Lexington Clinic Announces New Physicians
LEXINGTON Lexington Clinic is pleased to announce the addition of three new physicians, Melissa V. Avery, MD, MMM, CPE, FAAFP, FACPE, Matthew Bailey, MD, and Shuya Wu, MD, PhD.
Avery trained in family medicine at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga Unit of the College of Medicine and Greenville Hospital System’s Center for Family Medicine in Greenville, South Carolina and received her medical degree from the University of Tennessee, College of Medicine, Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee.
She is dually certified and fellowed in family practice and medical management and brings an extensive background of family medicine practice to Jessamine Medical and Diagnostics Center.
Bailey received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Kentucky and a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the Ochsner Medical Center. He is board-certified in general surgery and board-eligible in colon and rectal surgery. Bailey will be a colon and rectal surgery specialist, and will be the only surgeon specializing in colorectal surgery at Lexington Clinic.
Wu completed fellowship training in allergy and immunology at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, received her medical degree from Peking University Health Science Center and completed a pediatric residency at Driscoll Children’s Hospital. Wu is board-eligible in allergy and immunology and board-certified in pediatrics. Her board-certification in pediatrics allows Lexington Clinic Allergy and Asthma to treat patients of all ages. In the past, patients ages 18 years or younger were only seen for allergy injections.
Kosair Children’s Hospital Names New Medical Director
LOUISVILLE Mark J. McDonald, MD, FAAP, has been named medical director of Kosair Children’s Hospital. He succeeds Stephen Wright, MD, who retired July 1 after serving as medical director for 19 years.
McDonald earned his medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine and completed his residency (pediatrics) and fellowship (pediatric critical care) at Kosair Children’s Hospital through the University of Louisville School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. He then spent nine years in South Carolina practicing pediatric critical care before returning to Louisville. McDonald currently is a pediatric critical care specialist with University of Louisville Physicians and serves as the medical director of the Kosair Children’s Hospital “Just for Kids” Critical Care Center. He also practices pediatric acupuncture and is an associate professor with the University of Louisville Department of Pediatrics.
In addition to his clinical work, McDonald is a member of The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, the 2016 American Academy of Medical Acupuncture Annual Symposium Committee, the Society of Critical Care Medicine Pediatric Online Practice Exam Committee, the Quality Subcommittee for the Executive Council of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Critical Care, and is completing research with the PICU FOCUS Group of the Children’s Hospital Association.
Johnson Named President of Southern Orthopaedic Association
LEXINGTON Dr. Darren L. Johnson, professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Kentucky, was elected the 33rd Southern Orthopaedic Association president. Johnson is the first president from the state of Kentucky. There are more than 1,400 orthopaedic physicians who are members of the SOA.
Johnson earned his medical degree at UCLA and began his UK career in 1993. He currently serves as director of sports medicine and head orthopedic surgeon for the Kentucky Wildcats.
International Society for Heart Research Recognizes Bolli
LOUISVILLE The International Society for Heart Research (ISHR) has honored University of Louisville’s Roberto Bolli, MD, for his contributions to cardiovascular science. The Peter Harris Distinguished Scientist Award, which recognizes a senior investigator for lifetime contributions of major discoveries in cardiovascular science, was presented to Bolli, chief of UofL’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, director of the Institute of Molecular Cardiology and director of the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, as well as vice chair for research in the Department of Medicine, at the organization’s European Section meeting in Bordeaux, France in July.
The Peter Harris Distinguished Scientist Award is the most prestigious award presented by the ISHR, an international organization devoted to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge in the cardiovascular sciences on a world-wide basis. The ISHR’s 3,000 members are affiliated with seven sections based on five continents.
As recipient of the 2015 award, Bolli received a $3,000 honorarium and presented a keynote lecture at the meeting on July 2 on the state of cell-based therapies for ischemic cardiomyopathy. His research is focused on the use of stem cells to treat patients with coronary artery disease. Bolli led the Louisville-based SCIPIO trial that pioneered treatment with a patient’s own heart stem cells to regenerate dead heart muscle. Larger studies are underway which could lead to widespread use of this treatment.
Bryant joins HMH Medical Staff
CYNTHIANA The staff of Harrison Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the addition of Kevin Bryant, Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), to its medical staff.
A native of Johnson City, Tennessee, Bryant graduated from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee in 2006. In 2010, he graduated from Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery in Miami Shores, Florida. He completed his residency in foot and ankle podiatry at the Kentucky Podiatric Residency Program in Louisville, Kentucky in 2013. He is board certified in National Board of Podiatric Medicine
Bryant is with Progressive Podiatry, which has three offices in Kentucky – Fort Mitchell, Williamstown and soon Cynthiana. Bryant began seeing patients at HMH on July 14 and will have a clinic at the HMH Specialty Clinic every second and fourth Tuesday.
Bhatnagar to Chair NIH Study Section
LOUISVILLE For the next two years, Aruni Bhatnagar, PhD, will have significant influence over the funding of certain types of scientific research as he leads a panel that considers grant applications to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhatnagar, the Smith and Lucille Gibson Chair in Medicine at the University of Louisville, will serve as chair of the 15-member Clinical and Integrative Cardiovascular Science Study Section, a part of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) that evaluates grant requests for patient-oriented research involving the cardiovascular system and related regulatory organ systems.
Bhatnagar is the director of the UofL Diabetes and Obesity Center, where he leads a group of 30 investigators focused on developing a better understanding of the cardiovascular complications of diabetes. His research focuses on the mechanisms by which oxidative stress affects cardiovascular function.
Members of the CSR study sections are selected based on their achievements in their scientific disciplines, demonstrated by their research accomplishments, publications and other activities. The study section chair is in place for a two-year term. Bhatnagar’s term began July 1, 2015 and runs through June 2017.
Arnett Named Dean of the UK College of Public Health
LEXINGTON University of Kentucky Provost Tim Tracy has selected Donna Arnett, associate dean at the University of AlabamaBirmingham (UAB) School of Public Health and former president of the American Heart Association, as the next dean of the UK College of Public Health.
A native of Kentucky, Arnett sees her new role as an opportunity to address health disparities relevant to the region, including cancer and drug abuse. She aims to strengthen the college’s relationships with state and regional health agencies and expand the college’s portfolio of NIH-funded research. She will also partner with the faculty, staff, and students to develop a strategic plan for the college through 2020. Arnett believes the future of population health depends on successful interdisciplinary partnerships, and hopes to facilitate such networks to grow research opportunities and educational capacity at UK.
An NIH-funded researcher for 20 years, Arnett studies genes related to hypertensive disorders and the target organ damage from hypertension. She has published more than 450 peer-reviewed papers and two books. She currently holds three NIH grants for research on genes that determine a physiological response to a high fat diet and the cholesterol-controlling drug fenofibrate and hypertension-induced left ventricular hypertrophy.
Ephraim McDowell Earns Stroke Care Award
DANVILLE The Norton Healthcare/UK HealthCare – Stroke Care Network recently presented Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center (EMRMC) with the 2015 “Constellation Award” for its work in improving stroke prevention and care for its patients.
At the Stroke Care Network’s annual summit in Lexington on July 24, Dr. Michael Dobbs, director of the Stroke Care Network, commended EMRMC for their exemplary level of participation in activities that promote stroke systems of care.
In January 2014, UK HealthCare was designated a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. As an affiliate in the Stroke Care Network, EMRMC has access to Norton Healthcare and UK HealthCare’s expertise and resources to best ensure their hospital offers “the best care for stroke” for their citizens.
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