell
Tatum McArthur
Ray Stewart
Shelby
Jackson
Winfield
Northport
Millry
Opp
Dawson(RHS 1998)
Tuskegee (RHS 1996)
Greeneville
Phenix City
Justin Hughes from Beaverton was chosen as altemate.
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!?Jl:rr/x!c'f. cXem6a 21,2002
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The College of Community Health Sciences is a branch
campus of the University of Alabama School of Medicine.
Established in 1972, CCHS emphasizes family practice
and the other primary care disciplines and provides
clinical medical education for all medical students
assigned to this campus. CCHS also trains family
doctors through a three-year family practice residency
program to meet the urgent need for family physicians.
Aprimary focus of the CCHS mission is seeking
solutions for rural health care problems in Alabama.
OnRounds is published quarterly by CCHS. Send
information to the editor, Box 870326 Tuscaloosa, AL
Friday, August 9
Tuesday, August 13
Thursday, August 15
Friday, August 16
Tuesday, August 20
Thursday, August 22
Friday, August 23
Tuesday, August 27
Thursday, August 29
Friday, August 30
GeorgeNunn,MD
David Rice, MD
Thomas Scott, MD
MaryToshkoff,MD
Karen Burgess, MD
Steve Lovelady, MD
JohnMantle,MD
Stephen Ikard, MD
Ross Vaughn, MD
William A. Curry, MD
"Trauma to the Chest"
"Respiratory Emergencies"
"Allergy Emergencies"
"Major Psychiatric Emergencies"
"Pediatric Shock"
"Airway Management"
'Treatment of AMI"
''Orthopedic Emergencies''
"Congestive Heart Failure"
"Hypertension Emergencies"
OmarSmith,MD
Donnie Smith, MD
AlbertWhite,MD
James Shotts, MD, and
Carl Stephenson, MD
Steve Lovelady, MD
Keith DeBell, MD
Dwight Hooper, MD
James D. Geyer, MD
Ashley Evans, MD
GeorgeKudirka,MD
E. Eugene Marsh, MD
W. Charles Braswell, MD
S.B. Sundar, MD
Michael Robards, MD
''Urological Emergencies''
"Upper GI Bleeding"
"Infectious Disease Emergencies"
''ENTEmergencies"
'Trauma Patients & Multiple Injuries"
"DKA &Related Emergencies"
''OB/GYNEmergencies''
"Neurological Emergencies"
"Pediatric Seizures"
''Eye Emergencies"
"Stroke"
"Acute Abdomen"
''Lower GI Bleeding"
"Acute Renal Failure"
Lunch is served at noon to medical students, residents, physicians in the community, and other health providers who apply for
CMEcreditforthesetJIXlatesonemergencymedicalpn:x:echrres. Formoreinforrnation,contact VickiJohnson,DirectorofAdvancement
and CME, 348-0093, VJohnson @cchs. ua.edu
Inside:
Hooo:sConvocation
(begins on page 1)
Funding Sought for
Betty Shirley Clinic
IXwlsMessage
llim.CunyHonored
2
2
ThirtiethAnniversary 3
Rural.AlabamaAHEC
GetsTobaccoGrant 3
Awards pictures
4
Match results
5
Rural Scholars
6
Alumni. News
7
The University of Alabama
College of Community Health Sciences
Box 870326
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0326
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
35487. (205) 348-1302, [email protected]
William A. Curry, Dean
Linda Jackson, Editor
THE UNIVERSIT Y O F
ALABAMA
HEALTH SCIENCE S
8 • OnRounds • Spring/Summer 2002
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 16
Thscaloosa, AL