Office of Primary Care and Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program

(JANUARY 1, 2023) According to Pediatrics Residency Program Director Jill Rinehart, M.D., FAAP, associate professor of pediatrics, in September 2023 UVM will host the annual summit of the Northern New England Advocacy Collaborative, a group made up of pediatric residency program leaders in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, AAP News reports.

(DECEMBER 30, 2022) Larner College of Medicine alum Art Papier, M.D.’88, a dermatologist and medical informatics expert, was featured on Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare’s PSQH: The Podcast in an episode focused on lessons learned for dealing with infectious disease outbreaks.

(JANUARY 3, 2023) Infectious disease specialist Tim Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, was quoted in a story on WVNY-TV ABC22 about the latest COVID variant spreading in Vermont and New Hampshire.

(December 29, 2022) As New Year’s Eve approaches, Peter Jackson, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, spoke with WCAX-TV about alcohol abuse, alcohol poisoning, and more.

(DECEMBER 28, 2022) Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Christian Pulcini, M.D., M.Ed., M.P.H., an attending physician in pediatric emergency medicine at the UVM Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, published a commentary titled “We Can Prevent Firearm Tragedies — a Call to Action” in VTDigger.

(DECEMBER 27, 2022) UVM’s Clinical Simulation Laboratory was profiled in a story broadcast on WCAX-TV about how the Larner College of Medicine ensures that students filling emergency departments or doctors’ offices are trained to the highest potential before being put into the real world. UVM medical residents Berna Buyukozturk, M.D., and Carolina Jirka, M.D., as well as Sim Lab specialist Jim Court, were quoted in the piece. (Click on headline for more.)

(December 26, 2022) THINKMD, founded in 2014 by Professor of Pediatrics Barry Finette, M.D., Ph.D., and Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus Barry Heath, M.D., has received a $1.5 million federal grant to further study the effectiveness of its mobile app–based digital “clinical intelligence” tool, WCAX reports.

(DECEMBER 25, 2022) Research by Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine, and colleagues found inequities in treatments and outcomes for pulmonary embolism, The ASCO Post reports.

(DECEMBER 24, 2022) The Green Mountain Mahler Festival, founded in 2002 by pulmonologist Daniel Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, continued what has become an annual New Year’s tradition with a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on January 1 at the Elley-Long Music Center in Colchester, the Barre–Montpelier Times Argus reported.

(DECEMBER 22, 2022) Critical care physician Rebecca Bell, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, spoke to the Burlington Free Press for an article on Vermont truancy policies in the face of COVID and other sick-day absences.

(DECEMBER 17, 2022) Neuropsychologist Sharon Leach, Ph.D., and child psychiatrist Feyza Basoglu, M.D., both clinical assistant professors of psychiatry, will challenge participants to diagnose psychiatric or neurological disorders as part of the 14th annual Vermont Brain Bee neuroscience competition to be held at the Larner College of Medicine on February 11, Seven Days reports.

(DECEMBER 16, 2022) A Pfizer RSV vaccine for pregnant women is in phase 3 trial, with the potential to help infants cope with the sometimes serious illness, according to WCAX-TV. “If infants can be born with some immunity,” says pediatric critical care physician Rebecca Bell, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, “even if it’s short-lived, even if it’s six months or one year, that can make a huge difference in terms of kids’ health.” (Click headline for more.)

(December 15, 2022) At Vascular InterVentional Advances 2022 in Las Vegas, Daniel Bertges, M.D., professor of surgery, presented promising interim data from a study of the effectiveness of the IN.PACT Admiral drug-coated balloon in treating femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis.

(DECEMBER 11, 2023) Barre internal medicine specialist Priscilla Carr, M.D., clinical instructor of medicine, wrote a commentary in VT Digger about Vermonters’ limited access to treatment for obesity.

(DECEMBER 10, 2022) Keith Collins, M.D., clinical assistant professor of family medicine, was interviewed by the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal about rising virus numbers locally.

(DECEMBER 10, 2022) Trial investigator Mary Cushman, M.D., professor of medicine, presented study findings on social determinants of health [SDOH] and pulmonary embolism treatment and mortality at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, Pharmacy Times reported.

(DECEMBER 8, 2022) Associate Professor of Pediatrics Rebecca Bell, M.D., M.P.H., head of the Vermont chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, spoke to the News & Citizen about the importance of getting a seasonal flu shot, and about RSV.

(DECEMBER 8, 2022) Joseph Kennedy, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine and director of toxicology education, was quoted in a WVNY-TV story on a new tool firefighters can use to save lives—the Cyanokit.

(DECEMBER 7, 2022) Maureen Leahy, M.Ed., director of psychiatry and neurology health care services for the UVM Health Network, and Sara Pawlowski, M.D., primary care mental health integration division chief and assistant professor of psychiatry, spoke with WCAX-TV about the UVM Health Network’s launch of a new collaborative care model.

(DECEMBER 6, 2022) In an opinion piece in VT Digger, John Dunn, M.D., assistant professor of family medicine and a doctor at the UVM Urgent Care Center, focused on the need for more primary care doctors in Vermont—and what needs to change before that can happen.