New faculty join UMMC academic ranks

Published on Monday, November 1, 2021

Medical Center leadership is proud to announce the following additions to its faculty and leadership staff.

Dr. Mohammad Atari

Dr. Mohammad Atari, recently at transplant nephrology fellow at the Tulane Medical Center Transplant Institute in New Orleans, has joined the Medical Center faculty as an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology.

Atari earned his medical degree at the Damascus University School of Medicine in Damascus, Syria, before completing his residency in internal medicine at the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan, an oncology fellowship at King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, and a nephrology fellowship at the Tulane University School of Medicine.

He has also served as an instructor at the University of Jordan School of Medicine.

Atari is a member of several honorary or professional organizations, including the American Society of Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Transplantation.

Dr. Phillip T. Burch

Dr. Phillip T. Burch, recently an attending surgeon in cardiothoracic surgery at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, has joined the Medical Center faculty as professor of surgery and division chief of pediatric and congenital heart surgery.

Burch earned his medical degree in 1998 at the University of South Alabama School of Medicine in Mobile before completing a residency in general surgery at the Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky.

While a resident in Louisville, he performed a research fellowship. He completed a cardiothoracic fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, and his congenital cardiac surgery training at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, where he was later a pediatric clinical and translational research scholar for two years, until 2013.

At the University of Utah/Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Burch also served as attending surgeon in cardiothoracic surgery, executive co-director of the Heart Center, surgical director of pediatric cardiac transplant, and chief of the pediatric section of cardiothoracic surgery.

He has reviewed articles for a variety of professional publications, among them: Annals of Pediatric Cardiology,
Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Clinical Epidemiology, the European Journal of Pediatrics, the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the World Journal for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, and others.

Burch is lead author or co-author of numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and is a member of several professional organizations, including the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society.

He is currently co-investigator of a Pediatric Heart Network-sponsored project involving growth following Stage 1 palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Dr. Saloum Cisse

Dr. Saloum Cisse of Madison, recently a family physician at Merit Health Medical Group Primary Care in Raymond, has joined the Medical Center faculty as assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine.

Cisse earned his medical degree from Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar Medical School in Senegal, West Africa in 1995. He completed a residency in family medicine and a residency in preventive medicine in 2002 and 2003, respectively, at the Morehouse School of Medicine, and a Master of Public Health at Morehouse and Emory University in Atlanta.

Board certified in family practice, he was previously an assistant professor of family medicine at UMMC for three years, until 2006. Cisse has also served as a family physician at Community Health Systems, a chart auditor for the Matrix Medical Network and medical director for Family First Healthcare in Raymond.

He is a member of various professional organizations, including the American Academy of Family Medicine, the Mississippi Academy of Family Medicine, the American Public Health Association and the American College of Preventive Medicine.

Dr. Moira Mills

Dr. Moira Mills, recently a PRN occupational therapist at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson, has joined the Medical Center faculty as assistant professor of occupational therapy in the School of Health Related Professions.

Mills earned her Master of Occupational Therapy degree in 2002 at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in St. Augustine, Florida, where she completed the Doctor of Education degree in 2020.

As an occupational therapist, Mills has 19 years of experience in nursing home/rehabilitation center, inpatient, home health and acute care settings.

She has held a variety of staff or supervisory positions at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences-San Marcos in California; Woodbine Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Alexandria, Virginia; HCR ManorCare (now ProMedica Senior Care) in Virginia; Premier Physical Therapy Services of Rhode Island; Carolina Therapy Services in Dunn, North Carolina; Britthaven of Jacksonville in Jacksonville, North Carolina; and several other organizations.