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

Message from the Chair

Happy Holidays and welcome to the latest edition of The E.D. Dispatch. Even though this is one of the busiest times of the year, I hope you will take a few minutes to enjoy the content in this newsletter. Fifteen years ago, the physicians in our throwback photo were senior residents. They have accomplished much since that time, and we specifically highlight two of them (Alex and Andy) this quarter. Enjoy the read, stay safe, and Merry Christmas! Cheers, Kendall

Three residents continuing to EMS fellowships

Three of our PGY3s will continue their training post-residency as EMS fellows. Drs. Unsa Shafi and Janna Williams will remain in Jackson at UMMC's program, led by Dr. John McCarter. Dr. Chris McCuller will be heading to the University of Texas at San Antonio. Read more about Drs. Shafi, Williams, and McCuller.

CriSP-HS: The Cold Stored Platelet Early Intervention for Hemorrhagic Shock Trial

The Cold-Stored Platelet Early Intervention in Hemorrhagic Shock study, or CriSP-HS, will study whether giving cold-stored platelets early to patients who are losing a lot of blood will help stop the bleeding better than standard care.

Departmental allergy and immunology update

Dr. Utsav Nandi, Associate Director of Research, offers an update on the use of inhaled corticosteroids in moderate to severe asthma exacerbation and a summary of the recently released MANDALA clinical trial, which compared the use of short acting beta agonists (SABA - albuterol) to a fixed-dose combination of SABA and inhaled corticosteroids (saba+ICS - albuterol-budesonide) as a rescue medication.

Faculty spotlight - Dr. Andy Anderson

Dr. Andy Anderson – featured in the throwback photo of the Class of 2007 – is a Professor in the department and currently works as a nocturnist at UMMC. Dr. Anderson’s path to being a physician was not traditional, and he’s had several interesting experiences “in the field” over the course of his career. Read more about Dr. Anderson.

Clinical update

As 2022 draws to a close, it is time for another update from the front lines. Thankfully, COVID-19 cases have declined and we have resumed to some level of normalcy. We still wear masks in clinical areas, but most of the common areas and classrooms are mask free in accordance with CDC guidelines. The pandemic-induced shortages are still being felt, but less so. As we slowly pull away from the pandemic, other challenges have arisen…

Dr. Lei Zhang, center, joined by co-investigators on the VIP program, left, and intimate partner violence initiative, right. Pictured are, front row, from left, Dr. Bill Hillegass, Vearrier, Zhang, Dr. Erin Dehon and Dr. Andrew Voluse. Back row, from left, are Dr. Carl Mangum, Kutcher, Dr. Masoumeh Karimi and Dr. Tara Price.

Violence research focus of $7.5M grants to School of Nursing

Monday, October 10, 2022

Using a holistic approach and an interdisciplinary team of investigators and community partners, Dr. Lei Zhang strives to help prevent gun violence and violence against women.

Alumni spotlight - Alexia Willis, MD

Alexia Willis - featured in this edition's throwback photo - completed her emergency medicine residency at UMMC in 2007 and currently lives in Oklahoma, where she has a very busy life! She says, “Since graduation I have worked in multiple EDs, from single coverage rural departments to my current position at a busy urban ED with multiple physician coverage. I have also been a medical director and had a leadership role for over five years with my current employer.” Learn more about what Alexia's been up to.

Year-end giving

Please consider making a year-end gift to the University of Mississippi Emergency Department’s unrestricted fund. To offer the best care for our patients, help us ensure the absolute best care right here in Mississippi with our trainees. Thank you for your generosity and support.

Fellow focus

Dr. Laura Fincher is a current sports medicine fellow here at UMMC. Dr. Fincher grew up in Madison, Mississippi, and has chosen to fulfill her medical goals locally. All of her medical training has been through UMMC. Dr. Fincher is particularly interested in sports cardiology, concussions, and ultrasound. In her free time, Dr. Fincher enjoys spending time with her friends and family, walking with her dog, cooking, antiquing, and container gardening.

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

December 2022