News and Announcements
Pulmonary and Critical Care Division Garners top Dept of Medicine Awards
The faculty of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care received six distinguished awards from the annual Emory University Department of Medicine. In the inaugural "Celebrating Excellence" ceremony, faculty from across the Department of Medicine were recognized for their achievements in the past year, with Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine faculty garnering more awards than any other Division. The Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care received Golden Apple teaching awards (Jeff Pine, MD, Fernando Holguin, MD and Marc Moss, MD), the Junior Faculty Outstanding Clinical Research Award (Greg Martin, MD, MSc), the Silver Pear Research Mentoring Award (Jesse Roman, MD), and the Nanette K. Wenger Service Award (Kenneth Brigham, MD).
Dr. Srinias Bhadriraju named Section Head of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Crawford Long Hospital
Srinivas Bhadriraju, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, has been selected to lead the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Crawford Long Hospital. Dr. Bhadriraju is active in the field of sleep research and also currently chairs the Division's Clinical Enterprise Committee and serves as Assistant Division Director for Clinical Affairs at EmoryHealthcare. Dr. Bhadriraju succeeds Dr. Kenneth Leeper, an international expert in ventilator-associated pneumonia and venous thromboembolic disease, oversaw the clinical and research growth of the Section from 2001 through 2006.
Dr. Greg Martin named Section Head of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Grady Memorial Hospital
Greg Martin, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, has been selected to lead the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Grady Memorial Hospital. Dr. Martin is active in the field of clinical intensive care research, with particular interests in sepsis and acute lung injury, for which he recently received the Department of Medicine Clinical Research Award. Dr. Martin also serves as Assistant Director of the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at Grady Memorial Hospital, chairs the Division Committee on Intensive Care Standardization, chairs the Grady Hospital ICU Operations Committee, and serves on sub-committees for Departmental Faculty Development and Emory's Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) Planning Committee.
The Emory Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Center, headed by Doctor Jesse Roman, has recently been awarded a grant as one of the NIH-supported Clinical Research Centers in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). The ILD Center opened its doors in the Fall of 2002 with only a handful of patients. Since then we have seen hundreds of patients and have diagnosed and treated all types of interstitial lung diseases. This year we introduced one of our Pulmonary fellows, Bassel Ramadan, MD, into the group to train specifically in clinical research.
The ILD Center has three afternoon clinics a week, monthly educational conferences, and a pulmonary fibrosis support group for patients and their families. We have just completed an investigational study with the use of Enbrel to treat IPF. Our Center is currently enrolling IPF patients in a study using interferon gamma, and we anticipate future studies for the treatment of IPF and other interstitial lung diseases. If you would like more information about our center or have a patient you would like to refer, please call 404-727-6821 or check out our website at www.medicine.emory.edu/pulm/ILD.
Dr. Cherry Wongtrakool recognized for research achievements.
Dr. Cherry Wongtrakool, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, was recognized as a future leader in pulmonary diseases for her research as a junior faculty member at Emory University. Dr. Wongtrakool received the third place award in the First Annual Young Investigators Forum sponsored by the University of North Carolina for fellows and junior faculty around the country. The award was based upon research accomplishments, presentation and responses during a Q&A session.
David Schulman, MD MPH, Associate Fellowship Program Director for the Pulmonary Division, named the Emory University Golden Apple Award winner by the Department of Medicine for 2005.
This award is given to the best teacher department-wide and represents one of the greatest honors bestowed by housestaff for excellence in medical education. The award is modeled after the national Golden Apple award from the American Medical Student Association.
Dr. Arlene Stecenko recruited to lead the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology at Emory University and Egleston Hospital
Arlene Stecenko, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine has been recruited to lead the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology at Emory University and Egleston Hospital. She will continue her directorship of the Emory Cystic Fibrosis Center and her collaborations with the adult Pulmonary Division. Congratulations!
Pulmonary Fellows receive distinguished awards for research
Fellows Dr. Andres Pelaez and Dr. Rade Tomic were recognized for the best abstracts presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Society of Clinical Investigation. Dr. Rade Tomic received the award at the Southern Societies Meeting in February as the top abstract by a trainee in any category. This award was given by the Southern Section of the American Federation for Medical Research ( AFMR ), one of the participating societies in the meeting. In addition to a cash award, he presented his abstract at the plenary session of the Southern AFMR.
Dr. Andres Pelaez presented his abstract in the Pulmonary & Critical Care session of the meeting and earned a Trainee Travel Award from the Southern AFMR.
Dr. Eric Honig appointed as Medical Director of the Health Outcomes Center and of Respiratory Therapy
Eric Honig, MD, Professor of Medicine and Anesthesia, was appointed as the new Medical Director of the Health Outcomes Center at Grady Memorial Hospital, replacing Dr. Michael Heisler. In this role, Dr. Honig will be responsible for the planning, analysis, and reporting of data regarding the clinical performance of all units of the Grady Health System. He will continue to champion the implementation of APACHE (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) monitoring in the Grady intensive care units to permit continuous quality improvement and improved outcomes monitoring, as well as stepping beyond JCAHO compliance. The Health Outcomes Center will focus on patient-centered outcomes with a research focus in the area of healthcare disparities. As Medical Director of Respiratory Therapy, Dr. Honig will provide expertise in all aspects of respiratory care delivered in the hospital with the responsibility of making certain that all established policies are executed.
Dr. Srinivas Bhadriraju selected to head the Clinical Effectiveness Committee
Srinivas Bhadriraju, MD, has been chosen to lead the Clinical Effectiveness Committee of The Emory Clinic within the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care. This committee is charged with improving the quality and efficiency of care delivered to all pulmonary, allergy, sleep disorder and critical care patients seen at The Emory Clinic, Emory University Hospital and Crawford Long Hospital. Dr. Bhadriraju will replace Dr. Arlene Stecenko as the outgoing chair of this committee.
Dr. Greg Martin selected to lead Intensive Care Operations Committee
Greg Martin, MD, MSc has been selected to lead the Intensive Care Operations Committee at Grady Memorial Hospital. This committee is charged with ensuring efficiency of critical care services and optimizing outcomes for patients in intensive care units (ICU's) throughout the Grady Health System.