News

Notes&June 2013

Calendar

Achievements

Welcome

Activities

Outreach & Service

Publications & Awards

Alumni

News & Notes June 2013a publication of the College of Allied Health SciencesGeorgia Regents University Augusta

in this issue...

Physician Assistant student selected for prestigious Beard Award

We are very proud to claim one of our own as this year’s recipient of the Georgia Regents University John F. Beard Award for Compassionate Care. Physician Assistant graduate Elizabeth Prince-Coleman received the award from Provost Gretchen Caughman during the College of Allied Health Sciences Hooding and Honors Ceremony May 9 at the Bell Auditorium. It is indeed a great honor to have one of our exceptional students recognized with this outstanding award, one that focuses entirely on providing kindness and empathy in patient care. Elizabeth was nominated by faculty members, fellow students, and her patients, and was, according to one selection committee member, the “hands down” choice for the award.

Congratulations, Elizabeth, we couldn’t be happier for you!

To read more about this exceptional health care provider, visit http://news.gru.edu/archives/8751 or read this Augusta Chronicle article: http://bit.ly/beardaward.

CAHS takes the lead, develops GRU’s first college-level Advisory Board

The College of Allied Health Sciences, working with the Office of Advancement and Community Relations, has established the university’s first college-level Advisory Board. Community leaders working with the Dean will help inform strategic planning, including the development and implementation of short- and long-term goals, community outreach, and service, as well as garner support for education and research. Board members are chosen for their broad awareness of the health sciences community, the issues it faces, and for their commitment to active participation on behalf of the college.

A very productive inaugural meeting was held June 19. In attendance were Maj. Brigitte Belanger, Acting Chief of Occupational Therapy at Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon; Remer Brinson, President and CEO of First Bank of Georgia; former CAHS faculty member and GRU alumna Dr. Elizabeth Leibach, Senior Research Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Dr.

Achievements

Elizabeth Prince-Coleman is congratulated by Provost Grethcen Caughman as she receives the John F. Beard Award for Compassionate Care. Phil Jones photo

Frank Rumph, Director (retired) of the Richmond County Health Department. Advisory Board members also include James Bernstein, President of Milton Ruben Chevrolet, Inc.; Col. Christopher Castle, Commander of Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center; Dr. J. Rhodes Haverty, MCG alum and Dean (retired), College of Health and Human Services, Georgia State University; Dr. R. Fred Mullins, Medical Director and President of the Joseph M. Still Burn Centers at Doctor’s Hospital (and one of our 2013 CAHS Distinguished Alumni); and Dr. John Reynolds, Vice President of Global Business Development at Club Car, LLC.

The CAHS Advisory Board will serve as a model for similar boards at all nine GRU colleges and schools. It will meet several times per year and eventually comprise 15-20 members.

RTT program tops nation, state in certification examinations

The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists national comparison data is in, and for five straight years, 2008-12, our Radiation Therapy students surpassed the national average on first-attempt certification examination pass rates. In the same period, on total mean scores, they exceeded the average of all RTT programs in Georgia each year, and nationally in three of the five years. Congratulations!

Faculty members take on national leadership roles, development opportunities

Lori Bolgla (PT) has been appointed to a three-year term as Member Services Team Leader for the American Physical Therapy Association’s Section for Sports Physical Therapy and to a four-month term as an Item Writer Committee member for the National Physical Therapy Examination administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

Tiana Curry-McCoy (MLIRS) has been accepted into the PRIDE program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The PRogram to Increase Diversity among individuals Engaged in health-related research is an all-expense-paid mentored research opportunity funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for junior faculty from underrepresented groups. The program addresses difficulties junior investigators experience establishing independent research programs, negotiating academic ranks, and competing for external funding.

Is there a Ph.D. in the house?

Jim Condon (HMI) has successfully defended his dissertation, “Predicting Registered Health Information Administrator Examination Scores,” and will receive his doctoral degree in Education Administration and Leadership from the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies at Georgia Southern University.

WelcomeNew faces

Hannah Beriault has joined the Department of Respiratory Therapy as an Instructor after eight years as a respiratory therapist at Georgia Regents Medical Center. Hannah graduated from our RT program in 2005 and earned an MPH in Epidemiology from Kaplan University in 2012. Her research interests include trauma, critical care, surgical ICU ventilator care, and cardiothoracic surgical ICU care.

Chandramohan Wakade has joined the Department of Physical Therapy as Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the School of Graduate Studies. He received his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Poona in Pune, India in 1986. His teaching areas include neuroscience and pharmacology.

Angie Walton has joined the Dean’s office as Administrative Assistant. She has provided administrative and accounting services for the university since 1978, most recently at the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home. She held previous positions at IMMAG, Accounts Payable, Retail Operations, and the Operating Room.

…and a fond farewell

Doug Keskula, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, has accepted the position of Dean in the College of Health and Human Services at Western Carolina University. A reception honoring him for his 19 years of service as a faculty member, Department of Physical Therapy Chairman, Associate Dean, and Interim Dean was held June 5 in the lobby of the Health Sciences Building. Congratulations, Doug, and best of luck in all your future endeavors. You will be missed!

Hannah Beriault Chandramohan Wakade Angie Walton

ActivitiesCAHS dean, department chair bring expertise to nation’s capital

Bonnie Dadig (PA) was an invited guest April 29 at the White House Forum on Military Credentialing and Licensing. She served on the Advanced Medical Operations Industry Roundtable, which focused on developing strategies to transfer military training and experience into credit toward nursing and physician assistant certifications and licensure. The forum was an opportunity for key stakeholders from around the country to examine efforts to streamline such credentialing opportunities; develop partnerships with other key stakeholders; and develop a national plan of action in targeted industry areas. For more information, visit: “The Fast Track to Employment: Streamlining Credentialing and Licensing for Service Members, Veterans, and their Spouses.”

Physician Assistant Chairwoman Bonnie Dadig at the White House

Dean Andrew Balas (back row, third from left) and fellow attendees at the Pentagon

In a related dialogue, Andrew Balas met June 6 at the Pentagon with the U.S. Department of Defense and other universities’ representatives to discuss ways to create physician assistant education programs for former service members through expansion and diversity.

Taking it overseas, expanding our international scope

Art Taft (RT) was an invited speaker at the European Anesthesiology Congress 2013, the annual meeting of the European Society of Anesthesia, in Barcelona, Spain, on June 2. His presentation on the Integrated Pulmonary Index, a novel index of ventilatory function that incorporates data from capnography and pulse oximetry into one number, was sponsored by Covidien.

Talking about driving assessment up and down the East Coast

Abiodun Akinwuntan (PT) made two presentations recently on the training and predictors of driving in individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, on May 30 at the 27th Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers in Orlando, Fla., and on June 18 at the 7th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design in New York.

CLS students to have big presence at national meeting, competition

Five Clinical Laboratory Science graduate student poster presentations have been accepted for competition at the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Annual Meeting in Houston in July.Congratulations and good luck to:

• Daniel Anderson and James Bryan II: “Lactoferrin Assessment in Gastrointestinal Infections: The Relationship Between Fecal Lactoferrin Results and Stool Culture Results” • Victoria Bailey, Marion Cofer, and Tangelia Walker: “Observation of Repeat Testing for Glucose Point of Care Values in Hypoglycemic Patients Using the Accu-Chek Inform System” • Lacey Ann Campbell: “The Effect of Metformin vs. Insulin Treatment on Lifetime Fertility in Women Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and/or PCOS” • Robert Kendall: “Do Different Generations of CLS’s/CLT’s Have Dissimilar Job Perceptions?” • Vimalkumar Patel, Brett Rice, and Rebecca Russell: “Serial Troponin I and AMI Misdiagnosis”

MLIRS faculty, students attend Georgia conference

Krishnan Prabakaran (MLIRS) gave an update on nuclear cardiology imaging at the Georgia Society of Nuclear Medicine Technologists’ annual meeting May 5 at Callaway Gardens, and several NMT students placed in the poster presentation competition:

• First Place: Courtney Ashley, Charmi Desai, and Chris Ogbuka, “How SPECT/CT Fusion Makes a Difference in the World of Nuclear Medicine” • Second Place: Juliana Chappell, Kim Halbert, and Prince Nwabu, “I-131 Therapy for Thyroid Carcinoma” • Third Place: Josh Byne and Marisha Clark, “Pediatric Nuclear Medicine”

Publications & AwardsGrant to increase diversity in dental care for vulnerable patients

The Department of Dental Hygiene has received a $70,000 Minority Dental Faculty Development grant from the American Dental Education Association. The one-year grant will sustain efforts to improve faculty diversity through recruitment, leadership training, and community partnerships that enhance the lives of vulnerable children and families.

We’re all about great teaching!

Several CAHS faculty members were honored May 1 at a Pinnacle Club reception celebrating excellence in teaching. The Caught in the Act of Great Teaching award program is sponsored by the university’s Center for Teaching and Learning. Recipients are nominated by students, staff, and faculty members. Congratulations to these CAHS nominees for a job well done!

• Erin Boyleston, Dental Hygiene • Charlotte Chatto, Physical Therapy • Charlene Ann Czuszak, Dental Hygiene • Rebecca Rote, Physician Assistant • Barbara Russell, Medical Laboatory, Imaging, and Radiologic Sciences • Judith Stallings, Physcian Assistant

Learn more at www.gru.edu/ctl/greatteaching.php#.

Faculty members complete EII fellowships

Charlotte Chatto (PT), Rebecca Etheridge (MLIRS), and Malorie Novak (PT) were recognized March 29 at the GRU Educational Innovation Institute’s Health Sciences Education Day for completing teaching and education research fellowships through the institute. Charlotte also made a presentation on the Build a Brain app (see Spring 2013 News & Notes) which, according to Ralph Gillies, EII Education Day director, created “quite the buzz that day”!

Dean takes role with regional association

Andrew Balas has been elected to a three-year term as Treasurer of the Southern Association of Allied Health Deans at Academic Health Centers.

Publications & Awards

Grant gives child caregivers head start on teaching nutrition to youngsters

Nancy Webb (OT) and Darra Balance of the Area Health Education Center have received a Nutrition Literacy for Child Care Workers grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine to provide training for GRU Child Care Center staff on healthy eating and physical activity habits for adults and children.

Grant hopes to simplify cardiac imaging while extending diagnostic potential

Greg Passmore (MLIRS) has received a $9,000 Summer Research and Creative Activity Program award from the GRU Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship for the project, “Measurement of the Interactions of Low Energy Gamma Rays with Dense Metals for Applications in Gamma Camera Collimators.”

Intercollegiate research collaboration leads to publication

Barbara Russell (MLIRS) and Joe Cannon (MLIRS) are co-authors, along with former GRU College of Dental Medicine faculty member Ahmed Khocht of Temple University, on the manuscript “Oxidative Burst Intensity of Peripheral Phagocytic Cells and Periodontitis in Down Syndrome” which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Periodontal Research.

Author! Author! Teeth tickling book helps kids feel comfortable at the dentist

Kandyce Mack (DH) has published a children’s book to help kids know what to expect at the dentist’s office. “The Tooth Tickler” is the story of a little girl going to have her teeth cleaned for the first time. She takes comfort in watching the dental hygienist “tickle” her big brother’s teeth as she learns all the instruments, sights, and sounds of the dental office. Illustrations were done by Anna Thompson, daughter of Interim Department Chair Ana Thompson. Book signings will be announced soon.

“The Tooth Tickler” is available at http://bit.ly/toothtickler.

Student excellence in medical illustration awarded

Three medical illustration students were honored in March at the 2013 UGA/GRU Student Scientific and Medical Illustration Exhibition, which featured more than 50 pieces of medical artwork created by undergraduate scientific illustration students at the University of Georgia and graduate students in medical illustration at Georgia Regents University. Conngratulations to:

• Will McAbee (’13) – William J. Stenstrom Award of Excellence for “Abscess Makes the Heart Grow Fauna” • Caitlin Hartmann (’13) –Award of Merit for “Corona Radiata of the Brain” • Elizabeth Nixon (’14) – Award of Merit for “Physiological Color Change of the Green Anole”

After several weeks on display at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art, the exhibit moved to the Greenblatt Library on GRU’s Health Sciences campus.

Students recognized for scholarship, service

Nuclear Medicine Technology student Kim Halbert has received one of just 15 2013 Paul Cole Technologist Scholarships from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Occupational Therapy Student Jessica Rooke has received the first annual Matt Miklas Adaptive Program Award from the Augusta Family Y for her service to their adaptive programs.

Caitlin Hartmann (from left), Will McAbee, and Elizabeth Nixon

Outreach & Service

Breathing easy on Broad Street

Respiratory Therapy students set up on Broad Street during May’s First Friday celebration to encourage passersby to support the Breathe Easy Augusta campaign, which hopes local legislatures will pass a bill that would make bars in the city smoke-free. Assistant Professor Hannah Beriault and students Rachel Hill, Pamela Usher, Candace Walters, and Chimere Woodall asked everyone to “take it outside.”

PA students continue their support

Physician Assistant students raised $761 during a fundraiser and soup kitchen March 31 at the Sno-Cap Drive In in North Augusta to support the Christ Church Health Clinic, a free, non-profit clinic operated by the students at two locations, Christ Episcopal Church and Mercy Ministries Center.

Service opportunity

Mentors are wanted for teens in the Boys and Girls Clubs of the CSRA. For more information, contact Teen Program Coordinator Jeremy McCoy at 706-504-4701 or jmccoy@bgcaugusta.org.

Hannah Beriault (from left), Candace Walters, Rachel Hill, Pamela Usher, and Chimere Woodall

Don’t be shy! Tell us all about YOU.

We love to stay in touch with our alumni.

Please send your news to alumni@gru.edu and/or shwalls@gru.edu for publication in News & Notes

and in the new alumni magazine, Gravity.

Alumni

Making a difference, inspiring others to do the same

Alumna Lynnette Brammer (Medical Technology, ’83), an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was profiled in March in the Federal Player, a weekly series produced by The Washington Post in collaboration with the Washington, D.C.-based Partnership for Public Service. The series highlights federal workers who make a significant impact in hopes of inspiring a new generation to serve. Read “Tracking flu outbreaks nationwide” at www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fed-player.

Alums receive advanced certifications

Several physical therapy alumni have recently become board-certified in their specialties by the American Physical Therapy Association:

• Mario Cruz (’09) – Sports • Luis Hernandez (‘10) – Orthopaedics • Chris Ireland (‘09) – Orthopaedics • Megan Moran (‘09) – Pediatrics • Paul Muchnick (‘10) – Orthopaedics

submission deadline for August issueAugust 16

Calendar

June 27 CAHS Dean’s Research Seminar Series

July 4 Fourth of July Holiday 9 Employee and Faculty Service Recognition Breakfast 19 Costa Layman Health Fair

August 1 Last Day of Summer Classes 5-6 Summer Exams 12 New Faculty Professional Development New Faculty Luncheon New Faculty Orientation 13 CAHS Faculty Meeting 15 GR Connections Expo 16 Picnic/Lyceum for New First-Year Students Convocation for First-Year Students 19 Fall Classes Begin 23 Professionalism Forum CAHS New Student Orientation and Luncheon

September 2 Labor Day Holiday 4 SACS Visit 9 GRU Faculty Senate Meeting 12 Diversity and Inclusion Summit 17 Innovation Summit

Please send information about student, faculty, staff, and alumni news, including community and outreach events; appointments; program and membership updates; grants, awards and publications; alumni activities;

and your newsletter comments, suggestions and ideas to the editor:

Sharron Walls EC-3408

706-721-7955 shwalls@gru.edu