Tag Archives: Academic Programs

Physician Leadership Program: Providing business acumen to grow health care leaders into effective change makers

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UMKC LOGOWhen Angeline Stanislaus, M.D., became chief medical officer for adults for the Missouri Department of Mental Health in 2014, she recognized a need for further education to support her new role. After researching programs, she decided to apply to the UMKC Physician Leadership Program to expand her business acumen.

Though working in a senior leadership role while taking the program was challenging, Dr. Stanislaus found it more meaningful. “The experience opened my mind to look at leadership with a wider lens,” she said. “A culture of an organization needs to change for the change to be sustained. That was something I truly gained after attending the program.”

In her current position, Dr. Stanislaus provides leadership and mentors the department clinical staff. She also promotes top quality care, department-wide policy, and professional, clinical and ethical values and standards. Now that she’s completed the Physician Leadership Program, she is able to better understand and incorporate the workplace culture in her work, making her a more effective leader.

“Leading others requires a set of tools that I received through the Physician Leadership Program,” she said. “We focused on planning, building teams, process management and other skills that are different than the work I did as a forensic psychiatrist.”

Before accepting her executive leadership role at the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Dr. Stanislaus practiced forensic psychiatry for 14 years. She earned her medical degree from Tirunelveli Medical College, Madurai Kamaraj University in India, and completed her residency in psychiatry with a fellowship in forensic psychiatry from Southern Illinois University. She has also worked as a consultant, professor, corrections psychiatrist and in private practice. While she credits this diverse experience in helping her become a chief medical officer, she says her education through the Physician Leadership Program gave her the tools to be an effective change maker and leader.

Applications are being accepted for the UMKC Physician Leadership Program, which begins in April 2017. It is a partnership between the UMKC School of Medicine and the Henry W. Bloch School of Management. It is designed to provide comprehensive management skills that will prepare physicians to successfully fulfill the leadership requirements of 21st century health-care delivery. The application deadline is February 3, 2017.

For more information about the program, visit the website.

Sullivan appointed associate dean for Graduate Medical Education

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Christine Sullivan, M.D., F.A.C.E.P.
Christine Sullivan, M.D., F.A.C.E.P.

The School of Medicine has announced the appointment of Christine Sullivan, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., ’85, as associate dean for Graduate Medical Education. Sullivan began assuming her new duties following her appointment in April and will fully transition into the role on July 1.

Sullivan, an associate professor of emergency medicine, has served as program director of the UMKC Emergency Medicine Residency program  since 2004. Sullivan said that as associate dean she would serve as an advocate for the more than 500 residents and fellows in the School of Medicine’s 13 core residency and 30 fellowship programs.

“I consider my appointment an honor and a responsibility. I look forward to the challenges,” Sullivan said. “My job is to work for the residents and fellows to make certain they have the most broad and appropriate learning experience possible as they’re transitioning from residents to practicing physicians.”

Sullivan succeeds Jill Moormeier, M.D., professor of medicine, who was recently named chair of the Department of Medicine at the School and Truman Medical Center.

“At UMKC, we are extremely fortunate to have such strong leadership in Graduate Medical Education, as the physicians we train here are the doctors of the future for our community,” said School of Medicine Dean Betty Drees, M.D., F.A.C.P. “Dr. Jill Moormeier leaves a legacy of commitment to the highest standards of medical education. Dr. Christine Sullivan will carry on that commitment to educate and train outstanding physicians who are well prepared clinically and professionally.”

Sullivan said that as residency program director, she had witnessed first-hand the foundation Moormeier has set to enhance the learning environment in the School’s Graduate Medical Education programs and that one of her goals is to continue building on that.

“I think it’s a wonderful time to be residents and fellows in medical education,” Sullivan said. “The focus is on improving the environment for learning and for improving patient care. The focus is not on the service aspect as much, but on the education of the residents and fellows.”

After earning her medical degree from the School of Medicine, Sullivan completed her emergency medicine residency at Truman Medical Center. She worked at Overland Park Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph Medical Center and the University of Kansas Medical Center prior to returning to UMKC in 2003.

She currently serves on the Graduate Medical Education Council, Faculty Development Committee, and the Initial Academic Appointment and Physician Promotion Committee for the School of Medicine and will begin a two-year term as vice chair of the national Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine this July.

Five recognized at December graduation ceremony

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Mary Gerkovich, Ph.D., associate research professor; Stephanie Koch, MS Bioinformatics; Richard Butin, M.D., Gold 2 Docent; Anush John, M.D., ’13; Carol Stanford, M.D., Gold 5 Docent; Adil Akthar, M.D., ’13; Mariam Nawas, M.D., ’13; Richard Lustig, M.D., Purple 1 Docent; and Beverly Graves, M.D., adjunct assistant professor of Allied Health. Not pictured: Nivedita Ranjan, M.S. Bioinformatics.
December graduation: Mary Gerkovich, Ph.D., associate research professor; Stephanie Koch, MS Bioinformatics; Richard Butin, M.D., Gold 2 Docent; Anush John, M.D., ’13; Carol Stanford, M.D., Gold 5 Docent; Adil Akthar, M.D., ’13; Mariam Nawas, M.D., ’13; Richard Lustig, M.D., Purple 1 Docent; and Beverly Graves, M.D., adjunct assistant professor of Allied Health. Not pictured: Nivedita Ranjan, M.S. Bioinformatics.

Five School of Medicine students — three M.D. candidates and two Master of Science Bioinformatics students — were recognized at the mid-year commencement ceremonies on Friday, Dec. 13, at the Swinney Recreation Center.

Those receiving their M.D. degrees were Adil Akthar, Anush John and Mariam Nawas. Stephanie Koch received the Master of Science degrees in bioinformatics. Nivedita Ranjan also received the M.S. Bioinformatics degree but did not participate in the graduation ceremony.

New PA program receives approval to begin classes

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Kathy Ervie, M.P.A.S., P.A.-C., program director

The School of Medicine’s new Master of Medical Science Physician Assistant program cleared its final hurdle for starting classes this winter when the program recently received official written notice of provisional accreditation status from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

Provisional status indicates that the plans and resource allocation for the proposed program appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA standards if fully implemented as planned. Provisional accreditation does not ensure subsequent accreditation status and is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.

Kathy Ervie, M.P.A.S., P.A.-C., program director, said the School received an earlier email notification that the written approval was forthcoming. Provisional accreditation is required before a program can officially admit students and begin classes.

“It was very exciting to receive that email,” Ervie said. “We felt very good about it. We had a site visit with two site visitors here for two days in June. They gave us their observations and we had responded to those.”

Ervie said the program would begin with an inaugural class of 15 students. The School received nearly 100 applications to be part of that first class and about 40 were interviewed. At least 80 percent of the class will come from the instate application pool, Ervie said.

“We have been very pleased with the number of applications we’ve received and they have been exceptional,” she said.

The first class is scheduled to begin on Jan. 14.

School of Medicine announces first Endowed Chair of Patient Safety

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Peter Almenoff, M.D., Vijay Babu Rayudu Endowed Chair of Patient Safety
Peter Almenoff, M.D., Vijay Babu Rayudu Endowed Chair of Patient Safety

The School of Medicine has announced Peter Almenoff, M.D., clinical professor of biomedical and health informatics and internal medicine, as the inaugural Vijay Babu Rayudu Endowed Chair of Patient Safety, effective Sept. 1.

The new position will support efforts by the School of Medicine and Saint Luke’s Hospital to develop education and research programs in patient safety.

Almenoff joined the School of Medicine faculty in 2011. He served as Assistant Deputy Undersecretary for Health for Quality and Safety for the Department of Veterans Affairs from 2008-2012 and provided leadership to the School of Medicine’s clinical affiliate, Kansas City, VA Medical Center. He also served as the National Program Director for Pulmonary and Critical Care.

Almenoff is currently serving as Special Advisor to the Office of the Secretary, Senior Fellow, Veteran Affairs Center of Innovation, and Director of Operational Analytics and Reporting (OAR) Veterans Health Administration.

The chair of patient safety was endowed by the family of Vijay Babu Rayudu, who passed away in 2007 while a student at the School of Medicine. Rayudu’s parents are physicians near Memphis, Tenn. His sister, Parvathi, is a 2012 graduate of the UMKC School of Medicine, and his brother, Ranga, is also a physician. The family said it believes the memorial endowment provides a contribution to the practice of medicine that Vijay Rayudu will not be able to provide directly.

“We are very pleased that Dr. Almenoff has accepted the position as the Vijay Babu Rayudu Endowed Chair of Patient Safety for the School of Medicine,” said Rayudu’s father, Rao. “His credentials and work in the field will provide a solid foundation on which this new program will contribute to ongoing research efforts and education in patient safety. We trust that as a teacher and a leader, Dr. Almenoff will be taking the University into exciting territory in the near future.”

In his new role at the School of Medicine, Almenoff will advise the School in developing medical education programs and research programs that incorporate patient safety.

Almenoff will also serve an advisory role to Saint Luke’s Hospital on the development of a clinical outcomes analytic program.

Program Overview

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About

The UMKC School of Medicine’s Orthopaedic Surgery program is a five-year orthopaedic residency as required by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), with four residents in each year.

Teaching

The faculty are dedicated to the active education of our residents. We use interactive techniques in conference and rounds which will require all residents in attendance to participate. Residents are expected to develop treatment plans for their patients and be able to defend their thought processes in developing the plan. High academic achievement and the ability to utilize a fund of knowledge is emphasized.

Educational Benefits
  • Female Resident SurgeonsPGY-1 residents receive personalized surgical loupes and OR lead.
  • Resident with highest OITE score each year receives a monetary prize.
  • All residents PGY2 an above scoring over the 80th % on the OITE are fully funded to attend AAOS.
  • PGY2s attend AO Basic
  • PGY3s attend an Orthopedic Pathology Course
  • PGY5s attend the Miller Review and AAOS
  • Optional industry-sponsored meeting or conference yearly
  • Access to Clinical Key
  • Access to the Resident Orthopedic Core Knowledge Program
  • Access to AAOS ResStudy question bank
  • Access to an Orthopedic Skills lab with simulators in Trauma and Arthroscopy
  • Stipend for travel to present research at local, regional or national meetings
  • Protected time to work on basic surgical skills and research.
  • Intern bootcamp encorporating the  ABOS’s 17 basic surgical skills modules
Conferences

The bulk of the formal teaching conferences are held at University Health on Wednesday mornings, 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning conferences include orthopaedic faculty presentations, resident presentations, and other invited speakers including alumni. The majority of conferences focus on board testable topics and include case and question review.  Additional conferences on the Business of Medicine, DEI topics and skills, Patient Safety and Wellness occur throughout the year,

Once a month the Wednesday conferences are held at Children’s Mercy Hospital for pediatric orthopaedic surgery grand rounds. At Children’s Mercy, the hospital’s faculty present a review and update of cogent topics covering the gamut of pediatric orthopaedics over a two-year period.

PGY-3 and 4 residents present one formal grand rounds presentation per year. PGY-1 residents are able to attend the department’s formal teaching conferences during their internship.

Additional journal clubs and skills labs are held approximately every 6 weeks.

Regular departmental research meetings occur covering all active projects within the department and allowing the residents on their research rotations to present their progress.

A regular Saturday morning case conference is held on the first and third Saturdays of each month, August through May, at Saint Luke’s, 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. The senior residents and sports medicine fellow present cases for review by the faculty to help become better prepared for their oral board examinations. This is required for the presenter and those residents already assigned to work that day.

Rotations

PGY-1 residents are assigned to a series of rotations which fulfill the ABOS requirements including critical care, vascular surgery, radiology and neurosurgery and six months of orthopaedic surgery (three months at UH and six weeks each at Saint Luke’s and Children’s Mercy).

The PGY-2 residents are assigned three-month rotations including pediatrics, trauma, hand, sports medicine, and spine.

The PGY 3 rotations include arthroplasty, foot and ankle, research, pediatrics and oncology.

PGY-4 rotations include sports medicine, arthroplasty, trauma and foot and ankle

PGY-5 rotations include pediatrics, hand, shoulder and elbow, trauma, sports and arthroplasty

Our residents graduate with exceptional surgical experience. Most graduates will have more than 2500 major surgical cases during their time as a resident. Our residents become talented in the OR, with good technique and surgical judgement.

Resident Research

All residents are expected to complete a research project prior to graduation. By the end of the PYG-2 year, a research topic and faculty research collaborator are to be selected. There is a dedicated continuous 6 week block for research during the PGY3 year with additional protected research time during the PGY4 year with anticipated submission or presentation during  the PGY-5 year.  The research project must be submitted, ready for publication or presented at an orthopaedic meeting as a requirement for graduation.

Work Hours/Call

Residents’ duty hours are carefully regulated to ensure compliance with the 80-hour work week requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). 2-3 week nightfloat rotations occur during the PGY2 and PGY 3 years. Residents are not on call more often than every third night on average and receive a 24-hour period free of clinical responsibility at least every seven days.

Benefits

More information on benefits is available here.

  • Three weeks paid vacation (21 calendar days, including weekends)
  • Professional liability coverage
  • Sick leave (1 day per month for each month of employment, up to 72 days)
  • Health insurance (2 plans)
  • Dental and vision benefits
  • Long-term disability
  • Tax deferred annuity program controlled by the resident
  • Accidental death and dismemberment Program
  • Life Insurance, 1x annual salary, at no cost – with options to increase at variable costs
  • Flexible benefits program through health care and dependent care spending accounts
  • Residents can utilize the University Health Truman Medical Center pharmacy and receive employee discount savings
Evaluations

Every six months residents are evaluated on their progress toward the understanding of the 16 orthopaedic surgery milestones, defined by the ACGME and the ABOS. In addition, residents are evaluated four times a year, immediately following each three-month rotation in the following areas, as recommended by the ACGME

    • Medical Knowledge
    • Patient Care
    • Systems-based practice
    • Practice-based learning and improvements
    • Professionalism
    • Interpersonal/communication skills

Faculty are sent an evaluation form and asked to comment on what the resident is doing well and how the resident can improve.  They score the residents from 1-10 in each of the core competency categories.  UMKC participates in the ABOS/ACGME Knowledge, Skills, Behaviors Program which asks for frequent feedback on resident performance.

At the quarterly evaluation meeting, each resident’s performance is discussed in detail. All faculty members are invited to attend the evaluation meeting Comments are recorded and used in combination with the completed evaluation forms by the program director to complete summative and formative evaluations of the resident which are conducted twice a year. .

For complete details on the evaluation rubric and details of what these terms mean, as well as expanded details of each milestone, please visit the ACGME’s website.

Following the final evaluation of the year, the program director determines if the resident will be promoted and/or graduated. All resident appointments are for 12-month periods. Residents not reappointed as a result of poor performance may utilize the grievance process.

Clinical Competency Committee

The UMKC Orthopaedic Surgery Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) is chaired by Associate Program Director Dr. Jonathan Dubin and consists of Program Director Dr. Amelia Sorensen, Department Chairman Dr. Akin Cil, Associate Program Director Dr. Tim Badwey, Associate Program Director Dr. Lisa Berglund, Dr. Charles Rhoades, Dr. Caroline Tougas, and program coordinator, Nicole Larm.  The CCC meets periodically and determines the residents progress in the 16 orthopaedic surgery milestones.

School welcomes new docents

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Lawrence Dall, M.D.
Lawrence Dall, M.D.
Emily Haury, M.D.
Emily Haury, M.D.

The School of Medicine recently welcomed a new docent as well as a returning docent.

Lawrence Dall, M.D., professor of medicine, who served as a senior docent at the School of Medicine from 1982 through 1998, will take over the Red 3 docent team while also serving a special role in the dean’s office working on special projects.

Emily Haury, M.D., a graduate of the School of Medicine’s Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency program and a former chief resident, has joined the School’s faculty as an assistant professor and docent for the Red 6 team.

The School will add Rebecca Pauly, M.D., as the new docent for the Blue 4 team beginning in September. Pauly will also have an additional role in the dean’s office working with faculty development.

After stepping down from his docent’s role, Dall served as a clinical professor of medicine and infectious disease at the School of Medicine and has been a clinical instructor at the Kansas City University School of Medicine and Biosciences. He has also recently served as physician group leader for IPC/Providence Medical Center and as associate medical director for Midwest Hospital Specialists in Kansas City.

During his previous tenure as a docent, Dall served in numerous clinical and academic roles. Among those many roles, he was chief of the section of infectious diseases and also served as the School’s chairman of the Council of Docents and was vice chair of academic affairs.

Haury received her M.D. from the University of Kansas School of Medicine after earning her bachelor’s at Goshen (Ind.) College. She completed her residency earlier this year at UMKC where she received numerous awards and honors for her work.

As a resident, Haury served on the Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency recruitment committee. She also served as a volunteer student physician at the KU School of Medicine’s JayDoc Free Clinic, and was a teaching assistant in the biology, chemistry and psychology departments at Goshen College.

Nurry Pirani, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, served as interim docent for the Red 6 team for the past year in addition to Green 4 docent. She will continue to serve as docent on her Green team.

Jennifer Bequette, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, previously served as the Blue 4 docent and as the Blue 1 docent. She will continue as docent for the Blue 1 team.

Health science schools celebrate International Health Care Day

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Stuart Munro, M.D., (left) catches up with Henry Lin, M.D., '06, the keynote speaker for the 2013 International Health Care Day on April 16 at the School of Medicine.
Stuart Munro, M.D., (left) catches up with Henry Lin, M.D., ’06, the keynote speaker for the 2013 International Health Care Day on April 16 at the School of Medicine.

Students and faculty from the schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy shared their global health care experiences during the second annual International Health Care Day, renamed from International Medicine Day to reflect its interdisciplinary participation, on April 16 at the School of Medicine.

“International health is one of the best areas where interdisciplinary education can occur,” said Stuart Munro, M.D., chair of the new Department of Medical Humanities and Social Sciences, and head of the UMKC School of Medicine International Medicine Committee.

Henry Lin, M.D., ’06, an advanced fellow in pediatric transplant hepatology at Northwestern was the keynote speaker. Lin focused on ways to assess the sustainability of short-term medical mission trips and shared his experiences in the Dominican Republic, where he has volunteered every year since 2006.

“How do you balance the need to develop sustainability, and we have this growing volunteer population,” Lin said. “We need to promote the populations (we are visiting) to become independent.”

Lin has formed an interdisciplinary team, which has morphed throughout the years, attracting members from throughout the United States and Canada to travel with him to the Dominican Republic.

“What we’re trying to do is figure out, is there a way that we can shift the balance of benefits toward the global community,” Lin said.

Four SOM students and one faculty member were presenters. Apurva Bhatt, MS 3, Rucha Kharod, MS 5, and Raza Hasan, MS 5 each spoke about their trips to India for an infectious disease rotation. Matt Goers, MS 6, community coordinator for Partners in Health (PIH), presented his experiences overseas and his involvement in the PIH Engage Initiative. Charlie Inboriboon, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine, spoke about his experiences in teaching and supporting students in trips abroad. Inboriboon came to the School last year from the University of Rochester, which is known for its focus on global medicine. His research interests include emergency medicine development in Thailand, integrating global health and medical education and qualitative, community-based participatory research.

All of the day’s presenters shared common benefits of international health care experiences including, learning, opening their eyes to new cultures and ways of life, and hoping for long-term aid in the places they visited.

Lin said he was reminded of a quote from Henry Ford, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, but actually working together is success.” Lin said, “For all of us who are invested in doing community development, global health work, that’s the key, ‘are we actually working together?’”

SOM announces new Department of Medical Humanities and Social Sciences

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Stuart Munro, M.D.
Stuart Munro, M.D.

The School of Medicine has created the Department of Medical Humanities and Social Sciences that will be chaired by Stuart Munro, M.D., clinical professor in psychiatry. The new department centralizes a variety of courses programs from the School into one cohesive unit.

It made the most sense at this time for the School to combine the various courses that deal with the social aspects of medicine into one academic department which shared a common theme, according to Paul Cuddy, Pharm.D., professor and senior associate dean of academic affairs. The department will also house the International Medicine Program and the Sirridge Office of Medical Humanities and Bioethics.

“I am excited to be part of this new department. It is another way the School continues to emphasize the importance of the social aspects of medicine,” Munro said. “It is on the cutting edge for a medical school to create a humanities and social sciences department.”

The International Medicine Program, led by Munro, supports students’ efforts to explore study abroad opportunities and requests to study at the School from students at our affiliate international universities

In addition, the department will provide oversight for several courses in the medical curriculum which address the social aspects of medicine: Fundamentals of Medical Practice I-IV, Hospital Team Experience, CUES (Communication, Understanding, Education and Self-awareness), Behavioral Sciences in Medicine, and Patient-Physician-Society I and II.

The Sirridge Office will continue to be led by Lynda Payne, Ph.D., Sirridge Missouri Endowed Professor in Medical Humanities and Bioethics. It was established in 1992 to expand opportunities to provide humanities courses for students in UMKC’s six-year BA/MD program.

After an external search, Munro was selected and began as chair March 1. He continues to serve as the academic chair of the psychiatry department until the current search for a new chair is complete.

“Dr. Munro was the right choice for this department,” Cuddy said. “Through his years of service, he has taken an active role teaching in many of the courses and programs which will become part of the new medical humanities and social sciences department. His experience in these areas will be a great help in overseeing the new department.”

Munro has served in a variety of roles at the School since 1986, including psychiatry chair, behavioral sciences course director, advisory board member for the Sirridge Office, assistant Dean for Years 1 & 2, International Medicine Program director, and interim dean. He also received the Elmer F. Pierson Good Teaching Award for the School of Medicine in 2012.

Dr. Bernhardt appointed permanent chair of orthopaedic surgery

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Dr. Mark Bernhardt
Dr. Mark Bernhardt

Mark Bernhardt, M.D., interim chairperson of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery since July of 2012, will become the permanent department chair effective June 1, 2013, the School of Medicine and Truman Medical Centers announced.

A member of the Dickson-Diveley Midwest Orthopaedic Clinic since 1990, Bernhardt joined the School of Medicine faculty in 1994 as a clinical associate professor and has served as a clinical professor since 2000.

As department chair, Bernhardt will be ultimately responsible for the School of Medicine’s five-year orthopaedic surgery residency program. Residents receive training through rotations at the area’s leading orthopaedic facilities including Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill, Truman Medical Center Lakewood, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City and the Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute.

He earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his residency training in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita/St. Francis Regional Medical Center and Affiliated Hospitals. He completed a fellowship in spine surgery at the Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Hospital.

Bernhardt has been a member of the Board of Directors of St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City since 2007, has served as president of the St. Luke’s medical staff, had membership positions on numerous committees at St. Luke’s, and been a member of the UMKC School of Medicine’s selection council and orthopaedic department research and publication committee.

He has also served as director of the Spine and Deformity Clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, and as associate team physician and spine consultant for the Kansas City Royals professional baseball team, assistant team physician for the Kansas City Blades professional hockey team, and associate team physician for the Kansas City Explorers professional tennis team.