rutgers new jersey medical school's department of surgery newsletter, v2 2014

Vol. 1 Issue 2 - 7, 2014

Ben Rush GalaOn May 9, alumni, past faculty, current residents and faculty alike came to New Jersey Medical School to honor

the Department of Surgery’s founding father, Dr. Benjamin F. Rush, Jr. In Dr. Rush’s passing last year he left behindhis wonderful legacy, and with his gift and the help of others, we are working towards an Endowed Chair in hisname. An anonymous donor has agreed to match 1.5 million dollars, and…(Continued on page 2)

Department EventsOn Saturday, April 26th the Department of Surgery was one of over 500 programs that participated in the annual

Rutgers Day. With a record breaking crowd of 84,000 people, everyone had a blast enjoying a sunny, fun-filled day ofactivities in honor of Rutgers University! Our department was represented with two…(Continued on page 6)

Kenneth G. Swan, M.D. On March 22, 2014 the Department of Surgery experienced a great loss. Dr. Kenneth Swan, M.D., Professor of

Surgery, died suddenly in his home in South Orange, New Jersey at the age of 79. Dr. Swan had been a devotedmember of the faculty here at New Jersey Medical School for over forty years…(Continued on page 3)

Surgical Olympiad On Wednesday, May 21, the first annual Surgical Olympiad was held! The idea was born out of a

conversation between Dr. David Livingston and Dr. Anastasia Kunac in 2012 on a surgical mission to Africa.They wanted to find a way to devote time not only to resident performance and …(Continued on page 9)

Patient Care On Saturday morning, May 17, over 200 liver transplant patients and family members gathered in the MSB

Grand Foyer to celebrate their “re-birthday” as well as the 25th anniversary of the first transplant in NJ whichwas performed by Dr. Baburao Koneru at University Hospital in 1989 …(Continued on page 11)

Heroes Near and Far…NYMed and ISHIOur surgical staff are as passionate about their patient care here in Newark and the surrounding

communities as they are for other underserved patients around the world. Check out page 13 for somewonderful news about how our doctors touch the lives of those in our community, around the country,and overseas. (Check out page 13)

GraduationJune 12 marked the 44th Annual Department of Surgery Graduation. The ceremony was filled with happy

memories, tearful good-byes, and an overall feeling of pride and accomplishment. Each resident and fellowreflected on the wonderful times shared here at New Jersey Medical School and.…(Continued on page 10)

ResearchIn 2007, Dr. Luis Ulloa joined the faculty of New Jersey Medical School for basic and clinical research. He

recalls his draw to research: as a teenager he would visit his sick grandmother in the hospital and seeing theunfortunate state of so many patients, he knew he wanted to help those in need.…(Continued on page 12)

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BEN RUSH GALAOn May 9, alumni, past faculty, current residents and faculty

alike came to New Jersey Medical School to honor the Depart-ment of Surgery’s founding father, Benjamin F. Rush, Jr, M.D. atthe Benjamin F. Rush, Jr. M.D. Education Sympusium and Gala.When Dr. Rush passed last year, he left behind a wonderfullegacy and very special gift. An anonymous donor through theRutgers Foundation has donated 1.5 million dollars, which theDepartment of Surgery must match. Dr. Rush's gift will help usattain the match which will ensure we have an endowed chairin his name. To date, we have raised one million dollars.Please help us reach our goal and contact Deneen Blow in theChair’s Office at 973-972-4435.

During the day, clinical educators from various surgical specialties presented talks on developments within their respec-tive fields, as well as their fond memories of training under Dr.Rush. Our keynote speaker, J. David Richardson, M.D., spokebeautifully of Dr. Rush’s inspiration and support throughout hissurgical career. The symposium taught us about current surgicalpractices and more importantly the value of the Dr. Rush legacyfor past residents and generations of residents to come.

Over 200 guests attended the evening’s gala celebration! Itwas a night full of warm friendships, fond memories, and camaraderie. In talking to Steve Rush, one of Dr. Rush's sons,about his thoughts on the evening, you heard the pride in hisvoice. Steve felt that the presentations were glowing reviews ofDr. Rush's experience over the years, and hoped that the galawas instrumental in meeting his father’s wish. He said “for allof the work he (Dr. Rush) did and all of the things he gave to theschool, it is a great honor that the department thought so highlyof him.” Steve went on to mention his father’s deep connectionto New Jersey Medical School that he felt a keen love for theschool even after retirement. Dr. Dorian Wilson had some greatimpressions of the evening, expressing how great a foundationthis gathering has built for the potential of Dr. Mosenthal andour department. He said: “I am a part of something much big-ger than I even realized after being at the New Jersey MedicalSchool for more than 30 years. While the educational sympo-sium was well planned and informative, I was awestruck by theturnout at the Gala and the shear enormity of the event andwhat it symbolized. There were so many that came together tocommemorate and celebrate the life of Dr. Rush. It was trulyheartwarming!!!!” Overall, the event was one that properly honored the past, while paving the way for what we hope to bean incredibly bright future for the Department of Surgery.

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On March 22, 2014 the Department of Surgery experienced agreat loss. Dr. Kenneth Swan, M.D., Professor of Surgery, diedsuddenly in his home in South Orange, New Jersey at the age of79. Dr. Swan had been a devoted member of the faculty here atNew Jersey Medical School for over forty years, every dayspreading his passion for both medicine and education. Hegraduate cum laude from Harvard University and earned hismedical degree from Cornell University. In 1968, he completedhis residency at New York Hospital in both general surgery andcardiothoracic surgery. During his training, Dr. Swan alsocompleted a fellowship in gastrointestinal physiology under thementorship of Dr. Eugene Jacobsen at The University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles.

After graduating from residency, Dr. Swan joined the Armywhere he served for thirty years, having been sent to Vietnam

for three tours and earning the Bronze Start 1st Oak LeafCluster, Air Medal, Combat Medical Badge (1969), and AirborneWings (1970). Dr. Swan also served in Saudi Arabia duringDesert Storm and in 1991 earned the Bronze Star 2nd OakCluster for his service in the Persian Gulf. He retired as acolonel and between tours became the Director for the Divisionof Vascular Surgery at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington,D.C.

Since 1973, Dr. Swan had been a faculty member of NewJersey Medical School, most recently acting as the Director ofthe Surgery Clerkship. Services were held on March 28 and theoutpouring of love and respect was truly inspiring. It washeartwarming to see the return of hundreds of graduates andcolleagues together to honor a great mentor. Dr. Swan was alsohonored at convocation on May 19 when he received the NJMSDistinguished Citizenship Award posthumously, received on hisbehalf by his family. He contributed to the Department ofSurgery and medical school as a whole in many ways, and hislegacy will live on. A Dr. Kenneth G. Swan Fund has been setup at Rutgers University Foundation for those who wish tomake a contribution in his memory. All of the gifts received willgo directly to support of the medical student education inSurgery at New Jersey Medical School, Department of Surgery.

Kenneth G. Swan, M.D.

In MemoriamBarbara Azzati – 25 Years of Service – In May of this year, Barbara Azzati passed away.Barbara was a beloved member of our department, holding many roles throughout her twentyfive year career here. She was the Co-Practice Administrator and for many years the ResidencyCoordinator and Administrator of the Division of Urology under Chief Robert Irwin, M.D.Barbara had a pure fondness for all of her residents, keeping in touch with many of them afterthey graduated. She ended her career as administrator in the Division of Cardiothoracic

Surgery under Chief Justin Sambol, M.D. Barbara Azzati will always be remembered as a valued departmentmember and will truly be missed.

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Welcome New HiresJulia Dominguez – Administrative Coordinator

Norelis Mendez – Surgical RepresentativeSari Scotland – Surgical Representative

Christine Ramdin – Surgical RepresentativeElizabeth Green – Surgical Representative

Madeleim “Maddy” Camacho – Surgical Representative

Achievements, Awards And Acknowledgements

Department News“I have great respect for the past. If you don't know where you've come from,

you don't know where you're going. I have respect for the past, but I'm aperson of the moment. I'm here, and I do my best to be completely centered atthe place I'm at, then I go forward to the next place.” – Maya Angelou

Highlights:

Ben Rush Gala Pg 2

In Memoriam Pg 3

Welcome New Hires Pg 4

Achievements, Awardsand Acknowledgements Pg 4

Retirements and Departures Pg 5

Department Events Pg 6

Education Pg 9

Patient Care Pg 11

2014 Golden AppleWinners Pg 11

Research Pg 12

Community Outreach Pg 13

ISHI’s Thirteenth Humanitarian Surgical Mission Pg 13

3rd Annual University Hospital Golf Classic Pg 15

Reasons to Celebrate Pg 15

Upcoming Events Pg 16

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’tmake money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then dothem so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” – Maya Angelou

• Congratulations to Ravi Chokshi, M.D., who was selected as 2014 Jersey Choice Top Doctor!

• Michael Curi, M.D. was promoted to Associate Professor.

• Adam Fox, M.D. has been named the section chief of Trauma/Critical Care and Associate Director ofthe NJ Trauma Center at University Hospital, and the Associate Director of NorthStar. He was alsoan invited faculty at the Delaware Trauma Symposium. He presented “Current Concepts inPenetrating Trauma”. Dr. Fox was also a visiting professor and Grand Rounds speaker at JamaicaHospital.

• Congratulations to Joe Huang. M.D. on being acknowledged as one of Vitals Top 10 Doctors!(vitals.com)

• Congratulations to Imani Jackson-Rosario, M.D. and Justin Sambol, M.D. for receiving the UHEmployee Recognition award. (uhnj.org)

• Anne C. Mosenthal, M.D. was named Chair of the American College of Surgeons Committee onSurgical Palliative Care. (facs.org)

• Dorian Wilson, M.D. was recognized as Distinguished Professor by the NJMS Alumni Associationduring Alumni Reunion Weekend.

• Congratulations to Jonathan Keith, M.D. and Ogori Kalu, M.D. for being awarded a BreastReconstruction Surgery Charitable Care Grant! http://www.thepsf.org/humanitarian/breast-reconstruction-awareness-fund/charitable-care-grants.htm

• ACS NSQIP accepted Drs. Oliver and Brown’s abstract for both oral and poster presentation at theupcoming 2014 ACS NSQIP National Conference, scheduled for July 26-29, at the New York HiltonMidtown hotel in NYC.Abstract Title: The Impact of Chronic Liver Disease on Surgical Morbidity and Mortality UtilizingACS NSQIPSession: “Liver: MELD, Allocation and Donor Issues (DCD/ECD)”Date: Monday, July, 28, 2014 4:10PM

• World Transplant Congress (WTC) accepted the abstract for Oral Presentation at the 2014 WTCConference in San Francisco July 26- 31, 2014.Abstract Title: "Multi-OPO Case Control Study of Safety and Liver Utilization with Pre-RecoveryLiver Biopsy"Session: "Liver: MELD, Allocation and Donor Issues (DCD/ECD)"Date: Wednesday, 7-30-2014, Time: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

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Retirements and Departures

WILLIAM F. FALLON, JR., MD, MBA, FACSIn April 2014, Dr. William Fallon retired from his positions as the Chief of Surgical Services at the VA New Jersey Healthcare System,

and Professor of Surgery and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Dr. Fallon is a retired Army veteran (1998), having received his surgicaleducation at Tripler Army Medical Center and Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter. His clinical military career has spanned decades with criticalpositions at several military bases in the United States and Europe as well.His clinical academic career was just as noteworthy. He has served at highereducation institutions nationwide and ended his career here at Rutgers NewJersey Medical School as the Vice Chair of Education in the Surgery.

Dr. Fallon has published more than seventy articles and co-authoredmany books and book chapters. He has been an invited speaker fornumerous presentations for more than thirty years ranging in topics fromtrauma care in war time to general surgery to shock and geriatric trauma.

Dr. Fallon has served on several committee and associations, includingthe Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, where he served as President, Secretary/Treasurer, Treasurer of the Foundation andothers. He was also and still is a very active member of the American College of Surgeons where he also has served in variousleadership positions. Dr. Fallon has volunteered his service for many other organizations close to his interests and these include theAmerican Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

Dr. Fallon was the Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Surgery. He served in an administrative and executive capacity formuch of his career in education. His commitment to teaching was evident from the time he began at Rutgers until he retired this year.He developed and taught courses during his lengthy career, but more importantly he was a mentor and an advocate for his surgicaltrainees. The NJMS Surgery Residents are proud to have had such a great leader in the field of surgical education.

We wish Dr. Fallon well in his retirement.

DR. EDWIN A. DEITCH On June 30, 2014, Dr. Edwin A. Deitch retired from the New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) Department of Surgery after serving

NJMS for two decades.

Dr. Deitch began his career at the New Jersey Medical School in the summer of 1994 as a young but veryexperienced tenured Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery. Dr. Deitch was recruited by Dr.Benjamin F. Rush, Jr., the founding Chairman of the Department, and he served as Chair from 1994 until2011. Dr. Deitch is celebrated for growing the Department of Surgery to ten surgical divisions, developingmany to the national prominence they hold today. Under his leadership the Department flourished,becoming one of the top ten Departments of Surgery in NIH research funding, and one of the most highlysought after surgical residency programs in the nation.

Dr. Deitch’s clinical and research fields of interest have included abdominal surgery, burns, trauma andcritical care. As a researcher, Dr. Deitch had a history of continuous National of Institute of Health (NIH)funding since 1983, having been the recipient of more than $20 million in federal funding, including aTrauma Training Grant and a Center Grant. He published more than 370 original articles and three books,wrote fifty-one book chapters and almost fifty invited review articles. It is surprise to no one that he hasover 10,000 citations. Dr. Deitch served as Visiting Professor at more than ninety Universities and MedicalSchools in the US and Canada and was an invited speaker at over one hundred national and internationalconferences.

Dr. Deitch served as President of the American Burn Association, the Society of University Surgeons, the Society of UniversitySurgeons Foundation, the Shock Society, and the Surgical Infection Society, among others. In addition, he served on the Boards of manynational medical societies as well as the NIH. Dr. Deitch is currently serving on the Editorial Boards of eleven professional journals.

Dr. Deitch’s commitment to education and training can be seen in the number of those he has trained. He directly mentored andtrained over twenty medical and pre-med students, and over sixty-five residents, post-doctoral fellows, international research scientists;many of whom have gone on to become well-respected surgeons and researchers in their own right.

Along with numerous awards and honors from national and international societies, Dr. Deitch has been named “Best Doctor in theUS”, “Best Doctor in New Jersey” and “Best Doctor in New York” for over a decade. He certainly was one of the “Best” and we wishDr. Deitch well in his retirement.

(Continued on page 6)

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Retirements and Departures (Continued from page 5)

Department EventsRUTGERS DAY

On Saturday, April 26th the Department of Surgery was one of over 500 programs that participatedin the annual Rutgers Day. With a record breaking crowd of 84,000 people, everyone had a blastenjoying a sunny, fun-filled day of activities in honor of Rutgers University! Our department wasrepresented with two tables of fun and interactive games for both kids and adults: two sets ofOperation, “Name that Doc Tic-Tac-Toe", and a roulette wheel with information on our divisions. Notonly did we have fun with our new RU community, but we were able to educate them about theirhealth and about all of the great things we have going on as a department. This event marked thebeginning of our marketing campaign, as we passed out t-shirts, pens, and newsletters. It was a perfectway to begin what is so far proving to be a big year for our department, one we will all be proud of!


Pat Murphy continues to educate…

PAT MURPHY, PHD, APN, FAAN, FPCN is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Departmentof Surgery. She served University Hospital and the people of Newark in a variety of roles for morethan 35 years. Last year, she retired from a full-time position at University Hospital as theAdvanced Practice Nurse for Ethics and Bereavement. For many years she worked closely with theTrauma team, providing counseling, grief and crisis intervention for patients and families. Duringher time at University Hospital she built UH’s Palliative Care Service, now led by Sue Walther,APN.

Dr. Murphy co-chaired the UH Bioethics Committee with Michael Jaker, MD of the Departmentof Medicine for nine years, during which time it became a vibrant force for progressive thinkingabout real issues in clinical care. She partnered with Dr. Mosenthal and together they wereawarded a series of research grants that established the two of them as nationally recognizedpioneers in palliative care.

Soon after retirement from her position at UH, Dr. Murphy was recruited by Rutgers NJMS toextend the themes of her required course for first-year students, Ethics, “Humanism and

Professionalism”, into the clinical years. She developed a way to do that utilizing clerkships in Medicine, Surgery and Ob-Gyn.Students write brief ethical analyses of clinical issues they have personally encountered in each of these rotations.

Dr. Murphy has contributed to the profession through her authorship of more than 50 publications and hundreds of presentationson palliative care, grief and clinical ethics. She and her husband (Dr. David Price, long time NJMS faculty member and healthcareethicist) endowed a lectureship in Palliative Care in the Department of Surgery. The first of these annual lectures was held in Februaryof this year. The speaker was Dr. Diane Meier, an internationally renowned expert in Palliative Care.

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STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT

On Monday, April 28, the department held a Strategic Planning Retreat. Facultyand staff came together to discuss and plan for the future of our department;working together to design a strategic plan that will take the NJMS Departmentof Surgery to the next level. With the changing face of healthcare and thechanges within our own organization, we are excited and pleased to be paving anew path. What we do here on a daily basis is truly special, and our StrategicPlanning Retreat allowed us to highlight our strengths and begin devising a wayto maximize their impact for our students, our patients, and the surroundingcommunity. This plan will be one that will develop over time and emphasize the

culture of teamwork we areworking to cultivate.Setting this plan in motionwill actively involve eachmember of the department.Our potential is limitless.

Rutgers Day (Continued from page 6)

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THE STARS OF UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL’STRAUMA AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

NOW STARS OF ABC-TV

Tune In every THURSDAY at 10:00 PM on ABCTo NYMED, an eight episode series.

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EDUCATION“One isn't necessarily born with courage, but

one is born with potential. Without courage, wecannot practice any other virtue withconsistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful,generous, or honest.” – Maya Angelou

Surgical Olympiad On Wednesday, May 21, the first annual Surgical Olympiad

was held! The idea was born out of a conversation between Dr.David Livingston and Dr. Anastasia Kunac in 2012 on a surgicalmission to Africa. They wanted to find a way to devote time notonly to resident performance and medical knowledge onstandardized tests, but to evaluate the actual surgical skill set.Several meetings with multiple department members later, acompiled list of skills appropriate for each PGY level was set inplace and moves were made to kick off the plan!

The new program is going to be held once a month,swapping one of the standing Wednesday morning lectures fora surgical skills day. It is designed to allow residents of all levelsto practice things like laparoscopic skills, knot tying,

anastomosis, etc. Then, once a year, the Surgical Olympiad willbe held as a fun way of competing to ensure that all of ourresidents are learning and progressing in their book knowledgeand in their technique skills.

The first annual Surgical Olympiad was full of positiveenergy. Every resident attended and there was intimate facultyinvolvement. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves andoverall the event went well. Positive resident feedback ensuresthat next year’s event will be just as great, and in the words ofLinda Vetrecin, “This was an incredibly exciting event and youcould feel electricity and excitement in the air!” We can’t waitfor next year!

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Departmental QI Symposium

On June 2, theGeneral SurgeryResidency ProgramQuality ImprovementPoster Presentationstook place. Broken intoten teams, each wasresponsible foridentifying a quality orpatient safety issue,collecting andanalyzing data toidentify the cause of theissue, designing an

improvement project to address the issue, implementing theprocess, collecting follow up data, and presenting. Each team,led by a PGY-4 and a faculty mentor, did a fantastic job! Thegoal of this presentation is to allow residents to have real,meaningful participation in QI and patient safety projects inpreparation for real-world experiences that will come their wayupon completion of residency, all while fulfilling ACGMErequirements. Congratulations to Team X-Men for theirwinning project entitled: “Breaking Down Language Barriers inPerioperative Care”.

GraduationJune 12 marked the 44th

Annual Department of SurgeryGraduation. The ceremony wasfilled with happy memories,tearful good-byes, and anoverall feeling of pride andaccomplishment. Each residentand fellow reflected on thewonderful times shared here atNew Jersey Medical School and the truly invaluableknowledgebase they received as our future surgeons of theworld. The daytime program was a perfect depiction of our

daily goal: to instill in our residents asense of self-confidence, both in andout of the OR, and delivery of thehighest quality of care. The eveningprogram took everyone to The Manorin West Orange, where a celebration ofaccomplishments was accompanied bygood food, good company anddancing.


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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES!!!Graduating Chiefs• Gregg Baranski, MD is going to Lehigh Valley Health

Network in Allentown PA for a Colorectal SurgeryFellowship

• Joanne Glanville, MD is going to The National Institute ofHealth in Bethesda, MD for an Endocrine SurgeryFellowship

• Puja Kachroo, MD is going to the David Geffen School ofMedicine at UCLA to work in the Division of Cardiac andThoracic Surgery

• Leonard Mason, MD is going to the University of Tennesseeat Memphis for a Fellowship in Trauma/Critical Care/AcuteCare Surgery

• Latha Pasupuleti, MD is going to Columbia University/NYPresbyterian Hospital for a Fellowship in Endocrine Surgery

• Gregory Tiesi, MD is going to The University ofMiami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center for a Fellowshipin Surgical Oncology

Trauma Fellows: • Mike Matos, D.O. is taking a faculty position as West

Virginia University Health Sciences Center- CharlestonDivision.

• Tim Schwartz, D.O. is going to Kings County HospitalCenter/SUNY Downstate for a faculty position as well.

Urology: • Farshid Hajimirzee, M.D. and Cesar Mora-Esteves, MD are

going into Private Practice in Palm Springs, CA

Vascular Surgery Fellow:• Eric Olivero Ramirez, MD is at a private practice in Santo

Domingo, Dominic Republic.

Plastic Surgery: • Lily Danali, M.D. – is doing a Craniofacial Fellowship with

Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute in 2014 and a Hand SurgeryFellowship at University of Texas Southwestern - CombinedOrthopedic & Plastic Surgery in 2015

• Janet Yueh, M.D. will be attending Harvard BIDMC for anOrthopedic Hand Fellowship.

PATIENT CARE “I've learned that people will forget what you

said, people will forget what you did, but peoplewill never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou

“Bucket List Accomplished” - Celebrating Another Chanceat Life Re-Birthday Party Highlights the Miracle of LiverTransplantation

On Saturday morning, May 17, over200 liver transplant patients and familymembers gathered in the MSB GrandFoyer to celebrate their “re-birthday” aswell as the 25th anniversary of the firsttransplant in NJ which was performedby Dr. Baburao Koneru at UniversityHospital in 1989. There was a feeling ofjoy as participants came to celebratetheir second chance at life, made


Graduation (Continued from page 10)

Congratulations to the Division of Vascular SurgeryFellowship for matching our very own Kristin Cook, set to beginher fellowship in July 2015.

Surgical Critical Care fellowship interviews are coming up,with the following dates set: 7/17, 7/22, 7/29, 8/5, 8/12, 8/19

Please join the NJMS Student Council in congratulating all ofthe 2014 Golden Apple Award winners! Thank you to all thewinners and nominees for everything that you do for thestudents! And thanks to everyone that came out on Saturday andmade the night a great one!:

CLASS OF 2015 RESIDENTS: Dr. Dare Ajibade

CLASS OF 2015 FACULTY: Dr. Eric L. Lazar

CLASS OF 2014 FACULTY: Dr. Devashish J. Anjaria

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTAWARD: Dr. Kenneth Swan

SUBSPECIALTY RESIDENT: Dr. Farshid Hajimirzaee

2014 Golden AppleWinners

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possible by organ donors and their families. Participants variedfrom those who only months ago had their transplant to thosewho had their transplants 25 years ago!

The event was sponsored by the American Liver Foundation,University Hospital, Rutgers NJMS, and the NJ Organ andTissue Sharing Network and was hosted by Rutgers NJMS.After a continental breakfast, the program was kicked off byJames Gonzalez, President and CEO of University Hospital,followed by Dr. Soto-Green, Dr. Koneru and Dr. Pyrsopoulos.Many of the recipients expressed gratitude to Dr. Koneru andmembers of his team and showed their appreciation with twostanding ovations. Entertainment was provided by two verytalented recipients, one on keyboard and one with song.

Many participants shared their stories, expressed feelings ofkinship with their fellow recipients and their appreciation to theUniversity Hospital Team and nursing staff. The event endedwith birthday cake and a memorable rendition of the HappyBirthday song by a baritone accompanied by keyboard.

The event could not have been more successful andgratifying for all!

Complex Hernia Collaboration at Rutgers-New JerseyMedical School Department of Surgery

We are pleased to announce that an interdisciplinary herniacenter is now available at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School,Department of Surgery, to focus on complex hernia repair. Thecollaboration brings together expertise from Plastic andReconstructive surgery, General Surgery, and MinimallyInvasive Surgery, to tackle complex hernias and abdominal wallreconstructions. Our goal is to provide improved outcomes anddecreased complications, increased patient satisfaction, reliableoutcomes measurement, research into best practices for complexabdominal wall reconstruction, and education of the patient andphysician/surgeon community about best approaches. As adepartment, we are proud to say that this is one of many of ourinterdisciplinary programs and have no doubt that this will be agreat step forward for us.

RESEARCH“I'm considered wise, and sometimes I see

myself as knowing. Most of the time, I see myselfas wanting to know. And I see myself as a veryinterested person. I've never been bored in mylife.”- Maya Angelou

Dr. Ulloa receives Excellence in Research 2014 Award andFaculty of the Year in Research!

Dr. Luis Ulloa is an AssociateProfessor in the Department of Surgeryand has been working with us sinceApril of 2007. Dr. Ulloa's passion forresearch is evident when he speaksabout his work. His interest began asan adolescent visiting his sickgrandmother. Witnessing theunfortunate state of so many patients,

he knew he wanted tohelp those in need.However, the hospitalenvironmenttriggered a sense ofsadness, so he was ledto the research worldinstead. It was thenhe decided he couldtake the problems thatcurrently existed,research them andfind solutions toalleviate the ailmentsof the sick.

On May 19, Dr. Ulloa received two awards for his hard workin the research world: "Excellence in Research 2014 and Facultyof the Year in Research." Dr. Ulloa published the first journalarticle on electroacupuncture and the entitled "Dopamine

Patient Care(Continued from page 11)


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mediates vagal modulation of the immune system byelectroacupuncture" has been published in The NaturalMedicine journal; one of very few articles on acupuncture to bepublished in a leading journal. The study began fifteen yearsago as a treatment of sepsis. The problem with sepsis is not onlythe infection, but also the inflammatory response caused by theinfection.

Dr. Ulloa set out on a path to control the inflammatoryresponse, leading him to electroacupuncture. He was able todetermine those patients that electroacupuncture would notwork for, as well as those that it would work for and how totreat the sepsis. Ultimately, he was able to identify the limits ofelectroacupuncture and find what he was looking for. Dr. Ulloais proud of the work he does, and the team he works with.While discussing this topic, he could not go withoutacknowledging both Dr. Anne Mosenthal, Department Chair,and Dr. William Gause, Vice Dean of Research, noting howinstrumental their support was throughout this study. Heacknowledged that there were many people that help in thestudy in various ways and he is honored and thankful on behalfof his entire team.

CREST - Dr. Sheffet Award and publication - Based onpatient retention, compliance and productivity, on January 8,2014, $6,746,631 was awarded to CREST, (Thomas G. Brott, MDPrincipal Investigator; Alice Sheffet, PhD Co-Investigator andProject Director) for 2014 through 2016. Dr. Sheffet’smanuscript, Financial Management of a Large Multi-siteRandomized Clinical Trial, was published online in theInternational Journal of Stroke – (DOI: 10.1111/ijs.IJS12259) andwill appear in the next print version. Her abstracts in 2014accepted for presentation are:

2014 International Stroke Conference (February 2014):Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Vs. Stenting Trial(CREST): Long Term - Follow-up (10 Years)

2014 European Stroke Conference (May 2014): CarotidRevascularization Endarterectomy Versus Stenting TrialProgress: CREST and CREST-2

2014 Society for Clinical Trials Conference (May 2014):Diversity in a Large Randomized Clinical Trial: Recruitmentand Retention of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the CarotidRevascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting Trial (CREST)

Together with Dr. Brott and the CREST Staff, Dr. Sheffetorganized and coordinated a three-day CREST CoordinatorTraining Meeting, April 10-12, 2014 in Hollywood, Florida forCREST’s 105 site coordinators in the US and Canada and CRESTconsortia’s key personnel. She will be giving the firstpresentation on the first day of the meeting.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH“Love life, engage in it, give it all you've got.

Love it with a passion, because life truly doesgive back, many times over, what you put intoit.” – Maya Angelou

ISHI’s Thirteenth Humanitarian Surgical MissionISHI (International Surgical Health Initiative) recently

completed their first South American surgical mission inTrujillo, Peru. A team of 17 volunteers, led by ISHI President,Ziad C. Sifri, M.D., travelled 16 hours to reach the Clinica Madrede Cristo, in Trujillo, Peru. After a day of triage, the teamworked diligently and performed 52 major surgeries over a fiveday period, all at no cost to the patient. The team included thefollowing Rutgers NJMS Volunteers:

• Dr. David H. Livingston, Professor of Surgery andChief of Trauma, participated in his 4th ISHI mission.

• Dr. Neil Banga, NJMS surgical residency programgraduate in private practice in Colorado.

• Dr. Latha Pasupuleti, (PGY-5) the 12th resident fromNJMS to join an ISHI mission;

• Chirag Gordhan, (MS-IV) the first NJMS medical student and ISHI student club member to join an ISHIMission.

"ISHI is thrilled to include interested surgical residents aswell as medical students on its missions,” said Dr. Sifri.Residents and medical students gain first-hand exposure toglobal health issues and the impact on the communities that donot have access or cannot afford surgery." Residents workclosely with Attendings, doing four to six cases each day, andperform surgeries infrequently done in the US such as an opencholecystectomy. The opportunity of having close contact withvery grateful patients and their families is always a rewardingexperience.

The Clinica Madre de Cristo hosted the ISHI mission andprovided nursing support. It is located in La Esperanza (one ofthe poorest districts of Trujillo) and serves as a health clinic forthe community immersed in poverty and violence. Theyassisted in pre-triaging surgical candidates. Cases performedduring the mission included inguinal hernias (1/3), ventral-umbilical hernias (1/3) and chronic cholecystitis (1/3). A

Research (Continued from page 12)


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Check out the April issue of PositiveCommunity for a great article on Dr.Lloyd Brown! Get a sense of who he is,where he came from, and why he loveshis job so much. Dr. Brown talks abouthow transplant surgery is his passion, andhow having the ability to help those thatare ill is a skill he is fortunate to have.And we are fortunate to have him as a member of ourdepartment!http://issuu.com/thepositivecommunty/docs/tpc_april_2014_finals

Read about our Chair, Dr. AnneMosenthal in the Rutgers Magazine oronline. Learn about her points of view onsurgical care, what it means to be a leader,and females in surgery. As our newlyappointed chair, Dr. Mosenthal is now oneof five women to lead a surgical academicprogram throughout the nation. This isquite an accomplishment, one we are allcertainly proud of!

A member of our Trauma team, Dr. Adam Fox, doeswonderful things to reach out and educate the community bothnationally and internationally. Dr. Fox participates in both theInternational Medical and Surgical Team (IMSuRT) and ProjectHOPE. As a member of IMSuRT, Dr. Fox is a Medical Officerand participates in disaster response training at The Center forDomestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama. This is a bi-annual, week long training session with Homeland Security andFEMA that puts on mock disasters to help train the communityhow to respond and deal with different types of disasters.

Project HOPE is worldwide non-governmental organizationfor disaster relief and medical education/care. This year, Dr.Fox was invited to participate as part of an assessment team inthe development of a hospital in Tanzania to evaluate itssurgical and critical care capabilities. While there, he attendedadministrative meetings to discuss things like beds, operatingrooms, and equipment while also lecturing, operating, andmeeting with fellow surgeons to discuss their wish lists of whatthey desired to accomplish.

well-equipped operating room with two OR tables was usedduring the mission. The Clinic has arranged follow-up visits forthe patients that were operated on by the ISHI team and willupdate ISHI on the patients’ progress. ISHI has been invited to areturn mission which they hope to organize in the near future.

ISHI’s next planned mission for 2014 is to West Africa. Ofnote, University Hospital nurses and nurse anesthetists alsowere part of the team, including Bruno Beja-Umukoro, CRNA;Stephanie Burroughs, RN; and Socorro Rodgers, RN APN.

ISHI’s Thirteenth Humanitarian Surgical Mission (Continued from page 13)

In the foreground, Dr. Latha Pasupuleti (5th year NJMS surgery resi-dent) and Dr. Neil Banga (NJMS surgical program graduate) performa hernia repair, while Rocky a 3rd year local Peruvian medical studentsurgery (background center ) watches an open cholecystectomy

Chirag Gordhan (left), NJMS medical student and ISHI student clubmember and Dr. Latha Pasupuleti ( middle) , (PGY-5) filling up the operative case log on the way back at Lima International Airport. Lathaparticipated in twenty seven cases during the five operative days.

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Reasons to CelebrateCongratulations to Marquiah Geiger,

Administrative Coordinator in ourTrauma Divison, who graduated inMay with a BS in Management and aminor in Entrepreneurship.

On September 1, 2013Deneen Blow, ProgramManager, married ChrisRhodes in Shrewsbury, NJ.It was a lovely wedding anda good time was had by all!

We wish a very Happy 100th Birthdayto Regina Tyson’s (Admin. Coordinator)grandmother, Annie Mae Forbes Williams!Better known to all as Mother, Annie Maewas born May 24, 1914. Living most of herlife in same house in Walstonburg, N.C.,attending the same church since 1920, andliving through 16 presidents, she nowlives in Raleigh with her youngestdaughter & husband. Mother has elevenchildren, thirty grandchildren, twentyfour great grandchildren and five great

great grandchildren. She keeps the five generations of familygoing with her beautiful sense of humor.

Administrator of Operations HeatherRady’s niece, Sierra, along with schoolfriend Aliyah participated in acompetition at Franklin ElementarySchool in Bloomfield and held theirown Alex’s Lemonade Stand. They wonthe competition, raising $1000 forpediatric cancer research. Well doneSierra and Aliyah!

3rd Annual University Hospital Golf ClassicThe rain did not stop the annual University Hospital Golf Classic!

Held at the Maplewood Country Club on June 5, the University HospitalMedical Staff held its annual Golf Outing and Live Auction. Thecommittee chairs, Dr. and Mrs. Michael and Lisa Curi, together with Dr.Justin Sambol, Dr. Michael Jaker, Dr. Keith Cook, Dr. Michael Sirkin,Anne Egan, and Krystina Rosania along with all of the generoussponsors and guests, worked to raise $75,000 to be put towards theremodeling of patient waiting rooms throughout the hospital. Thisyear’s Live Auction was once again led by CBS Weatherman John Elliot,a true treat. Another highlight of the evening was the honor of JosephMuscarelle, recognized as a Friend of UH for his outstandingcontributions being put toward the renovation and expansion of theSurgical and Medical Special Procedures Waiting Area. The evening wastruly remarkable! Last year’s Golf Classic proceeds are currently being used to renovate the pediatric waiting room and play area. Aspecial thank you to everyone who came out and supported the event.


Department of Surgery2nd Annual Family Fun Day!!

Department of Surgery2nd Annual Family Fun Day!!

Congratulations to Nuria Morales (SeniorMedical Assistant) on graduating with herAssociates Degree!

Shaniqua Mitchell (Administrative Coordinator) is expectingher seventh child in September of this year. She currently has

two girls and four boys. Whatmakes Shaniqua’s family sospecial is that three of herchildren were adopted. Asshe says, “My passion tobecome a foster parent startedwhen I walked in the boarderbabies unit here at UH andsaw a room full of beautifulbabies, all ages that havenever left the hospital afterbirth. I was told by the nurseall these beautiful babies needa loving home. At that timemyself and my husband werejust raising my daughter, so Iknew we could open our

hearts and home to a child in need.” So began Shaniqua’sjourney as a foster mother, her oldest adopted child now 10.Warm congratulations to her and her family, as they prepare toexpand their family to a total of nine, and we all look forward tothe boys stepping out as the new starting 5 for the Miami Heat!

Lily Daniali, M.D. (Plastic Residentc/o 2014) married Benson Pukkilottil,(General Surgery Resident c/o 2012)in early June. Congratulations to thenewlyweds!

Congratulations to Dr. Jonathan Keith and his wife, expectinga new baby girl later this year!

Reasons to Celebrate(Continued from page 15)

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The Department of Surgery is requesting that you (NJMS Surgery Alumni, volunteer faculty, former faculty, etc.) send us your"Cutting Edge" news for possible inclusion in this newsletter. We also solicit your feedback on this publication. Please forward allcommunications to: Krystina Rosania, Administrative Coordinator at [email protected], or Heather Rady, Administratorof Operations at [email protected].

We would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Krystina Rosania, Deneen Blow, Darlene Adams, and Dr. Michael Curi for thecreation and editing of our Second Quarter Newsletter. Thank you all for your contributions and hard work! We look forward tothe evolution of this Newsletter with additions from our alumni and department members near and far!

Sincerely,Anne C. Mosenthal, MD Heather L. Rady, MS, ATCProfessor and Chair Administrator of Operations

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Who: Faculty, Residents/Fellows, Staffand families

• What: Montclair Jackals vs. Quèbec(minor league baseball)

• Where: (for GPS, use) 27 Clove Road Little Falls, NJ 07424

• Bonus: Kids get ½ price Sundaes, run-ning of bases, and autograph session

• When: Sunday, August 3, 2014

• Game time: 2:05pm

• Includes unlimited food and beverages (90 minutes of BBQ)

• In the case of rain, event will berescheduled

• RSVP to Regina Tyson by Friday, July 25th

No State Funds will be used for this event.

rutgers new jersey medical school's department of surgery newsletter, v2 2014

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