Nadia Akhiyat (Class of 2019) was elected Region IV Director of the Student National Medical Association during an annual medical education conference in March. Akhiyat's position oversees Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. 

SNMA supports underrepresented minority medical students to increase the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent and socially conscious physicians. The annual meeting is consistently the largest gathering of underrepresented minority medical students in the nation with more than 2,000 medical students, physicians, administrators, government officials and others in attendance this year. 

Dennis Mayeaux, Pensacola campus geriatrics clerkship director, was featured in the Pensacola News Journal sharing his viewpoint on vaccinations:

"When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk of disease and can spread diseases to others in their classrooms and community—including babies still at home who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and their older relatives with weakened immune systems due to cancer and other health conditions," Mayeaux stated in the op-ed. 

Read the full article.

Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine Researcher Tyra Dark received $50,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study "Examining equitable care among racial/ethnic groups of Medicaid recipients with cardiometabolic syndrome and comorbid anxiety disorder" for one year. 

Suzanne Harrison, M.D., is now a full professor in the Department of Family Medicine & Rural Health.

Associate Professor Joedrecka Brown Speights, M.D., was appointed to the Cross-Tactic Team on Health Disparities, one of the Family Medicine for America's Health Core Teams. 

Professor Jonathan Appelbaum, M.D., was elected vice chair of the American Academy of HIV Medicine Board of Directors. Appelbaum will serve a two-year term. He previsoulsy served as secretary and treasurer.

"My goal is to support the chair and the executive director, and I will continue to serve as the head of the Florida Steering Committee of the organization."

Six College of Medicine employees were honored by the Faculty Council for outstanding work, and nearly 20 were recognized for their length of service.

The awards, presented annually, went this year to:

• Nancy Hayes, Ph.D., associate professor, director of clinical foundations — Outstanding Service Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Amelia Jones, executive assistant, Department of Behavioral Sciences & Social Medicine — Outstanding Staff Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• James Olcese, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences — Outstanding Senior Investigator Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Jose Pinto, Ph.D., assistant professor, Biomedical Sciences — Outstanding Junior Investigator Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Javier Rosado, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor, Immokalee Health Education Site — Guardian of the Mission Award.

• Niharika Suchak, M.D., associate professor, Department of Geriatrics; course co-director, Medicine 1 — Outstanding Faculty Educator Award.

Recognized for 15 years of service to the College of Medicine (seen below, starting second from the left) were:

• Rob Montgomery, accounting representative, Finance & Administration.
• Julie Peacock, clinical coordinator, Tallahassee Regional Campus.
• Trey Dyal, administrative specialist, Division of Finance & Administration.
• Wanda Gaines, administrative specialist, Department of Family Medicine & Rural Health.
• Pam McCully, associate director of budget and financial services, Finance & Administration.

 

 

These employees were recognized for 10 years of service (starting second from the left):

• Connie Donohoe, MPH, GME program manager and FMPP practice manager.
• Kelly Gallavan, administrative specialist, Finance & Administration.
• Elaine Geissinger, MPA, regional campus administrator, Tallahassee Regional Campus.
(Skipping over Dean John P. Fogarty)
• Lela Stefanovic, laboratory researcher, Biomedical Sciences.
• Margie Norman, program associate, Office of Medical Education.
• Sharica Hayes, administrative specialist, Division of Student Affairs.

 

 

Not pictured were these other 10-year honorees:

• Suzanne Baker, M.A., research program director, Department of Geriatrics.
• Michael Blaber, Ph.D., professor, Biomedical Sciences.
• Doug Carlson, director of public affairs and communications.
• Rhonda Collins, M.S., assistant director, Department of Clinical Sciences.
• Deb Danforth, M.S., associate professor and director, Clinical Learning Center.
• Karen Geletko, MPH, assistant in medicine, Behavioral Sciences & Social Medicine.
• Traci Parker, executive assistant, Pensacola Regional Campus.
• José E. Rodríguez, M.D., associate professor, co-director, Center for Underrepresented Minorities in Academic Medicine. 

Florida Surgeon General Celeste Philip, MD, MPH, appointed Kim Landry and Michael Smith to the Telehealth Advisory Council. Landry, a Pensacola clerkship faculty member, serves as the EMS medical director and chief medical officer for Leon County EMS and Lifeguard Ambulance Service, Inc. Smith serves as the Telemedicine Program Development Director for the college. The council is managed by the Agency for Health Care Administration and will help regulate the use of webcams and other technology to treat patients from a distance. 

Police Tech Manager Tony Cooper (on right) was recognized for 25 years of service with the FSU Police Department.

"It is a very humbling feeling," said Cooper. "It doesn’t feel like it’s been 25 years. I work with a group who protects and serves. Securing the College of Medicine for the past 12-plus years has been the greatest reward. My top accomplishment is superseding the expectations of my special duty here at the college." 

Vishal Dahya (M.D., '14) recently published "CT-derived Skeletal Muscle Index: A Novel Predictor of Frailty and Hospital Length of Stay after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement" in the American Heart Journal. Dahya will present his findings at the 2016 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in November.