Appointments

Onelia G. Lage, M.D., associate professor of clinical pediatrics, was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to serve on the Florida Board of Medicine. She is the only pediatrician and Hispanic female serving on the board and is a member of various committees, including rules and legislative, expert witness, finance, and probation. Lage also recently presented at the 10th Annual National Hispanic Medical Association Conference in a panel on Hispanic Faculty Development.
 
  Honors

Juan Chen, M.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Jie Li, M.D., Ph.D., in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, received the American Association for Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation’s Melanoma Research Fellowship Award in April at the AACR 97th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. This award is for ongoing translational research into “Two Novel Laminins in the Angiogenesis and Progression of Melanomas.”

Lora E. Fleming, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health as well as in the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, was named the Florida Outstanding Woman in Public Health for 2006 by the University of South Florida College of Public Health. The college presents the award each year to a woman whose career accomplishments and leadership have contributed significantly to the field of public health in Florida.

Brian Glaspy, associate director for wellness operations, was named one of South Florida’s “40 Under 40—Most Influential Black Professionals of 2006” by Success magazine. Glaspy was recognized for his efforts in coordinating the development of the new $15 million state-of-the-art wellness facility on the medical campus.

George Paff Teaching Awards have been presented to several faculty members by Miller School of Medicine students. These awards are presented annually to three faculty members recognized by each medical school class for their dedication to students and excellence in teaching. This year’s honorees were:

Senior Class of 2006 Daniel Lichtstein, M.D., General Internal Medicine/Medicine; Miguel Paniagua, M.D., Geriatrics/ Medicine; David Gordon, M.D., Neurology.

Junior Class of 2007 Hilit Mechaber, M.D., General Internal Medicine/Medicine; Akram Tamer, M.D., Pediatrics; David Gordon, M.D., Neurology.

Sophomore Class of 2008 Warren Kupin, M.D., Nephrology/Medicine; Matthias Salathe, M.D., Pulmonology/Medicine; Don Temple, M.D., Hematology/Medicine.

Freshman Class of 2009 Julie Spielman, Ph.D., Cell Biology and Anatomy; Stephen Roper, Ph.D., Physiology and Biophysics; Karl Magleby, Ph.D., Physiology and Biophysics.

 

Camillo Ricordi, M.D., scientific director and chief academic officer of the Diabetes Research Institute, Stacy Joy Goodman Professor of Surgery, and senior associate dean for research, received a Paul Harris Fellowship Award from Rotary International. Ricordi was also awarded a Julius Caesar Presidential Medal from the City of Rome.

Jose Strauss, M.D., professor emeritus of pediatrics, received the 2006 Henry L. Barnett Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics nephrology section during the Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.

Gwendolyn Scott, M.D., professor of pediatrics and director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease and Immunology in the Department of Pediatrics, received the Vice President’s Award for Service from the University of Miami. The award was established to recognize members of the student body, faculty, and staff for extraordinary service to the Greater Miami community.


Publications

Amanda Cotter, M.D., assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology, published an article, “Is Antiretroviral Therapy During Pregnancy Associated with an Increased Risk of Preterm Delivery, Low Birth Weight, or Stillbirth?” in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Mary Jo O’Sullivan, M.D., Adolfo Gonzalez Garcia, M.D., and Lunthita Duthely, M.S., of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as Barbara Luke, Sc.D., M.P.H., of the UM School of Nursing and Health Studies, participated in the study.

Raymond L. Ownby, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was the lead author of a study on “Depression and Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease” published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Elizabeth Crocco, M.D., Amarilis Acevedo, Ph.D., Vineeth John, M.D., and David Loewenstein, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, also participated in the study.


UM Medical Group: Making a Difference

arbara Wolpe called a Physician Referral Office (PRO) supervisor and began to cry. Her doctor was part of the University of Miami Medical Group (UMMG), the clinical practice of the Miller School of Medicine. Wolpe told the supervisor that she was calling regarding one of the employees in PRO who had scheduled her appointment. The supervisor asked the Miami woman if there had been any problems with the scheduling.

“Oh, no,” said Wolpe. “I’m not calling to complain. I’m calling to thank you and tell you what a wonderful employee you have. People like Fausto Arias deserve recognition. I cried because he was so kind to me.”

Wolpe had been feeling isolated and depressed about her condition. “Fausto spoke to me with such respect. He was very efficient and got me an appointment right away, but what mattered most was his treating me with such kindness. I have suffered so much and felt so alone. Today, I found someone who cared.”

Fausto is one of the UMMG’s many employees who are dedicated to providing the best in patient care. The Medical Group includes Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 850 physicians, allied health professionals, and clinical and administrative staff. UMMG physicians see patients at the medical and Coral Gables campuses, as well as several other locations in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Collier Counties. The services offered range from primary care through the most complex specialty care. No matter where patients are seen or for what level of care, the goal of the UMMG is to make a positive difference in their lives.

If you have other UMMG service stories to share, please e-mail them to Helen Scarr, director of service excellence, at hscarr@med.miami.edu.