The UK College of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs and Development is pleased to announce that Caryn Sorge, MD, and Rachèle Yadon, MD, have been selected as fellows for the 2022 Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium Academic Leadership Academy (BHEC-ALA).
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is pleased to announce the faculty, staff, and learner winners of the inaugural Mission, Vision, Pillar, and Enabler Awards.
Sylvia Ofei, MD, MPH, is an assistant professor of pediatrics and a gastroenterologist in the division of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition. She also serves as the medical director for patient experience at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. For National Nutrition Month in March, Dr. Ofei shares more about the important role nutrition plays in her practice, as well as some helpful tips for incorporating nutrition into your daily routine.
Q: How does nutrition play a part in your job as a physician?
Whether it was pediatric neurology, pediatric surgery, or pediatric emergency medicine, Lily Weddle, MD, found a recurring theme in the clinical rotations she enjoyed most during medical school – they allowed her to help children. It became obvious to her that for residency, pediatrics was her ultimate specialty.
Driven by her strong faith, Dr. Weddle says it is her calling to be there for children in their ultimate time of need. Today, she has found a way to answer that call, both during and outside of work.
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine has received the 2021 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
Kristen Fletcher, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics. Her excellence in medical education was recently recognized with a Distinguished Teacher Award during the latest round of Academic Convocation Awards. In the following Q&A, she shares why she loves teaching medical students and how enriching it is to help mold future physicians.
Q: What is your role at the College of Medicine?
On behalf of the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine is pleased to announce that Sally Mathias, MD, and Sylvia Ofei, MD, MPH, have been selected as fellows for the 2021 Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium Academic Leadership Academy (BHEC-ALA).
Dr. Mathias and Dr. Ofei will join a total of 63 faculty members at the University of Kentucky who have previously participated in this regional academic leadership program.
Meredith Landorf, MD, recently began a leadership role as assistant dean for the University of Kentucky College of Medicine-Northern Kentucky Campus. Through this position she will oversee and build upon the third- and fourth-year clerkships while promoting the regional campus’s mission of educating physicians in Kentucky for Kentucky. Dr. Landorf is also a practicing physician in Edgewood, Ky.
It is with great sorrow that I share with you the passing of two vital members of the UK College of Medicine’s history, both of whom were former chairs.
Ward O. Griffen, MD, PhD, former chair of the department of surgery, passed away Tuesday, July 21, at the age of 92, and Jacqueline Noonan, MD, former chair of the department of pediatrics, died on July 23 at the age of 91. The College of Medicine community will miss both deeply.
Ward O. Griffen, MD, PhD
Three providers with UK HealthCare have been inducted as fellows by the American College of Critical Care Medicine.
Asha Shenoi, Ashley Montgomery-Yates and Alex Flannery have been named fellows in the American College of Critical Care Medicine, honoring their contributions to the field of critical care in the areas of professionalism, collaborative, multi-professional practice, scholarly activity, program development and leadership.
Ask 13-year-old Jeremiah Zurowski how he’s feeling and his one-word reply speaks volumes.
“Happy.”
And he is happy. He talks excitedly about his favorite movies and playing with his brothers. He’s generous with smiles, high-fives and hugs. His heart is big and warm, but until recently, his heart wasn’t healthy.
The world of pediatric cancer treatment has seen huge advancements in treatments over the past 60 years – in the 1950s, less than 10 percent of children were cured of their cancer. Today, the number of survivors is nearly 80 percent.
However, that still means that one in five children diagnosed with cancer will not survive. Many childhood cancers can be extremely difficult to treat, and research is key to developing new, better therapies for these diseases.
From the time he was five years old, Scottie Day knew he was going to be a doctor.
"I don't remember what the drive was," said Day. "But I knew that's what I was going to do."
Day hails from Smilax, a small town in Eastern Kentucky which, according to Day, consists of "a post office and a grocery store." His father was a coal miner and his mother stayed home with Day and his brother.
Dr. Peter Blackburn, associate professor of ophthalmology and pediatrics in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, has been presented with the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons’ (KAEPS) Ophthalmologist of the Year award.
Dr. Carol Steltenkamp, professor of pediatrics at the University of Kentucky, has been appointed external chief medical officer for UK HealthCare. In this new role, she represents the voices of clinicians in strategy, outreach and communications. Working on behalf of the Office of the UK Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, she is responsible for developing and maintaining strategic clinical alliances with physicians and health care organizations throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond.