The E. D. Dispatch - Summer 2022 - University of Mississippi Medical Center

Message from the Chair

Greetings and welcome to the latest iteration of The E.D. Dispatch. The last few months have been filled with transitions. As is typical for this time of year in an academic department, we bid farewell to a group of truly talented emergency medicine physicians and welcomed a new class of interns. Based on first impressions, this class will exceed expectations. Graduating one class and beginning the educational process of another always leads to reflection. Thinking back on my own first days at UMMC (July 1999) instills a sense of pride in this department. It amazes me how much we have grown and how much we have accomplished in the realms of health care, education, and research. With respect to growth, our faculty ranks alone have more than quadrupled since 1999. Please enjoy the throwback photo we’re including from then. Moreover, please enjoy the highlights of accomplishments included in this edition of the newsletter. The current members of our department and our alumni are truly having an impact. Sincerely, Kendall

Education division news

It’s been a busy summer for the education division! In July we celebrated the graduation of our third years, sending them to their new roles. We welcomed a new class of 16 interns, coming to us from eight different states across the country. We welcomed three fellows - two sports medicine fellows and one EMS fellow. Finally, we had leadership transitions, including a new associate program director – Dr. Jonah Gunalda – and a new group of chief residents.

From left, registered nurse Amy Haralson, EMT Zachary Jackson, registered nurse Symone Ickom and registered nurse Jordan Sawyer care for a simulator newborn during STORK training.

STORK training critical when lives of moms, babies in jeopardy

In his four and a half years as an emergency medical technician with a rural ambulance service, Zachary Jackson has delivered just one baby – a full-term, healthy little one whose mom did just fine.

2022 accolades

Dr. Victoria Ross received the Mississippi Osteopathic Medical Association Post-Doctoral Trainee of the Year Award. Congrats, Dr. Ross! Congratulations, also, to the awards recipients, presented at this year's Award and Honors Day, for the 2021-2022 academic year. Well done!

Clinical update

As we slowly emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Emergency Department here at UMMC is beginning to return to baseline. However, the ravages of the pandemic are still with us as we battle critical medications shortages, severely reduced amounts of IV contrast material, and nursing shortages. We are trained to be resourceful, resilient, and innovative - skills that will be tested in the coming months as we continue to care for our fellow Mississippians.

Dr. Denise Cornelius, director of PreClinical Research and associate professor of emergency medicine, and pharmacology and toxicology, measures good and bad proteins in tissue samples.

UMMC research dollars on upward trend

When Dr. Denise Cornelius was in graduate school, her sister, carrying twins, suffered from severe headaches, vision changes and high blood pressure. Her doctor didn’t know why. But a decade later, when she started experiencing the same symptoms in her second pregnancy, Cornelius, who had by then earned a doctorate in microbiology and immunology from University of Mississippi Medical Center, jumped into action.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Faculty and staff demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through their engagement in DEI training and community outreach.

Alumni spotlight - Afrah Ali, MD

Dr. Afrah Ali joined us from Dubai, UAE, in 2015 and was a member of our first three-year residency program class. She graduated from our program in 2018 and has launched a promising career in academic emergency medicine. Read more to learn what she has accomplished over the past four years.

Women in emergency medicine

The first half of 2022 was busy for our Women in Emergency Medicine (WEM) Group, as restrictions related to the pandemic gradually lifted and we were able to resume “regularly scheduled programming!” Highlights of the past few months included a breakfast Q & A for women medical students at UMMC and our attendance at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

Research team continues COVID-focused studies

The UMMC Emergency Medicine research team recently completed a study to examine the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine in preventing laboratory-confirmed symptomatic infection among health care providers.

Follow us on social media!

Let's keep in touch. If you haven’t checked out our UMMC EM Residency Instagram and Facebook pages, you are missing out! Please send your stories and updates to us. You can reach us via social media or at UMMC-EmergencyMedicine@umc.edu

Summer 2022