Wake Forest Baptist September Awards and Recognitions

September 30, 2014

Wake Forest Baptist Professor Honored by State Foundation

Robin Hurley, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has received the 2014 Eugene A. Hargrove, M.D. Mental Health Research Award from the Psychiatric Foundation of North Carolina.

The award recognizes Hurley’s contributions to the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly her research related to the effects of military deployment-related TBI on brain function, behavior and psychopathology.

Incorporated in 2007, the Psychiatric Foundation of North Carolina is dedicated to improving psychiatric care and awareness.

Wake Forest Baptist Eye Center Receives Grant Renewal

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sept. 30, 2014 – Miracles In Sight, formerly the North Carolina Eye Bank, has renewed a $50,000 grant to the Wake Forest Eye Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to support a cornea-transplant research fellowship.

The Wake Forest Eye Center is a multispecialty ophthalmology clinic with more than 120,000 patient visits annually.

“We believe that it is important for specialists to have access to and familiarity with the eye bank system,” said Dean Vavra, executive director of Miracles In Sight. “We are honored to provide training to the next generation of corneal specialists."

Founded in 1951, Miracles In Sight aims to recover, process and distribute ocular tissue for the restoration of sight through corneal transplantation and related medical therapy and research.

Wake Forest Baptist Assistant Professor Selected for Leadership Program

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sept. 30, 2014 – Ihtsham Haq, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been selected by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) to participate in its 2014-15 Emerging Leaders Forum (ELF).

Haq was chosen based on his passion for the science of neurology and commitment to personal development.

Founded in 1948, AAN is one of the largest professional associations of neurologists. It is dedicated to promoting patient-centered neurologic care and enhancing member career satisfaction. ELF is a program designed to identify, orient and cultivate future leaders of AAN.

Wake Forest Baptist Recognized for Cardiac Care

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sept. 30, 2014 – Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR ACTION Registry–GWTG Platinum Performance Achievement Award – the highest level of recognition – for 2014.

For the third year in a row, Wake Forest Baptist has received this award which recognizes the institution’s commitment to and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients. It also signifies that Wake Forest Baptist has reached a goal of treating patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

To receive the award, Wake Forest Baptist consistently followed the organization’s treatment guidelines for eight consecutive quarters and met a performance standard of 90 percent for specific performance measures.

Wake Forest Baptist Researcher Appointed Associate Editor of Scientific Journal

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sept. 30, 2014 – Debra Diz, Ph.D., director of the Hypertension and Vascular Research Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been appointed an associate editor of The American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

Selected by the editor-in-chief, associate editors are experts in their field who make decisions on articles and invite review articles and editorials.

The journal publishes investigations on the physiology of the heart, blood vessels and lymphatics including experimental and theoretical studies of cardiovascular function.

Wake Forest Baptist Staff Member Recognized at UNC-Chapel Hill

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sept. 30, 2014 – Scott Davis, M.S., research administrative coordinator in the Department of Dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been selected for the Royster Society of Fellows program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is a doctoral student.

One of 29 fellows, Davis was selected based on his academic performance, research, work, service, life experiences and potential for leadership.

The Royster Society is an interdisciplinary fellowship program that attracts graduate students from around the world and provides them with financial funding to pursue their doctorates at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Media Relations

Erin Harris: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587

Shannon Putnam: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587