Department Blog

Professor Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH, PhD, served as one of two training track leads for the cohort of eight UMSOM scholars including Assistant Professor David Gatz, MD, in the second Clinical, Translational, and Public Health training program offered by the Center for Advanced Research Training and Innovation (CARTI). The competitive program for rising biomedical and clinician scientists offers training with a focus on research rigor, compliance, and grant writing to prepare them to pursue well-funded, innovative biomedical research.

“Use of Esmarch bandage does not increase peripheral vein size in healthy volunteers: a randomized clinical trial,” by Professor Brian Euerle, MD, Associate Professor Alexis Salerno, MD, Residents Robert Paterson, MD and Taylor Miller, MD, former clinical assistant professor Samantha King, MD, and Assistant Professor J. David Gatz, MD, was published online June 25 in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. Increasing the diameter of a vein may improve venous access during ultrasound-guided cannulation. Comparing use of a tourniquet only with use of a tourniquet + Esmarch bandage to increase basilic vein size in study participants, the study found no difference in vein size between the two groups but noted that participants in the tourniquet + Esmarch group reported greater discomfort. (Am J Emerg Med. 2024 Jun 25;83:20-24.)

Emergency Medicine resident Babette Newman, DO, UMMC clinical pharmacy specialist Matthew Poremba, PharmD, and Associate Professor Gentry Wilkerson, MD, coauthored “Angioedema Secondary to Tenecteplase Use in a Patient with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Case Report,” published July 11 in Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine.

“Revisiting ‘Left Without Being Seen’ Metrics in the ED: The current system drives problematic decisions regarding how care is allocated,” a commentary by Assistant Professor Gregory Jasani, MD, appeared May 20, 2024, in MedPage Today. Dr. Jasani proposes “a more balanced LWBS metric” that distinguishes between high- and low-acuity patients.

“Observation at Home: A Virtual or Actual Solution to Emergency Department Crowding?” is an editorial by Associate Professor Dan Gingold, MD, MPH, published online May 1 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

Associate Professor Kinjal Sethuraman, MD, MPH, and coauthors from Dartmouth and the University of Utah have published “Patient-reported outcome measures following hyperbaric oxygen therapy for radiation cystitis: early results from the Multicenter Registry for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy” in the Journal of Urology. 2024 June;211(6):765-774. Radiation cystitis develops in about 10 percent of patients with prostate and other pelvic cancers after radiation treatment.

At SOM graduation exercises May 16, Assistant Professor Ryan Spangler, MD, director of undergraduate medical education, won a Student Council Faculty Award. Winners are chosen by the Class of 2024 as its “most effective teachers in the preclinical and clinical years, as well as exemplary role models for the class.” 

Members of the Class of 2024 who received awards and honors include four incoming EM interns: 

Tara Balasubramanian, MD, received the Robert R. R. Roberts, MD Memorial Prize in medicine and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award for excellence in emergency medicine. She is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society.  

Priya Patel, MD, received the American College of Emergency Physicians Medical Student Professionalism and Leadership Award. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism honor societies. 

Emma Silverman, MD, received the Faculty Gold Medal for outstanding qualifications for the practice of medicine, the Leonard M. Hummel Memorial Award for excellence in internal medicine, and the Leonard Tow Humanitarianism in Medicine award. She will begin her combined EM/IM residency next month. 

William Zhu, MD, received the Carolyn J. Pass MD ’66 and Richard M. Susel MD ’66 Academy Student Teaching Fellows Award.

Clinical Assistant Professor and Fellowship Director in Health Policy and Leadership Kyle R. Fischer, MD, MPH, and Greg Jackson are the authors of “Community Violence Intervention as a Strategy for Reducing Gun Violence,” published in the downloadable book Reducing the Health Harms of Firearm Injury (Washington, DC: Aspen Institute, 2024). Mr. Jackson is Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and a special assistant to President Biden.

Professor Michael Bond, MD, is this year's recipient of the Robert McNamara Award, bestowed by the AAEM in recognition of his outstanding contributions to AAEM in matters of academic leadership. Dr. Bond received the award at the organization's 30th anniversary dinner on Tuesday evening, April 30. 

Earlier that day, the education programs and meetings featured: 

• Dr. Bond presented a track session on “Back Pain that Kills—Deadly Causes that Can’t Be Missed” 
• Assistant Professor Jason Adler, MD, moderated a Breve Dulce session with Assistant Professor Kathleen Stephanos, MD. 
• Associate Professor and Residency Program Director Sarah Dubbs, MD, co-moderated a Breve Dulce session. 
• Dr. Stephanos was a facilitator for the “Pediatric EKGs Workshop” small group clinic. 

On the assembly's last day, May 1: 

• Assistant Professor Gregory N. Jasani, MD, presented a session titled “When the Unthinkable Happens: Acute Radiation Syndrome.” 
• Dr. Bontempo gave a talk on “Head Hole Hemorrhage.”

At the AAEM Assembly in Austin, on April 28:

• Professor and Vice Chair Mike Winters, MD, and Associate Professor Laura Bontempo, MD, MEd, presented MyEMCert Prep, a recertification course. 
• Professor and Vice Chair Amal Mattu, MD, co-directed the Advanced Electrocardiography Workshop and presented a plenary session on “Emergency Cardiology 2024: The Articles You’ve Got to Know!”
• Dr. Bontempo moderated a track session with presentations on 4 aspects of emergency diagnoses and treatments. 
• Dr. Winters co-led a plenary session on “Recent Resuscitation and Critical Care Articles You’ve Got to Know!”  
• Associate Professor Mak Moayedi, MD, taught a small group workshop on Esophageal Variceal Tamponade Balloon (Blakemore) and Pigtail Chest Tube. Workshop facilitators included Clinical Instructors Bobbi-Jo Lowie, MD, Gabriella Miller, MD, and Rachel Wiltjer, DO, and Assistant Professors Lauren S. Rosenblatt, MD, and Cheyenne Falat, MD.

On April 29: 

• Assistant Professor Jason Adler, MD, presented a track session on “Reimbursement Updates: What’s New and Lessons Learned from the Guideline Transition.” 
• Dr. Bontempo delivered a Breve Dulce talk on “Tricky Trachs.”

More presentations from UMEM faculty to the AAEM Assembly will be featured in a future entry.