GEORGIA HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY

the magazine for Alumni, Faculty and Friends

WINTER/SPRING 2011 VOL. 38 NO. 2 GHSU

New Name—Same commitment to better health from the DAMON www.georgiahealth.edu editor CLINE

GHSU Today is produced quarterly Dear Readers, by the Division of Strategic Support. Let me be the first to welcome you to the newly rebranded GHSU Today, the magazine for alumni, faculty and friends of Georgia Health Sciences University. GHSU President You’ll notice that the content of our magazine, Ricardo Azziz, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. much like the mission of our university, has not Vice President for Strategic Support significantly changed under the new GHSU banner. Deb Barshafsky Though our university has entered a new era, it is not a new university. This is the same institution you Director of University Communications Jack Evans have always known; only now it has a name that more accurately describes its mission and better positions it Editor for future growth and increased prominence. Damon Cline I shouldn’t have to tell you that as we navigate Art Direction/Layout toward these new heights, we by no means are losing P.J. Hayes Design our reverence for our history, nor the generations of alumni, faculty and friends who have brought us Photographer this far. That is why the Medical College of Georgia Phil Jones name that is so near and dear to the hearts of many Writers people, especially our alumni, has been retained for Toni Baker our medical school, which is on the cusp of entering its Damon Cline third century of existence. Amy Connell One final word on the name change: I speak with Christine Hurley Deriso Paula Hinely many alumni during the course of my job managing Denise Parrish the university’s publications. Some are in favor of the Sharron Walls change, and some are opposed. Those who fall in the latter category generally feel a sense of loss for the post-1950 era when MCG was the institution’s name. ©2011 Georgia Health Sciences University However, when pressed, many acknowledge it is the right thing to do for the future of the institution. It’s that type of attitude that makes our alumni so special, and makes me proud to be here. Regardless of which of the five GHSU colleges you most identify with, I hope you find something on GHSU Today welcomes submissions to the these pages interesting, entertaining and enlightening. Re!ections column. Typed essays (approximately 750 words) re!ecting a Remember, you can always find out more about what professional or personal experience is going on throughout our enterprise by visiting www. should be submitted to: georgiahealth.edu. Damon Cline, Editor GHSU, FI-1044 Until next time. Q Augusta, GA 30912 [email protected] 706-721-4706 phone 800-328-6057 fax the magazine for Alumni, Faculty and Friends

WINTER/SPRING 2011 VOL. 38 NO. 2 GHSU

We are GHSU 6 New name doesn’t change mission, commitment 10 Sibling Revelry Neighborhood generates many sibling students

14 Rolling with the Punches First-year student takes disability in stride

18 Dental Dilemma Popular osteoporosis drugs linked to jaw necrosis

22 Tried and TRU Clinical trials unit advances departments medical discovery 26 Melting Pot GHSU faculty are truly 39 class notes global community 47 gift planning 32 Pass the Salt Scientists work to better 44 understand, relieve hypertension 48 reflections 36 Radical Surgery, Radical Faith Wilton Holiday survives near-death experience Physician alumni write more than just 46 Focus on Philanthropy prescriptions New relationship with foundations part of GHSU development e!orts

Buckley named Medical College of Georgia Dean

Q After serving seven months as Interim Dean Former AAMC advisor tapped to of the Medical College of Georgia at GHSU, Dr. Peter F. oversee MCG Health System Buckley has been named the permanent replacement by GHSU President Ricardo Azziz. Buckley, who had filled in as head of the nation’s Q A health care executive with more than 30 ninth-largest medical school years of operating and consulting experience has been following the resignation selected to lead Georgia Health Sciences University’s of former Dean D. Douglas clinical enterprise. Miller, has nearly three David S. Hefner, the decades of academic health Senior Advisor of the center leadership experience Association of American and has served at MCG since Medical Colleges in 2000. Washington, has been “Peter has the vision and appointed Executive the leadership skill to build on Vice President, Clinical the strong reputation of our Medical College,” Azziz said. A!airs at GHSU and “In his more than decade of service to the university and MCG Health System. He the state, he has helped build and restructure programs to has been serving part maximize their e!ectiveness and mentored individuals to time while completing optimize their job satisfaction and performance. I am very and transferring his pleased to name him Dean.” responsibilities at the AAMC. He becomes full time in the Prior to serving as Interim Dean, Buckley was Senior newly created EVP position July 1. Associate Dean for Leadership Development and Chairman “We concluded David is the ideal candidate to lead of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior. The our clinical enterprise toward becoming a world-class internationally renowned and federally funded clinical health system. He has had extensive experience in investigator is also a 2008 fellow of the Council of Deans of leading large, integrated medical centers, all of which the Association of the American Medical Colleges. have achieved best-in-class stature in a number of “I am honored to serve as Dean of one of the nation’s key metrics,” GHSU President Ricardo Azziz said. “I first and best medical colleges,” Buckley said. “The am confident that he will bring patient care quality faculty, sta! and students are among the most dedicated and safety innovations, business expertise, cross- individuals with whom I have been privileged to associate. collaborations across the spectrum of research, I look forward to working with them, President Azziz and education and patient care, and creative leadership to the entire GHSU team to further transform MCG and GHSU the position.” into a premier academic health center.” Hefner will also become the Chief Executive of MCG Before coming to GHSU, Buckley was Vice Chairman Health, Inc. and the Physicians Practice Group. He will of the Department of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve also work with the GHSU Provost and Deans to integrate University and Medical Director for the state psychiatric research, teaching and patient-care activities to an even services in Cleveland. Buckley’s e!orts in turning around higher degree. Cleveland’s psychiatric hospitals and MCG’s psychiatry He has held progressively responsible health care department were recognized nationally in 2004 when positions during the past three decades, including he was awarded the American Psychiatry Association’s President of the University of Chicago Medical Center Psychiatric Administration and Management Award. and Executive Director and Chief Operating O"cer He earned a medical degree from Ireland’s University for Penn State’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He College Dublin School of Medicine. He completed earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration internships at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin at the University of Texas at Austin and his master’s and a psychiatry residency and research fellowship at St. degree in public health administration at Brigham Young John of God Psychiatric Services in Dublin. O University. O

2 WINTER/SPRING 2011 GHSU has recently welcomed the following individuals to its management team:

Dr. E. Andrew Balas has been Dr. Charles G. Howell, Chief of the named Dean of GHSU’s College of Section of Pediatric Surgery and Allied Health Sciences, e!ective Vice Chairman of the Department of June 15. He was previously Dean Surgery at GHSU’s Medical College of the College of Health Sciences of Georgia, has been named surgery at Old Dominion University, where department Chairman. Howell, a 1973 he increased student enrollment GHSU graduate and faculty member by over 40 percent, managed a tenfold increase in for more than 30 years, has served as Interim Chairman externally funded research and launched new research since November. laboratories. He also has served as Dean of the School of Public Health at Saint Louis University and founding Dr. Edward W. Inscho, physiologist Director of the Center for Health Care Quality of the and Program Director for GHSU’s M.D./ University of Missouri. Ph.D. program, has been named Acting Dean of the College of Graduate Jeanette K. Balotin, an Studies, replacing Dr. Gretchen administrator and facilitator with Caughman, who was named GHSU nearly 20 years of leadership Interim Provost in July. He joined the experience at the University of faculty in 2001 and has served as Vice Chairman of the Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Physiology. has been named Chief of Sta! to President Ricardo Azziz. She will Dr. Sheldon Ellis Litwin, Director oversee GHSU communications in addition to working of Cardiovascular Imaging at the closely with leaders to help advise the president and University of Utah, has been named execute priorities. Chief of Cardiology in GHSU’s Medical College of Georgia Department of Dr. Mark W. Hamrick, bone biologist Medicine. He specializes in general and Professor in GHSU’s Medical cardiology, and cardiac imaging. He College of Georgia and College of researches obesity and weight loss on the heart. Graduate Studies, has been named Interim Vice President for Research. Sandra I. McVicker has been named Hamrick is a grant reviewer for the Interim Chief Operating O"cer several national associations of MCG Health, Inc. She previously and foundations and his research in improving bone served as Interim President and Chief strength and wound healing is funded by the U.S. Executive O"cer since 2009. She will Department of the Army and the O"ce of Naval continue to retain her accountabilities Research. as Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing O"cer. McVicker joined the enterprise in 1997 Michael W. Hill, formerly Vice and has more than 30 years of health care experience. President for Internal Auditing, Compliance and Risk Management, Monty Philpot has been appointed has been named Chief Audit O"cer, GHSU Director of Government overseeing GHSU’s internal auditing Relations, overseeing the advancement program. Hill, who has more than 25 of GHSU’s mission and initiatives years of auditing experience, joined statewide and nationally by expanding GHSU in 1999. He previously directed internal auditing and enhancing engagement with at Tennessee State University. Congress and federal agencies. The Augusta native was previously Legislative Director for Philip L. Howard, formerly Vice Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss. President for Facilities Services for MCG Health, Inc., will now manage Dr. Leonard Daniel Reeves, a family facilities enterprise-wide, including physician from Rome, Ga., and former services related to utilities and Assistant Director of the Family energy conservation. He has more Medicine Residency Program at Floyd than 25 years experience in project Medical Center, has been named management and multi-departmental operations. Assistant Dean of Northwest Georgia Clinical Campus in Rome. O

GHSU TODAY 3 GHSU studies Laney-Walker Boulevard modifications

QGHSU is studying plans Lucy Craft Laney and the Rev. C.T. the Rev. Walker, ensuring that all to alter a section of Laney-Walker Walker, cuts through a four-tenths present and future students, faculty Boulevard to enhance the surrounding of a mile section through GHSU and scientists at the university, along th community and make the campus from 15 Street on the west to R.A. with the greater community, learn more unified, safe and attractive. Dent Boulevard on the east before about these great people and their University o"cials are discussing entering the Laney-Walker Historic achievements,” Azziz said. options with Augusta city leaders to District. Emergency vehicles would still turn part, or all, of the street into a GHSU President Ricardo Azziz have access through the campus pedestrian mall to make it safer for said a key component of the plan under proposals currently under the large number of students, faculty would include the creation of a discussion. and sta! who will need to cross monument to the street’s namesake, “Rest assured that we will the street once the new College of where currently no such historic continue to work collaboratively with Dental Medicine building opens in the markers exist. our communities and local leaders summer. The latest vehicle-pedestrian “The project is not about erasing to achieve the right path to our goal accident occurred in March. a street. This is about converting of a safer, more attractive, unified The street, named for pioneering a small area of the street into a campus that not only enhances and African-American community leaders pedestrian mall, a mall that would fosters our growth, but serves as a allow us to honor Lucy Laney and community asset,” he said. O

New College of Dental Medicine building nearing completion

Q The College of Dental and its residency positions from 44 Medicine at GHSU will be ready to to 72, making it one of the largest move into its new 269,000-square- dental schools in the nation. foot facility this summer, and The growth should help alleviate has scheduled a grand-opening the state’s dentist shortage; currently celebration for Sept. 23. 41.1 dentists per 100,000 residents, The $112 million facility will be compared to the national ratio of more than 100,000 square feet 54.3 per 100,000. larger than the existing dental Gifts from alumni, faculty, building that opened in 1970. The students, foundations and others additional space will allow class size have contributed more than $9 to increase from 63 to 100 by 2016 million toward construction costs. O

4 WINTER/SPRING 2011 Ricardo Azziz: THOUGHTS REFLECTIONS from& our President and CEO

Throwing a Pebble into a Tar Pit: Challenges of communicating in a transforming enterprise

Communicating in a large, Communication enhances leadership Of course, even the best heterogeneous and complex enterprise not only by moving messages forward, communication is meaningless if the can be di"cult, very much like trying to but by ensuring accountability. Taking message is ignored. If you are on the make waves by throwing a pebble into a time to communicate a message requires receiving end of a message, accept tar pit. articulating the reasoning behind a responsibility for keeping yourself well- Our challenges, like those of many decision. Unfortunately, busy leaders and informed. Read printed information. other organizations, include: administrators often spend little time Watch videotaped messages. Attend Q Quantity: A constant influx of communicating their thoughts and actions open forums. Strive to keep an open mind, information makes it hard to distinguish to those they serve. Communities more attempting to understand the background important from unimportant data, readily accept both positive and negative and context of the message, and keep particularly amid a busy schedule. outcomes when they feel they understand listening for further developments in the Consequently, many of us ignore the reasoning behind decisions. Open, storyline. most communications media (e-mails, frequent and transparent communication Resist the easy temptation to demonize newsletters, newspapers, etc.) or opt out is a major tool and obligation of the message or messenger or both, of public dialogues (e.g., open forums). leadership. assuming there is much more hidden Q Size: It generally isn’t possible to Transparency is fundamental when behind the message that you are not personally reach every member of our attempting to align large, complex being made aware of. In fact, a message large community directly. organizations of individuals with di!erent is usually just that, a bit (or byte) of Q Relevance: Interest in a message can backgrounds, priorities and perspectives. information. It may appear to carry with vary widely depending on your role in the However, data without a measure of it or to reflect more than shows. And to enterprise. education and background does not a great degree that is true, because true Q Accountability: Supervisors and produce transparency. Provide the tools messaging in a complex, heterogeneous, administrators may fail to carry a message to ensure appreciation and understanding transforming environment is part of a forward, believing that communication of the information being conveyed. O!er larger ongoing morphing dialogue. If isn’t their responsibility. enough background and context to enable you have not strived to keep up with the Q Culture: Academia often lacks a culture people to reach their own conclusions. dialogue (and not just by listening to the of transparency, which has not only led Explain the purpose of your actions and one source you find convenient), you may to a lack of systems to communicate how they will be used. The education find that the message somehow alludes to broadly, but a general level of apathy and needed may be as simple as a footnote, more than you know. skepticism in the community. or it may be complex enough to require Thus, there are responsibilities on These obstacles are very real, but ongoing education in the principles of both sides of the house. Leaders and they can – and must – be overcome. business and strategic thinking. administrators must strive to take time Transparent and timely communication is Communication, like the process of away from their busy schedules to a key leadership responsibility requiring education itself, should be iterative and communicate developments, decisions dedicated e!ort and time. repetitive, stressing major points that and the reasoning behind them on a Communication is important, if not will form and inform the language of the regular basis. Students, faculty, sta! critical, in ensuring alignment of our GHSU community. It’s hard to overdo and friends should strive to embrace multiple communities, particularly in this communication that is clear, concise, up- these, understand them and consider time of transformation. When academic to-date and relevant. Provide basic data, them within the broader storyline of our communities complain they don’t know then o!er access (for instance, through enterprise. what their leaders are doing, and those an imbedded link or website) to more E!ective communication is vital in leaders complain their communities don’t data if needed. Communication should advancing our mission, so please do your understand their actions, the culprit is be predictably unpredictable to maintain part, whether conveying or receiving a simple: failed communication. interest, but also su"ciently frequent to message. O provide continuity and a storyline.

Follow his blog at: azziz.georgiahealth.edu

GHSU TODAY 5 “Today, we are finally being recognized as a university of the health sciences, conveying to the public the breadth and scope of our mission.” – Rachel Mathis, President of the Student Government Association New name– Same commitment to better health

BY DAMON CLINE

he school chartered in 1828 as the Medical Academy of Georgia evolved into a health Tsciences university over 60 years ago. On Feb. 1, it was finally given a name that reflects the scope of its modern-day mission. “Better late than never,” President Ricardo Azziz quipped during the event celebrating the change of the university’s name to Georgia Health Sciences University.

Medical school to health sciences university key dates in history Georgia Health Sciences University, a comprehensive health sciences university and modern academic health GHSU students, faculty, sta! and friends sign their names to the new logo banner center, is the result of nearly 200 years of evolution.

6 WINTER/SPRING 2011 President Ricardo Azziz speaks to GHSU faculty, sta!, students and guests at the Feb. 1 name change celebration.

Changing the institution’s recognition created an opportunity “Change is never name from the Medical College of for leaders to reexamine the Georgia – the name now applied brand once again. Azziz engaged easy… but change exclusively to the medical school – stakeholders on the issue shortly for the better is has been discussed o! and on since after his appointment as eighth the early 1980s, Medical Historian president of the institution in July. always good in the in Residence Lois T. Ellison noted With buy-in from groups long run. To give at the event held in the lobby of representing university alumni, the university’s Health Sciences students, faculty and sta!, the this institution its appropriate name Building. University System of Georgia Board is a major step forward.” In recent years, renewed interest of Regents unanimously approved in improving the university’s the name change in September. – Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver reputation and national name continued

MEDICAL SCHOOL ERA key dates1828 in history1829 1833 1873 1911 1950 Georgia General Name changed Name changed Becomes a"liated with the UGA assumes University System Assembly grants to Medical to Medical University of Georgia as the full oversight of Georgia Board formal charter for the Institute of College of Medical Department of the of property of Regents Medical Academy Georgia Georgia University (governance and and academic makes MCG an of Georgia financing remain separate) programs independent unit

GHSU TODAY 7 Azziz said the GHSU name stand-alone medical school. The change to the GHSU name allows positions the university to advance survey, conducted by Kennesaw the university’s five units, previously its overall goal: To become a State University’s A.L. Burruss referred to as “schools,” to be leading academic health center and Institute for Public Service and designated “colleges” – the College top-50 research university while Research, showed that overall only of Allied Health Sciences, the transforming the institution and 18 percent of respondents knew College of Dental Medicine, the the region into a health care and MCG was a comprehensive health College of Graduate Studies, the biomedical research destination. sciences university. Medical College of Georgia and the It also more accurately describes The benefits of the name change, College of Nursing. the institution for what it is, a Azziz said, “will be obvious as we The name change will not a!ect comprehensive health sciences recruit the best minds across the the MCG Health System, Inc. or MCG university and modern academic country and the world, and recruit Health, Inc. Both entities will retain health center. the best clinicians and bring the the MCG in their names, reflecting A survey of faculty and best students to our fold.” of their strong connection to the administrators at health sciences The university has undergone university’s medical school. institutions across the country five previous name changes in The cost of renaming the showed roughly half had never its 183-year history and had been institution will exceed $2.9 million. heard of MCG, and of those that called MCG continuously since 1950, However, Azziz said much of the had, only a third thought it was a the year the University System of cost will be spent on signage that health sciences university. Most Georgia declared the institution had been previously scheduled for respondents believed it to be a an autonomous university. The replacement or upgrades.

“Our future is more bright than ever. We are confident that, together, we will have a rendezvous with destiny that GHSU will become synonymous with excellence in clinical care, biomedical research and education.” – Dr. Jack Yu, Vice Chairman of the University Faculty Senate Celebration attendees react to the unveiling of the university’s new name and logo.

ACADEMIC HEALTH CENTER ERA HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY ERA

1956 1965 1968 1982 2000 2007-08

New state-constructed and Board of Regents Board of Regents Movement to incorporate Non-profit Consultants -managed teaching hospital approves approves establishment “university” into institution organization Corona Insights replaces clinical arrangements establishment of of MCG School name fails from lack MCGHealth, Inc., and Stamats with the city of Augusta, the MCG Schools of Allied Health of support by School formed to manage Inc. engaged to establishing MCG as an academic of Dentistry and Sciences, establishing of Medicine Alumni MCG clinical facilities research institution health center; nursing program Graduate Studies the institution as a Association, which says name and brand moves from UGA in Athens to MCG comprehensive health the matter should be “a sciences university subject of further study until it is resolved”

8 WINTER/SPRING 2011 “Most of those monies were going to be spent anyway,” he said. “We Visual identity through the years decided it was better to print those signs with the right name – the name By the late 1960s, as the Georgia Health Sciences that reflects who we are.” Q University had evolved beyond a medical school, its leaders began searching for a logo to graphically “We are all represent the institution. The first, approved in 1970, was a continuous line very passionate that curved over and under itself to form five loops that represented each school. The logo (left) also symbolized about what infinity and man’s attempt to prolong life though health and medicine. GHSU has meant The line symbol was later incorporated into the rectangular logo (right) the university to us over the adopted in 1989, which included the tagline years. Together, we can be even “The Health Sciences University of the State of Georgia.” That logo, meant to project stronger.” strength and prestige, was criticized by some as appearing too corporate, and the logo was – Dayna Seymore, Chairwoman of the changed a few years later. Employee Advisory Council The result was a circular logo (left) that prominently featured the Old Medical College building and the “Georgia’s Health Sciences University” tagline. That logo, which also had the university’s founding date of 1828, remained in use 1828 until the end of 2010, when the university began transitioning to a more simplified rendering of the Old Medical College that serves as the focal point for the Georgia Health Sciences University logo unveiled in February. Designers of the GHSU logo (below) were able to balance the institution’s historic tradition with its present-day mission by featuring the university’s new name, founding date and façade of its most revered building. The new logo is already being used on the university website (www.georgiahealth.edu) as well as all o"cial business cards, letters and other stationery. Eventually, it will be placed on buildings, signs and other more permanent structures.

HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY-ACADEMIC HEALTH CENTER ERA

JULY 1, 2010 AUGUST, 2010 SEPT. 15, 2010 NOV. 2010-JAN. 2011 FEB. 1, 2011

State o"cials sign new Kennesaw State University’s Board of Regents approves Alumni asked to vote on Name change governance structure A.L. Burruss Institute for changing university name new GHSU logo. becomes o"cial; that integrates MCG Public Service and Research from Medical College of new logo unveiled clinical, education and surveys health sciences Georgia to Georgia Health research activities, with faculty and administrators Sciences University; MCG overall responsibility nationwide to gauge their name retained for medical under new President knowledge of MCG’s and school, four other schools Ricardo Azziz the scope of its mission renamed to college

GHSU TODAY 9 Sibling Revelry BY SHARRON WALLS

An Augusta neighborhood known for its community spirit has a knack for turning out health care professionals, many of whom are Georgia Health Sciences University alumni. Nearly 300 families belong to the Alleluia Community, with most living in the Faith Village subdivision on the city’s south side. Not a church, but rather a collection of Christian families supporting each other, Alleluia’s close-knit community is committed to service. A Here are a few of their stories. 10 WINTER/SPRING 2011 younger brother Jan, 21, The Ceyssens a pre-med student at Augusta State University, he only family connection to think of a career in Wouter Ceyssens, Miek Johnson medicine. Their love of and Chrisje Molitor have to health care makes for medicine is an uncle in their parents’ interesting conversation nativeT Belgium, but that didn’t stop the Miek Johnson (from left), Chrisje Molitor and during family dinners on Thursdays at siblings from pursuing careers in health Wouter Ceyssens their parents’ home. sciences. “My mother is always joking that we All three siblings graduated last May, need to bust out a wall to accommodate compassion for people, to have a spirit two as physician assistants and one with the crowd,” says Miek, whose husband, that cares for others even before yourself a degree in nursing. Judah, is in his second year in GHSU’s PA sometimes.” Their childhoods included “It was really neat graduating with program. Joining the crowd is Wouter’s mission trips and summers as Bible camp my sisters,” says Wouter, 27, a physician wife, Anna, their toddler Willem, Chrisje’s counselors. assistant with Covenant Pediatrics in husband, Thomas, and the siblings’ two “We had a lot of opportunities south Augusta. Miek, 25, practices family school-age brothers. for service, so I’ve always known that medicine with the Tri-County Health Health care has always seemed a I wanted to do something service- System in Warrenton and Crawfordville, natural fit for the siblings. oriented,” Miek says. “I felt that Ga., while Chrisje, 23, previously worked “We were raised with a very practical medicine would not only be challenging as a hospice nurse at Trinity Hospital of and utilitarian mindset,” Wouter says. academically, but also fulfill that service Augusta. “We were also brought up to have role.” Their example has paved the way for continued

GHSU TODAY 11

Yet she, like Wouter, earned a degree in and Miek. “Even though we were in the One of those homes belonged to the English at ASU before deciding on a health same building, we didn’t see each other Finnegan family, where six of the nine care career. very much,” she says. “But we were in the siblings have gone into health care, five “English is a passion of mine,” she says. same environment, so we had an idea of into nursing. “I love to read and feel that it’s a great skill what was going on.” First-year student Kevin Finnegan, 21, to have no matter what field you go into.” Chrisje discovered that nursing was as the family’s second-youngest, says his She also took pre-med classes, thinking spiritually fulfilling as much of the mission professors’ ears perk up when they hear she would become a physician. A mission works she had done over the years. his last name. “The first thing they ask is, trip after graduation changed her mind, so “It’s incredible how the nursing ‘Are you related to Bobby?’” Or Ruth? Or she applied to graduate English programs. profession opens so many doors. You meet Rachel? “But I just couldn’t push the medical stu! these people when they’re most vulnerable The family connections are many. away.” and you’re able to be there in their lives. Kevin’s brother, Bobby, is a senior nursing Wouter began taking science classes at It’s amazing,” she says. She considers her student and his sisters, Ruth Sterett and ASU after deciding a career as a physician previous work with hospice a “blessing. Rachel French, graduated in ’03 and ’05, assistant would give him the balance he I had a lot of experience with hospice in respectively. Rachel’s husband, Jesse, is sought between service, work and home. school and it really touched me.” an GHSU College of Nursing alumnus, and Miek said she became intrigued after Compassion is something they all Bobby’s wife, Lauren, is applying to the shadowing a couple of PAs. Wouter and feel strongly. “I know it’s a cliché, but if school. Ruth, Rachel and Jesse all work Miek interviewed at GHSU just a month you don’t have compassion when you’re at MCGHealth Medical Center. Another apart, were accepted on the same day and dealing with people in their most crucial brother, Mark, received his nursing degree became the program’s first siblings in the moments,” Wouter says, “then health care from ASU and is employed at the Charlie same class. is not where you need to be.” Norwood Department of Veterans A!airs “It’s been awesome,” Wouter says. “We Medical Center. Yet another brother, Matt, rode to school together every day and she is a paramedic, and the youngest sibling, was my first call after hours with questions. The Finnegans Kyle, a student at ASU, is considering a It’s really built up our relationship.” career in psychiatry. Yet Kevin attributes his Miek concurs. “It was only a positive for us, s Miek puts it, everyone in the career path not to his siblings, but to the a healthy competition. We each have our Alleluia Community is “a cup-of- Alleluia Community. strengths. I don’t know how I would have sugar distance” from each other. “I always wanted to do something gotten through it without him.” “I can walk two miles in my medical,” he says. “There are a lot of Chrisje spent two years at ASU, then Aneighborhood and point to every house medical people in the community.” finished her nursing degree at GHSU, and tell you who lives there,” she says. “It’s Kevin decided on nursing, after where she occasionally ran into Wouter a neat support system.” shadowing nurses in the catheterization lab

Kevin Finnegan (from left), Ruth Sterett and Bobby Finnegan

12 WINTER/SPRING 2011

field,” Ruth says. “Nursing has so many rewards – you can go really far while you help others. It’s neat to see my younger siblings doing that.”

The McAdams

lleluia Community School is small, graduating only a few- dozen students a year. So everyone socializes together, a habit that Atends to continue after high school. “People from Alleluia hang out with Mary Kate and Martha McAdams each other a lot just because we’ve always known each other,” says Finnegan. With at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. Hospital, considered other health care so many community members attending “I really liked what I was doing,” he says. specialities, but decided on nesting GHSU, it was easy to catch a ride with a Ruth, 30, a neonatal intensive care because “the other professions didn’t friend. nurse, says the family-centered Alleluia have that same one-on one-closeness “It was nice to have somebody that Community fosters the desire for service. with the patient you knew really well who lived down the “It starts in high school,” she says. “There “I guess my brothers and sisters are street to ride to school with every day and are outreach programs and mission trips similar in that they like being hands-on as to study with,” he says, referencing Mary that you are encouraged to go on and you well,” he says. Kate McAdams, who graduated in May. “It see what joy it brings you to help others. Ruth, the third-oldest in the family, was fun.” We grow up helping others, thinking was the first to go to nursing school. “I Mary Kate, GHSU’s 2010 Beard Award that’s what we’re supposed to do. It’s don’t know if I necessarily influenced my recipient for compassionate care, works in second nature.” younger siblings, maybe inadvertently the neurology unit at MCGHealth Medical Bobby, 24, remembers a mission trip from telling stories about work,” she says. Center. Her sister, Martha, started MCG’s to Mexico in the 10th grade that made him “I can’t say I ever said ‘you should be a Clinical Nurse Leader Program this fall want to pursue a career in health care. nurse,’ but it seems to be a definite trend after earning a theology degree from the “On this particular trip, I dealt with a in our family.” University of Dallas. kid who had hydrocephalus,” he recalls. Bobby and Kevin are still deciding on “It’s kind of tough following Mary “I talked to him, prayed with him and a specialty, but both say they’ll likely stay Kate,” Martha says with a laugh. “She left gave him food, but I wished I could do in Augusta, as do many in the Alleluia some pretty big footsteps, but I’m just something medically for him.” Community. going to do my best.” Bobby, a nurse extern in the Joseph “It’s very encouraging to me to see Being on the same campus enables M. Still Burn Center at Augusta’s Doctors how interactive my family is in this the sisters to see each other during the day in addition to family dinners. “I love having my sister here,” Mary Kate says. The Alleluia Connection Many of the sisters’ school teachers were former health care workers, but they also have a family legacy of nursing – both “People in our community just want to help others. their mother and maternal grandmother Health care is a very noble job. It can be very humbling were nurses. working with people in their roughest times. “I think that’s a big part of us wanting You just kind of step back and think about them.” to be in this field,” says Martha. “Our mother would come home and tell us –Bobby Finnegan, senior nursing student stories at the dinner table about how she was able to care for people.” “I think maybe it’s a recognition of the human person Mary Kate agrees. “It was very and human dignity that is instilled in us from a very young age. interesting to hear about the people she We’re taught that each person is valuable. We have a desire to saved or the ones who didn’t make it that day. We were impressed by the frailty of help people. Most of our classmates are going into life.” Q people-centered fields, like teaching and health care.” –Mary Kate McAdams, 2010 College of Nursing graduate

13 with ROLLING the

PUNCHESBY JENNIFER HILLIARD SCOTT

Hammad Aslam sits in his car a few extra minutes after arriving at the GHSU/UGA Medical Partnership Building on a bitterly cold Athens morning. Hammad Aslam’s family SUV To an onlooker, it may appear the first- after the 2009 accident year medical student is taking a moment for First-year student reflection or silently preparing for his busy day ahead. He could simply be enjoying the perseveres through warmth of his car for a few more minutes. But for Hammad, those moments are life, debilitating injury plus some. “I refer to my life now as my old life, plus 10 minutes,” he says. Hammad was eagerly anticipating the start of the Medical College of Georgia at GHSU in 2009. The University of Georgia grad had a “to-do” list a mile long. On it – find a place in Augusta to live for the next four years. That spring, the Snellville, Ga., resident and his family piled into their SUV and headed to Augusta to hunt for housing. The question of whether Hammad found a place to his liking is no longer relevant. He can’t remember. On the drive back home, the family’s SUV hydroplaned on Interstate 20. The vehicle – now over two tons of twisted metal – struck a tree and knocked it over. The tree landed on Hammad. 14 WINTER/SPRINGH 2011 I’ve wanted to be a doctor my whole life. I’m not going to let this stop me. “ –HAMMAD ASLAM ” PUNCHES

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA R

GHSU TODAY 15 The injuries were devastating to randomly scratch it for Hammad Aslam – At a Glance – Hammad was nearly some reason because it would dead when he reached the itch slightly. Now, I think I can MCGHealth Shock Trauma Unit still feel it every so often, so and lay in a coma for a week. I give myself the comfort of When he woke up, he was told scratching it.” he had sustained traumatic And there are fears. brain and spinal cord injuries. His disability prevents him “Everyone was stressing from raising his voice, leading the brain injury that I had to an “irrational fear” of and saying that it would running out of breath. And it be a miracle if I was even leaves him quiet in class more normal,” he says. Weeks later, often than he’d like. he was transferred to the But this is life now, he says. Shepherd Center in Atlanta for And he will adapt. rehabilitation. He is living alone again, for “They put me on the brain the first time since graduating injury floor,” he says. “I was out college. And after a year of of it nearly the entire time that being unable to drive, Hammad I was at MCG. I didn’t really now gets around in a car with start to come to until I got to special modifications. Shepherd.” Things are returning to Coming to was a reality normal – as normal as the first check. year of medical school will “I kept telling them, ‘I don’t allow. have a brain injury.’ I kept “I feel like the accident telling everyone, ‘I’m going to added years to my life. A friend get out of here soon. I have told me it’s like I’m trying to do to start medical school.’ I felt two things at once – trying to normal.” recover my past, but also move But life, from that point on, forward,” he says. “I feel like would be anything but normal. this will help me be a better Hometown: Snellville, Ga. With an injury to his thoracic doctor because I’ve been there. vertebrae and a severed spinal I’ve wanted to be a doctor my Family: Father, Mohammad; cord, life from now on would whole life. I’m not going to let mother, Nouralane; brother, Shahzad; be “on wheels.” He had lost the this stop me.” Q use of his legs. sisters, Amber and Sanah Confined to a wheelchair, everything takes more time, Undergraduate: University of Georgia, Hammad says. Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry “Going places, getting in Mind of Hammad a car, getting ready in the Hobbies: Working out, listening to music mornings. Things as simple as grabbing a bite to eat – I have Hammad Aslam’s blog, and watching movies to allow myself more time for “Thoughts on Wheels” at that.” mindofhammad.blogspot.com Trivia: Last summer, he traveled for There are other lingering the first time since his accident e!ects, too. is a chronicle of his post- going to Germany and Saudi Arabia. “Sometimes, I scratch that accident life. Here are a few “Traveling in a wheelchair was place on my thighs right above excerpts from recent posts: eye-opening,” he says. my knees,” he wrote on his blog (see Mind of Hammad, Page 17). “I remember I used

16 WINTER/SPRING 2011 Hammad Aslam in class at the GHSU/UGA Medical Partnership building in Athens Thoughts on Wheels “Orientation started yesterday. I have “…There were so many times, in the “I want to believe that I lived fully and been really nervous and anxious. I felt worse months after my accident and even to this without regrets. Who doesn’t want to than a child before his first day of school. day, that people I hardly knew really made believe that about themselves? I had great Never before have I been this way. The first a lasting impression on me. I have received friends, I was having fun, I was doing the day of school is usually much anticipated by kind words and sometimes guidance via occasional humanitarian service here and me. This time, it was the opposite. visits, phone calls, e-mails, and messages. I there, I was a part of several clubs, I was Contrary to what most people may now consider some of these people “angels” tutoring my friends in science classes, I had assume, I wasn’t anxious about getting to or “saints” for me. Those who frequently my dream future all laid out in front of me, the grind of studying. I was nervous about visited me in the hospital are included. If etc. In reality, I believe that I should have meeting my classmates and professors. I anyone from my class is reading this, there done more. wasn’t sure how they would treat me and are some of you who I have the utmost Now when I speak to and observe the what they would think when they saw a guy respect for and you may be unaware of it.” actions of the people around me, I want to in a wheelchair. “ grab them by their shoulders, shake them, “Bouncing back from the accident has and ask them what they are doing.” “Constantly comparing the work I am given me what I refer to as this second life. putting in and the results I am getting to Most of my time now is spent in the guest “Occasionally, I think back to the things others has been very detrimental. I have to room on the main level of my home. I think that I used to be able to do or I look around remind myself to compare me to me. Am I to myself, “What did I do with my first life?” to people around me and wish that I was working to the best of my abilities? Or am like them. But then I re-ground myself and I just fooling myself? Is there something I “… Is it better to know what it feels like remind myself that I am truly blessed. I am could do more e"ciently? Why am I having to experience life like everyone else and blessed to have survived the accident. I trouble? then lose certain things, or is it better to not am blessed to have recovered so well from If we do the best that we can do, how can experience these things at all so one doesn’t certain injuries. I also feel blessed that we be disappointed? We shouldn’t try to be know what they’re missing out on? I’m still I have experienced things in my past that I as good as someone else, we should try our trying to answer this question for myself. cannot do now.” best to be as good as ourselves.” All I know is that I’m blessed.”

GHSU TODAY 17 Dental Dilemma Popular osteoporosis drugs linked to jaw necrosis

BY SHARRON WALLS

popular class of for multiple myeloma, the started hurting and coming medications used to second most prevalent blood loose, Graham made an treat osteoporosis cancer, after non-Hodgkin’s appointment with Dr. Mark and to prevent lymphoma. Stevens, Chairman of oral fracturesA in cancer patients has Three years of aggressive and maxillofacial surgery been linked to a disfiguring cancer treatment kept the at Georgia Health Sciences and painful jaw disease, yet multiple myeloma in check, University’s College of Dental many dentists and physicians but Graham noticed in early Medicine. Stevens is also an are unaware of the connection. 2010 that a wisdom tooth was expert in orthognathic surgery, The medications, known as causing him major pain. His which corrects craniofacial bisphosphonates, have been general dentist referred him problems. used for more than 20 years to a periodontist, who pulled “I wanted the best of the and are e!ective at treating the tooth, unaware that the best,” Graham said bone tumors and Paget’s Zometa listed in Graham’s Stevens first saw disease and increasing bone medication history might bisphosphonate-related ONJ mass in osteoporosis patients. have been the source of the while he was at the University However, over-absorption problem. of Miami School of Medicine. of bisphosphonate into the “I kept going back to him His colleague, Dr. Robert jawbone can be toxic, resulting with pain, and he clipped Marks, reported the condition in bisphosphonate-associated the bone around the socket in the Journal of Oral and bone death, or osteonecrosis, where the tooth had been, in Maxillofacial Surgery in 2003, of the jaw. Researchers the lower jaw,” said Graham, citing 76 cases at their center speculate toxicity in the a civil engineer who owns an that year. jawbone could be caused by Augusta firm. “He finally sent When Stevens examined its rapid regeneration of bone me to an oral surgeon.” Graham, he found loose teeth cells (see Why the Jaw? on That specialist had been and exposed, decaying jaw Page 20). to a continuing education bone, which validated what the Lawson Graham, 67, lecture on the connection patient had already suspected. developed bisphosphonate- between bisphosphonates “It’s always felt rough there, associated osteonecrosis and osteonecrosis of the jaw, even back to when I saw the of the jaw after taking the commonly known as ONJ, and first oral surgeon,” Graham bisphosphonate Zometa refrained from further dental said. “That’s what I was to strengthen his bones work on Graham’s jaw. feeling with my tongue – dead while undergoing treatment But when more teeth jawbone.”

18 WINTER/SPRING 2011 Sixty-eight percent of because this medication gets pain, swelling or infection of bisphosphonate-associated accumulated into the skeleton. the gums or jaw, gums that ONJ cases occur in the That’s beneficial to cancer won’t heal, extreme gum loss, mandible, the lower jaw. One- patients and people with loose teeth, exposed bone third of patients have it in osteoporosis, yet it can cause and drainage from fistulas in both upper and lower jaws. A these problems in the mouth the neck. The symptoms may majority develop the condition that physicians don’t normally develop quietly for weeks or after the extraction of teeth. follow,” he said. “It’s one of the months after trauma to the Stevens said the disease newer predicaments facing mouth. If the exposed bone can be “devastating.” oral surgeons.” tissue fails to heal, the results “It’s very di"cult to treat Patients may experience are often disabling, requiring antibiotic therapy or surgery. Surgery often cures the Lawson Graham problem in the a!ected area because accumulation of the drug is limited to the region which holds the teeth in place. However, infection may spread to the entire jaw, which may fracture, requiring surgery and subsequent reconstruction. Stevens said bisphospho- nate-associated ONJ is an example where overall health could be improved by increased communication between health professionals of di!erent disciplines. “Sometimes that (communication) doesn’t happen because the lines of referral are not always there. In this case, there is a dental problem with a medical treatment,” he said. “It’s not really understood by the physician because the physician is not seeing the complaint, the dentist is. And the dentist doesn’t understand the medication because he has no idea what the problem is. So we have to work together as an integrated health team.” Bisphosphonates, whose other brand names include Actonel, Atelvia, Boniva, Fosamax, Reclast and Skelid, are taken orally by osteoporosis patients weekly or monthly, which allows a low rate of absorption into the bone. Incidence of ONJ is higher among users of the more potent intravenous Dr. Mark Stevens form, which includes cancer

19 patients such as Graham. Why the jaw? The incidence may seem negligible – ONJ a!ects about 1 percent of people who take bisphosphonates orally – but Why does the mandible the impact, Stevens said, is considerable. become such a target for “That translates into hundreds of thousands of bisphosphonate-associated people because you’re talking osteonecrosis? about millions and millions of women taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis,” he said. The answer lies in the process of bone regeneration. Louise Maynard is one of those people. “When I had my hip replaced Human skeletons, like skin, are constantly renewed in a process in 1998 after breaking it, it called remodeling. Cells known as osteoclasts eat away dead was quite obvious that I had bone, while osteoblasts repair the damage and build new bone by osteoporosis,” said the 78-year- preparing a matrix to which calcium and phosphorus attach. old Washington, Ga., resident, Approximately 10 percent of the skeleton undergoes remodeling who also has rheumatoid at any one time, and the entire process takes about 10 years. arthritis and scoliosis. Except in the mouth, where the turnover is swift and constant. Osteoporosis, the most common bone disease, occurs “The jawbone remodels 10 times quicker than a long bone such as in roughly one in five women the fibula, because teeth are constantly getting stimulated. They get over age 50 when bone tissue hit, they bite and they move,” explains Dr. Mark Stevens, Chairman thins from imbalances in the of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Georgia Health Sciences formation of new bone tissue University’s College of Dental Medicine. and reabsorption of old bone Bisphosphonates prevent osteoclasts from doing their job, tissue. Eventually, bones increasing bone density by suppressing bone turnover. become brittle and the normal The jaw’s rapid microcracks that naturally occur from activity damage vital remodeling creates connections inside the bone. an excess amount of Those connections are like osteoclasts, which the beams in a building, says likely leads to an Dr. Carlos Isales, Chief of the excess accumulation of Program in Regenerative bisphosphonates. Medicine in GHSU’s Institute “If the drug has a of Molecular Medicine and chance to really build up, Genetics and Vice Chairman of orthopaedic surgery. “They it’s going to do it where prevent the structure from remodeling is more active,” Stevens said. “The bone then becomes collapsing. If there are no abnormally dense, hard and dead.” connections, it’s as if you Complicating the matter, jaws are prone to active inflammation knocked out the support beams and infection due to periodontal disease or invasive dental of your house.” procedures, such as extractions, root canals and periodontal To improve Maynard’s bone surgery, which thins the tissue. density, her physician initially “If you create trauma by having a tooth extracted or by cutting placed her on a monthly oral bisphosphonate, and in fall your gum on a Dorito chip, your jawbone might be exposed,” 2008 on a more convenient Stevens says, “If you’re on this heavy medication, it doesn’t heal. once-a-year intravenous The bone can’t regenerate and becomes non-vital.” bisphosphonate drug called Reclast. “I felt great, and as far as I could tell, I had no side e!ects

20 WINTER/SPRING 2011 of any kind,” she said. Severe ONJ cases require She received another reconstructive surgery, intravenous dose in fall 2009 in which dead jawbone is after a bone density scan replaced with a metal plate or indicated improvement. But in bone graft from the femur, hip spring 2010, she noticed her or rib. However, those bones, jaw was not healing after her too, may be compromised by dentist extracted an abscessed bisphosphonates. molar. Stevens is taking a wait- That’s when she mentioned and-see approach with both the Reclast to her dentist. Lawson and Maynard, hoping Maynard’s health care new bone will form and allow providers, like many general gum tissue to grow and cover dentists and primary care the damaged areas. For now, physicians, were unaware surgery is being avoided Getting to the root cause of the link between because it could make matters bisphosphonates and ONJ. In worse. GHSU researchers studying her hometown, for example, “I don’t want to create bisphosphonate-associated only about 30 people take trauma because I could set up osteonecrosis of the jaw will likely Reclast, and Maynard is the a whole new issue,” he said. turn to lab rats and microtomography, only known patient with jaw Stevens is trying to a sophisticated type of imaging that problems. raise awareness of what creates 3-D models. However, her dentist is still a fairly unknown By studying the models, which insisted she see Stevens condition. Though he saw 25 measure bone regeneration, along after he started looking bisphosphonate-associated with the histological and serum into the mounting evidence ONJ cases at Georgia markers of bone turnover, researchers nationwide. They now both Health alone in 2010, only hope to identify changes that occur in monitor her progress weekly. approximately 2,000 cases the jaw when teeth are extracted from “And,” Maynard said, “Dr. have been reported nationally patients undergoing bisphosphonate Stevens did tell me not to dare and 10,000 worldwide. treatment. have another tooth pulled.” But Stevens theorizes that “We’re looking at markers The former president of her number will grow as the aging to tell us who is more at risk for town’s chamber of commerce population increasingly turns developing these problems,” said said she feels both numbness to bisphosphonate drugs. Dr. Mark Stevens, Chairman of oral and pain in various parts of her Nearly 10 million prescriptions, and maxillofacial surgery at GHSU’s jaw and face, but is otherwise mostly for women with College of Dental Medicine. able to cope. osteoporosis, are written The model could also identify a “I’m still pretty active, but annually. way to get the positive e"ects of the I’m a long way from where I “Massive numbers of women drug without damaging the jaw, and used to be.” are taking these drugs,” he perhaps even predict the best dosage said. “The question is, is this for patients. the tip of the iceberg?” “When is enough, enough?” Drug companies have added Stevens questions. “Right now, there’s ONJ to the warning list in just a guesstimate on how much of bisphosphonate literature, this medication you give. Maybe after but the key to prevention will three or four years, there should be a be educating physicians and ‘holiday’ from oral bisphosphonates. dentists of the drugs’ side There are a lot of issues no one e!ects. knows.” “If we can get the word out Researchers presented their that patients need a dental proposed method to study exam before starting on these bisphosphonate-associated medications, we may be able osteonecrosis of the jaw at the recent to prevent some of this,” he Dental Research Center and the said. Q American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Louise Maynard

GHSU TODAY 21 alter E. Stuckey has battled chronic Tried and TRU lymphocytic leukemia for a decade. WBut by participating in a major BY TONI BAKER clinical drug trial at Georgia Health Sciences University, he’s helping fight the war on behalf Clinical trials could lead to of the 15,000 people diagnosed with the blood new cancer treatments cancer every year. The 74-year-old Martinez, Ga., man was part of the study for TRU-016, an immunotherapy agent that showed promise in the laboratory at fighting leukemia cells. “It’s very important for me to do this because naturally I want to help myself, but in so doing I might be able to bring this to other patients who need it,” Stuckey said.

Walter E. Stuckey seeks treatment at the MCGHealth Cancer Center, home of the Cancer Clinical Research Unit.

22 WINTER/SPRING 2011 The five-year-old Cancer “Everything they tell us, Clinical Research Unit, which every side e!ect we see, was moved from the main hospital building to the year- everything that it does to old MCGHealth Cancer Center, our patients – good or bad – specializes in the earliest-phase studies of cancer therapies, helps us get closer to either some of which are being used having a new drug available for the first time on humans. or going in a di!erent “They have only been tested in the laboratory so (patients) direction if we see evidence get a lot of attention and that it’s not going to help the monitoring simply because we don’t know how this is going to patient or that it’s too toxic.” a!ect them,” said Pam Bourbo, –Pam Bourbo the manager who helped start the unit. “We have an idea from what happens in animal studies but you never truly know until you give these drugs to patients.” If a drug isn’t helping, they stop it and try to identify other options. Patients return the favor of invaluable information. “Everything they tell us, every side e!ect we see, everything that it does to our patients – good or bad – helps us get closer to either having a new drug available or going in a di!erent direction if we see evidence that it’s not going to help the patient or that it’s too toxic,” Bourbo said The Cancer Clinical Research Unit has a dozen treatment stations and two private infusion rooms, which are helpful for new patients who may spend many hours, multiple days a week at the unit. Patients in infusion chairs can look through the wall of windows at the rooftop gardens and share the view – and the time – with a family member or friend. continued GHSU TODAY 23 Onsite laboratories ease the extensive ongoing monitoring, such as checking blood levels of the study drug at regular intervals. The unit, which started with a handful of patients, now has nearly 60 enrolled in a number of Phase 1 and 2 trials for a wide range of cancers, including breast, lung, prostate, ovarian and liver as well as leukemias and lymphomas. Di"cult-to-treat cancers, such as pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma multiforme (a brain tumor), are of particular interest. Stuckey (left) talks with his doctor, Farrukh Awan, while Infusion Nurse Carol Rauch adjusts his intravenous medicine. “Our aim here is to really provide something for the patient,” said Dr. Stuckey’s participation that helps rally the immune Thomas Samuel, an MCG in the trial is actually his system’s attack on chronic hematologist/oncologist second. His first was at lymphocytic leukemia, a and breast cancer specialist. the M.D. Anderson Cancer condition that turns infection- Samuel is also a member Center in Houston, where he fighting white blood cells of the Scientific Review participated in the study of into leukemic cells that Committee, which determines the first immunotherapy for leave patients vulnerable to which protocols to pursue. the disease, rituximab, a drug infections. Rituximab’s ability to help Stuckey and others beat back Cumulative Number of Patients the clones and recover white Enrolled to CCRU Studies blood cell production earned 2006-2010 the drug FDA approval last year. “I feel real proud of that,” 60 Stuckey acknowledged. But 2010 about the same time, Stuckey 50 2009 was also experiencing the 2008 familiar recurring infections 40 2007 such as sinus infections and 2006 bronchitis. His disease was back and 30 the need for another new weapon this time brought Number of Patients 20 Stuckey to the Cancer Clinical Research Unit. While Stuckey had other options, 10 including another course of chemotherapy, he and 0 his physician, Dr. Farrukh Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Awan, a GHSU hematologist/

24 WINTER/SPRING 2011 oncologist and leukemia Institute’s working group on Neither do the doctors and specialist, agreed that he chronic lymphocytic leukemia. nurses at the Cancer Clinical might benefit more – and Awan is not just searching Research Unit. In fact, they su!er less – from TRU-016, for new therapies, but more expect the advent of even a drug Awan had studied in personalized ones. He wants more targeted yet gentler the lab that targets leukemia to be able to tell a patient therapies to provide more cells by targeting the CD37 not only what drug will work reason for optimism. receptor. The receptor, best, for example, but how Awan, a year out of his expressed primarily on the well it should work based on fellowship and research surface of leukemia cells, his or her particular cancer training at Ohio State “holds its head up high” so it’s cells rather than making University, doesn’t bat an eye a solid target, Awan said. The therapy choices and outcome at the possibility of curing fact that there are less of the predictions solely based on cancer in his professional visible receptors on normal other patients’ experiences. lifetime. cells reduces side e!ects as Stuckey and his white “We are curing cancer right well as healthy cell loss. blood cell counts were now, but it comes at a price,” Awan describes the looking good during one of he said. “So the goal is not drug as a “leaner, meaner” his last treatment visits to only to cure everyone, but immunotherapy that delivers the Cancer Clinical Research do it without side e!ects and a double whammy by directly Unit. Stuckey, who operates a unless we are there we should killing leukemia cells and small used-car lot, said he has keep improving.” Q prompting the immune no plans to stop working any system to do the same. Side time soon. e!ects have included fleeting nausea and a temporary dip in white cell counts. No patient has experienced hair loss. Awan recently began another trial that packages TRU-016 with one of the new chemotherapy drugs to see if that further enhances response. Across the street from the Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Awan is busy in his lab at the GHSU Cancer Research Center, where his studies on chronic lymphocytic leukemia in mice could translate into new therapies for humans. “That knowledge has to be translated to my patients and what we are trying to do is develop those bridges,” said Awan, who is also a member of the National Cancer After finishing treatment at the Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Stuckey is back to business at his car lot.

For more information, visit www.georgiahealth.edu/cancer/clinical

GHSU TODAY 25 A Melting GHSU faculty are global representation

26 WINTER/SPRING 2011 r. Cristiano Susin stepped into a crowded elevator. DTired after a seminar, he closed his eyes, resting his head in his hands.

He listened to the voices around him. Each person on the elevator was speaking English, but in very distinct foreign accents – no two the same. “I said, ‘Hey guys, stop and listen; none of us are American,’” the Brazilian national told the passengers, all of whom were faculty members in the Georgia Health Sciences University College of Dental Medicine. GHSU is a microcosm of the United States – a “melting pot” on a much smaller scale. Its faculty hail from every continent except Antarctica. Scientists, allied health professionals, dentists, doctors and nurses come to the U.S. and GHSU seeking greater opportunity, in spite of the challenges they face by starting over in a new country. “I know what it feels like to go to a place where you barely speak the language and try to make your way – it’s not easy to do,” says L.D. Newman, director of the GHSU International and Postdoctoral Services O"ce, which helps international faculty meet immigration- related requirements. “Most of these faculty members overcome tremendous obstacles to become exceptional

professionals in their fields.” continued

Melting PotSU H G GHSU faculty are global representation USA BY PAULA HINELY 2011

GHSU TODAY 27 Dr. Cristiano Susin

Q D.D.S.: Federal University of Rio For his doctoral degree, he studied Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre, Brazil risk factors for destructive periodontal diseases in urban areas in southern Q M.S.: Lutheran School of Dentistry; Brazil. As a student, he was the principal Canoas, Brazil investigator, responsible for all aspects of Q Ph.D.: University of Bergen Faculty his expansive project, including buying of Dentistry; Bergen, Norway supplies, hiring personnel and conducting 1,642 clinical exams and interviews. Q Joined GHSU in 2008 “I met with a prominent American researcher about my project, and when I ou have to kill a lion told him my budget, he stopped talking every day to show and grabbed a calculator to find out that you’re able to do how much I was spending per person. what you’re doing, “Y It was several times less than what he ties to Brazil were stronger. As an only but all of the extra hurdles are worth spends,” Susin recalls. He sees that as an child, his parents wanted him nearby, being here to me,” says Susin, a senior advantage now. “I joked with him, saying and the woman he’d dated since age research scientist in the College of I can work with lots of money, little 16 – his future wife, Dr. Lisiane Susin Dental Medicine. money or no money at all.” – had a thriving dental practice there. When he joined the faculty in He earned the only fully-funded He returned home to teach at his alma December 2008, he also became a Brazilian grant given to a dentist to mater, but asked Wikesjo to test the student again. Two years of training in complete his Ph.D. at the University of waters for him at GHSU. the United States are required to teach Bergen in Norway, which had strong ties “Ulf said it was a very nice clinical dentistry in Georgia, so Susin to his alma mater and his chosen field of environment for research; he was the immediately entered the periodontics periodontics. driving force to get me back to the residency program as an advanced The doctoral program led him to States,” he says. “It was hard on Lisi to standing resident. Having a dental Temple University in Philadelphia, give up our friends, family and practice, degree, master’s degree and Ph.D. under where he met and eventually worked but she also loves to teach.” She his belt – as well as time spent teaching with someone he considered an icon in joined the department’s faculty upon in Brazil and Philadelphia – he admits the field – Dr. Ulf Wikesjö, who’s now completing the endodontics residency returning to student life wasn’t easy. Interim Associate Dean for Research program in December. “Sometimes you must do things as and Enterprise at the College of Dental Susin says leaving family and friends a student that are part of the learning Medicine. in Brazil was hard, but they communicate process, but because I’ve been teaching, Wikesjo asked Susin to join him frequently through web chat and bring I have been on the other side and know when he came to GHSU to establish the their parents to Augusta as often as they the process or do things a slightly Laboratory for Applied Periodontal and can. di!erent way,” Susin says. Craniofacial Regeneration, but Susin’s Susin has dual citizenship in Italy, He says the educational experience the homeland of his grandparents. They at GHSU is similar to his home country, fled the country at the turn of the 20th except that students here have more century but got on a boat bound for Sao materials and better equipment Paulo instead of New York. resources. “It was the same likelihood that we’d “For patients who can a!ord it, live in America or Brazil, they were just dentistry in Brazil is basically equal to on the wrong boat,” he says. “My joke the United States, so the knowledge has always been that I’m making things base is the same,” he explains. But for right now by living in the U.S.” half the population who can’t a!ord recommended dental care, Brazilian students must learn to be creative and adapt treatments to fit their budgets. Limited resources also forced

Susin’s research projects to stay lean. Cristiano and Lisiane Susin on a recent visit home to Brazil.

28 WINTER/SPRING 2011 Dr. Abiodun Akinwuntan

Q B.A.: University of Lagos; Lagos, own country, so my advisor had very Nigeria serious doubts about me based on that stereotype,” he says. Q M.S., Ph.D.: Katholieke University; Akinwuntan set out to prove him Levuen Belgium wrong. He chose to tackle his advisor’s Q Joined GHSU in 2005 most di"cult project – the one he continues today at GHSU – driving r. Abiodun Akinwuntan has rehabilitation for stroke patients. To a global family. succeed with the project, He and his wife Titi are he had to learn Dutch Nigerians. Their 14-year-old quickly and design the D driving simulation program daughter, Jade, is Belgian, 8-year-old Temi is Irish, and 4-year-old Seun is that would be used with American. patients. “When we approach immigration And succeed, he did. o"cers, they call us the United Nations Not only did Akinwuntan family,” says the associate professor in disprove the stereotype the College of Allied Health Sciences by excelling at the project Department of Physical Therapy. and graduating a year and Like Susin, Akinwuntan came to GHSU a half early, he also made to advance his research. He directs the a lifelong collaborator and school’s Driving Simulation Lab, which friend out of his advisor. evaluates and rehabilitates neurologically After earning his Ph.D., impaired drivers. He’s worked extensively he taught in England for with stroke patients, and says Augusta a year before coming to was an optimal place for his research. GHSU. “Augusta is the buckle of the “I wanted a good blend of furthering my research stroke belt,” he says. Akinwuntan was Akinwuntan family, from left to right: son Seun, drawn to the potential of research and using it to enrich my teaching Abiodun, daughter Temi, sister Sheri, wife Titi and collaboration with physicians in GHSU’s service. This opportunity was a dream daughter Jade on a recent trip to Nigeria for a family Neuroscience Center of Excellence and come true,” he says of his 2005 move to wedding. nearby institutions, such as Walton the States. Rehabilitation Health System and The time-consuming immigration on evidence-based practice or the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. process went surprisingly fast for di!erences between rehabilitation in his “There seemed to be a good, supportive Akinwuntan. With help from Newman home and adopted countries. research atmosphere here, both internally in the International and Postdoctoral Those frequent visits to Nigeria, and externally.” Services O"ce, he and his family had as well as watching local movies and At the University of Lagos College their green cards within six months – a reading news stories daily, make it easier of Medicine in Nigeria, Akinwuntan process that usually takes three to six to be so far away from his parents and completed his undergraduate studies in years. siblings. physical therapy and specialized in low While the transition stateside wasn’t He admits it may sound strange, back and neck pain. While in practice, completely free of challenge, it didn’t but what he misses most about his he found he had more questions than hamper his research and teaching goals. home country is the freshness of food answers. To find those answers, in 1998 Now his driving rehabilitation program that’s harvested just before it’s cooked. he went to pursue his master’s degree is one of only a handful available to A vegetable garden at his home in and Ph.D. in Belgium, where the only physical therapy students nationwide. Augusta will do for now. He says, “I’m a professor willing to advise him was a “It’s also been one of my dreams that local man to the core.” neurological rehabilitation expert. wherever I am, I’m always promoting continued “At that time, Nigerian students had a the progress of my profession back reputation of going to school in Belgium home,” Akinwuntan says. Whenever he as an opportunity to get out of their visits Nigeria, he organizes workshops

GHSU TODAY 29 Dr. Yunchao Su

Q M.D., M.S., Ph.D.: Tongji Medical 25 years later. Univeristy; Wuhan, China Rather than practice medicine, Su entered a Ph.D. program in Q Joined GHSU in 2008 pathophysiology and became a researcher. “When I find something new hile Akinwuntan makes in my research, I feel a kind of fullness in a point to keep up my heart; I find the value of my life,” he with his home country, says. Dr. Yunchao Su forces W After graduation, Su taught at himself to do just the opposite. his alma mater for a couple of years. “I’m used to life here,” says the GHSU Because of the large number of Associate Professor of pharmacology students, there was little time for faculty and toxicology in the Medical College of Health and the American Heart research. And when there was, the lab of Georgia. He gave up his Chinese Association and discovered a peptide environment was less than optimal: citizenship in 2005 to truly live the that can reduce oxidant formation conditions were poor and routine work American dream by becoming a U.S. in lung diseases. such as preparing cell cultures was citizen. “I force myself to live in an Research funding in China is not yet made tedious by the lack of disposable English-speaking environment so that to the level of the U.S., Su says. “Now, glassware, which is common in American my kids grow up speaking English.” China is trying to get its top researchers labs. Su and his wife, Weihong Han, a to come back. The country is ready to “Research is a much bigger part of Research Associate in his lab, moved invest.” university culture in the U.S. than in to the United States in 1994 with their But that won’t stop Su from living China, and I knew I had to come here in daughter Susan, then two years old. his American dream. The fullness Su order to advance,” Su says. He became a Their second daughter, Jennifer, was describes when he makes a discovery postdoctoral fellow at the University of born three years later. Jennifer kids with is short lived, because there are always Florida, and then served on the school’s her family, calling herself the only “real” more questions to answer. Thankfully, faculty for almost a decade. American in the household, but she it’s a continuous cycle, and the feeling He came to GHSU in 2008 because knows the significance of her family’s will certainly return. He says, “If I’d of collaboration possibilities in his American citizenship. stayed in China, I wouldn’t have had as study area of COPD and pulmonary “If we hadn’t come to America, we many discoveries as I have here. It’s a hypertension. He has since obtained wouldn’t have Jennifer, because China very good feeling.” Q funding from the National Institutes had adopted the one-child policy,” Su says. “She picked up on that when she was about seven, and says that she has a life in America, which she wouldn’t have had in China. She summarized our experience so nicely.” Su would have had a life if he’d stayed in China, but not necessarily the one he always wanted. When he started medical school at 15, he aspired to be a clinician, but his inquisitiveness took hold instead. “I became very curious about what happened to the patient and the physiological processes associated with certain diseases,” he says. He joined a student research group led by a professor of respiratory medicine, who introduced Su to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which he still studies Su family, from left to right: Yunchao, wife Weihong Han, daughters Susan and Jennifer at China’s Great Wall.

30 WINTER/SPRING 2011 RESEARCH COMMON BONDS: Global Mission Research is the common bond PESQUISA that drew Drs. Akinwuntan, Su and There’s a little known o#ce at Susin to the United States. GHSU with a vital global mission. L.D. Newman, Director of the The International and Postdoctoral GHSU International and Postdoctoral Services O#ce is one of the first stops Services O"ce, said “one of the at GHSU for foreign-trained faculty, beauties of science is that it’s so PENELITIAN sta" and postdocs, even before fluid internationally.” they’re hired. Language, however, can be a The o#ce provides assistance di!erent matter. in recruiting foreign personnel, “You can be an excellent scientist by assisting with nonimmigrant in one country, bring the science work visas sponsored by GHSU and to the U.S. and be on par with your retaining them by sponsoring their U.S. colleagues, perhaps with the permanent residency. exception of the language barrier, L.D. Newman was an attorney in and that can hold people back,” GHSU’s Legal A"airs O#ce when she Newman said. FORSKNING was asked in 2000 to direct a new The three international scientists o#ce for postdoctoral fellows, most describe their common language of whom were foreign-trained and barriers in their own words: in need of immigration services. By the following year all international Susin: ARASTIRMA personnel were routed through the “When I give a lecture, I o#ce. sometimes feel like I use twice as “Immigration law is second only much energy as a native English to tax law in the complexity of its speaker because I’m pretty federal regulations,” Newman says. much translating everything I’mBADANIA Before the o#ce was formed, o#ce managers across campus were thinking from Portuguese.” processing 2-inch thick immigration files for international personnel. If Akinwuntan: there was a snag, the case would end “Even though English is the PANANALIKSIK up in legal a"airs. general means of communication “I see our o#ce as facilitating a in Nigeria, people in the U.S. don’t resolution to the problem of how to understand my accent, which get someone employed,” she says. can be frustrating. Also, some “It’s all in GHSU’s best interest to words and phrases that have NGHIEN CU’U get these talented one meaning in the rest of the individuals into our world take on a totally di"erent system so they can meaning in America; that be legally employed and we can benefit becomes challenging, especially from their skills.” in an educational setting.” RECHERCHE Su: “I learned English in China, but when you come to the U.S. and talk to people, it’s very di"erent,KUTATAS very challenging. It took time to overcome the di#culty, but now I think and process in English.” FORSCHUNG GHSU TODAY 31 PASS THE SALT BY TONI BAKER Scientists work to better understand, relieve hypertension

It’s about what you would expect from any gathering of Americans.

When you ask who is hypertensive in a group of Georgia Health Science University researchers, one in three raises their hand. Dr. David Pollock, the one in this small crowd, is likely among the most educated patients in the country: The renal physiologist has studied the disease that permeates society since he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1983.

32 WINTER/SPRING 2011 Pollock understands better than most “I think we know more about what it A balancing act how much is unknown about the disease does than its genesis,” says Inscho, who that a!ects one third of Americans. is also Interim Dean of the College of Americans salting their French fries and Although some general risk factors are Graduate Studies. feasting on preservative-rich prepackaged widely recognized – age, gender, ethnicity, Pollock is still sorting through why foods are consuming too much sodium. weight and lifestyle (including salt intake) – he joined the ranks of the hypertensive Endothelin can either hurt or help in the specifics of why the renal physiologist is about three years ago, after crossing the this scenario, depending on the balance of hypertensive and the optimal way to treat half-century mark in life. He and the other two competing endothelin receptors that him are largely unknown. scientists in the group are hopeful a new activate the cellular response. “His personality is not typical, he is not $11.2 million Program Project Grant from the “It’s like politics: all things are local,” type A,” says his colleague and wife Dr. National Institutes of Health will shed more Pollock says. Jennifer Pollock, an GHSU biochemist. light on both origin and treatment. In this case, the upright candidate In fact, she calls him “Mr. Magic” because A Pollock-led scientific team that tends to be the B receptor, which aids most troubles seem to slide right o! includes the University of Utah and the sodium excretion. The roguish one is the him. But her husband, calm, collected University of Texas at San Antonio is A receptor – the same one that shuts and pleasant on the outside, admits that studying a key determinant of blood down the coronary arteries of snake-bite sometimes he just doesn’t show the stress. pressure – sodium excretion – and how the victims – blocks it. It’s supposed to work “(Women) don’t internalize like the guys kidney regulates it. this way: when you consume more sodium, do,” he says jokingly. “If they are mad, Their focus is on endothelin, a protein the kidneys produce more endothelin and B they will let you know it. We internalize that constricts blood vessels and increases receptors to eliminate the excess. In fact B’s everything and agonize.” pressure. Until recently, endothelin has had bind the endothelin to keep A’s from being Ed Inscho, 56, a physiologist and the a bad reputation because of its structural too active. other man at the table, also has a pleasant similarity to certain types of snake venom “It’s the ballet between the two demeanor but admits his angsts over the that induce vasoconstriction. But the GHSU receptors,” Inscho says. “By changing the endless pressure to secure enough federal scientists know endothelin also has a good number of receptors you have, you change funding to support the people who work in side. the nature of the ballet.” his lab. He’s considered pre-hypertensive continued despite his healthy lifestyle (on this particular day, the trim scientist was tan from a weekend of tennis) and his love of milk – vitamin D has been shown by GHSU researchers to reduce arterial sti!ness (see Got Milk, Page 35). “Everybody’s blood pressure creeps up as you get older,” David Pollock says. In fact, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute reports more than half of Americans over age 60 have high blood pressure. “You almost think this is a factory that’s bound to get old,” Inscho says of blood pressure regulation. It’s hard to say how big a role genetics plays in the blood pressure regulatory process. The reasons vary as much as the individuals. Even the mechanisms by which people normally raise their blood pressure vary.

Hypertension researchers (from left) Drs. Jennifer Pollock, David Pollock, Ed Inscho and Jennifer Sullivan.

GHSU TODAY 33 However, in hypertension studies in University of Utah, wants to figure out which should help the kidneys filter out rats, the B receptor doesn’t work as well, what causes the kidneys to make more more sodium. although why is unclear. endothelin in the face of a high-salt diet, “If you filter more salt, you have more “It’s this balance between A’s and and ideally why. The goal would be to salt available for excretion,” Inscho says. B’s that is critical,” Pollock says. “If your develop drug therapies that could inspire He wants to know what’s happening balance becomes unbalanced, you will have this natural phenomenon. with A and B receptors inside the tiny salt-sensitive hypertension.” vasculature of the kidneys. Inscho is using That’s why he is focusing on the When the pressure is on B-receptor deficient rats and drugs that pathways that become activated on a high- block either receptor to get a better idea salt diet and just what the A receptor is up Tortuous blood vessels; a thick boggy about both. The goal is to figure out not to. His research team is studying B receptor pumping chamber in the heart; and major just how they normally work, but how deficient rats that are slightly hypertensive damage in other organs such as the kidneys the system becomes dysfunctional in on a regular diet and very hypertensive are just some of the things that happen hypertension. on a high-salt diet. More circuitously, they when A receptors go unchecked. “I think we are beginning to understand also infused angiotensin, a powerful blood “The consequences are measurable how the B receptor may factor into some vessel constrictor, into rats causing similar targets usually,” Inscho says, noting that other regulatory systems the kidney may dysfunction of the B receptors. treatments are available but “preventing use to control filtration,” he says. “We also think without the B receptor it from occurring is something we are not In theory, Jennifer Pollock says, the function, your A’s go a little bit crazy,” very good at yet.” kidneys “should be able to lower your blood Pollock says. To help put the pieces together Inscho pressure but because people do remain Not only do the A’s constrict, they is focusing on how blood vessels called hypertensive, that means there must a promote inflammation, which can further a!erent arterioles that feed directly into the problem with your kidneys as well.” damage blood vessels. In fact, in a kidney filtering units, or glomeruli, react She suspects that endothelin activates pathological situation like a high-salt diet, to a high-salt diet. Blood, containing salt, production of nitric oxide when it hits the B even B receptors may behave badly. continuously flows through the kidneys. receptor. Nitric oxide, which dilates blood Across the country, Dr. Donald Kohan, Researchers have seen that excess salt vessels, prompts the sodium channels in a nephrologist and physiologist at the prompts increased B receptor expression, kidney tubules to fold inward.

Fighting kidney failure New drug may intervene in diabetic nephropathy

cientists are learning more about “There has been no drug that really how high levels of protein in urine targets diabetic nephropathy,” said – a telltale sign of kidney damage Mohamed A. Saleh, a GHSU graduate Sin people with diabetes and student and the study’s first author. hypertension – can be reduced by a new Studies confirmed that endothelin A class of drugs. receptor antagonists reduced endothelin In the journal Hypertension, Georgia 1 in rats, and now Saleh and Dr. David Health Sciences University researchers Pollock, renal physiologist at the GHSU explain how the drugs, called endothelin Vascular Biology Center, want to look more A receptor antagonists, reduce protein closely at how the drugs interact with in the urine by blocking the peptide each of endothelin 1’s two receptors. The endothelin 1, which is found at high A receptor is considered to be the trouble levels in diabetics and people with maker, interfering with sodium excretion high-salt diets. and promoting inflammation, while the Endothelin 1 damages kidneys B receptor is thought to help the kidneys by increasing blood vessel eliminate excess sodium. permeability in the organ’s tiny filters, The scientists want to compare A which allow proteins, called albumin, to inhibitors to another new class of drugs leak out and cause further damage through that blocks both the A and B receptors. swelling and inflammation. Over time, The research was funded by the diabetic nephropathy develops, leading to National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, kidney dialysis or transplants in the most an American Heart Association predoctoral serious cases. fellowship, and a government grant from Saleh’s native Egypt. Q

34 WINTER/SPRING 2011 D-fense

Daily doses of vitamin D five times the current recommended amount appear to help protect black youth from arterial sti"ness that can lead to cardiovascular disease and hypertension. A recent study by Dr. Yanbin Dong, a geneticist and cardiologist Dat GHSU’s Georgia Prevention Institute, suggests that the daily 400 international units recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics should be increased to at least 2,000, like a sponge for vitamin D, potentially particularly for black children. reducing available blood levels. The study, involving 44 teens About half of study participants were in Augusta, Ga., a city abundant in overweight or obese, a figure in line sunlight, an excellent source of vitamin with the general pediatric population. D, found the children still needed a Dong is still analyzing data from supplement that exceeds the current a subsequent study in adults that Dr. Yanbin Dong recommended dosage. examined taking even higher doses But even 2,000 units, currently weekly – rather than daily – to help considered the highest safe dose, improve compliance. He’ll now “The salt can’t get in and so it gets are insu#cient for some children, study that approach in youth as well excreted,” she says. “We are connecting particularly those who are overweight to determine whether vitamin D the dots now.” or obese, according to Dong’s study supplements can help moderately If they are correct, they have found published in the Journal of Clinical hypertensive adults. a new mechanism for controlling salt Endocrinology & Metabolism. The Tuna, cheese, milk and yogurt are excretion that is a natural drug target. study, the first to give 2,000 units to good vitamin D sources but about 15 Since it’s di"cult to enhance nitric oxide, blacks and to include cardiovascular minutes of daily sun exposure – before it likely will be necessary to find another risk factors in youth as an outcome, skin starts to turn pink – is the most cue to prompt sodium channels to fold up showed no toxicity at that dosage. cost-e"ective and e#cient source, their tents. She is pursuing the theory in Study participants received either Dong says. Simple changes such as genetically engineered mice. 400 or 2,000 units with blood levels parking farther from a destination or Co-investigator Dr. James Stockand of the vitamin measured at four, eight walking instead of driving distances in Texas is investigating cell-specific and 16 weeks. None of the children can boost vitamin D as well as activity mechanisms for how endothelin a!ects taking 400 units achieved su#cient levels. transport of sodium in and out of the vitamin D levels although their levels Even so, Dong recommends cell, focusing on proteins known as did tend to increase, Dong says. supplements for most since lifestyle ion channels. Dr. Jennifer Sullivan, Those with the highest vitamin D changes are di#cult to make. He co- pharmacologist/physiologist at GHSU’s levels had more flexible blood vessels, directs the GHSU Diabetes & Obesity Vascular Biology Center, is providing based on pulse wave velocity, a Discovery Institute which funded the support for the numerous animal studies common measure of arterial sti"ness. study. Q associated with the grant. At the start, all but two participants “The future of pharmaceutical therapies had deficient levels of the vitamin is going to be the right balance of di!erent that boosts mood and energy levels, Tuna, cheese, milk and yogurt drugs,” David Pollock says. “Most people strengthens bones and improves are good vitamin D sources with high blood pressure are also taking arterial and heart function. but about 15 minutes of daily cholesterol medicine and possibly other Dark skin pigment impedes vitamin sun exposure – before skin drugs. So the future has to be what is the D absorption for blacks, who are prone starts to turn pink – is the right formula for you and your situation.” to earlier and more severe forms of Today he’s not even sure that the drug cardiovascular disease. Fat also acts most cost-e!ective and he hand-picked works best for him. Q e"cient source.

GHSU TODAY 35 Radical Surgery, Radical Faith Prayer guides family through life-saving procedure

BY DENISE PARRISH o say Wilton Holiday is a survivor is a gross understatement. “He’s a miracle,” said his sister Emily, 15. T “Yeah. He’s taught me to enjoy every second of life, to take nothing for granted,” said his brother Brenton, 17. “I’m never ashamed to tell my story,” said Wilton, the oldest child of a Baptist preacher. “I’m not ashamed to tell what God has done for me. He really delivered The Holiday family car, post accident me.” Wilton and his mother were driving Emily and Brenton to Blackville-Hilda High School in Barnwell County, S.C., on March 1, 2010. Another motorist ran a stop sign, hit their car and spun it into a tree. “I’ll never forget that date,” Wilton said. “But at the same time, I don’t remember anything about what COURTESY THE HOLIDAY FAMILY happened. That’s probably a blessing.” Part of the tree came through the driver side window, knocking Wilton, then 19, unconscious. Brenton was pinned in the back seat, and their mother “I’ll never forget that date. Sybrenda received leg injuries. Emily was unharmed. Within minutes a rescue squad was on the scene. But at the same time, “When they got the steering wheel o! of Wilton, I could see blood all over his face and coming out of his nose,” Emily said. “I was so scared. I knew it was I don’t remember anything serious then, and I was afraid he wasn’t going to make it.” about what happened. Wilton and Brenton were airlifted to the Trauma Center at MCGHealth Medical Center. Sybrenda arrived via ambulance with Emily at her side. That’s probably a blessing.” Within days, Sybrenda and Brenton were up and around. However, in the third-floor Shock Trauma Unit, –WILTON HOLIDAY Wilton was clinging to life. He could open his eyes and make subtle responses, but his brain had been steadily swelling since the accident. “His injury was so bad and his neurologic status so dire that we didn’t expect him to survive,” said Dr. Cole Giller, the neurosurgeon who cared for Wilton.

36 WINTER/SPRING 2011 But his parents had faith. They were “I was astonished to see Wilton give determined not to lose their firstborn son. “My husband stood at his bedside and told me a thumbs-up sign. As neurosurgical him, ‘Wilton, you have never disobeyed me, and you’re not going to start now. You shall live!’”, saves go, Wilton is one of the most said Sybrenda, an educator and technology coach with the Barnwell County School District. dramatic and rewarding I’ve ever But Wilton had become unresponsive, like he was slipping away. The situation was bleak. If experienced. I mean, this is why we go his brain continued to swell, according to Giller, he would certainly die. to medical school.” The family did the one thing they knew how to do well: They prayed. Through text messages –DR. COLE GILLER and Facebook, they enlisted friends and their church to pray, too. With every second counting, Giller decided to try something drastic, a desperate procedure that is almost never done with patients. “We performed a bilateral hemicraniectomy,” Giller said. During this critical surgery, Wilton’s head would be opened and Giller would remove both sides of his skull to decrease the intracranial pressure. “It was a last-ditch e!ort,” Giller said. “ ‘A last-ditch e!ort,’ ” Sybrenda recalls, emphasizing Giller’s words. “That tells me that Dr. Giller had really studied Wilton’s problem. He had taken all of what he knew and learned in the medical field and decided he had to take a chance, a big chance, to save Wilton’s life.” Wilton’s father James, who has served as senior pastor of Bushy Pond Baptist Church in Norway, S.C., for 17 years, considers himself a devout man of God. But even he was at a loss over Wilton’s condition. “I’m wondering, ‘God, what’s going on?’” James said. “Dr. Giller told us all the pros and cons of the surgery. But it was Wilton’s only chance, so we agreed to proceed.” Wilton began improving almost immediately after the surgery. “I was astonished to see Wilton give me a thumbs-up sign,” Giller said. “As neurosurgical saves go, Wilton is one of the most dramatic and rewarding I’ve ever experienced. I mean, this is why we go to medical school.” In the days that followed, Wilton became more cognizant of the situation and began communicating with his family and the medical team. But when he realized what he’d been through and what lay ahead, he was Wilton Holiday bears the scars of the bilateral overwhelmed. hemicraniectomy that saved his life. “I was in such a dark place,” said Wilton. “I was in a hospital bed … I couldn’t move and all that stu! … I’m not very emotional, but at the time, I broke down and cried. Luckily, my dad was there to comfort me and pray with me.”

continued

GHSU TODAY 37 On March 27, nearly a month “He was amazing,” his mother after the car accident, Wilton was said. “After Wilton left the stage, discharged to Walton Rehabilitation several people stopped him to tell Hospital. him what an inspiration he is and “I did exercises while lying on my what a beautiful voice God gave back,” he said. “I could barely sit up, him. I was so proud of him.” and my head still hurt. It was a slow Today, Wilton is driving again. He process.” also sings with his family at church “His daddy told Wilton, In May, Wilton returned to GHSU and serves as an usher from time to so Giller could put his skull plates time. He tutors high school students ‘Son, you’re gonna walk up back in place, along with a shunt in algebra and trigonometry while and tube to continue monitoring waiting for the green light to the same steps and go in the intracranial pressure. return to the University of South Finally, on June 12 – after Carolina-Aiken, where he studied the same door you left out celebrating his 20th birthday mechanical engineering before the at Walton and more than three accident. of.’ And Wilton did.” months after the accident – Wilton “I still see myself as an engineer,” was able to go home. he said. “I am ready to get back to –SYBRENDA HOLIDAY “His daddy told Wilton, ‘Son, school so I can finish my degree.” you’re gonna walk up the same One of the other things Wilton steps and go in the same door you wants to get back to is lifting left out of,’ ” Sybrenda recalled weights with his brother Brenton. Pastor Holiday saying. “And Wilton “My friends would always ask did.” me why I lifted. Since I didn’t play Six months after the accident, football, I guess they figured it Wilton sang the National Anthem had no purpose,” he said. “But see, during the opening ceremonies for that’s just how God works, and the Arts in the Heart of Augusta it’s so great. When I think about festival. A gifted singer, Wilton’s the wreck, I smile, realizing that voice and his story received rich a skinny old Wilton couldn’t have The Holiday family (from left), Emily, applause. taken an impact like that.” Q James, Wilton, Sybrenda and Brenton with Dr. Cole Giller (center)

38 WINTER/SPRING 2011 CLASS notes Allied SciencesHealth DentalAllied MedicineHealth Allied Health Sciences Graduate Bill Westwood (’72) of Albany, N.Y., received Laura M. Gunder (‘03) of Evans, Ga., was Sciences a Lifetime Achievement Award from the named the 2010 Family Practice Physician Studies Association of Medical Illustrators at the 65th Assistant of the Year by the Association of annual meeting in Portland, Ore. Westwood Family Practice Physician Assistants. GunderMedicine worked on sta! at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, has been on the full-time faculty at GHSU Dental Minn., for 10 years before starting his own since 2008 and is the Director of Research studio, Westwood Medical Communications. and Faculty Development. NursingMedicine Dr. Marjorie Herring McNeill (’76) received Allison Millsap Holt (‘04) of Rome, Ga., the 2010 Literary Award presented by the has joined Rome Internal Medicine, an a"liate Florida Health Information Management of the Floyd Primary Care Network, as a Association for significant contributions physician assistant. The native of Jasper, Ga., Graduate to health information management is a member of the Georgia Association of through the preparation of outstanding Physician Assistants and the Pi Alpha National publications. McNeill directs the Division Honor Society for Physician Assistants. Studies of Health Informatics and Information Management, School of Allied Health Sciences, Amber E. Cochran (’06), a medical Florida A&M University. technologist for the U.S. Department of Defense at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Amy and Sam Collins (‘81) of Birmingham, Center, has been recognized by Cambridge Medicine Ala., recently exhibited their respective artwork Who’s Who for dedication, leadership and at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts in excellence in health care. Cochran works in the Florence, Ala. Amy is a native of Savannah, Ga., virology laboratory, which has a biosafety Sam of Cincinnati. level-three rating. Nursing

Lori Gaylor (’84), co-owner of The Urgent Care Center in Richmond Hill, Ga., was recently featured in a story on her practice’s first anniversary in the magazine Richmond Hill Reflections.

Teresa D. Mills (’89), Director of Risk Management at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Ga, has obtained a Master in Health Administration with a specialty in Education from the University of Phoenix.

Michael Rosenberg (‘91) has been promoted to Rehabilitation Manager at Presbyterian Rehabilitation Center in Charlotte, N.C. He was also recently appointed to the Board of Directors of The Health Guidance Center in Charlotte

Michelle M. Ernsdor! (‘96) recently founded Compass to Care, The Mike & Sandy Ernsdor! Childhood Cancer Foundation, which supports parents seeking cancer care for their children by scheduling and paying for travel arrangements between their home and the hospital.

Rick Sargent (‘01) of Charleston, S.C., received a $1,000 poster design award for the 2011 Cooper River Bridge Run. Sargent owns Sargent Illustration and Design LLC and is an DON’T FORGET HOMECOMING. adjunct faculty member in the Graphic Design Register at www.georgiahealth.edu/alumni/homecoming Department at the Art Institute of Charleston.

GHSU TODAY 39 CLASS notes

Awards? Professional Honors? Special Activities?

Dental Medicine Medicine Dr. Andrew Allgood (’73) recently donated Dr. Allyn Cleon Johnson (’52) was recently Dr. David Harvey (’65) of Warner Robins, $5,200 to The Hope House, a substance-abuse profiled by The Gainesville Times for his Ga., has been named District Health residential treatment facility in Augusta, as 53 years of practice in Gainesville, Ga. As a Director for the North Central Health part of his Smiles for Hope program, in which medical student, Johnson participated in District, which covers 13 counties including he donates a portion of revenue from the pioneering hypertension research. He has Houston, Peach and Bibb. Harvey recently tooth-whitening services he performs at his practiced internal medicine and cardiology retired from his private pediatrics practice o"ce. since 1956. in Warner Robins.

Dr. Marilyn A. Russell (’74) has been Dr. Milton Irvin Jonson (’60) of Macon, Dr. James F. Gowen (’68) of Brunswick, recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for Ga., was recognized by the American Medical Ga., was honored by Southeast dedication, leadership and excellence in Association for his 50-year anniversary of Georgia Clinical Campus of GHSU for periodontics. Russell practices at Progressive graduating from medical school. Johnson his contributions to educating future Periodontics in of Fayetteville, Ga. has served as President of the Medical physicians for Georgia. Association of Georgia, Georgia Academy of Dr. Melvin O’Neal Baker (’74) has been Family Physicians and Bibb County Medical Dr. Phil Gingrey (’69) of Marietta, Ga., awarded the R.O. Arnold Award by the Society. served as a panelist on the “Social Justice Covington/Newton Chamber of Commerce in and the Health Care Bill” discussion at the Covington, Ga. , for his lifetime of service to Dr. Drayton Sanders (’62) of Macon, Ga., 54th annual convention of the Atlanta the community. recently completed his bachelor’s degree. Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. The retired physician, who was accepted Gingrey practiced obstetrics for 26 years Dr. William B. Williams (’75) of Suwanee, to medical school in 1958, did not earn his before winning election to Congress Ga., was chosen by online referral service undergraduate degree at Mercer University in 2002 as the U.S. Representative for Top3Dentists as one of the Top Dentists because of two courses taken at another Georgia’s 11th District. in Suwanee after passing the company’s college during his freshman year that did not credentialing process. Williams is the team count toward graduation. Dr. H. Brian Balfour (’71) has joined dentist for the Gwinnett Gladiators, the minor- The Central Florida Cancer Institute as league ice hockey a"liate of the Atlanta Dr. Patton P. Smith (‘62) of Forsyth, Ga., a radiation oncologist practicing at the Thrashers, and is a Past President of the recently received the Distinguished Service institute’s o"ces in Davenport and Lake Georgia Academy of General Dentistry. Award from the Bibb County Medical Society. Wales, Fla. Smith, a retired family physician, practiced Dr. Matt Culberson (’07) opened Culberson in Forsyth for 43 years. He served on the Dr. James Sikes (’71) has joined River Family Orthodontics in North Augusta, S.C. He boards of the Monroe County Hospital and Crest Hospital in San Angelo, Texas, as a previously practiced with a family member in Community Health Works. sta! psychiatrist treating adolescents and Milledgeville, Ga. adults. He previously served as the chief Dr. William E. Silver (’63) of Atlanta psychiatrist at San Angelo State School. Dr. Cara DeLeon (‘08) of North Charleston, received the Physician’s Award for S.C., joined Coastal Kids Dental pediatric Community Service from the Medical Dr. Jack Tidwell (‘71) recently merged dental practice. The Augusta native served as Association of Georgia for outstanding his business, Tidwell Cancer Treatment President of the Student Dental Association service outside the regular scope of practice. Center, with Columbus Regional Healthcare during her junior year at GHSU and received The plastic surgeon is a board member of in Columbus, Ga. The radiation oncologist the International College of Dentists the Atlanta Women’s Fund “Face to Face” founded the center in the early 1990s. He Leadership Award. program, which helps abused women and his sta! will continue to provide direct recover from their injuries. He has also patient care at the center. performed corrective surgeries for children in Mexico and Vietnam through Rotary Dr. David A. Driggers (’72) has been International’s “Thousand Smiles Foundation.” appointed Director of Medical Education in the College of Health Sciences at the Dr. William “Billy” E. Mayher III (’64) University of Wyoming. Driggers is also of Albany, Ga., was recently named to the a retired Colonel of the U.S. Air Force Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame Board by Reserve. former Gov. Sonny Purdue. The retired neurosurgeon is former Chief of Sta! of the Dr. Albert Marrero (’72) was honored by Palmyra Medical Centers in Albany and is Ventura County Behavioral Health in Santa Chairman of the MCG Foundation. Paula, Calif., for 35 years of service as a psychiatrist with the county system.

40 WINTER/SPRING 2011 Contact Damon Cline, editor, at 706-721-4706 or e-mail [email protected].

We would like to recognize our alumni from all five colleges.

Dr. John A. Mitas II (’73) has been Dr. Mark Mitchell Jones (‘79) of Atlanta Dr. Terri Jones (‘95) has joined the awarded Mastership in the American discussed ear reconstruction for microtia medical sta! of Parkridge Health System in College of Physicians, the organization’s patients at the University of Virginia Medical Chattanooga, Tenn. The internal medicine highest recognition. Mitas served as the Center Lipscomb Lecture. The plastic specialist previously practiced at Battlefield college’s Chief Operating O"cer and Deputy surgeon also spoke at The 21st Annual Cleft Internal Medicine in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. Executive Vice President from 2002-09. Now Lip and Palate Symposium sponsored by retired, he serves as a Special Advisor to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Drs. Russell and Ronald Dandy (’97) of CEO. Savannah, Ga., were recently profiled by the Dr. Stephen Moore (‘79) joined the sta! of Savannah Morning News in honor of their Dr. Rodney Smith (‘73) of Gainesville, Ga., Ty Cobb Healthcare System in Hartwell, Ga. continuing their family’s tradition of eye was appointed to the bank advisory board He was previously with Gastroenterology care at Chatham Eye Associates. Russell of the Chattahoochee Bank of Georgia. The Associates in Gainesville, Ga. is married to Dr. Zorana Si!ord-Dandy, an family physician is a founding member of The obstetrician, and Ronald is married to Dr. Longstreet Clinic practice group. Dr. Greg L. Jones (’80) of Statesboro, Ga., Regina Buckley-Dandy, a family practice joined the sta! of Willingway Hospital, a physician. Dr. James C. Blackwell (’74), who practices privately owned 40-bed alcohol and drug internal medicine in Dalton, Ga., has been addiction treatment facility in Statesboro. Dr. Kevin Trapnell (’97) of Gainesville, inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame of the The family medicine physician was formerly Ga., received recognition from the National University of West Georgia, where he was a Director of Medical Services at Eastern State Committee for Quality Assurance and the standout pitcher on the 1965 team and class Hospital in Lexington, Ky. American Diabetes Association for providing Valedictorian in 1966. quality care to his patients with diabetes. He Dr. William C. Lindsay (‘81) has been is a family medicine physician with Northeast Dr. E. Dan DeLoach (’74) of Savannah, named a Fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society. Georgia Physicians Group Cumming. Ga., was elected the 2010-11 President of the He practices cardiac electrophysiology in Medical Association of Georgia. DeLoach is a Knoxville, Tenn., at Mercy Medical Center Dr. Joanne Rossman (’98), a hematologist- plastic surgeon and a past Medical College of West, where he is Medical Director of the oncologist, has joined the Southeast Cancer Georgia Alumni Association President. Cardiac EP and Pacing Lab. He is adjunct Network, an Alabama-based network of faculty at the DeBusk College of Osteopathic cancer care centers in urban and rural Dr. David Johnson (’76) has joined Austin, Medicine. markets. Texas-based Mirna Therapeutics Inc. as a Scientific Advisor in oncology. He previously Dr. Gerard Holmes (’83) has been named Dr. Stephen A. Chitty (’99) of St. Simons held positions at Vanderbilt University and Medical Director for Pediatrix Cardiology Island, Ga., was recently honored by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Associates of New Mexico, where is also Southeast Georgia Clinical Campus of GHSU School in Dallas, where he was Chairman of Director of Echocardiography. He was for his contributions to educating future the Department of Internal Medicine. previously Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at physicians for Georgia. the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Dr. Irving Pike (’78) of Virginia Beach, Center. He has practiced pediatric cardiology Dr. Scott Colquhoun (‘00), an orthopedic Va., was selected one of the 75 best in New Mexico for 16 years. surgeon with Wilmington Health in gastroenterologists in America by Becker’s Wilmington, N.C., recently opened an ASC Review, a trade journal for ambulatory Dr. Ben Watson (‘85) of Isle of Hope, Ga., additional o"ce in Brunswick Forest, N.C. surgery centers. Pike is President of was recently elected to the Georgia General Gastroenterology Consultants in Virginia Assembly representing District 163. Dr. Dr. Gordon Thomas Fahey (’00) joined Beach. Watson is a native of Twin City, Ga. The Lodi Memorial Community Clinic in Lodi, Calif., as a general surgeon. Dr. Fahey Dr. William C. Mobley (’78) a urologist Dr. Wade Gebara (’93), medical director completed an internship and residency at the with Davenport, Iowa-based Urological of Berkshire Medical Center’s Radiation University of California, San Francisco. Associates, has been included on a list of 106 Oncology Department, received the sta!’s physician leaders who have made significant Most Patient-Centered Physician award for Dr. Darlene Lobel (’00), Chief of contributions to the ambulatory surgical care 2010. Gebara joined the Pittsfield, Mass.- Neurosurgery for Northeast Georgia industry by Becker’s ASC Review, a trade based community hospital in 2001. Physicians Group, discussed deep brain journal for ambulatory surgery centers. stimulation at the Northwest Georgia Dr. Tiku Bhutwala (’95) has joined the Parkinson’s Disease Association’s fifth annual Dr. Eddie Allen (‘79) joined the sta! of medical sta! of Parkridge Health System in Southeastern Parkinson Disease Conference Ty Cobb Healthcare System in Hartwell, Ga. Chattanooga, Tenn. The internal medicine in Atlanta. The procedure helps patients with He was previously with Gastroenterology specialist previously practiced at Battlefield Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and Associates in Gainesville, Ga. Internal Medicine in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. dystonia regain control.

GHSU TODAY 41 CLASS notes

Nursing Dr. J.P. Gleason (’01), a pediatrician, has Dr. James L. Taylor (’05) of Gainesville, Susan Pilcher (’74) has joined First joined Children’s Medical Associates at The Ga., has joined The Longstreet Clinic as an Republic Private Wealth Management in Veranda in Albany, Ga. inpatient physician. He recently completed San Francisco. She was previously Executive an internal medicine internship, residency Director of Financial Planning for Morgan Dr. Kayln Lane (‘02) has joined Athens and fellowship in infectious diseases at the Stanley Trust. Pilcher earned a master’s Behavioral Medicine as a psychiatrist. She is University of Iowa. degree in financial planning from Golden one of only five physicians in the state to be Gate University and a juris doctorate from awarded board certification by the American Dr. Jonathan Tolentino (’06) of Washington & Lee University after earning a Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in child Cincinnati has been appointed to the bachelor of science in nursing from GHSU. and adolescent psychiatry, adult general Asian Advisory Council by Ohio Gov. Ted psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. Strickland. Tolentino is a pediatrician at the Sherry Gaines (‘76) has been appointed University of Cincinnati Hospital and at the Director of the Whitson-Hester School Dr. Brad Bushnell (’03) of Rome, Ga., Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. of Nursing in the College of Agricultural published “The Management of Venomous and Human Sciences at Tennessee Tech Snakebite Injury to the Extremities” in Dr. James Murphey (’06) has joined the University in Cookeville, Tenn. Gaines was The Journal of the American Academy of sta! of Northeast Georgia Physicians Group previously on faculty at the Byrdine F. Lewis Orthopaedic Surgeons. Bushnell practices at in Cleveland, Ga., after recently completing School of Nursing at Georgia State University the Harbin Clinic in Rome. residencies in internal medicine and in Atlanta. pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Dr. Mark Ghegan (’03) of Charleston, S.C., Health Science Center in Memphis, Tenn. Clara Cobb (’79), Rear Admiral for the U.S. joined Charleston Ear, Nose and Throat Navy Reserves, recently spoke at Southern Associates, working out of the West Ashley Dr. Ralph “Wynn” Crowe (’07) of University on behalf of the U.S. Public Health and Mount Pleasant o"ces. Previously, Elberton, Ga., has joined the sta! of Elbert Service. Cobb serves as the Regional Health he was an ENT physician and surgeon in Memorial Hospital as a family medicine Administrator and the Acting Regional Atlanta. practitioner after recently completing his Director for Region IV in Atlanta. She was the residency in family medicine at McLeod 2010 GHSU College of Nursing Distinguished Dr. Nirav Dhruva (’04), an oncologist/ Regional Medical Center in Florence, S.C. Alumnus. hematologist, recently joined the Athens o"ce of the Georgia Cancer Specialists, Dr. Malcolm Floyd (’07) of Americus, Dr. Maggie Dorsey (’81) has been named a private cancer practice with o"ces in Ga., has opened Phoebe Sumter Family Interim Dean at the University of South Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Medicine Associates in Americus after Carolina School of Nursing. Dorsey has recently finishing his residency at Phoebe served at the school as a Professor for 29 Dr. Derron Spikes (’04) has opened Allure, Putney Hospital. Floyd is a native of Albany, years. a plastic and reconstructive surgery practice Ga. at the Tifton Physicians Center in Tifton, Ga. Susan Mitchell Grant (’83) was inducted Spikes is a Tifton native. as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing at the organization’s annual conference. Grant serves as Chief Nursing O"cer at Emory Healthcare and is a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow. Alumni Laura N. Wiggins (’92) has been named Director of The Steward Center for Palliative We’d like to hear from you Care, a subsidiary of Hospice Savannah. She is a board certified Adult Nurse Practitioner Changed addresses lately? with certification as an Advance Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse. Have a question or concern? Shani Howard (’93) joined the general pediatric practice of Alan Glassman. Howard Want to learn more about has worked as a nurse practitioner in the participating in alumni programs? Athens area for 12 years.

Cassandra H. Davis (‘99) was named to Contact: the Georgia Board of Nursing. Davis serves Scott Henson as Director of Surgery at Monroe County Hospital. Executive Director, Alumni A!airs [email protected] Elizabeth Anne Nash (’06) of Gainesville, Ga., and Austin Daniel Sharp of Amarillo, 706-721-4416 Texas, were married Oct. 2, at the Nash family farm in Gainesville.

42 WINTER/SPRING 2011 Obituaries

Dr. Jack Larkin Austin (Medicine, ’41), Sybil Ann Hendrix (Nursing, ’60) died at died Jan. 14 at age 96. The Gri"n, Ga., age 81. The Talmo, Ga., native was a patron native trained at Erlanger Hospital in to Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and received a U.S. Chattanooga, Tenn., and Emory University. Public Health Grant while a student at GHSU. Allied He served as the U.S. Army Medical Corps’ Hendrix was elected to “Who’s Who of Commanding O"cer of 303rd Station American Nursing” in 1986. Survivors include Hospital in London during World War one nephew, one niece, one great-nephew Health II. He was a member of Theta Kappa Psi and one great-niece. medical fraternity and numerous medical Sciences societies including the Medical Association Dr. John Terrance Woods III (Medicine, of Georgia and the Georgia Association of ‘71) died Aug. 7 at age 64. The Wilmington, Ophthalmology. Austin was also a member Del., native served in the U.S. Army and of First United Methodist Church and the graduated from the Army Flight Service Elks Club. Survivors include his wife, Vera School. He was a member of Rex Fraternity, Dental Yvonne Stimson Austin, of Gri"n; one son, the American Roentgen Ray Society and one daughter, three grandchildren, three Georgia Radiological Society. Woods also Medicine great-grandchildren and a sister. was a member of First Baptist Church of Rome, the Nine O’Clock Cotillion and Dr. Harold George Jarrell Sr. (Medicine, numerous local medical societies. Survivors ’49) died Aug. 21 at age 84. Jarrell was the include his wife, Christina Burk Woods; one first resident of a partnership between son, one daughter and one grandson. Graduate Macon General Hospital and GHSU. He served in Japan as a Captain in the U.S. Jo Alice Walker Stallings (Allied Health Studies Army Medical Service Corps during the Sciences, ’73) died Jan. 14 at age 64. Korean War. After his service, Jarrell Stallings received her undergraduate degree established ObGyn Associates of Columbia. from Fort Valley State University and was He was honored by St. Francis Hospital in employed by DeKalb County Schools. 2008 with the Dr. Clarence C. Butler Service Survivors include two sons. Medicine and Leadership Award. Survivors include wife Corinne Betts Jarrell; two daughters, Dr. David J. Dickey (Dental Medicine, one son, seven grandchildren, one sister ’78) died Nov. 23 at age 57. The Statesboro, and one brother. Ga., native completed an endodontics Nursing residency at the Louisian State University Dr. John M. Miller (Medicine, ’56), died Allied School Dentistry. He was in private practice Nov. 23 at age 82. The Lakeland, Ga., native in Augusta and Aiken, S.C., for 29 years interned at the University of Tennessee and was a member of the Pierre Fauchard Health John Gaston Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., Society, American Dental Association, and received residency training in obstetrics Georgia Dental Association, Augusta Sciences and gynecology at GHSU. He practiced Country Club and Church of the Good obstetrics and gynecology from 1960 until Shepherd. Survivors include his wife, Linda, Dental his retirement in 1998 at Valdosta, Ga.’s and his son Michael. Pineview General Hospital, now known as South Georgia Medical Center. He served Medicine in several leadership roles at the hospital including Chief of Sta!. He was a member Graduate of Valdosta’s First United Methodist Church. Survivors include his wife, Patricia; two Studies daughters, a son and five grandchildren. Medicine John Marvin Hutcheson Jr. (Allied Health Sciences, ’58) died Dec. 21 at age 80. The Birmingham, Ala., native was a graduate of Nursing Birmingham Southern College. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Hutcheson worked at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and retired to Troy, Ala. He was a member of the Olmsted Historical Society, Pike Pioneers Museum, Sons of Confederate Veterans and Military Order of the Stars and Bars. Survivors include two sons, two stepsons, five grandchildren, one great-grandchild and a brother.

GHSU TODAY 43 ALUMNI spotlight BY DAMON CLINE

Something to say Medical alumni write books for profession, pleasure

When health professionals put on (’79) Pranayama, which explains their writing cap, it’s usually because the physiological benefits of they are trying to get published in meditation and deep-breathing scholarly journals, textbooks and techniques. The title is taken reference materials. from a yoga term for a type of Some, however, such as Dr. breathing; “prana,” meaning Charles Cooley (’89), write simply “vital engery,” and “yama,” for pleasure. meaning “self control.” He and several other alumni The Augusta obstetrician of GHSU’s Medical College of and gynecologist’s self- Georgia have published books in published (AuthorHouse, recent months, not all of which Bloomington, Ind.) debut are academic pursuits to advance is partially based on a medicine. peer-reviewed article Cooley, a family practitioner in published in The Journal of Canton, Ga., drew on his love of Complementary and Integrative Christmas as the inspiration to write Medicine that he co-wrote with Dr. a children’s book, Reindeer Magic, Vernon Barnes, Assistant Professor the story of a young girl and her of GHSU’s Georgia Prevention brother who are afraid Santa Claus Institute. won’t find them on Christmas Eve Pranayama can benefit because they have moved into a patients with conditions such as new home. hypertension, insomnia, stress- The self-published, self-marketed related disorders and depression. book (Kavik Publishing, Canton, Ga.) is also a tribute to Cooley’s mother, Dr. Charles Cooley who loved the holidays and made them special for the entire family. “It mostly came from trying to capture the spirit of Christmas that so rapidly abandons us as we get older,” Canton told The Canton Times. Along with the book, Cooley o!ers (through www.reindeermagic. com) a stu!ed toy reindeer and reindeer food for children to sprinkle on their yards to help guide Santa. Cooley, a father of two, says that while writing the book has been a great experience, he’s not ready to give up his day job yet. “I enjoy writing stories but I also enjoy seeing my patients. So full-time author might be a little restrictive,” he says. An alumni book that is health- focused is Dr. Ravinder Jerath’s

44 WINTER/SPRING 2011 Dr. Jerath, a native of India, said Cone said from his home in he began practicing the technique Johnson City, Tenn. “There are to relieve stress and stay alert many episodes that have stayed during his residency three decades with me over the years. It’s been an ago. interesting run and a fun life.” “Those were the days when we One of the more prolific didn’t have 60-hour work weeks – alumni authors is Dr. Frank C. we had 120-hour work weeks. We Wilson (’54), Kenan Professor of had to be awake at night to deliver Orthopaedics at the University babies and then take care of calls of North Carolina School of in the morning and a full day at the Medicine. His 180 published works, clinic,” he recalled. “This helped which include five education- recharge me and keep me mentally themed books as well as a play fresh.” and a collection of essays on At his own practice, Jerath said medicine and the humanities, many women are interested in helped earn him recognition using pranayama to deal with pre- as one of “100 leading health menopausal stress and insomnia, professionals in 2010” by the instead of taking potentially International Biographical Centre addictive sleeping pills and anti- in Cambridge, England. depressants. Wilson’s latest book, 2009’s Dr. Frank C. Wilson “Almost 60 percent of the visits Graduate Medical Education: to a physician’s primary care o"ce Issues and Options (Radcli!e are stress-related, so there are Press, Oxford, England), o!ers many applications for pranayama,” information, insight and inspiration he said. about the most formative period in who has taught more than 100 On the lighter side is Dr. a physician’s life. Because he also resident physicians during the William J. Cone (’62), a retired devotes chapters to manpower and 30 years he has managed such obstetrician and gynecologist, funding issues, Wilson hopes the programs. “As far as I know, there whose medical memoirs, My Life in book will become useful for health hasn’t been another book devoted a Gyn Mill; Stories and Occasional policy makers and legislators. to the topic of graduate medical Musings from a Retired Physician “This was a book that I thought education at a comprehensive level. and Unrepentant Curmudgeon needed to be written,” said Wilson, There have been books written (Seaboard Press, Florence, S.C.), about professionalism and the reminisce on everything from his various parts of graduate medical medical education to humorous education, but nothing that sort of exchanges with patients. covers the waterfront.” “The loyalty of long-time Wilson, who describes himself as patients was once exhibited by an avid, lifelong reader, also teaches an octogenarian and friend, also a undergraduate honors courses patient, who told me, ‘Lena and I on literary great Thomas Wolfe (a are furious with you for retiring,’ ” UNC alum) and another titled Great reads one passage. “ ‘We decided Books of the Western World. we would rather change husbands A past President of the than gynecologists.’ ” American Orthopaedic Association Cone, whose first book, So and the Thomas Wolfe Literary You’re Retiring…A Guy’s Guide to Society, Wilson says literature has Being at Home, said he has been always been intertwined in his interested in writing for years but professional career. only recently began to put his “It’s been both part of my recollections on paper. vocation and part of my avocation,” “I kind of have a quirky memory,” he said. Q

GHSU TODAY 45 “We are coming together for the greater good of this academic health center and the people we serve.” –President Ricardo Azziz GHSU unites with foundations, improves development opportunities

eorgia Health Sciences University has always been grateful for the philanthropic Gcontributions of its stakeholders, but those contributions are becoming even more valued as other funding sources – namely state allocations – become scarce. Improving philanthropic relationships is one of the major tenets of GHSU’s goal of becoming a top-50 research university under President Ricardo Azziz’s administration. “Philanthropy is a form of investment,” Azziz said. “And we believe that the state’s only freestanding academic health center is a worthy investment.” Medical students Charles Grigsby (from left) and Ashley Foster and dental students Jayne Kelly and Two recent developments have improved Andrew Shoemaker are recipients of MCG Foundation Merit Scholarships GHSU’s ability to better serve donors and create new opportunities for philanthropy – its new to support the medical school. At $120 million potential that lies before us as a unified partnership with its two foundations and the in assets, it is the third-largest public university body.” consolidation of its university and health system foundation in Georgia and manages more than Dr. William E. Mayher III, chairman of development o"ces. $100 million in endowments, including 49 the MCG Foundation, concurred. “You will endowed chairs, departmental funds and student never find a group more loyal to its alma Foundation dispute settled scholarships. mater than medical alumni — and many In November, GHSU announced it had resolved “We are all coming together for the greater of those alumni are represented on our a two-year dispute with the Medical College good of this academic health center and the board,” he said. “Our singular focus is the of Georgia Foundation, and that it would work people we serve,” Azziz said. “We stand united. betterment of GHSU.” collaboratively with the organization and the Our di!erences have been resolved, and the state In a show of support for the new Georgia Health Sciences Foundation, which it of Georgia is the beneficiary. Much still has to be partnership, Dr. Peter Buckley, Dean of the created in 2008. Under the agreement, the MCG worked out, but we are moving forward positively Medical College of Georgia at GHSU, has Foundation will focus on medical school alumni for the good of the university.” pledged a percentage of his salary on an while the Georgia Health Sciences Foundation The multiple foundation model, used ongoing basis while President Azziz has will focus on the university’s four other colleges – successfully by other universities and health agreed to do the same for the Georgia Allied Health Sciences, Dental Medicine, Graduate systems, allows each foundation to focus its Health Sciences University. Studies and Nursing – and the health system. e!orts on specific groups and provides donors “We are excited about the opportunity to work more choices and better flexibility to give in a Improved development structure with Dr. Azziz, and laud him for his work to bring manner that best reflects their interests and Working with donors and the the MCG Foundation back into the fold,” said Dr. passions. foundations is the newly organized James Osborne, President and CEO of the MCG At the event announcing the new partnership, department of University Advancement Foundation. Clayton P. Boardman III, chairman of the Georgia and Community Relations, which will The MCG Foundation was founded in 1954 Health Sciences Foundation, cited “the vast represent both the university and its health system in a more nimble and responsive WHY GIVE? manner. ““We have placed an emphasis on GHSU ENTERPRISE building our research and support services, OPERATING COSTS allowing us to streamline and increase Q Total Costs the e"ciencies of our operation,” said Q State Appropriations Betty Meehan, the department’s Interim Vice President. “Our major gifts o"cers $161.6 and alumni/special events sta! are now million centralized and working more strategically to advance the institutional priorities. With their combined experience and knowledge, they are positioned better than ever to $1.04 billion respond to your needs and engage you in Dr. Ricardo Azziz Dr. William Mayher III Clay Boardman the life of our university.” Q President, GHSU Chairman, MCG Foundation Chairman, Georgia Health Sciences Foundation Q&A GIFT planning Introductions Never F A Q Get Old Q: I’m thinking about making a gift to Georgia Health Sciences University, but Hello. Tony Duva I don’t know where to start. Who should Associate Vice President I call? for Gift Planning A: The best place to start is by calling My name is Tony Duva, and I’m your the GHSU development o"ce toll free at planned giving o"cer. 800-869-1113. Sta! members can talk to you about the opportunities and direct I must have said these words hundreds, if not thousands of times you to the appropriate development o"cer. during the seven-plus years that I have served in planned giving at the Medical College of Georgia, now Georgia Health Sciences University. Q: I already have a relationship with a development o"cer. Am I going to get a new one? While there have been a number of beyond. As we move toward becoming a A: Not necessarily. The consolidation institutional changes over the past several leading academic health center and top-50 of the university and health system months, I’m pleased to continue to say those research university, while transforming the operations resulted in some personnel Hsame words to you and to o!er you the same institution and the region into a health care changes, so the o"cer you worked promise I’ve always given: that with your and biomedical research destination, it is with in the past may no longer be support, we can continue to build a grand your passion for what we do and for what there. Donors with relationships to future for Georgia’s health sciences university. we will continue to do that gives us the existing university personnel will not be Planned gifts—those designated to GHSU momentum to advance these goals. reassigned to other sta! members, and through bequests, estate percentages, GHSU may have had a number of many new philanthropy opportunities for contingent gifts, trusts or a memorial gift—are changes since your time here walking the university and health system can be of utmost importance to the life of a university. these halls—from the addition of Colleges handled through existing relationships. Unrestricted planned gifts from members of of Allied Health Sciences, Dental Medicine, the classes of the 1930s, 1940s and beyond Graduate Studies and Nursing to the Q: What happened to my donations helped ensure our growth in the 1980s and construction of a children’s hospital (to during the period when GHSU and the 1990s, including expansion of our facilities to even a name change!)—but we are still MCG Foundation were in legal dispute? include ambulatory care, radiation therapy your university. Like you, we continue to A: Donor funds were properly managed and the Institute of Molecular Medicine and take enormous pride in the education we and allocated according to donor intent, Genetics, as well as new degree programs, provide to future health care professions, just as they were prior to the dispute. including an associate degree in science for in our faculty and scientists making occupational therapy and a baccalaureate exciting breakthroughs in research, and Q: With two di!erent foundations degree for medical technology, which was our in the quality of our services and clinical supporting the university, which one first external-degree program to use distance- programs. should I give to? learning technology. Restricted gifts—those So hello again. And thank you for A: Foundations primarily hold and designated for a specific cause—ensured the believing in us. Along with you, we look invest funds and then distribute them continuation of numerous scholarships and the forward to even bigger and brighter according to donor intent, so you are endowment of chairs, all vital in the education undertakings in the future. Q free to give to either foundation and be of future health care professionals and your assured your contribution will benefit fellow alumni. the university in the manner you wish. Planned gifts now will help ensure our However, each foundation has selected university’s growth over the next decade and an area of focus; the MCG Foundation focuses on medical school alumni, while the Georgia Health Sciences Foundation focuses on the other colleges and the For information on making a gift contact Tony Duva at 1-800-869-1113, health system. 706-721-1939 or [email protected]

GHSU TODAY 47 REFLECTIONS How I Saved a Life

atients often tell physicians that they saved their lives. At least that’s what I tell my own physicians, because they Phave. It is rare, however, for a basic research scientist to learn that they indeed saved a life or lives, but it happened to me. It didn’t happen because I discovered a cure for a disease; it happened because in 1984, 28 years ago, at his request, I sent Dr. Albert Khabbaza, Drs. Lowell Greenbaum and Albert Khabbaza an M.D. from Tehran, Iran, an invitation to the International Kinin Congress* in Savannah Ga. As President of the Congress, I was puzzled because I knew of no kinin researcher in Iran. However, I had some experience with eastern European scientists, especially Jewish scientists, who had a hard time getting visas, and I had a feeling that this might be the case with Khabbaza though nothing about his name identified him as Jewish. Regardless, I included in the invitation the phrase: “Your important research contribution in kinins are well known to the program committee.” He did not request travel funds, which in itself was peculiar, so there was no further word from him or to him. The meeting was held in October 1984, with 200 domestic and foreign scientists. Khabbaza was not among them. His absence passed without any discussion or any note. In May 2008, 24 years after the Kinin Congress, a letter was received by Dr. William Caldwell, Chairman of the GHSU Department of Pharmacology, from a Dr. Albert Khabbaza living in Great Neck, N.Y., who was inquiring whether I was still alive. Enclosed in the envelope was my original invitation to participate in the Congress. Khabbaza’s letter included the following: “I am enclosing herewith a copy of a letter (the invitation) sent to me in Tehran, Iran in 1984. It was sent to me by President

*A triennial gathering of scientists studying the Kallikrein-Kinin System of blood proteins that play a role in inflammation, blood pressure, coagulation and vasodilation.

48 WINTER/SPRING 2011 REFLECTIONS Lowell M. Greenbaum, Ph.D.

GHSU Emeritus Chairman and Professor of Pharmacology; Vice President for Research Scientific meeting invitation helped and Dean, School of Graduate Studies family escape regime

Greenbaum who had understood exactly what He left America when his visa expired. Khabbaza got his children, Anna and I had wanted – to leave Iran under cover of a He decided to move near his brother in Charles, out by paying an Austrian family to conference. Iran, where the Jewish community was not board them, then send them to the U.S., where By that invitation, I could get a passport repressed under the Shah of Iran (Mohammad they were admitted as refugees. and leave the country by myself first and then Reza Shah Pahlavi, monarch from 1941-1979). His wife, alone and desperate, hired a my family. The invitation saved my life and the He met Yvonne and they married and had smuggler to get her to the border of Pakistan life of my family. It was always a puzzle for me two children. Life was good for them until the through a series of buses and a five-day camel how president Greenbaum knew that I was Islamic Revolution, the Shah was overthrown ride over mountain passes. She stayed there a Jew and made the text (of the invitation) and the Mullahs took over. The Khabbazas for a month before getting entry papers to seem real.” began to fear for their lives when international Austria and, eventually, the U.S. How does one receive such an accolade travel for Jews was banned. Khabbaza passed the American Board of after all these years without questioning “Was Thus began his quest for a temporary Internal Medicine certification exam and began this real?” and “Was this my thinking at the visa, which he was allowed to have as long practicing at Mount Sinai Medical Center in time?” Of course, I had to find out the whole as his family stayed in Iran. He discovered New York. The reunited family later moved story. The story, and its horror, was told to me through the local hospital’s library an ad in the to Great Neck, N.Y., where many Iraqi Jews and my wife Gloria through a series of e-mails, Journal of the American Medical Association have settled, for Khabbaza to open a private phone calls and an emotional meeting with announcing the Savannah conference. practice. He came across my invitation 25 Khabazza, his wife Yvonne, and two grown He sent me a letter. I sent him the invitation years ago in preparation for writing a book children Thanksgiving weekend 2009 in New that changed his life. about his life as an Iraqi Jew, Last Tango in York City. His way out started in Portugal, where Baghdad. Khabazza was born in Baghdad, Iraq the Iranians allowed him to attend a medical At our meeting on Nov. 27, 2009, which in 1929 when the Jewish community conference. While there, he went to the he described in the book as “fantastic was prosperous. But the spread of Nazi American Consulate in Lisbon to seek a visa, and emotional,” he asked me whether the propaganda reached the country in the 1930s presenting my letter of invitation as his invitation was personal or a form letter. My and culminated in a pro-Nazi coup d’etat in purpose for the visit. Under questioning, he answer was that the letter was not a form May 1941 that resulted in laws banning Jews told o"cials he was well known in this field of letter, but one designed to get him a visa to from jobs and community activities. The research, which of course he was not. come to America to attend the International height of anti-Semitism occurred in June of After 30 trembling minutes, he was not Kinin Congress. that year when there was a pogrom similar to granted the three-month visa he expected – Albert Khabbaza didn’t come to the “Krystallnacht” in Germany called “Farhood” but a four-year one with multiple entries! He Congress, but the letter saved him and his that involved looting, raping and killing in immediately boarded a plane for New York family, who are now U.S. citizens. Q Jewish neighborhoods. Jews, who had lived and told his wife of the escape. in Iraq for 2,700 years, were no longer secure; they were given a year to leave the country, Gloria (from left) and Lowell Greenbaum with the Khabbaza family, Albert, Yvonne, Anna and Charles give up their citizenship and leave all assets behind. With no money, the Khabbaza family immigrated to Israel. They found it hard goings but Albert within two years mastered the language and eight years later was a full-fledged physician. In 1963, he began an internal medicine residency at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn and took a fellowship in cardiology at the Veterans A!airs Medical Center in Brooklyn three years later.

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WINTER/SPRING 2011 VOL. 38 NO. 2

Students from GHSU’s Colleges of Allied Health Sciences and Dental Medicine provided free treatment to elementary school students Feb. 4 as part of national Give Kids a Smile Day. GHSU’s event is one of more than 1,700 nationwide sponsored by the American Dental Association. Give Kids a Smile was initiated in 2003 to provide care and highlight the importance of access to dental care for low-income children. It is the centerpiece of National Children’s Dental Health Month, which is observed in February and focuses on providing oral health education to all children.

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