New internal medicine residency in southwest Indiana receives accreditation

With Indiana facing a statewide physician shortage, Indiana University School of Medicine is working to help fill the gap with the first internal medicine residency in southwestern Indiana to serve a 10-county region.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has approved the IU School of Medicine Southwest Indiana Internal Medicine Residency Program. The ACGME is the accreditation body for residency graduate medical education (GME) training programs for physicians in the country. The ACGME’s approval came with high praise from the council, which “commended the program for its demonstrated substantial compliance with the ACGME’s institutional and/or program requirements for graduate medical education without citations.” The ACGME also issued an additional commendation for “a well-prepared application that demonstrates familiarity with the program requirements and plans for compliance including areas of growth and further development.”

Recruitment for the program will take place this year, with the first residents beginning in 2020. The goal of the program is to increase access to much-needed primary care for rural and underserved populations in southwest Indiana. Resident physicians will complete training at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes and St. Vincent Evansville sites.

“We know that physicians who complete their undergraduate and graduate training in the same communities are more likely to make personal and professional connections there, and thus result in more physicians remaining in the region to serve patients,” said Robert Ficalora, MD, FACP, program director for the Southwest Indiana Internal Medicine Residency and a professor of clinical medicine at IU School of Medicine-Evansville.

For more, visit the Newsroom.

Back to Top ▲

Researchers receive $2 million to pursue targets in rare pediatric cancer

Indiana University School of Medicine researcher Reuben Kapur, PhD, Frieda and Albrecht Kipp Professor of Pediatrics, has received more than $2 million to identify new targets in the rare pediatric blood cancer known as juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia or JMML. Kapur, who conducts his research at the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research and the IU Simon Cancer Center, will use the funds from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to support his research over the next five years.

JMML is a rare pediatric leukemia that makes up about 1 to 2 percent of all pediatric blood cancers. It occurs when cancerous white blood cells proliferate and prevent healthy blood cells from functioning properly, which can lead to infection and organ failure. Most cases of JMML are diagnosed in children under the age of 4.

If left untreated, JMML can progress rapidly. But treatment options are scarce, and the cancerous cells are often resistant to chemotherapies. Instead, the most common treatment for JMML is a stem cell transplant, which is often successful in curing the disease. Still, about half of the patients who receive a stem cell transplant experience a relapse of the disease.

To better understand why relapse is so common, Kapur and his team of investigators hope to build on their previous work to characterize the bone marrow microenvironment and its interaction with different cellular mutations that are associated with JMML. Ultimately, their work will shed new light on JMML development and progression, and help to identify new ways to target treatment—especially for the 50 percent of children and their families who are devastated by relapse.

Visit the Newsroom for more details.

Back to Top ▲

Bogdewic to retire from IU School of Medicine this summer

Stephen P. Bogdewic, PhD, executive vice dean, will retire from IU School of Medicine at the end of June after 28 years of service.

A former Navy pilot and family therapist, Bogdewic joined the Department of Family Medicine in 1991 not long after earning a PhD in adult education and organizational development. His expertise and leadership quickly garnered attention, and he was tapped to serve as an assistant dean for primary care education and lead the effort to develop a new four-year curriculum.

A firm believer in the investment in and support of faculty, Bogdewic established the Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development (now Faculty Affairs, Professional Development and Diversity) and served as its first executive associate dean from 2005 until 2014.

During that time, he created the Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (LAMP) and many other faculty development initiatives aimed at helping faculty accomplish their career goals. He also championed the importance of adding more women to leadership positions and dramatically increased the number of women appointed to lead standing faculty committees.

In 2014, Bogdewic accepted the new role of executive vice dean and for the past several years has overseen school-wide strategic planning, departmental reviews and strategic alignment with the health care system.

In an email announcing Bogdewic’s retirement, IU School of Medicine Dean Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, executive vice president of university clinical affairs, said, “Steve’s contributions to the school are numerous and lasting…His deep institutional knowledge and willingness to tackle any challenge have been invaluable to me as dean, and to the school as a whole.”

Bogdewic and his wife, Betsy, are planning a move to North Carolina this summer to be closer to family.

Back to Top ▲

Hess to present keynote address at May 3 engineering-medicine partnership event

IU School of Medicine Dean Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, executive vice president for university clinical affairs, will offer key insights to answer the question, “What if Medical Technology Transformed Health?,” at the Advancing Health: An Engineering-Medicine Partnership event on Friday, May 3. Hess’ keynote address begins at 1 pm and will be held in Hine Hall Auditorium (note new location) on the IUPUI campus. The event, which runs from 1-5:15 pm, is free and open to the public and includes a faculty panel from 2-3 pm discussing “Next-Generation Diagnostic & Therapeutic Technologies.” A student pitch competition, poster session and reception are also part of the afternoon program. More details are available. 

Back to Top ▲

Latest Precision Health podcast focuses on multiple myeloma

IU School of Medicine researcher Rafat Abonour, MD, leader of the IU Grand Challenge Precision Health Initiative's multiple myeloma disease research team, was recently interviewed by Aaron Carroll, MD, associate dean for research mentoring, as part of the Precision Health Initiative’s monthly podcast series.

Abonour discusses his interest in multiple myeloma, causes of the disease and current treatments. He also emphasizes his love of multiple myeloma patients and his focus to not only cure multiple myeloma, but eventually prevent the disease. 

Listen to the latest Healthcare Triage podcast.

Back to Top ▲

Medical students recognized for community health improvement projects

Three groups of Phase 2 medical students were recognized for their contributions to the Community Health Improvement Project (CHIP), which was presented this academic year. Students were placed in small virtual groups based on their expressed interest in significant Indiana public health issues that included infant mortality, opioids, obesity, tobacco use and others, as well as the 10 leading causes of death in Indiana.

Students were tasked with identifying data associated with their health problem and determining barriers to improving outcomes for a specific location or county in Indiana where the group’s program would have the most impact. After identifying stakeholders and crafting a possible solution, they developed a mini-grant explaining the problem and their solution.

Out of 40 groups, the following were recognized as first through third place winners:

First place
Virtual Rural Caregiver Support Program (Alzheimer's disease group)
Students: Zain Abedali, Benjamin Bacon, Elise Briscoe, Nihanth Damera, Will DeBrock, Alexis Kaiser, Lauren Lynch, Rusty Reed, Luke Scheel and Darla Wheeler

Second place
Implementing Peer Recovery Coaches into the Emergency Department in Scott County (Opioid crisis group)
Students: Andrew Bolhassani, Alexander Hayden, Tom Kotnik, David Price, Christina Raghunandan, AJ Sood, Carlos Vega and Patrick Wurster

Third place
A Fresh Take on Fresh Bucks Indy (addressing cost and access barriers to healthy food for Marion County SNAP program participants) (Obesity group)
Students: Christian Allebach, Patrick Dugan, Dylan Fischer, Sherri Huang, James Knight, Brenna McElderry, Kenneth Ndife and Erich Weidenbener

CHIP was developed to increase awareness among medical students of issues and problems that affect populations within communities where they train, live and work. Physicians must be advocates for individual patients, as well as for local, regional, national and even global issues to reduce healthcare inequities, improve access to health services and improve outcomes.

Back to Top ▲

Coming up: Faculty Meeting is April 30

Faculty are reminded to attend the spring meeting, which will be held from 4:30-6 pm, Tuesday, April 30, in Walther Hall (R3), room C203, on the Indianapolis campus. For faculty unable to attend, the meeting will be available via live stream. Instructions for remote viewing are available on the Faculty Steering Committee webpage.

Back to Top ▲

LAMP offers career planning, skills training for faculty

Applications are now being accepted for the IU School of Medicine Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (LAMP). A yearlong, cohort-based faculty development and orientation program, LAMP seminars introduce participants to the fundamentals of career planning, self-management and leadership. The program arms faculty with the tools needed to accomplish their career goals and aspirations. LAMP is open to faculty in the second and third years of their appointment.

The 2018-2019 LAMP curriculum features sessions specifically designed for both clinicians and research faculty and includes a one-on-one coaching session with a senior faculty member. 

Interested faculty must request that their department chair or division director submit a brief nomination to fapdd@iu.edu by Friday, June 7. Applications are due Friday, June 28.

Back to Top ▲

April 15 is deadline to apply for Kelley School of Business partnership programs

IU School of Medicine has partnered with the IU Kelley School of Business on a series of leadership development programs aimed at optimizing faculty’s extensive medical expertise with insight into business and leadership, as they relate to healthcare.

Applications are now being accepted for the various offerings, which include educational opportunities for junior faculty and mid-career faculty, and the two-year Kelley Physician MBA Program, a degree specifically designed for physician leaders.

Application deadline is Monday, April 15, for:

Evans Fellowship in Healthcare Leadership
Physician Leadership in Business Acumen

Looking ahead, the application deadline for the Business of Medicine Leadership Program is Wednesday, May 15.

Back to Top ▲

Call out a colleague: Nominations for staff awards due April 19

Nominations for the Deb Cowley Staff Leadership Award and the Lynn Wakefield Unsung Hero Staff Award are due Friday, April 19.

• The Deb Cowley Staff Leadership Award honors a professional staff employee who demonstrates a contribution to faculty assistance, coaching and/or development.

• The Lynn Wakefield Unsung Hero Staff Award recognizes staff employees who demonstrate outstanding reliability in the execution of duties without expectation of recognition.

Back to Top ▲

Indiana CTSI spring retreat is April 24

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend Indiana CTSI’s upcoming retreat in Bloomington, “Addressing the Obesity Problem in Rural Indiana: New Paradigms, Research, Directions and Opportunities to Improve Health Outcomes in Indiana Communities.”  The retreat will be held from 8 am-3 pm, Wednesday, April 24, in Franklin Hall on the Bloomington campus. Presenters include top researchers and government officials from Indiana University, the Indiana State Department of Health, Ohio State University, Louisiana State University and the National Institutes of Health.

Register for the event.

Back to Top ▲

Save the date: Pediatric Critical Care walk-a-thon is June 8

Plan now to attend the fourth annual Walk-a-thon for Pediatric Critical Care on Saturday, June 8. The goal of the 5k walk, which raises funds for research, is to reunite children and families with the pediatric intensive care and cardiovascular intensive care medical professionals who cared for them. The event starts at 8 am, and registration is available online or on the day of the event in the lobby of the Simon Family Tower at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health.

Back to Top ▲

Treating opioid use disorder in the ED is focus of upcoming TeleECHO clinic

A new series focusing on treating opioid use disorder (OUD) in the Emergency Department setting begins Thursday, April 25. This TeleECHO clinic is designed to provide case-based education and mentorship regarding the intervention, diagnosis and treatment of those suffering from OUD. Through a contract with the Indiana Family and Social Services Agency, Indiana University School of Medicine is providing the clinic free of charge to healthcare providers, behavioral health specialists and community health workers/peer support.

Conducted through Zoom videoconference, the series will be held from noon-1:30 pm, every Thursday from April 25-June 13. Dates and topics include:

April 25: Overview of OUD in Emergency Departments
May 2: MAT Overview and Data Waiver/Legal Concerns
May 9: Prescribing MAT in ER setting: What are Best Practices?
May 16: Peer Recovery Coaching in the ED
May 23: Stigma Reduction
May 30: Buprenorphine prescribing in the ED Pilots
June 6: Behavioral Interventions in ED setting
June 13: Pregnancy and Adolescents with OUD in the ED

Registration is available. Learn more about the opioid ECHO model.

Back to Top ▲

Cancer Research Day abstracts due April 15

The IU Simon Cancer Center is accepting abstracts for posters to be presented at the Wednesday, May 15,  Cancer Research Day. Visit Cancer Research Day for all of the details and to complete the online abstract submission form. The deadline to submit the form is Monday, April 15, at 5 pm.

Students, fellows and faculty conducting cancer research at IUPUI, Indiana University-Bloomington, Purdue University and the Harper Cancer Research Institute, a collaboration between IU School of Medicine and the University of Notre Dame, are eligible to present at Cancer Research Day.

Cancer Research Day is an annual event that aims to increase understanding and awareness of IU Simon Cancer Center research endeavors and encourage collaboration with other cancer research institutions in Indiana.

Back to Top ▲

Apply by April 15: IU Simon Cancer Center Wright scholarship fund

The IU Simon Cancer Center William J. Wright Scholarship Fund supports second- and third-year medical students conducting cancer research who wish to pursue a career in the care of patients with cancer. The scholarship fund program awards students who have displayed strong humanistic qualities throughout their medical school career.

Students are expected to devote at least two months of their school year to a project that will further the care of patients with cancer, including a formal basic, translational or clinical science research project; quality improvement project; health outcomes research, or cancer awareness program. Students need to identify a mentor and a research project, which should be included in the application. Awardees will be required to attend Cancer Research Day on Wednesday, May 15.

More information and the application are available. Application deadline is Monday, April 15.

Back to Top ▲

Sevilla-Martir receives IUPUI civic engagement award

Javier Sevilla-Martir, MD, assistant dean for diversity affairs, was presented with the 2018 Chancellor’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement at an IUPUI awards ceremony earlier this week. Sevilla-Martir was recognized for his work at the IU Student Outreach Clinic, as the advisor for the Medical Spanish Society of Latinos and as founder of the ENLACE Honduras Foundation. 

Back to Top ▲

Joya named National Child Passenger Safety Board instructor of the year

Mauricio Joya, project manager for the Automotive Safety Program in the IU School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, was named instructor of the year by the National Child Passenger Safety Board. Joya has been with Indiana University for more than 13 years and implemented the state’s largest car seat clinic at the Automotive Safety Program’s annual conference. He was also one of the first certified international child passenger safety instructors.

Back to Top ▲

Sandoval, Williams earn IUPUI Plater Civic Engagement Medallion

IU School of Medicine students Sariely Sandoval and Imade Imasuen Williams received the IUPUI William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion at the campus awards ceremony this week. Established in 2006, the medallion honors graduates who have excelled in their commitment to the community through activities such as service learning, volunteerism, community/social issue advocacy, community work-study and political engagement.

Back to Top ▲