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 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 theScholasticAchievementAwardandlntemaiMedicine ' receive t e 1 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 Meigs (center), a Bibb Countyfami~ physician , was presented with the Preceptor of the Year Award by Dr. John Wheat (r), Professor of Community and Rural Medicine, and Dr. Bill Owings, Interim Fami~ Medicine Chair

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 a new building for patient care and teaching is currently underway. The fund drive includes a goal of $500,000 for the Betty Shirley Clinic's facility in the new building for construction, furnishings, equipment, and--if funds permit--endowment of operating costs of the clinic. Staffed by psychiatrists,

Dr. William Curry, dean of the College of Community Health Sciences at The University of Alabama, and mental health advocate Betty Shirley look over plans for the new Medical Center at UA . The building, site of patient care and medical training will include new facilities for the Betty Shirley Clinic for Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, which was renamed recently in Shirley's honor.

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.

Groundbreaking for the new Medical Center is expected this fall.

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 (D RG '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 U A 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 U A 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/U A 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 of Community Health Sciences and Associate Dean for Rural Dr. Curry

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 forT uscaloosa 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 theY ear. 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 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

Third Annual Rural Health Conference The Time for Action: Building Connections to Improve Rural Economies and Health

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

encourage you to e-mail suggestions to Vicki Johnson (CCHS Advancement Officer) atvjohnson@cchs.ua.edu

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: vjohnson@cchs.ua.edu

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 nclewett@cchs.ua.edu.

"Founding fathers" of CCHS were together at a research 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 swilder@cchs.ua.edu.

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)

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, Honors Convocation on May 19 as an who received the Glasgow Award 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

Dr. Gresham presents the Merck Manual Award for Excellence to Dr. Teri Magruder.

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 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.

Departmental Awards 2002 Honors Convocation

Family Medicine

Internal Medicine William W. WintemitzAward

Pediatrics Psychiatry Peter Bryce Award

Community Medicine Robert F Gloor Award

Surgery Obstetrics-Gynecology Finney! Akers MenwrialAward

Neurology Award (first time awarded)

Student Research

Salih Faldon, MD, with the Resident Recognition Award he received from the senior class for

Julia Lett Boothe, MD

Kris Cummings, MD

Margaret TaitMoore, MD

MargaretTaitMoore,MD

Beverly Flowers Jordan, MD and Zanthia Evon Wiley, MD

Bradley Thomas Smith, MD

NadaBashir Memon,MD

Bradley Thomas Smith, MD

Beverly Flowers Jordan, MD, andNadaBashir Memon, MD

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

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.

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.

NATIONAL RESIDENT MATCH PROGRAM-2002 University of Alabama School of Medicine- Thscaloosa

Patrick Austin

Julia Boothe

Tracy Brookings

Kris Cummings

Jeffrey Faggard

Clifton Garris

Joey Gassen

Heath Hale

Christopher Hillman

PROGRAM

UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL

Tuscaloosa Family Medicine, Tuscaloosa, AL

Wayne State U/Detroit Med. Cntr., Detroit, Ml

Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO

UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL

Univ. of TN-Memphis, Jackson, TN

Oregon Health Sciences Univ., Portland, OR

Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, TX

Tucson Hospital Med. Ed. Program, Tucson, AZ UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL

SPECIALTY

Surgery

Family Medicine

Pediatrics

Prelim. Int. Medicine Radiology

Internal Medicine

Family Medicine

Pediatrics

Family Medicine

Transitional Anesthesiology

Beverly Jordan

Rutwij (Rick) Jotani

Tuscaloosa Family Medicine, Tuscaloosa, AL Family Medicine

Spartanburg Regional Med. Cntr., Spartanburg, SC Family Medicine

Teri Gottstine Magruder UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL

Benjamin Kerr. E. Virginia Graduate SOM, Norfolk, VA

Nada Memon

Margaret (Meg) Moore

Anthony Narducci

Alexander Nettles

Allison Paulk

Nikki Price

Barnes-Jewish Hospital , St. Louis, MO

UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL

Univ. of TN-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL

Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile, AL

Baptist Health System, Birmingham, AL

Tuscaloosa Family Medicine, Tuscaloosa, AL

Self Memorial Hospital, Greenwood, SC

Pediatrics

Int. Med/Fam. Med

Internal Medicine

Pediatrics

Transitional Radiology

Medicine/Pediatrics

Internal Medicine

Family Medicine

Family Medicine Todd Sanford

Brad Smith Presbyterian Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA Transitional Jefferson Univ, Wills Eye Hospital , Philadelphia, PA Ophthalmology

Richard Thomason

Robert Thornton

Joseph Tubbs

Robert Vickers

Mark Wall

Wendy Wasden

Robert Watson

Danny Whitaker

Zanthia Wiley

Univ. of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY

Carraway Methodist Med. Cntr. Birmingham, AL Vanderbilt Univ. Medical Center, Nashville, TN

LSU/Earl K. Long Mem. Hosp., Baton Rouge, LA

LSU/Earl K. Long Mem. Hosp., Baton Rouge, LA

Carraway Methodist Med. Cntr., Birmingham, AL Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile, AL

UAB-Montgomery Int. Med., Montgomery, AL SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse, NY

Carraway Methodist Med. Cntr., Birmingham, AL UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, AL

Univ. of TN-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN

Emory Univ. School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Anesthesiology

Prelim. Int. Medicine Anesthesiology

Emergency Medicine

Emergency Medicine

Transitional Radiology

Transitional Radiology

Transitional Anesthesiology

Pediatrics

Internal Medicine

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 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.

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, seniors 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 pr ior to entry into medical school and spec ifically ru ral-oriented me d ical school experiences. College seniors or graduate students from rural areas are chosen each year to enter th is highly selective program 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 support and interaction with practicing rural physicians begun during the ··

prematriculation year continues as rural students 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 Medical 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

Bridgette Singleton (RHS '01 ), Joseph Walker (RHS, RMS, RHS Counselor)

A 1998 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 a five-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 a college class and riVing experience; Kris Cummings of Chitton County, aT uscaloosa senior who ranked at the top of the 2002 UASOM class this year, Aprile Brown of Greene County, a 2002 graduate of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Joey Gasson of Limestone County, also a T uscaloosaseniormedical student and UASOM graduate, and Dr. John Wheat, Professor of Community and Rural Medicine, and Director of the Rural Medicine Pipeline programs.

6 • OnRound~ • Spring/Summer 2002

Bowden (RHS '93) is now in dental school.

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 Tuscaloosa Family Practice Residency, is the first recipient of the Dr. Emmanuel Jones Memorial Rural Family Physician Fellowship.

Dr. Thomas was born in Salisbury, North Carolina, and graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta. He earned his MD degree at Howard University in Washington, OC, and completed his Family Practice residency training in Tuscaloosa at The University of Alabama's College of Community Health Sciences in 1986, becoming Board Certified in Family Practice that year. Dr. Thomas was Managing Physician of the Greensboro Center, West Alabama Health Services, for four years before assuming the same position at the organization's Lowndes County Center in 1990. Since 1991,hehaspracticedfamily medicine at the Lowndes Center of Health Services, Inc.

Dr. Thomas has been married for 18

EmmfoJUelJones, MD

Dr. Emmanuel Jones Memorial

Rural Family Physician

Fellowship

• Memorializes the late Dr. Emmanuel Jones, who practiced Family Medicine in rural

Macon County, Alabama

• Honors an African-American physician currently in practice in rural Alabama

• Encourages African-American students to pursue careers in rural Family Medicine

• Fosters cultural understanding among health professional students in The University of

Alabama Rural Medicine Pipeline

years and has five sons. He is a member of the Steward Board and serves as Church Treasurer for Old Ship A.M.E. Church.

Dr. Thomas participated last spring in a round table discussion of rural health care sponsored by the Montgomery Advertiser and was featured in a series of articles by Advertiser reporter Cynthia Yeldell about rural medical care because of his choice to practice in a rural area.

"Minority health is a major component of rural medical practice," said Dr. John Wheat, Professor of Community and Rural Medicine at The University of Alabama School of Medicine, Tuscaloosa campus, and founder of the Rural Scholars Programs at

- UA. ·'The Ernillanuel Jones , MI),Memorial Rural. FariiiJY Physic1anFellowship · -~ strengthens the pipeline in its aim to prepare students for culturally sensitive approaches to all patients in rural Alabama."

Dr. Richard Streiffer (left) in June, 2000, when he was the speaker at the Tuscaloosa Family Practice Residency graduation dinner, and below with Jerry McKnight, MD, Chair of Family Medicine at CCHS, and Sam Gaskins, MD, Residency Director, after the event.

Clip and retum

George G. Thomas, MD, (front) a fami ly physician in Hayneville, Alabama, and 1986 residency graduate, is the f irst Dr. Emmanuel Jones Memoria l Rural Family Physician Fellow. The fellowship, given by Mrs. Jones of Marion in memory of her late husband, was jointly presented at the Annual Meeting of the Alabama Chapter of AAFP by J immie Clark, MD, MPH, (r) a member of the AAFP Board, and John Wheat, MD, MPH, (back) Professor of Community and Rural Medicine and founder/director of the University of Alabama Rural Scholars programs. Dr. Ann Chu (I) of Huntsville, outgoing president of AAFP, presided at the event in Destin on June 15. (Photo by Holley Midgley)

CCHS Alums Provide Leadership CCHS alumni serve in leadership positions throughout the Alabama Chapter of AAFP (American Academy of Family Practice). Dr. Melissa Behringer, who finished both medical school and residency at

_ CCHS (91/94), is the new President Elect of the Alabama Chapter. A list of of AAFP 2001/2002 board and officers taken from the annual dinner program (boldface type indicates CCHS alumni):

Bd. Chairman: Blane Schilling, MD President-elect: Claude Ouimet, MD Treasurer: Randall Weaver, MD VP Northwest: Jerry Harrison, MD VP Northeast: Mike O'Dell;1\.ID -VP Southeast: Florencia Patterson, MD VP Southwest: Boyd Bailey, MD At Large: Mark Keating, MD At Large: Melissa Behringer, MD At Large: James Chambers, MD Congressional Dist. 1: Sage Smith, MD Con g. Dist. 2: Lon Haskell, MD

Cong. Dist. 3: Beverly Joseph, MD Cong. Dist. 4: Fred Yerby, MD Con g. Dist. 5: Jacquelin Perry, MD Cong. Dist. 6: Carol Johnson, MD Cong. Dist. 7: Jerry McKnight,-~--­

Gulf Coast Br.: Mike McBrearty, MD Calhoun Co. Br.: Nelson Cook, MD Jefferson Co. Br.: Lisa Columbia, MD Tenn. Valley Br.: Robert Chappell, MD Tuscaloosa Co. Br.: Jimmie D. Clark, MD Resident Rep. Joanna Carioba, MD Student Rep. Beverly Jordan, (now an MD)

.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.

Streiffer Is Top Family Doctor 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 J ounwl. Castle 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 ballots, and other research which asked area physicians to identify highly skilled, exceptional doctors. Educational and professional experience was used in making the final selection among those physicians most highly regarded by their peers, said the magazine's introduction to the listings. Dr. Streiffer is Professor and founding Chair of Family Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine. He also set up the Family Practice Residency at Baton Rouge General.

NAME: _____________ _ name used at CCHS, if different

Medical School (name and graduation date): ____________ _

Residency (where and when?). _________________ _

Other training _______________________ _

Describe your current practice: __________________ _

Address: ___________ _

FMI, to make recommendations, or to nominate persons for recognition, contact: Vicki Johnson, (205) 348-0093

vjohnson@cchs.ua.edu

Please attach details of awards or recognition, elected positions, research, community activities, or other professional and personal news:

I Clipping or article attached? Photo? (Specify who and what.)

: Return to: Linda Jackson,CCHS • Box 870326 ·Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0326 I (205) 348-1302 · ljackson@cchs.ua.edu

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

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 U ASOM and are now in residency training, most in primary care fields.

2002 Rural Medical Scholars ~ Homefuwn

JonBinkerd Ashley Coleman David Corbett

Shelby Jackson Winfield

CarrieFreeman Northport Brad Guy Millry JebHomsby Opp MichaelLuther Dawson(RHS 1998) DeanahMaxwell Tuskegee (RHS 1996) Tatum McArthur Greeneville Ray Stewart Phenix City

Justin Hughes from Beaverton was chosen as altemate.

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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. A primary 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 35487. (205) 348-1302, ljackson@cchs.ua.edu

William A. Curry, Dean

Linda Jackson, Editor

THE UNIVERSIT Y O F

ALABAMA HEALTH SCIENCE S

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 1 credit 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

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

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

"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"

''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, V Johnson @cchs. ua.edu

Inside: Hooo:sConvocation (begins on page 1)

Funding Sought for Betty Shirley Clinic

IXwlsMessage 2 llim.CunyHonored 2

ThirtiethAnniversary 3

Rural.AlabamaAHEC GetsTobaccoGrant 3

Awards pictures

Match results

Rural Scholars

Alumni. News

4

5

6

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The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences

Box 870326 Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0326

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

8 • OnRounds • Spring/Summer 2002

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