Leadership

"Misbah is always helpful, supportive and approachable. I appreciate knowing he always has our backs."

"He is always eager to help and always provides good patient care and life advice. His passion for Neuroimmunology is extremely contagious. Regardless of whatever may be happening, we know he is always there for us."

Medical Knowledge

"It has been an absolute pleasure working with Dr. Azeem. His depth of knowledge is outstanding, his neurologic exam and neuroradiologic abilities are excellent, all this in addition to a wonderful, calm, compassionate demeanor. He goes out of his way to help out his fellow residents and is selfless making sure his patients are taken care of."

Comment from a Neurology Department attending: "What I find amazing about Dr. Azeem is his desire to learn more. He carries his notebook to take points when talking to attendings as he is a medical student. He has a passion to learn and he doesn’t hide his passion. I feel a sense of responsibility when he is around."

Communication Skills 

“She has excellent communication skills, and is very respectful in her interactions with everyone on the team.  Dr. Menghani is a calm, collected and a smart resident that we are lucky to have in our program.  She managed the several complicated patients we had with ease, and took a student under her wing availing every opportunity to teach them.”

Leadership

“It is always a pleasure to work with Dr. Menghani.  How she multi-tasks and manages busy services with her calm, utmost professionalism, is exemplary.  Dr. Menghani genuinely cares for her patients and demonstrates attributes essential for successful leadership.  I recommend her highly for leadership roles.”

Medical Knowledge

“Dr. Menghani did a fantastic job on service.  We had multiple very complicated patients.  Dr. Menghani performed a thorough evaluation of each patient, and demonstrated advanced clinical knowledge and skills.  She was professional, courteous, and empathetic.  She was a team player, helping out her colleague by seeing a stroke alert.”

Care Coordination

“Dr. Welleford excelled to a degree beyond his level of training on the EMU. In a week in which there were no normal EEGs and multiple patients with complex epilepsy syndromes, he efficiently managed the service and managed to review EEGs, picking up on seizure patterns that were atypical.  He identified patient safety issues and systematic issues in a particular incident and led an interdisciplinary discussion regarding this during our EMU quality and safety meeting.  He identified the problem and proposed solutions, without placing blame on individuals, a testament to his professionalism.  He also ensured that communication with patient families and caregivers was open and shared.  I hope I have the chance to work with him again on this service.”

Leadership

“An excellent teacher and great advocate for families and children.  He was able to help a child who needed a procedure for a very long time.  The way he handled the situation was exceptional.  The family told me that they are very thankful to Dr. Welleford for his services.  He always goes above and beyond to perform his duty.”

“One of the best teachers I have encountered on my rotations, attending or resident.  His knowledge of pathophysiology is phenomenal and he is always eager to teach.”

Medical Knowledge

"Dr. Bacus is a phenomenal physician. She quickly integrated with our service and participated actively in clinical interviewing. Following this, she demonstrated considerable skill reviewing imaging, discussing EEG findings, conceptualizing cases, and discussing care from a holistic perspective. Of additional note, she demonstrated considerable proficiency in discussing and developing treatment recommendations adaptive to individual patients (including educational and support recommendations for child patients). She is an outstanding provider and I would be happy to have her back on my rotation any time in the future."
 

Professionalism

"Dr. Bacus is very friendly and professional. She is very thorough, kind, and compassionate. She goes above and beyond in taking care of her patients. We had a complex patient in service. She spent extra time in explaining the condition to the family and documented the patient's image before and after treatments.   was very impressed by her excellent documentation which was very helpful."
 

Care Coordination

"Dr. Bacus confidently stepped into the role of primary provider for critically ill and medically complex adult patients that belied her background in Child Neurology. Dr. Bacus managed the team well by coordinating with a third-year medical student, the critical care medicine team, other consultants, and the discharge planning team. Dr. Bacus was organized every day on rounds and helped the medical student develop strong plans for patients. She easily establishes rapport and is able to explain conditions and concepts in language that is appropriate for the situation."

Care Coordination

"Dr. Yaacoub managed a busy consult service and coordinated with the emergency department as well as other services in the hospital.  Dr. Yaacoub was organized every day on rounds and developed strong plans for patients in coordination with our Vascular Neurology fellow.  Dr. Yaacoub is thorough and efficient when running stroke alerts.  He has a strong foundation for understanding the Byzantine aspects of documentation for conveying medical complexity.  I look forward to Dr. Yaacoub's continued growth as a neurologist

Teamwork

"Dr. Yaacoub is very pleasant and managed the big list of consult service with ease.  He is always calm and a wonderful team leader.  He is very unassuming.  He takes keen interest in teaching the junior residents and medical students."

"Dr. Yaacoub is a terrific resident to work with in both inpatient and outpatient settings.  He has taken ownership of the team, right from his PGY-2 year and is a great mentor and guide for the junior residents.  Patients remember him and have told me that he’s a great physician.  What I am impressed with is his zen-like calm.  Even in the toughest situations, he has a smile on his face and a positive way to look at the situation.  He is very respectful in his interactions with everyone on the team and I have never seen him visibly upset, even once, in the 4 years of working with him!"

Leadership

“Dr. Wooten has emerged as a team leader.  She has exceptional leadership skills and did an excellent job planning the rounds, workflows, and logistics.  She remained organized even on busy days.  She will be an excellent independent physician.”

“Dr. Wooten has grown tremendously in her leadership skills on the inpatient Child Neurology service.  She recognizes when the workload exceeds typical volume and divides the team to make rounding more efficient.  She has been able to manage very complicated cases reliably, and supervise off-service residents well, especially when the workload has been excessive.”

Communication Skills

“Dr. Wooten spends extra time communicating and educating patients and families.”

“Dr. Wooten is efficient and has a solid knowledge base.  She is professional and engages patients and families well.”

Dr. Zhu was selected as the April 2024 GME Resident of the Month from a pool of more than 600 residents in the College of Medicine.

Medical Knowledge

“Fantastic week on service with Dr. Zhu.  She has a solid medical knowledge base to back her clinical skills.  Documentation is timely and accurate.  She even did a literature review and educated us on management of stroke patients where the guidelines were not direct.  In addition, she is kind and respectful. Mentored the medical student on service.  Overall, she is doing very well, looking forward to working more with her.”

“Dr. Zhu demonstrated remarkable proficiency in the VA service, consistently providing superb assessments and plans that underscore her clinical acumen.  She adeptly identifies diverse issues and presents them logically and cohesively.  Her efficiency in handling tasks is also noteworthy.”

Care Coordination

“I worked with Dr. Zhu on our Stroke ICU and consult service.  Dr. Zhu managed the team well by coordinating with the critical care medicine team, discharge planning team, and other services.  Dr. Zhu was organized every day and developed strong plans for patients.  Dr. Zhu demonstrated a logical thought process and asked thought-provoking questions about evidence-based management related to the patients.  I look forward to Dr. Zhu’s continued growth as a neurologist.”

Dr. Witt was selected as the March 2024 GME Resident of the Month from a pool of more than 600 residents in the College of Medicine.

Professionalism

 “Andrew is a tremendous resident.  His work ethic, fund of knowledge, and ability to formulate assessments, is closer to PGY4 than PGY2.  Models professional behavior.  A great asset to our team.”

“I had a chance to work with Dr. Witt one afternoon in the resident clinic, but we were able to see several patients together.  His clinical and professional skills were beyond the level that I would expect of his training at this point, and I expect these to continue to develop along a positive trajectory as he advances through residency.”

Care Coordination

“I worked with Dr. Witt on our stroke PCU service.  This was one of the busiest weeks the stroke progressive care service has seen in some time and Dr. Witt managed the PCU adeptly, belying his status as a new PGY2.  Dr. Witt coordinated several first-year residents, a third-year medical student, a visiting fourth-year medical student, consultants, and the discharge planning team for 93 distinct clinical encounters over his five days managing the team.  His exemplary performance, above and beyond expectations, on an unexpectedly busy service helped bring the patient census to its more typical level by the weekend.  He was organized every day on rounds and helped the team develop strong plans for patients.  Dr. Witt demonstrated a logical thought process and strong grasp of evidence-based management when discussing plans for patients with the team.  I look forward to Dr. Witt’s continued growth as a neurologist, and to working with him again.”

Dr. Akemokwe was selected as the February 2024 GME Resident of the Month from a pool of more than 600 residents in the College of Medicine.

Medical Knowledge

“Dr. Akemokwe has performed exceptionally well. He is above his PGY level in terms of medical knowledge and patient management. He is very professional and does excellent bedside patient/family discussion. He was able to describe all cases with broad differentials and management plan. In short, a very reliable physician.”

“His medical knowledge and examination skills are above his training level, yet he is always inquisitive, wanting to learn more and expand his knowledge base. Notes are always thorough and timely. “

Leadership

“Dr. Akemokwe responds admirably acting in a very mature manner and demonstrates strong leadership qualities. He is growing quickly and well into the role of senior resident and team leader.”
 

Teamwork 

“Always goes above and beyond for his patients and his team, volunteers to take on work and help out. There are several examples with recent needs of help on inpatient service, covering sick residents on outpatient clinics, and always extending a hand to help out with tasks/e-consults, etc., at the VA.”

“Dr. Akemokwe is an outstanding resident and a caring physician. He is very thorough and humble. He enjoys teaching residents and students. He is very hardworking and always a pleasure to work with.”

Care Coordination:

•  ‘I worked with Dr. Siddharthan on our Stroke Service.  During that time, Dr. Siddharthan managed the team well by coordinating with several first-year neurology residents, a fourth-year acting intern, and the discharge planning team.  Dr. Siddharthan adeptly oversaw the care of a wide range of medically complex pathologies.  Dr. Siddharthan was organized every day on rounds and helped the team develop strong plans for patients.  Dr. Siddharthan demonstrated a logical thought process when presenting plans and helped catch a non-occlusive thrombus on a patient that otherwise may have been missed. As always, Dr. Siddharthan was an invaluable member of the team and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her. 

Leadership:

•  ‘As Academic Chief Resident, Dr. Siddharthan has put significant effort into scheduling didactics for this academic year.  There are many moving pieces as part of this scheduling and she is always on top of things and makes sure every hour of didactic is efficiently utilized to the benefit of all residents.’

Teamwork: 

• ‘She is very much a team player and cares about her patients.  She knows the details and is very efficient.  We had a very complicated week and it was great that we had her as part of the team.  She is a great resident.’

Communication Skills:

• “If there was a family facing a difficult diagnosis, I would want Ana to be their resident.  She gets down on the level of the family and she actively listens and spends unrushed time with them.  I have seen families open up after speaking to Ana that had been closed off with others.  She has a calming and caring nature that feels very genuine.”

• “During her month in clinic rotation, she made sure patients felt heard.  She went the extra mile in taking care of patients in marginal communities with language barriers and many times, would call the parents the next day to reiterate the plan.  Also, important to note, she was self-motivated to this.”

Care Coordination:

•  “Dr. Roman Guzman is an exceptional resident.  She is very knowledgeable, thoughtful, and respectful.  She is efficient and thorough in patient’s evaluations and communications with patients and the care team.  She is comfortable managing complex patients.  She is an outstanding listener and my patients and their caregivers absolutely enjoyed meeting her.  With these attributes and her enthusiasm for our field, I am confident that she will continue to excel during this academic year and in all her future endeavors.”

Teamwork: 

• “In August, her colleagues need help covering inpatient coverage due to workload.  She stepped up and volunteered to cover the inpatient service over the weekend while she was on her elective month, while also taking extra calls to help her colleagues.  This is a prime example of team work.”

Communication Skills:

• “While he was working with our team on the BHU, he was a wonderful example of what I hope to see in off-service residents rotating through psychiatry.  He took great care of his patients at every turn, but remained respectful and very willing to learn, a great balance to strike.  His communication, whether with the physician team, nursing staff, patients or family members was wonderful- Respectful, professional, clear and empathetic.  He was great with involving medical students in patient care, as well as teaching.  During the month, there were several patients who complained of minor neurological complaints, and Misbah helped us a great deal by reviewing neurological exams, helping us think through differentials, and offering level-appropriate teaching to our team.  I was most impressed however at his persistent and genuine thirst to learn while on the service.  Routinely, he would pose thoughtful, relevant questions about psychiatric differentials, diagnosis, treatments that had direct relevance to his future practice in neurology.  I recall specific examples of his questions that provoked ongoing discussion included asking about the pathways involved in OCD, the mechanism of action of ECT, and treatment of PNES.  Overall, he was a great resident to have on the team, and I look forward to working alongside him for patients in the future.” 

Professionalism:

• “Dr. Azeem is very professional and is the role model for professionalism and communication skills. He is thorough with his presentations and notes are very detailed. He puts lot of effort to get every detail with history, course of hospital events and takes time to read all the notes thoroughly. Every team member says, "Misbah is the best" and this speaks a lot about his teamwork.”

Teamwork:

• “Dr. Azeem was a fantastic teacher!! Despite his busy schedule, He took time in the afternoons to teach us students and answer our questions. Furthermore, Dr. Azeem exemplified the qualities of a compassionate doctor as well as those of a strong and positive leader amongst the residents. The kind of individual every team desires!”

Review from a patient at the VA regarding Dr. Azeem:

“The VA here in Lexington is top notch! My dad has been going to the VA for many years and has always received excellent care! He was just hospitalized recently and the doctors and nurses that cared for him were fantastic.  Dr. Azeem with Neurology is top notch!  He is so knowledgeable and helps you understand exactly what is going on with your family member.  He also has a level of compassion for the family.  We appreciate him!”

Care Coordination: 

• Dr. Sauer worked on a Quality Improvement Project focusing on early inpatient discharges.  He presented his findings at our annual Neurology Trainee Research day.  His Quality Improvement Project improved our early discharge significantly and has changed our workflow. 
• "When Ryan is on for the month, everything runs much smoother.  He consistently will ask if nursing/pharmacy/families need anything else above what he has already done.  He does a great job of listening and speaking to families.  He is knowledgeable of processes that surround inpatient service and works in a timely manner.  Kids are discharged early, orders are placed, he is very thoughtful and has great attention to detail.  I would be excited for him to return, when it is time, as an attending at UK."

Leadership: 

• Dr. Sauer served as the Wellness Committee Co-Chair for 2022-2023.  His help in organizing various activities had a positive impact on both trainees and faculty alike.  He was also selected as one of the Chief Residents for 2023-2024.  His innovation to the scheduling process as chief resident has helped our program excel. 
• "Seeing how Ryan interacted with patients and families showed me the kind of physician I want to be one day. He is very caring, and took the time to get to know and teach the med students. He was great to learn from."

Medical Knowledge: 

• Dr. Sauer consistently performs at or above his level of training, and scored among the highest in first time RITE exam takers
• "Dr. Sauer performed very well when we worked together in my adult neurology clinics. He is very thorough, provided appropriate differential diagnoses, and was very caring toward the patients. His fund of knowledge is remarkable."

Medical Knowlege: 

• "Dr. Welleford was excellent on his VA rotation. He did a great job with patient management and is working well above his level in terms of interpretation of imaging and also complex management skills."

•  "Exceptional work by Dr. Welleford.  His history and exam are very detailed.  Presentations are very easy to follow and logic driven.  The best was, he shows 200% presence in clinic and shows a lot of enthusiasm to see patients and learn.  Passion was very obvious to see."

• "Dr. Welleford was one of the most exceptional residents I have encountered.  As knowledgeable as an attending.  He took time to teach about a number of topics."

Teamwork: 

• "Dr. Welleford was a team player and subbed out one of his days to cover the VA to help out a junior resident and help provide continuity of care for a complex patient.  Excellent job and keep up the good work!"

Comment from a patient in the ER regarding Dr. Welleford:

‘Dr. Welleford saved my life.  I was in the ER when the Dr. said my labs were normal so he was discharging me home. I said I wanted to see a neurologist.  Dr. Welleford came and talked to me and then performed a THOROUGH neuro exam.  He was spot on with his diagnosis and explained it well to me.  I then was given a liter of fluids and admitted to medical service.  Please send this up the chain of command, especially to his attending and chief of medicine. ‘

Communication Skills: 

• "Dr. Pervin did an outstanding job on ICU.  She is organized and thorough, She solicits and incorporates feedback.  She is compassionate, has excellent communication with patients and families, and is always on top of her patient’s complex medical issues."

Medical Knowledge: 

• "With superior clinical skills and rock-solid medical knowledge, she takes every opportunity to share what she knows with medical students and junior residents. She has done exceedingly well from the academic standpoint. She has published, undertaken and presented several research projects at national and international meetings. She gives her 100% to everything she takes on, including wellness initiatives."

Leadership: 

• "Dr. Pervin is always a pleasure to work with.  The same sentiment is shared by the medical students who were on service with us, several of whom wrote to me, or later mentioned in their evaluations that she created an inclusive learning environment, and wasted no opportunity to spend time teaching."  

•  "She was one of the best residents I have had all year.  She loves the medical students and teaches them a topic of their choice every day.  She involves them in patient care and it is inspiring to watch her interact so empathetically with patients and see how much she enjoys what she does."

Communication Skills: 

• "Patients and parents regularly praise his compassion and communication skills. There were two instances during which one of the patients sent an email to Neurology's department chair praising Dr. Gangishetti's  mannerisms and communication skills. This is true for both adult and pediatric patients Dr. Gangishetti comes in contact with."

Leadership: 

• Dr. Gangishetti completed the Emerging Leader's Program offered by GME.  He applied innovations to our scheduling and didactics as chief resident. Medical students praise him for his bed side teaching. 

Teamwork: 

• Dr. Gangishetti always provides coverage if any of his peers/colleagues need him.  He has volunteered to cover many services for his co-residents during conferences or when they are unable to be there.  

Teamwork:

• "I have worked with Dr. Coskun many times and she is always thorough and inquisitive. Her passion for neurology and discovering new information is contagious. She is an excellent advocate for her patients. I have observed her interactions with patients and she is caring in discerning in her communication. Even with the most difficult situations, she has remained calm, compassionate, and focused. Additionally, she is always willing to help her colleagues and go the additional mile for the team."
• “Dr. Coskun is very professional and a great team player. She always follows up on the cases which were seen by her overnight. This reflects her zeal to learn from every case. She is passionate about the tough cases and does her best to learn in depth about these cases. One more incident I want to commend her about. Even though she was on night float, she took out time to attend the jeopardy to support her team.”

Medical Knowledge:

• Learn and sharing knowledge, grow and lets other grow together is the principle she follows. 

From a Patient:

“I ran a doctors office for twenty years and today was the best experience we have ever had receiving medical care. Everyone, including Dr. Coskun, were so on point, and friendly. My husband had one of the best blood pressure readings we’ve seen in a long time and I think it is a result of the care we received. I can’t say thank you enough for our care.”

Innovation:

• As chief resident , he introduced a novel way to make entire year schedule well in advance . This schedule incorporates variables from off service residents/interns , jeopardy system , over flows , buddy call system etc. This has brought equity among different level trainees along with  safe patient coverage.  

Teamwork and Compassion : 

• Recently KCH is experiencing high volume of patients and covering teams may feel overwhelmed . During month of January ( and other months when he is covering inpatient service) , there were 4 different times when he volunteered himself to cover for admitting  team to help admitting patients after his duty hours . He stayed late over weekends to be extra help for procedures. In addition, he has always stepped in to fill the gap if one of his colleague needs help.  
• Dr Ilgarli : Dr Ilgarli is our Child Neurology Chief Resident . As a chief resident , he has introduced novel approach to our scheduling with entire year schedule readily available all the time . He performs his chief resident duties with responsibility and professionalism. His peers have praised him for always ready to help and step in when needed. His excellent academics are evident by his exceptional performance in RITE exam . He is humble, passionate , professional and hard working physician . His teamwork , resilience and hard work help him to practice UK DIRECT values .   
• I have worked with Dr. Ilgarli for years now. Dr. Ilgarli has shown impressive growth over the years. He is one of the brightest residents we have ever had, scoring top in the country on his in-training exam. However, I can attest how he will come to work at 2 or 3 am when on our inpatient service. He will admit for float. He takes time to counsel families and actually cares about our patients. When Dr. Ilgarli says he has done something or will do something, one knows they can take him for his word. I know I can trust him.
• Dr. Ilgarli is an amazing teacher and role model. He is excited to teach and its great to see him interacting with the peds patients because it is obvious that he cares so much!! ( Medical Student)   

Collective Responsibility

“Dr. Bojarski has been a strong advocate for our residency program and has been instrumental in implementing the virtual residency handbook, being a mentor to medical students and attracting them to neurology, implementing numerous wellness activities. Pre-interview meet and greet sessions were a huge success last year and she has played a significant role in them and continues to do so for this academic year. Special thanks to her and her husband for making our program's video.”

“I want to send an appreciation message for Lauren Bojarski. She is doing a commendable job for our wellness group. She has even managed to work on wellness activities during her vacation. Needs to be truly recognized.”

“Dr. Bojarski has put in tremendous efforts on various fronts to build and grow our residency program. She has taken ownership and leadership of the resident handbook right from her intern year. She happily volunteers on various committees and provides valuable input. She is very active in the resident wellness committee and helps organize various events for the residents.”

Caring and Excellence

“A big shout out to her for everything she does for the program, for her co-residents and above all for her patients. Clinically, she is performing above her PGY level and even when service was extremely busy, she was on top of every case. In addition, she took every opportunity to teach medical students for which they were so appreciative. She helped make the week fly by.”

“I have witnessed an exponential clinical growth and maturity in the last year or so. She is proactive during rounds, takes the entire team including her junior residents and students under her wing and leads the service. I have seen her blossom into a wonderful senior, who encourages her juniors to excel and at the same time she is an amazing co-resident who cheers loudly for her classmates and seniors. She is very respectful in her interactions with everyone.”

"Dr. Bojarski was a pleasure to work with, she led the team with confidence and was highly knowledgeable. She was patient and kindly took time out of her day to help me improve my note writing skills, and instilled multiple teaching points throughout the day directed towards medical students. She is a wonderful physician who is passionate about her field and her patients’ care. She was great at handling tough conversations, and allowing the patient time and space to ask questions."

“She is very empathetic to the patients and families. Communication skills are excellent. We had a complicated patient with active neurological and psychiatric symptoms, and she has done an excellent job communicating the plan with the nurse, patient/family, and referring physician. This was one of the toughest conversations, but she handled it extremely well.”

Dr. TKini was selected as the August 2022 GME resident of the month from a pool of more than 600 residents in the College of Medicine.

Collective Responsibility and Curiosity

“She is one of the most efficient residents that I have worked with. She is always calm and can carry a very large volume of service without difficulty. She knows her patients very well and makes clear plans for them. Her willingness to teach neuro Ophthalmology to other residents makes her a great asset to our program. She has published so many articles and I am so happy that she worked on many projects with me. So thankful that our residency program has chosen her as the chief resident. We will be truly blessed if she joins us as faculty.”

Excellence

“She has been an excellent chief resident. Very hardworking and finely balances chief roles and clinical responsibilities. All the messages/emails/tasks by co-residents/staff/education office are addressed within 24 hours and sometimes makes me wonder how she multi-tasks. “

“She Is a good listener and makes the expectations very clear with everyone. Once an issue is addressed, she follows up to make sure implemented solutions are working out at ground level. There were multiple times during in the last couple of months when the schedule had to be altered and strong teamwork by her and co-chiefs made it look simple but we all understand how much work goes into it. Above all, she is a strong advocate for our residents and is a strong asset to our program.  “

Curiosity and Excellence

I have worked with her in multiple settings and have been very impressed with her intellectual curiosity, strong clinical acumen, and taking ownership of the team. Along with top-notch clinical skills, she always has patients and their families as her top priority. Working with her is so easy because not only she is efficient, but she is 100% dependable. She has excellent communication and interpersonal skills and treats everyone on the team with respect. I am amazed at her leadership skills since she took over as the chief resident in June. She works wonderfully well with her co-chiefs, is solution-oriented, and executes beautifully. There were multiple instances over the summer with several residents sick with Covid or other illnesses, and Dr. Kini would happily volunteer to cover for them. She would constantly check on the junior residents and the teams, reflecting the true qualities of an able leader. Our program is truly lucky to have her as the chief. For her excellent patient-centered care, showing respect to everyone on the team, exceptional leadership skills, and the grace with which she manages the entire residency program, she deserves to be the departmental ROM as well as the GME ROM.

Collective Responsibility and Excellence

“She is reliable, responsible, has a great fund of knowledge, multitasking, and capable of managing complex cases/neurological emergencies efficiently”

“Dr. Kini's performance was beyond her level of training. She was respectful, inquisitive, demonstrated clinical maturity.”

“Dr. Kini was extremely knowledgeable as a physician, hard working, and patient-centered while maintaining an educational approach with medical students. By the second day of neurology, I found myself comfortably conducting physical examinations including those in settings that I was previously unfamiliar with. She should be the golden-model for the ideal resident. Additionally, she passed the litmus test of  “would I want this Dr. to take care of my family?” I would feel very comfortable recommending family members to her practice if at all possible in the future. 11/10 A++ resident.”

Dr. Thandampallayam was selected as the June 2022 GME resident of the month from a pool of more than 600 residents in the College of Medicine.

“I am on Child Service this week and it has been the busiest and most difficult week I have had in a long time. Molly has been outstanding and I have been grateful to have her with our team this week. She is very thorough and detail oriented. She is keenly intelligent and genuinely curious. She is reading about each patient, even though there is very little time. This week has been a test of endurance for everyone, but Molly has remained energetic and focused. She has excellent communication skills with her patients, families, and other medical teams. She is well on her way to becoming a fantastic independent Neurologist!”

“I was not on service but a very complicated patient of mine with refractory epilepsy was admitted for ICTAL SPECT and we had so many issues from many aspects; everything from communication with family to the child being autistic and not tolerating any of the EEGs and scans we were planning to do! The child failed to tolerate the scan and we had to repeat everything all over again, plus this time we needed the scan to be done under sedation which would require a MIRACLE to coordinate. I do not know how, but Molly did it! Over those 48 hours, she was on the phone with our epilepsy team, nuclear medicine and me multiple times, even after hours to make sure this child would receive the care he needs! I can’t talk enough about her enthusiasm and hard work! Today when I was reviewing this child’s scan with other physicians on the team, everybody was amazed by her hard work! I just want to make sure she knows that her hard work is being seen and appreciated.”

“Dr. Bates contacted me and put a great effort in making sure that the patient get a successful Ictal SPECT/CT after a challenging unsuccessful day for all teams. It always makes us proud to know that we train such motivated and sincere physicians at UK.”

“Dr. Bates has exceptional communication skills and easily builds rapport with patients. Her presentations are at the level of a senior resident, and she always has a well thought out plan for her patients. Not only considering the medical or neurological side of the issue, but she is also very sensitive to the social aspects of patients’ lives. She is also actively involved in our wellness activities. She has represented KY in advocacy activities through the AAN’s Neurology on the Hill program.”

“To Dr. Bates, thank you for your extra efforts this week in managing a very complicated patient. Your communication skills and multi-tasking helped to navigate a very complicated patient with ictal spect. The care involved NINE teams and you acted as an anchor of communication. You did a good job. Keep on doing what you are doing now, stay humble and stay motivated.”

I take this opportunity to write to you all about our wonderful resident Mangay. She is a true asset to our program. Despite several years of experience and training in medicine she is one of the most humble physicians that I have ever met in life. So graceful and kind in her manners. Patients and colleagues are pleased to meet her and work with her. Her communication skills are excellent and timely.  She serves as a role model for junior residents. We are truly blessed to have her as our resident.

 Mangay creates a positive vibe in our program

Dr. Thandampallayam  demonstrates highest professionalism in a consistent manner. She has been asset to our residency program in being a strong team player and contributes significantly to "Interesting Case Conference (ICC)." The quality and number of cases discussed in ICC has improved in the last one year and major contribution is because of Dr. Thandampallayam, in encouraging all residents to bring the cases to this platform. Every task which she was assigned, she has bestowed her full effort and attention and delivered the best. This is being reflected even in her new role as Chief resident (strong teamwork with co-chiefs in schedule preparation and preparing for 2022-23 didactics).

 She is a role model for all the trainees and program is fortunate to have her. 

 I have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Thandampallayam in the clinic and in the inpatient setting, and I have been extremely impressed with her calm and collected approach to her patient's conditions, evaluation, and treatment. Furthermore, she is always respectful to her peers, colleagues, patients, and seniors. She has stepped up and covered for her colleagues during times of need, and no step was missed regarding patient care due to her preparation and attention to detail. She is a true example of professionalism, and I hope to be able to continue working with her in the future.

Dr. Thandampallayam is a pleasure to work with. She is, without fail, professional, and a delight to interact with. Her attention to detail and timeliness are superb and I consider her an incredible asset to the program. I hope she knows how valued she is!

Having worked with Dr Thandampallayam in multiple settings during the last 2 years, I can attest that she gives her 100% to whatever she does. She is extremely hardworking and dedicated to patient care. She has called patients several days/ weeks after their discharge from the hospital to check on them, and update the attending about how they are doing. Always prompt with her work, thorough and complete documentation! She has been soliciting cases for the Interesting Case Conference without fail every month since her PGY-2. Several times she has attended this conference at noon, and even presented when she is on night float! Such dedication is commendable and definitely deserves recognition. Perhaps her co-residents took note of this and voted for her to be the academic chief! She is always positive with a big smile on her face, and creates a sense of calmness in the residency program. She is very respectful in her communication and is very well liked by her peers. For these reasons and more, I recommend her to be the ROM. For her dedication to patient care, academics and residency program, she definitely deserves to be the GME Resident of the Month too!

• While filling in due to an illness, Eric went to the bedside to check on an abnormal EEG that was not available on the server. He did this at the busiest point of his day, but he managed the issue quickly and efficiently with a positive attitude.  This is only one example of the many times he has jumped in to help!

• Dr. Miller has become a great leader for his class and the residency as a whole. There have been countless occasions in which we needed last-minute coverage or a resident needed to switch shifts and Eric stepped up without question. Aside from his great work ethic, he consistently has a positive attitude and has not complained about the extra work that he has had to accommodate. He also volunteered to help with recruitment efforts this year which has been greatly appreciated. His commitment to patient care and our residency program is encouraging and inspiring.

• Working with Dr. Miller in various clinical settings, I have seen him bring his A-game every time. He has always been thorough and does a very good job with patients, orders, and documentation alike.

• Since his PGY-3 year, I have seen Dr. Miller taking an active role in teaching medical students and junior residents. Several interns approached me saying Dr. Miller is an ideal mentor and guide, and they felt they learned practical management skills from him. Junior residents also applauded his patience. It is clear why he was chosen to be the chief resident.

• Dr. Eric Miller is doing an outstanding job as the chief resident. He always steps up when there is an issue, including volunteering much of his own personal time. He is very responsive to communications via email and always provides detailed answers. His calm demeanor is truly an asset in our busy residency program.

• More recently, when coverage for EMU was needed during the holidays, which came as unexpected for the residents, Dr. Miller was the only resident at the VA and agreed to cover a full EMU simultaneously so that rest of the residents' Holiday schedule would not be disrupted. He definitely sets the standard for an excellent work ethic.

• “Over the last year, I have interacted with Dr. Nguyen on several occasions in the clinic and more often for her wellness initiative for residents. She is respectful, knowledgeable, collegial, and well organized. She along with her co-residents on the wellness committee has successfully initiated and implemented several group activities. She is highly caring, has a good work ethic, and is receptive to feedback. She is always smiling and spreads positive vibes wherever she is.”
• “Dr. Nguyen voluntarily joined the neurology wellness group and brings a positive vibe to the residency program. This has helped our group activities a lot. In this role, she has done so much for our residents. She was the chaperone for a few of our junior residents who did not know how to drive and did not have a car. She helped them with grocery shopping on a weekly basis. She does so much whenever a resident has a major event in their life (e.g., have a baby, get married, get engaged, have a birthday, etc.). She collects gifts and wishes them with cards. She plans events for residents to participate as a group. I have personally participated in some activities that she organized. While all this sounds fun these are difficult to accomplish during a busy residency. Hats off to her to be able to offer such support to our wellness group and thus to the residents. Proud to have her in our program.”
• “I have had numerous occasions to work with Dr. Nguyen on inpatient service and outpatient clinics and I can attest to the fact that she gives her 100% to whatever she does. Very thorough and meticulous with her work. Receptive to feedback, and implements feedback immediately. I also have had the opportunity to be involved more with her with our department’s social media drive. She is always a very responsive, enthusiastic, and gets the job done kind of person. In all her interactions, she displays respect, humility, and positivity. I have also heard from the junior residents that she always offers to help and goes out of her way to help. She definitely needs to be recognized for her efforts!”

Dr. Abusamra was selected as the December 2022 GME resident of the month from a pool of more than 600 residents in the College of Medicine.

Office Address

Department of Neurology
University of Kentucky Medical Center
KY Clinic, J-401
Lexington, KY 40536-0284

Personal Statement: 

Dr Abusamra completed her medical education at the University of Jordan in Amman. Thereafter she did residency in Ophthalmology, followed by one year of clinical research in medical retina in Buffalo NY. This was followed by clinical training in neuro-ophthalmology at MSU in Michigan and clinical training in uveitis and ocular immunology in Boston MA.  Dr Abusamra clinical interests include optic neuritis and demyelinating brain disease in addition to neuromuscular diseases. In her leisure time she likes to spend time with her husband and 3 children. Hobbies include painting and cooking. 

Publications:

• LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF RITUXIMAB THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH NONINFECTIOUS POSTERIOR UVEITIS REFRACTORY TO CONVENTIONAL IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE THERAPY. Lasave AF, You C, Ma L, Abusamra K, Lamba N, Valdes Navarro M, Meese H, Foster CS.Retina. 2018 Feb;38(2)
• Prognosis of Ocular Myasthenia Gravis: Retrospective Multicenter Analysis. Nagia L, Lemos J, Abusamra K, Cornblath WT, Eggenberger ER.Ophthalmology. 2015 Jul;122(7):1517-21.
• Current Treatment Modalities of JIA-associated Uveitis and its Complications: Literature Review. Abu Samra K, Maghsoudlou A, Roohipoor R, Valdes-Navarro M, Lee S, Foster CS.Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2016 Aug;24(4):431-9
• Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's disease): An updated review of ocular disease manifestations. Kubaisi B, Abu Samra K, Foster CS.Intractable Rare Dis Res. 2016 May;5(2):61-9
• Long-term side effects of glucocorticoids. Oray M, Abu Samra K, Ebrahimiadib N, Meese H, Foster CS.Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2016;15(4):457-65.
• Intraocular Lymphoma: Descriptive Data of 26 Patients Including Clinico-pathologic Features, Vitreous Findings, and Treatment Outcomes.Abu Samra K, Oray M, Ebrahimiadib N, Lee S, Anesi S, Foster CS.Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2018;26(3):347-352.
• A Novel NOD2-associated Mutation and Variant Blau Syndrome: Phenotype and Molecular Analysis. Ebrahimiadib N, Samra KA, Domina AM, Stiles ER, Ewer R, Bocian CP, Foster CS.Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2018;26(1):57-64.
• The eye and visual system in pregnancy, what to expect? An in-depth review.Samra KA.Oman J Ophthalmol. 2013 May;6(2):87-91.
• A case of bilateral uveitis and papillitis in a patient treated with pembrolizumab. Abu Samra K, Valdes-Navarro M, Lee S, Swan R, Foster CS, Anesi SD.Eur J Ophthalmol. 2016 Apr 12;26(3):e46-8
• Are phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors associated with vision-threatening adverse events? A critical analysis and review of the literature. Azzouni F, Abu samra K.J Sex Med. 2011 Oct;8(10):2894-903.
• Ocular morbidities of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis in adulthood: results from a tertiary center study.Oray M, Khachatryan N, Ebrahimiadib N, Abu Samra K, Lee S, Foster CS.Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2016 Sep;254(9):1841-9
• Understanding the Neuro-ophthalmology of Head Trauma: A Review of the Current Literature. Samra KA.Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila). 2014 Jul-Aug;3(4):230-4
• The eye and visual system in the preeclampsia/eclampsia syndrome: What to expect?Abu Samra K.Saudi J Ophthalmol. 2013 Jan;27(1):51-3.
• Pseudoexfoliation syndrome at Jordan University Hospital. Al-Bdour MD, Al-Till MI, Idrees GM, Abu Samra KM.Acta Ophthalmol. 2008 Nov;86(7):755-7
• The eye in sexually transmitted infections: a review of the ocular complications of venereal diseases.Abu Samra K, Azzouni F.Int Ophthalmol. 2011 Dec;31(6):539-50.
• Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy among Jordanian Diabetics.  Al-Bdour MD, Al-Till MI, Abu Samra KM.Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol. 2008 Apr;15(2):77-80
• Decompression Retinopathy after ExPRESS Shunt Implantation for Steroid-Induced Ocular Hypertension: A Case Report. Abu Samra K, Fernando Sieminski S, Sarup V.Case Rep Ophthalmol Med. 2011;2011:303287

Book Chapters: 

• Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid Ophthalmology Guide
• Handbook of Uveitis

Abstracts Presentations: 

• Rituxan treatment for PUK associated with GPA: ARVO 2016
• Prognostic Factors of Final Visual Outcome After Open Globe Injury. ARVO 2012
• Subfoveal Serous Retinal Detachment in Central Retinal Vein Occlusion.
•  Vimal Sarup MD, Khawla Abusamra MD, Deepa Yoganathan MD, FR
• Tolosa Hunt syndrome: CORO TV  10/5/2012
• Neurosarcoidosis: recurring nightmare. Great lakes meeting 8/3/2012. 

• I have worked with her numerous times and have seen her evolve into an efficient neurologist. Recently when I worked with her on general neurology, she was assigned as team leader, and she has done an excellent job in this role. In the end, I have suggested she step up to lead the table/bedside rounds as a "junior attending." This suggestion is based on her efficiency, excellent clinical acumen, and strong team player.

• In addition, she has stepped up multiple times to present at an interesting case conference. Her enthusiasm to share her knowledge is so much appreciated by all, including our medical students. She is a role model for residents and students in various aspects. One of them is the effort that she puts in, whenever there is a complicated case/s on service. Extensive literature review and discussion of these learning points with team members and at the interesting case conference.

• “Perfectionist” is what comes to my mind when I think of Dr. Abusamra. Extremely hardworking, and very intelligent, she is definitely one of our best residents. She is very focused on delivering patient-centered care, and I have witnessed this firsthand on many occasions. During her first EMU rotation as a PGY-2, she went out of her way to help a teenage patient who had visually disabling seizures. Most recently, I have seen her running pillar to post trying to help get an elderly veteran with a large stroke the advanced help he needed. I saw her accompanying the veteran to CT scans, and making sure she was there if he declined at the scene. I had heard about this patient, though I was not directly involved in the care. And as I was passing by the hallway, I saw Dr. Abusamra waiting by the patient and his transporter. The concern in her eyes for the patient was so obvious, and I also saw her coming to the clinic to have multiple discussions with the attending regarding this patient. She is also very research-driven, and in spite of being in very busy early years of residency training, she has accomplished a lot when it comes to research- be it presenting in national meetings or publishing manuscripts. We are indeed lucky to have her in our program and she is very deserving of being a departmental trainee of the month as well as GME resident of the month.

• Dr. Abusamra is a great asset to the program. Very sincere in her work. We have done a lot of projects together and been on service many times together. She takes good care of her patients, follow-ups and updates me on a regular basis even after I have left the service. This happened recently- I admitted a patient to general and she took care of the patient. Then she kept following up on the results of the CSF analysis and updated me almost after a week.  I am very pleased with her work. She is a mother of 3 kids and takes care of them alone as her husband works elsewhere. Despite this have never seen any delinquency. She truly deserves to be appreciated for her hard work and sincerity.

• Even from early in her PGY2, Dr. Abusamra impressively demonstrated her ability to lead the UK general team with a combination of competence and professionalism, qualities which she brings to all of her interactions. At the VA she did a great job teaching our student and even brought him with her to the ophthalmology suite where the patient was being evaluated. She also handled a difficult transfer emergency with efficiency and worked hard to get the patient moved quickly. Her excellence is easy to overlook because she makes her thorough and well-thought-out evaluations and presentations look so effortless.

• “Over the last 6 months, I have interacted with Dr. Li multiple times. Every time, our interaction and his promptness in delivering patient care have left me spellbound. He is compassionate, respectful, knowledgeable, and comes across as so welcoming, and that makes my day whenever I talk to him.”

• “Wenyang called me about a veteran patient with multiple serious co-morbidities at baseline who presented to VA-ED…His excellent brief, relevant, focused presentation helped us collaboratively to accurately predict clinically LVO MCA neuroanatomical stroke and then the CTA H & N confirmed the LVO stroke. Wenyang worked tirelessly to collaboratively mobilize the limited VA resources and transfer the patient emergently from the VA to UK to get timely endovascular surgical neuroradiology intervention upon arrival at UK comprehensive stroke center. His work was critical in giving this patient an advanced option of care not available at the VA system.

• I have worked closely with Wenyang for over 2+ years. I have observed exponentially evolving investigatory and analytic thinking relevant to neurology patients, critically advancing practical neurology knowledge, and notably the ability by Wenyang to apply that knowledge effectively in patients’ care.

• I highly value caring, trusted collegial respectful transparent interactions, work ethics, dependability, and receptiveness of the residents to timely fair effective supportive constructive critiques by their attending supervisors, and strong advocacy skills by our residents in providing excellent patient-centered care as one team collaboratively.

• I think and feel he is a true success resident story in our beloved residency program. I am very proud of him and looking forward to further working with him and further contributing to his success.”

• “Dr. Li was thorough and reliable during his time on consults. He has demonstrated much effort and progress. He did not hesitate to take on extra work when required, even releasing the rest of the team to work on other tasks or to go home. He actively sought out feedback and then acted upon it accordingly. In the resident clinic, he quickly arranged necessary urgent tests for a patient. He then followed up on the results with the family and updated the plan accordingly.”

• “Dr. Li, I would like to appreciate your phenomenal service to patients on your recent inpatient rotation. There were specifically two instances when you went above and beyond to care and identify problems that were not identified before, which made a big difference to patient care. Thank you and good luck in your future endeavors!”

• Collective Responsibility/Teamwork
  "I worked with Dr. Keeton for 2 weeks on general neurology and she has demonstrated excellent clinical skills and led the team in a very efficient way. We had some tough patient issues, where extensive family counseling was needed. One patient required different family members to be updated each and every day and Dr. Keeton was on top of this. She provided explanations in an easy-to-understand fashion, set clear expectations in terms of prognosis, and at the same time was very empathetic. Another patient who had complex phenomenology  was eventually diagnosed with a condition in which counseling was  key and Dr. Keeton again did an excellent job explaining the diagnosis and management to the patient."
   
• Caring
  “Dr. Keeton led the general neurology team. She was on top of each and every case (both inpatient and consults) and led the team in an efficient manner. Every family member was updated every day (none of the families were bedside because of COVID restrictions)”
   
• Professionalism
  “As Academic Chief Resident, she is doing a wonderful job, coordinating with course leaders, suggesting topics which are best for residents and board exams. She was also selected for the UK GME Emerging Leaders Program.”
   
• Excellence
  “Very involved and helpful with the ABC workgroup. We received several emails regarding Dr. Keeton’s work/ involvement with the ABC workgroup and paying attention to the fine details. “ 
  
  “Dr. Keeton’s presence and explanations in Spanish helped to make some critical decisions in epilepsy care for a Spanish-speaking patient in the EMU. Dr. Keeton also reviewed and made changes to a responsive neurostimulation document.” 

Dr. Vasireddy was selected for this honor based in part on these comments, which reflect her dedication to the missions and values of the Neurology Department:

“As PGY2, she has done these so far:

1. Significant help with Epic signout process. 

2. Educating many residents and faculty with epic. 

3. Stroke core measure improvement with epic. 

4. Presented Billing and Coding to our residents (teamwork with Coding staff at UK and Dr. J Lee). This includes 2 presentations. 

5. Got selected for UK GME committees: 

   1. Education committee

   2. Review of Research involving House Staff. 

   3. GME resident elected representative.

6. Got selected for MDS-PAS 6th Residents School on Movement Disorders. 

7. Got selected for the 2021 Resident Education Program, American Headache Society.

8. Volunteered to mentor:

8. 1. One Neurology Acting Intern. 

   2. One Neurology incoming Intern.

9. Actively involved in wellness activities:

9. 1. Includes helping to create wellness video. 

   2. One of the residents who brought the idea to our program: "good vibes and high fives"

10. Research: 

10. 1. Autoimmune epilepsy

    2. DBS in epilepsy

    3. COVID vaccine status in epilepsy. 

    4. Two AAN posters in 2020.

“I am 110% supportive of this nomination! Dr. Vasireddy did remarkable work on the COVID vaccination survey in epilepsy that was undertaken as a collaboration with the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana...she didn't waste a minute inputting the survey together and was very responsive in terms of editing and communication with all involved. I am impressed by her hard work, maturity, and diligence.”

Collective Responsibility/Teamwork

"I worked with Dr. Keeton for 2 weeks on general neurology and she has demonstrated excellent clinical skills and led the team in a very efficient way. We had some tough patient issues, where extensive family counseling was needed. One patient required different family members to be updated each and every day and Dr. Keeton was on top of this. She provided explanations in an easy-to-understand fashion, set clear expectations in terms of prognosis and at the same time was very empathetic. Another patient who had complex phenomenology  was eventually diagnosed with a condition in which counseling was  key and Dr. Keeton again did an excellent job explaining the diagnosis and management to the patient."

Caring

“Dr. Keeton led the general neurology team. She was on top of each and every case (both inpatient and consults) and led the team in an efficient manner. Every family member was updated every day (none of the families were bedside because of COVID restrictions)”

Professionalism

“As Academic Chief Resident, she is doing a wonderful job, coordinating with course leaders, suggesting topics which are best for residents and board exams. She was also selected for the UK GME Emerging Leaders Program.”

Excellence

“Very involved and helpful with the ABC workgroup. We received several emails regarding Dr. Keeton’s work/ involvement with the ABC workgroup and paying attention to the fine details. “ 

“Dr. Keeton’s presence and explanations in Spanish helped to make some critical decisions in epilepsy care for a Spanish-speaking patient in the EMU. Dr. Keeton also reviewed and made changes to a responsive neurostimulation document.” 

Collective Responsibility/Teamwork

• “Dr. Al-Janabi actively communicates with consulting teams throughout the day, creating an open line of communication to promote interactive and dynamic decision-making plans for these patients. I was very impressed and thankful for this, as I am sure the consulting teams were as well.”
• “When his co-resident received stroke alert pages on several patients back-to-back, he offered to stay to support his co-resident.”
• “Dr. Al-Janabi has always been very thorough with his patient care and always incorporates feedback and constructive criticism. He is a role model for his peers.”

Caring/Excellence

• “I am very impressed by his work ethic, his excellent communication with families and consulting providers, his clinical judgment, and the responsibility he takes to ensure the best care for his patients.”
• “I noticed many times when he was seeing ED consult patients, he made a point to go to the emergency room waiting room to inform families of their patient's status.”
• “He is very detail-oriented in managing the patients. He is proactive in their treatment plan and invested in their care.”
• “The feedback for his performance on stroke service was nothing but glowing. He has volunteered to be part of an Enterprise QI project surrounding timely completion of MRIs, particularly as it affects our stroke population.”
• “He definitely goes above and beyond in many different aspects. He is doing an excellent job. I am looking forward to seeing his continued development over the next two years. I have not a doubt he will be an exceptional neurologist.”

Michael Karras, MD

Collective Responsibility/Teamwork

• "Dr. Karras is an outstanding resident and colleague. As chief resident, he does an excellent job arranging didactics and juggling the countless logistics to keep our program running well. He is hard working both as a clinical physician and as a leader of residents. But of all Dr. Karras's strengths, he is most of all an outstanding listener. He listens to his patients, attendings, colleagues, junior residents, nurses... everyone he works with. He provides reasonable, thoughtful guidance to those who seek it. Whenever I have a complicated matter at work that I'm not sure how to get through, Dr. Karras is the first person I turn to. He is the quintessential team player and is respected by everyone he works with. It's with great pleasure that I nominate Dr. Karras for resident of the month."

Caring 

• “Dr. Karras takes the time to listen to the patients, he is very thorough and does an excellent job summarizing everything that patients would need to know about their visit/ hospital stay. When he is on service, everything moves on very smoothly.  He knows all the patients, no matter how busy the service. He is excellent at communication and does an excellent job helping junior residents as well as other rotating residents." 
• "Dr. Karras is truly one of the most patient individuals I have ever met. I have seen him interact with numerous patients with conversion disorder and other psychological issues. He is so kind and takes as much time as needed. I have really appreciated his time and help with these difficult patients and families."

 Professionalism

• "Dr Karras is most efficient in communication, always closes the loops, and is very professional.  He values education and is doing phenomenal job in resident education. He designed a year-long conference and would do talks even for 1 trainee. His patients in clinic told me how lucky they are to have Dr Karras as their physician. One of his patient's requested transfer of care from me to Dr Karras because they told me they found the perfect doctor.  Dr. Karras is also a team player. He is always proactive in rounds and when he is on service, discharges are smooth and organized."

 Excellence

• “Mike continues to listen, remains respectful and has retained his humility. We have been blessed to have him as a resident."
• "Dr. Karras has taken over scheduling the Child Neurology CME Conference on Wednesdays and has done an excellent job.  He has recruited a wide array of speakers from within and from outside the department.  The amount of time and effort this takes is tremendous and he has greatly enriched our educational curriculum this year with this didactics series.  Clinically, Dr. Karras has a unique style of interacting with patients and families that is very calm and thoughtful.  While observing him recently, both parents commented that this was the first time they felt like anyone had really listened to them about their concerns.  I am really proud of the Child Neurologist he has become!"

Dana Ionel, DO

Collective Responsibility/Teamwork

• “Dr. Dana Ionel did exceptionally well during her recent inpatient rotation. She is hardworking, diligent, and very thorough. She single-handedly managed the service 2 days of a week, taking new ER/ floor consults and also covering Good Samaritan consults. She took an active role in getting the medical student involved and teaching in spite of doing the work by herself. What impressed me the most is her attention to detail and going the extra mile to make sure work is completed.”

Caring/Excellence

• “Dana continues to go above and beyond on service by understanding her patients and fighting for them in such a way that I believe is unmatched in other residents. She seeks to know as many details as she possibly can to make sure their medical care is superb. A true awe-inspiring resident that I look up to as a role model in her work ethic.”
• “Dr. Ionel attended a pediatric stroke alert. She went over and beyond in terms of professionalism, communication, patient service, compassion, and patient care. She was able to explore various aspects of the medical care of a fragile patient and remained sensitive towards family wishes and emotions. She set an example of compassion while dealing with sensitive situations in younger patients.”
• “Dr. Ionel, I want to take an opportunity to thank you for all the thorough, compassionate care which you provide to your patients. Your excellent clinical skills, attention to every detail in the history and exam, and very efficient communication among the team members are appreciated by all your colleagues and faculty. Thank you for being such an efficient team member.”

Collective Responsibility/Teamwork

• "Dr. Yousuf exemplified teamwork by stepping up to cover gaps due to COVID with no complaints."
   

Caring/Excellence

• "Dr. Yousuf brings a lot of positivity to the program."
• "Clinically, he is very strong, reliable, and thorough."
• "Dr. Fawad Yousuf showed outstanding performance on the Child Neurology inpatient service. He was the senior resident on the team, and as an off-service resident, took great responsibility for the care of all the patients. He is very reliable and did an excellent job making sure new interns understood what their patients needed. His knowledge base is above what is expected for his level of training, and he does an excellent job at communicating with all members of the care team, as well as patients and families. Good work, Dr. Yousuf."
• "Dr. Yousuf was the primary resident caring for a very complex patient with a parent who is well versed with UK and the number of healthcare workers who see patients during a hospital visit. However, she said the Neurology team and resident were on their “A” game! Everyone from Neurology who entered the room and interacted with the patient/mom knew his history very well, everyone was extremely respectful, and also the plan made a lot of sense.

Collective Responsibility/Teamwork

• “Dr. Dana Ionel did exceptionally well during her recent inpatient rotation. She is hardworking, diligent, and very thorough. She single-handedly managed the service 2 days a week, taking new ER/ floor consults and also covering Good Samaritan consults. She took an active role in getting the medical student involved and teaching in spite of doing the work by herself. What impressed me the most is her attention to detail and going the extra mile to make sure work is completed.”

Caring/Excellence

• “Dana continues to go above and beyond on service by understanding her patients and fighting for them in such a way that I believe is unmatched in other residents. She seeks to know as many details as she possibly can to make sure their medical care is superb. A true awe-inspiring resident that I look up to as a role model in her work ethic.”
• “Dr. Ionel attended a pediatric stroke alert. She went over and beyond in terms of professionalism, communication, patient service, compassion, and patient care. She was able to explore various aspects of the medical care of a fragile patient and remained sensitive towards family wishes and emotions. She set an example of compassion while dealing with sensitive situations in younger patients.”
• “Dr. Ionel, I want to take an opportunity to thank you for all the thorough, compassionate care which you provide to your patients. Your excellent clinical skills, attention to every detail in the history and exam, and very efficient communication among the team members are appreciated by all your colleagues and faculty. Thank you for being such an efficient team member.”

Education:

• "Her excellent brief and focused presentation helped us collaboratively to accurately predict LVO MCA neuroanatomical stroke and aggressively advocate to get an urgent evaluation and collaboratively mobilize resources and transfer the patient promptly from the VA to UK overnight and get timely intervention." 
• "We highly value caring, promptness, and advocacy skills by our residents in providing excellent patient-centered care as one team collaboratively. Her work overnight was critical in this situation." 

Collective responsibility:

• "She has been an excellent team leader.    Excellent judgment;  excellent communication." 

Caring:

• From a patient/family member (edited for privacy) :
  "I wanted to send you this message to make clear how much I appreciate Dr. Olson’s kindness and outstanding bedside manner in talking with patients and families. She was a very important element of the positives in our experience and I deeply appreciate all of the extra efforts she made, especially her efforts to really understand the complicated elements of the case."  

Professionalism and Caring:

• "We were extremely impressed and congratulatory of Dr. Olson's caring and bedside manner. The staff was just singing her praises.  I enjoy watching her skills grow and her consummate bedside manner just keep excelling.  She is so cool under pressure, caring in her demeanor, and really an excellent neurologist."

Dr. Fawad Yousuf

Collective Responsibility/Teamwork

• "Dr. Yousuf exemplified teamwork by stepping up to cover gaps due to COVID with no complaints."

Caring/Excellence

• "Dr. Yousuf brings a lot of positivity to the program."
• "Clinically, he is very strong, reliable, and thorough."
• "Dr. Fawad Yousuf showed outstanding performance on the Child Neurology inpatient service. He was the senior resident on the team, and as an off-service resident, took great responsibility for the care of all the patients. He is very reliable and did an excellent job making sure new interns understood what their patients needed. His knowledge base is above what is expected for his level of training, and he does an excellent job at communicating with all members of the care team, as well as patients and families. Good work, Dr. Yousuf."
• "Dr. Yousuf was the primary resident caring for a very complex patient with a parent who is well versed with UK and the number of healthcare workers who see patients during a hospital visit. However, she said the Neurology team and resident were on their “A” game! Everyone from Neurology who entered the room and interacted with the patient/mom knew his history very well, everyone was extremely respectful, and also the plan made a lot of sense.

Rodolfo Lewy, MD

• Dr. Lewy is strongly deserving of ROM.  He has transitioned beautifully to upper-level leadership.  On a recent service, he had to take on a significant level of oversight and responsibility for all of the patients, he did an excellent job.  He doesn’t just tell everyone what to do, but rather guides in a way that the Interns are able to take responsibility for their own patients.  Dr. Lewy spends a lot of time teaching, all learners on the team have a better understanding of the decisions that are made.  

• Dr. Lewy has taken a leadership role in the GME response to national events that affect us all.  He gave an amazing speech at the Diversity and Inclusion event hosted by GME and was chosen to be in the GME video that will be shown by all residencies at UK as part of recruitment this year.  Awesome representation for the Department of Neurology!!

• Dr. Lewy exhibits passion and dedication to hard work. A very committed resident. 

I’d like to nominate Paige for a resident of the month.  She has gone the extra mile for the residency interviews.  Paige has contacted the education office multiple times lending her assistance during the process.  She has posted our information on national boards and has offered to discuss our program with candidates.  I have mentioned how great she was to other residents and I am certain they would send statements of support.  Paige is in the infancy of her training but I have no doubt she will emerge as a leader and a shining star! 

Dr. Roman did a fabulous job on a very busy weekend with 1 intern and 1 MS3. She was able to identify her sickest patients, prioritize discharges and able to adapt work flows to survive a difficult weekend where KCH capacity was impacted. Her dedication to her patients is amazing. We had a medically complex patient ...that required placement of an IO catheter as part of the pre-op preparations for a central line. She did a great job assisting with logistics and stayed with me until 9 pm until the IO was placed and the surgical team was able to take over. She is thoughtful, empathic, hardworking, and does a great job motivating her teams and learners. I was thoroughly impressed with Dr. Roman!

• "Dr. Youssefi has consistently demonstrated maturity and commitment. She has excellent interpersonal skills. She is caring, hardworking, and does a fantastic job quietly without expecting praise… she always does what she feels is right for her patients and the team."

• "Throughout these years, I have always seen Dr. Youssefi walk the extra mile with patient care and being extremely thorough with her work, and she does this quietly without expecting any reward or praise."

• "She is one of those steady residents who are in the background because is trustworthy and gets the work done."

Dr. Neil Toupin, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, discovered his interest in Child Neurology during an outreach neurology rotation during medical school.  During medical school, Neil conceived and implemented an institutional protocol for evaluating and treating newly diagnosed children with infantile spasms. The complexity child neurology affords, the research possibilities within the field and the dual role a child neurologist serves as caregiver and counselor attracted Neil to pursue a child neurology residency. Dr. Toupin appreciates the strong clinical relationships that child neurologists build with their patients, as well as the complexities of the field. A former competitive chess player and licensed private pilot, Neil’s eclectic background has translated into personal patient care. Neil views fostering personal connections and relationships with patients as among the most rewarding aspects of medicine. He has participated in medical mission trips to Guyana, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. After completing his residency, Dr. Toupin will work as as faculty at the University of Kentucky, focusing on child neurology, neurogenetics, and autism. He enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters, as well as traveling, aviation, reading, and chess.

• “Excellent teamwork...when we were in need of help to cover a busy stroke service, without any other thought, he readily offered to help. This was an excellent display of compassion and teamwork. He's been willing to step up to help when the program is in need on numerous occasions."

• “Chintan is doing very well and performing above a PGY2 level”

• Multiple faculty noted that Chintan is thorough and is at much ease dealing even with tough stroke cases despite being a  junior resident.