Students, residents and fellows presented a record number of 35 research abstracts related to quality improvement and patient safety during the School of Medicine’s Fifth Annual Vijay Babu Rayudu Quality and Patient Safety Day on May 11.

The event also consisted of a series of workshops and talks for faculty on subjects including hospital transitions of care activities,  incorporating simulation and human factors analysis into health care training, and making educational and clinical training count twice.

Carolyn Clancy, M.D., Veterans Health Administration Executive in Charge, gave the keynote speech at noon. Clancy talked about the stride the Veterans Administration has made in providing health care for veterans and how it is a leader in health care innovations.

The afternoon sessions were reserved for oral presentations and poster presentations by students, residents and fellows.

The top two student and top two resident/fellow abstracts were selected for oral presentations. Fifth-year students Laura Meidl and Nyaluma Wagala were selected for student oral presentations. Omar Abughanimeh, M.D., and Talal Asif, M.D., gave the oral presenations by a residents/fellows.

The top poster presentation awards were given to Salvador Rios, sixth-year student, for student poster, and Punita Grover, M.D., for resident/fellow poster. Second-place winners were Cindy Jiang, fifth-year student, and Parth Patel, M.D.

Top Prize Oral Presentations
Students
Laura Meidl, MS5; Ashley Cooper, MD; Kelli Zuckerman, RN; Julia Harris, MD: Improved Influenza Vaccination Rates Among Immunosuppressed Patients in Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic
Nyaluma Wagala, MS5; Emily Boschert, MS4: Alcohol Intoxication and Orthopedic Trauma: Who Provides the Counseling?
Resident/Fellows:
Omar Abughanimeh, MD; Guy Fogg, MD; Bo Song, MD; Laith Numan, MD; Moustafa Younis, MD; Solomon Kim, MD; Ayman Qasrawi, MD; Noel Torres-Acosta, MD; Kristin Gillenwater, MD: Improving Diabetic Retinopathy Screening In Internal Medicine Clinics
Talal Asif, MD; Rehman Ukani, MD; Laith Derbas, MD; Ahmed Elkaryoni, MD; Zara Wadood, MD; Lauren Misher, PharmD; Jeane Johnson, PharmD; Julie Banderas, PharmD; David Wooldridge, MD: Reducing 30-Day Readmission Rates of COPD Exacerbations: A Comprehensive Management Approach

Poster Presentations
Students
First place: Salvador Rios, MS6, Amy Stubbs, MD; Monica Gaddis, PhD; Jason Hurt, MD: Are Women Diagnosed with ACS Under-Triaged?
Second Place:  Cindy Jiang, MS5, Niraj Madhani, MS5; Binoy Shah, MS5: The Utility Of Procalcitonin Levels in the Detection and Diagnosis of Viridans streptococci Endocarditis
Residents/Fellows
First Place: Punita Grover, MD; Eslam Dosokey, MD; Nikita Maniar, MD; Tarana Gill, MD; Siva Taduru, MD; Ashley Tatum, MD; Ginger Jenkins, PhD; Sheena Spielberg, MD; Julie Banderas, PharmD; David Wooldridge, MD; Kristin Gillenwater, DO: Standardizing the Process of Ordering Screening Mammograms in Primary Care Clinics.
Second Place:  Parth Patel, MD; Walen Bahaj, MD; Badar Hasan, MD; Marjan Nazer, MD; Robin Imperial, MD; Ellen Troudt, MD; Ahmed Elkafrawy, MD, Julie Banderas, PharmD; David Wooldridge, MD, Kristin Gillenwater, DO: Improving Rate of Screening Mammograms Completed at TMC-HH