Cancer Institute faculty achieve state, national acclaim; GWIMS bestows UMMC honors

CI faculty receive ACGME appointment, earn tech award

A national graduate medical accreditation council has named a UMMC Cancer Institute faculty member to one of its review committees, while a state pharmacist organization has selected another CI faculty member to receive an annual award.

Dr. Srinivasan Vijayakumar, director of the Department of Radiation Oncology, has been appointed to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s Review Committee for Radiation Oncology.

The ACGME accredits residency and fellowship programs in medical institutions. As a member of the radiation oncology review committee, Vijayakumar will join others in reviewing the medical education and resources provided fellows and residents in radiation oncology programs.

Shannon Strong, quality assurance technician in the UMMC Cancer Institute’s outpatient oncology pharmacy, has been named the Mississippi Pharmacists Association’s Pharmacy Technician of the Year.

In her nomination letter, Melodie Goodwin, Strong’s manager, wrote that in addition to Strong’s official duties, “she has taken on the role of patient advocate.”

Strong’s official duties include seeing self-pay patients and working to help them find financial assistance through drug companies or foundations and other administrative duties. Unofficially, she works on several service projects to help patients and the UMMC Cancer Institute, Goodwin wrote. 

GWIMS bestows honors to eight UMMC faculty, staff

The UMMC Group on Women in Medicine and Science chapter presented its annual awards to outstanding UMMC faculty members, students or trainees and members of the UMMC community who represent the mission of the organization.

Four of those on hand to receive the awards during the 2018 GWIMS Awards and Recognition Luncheon June 19 include, from left, Dr. Ashley Albert, Dr. Anju Sukumaran, Dr. Abhay Bhatt and Dr. Juanyce Taylor.

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs, served as the guest speaker at the luncheon. She encouraged each attendee to be a “builder” for the coming year; to at least once a day reach out, encourage and extend his or her net.

“You can always tell who the strong women are,” Woodward said. “They are the ones you see building each other up instead of tearing each other down.”

Dr. Mohadetheh Moulana, assistant professor and director of curriculum development in the Department of Psychiatry and incoming president of GWIMS, announced one of the top priorities on the organization’s agenda for the coming year will be to establish and build a rich and versatile library for UMMC GIWMS.

As a lifetime reader, Moulana said she believes women have to be highly knowledgeable and well-informed to make their dream of academic gender equality a reality.

“Being well informed enhances our cultural capitals and decision-making capacity which pave the way to be part of the solution in the workplace and ultimately in the world,” Moulana said. She urged the academic community to borrow books from the UMMC GWIMS library and encouraged book donations.

2018 Award Recipients:

Dr. Jane Reckelhoff, Lou Ann Woodward, M.D. Authentic Leadership Award

Dr. Juanyce Taylor, Helen D. Barnes, M.D. Diversity and Inclusion Award

Dr. Alexandra Castillo, UMMC GWIMS Innovation Award

Penni Lowrey, UMMC GWIMS Resilient Spirit Award

Dr. Ashley Albert, UMMC GWIMS Emerging Star Award

Dr. Anju Sukumaran, UMMC GWIMS Rising Star Award

Dr. Mobolaji Famuyide, UMMC GWIMS Shining Star Award

Dr. Abhay Bhatt, UMMC GWIMS Trailblazer Award

Children's clinics, pediatrician among paper's Choice

Children’s of Mississippi’s outreach to the Gulf Coast has garnered accolades from Sun Herald readers.

In the Biloxi newspaper’s annual People’s Choice awards, Children’s of Mississippi clinics, including the Biloxi specialty clinic and five general pediatrics clinics in the region, won first place for “Best Pediatric Clinic.”

Dr. Bryant McCrary, a pediatrician in the Gulfport clinic at Acadian Court, won second place for “Best Physician.”

“We’ve had a pretty extensive campaign for People’s Choice this year, starting with a call for nominations,” said Brittany Ridgway, marketing and community relations manager for the Sun Herald. “Readers sent in nominations and we then had the top six nominees in each category on a final ballot.”