• Assistant Professor, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
• Director of Psychosocial Communication, Internal Medicine Residency Program at Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Mich.
• Clinical Psychologist

Psychosocial Communication Training

As director psychosocial communication in the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Hurley, Dr Lepisto trains residents in interviewing, communication and psychosocial topics. After residents undergo training in communication and interviewing, they practice the newly acquired skills and receive feedback in a one-to-one setting. Psychosocial-, patient-experience- and communication-training topics include patient-centered interviewing, communicating bad news, cultural competency, motivational interviewing, and shared decision-making, as well as other subjects.

Competition was tough this year for three residency positions in Hurley’s Combined Internal Medicine/ Pediatrics Residency Training Program, according to Interim Program Director Vijay Naraparaju MD. The three interns who matched to Hurley’s program are outstanding, he said.

This new set of three interns comprise the graduating class of 2020:

Rahul Gupta MD

Dr Gupta is from India and recently lived in Bossier, LA. He attended Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Bangalore, India. Upon moving to the Western Hemisphere, he took a position as a teaching faculty and physician at a Caribbean medical school in St. Vincent, whose US-based curriculum helped him to interact with US faculty and students and become more culturally rich and diverse. This sometime-poet also enjoys playing football, cricket, and volleyball, and loves music and musicals.

Kewan Hamid MD

Originally from Iraq, Dr Hamid attended Hawler Medical University in Erbil, Iraq. He is married to Dunya Mohamad MD (a member of Hurley Pediatric residency graduating class of 2018). Recently residing in Federal Heights, Colo., Dr. Hamid enjoys staying fit by playing soccer and exercising - and he likes watching soccer, too. He likes playing chess and enjoys reading, especially on topics related to Roman history and politics.

Frank Kalaba MD

Dr Kalaba has seen much of the world and yet is perfectly happy to be taking his next educational steps in Flint, Mich. The Zambia native attended the Russion National Research Medical University in Moscow, Russia, and lived in Sacramento, Calif., with his wife, before moving to Flint for his residency training. He loves learning about different cultures and so far has added Spanish and American Sign Language to his language skill set, in addition to his native English and a bit of Russian. This singer (mostly baritone and bass) loves soccer, hiking in natural areas, and learning about different cultures (including tasting different foods).

Match Day 2016 was exciting around the country but especially for residents and faculty at Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Mich.

John Hebert MD, director of Hurley’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Training Program, said his new residents are excellent academically and are also pleasant people.

Here are some brief bios about the new ob-gyn interns, who make up the graduating class of 2020:

Ahmed Abdullah MD

From Flushing, Mich., this Michigan native graduated from Windsor University Medical School, Cayon, St. Kitts. He already has research experience with Hurley faculty member, reproductive endocrinologist Mostafa Abuzeid MD. Dr Abdullah enjoys watching sports, staying healthy and active, and spending time with his family.

Huda Afaneh MD

Originally from Detroit, Dr Afaneh is very familiar with Flint, since she recently spent two years on the Flint Campus before graduating from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing. In her spare time, Dr Afaneh enjoys running and weight-training, as well as reading, drawing, painting, and watching theater.

Stephanie Leiva MD

This Costa-Rica native hails more recently from Florida, though she did graduate from medical school in Costa Rica. She recently helped with research projects at Johns Hopkins University, and she hopes to find time to continue her favorite activities of teaching, reading, playing sports and dancing.

Ahmed Moustafa MD

When he’s not on duty, Dr Moustafa may be found playing tennis or fishing in one of Michigan’s many lakes – or off-roading and finding new people to befriend. He graduated from the University of Cairo, Egypt, assisted with research in reproductive endocrinology, and completed an observership at Hurley.

Even though the new residents in Hurley’s Internal Medicine Program have varied backgrounds, they all have two things in common - they are strong academically, and they enjoy interacting with people, according to Program Director Ghassan Bachuwa MD MHSA MS. Sounds like promising physicians for our patients!

Here are some of the numbers describing this year’s outstanding interns:

• 5 females
• 7 males
• 10 countries for medical school:
  • 1 from Bahrain
  • 1 from Caribbean
  • 1 from China
  • 1 from Egypt
  • 3 from India
  • 1 from Lebanon
  • 1 from Myanmar
  • 1 from Saudi Arabia
  • 1 from Sudan
  • 1 from United Arab Emirates
• 2 married to each other
• 2 soccer players
• 1 volleyball player
• 1 badminton player
• 1 extreme sports athlete
• 1 pianist

Which one may be found baking and watching documentaries? And which one may be hiking the many trails in Michigan’s parks? Who may spend part of the day as a half moon or half tortoise? Which may be found meditating, playing chess or table tennis, growing garlic and daffodils, or reciting poetry and planning a trip?

To find out who’s who, take a peeak at these brief bios about the new internal medicine interns.

Six new residents in Hurley’s Transitional Year Residency Training Program found a good home at Hurley, where it’s very close to hiking trails, volleyball courts, and art museums, which are some of the hobbies of the new trainees. They hope to gain a good understanding of the primary care disciplines before leaving next year to pursue training dermatology, radiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and ophthalmology.

Ji Won Ahn MD

A graduate of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., Ji Won Ahn plans to pursue a dermatology residency after completing her transitional year. She enjoys board games, volleyball, and K-pop.

Komal Chughtai MD

Komal Chughtai graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich., and plans to enter a radiology residency training program after graduating from TY. She enjoys photography, painting, art, dance, badminton, and traveling.

Greg Messenger MD

A graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Mich., Greg Messenger plans to pursue a dermatology residency. He enjoys sports and being outside, especially running, hunting, fishing, and rock climbing.

William Scales MD

A graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind., William Scales expects to apply to radiology residency programs next year. In his spare time, he enjoys watching football (go Colts!), playing board games, and traveling.

Alex Schmidt MD

A graduate of Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Mich., Alex Schmidt plans to pursue a career in physical medicine & rehabilitation. Alex enjoys sports, traveling, house renovations, and music festivals.

Sushant Wagley MD

A graduate from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Mich., Sushant Wagley plans to enter ophthalmology training next year. He enjoys cooking, photography, painting, hiking, and scuba diving.

One of the skills that most adults need to learn is self-care. As resident physicians, this is especially important because residents sometimes work physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting schedules, which can be harmful to themselves and their ability provide professional patient care.

It takes time to learn these skills, and your individual training programs, as well as Hurley Medical Center itself, will give you many options to learn, practice and implement them. See below for some of the options.

However, what happens when you find yourself stuck and at your wit’s end? Or what if you are worried about a colleague who is showing signs of stress, burnout, depression, exhaustion or other concerning signs?

If you are having a tough time – or notice a colleague is having a tough time – then it is time to take action – before you (or your colleague) suffer serious health setbacks.

The easiest way to get started is to contact Hurley’s Human Resource Department and talk to the coordinator of the Employee Assistance Plan (EAP). The EAP coordinator can direct you to the appropriate place to get help fast.

Or read through other options, below.

Depression & Burnout

Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) (The first three visits are free.)

• If you ARE enrolled in the Hartford’s long-term disability plan (a benefit option for which you pay extra),
  • Call the Hartford Employee Assistance Plan (EAP).
• If you ARE NOT enrolled in a long-term disability plan, do one of the following:
  • Contact Hurley’s Employee Assistance Plan Coordinator.
  • Complete an EAP Referral Form, available on Hurley’s intranet, in the Employee Resources’ tab > Forms > Online Forms > Printable Forms > EAP Referral Form.

Counseling services through your own employee insurance plan

• Hurley’s counseling services at [810-262-4996[(810-262-4996)

• Non-Hurley counseling services

  • Contact your primary care physician for a referral or
  • Contact Hurley VP, Service Line Development for a referral to off-site counseling. (Your concerns will be held in the strictest confidence.)

State program (Confidential, records destroyed after 5 years)

• Contact Michigan’s Health Professional Recovery Program.

Online resources (free)

• Mood gym
• 7 Cups of tea

Wellness

Hurley’s institutional wellness programs

• 24-hour fitness room, 6W rotunda
• 24-hour relaxation room, 6W rotunda (15-min limit)
• Exercise classes, nutrition classes and samples, chair massages (look in weekly Hurley Wellness emails for details)

Hurley GME services
Contact the Hurley GME office for more information about the following: * 24-hour nap rooms (in Phil Dutcher Center, aka “BQ”; use call-room key – one nap room for females, one for males)
* Call rooms

Hurley Resident Wellbeing Committee

• Work-life balance (help with family relations; physical health; and team-building activities such as soccer, volleyball, bowling, picnics, movies)
• Mentoring
• Safe, ongoing forum for attending and resident interaction on issues and concerns brought forward by either group

Online Resources

• University of Pennsylvania’s Authentic Happiness site

Just two months remain before it’s time to submit abstracts for the 2017 MSU/FAME Community Research Forum. So mark your calendars for Dec. 1, the opening day for abstract submission, and get cracking on those projects.

Also save Wednesday, May 3, 2017, on your calendar to make sure you’re free to attend the 19th annual event, which takes place 7:30 am to 5 pm at the Holiday Inn Gateway Centre, 5353 Gateway Centre Drive, Flint, Mich., 48507.

The annual research exhibition from resident physicians in the Flint region is hosted by Hurley Medical Center, Michigan State University Flint Area Medical Education (MSU/FAME), Genesys Regional Medical Center, and McLaren-Flint.

Questions?

For more information, check out one of the following:

• Email the Hurley Research Center
• Contact MSU/FAME by phone
• Email MSU/FAME
• Visit the MSU/FAME website for the 2017 Forum

Photos from 2016

Here are some photos of Hurley residents, faculty, staff and medical students who participated in the May 2016 MSU/FAME Community Research Forum. Click on the gallery below to see more.

Photo Gallery: MSU/FAME 2016 Community Research Forum photos (by Hurley Medical Center)

One oral and 13 poster presentations from Hurley were accepted for a regional scientific conference in Michigan in September. The annual fall Michigan Chapter Scientific meeting (part of the American College of Physicians) took place Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, 2016, at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Mich.

The presentations and authors came from three Hurley training programs: Combined Internal Medicine/ Pediatrics Residency Program (Med/Peds), Geriatric Medicine Fellowship (Geri), and Internal Medicine Residency Program (IM).

Following is the list of presentations.

Oral Presentations:

• Severe Muscle Weakness in an African-American Thyrotoxic Patient. Clinical Vignette. Kirti Manjrekar, Basim Towfiq, Vijay Naraparaju. Med/Peds.

Poster Presentations:

• Infective endocarditis in Hemodialysis patients. Research. Emad AbuSitta, Nour Aljariri Alhesan, Zaid Qaraghan, Carols Rios-Bedoya, Eyassu Habte-Gabr. IM.

• Kratom: An addictive substance associated with acute ischemic stroke in a young man. Clinical Vignette. Shokhan Aghawais, Ramkaji Baniya, Firas Abed, Basim Towfiq, Ghassan Bachuwa. IM.

• When puzzled, review the medications: An uncommon side effect of a common medicine. Clinical Vignette. Azza Ahmed, James Vyskocil. IM.

• Two cancers in the same tissue! Is the pathologist right or is it a “collision?” Clinical Vignette. EzzAddin Al Wahsh, Suresh Kumar Subedi, Seetharamprasad Madala, Basim Towfiq. IM.

• Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in adulthood: A diagnostic challenge. Clinical Vignette. Hossam Al-Zúbi, Samer Al Hadidi, Khalil Katato. IM.

• A tale of dog’s diarrhea. Clinical Vignette. Ramkaji Baniya, Sunil Upadhaya, Elfateh Seedahmed, Ghassan Bachuwa. IM.

• Thromboembolism in inflammatory bowel disease: case report and literature review. Clinical Vignette. Hind Hadid, Amanda Winston, Adiraj Singh, Elna Saah. Med/Peds.

• Rheumatic heart disease: A “disease of poverty” in developed countries. Clinical Vignette. Joud Jarrah, Basim Towfiq. IM.

• Pasteurella multocida: Pet-associated peritonitis. Clinical Vignette. Jahangir Khan, Besher Sadat, Elizabeth Hale. Geri.

• Esophageal cancer initially presenting with Lemierre syndrome: coincidence or risk factor? Clinical Vignette. Mohammed Osman, Praveen Bheemanathini, Ghassan Bachuwa. Med/Peds and IM.

• Kounis syndrome: Anaphylaxis or epinephrine effect? Clinical Vignette. Qais Radaideh, Samer Al Hadidi. IM.

• Stroke and DVT (deep vein thrombosis) - linked by lung! Clinical Vignette. Sakshi Singal, Nour Aljariri Alhesan, Basim Towfiq. IM.

• A case of nodular pulmonary amyloidosis with primary pulmonary MALT lymphoma masquerading as metastatic lung disease. Clinical Vignette. Sunil Upadhaya, Mohammed Baig, Basim Towfiq. IM.

Program:

Combined Internal Medicine/ Pediatrics, First-Year Resident

Originally from:

I am originally from the beautiful country of Zambia.

School(s) attended:

I was fortunate to complete my medical school at The Russian National Research Medical University, in Moscow, Russia.

What brought you here to the U.S. and to Michigan?

I came to the U.S. 4 years ago to achieve my dream goal of getting into a combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency. I was initially in the Windy City of Chicago, then moved to Sacramento, Calif., where I got married, and then finally to Hurley, here in Michigan!

Why did you choose your specialty?

I chose combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics for several reasons. My top 5 include:
1. Continuity of care: I get the awesome opportunity of witnessing and being part of my patients’ different milestones throughout their lives
2. I love the fact that I get to take care of children and adults with transitional diseases like sickle cell, cystic fibrosis and diabetes.
3. Massive knowledge base and extensive exposure.
4. I also love the fact that I can take the strengths of Pediatrics to Internal Medicine and vice versa.
5. But my favorite reason is, of course, the preventive aspect of Med/Peds. I get to improve the quality of health for both my pediatric and adult patients.

Family fun facts:

My beautiful wife, Ludmila, is my only immediate family here in the U.S. We live in Grand Blanc, which is about 15-20 mins from the hospital, depending on how fast you drive. My mother and the rest of my siblings (5 brothers and 6 sisters) are back in my home country.

When you’re not working, what do you do for fun?

I love spending time with my wife. We love to walk around in the park and drive around Michigan, visiting friends.

What do you love about Hurley and the Flint area?

1. Hurley fights for the community – we’re known in the community and the country for that.
2. It’s a relatively small- to medium-sized program – everyone knows everyone; it’s easy to fit in.
3. Great opportunities for research
4. Excellent exposure to pathology
5. 100% board-pass rate

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by the various opportunities available to do good to fellow man.

What was your toughest challenge in achieving your goals - and how did you overcome it?

My toughest challenge was patience and consistency. I learned from my past mistakes to overcome this.

What do you miss most about home - and how do you keep in touch with family and friends there?

My goodness! I miss family reunions, where I would joke around with my brothers and sisters. I also miss Zambian food. I’m daily in touch with siblings through WhatsApp, and I frequently call my mother.

What’s your favorite book?

Honestly, I love the book of Proverbs in the Bible.

What’s your favorite quotation?

Abraham Lincoln once said: Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it and the tree is the real thing.

Top 5 favorite things about Flint & Michigan:

1. Beautiful nature around, great place for outdoor activities.
2. Excellent eating places.
3. We experience all the 4 seasons in this Great Lakes State.
4. The people are super nice.
5. Relatively quiet area, great for relaxation!

Special talents & hobbies?

I love singing. I love practicing my Spanish, ASL (American Sign Language) and Russian. I enjoy playing soccer and going to the gym.

When you’re cooking, what’s your specialty?

Rice with beans and greens.

Program:

Combined Internal Medicine/ Pediatrics, Fourth-Year Resident

Originally from:

Mumbai India

School(s) attended:

• Seth G.S. Medical College, King Edward Hospital, University of Mumbai, India.
• Residency in Medical Pharmacology. T.N. Medical College, B.Y.L. Nair Charitable Hospital, University of Mumbai, India
• Master’s degree in Pharmacy Care Administration, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.

What brought you here to the U.S. and to Michigan?

Came to the US following my elder brother. I was working in the pharmaceutical industry in India. I came to the US for further education and to explore the world. I grew up in a very protected environment back at home,and I really needed to cross seven seas to be out on my own ;).

I left the industry to do something that would give me personal fulfillment, in addition to taking care of my bills and helping me give my child a better future.

I matched into the Med-Peds program. I love the faculty and I love my Med-Peds colleagues. The residents come from different parts of the world and I like the harmony.

Why did you choose your specialty?

I chose Med-Peds because it gives me the ideal training to be able to take care of patients from cradle to grave, and building strong and meaningful relationships with my patients.

Family fun facts:

Isha, my now more than little bundle of joy, just turned 4. My husband, Jiten, supported and encouraged me to follow my dreams. Aayee and Baba, my parents, live in India. Pankaj (my dear elder brother), my sister-in-law, nephew and niece live in New Jersey.

When you’re not working, what do you do for fun?

Take my daughter to museums, parks, beach, Huckleberry Railroad, Mackinaw Island; speaking with my parents back at home.

What do you love about Hurley and Michigan?

Hurley is a small, tightly knit place. People are friendly to work with. Michigan is beautiful.

What inspires you?

Watching people with:
- Passion for their work
- Excellence in their work
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Kindness
- Gandhi

What was your toughest challenge in achieving your goals - and how did you overcome it?

There were too many hurdles, but the most significant was to overcome the dilemma of quitting a good job and career path, to start all over again at a time which later turned out to be the most difficult time, given other ongoing life occurrences.

What do you miss most about home - and how do you keep in touch with family and friends there?

Parents, parents, parents. Grandmother. Family and friends. Food. Everything about home.

Phone. I travel once a year to meet my parents, no matter what.

Favorite movies?

Casblanca and Titanic.

Special talents & hobbies?

I used to play throwball and basketball in school.

Program:

Transitional Year, First-Year Resident

Originally from:

Nepal

School(s) attended:

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, East Lansing, Mich.

What brought you here to Michigan?

Moved to Michigan from Nepal at the age of 12

Future plans:

Pursue ophthalmology residency

Why did you choose your specialty?

The complexity of the eye is fascinating.

When you’re not working, what do you do for fun?

Cook/eat, travel, exercise, ski, watch movies.

What do you love most about Hurley and the Flint area?

The diversity of the patient population and the staff, Flint’s rich history and the current revitalization projects in the city.

What do you miss most about home?

I miss the mountains of Nepal. I love to hike, and, while we have small hills in northern Michigan, it’s just not the same.

What is your favorite thing about Michigan?

Michigan’s natural beauty.

For one senior resident, Michigan’s fall season was exceptionally nice. Not only were the days unusually warm and balmy for Michigan, but Ra’ad Haddad MD also got a little warmth when he received national honors at Michigan State University.

Haddad, a third-year resident and also a chief resident in Hurley’s Internal Medicine Residency Training Program, was inducted into the MSU College of Human Medicine Gamma Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society on Nov. 2.

“It went very well,” said Haddad after the ceremony.

MSU CHM’s Gary Ferenchick MD said in a letter that selections were made by a committee of AOA faculty who considered the following criteria: outstanding performance in the residency program, evidence of scholarship as a resident house officer, and evidence of outstanding community service.

The official bio for the awards ceremony reported that his resident colleagues see him as a role model for patient care, education and leadership, as well as a trusted coworker and reliable team player.

In addition, faculty preceptors universally described Haddad as “an excellent resident.” Other excerpted faculty comments:

• Very detail-oriented, conscientious, and thorough. … Patient care and medical knowledge exemplary. … Enjoyed working with him.
• Excellent leadership for his research team.
• Focused and driven to strive for excellence.
• Communicates well with nurses, patients, families. … Very caring in approach.
• Listens well … and acts accordingly.

Haddad earned his medical degree from the Jordan University of Science and Technology, where he helped spread healthcare to unreachable areas as a volunteer medical student, delivering community education about diabetes, smoking, obesity, and other health issues.

After graduation, he worked as a general practitioner in his home county before joining research investigators at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in 2013, and focused on the use of genomic medicine in clinical practice. One trial observed changes in metabolic profile after genetic results disclosure in people with increased genetic cardiovascular risk.

In 2014, he joined the Hurley Internal Medicine Residency Training Program as a first-year resident. He has continued to help the community while working in Flint. As part of his program’s work with area homeless shelters, Haddad helps the poor and underserved population in the area by offering health screenings and educational sessions. He has had multiple scholarly presentations at local and regional conferences, as well as many peer-reviewed publications in academic journals.

In 2015-2016, he received the Outstanding Resident Educator Award from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He also was selected by his faculty and peers to serve as 2016-2017 chief resident of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Hurley.

After graduation in 2017, Haddad plans to continue his training in an endocrinology fellowship at the University of Michigan.

For now, he is enjoying his time at Hurley, where the faculty are always there to give support, he said, mentioning Program Director Ghassan Bachuwa MD MHSA MPH, in particular.

“His positive influence has helped me to progress into becoming a better doctor,” said Haddad.

A Flint children’s fund is $10,000 richer, thanks to $5000 won and donated by Mona Hanna-Attisha MD MPH and a matching donation from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Hanna-Attisha, director of the Hurley Pediatric Residency Training Program, was invited to compete in the ABC-TV program, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” because she was named a Hometown Hero for her work related to the lead-tainted water in the Flint area, which resulted in increased lead levels in children. Her research findings were published in the February 2016 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Prior to that, her public release of results prompted action to prevent further exposure to lead and to address potential health effects, all of which have received much national attention.

In fact, Hanna-Attisha is accustomed to talking with NPR, TIME magazine, national news shows, and other organizations. But when the “Millionaire” TV show producers first contacted her in summer, she was skeptical.

“I thought it was a prank call,” said the 39-year-old pediatrician. “I didn’t think the show actually existed. I thought Regis Philbin was still doing it.”

She can be forgiven for not being up to date on the latest in TV shows. After all, she has been extremely busy with her own family (including husband Elliott and their two children), the residency training program at Hurley, and heading up the Hurley-Michigan State University Pediatric Public Health Initiative, formed to assess, monitor and mitigate the lead crisis at the community level.

But Hanna-Attisha eventually agreed to participate, as long as any of her winnings could be donated to the Flint Child Health and Development Fund (FCHD), formed to raise money to help kids in the Flint area following the water contamination.

ABC taped the segment in August, but contestants weren’t allowed to talk about it until after the show aired.

“The hardest part about those three months was keeping my mouth closed. I couldn’t tell anybody,” Hanna-Attisha said.

Finally, the show was aired and watched by Hanna-Attisha, friends and colleagues during a watch party at the downtown Flint Blackstone’s restaurant (organized by the Hurley Foundation as another fund-raiser).

Hanna-Attisha, who is tireless when speaking about children’s issues, doesn’t relish attention on herself for other purposes.

“To see my reactions and my funny facial expressions and people’s reactions, it was a little awkward, but it was a lot of fun,” Hanna-Attisha said.

During the show, she correctly answered questions about pop culture and history but missed when asked about glabella, which, it turns out, is the area between the eyebrows, above the nose, where some people grow “unibrows.”

Still, she brought home $5000 for the kids. And, said Kathi Horton of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, which manages the FCHD, the CS Mott Foundation matched that with another $5000, for a total of $10,000.

As of December 2016, the FCHD has received more than $10.9 million in gifts and has awarded 1.99 million in grants.

As for Hanna-Attisha, she will continue speaking out for “her kids,” that is, all of the children in the Flint area, she said.

Hurley residents and faculty members had a lot of scholarly activity in 2016, as shown by the multitude of papers, presentations and books reported recently.

For example, Ashweena Gonuguntla MD of the Hurley Pediatrics Residency Training Program, was part of a national task force charged with looking into how well pediatric residency training programs were doing in their quest to provide a minimum of six months of individualized curriculum for each resident, as required by the ACGME Pediatric Review Committee. That’s her poster at the top of this page.

Mahesh Sharman MD, also of Hurley Pediatrics, coauthored a book chapter about intensive care for people with disabilities across the lifespan.
Mona Hanna-Attisha MD MPH, Jenny LaChance MS, and Allison Champney Schnepp MD wrote more about elevated blood lead levels in children in Flint.

Major work also came from residents and faculty in Hurley’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Training Program, with Rubin Raju MD, Omar M Abuzeid MD, John Hebert MD, Mohammad Ashraf MD, Mostafa I Abuzeid, Atinuke Akinpeloye MD, Oluwamuyiwa Bolonduro MD, and Islam Fahmi MD exploring topics ranging from innovative surgical techniques with laparascopy and robotic systems to clinical obstetric and gynecological dilemmas.

In Internal Medicine, Samer Al Hadidi MD had a paper published in JAMA about aspirin and cancer risk, and many of his colleagues also presented and published their work.

Here are some of the year’s presentations and publications – some are brand-new announcements, while others are just new to the GME blog. If yours isn’t listed here, look in prior blogs for it - or contact us to report your recent scholarly activity.

• Sharman M & Clark J. (2016). Intensive Care, pp 1731-1743. Chapter in I.L. Rubin et al. (eds) Health Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities across the Lifespan. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

• Association of the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Screening Tool with Weight Status, Percent Body Fat, and Acanthosis Nigricans in Children from a Low Socioeconomic, Urban Community. KE Yee, KA Pfeiffer, K Turek, M Bakhoya, JJ Carlson, Mahesh Sharman, E Lamb, JC Eisenmann. Ethn Dis. 2015 Nov 5;25(4):399-404. PMID: 26675805

• Pain management trend of vaso-occulsive crisis (VOC) at a community hospital emergency department (ED) for patients with sickle cell disease. Susumu Inoue, I Khan, R Mushtaq, SR Sanikommu, Carline Mbeumo, Jenny LaChance, Michael Roebuck. Ann Hematol. 2015 Nov 27. PMID: 26611852

• The Use of Pediatric Foley Catheter After Operative Hysteroscopy for Intrauterine Pathology in Over a Thousand Patients Was Not Associated With Ascending Infection. Omar M Abuzeid, John Hebert, Mohammad Ashraf, Mostafa I Abuzeid. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2015 Nov-Dec;22(6S):S110. PMID: 27678589

• A Simple Innovative Technique for Managing Large Cystic Benign Adnexal Masses Using Single Port Laparoscopic Surgery.* Rubin Raju, Omar M Abuzeid, Dada N, Kling M, Metz J, Frye IS. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2015 Nov-Dec;22(6S):S129. PMID: 27678695

• Management of False Passage in the Cervical Canal During Operative Hysteroscopy. Omar M. Abuzeid, Rubin Raju, John Hebert, Ashraf M, Mostafa I Abuzeid. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2015 Nov-Dec;22(6S):S141. PMID: 27678777

• A Modified Technique of Temporary Suspension of the Ovary to the Anterior Abdominal Wall.* Omar M Abuzeid, Rubin Raju, John Hebert, Ashraf M, Mostafa I Abuzeid. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2015 Nov-Dec;22(6S):S144. PMID: 27678798

• Congenital Absence of the Utero-Ovarian Ligament: A Clinical Dilemma. Rubin Raju, Omar Abuzeid, John Hebert, Mostafa Abuzeid, Mohammad Ashraf. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2015 Nov-Dec; 22(6S):S150. doi: 10.1016/j.jmig.2015.08.543. Epub 2015 Oct 15. PubMed PMID: 27678848

• Herlyn Werner Wunderlich Syndrome: Varying Presentations. Rubin Raju, Omar M Abuzeid, Oluwamuyiwa Bolonduro, Atinuke Akinpeloye , Mohammad Ashraf, Mostafa I Abuzeid. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2015 Nov-Dec;22(6S):S153. PMID: 27678869

• Case Report: Place of Trans-Abdominal Cerclage Using the da Vinci Robotic System in Infertility Patients With Incompetent Cervix. Islam Fahmi, Rubin Raju, DeAnna J, Thakur M, Pugmire D, Mohammad Ashraf, Mostafa I Abuzeid. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2015 Nov-Dec;22(6S):S154-S155. PMID: 27678873

• Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Children Associated With the Flint Drinking Water Crisis: A Spatial Analysis of Risk and Public Health Response. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Jenny LaChance, RC Sadler, Allison Champney Schnepp. Am J Public Health. 2015 Dec 21:e1-e8. PMID: 26691115

• Development and Implementation of a pharmacist-managed outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy program. Practice Reports. Eun Kyoung Chung, Cole B Beller, Eva W Muloma, Danielle Osterholzer, Kendra M Damer, and Sharon M Erdman. Am J Health-Syst Pharm, Vol 73, Jan 1, 2016. DOI: 10.2146/ajhp150201.

• Lessons for Flint’s officials and parents from our 1970s Newark lead program response. Mona Hanna-Attisha; Jenny LaChance. American Journal of Public Health Feb 2016;106:E1-E2.

• Supervision in rehabilitation psychology: Application of Beatrice Wright’s value-laden beliefs and principles. Tackett MJ, Nash L, Kirk Stucky, Nierenberg B. Rehabil Psychol. 2016 Feb;61(1):74-81. PMID: 26881309

• Penile gangrene as a sign of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Samer Al Hadidi, Raad Haddad, Firas Abed, Ghassan Bachuwa. BMJ Case Rep. 2016 Feb 5;2016. PMID: 26851255

• The importance of fetal sex determination. Mohamed Satti, Rubin Raju, Le Q, Frederico Rocha, Dicke J, Ivana Vettraino. J Clin Ultrasound. 2016 Feb 15. PMID: 26877222

• Variations in Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Use and Outcomes in Michigan Hospitals. Chopra V, Smith S, Swaminathan L, Boldenow T, Scott Kaatz, Bernstein SJ, Flanders SA. JAMA Intern Med. 2016 Feb 15. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.8402. PMID: 26881938

• Nitrofurantoin-induced interstitial pneumonitis: albeit rare, should not be missed. Haamid Syed, Ghassan Bachuwa G, Sunil Upadhaya, Firas Abed. BMJ Case Rep. 2016 Feb 24;2016. PMID: 26912767

• Spontaneous intraperitoneal rupture of a postpartum rectus sheath haematoma. Abdel Elmoghrabi, Mohamed Mohamed, Michael McCann, Gul Sachwani-Daswani. BMJ Case Rep. 2016 Mar 9;2016. pii: bcr2016214905. PMID: 26961567

• Adult jejunojejunal intussusception in the face of jejunal adenocarcinoma: two infrequently encountered entities. Abdel Elmoghrabi, Mohamed Mohamed, Michael McCann, Gul Sachwani-Daswani. BMJ Case Rep. 2016 Mar 9;2016. PMID: 26961563

• Six Months of Individualization- Have we hit the mark? A National Survey of Pediatric Residency Programs. Nicole Paradise Black, H Barrett Fromme, Erik Black, Daniel C. West, Tai Lockspeiser, Catherine Michelson, Jeremiah T. Cleveland, Carmela Meyer, Erika Abramson, Lanessa Bass, Ariel Winn, Ayoade Adeniyi, Pamela Dietz, Ashweena Gonuguntla, W Michael Southgate, and Rebecca Blankenburg. Poster presented at: The annual meeting of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors, New Orleans, LA, March 30-April 2, 2016; and the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, Baltimore, MD, April 30-May 3 2016. Oral presentation in the RIME section of AAMC’s Learn, Serve, Lead. Seattle, WA, November 10-15, 2016. Also accepted in Academic Medicine RIME supplement. 2016. Abstract.

• A survey of psychology practice in critical-care settings. Kirk Stucky, Jutte JE, Warren AM, Jackson JC, Merbitz N. Rehabil Psychol. 2016 May;61(2):201-9. PMID: 27196862

• Recurrent Cyclic Vomiting in Adolescents: Can It Be Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome? Brief Report. Sawni A, Vaniawala V, Good M, Lim WY, Golec AS. Clinical Pediatrics, May 2016, Vol. 55(6) 560–563. DOI: 10.1177/000992281559423.

• Feasibility and Perceptions of Cell Phone–Based, Health-Related Communication With Adolescents in an Economically Depressed Area. Sawni A, Cederna-Meko C, LaChance J, Buttigieg A, Le Q, Nunuk I, Ang J, Burrell KM. Clinical Pediatrics, May 2016. DOI: 10.1177/0009922816645516.

• Quinine-Induced Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation. Firas Abed, Ramkaji Baniya, Ghassan Bachuwa. Case Rep Med. 2016;2016:9136825. Epub 2016 May 16. PMID: 27293443

• Feasibility and Perceptions of Cell Phone-Based, Health-Related Communication with Adolescents in an Economically Depressed Area. Anju Sawni, Crystal Cederna-Meko, Jenny LaChance, Buttigieg A, Le Q, Nunuk I, Ang J, Katherine Burrell. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2016 May 19. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 27207867

• Performance of the Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale Score in the Evaluation of Children with Blunt Head Trauma. Dominic Borgialli, Mahajan P, Hoyle JD Jr, Powell EC, Nadel FM, Tunik MG, Foerster A, Dong L, Miskin M, Dayan PS, Holmes JF, Kuppermann N; Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). Acad Emerg Med. 2016 May 20. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 27197686

• Renal function in atrial fibrillation patients switched from warfarin to a direct oral anticoagulant. Minhas AS, Jiang Q, Gu X, Haymart B, Kline-Rogers E, Almany S, Kozlowski J, Krol GD, Scott Kaatz, Froehlich JB, Barnes GD. J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2016 May 23. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 27217043

• Strong independent association between obesity and essential hypertension. Movahed MR, Lee JZ, Whei Lim, Hashemzadeh M, Hashemzadeh M. Clin Obes. 2016 Jun;6(3):189-92. PMID: 27166134

• Hanna-Attisha and LaChance Respond. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Jenny LaChance. Am J Public Health. 2016 Jun;106(6):e1-2. PMID: 27153023

• The Predictive Ability of Various Risk Scores for Bleeding in Warfarin-Treated VTE Patients. Wilkinson J, Kong XW, Almany S, Kozlowski J, Krol G, McNamara MD, Scott Kaatz, Froehlich JB, Barnes GD. Vascular Medicine June 2016;21:307-.

• Efficacy of a Universal Brief Intervention for Violence Among Urban Emergency Department Youth. Carter PM, Walton MA, Zimmerman MA, Chermack ST, Roche JS, Rebecca Cunningham. Acad Emerg Med. 2016 Jun 6. PMID: 27265097

• Proctalgia and colorectal stricture as the result of a 2-year transit of a retained rectal chicken bone: a case presentation and review of the literature. Abdel Elmoghrabi, Mohamed Mohamed, Kristoffer Wong, Michael McCann. BMJ Case Rep. 2016 Jun 20;2016. PMID: 27325671

• D-dimer levels and recurrence in patients with unprovoked VTE and a negative qualitative D-dimer test after treatment. Kearon C, Parpia S, Spencer FA, Baglin T, Stevens SM, Bauer KA, Lentz SR, Kessler CM, Douketis JD, Moll S, Scott Kaatz, Schulman S, Connors JM, Ginsberg JS, Spadafora L, Liaw P, Weitz JI, Julian JA. Thromb Res. 2016 Jun 23. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 27354153

• The Flint Crisis. McGuire MJ, Beecher JA, Mona Hanna-Attisha, Masten SJ, Rose JB. Journal American Water Works Association July 2016;108:26-34.

• The Historical Development of Obstetric Anesthesia and Its Contributions to Perinatology. Edwards ML, Anwar Jackson. Am J Perinatol. 2016 Jul 19. PMID: 27434694

• Placental TLR/NLR expression signatures are altered with gestational age and inflammation. Navin Kumar, Nandula P, Menden H, Jarzembowski J, Sampath V. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2016 Jul 20:1-21. PMID: 27440318

• Aspirin and Cancer Risk. Samer Al Hadidi. JAMA Oncol. 2016 Aug 11. PMID: 27533744

• Association of RNA Biosignatures With Bacterial Infections in Febrile Infants Aged 60 Days or Younger. Mahajan P, Kuppermann N, Mejias A, Suarez N, Chaussabel D, Casper TC, Smith B, Alpern ER, Anders J, Atabaki SM, Bennett JE, Blumberg S, Bonsu B, Dominic Borgialli, Brayer A, Browne L, Cohen DM, Crain EF, Cruz AT, Dayan PS, Gattu R, Greenberg R, Hoyle JD Jr, Jaffe DM, Levine DA, Lillis K, Linakis JG, Muenzer J, Nigrovic LE, Powell EC, Rogers AJ, Roosevelt G, Ruddy RM, Saunders M, Tunik MG, Tzimenatos L, Vitale M, Dean JM, Ramilo O; Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). JAMA. 2016 Aug 23-30;316(8):846-57. PMID: 27552618

• Validation of Risk Assessment Models of Venous Thromboembolism in Hospitalized Medical Patients. Greene MT, Spyropoulos AC, Chopra V, Grant PJ, Scott Kaatz, Bernstein SJ, Flanders SA. Am J Med. 2016 Sep;129(9):1001.e9-1001.e18. PMID: 27107925

• Infective endocarditis in haemodialysis patients: lower complications and same mortality rate as in non-haemodialysis patients. Emad Abu Sitta, Eyasu Habte-Gabr, Zaid Qaraghan, Nour Aljariri Alhesan, Carlos Rios-Bedoya. Infect Dis (Lond). 2016 Sep 29:1-4. PMID: 27684488

• An Exploration of Behavioral Health Productivity and Billing Practices Within Pediatric Primary Care. Crystal Cederna-Meko, Rebecca Ellens, Katherine Burrell, Perry DS, Fatima Rafiq. J Pediatr Psychol. 41(10):1133-1143, 2016 Nov. PMID: 27498983

• Should Prophylactic Anticoagulation Be Considered with Large Uterine Leiomyoma? A Case Series and Literature Review. Mohamed Satti; Saenz Paredes Saenz; Rubin Raju; Sierra Cuthpert; Abed Kanzy; Sina Abhari; John Hebert III; Frederico Rocha. Case Rep Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Nov 3;2016:9803250. PMID: 27885348

• The Association of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Insurance on Trauma Mortality. Mikhail JN; Nemeth LS; Mueller M; Pope C; NeSmith EG; Kenneth Wilson; Michael McCann; Fakhry SM. J Trauma Nurs. 2016 Nov/Dec;23(6):347-356. PMID: 27828890

Wrapping up your research projects to submit to conferences and journals? If yes, make sure you’re up to speed on our most popular regional research conference – some changes for 2017 may impact your internal deadlines and work flow, said D. Kay Taylor PhD, director of the Hurley Research Center.

Here’s the run-down of some of the changes for the May 3, 2017, 19th Annual Community Research Forum, sponsored by Michigan State University Flint Area Medical Education, Hurley Medical Center and other area hospitals.

Summary of changes

Abstracts will be judged on scientific rigor before the forum. Be sure to get all of your research finished before you submit your final abstract edits. The abstracts will be used to determine eligibility for various awards. (See below.) This means that all of your data analyses and interpretations must be completed, so you can submit everything with your final abstract edits by March 1, 2017. (If you do any last-minute analyses in April or May, they won’t be included in the evaluation of your research submission.)

New length for abstracts: 500-750 words. This gives more space to describe findings. Be sure to check the criteria for your category of submission at the MSU/FAME Research Forum website.

New ability to submit expanded structured abstracts, graphs, tables, references, in advance. Because your work will now be judged in advance for several purposes, the evaluators will want to see your graphs, tables, figures and references in advance, too. You are now requested to submit all of this extra material by March 1.

New in-hospital awards. Each hospital is to judge its own abstracts to identify its best study and best case report for each of its residency programs, which will be recognized during the May 3 Forum Awards Ceremony, so Hurley will have awards for:

• Hurley’s Best Study for each IM, Med/Peds, OB, Peds, TY (five total awards)
• Hurley’ Best Case Report each IM, Med/Peds, OB, Peds, TY (five total awards)

Hurley’s winning research projects will be announced during the Awards Ceremony at the end of the May 3 Forum.

New between-hospital awards. Each hospital is to judge abstracts to identify its top 5 oral and top 5 poster submissions to compete for overall awards at the May 3 Forum, so Hurley will identify:

• Top 5 oral submissions *
• Top 5 poster submissions *

Winning research projects will be announced during the May 3 Awards Ceremony at the end of the Forum.

*The top 5 poster and oral submissions from each hospital (15 total in each oral and poster) will compete for a total of six awards: First-, Second- and Third-place Oral Presentation and First-, Second-, and Third-Place Poster Exhibit. For greater consistency, a single panel of eight judges will evaluate the top 15 oral submissions throughout the day, and a different single panel of six judges will evaluate the top 15 poster exhibits for the day.

Forum-Day Events are slightly different. The Forum now will have one set of oral presentations that will be judged and considered for awards, and the same is true for one set of poster exhibits. The remaining presentations will be given constructive, evaluative feedback.

• The pre-determined top 15 oral presentations are to be presented in a single room before a single panel of eight judges.
• The pre-determined top 15 poster exhibits also will be displayed together and judged by a single panel of six judges. At least one member of the study team is required to be present during poster judging to answer questions.
• The remaining oral presentations (those not designated for top 15) will be presented in other rooms and will receive evaluative feedback and comments from two evaluators, using a seven-item evaluation tool, to be used for individual improvement purposes.
• The remaining poster exhibits (those not designated for top 15) will be exhibited in the Poster Room, with three evaluators providing feedback and asking questions (if an investigator is present), using a seven-item evaluation tool.

How will this work at Hurley?

The Hurley research director will form a committee to judge submissions from Hurley residents and fellows, using new, stringent criteria based on scientific rigor, assessing 20 items under five categories. Judges are to undergo special training. The final selections will be made across programs and will be based on the expanded, structured abstracts with references, charts, tables, and figures submitted by the March 1 deadline.

Those selected for a top-five designation will be notified in early April, so they will have ample time to fine-tune their presentations or posters before the day of the forum.

Staying the same

Resident & Faculty Awards. Each hospital selects its own recipients to be honored/ recognized for their scholarly activity during that academic year. Just in years past, during the May 3 Awards Ceremony, each hospital is to present awards to its recipients of the following:

• Resident Investigator Award
• Faculty Investigator Award

Other oral and poster presentations will still take place. If your project is not selected as one of the top 5 from Hurley in either the poster or oral categories, you still will be asked to present your material in front of the usual audience. However, instead of being “judged,” your work will be constructively evaluated, and you will receive feedback to help you learn from the experience.

Specialty-specific awards will still be given. The judging process is a bit different, but every project – whether part of the top 15 or not – will be in the running for the specialty-specific awards given by each institution. The only difference is that the abstracts and supplementary material submitted by March 1 will be used by each institution to determine awards for their specialties. Winners will be announced during the May 3 Awards Ceremony at the end of the Forum.

You still need to get approval from your program to submit your abstract. Just as in years past, plan to complete all of your work by early February, so you can submit all of it to your program’s designated research supervisor and still have time to make corrections before the March 1 deadline. (Remember that you will need extra time this year to create tables, graphs, figures and references before the March 1 abstract deadline because all of that is needed for your abstract to be judged by the Hurley-wide committee.)

Why the changes?

The inter-institutional committee that organizes the MSU/FAME Community Research Forum each year is trying to address suggestions for improvement from prior participants, said Taylor, one of the Hurley representatives on the committee. Since this is primarily an educational event, the new focus is more on education, less on prizes.

“The objectives were threefold,” said Taylor, explaining that the committee wanted to:

• Allow all learners (resident physicians, fellows, medical and nursing students) the opportunity to participate and thereby showcase their work. (The previous structure had tight limits on the number of presentations that could be accepted.)
• Alter the focus of the Forum such that the greater emphasis is placed on its educational features, including participants receiving more effective feedback. (In the past, participants didn’t receive same-day feedback in detail.)
• Establish an in-hospital judging mechanism whereby each residency training program will recognize its best work in a collective, community setting. (In the past, some scientifically rigorous work did not receive recognition due to judging anomalies.)

Questions?

For more information, check out one of the following:

• Email the Hurley Research Center
• Contact MSU/FAME by phone
• Email MSU/FAME
• Visit the MSU/FAME website for the 2017 Forum

Photos from 2016

Here are some photos of Hurley residents, faculty, staff and medical students who participated in the May 2016 MSU/FAME Community Research Forum. Click on the gallery below to see more.

Photo Gallery: MSU/FAME 2016 Community Research Forum photos (by Hurley Medical Center)