Wake Forest Baptist May Awards and Recognitions, Vol. II

May 29, 2015

Wake Forest Baptist Awarded Gold Seal for Joint Replacement by Joint Commission

The Joint Replacement Program at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Joint Replacement Disease Specific Certification.

The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care. To receive this award, the program underwent a rigorous on-site review on May 1. It was evaluated based on its compliance with national disease-specific care standards as well as Joint Replacement-specific requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.

The Joint Commission surveyor distinguished the program as exemplary for patients, identifying 17 best practices and citing no official recommendations for improvement. Some of the best practices include an infection prevention program, orthopaedic specialized nursing staff, quality improvement program, “cutting edge” continuum of care and patient satisfaction program.

Founded in 1951, the Joint Commission seeks to improve health care for the public by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value.

Wake Forest Baptist Professor Recognized by National Organization

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 29, 2015 – Robert J. Applegate, M.D., professor of cardiology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has received the 2015 F. Mason Sones Distinguished Service Award from the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI).

The award, presented in honor of SCAI’s co-founder, signifies excellence and dedication to education and quality of care. A member of SCAI for 20 years, Applegate currently serves as a trustee, co-director of the organization’s annual conference and the chair of the budget and finance committee.

SCAI's mission is to promote excellence in invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine through physician education and representation and advancement of quality standards to enhance patient care.

Three Wake Forest Baptist Faculty Members Receive Brooks Scholarships

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 29, 2015 – Three faculty members at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have been awarded 2015-16 Brooks Scholarships in Academic Medicine from Wake Forest Baptist.

Joshua F. Nitsche, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, is a first-year recipient; Matthew C. Miles, M.D., assistant professor of pulmonary, critical care, allergy and immunologic medicine, is a second-year recipient; and Anna N. Miller, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, is a third-year recipient.

The scholarship program is designed to recognize early-career faculty members who demonstrate exceptional promise in research and teaching and to encourage the development of their scholarly talents. It is endowed by the late Jean Bailey Brooks, M.D., a Wake Forest School of Medicine alumna, and her late husband, James Taylor Brooks, M.D.

Two Wake Forest Baptist Medical Students Named NIH Medical Research Scholars

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 29, 2015 – Akhil Muthigi and Barrington Quarrie, third-year medical students at Wake Forest School of Medicine, have been selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to participate in its Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP). They are two of the 55 scholars from around the country to be chosen.

A yearlong residential program, the MRSP introduces medical, dental and veterinary students to cutting-edge research. Student scholars engage in a mentored basic, clinical or translational research project that matches their research interests and career goals. Upon completion of the program, Muthigi and Quarrie plan to return to Wake Forest Baptist to complete their final year of medical school.

A federal agency that conducts and supports research, the NIH also investigates the causes, treatments and cures for common and rare diseases. The goal of the MRSP is to train the next generation of clinician-scientists and biomedical researchers.

Wake Forest Baptist Director Participates in NIH Expert Panel

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 29, 2015 –Ronny Bell, Ph.D., director of the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, was selected to participate in an expert panel that created a report on the use of culture in research for the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The report will be used to guide the NIH in its consideration of how culture should be considered in NIH-funded research. It also will serve as a tool for researchers who conduct culturally related research.

The OBSSR’s mission is to integrate a behavioral and social sciences perspective across the NIH; disseminate behavioral and social sciences research findings; and provide advice to and communicate with the NIH director, Congress, other government agencies, the research community and the general public on matters regarding behavioral and social sciences research.

Three Wake Forest Baptist Medical Experts Invited To Speak in Washington, D.C.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 29, 2015 – Three Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center medical experts were invited to speak on Capitol Hill on separate occasions for different causes.

Joseph Skelton, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Wake Forest Baptist and member of the North Carolina American Heart Association (AHA) Advocacy Coordinating Committee, was invited by the AHA to participate in its biennial Lobby Day on May 11-12. Skelton met with Senator Thom Tillis, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and Congressman Mark Walker to discuss the National Institutes of Health funding and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which is up for renewal.

Mark Wolfson, Ph.D., professor of social sciences and health policy at Wake Forest Baptist, spoke at the Congressional Addiction Forum on April 29. The event brought together various addiction and criminal justice policy experts and policy makers to discuss a comprehensive strategy to address youth drug abuse and addiction.

Frank Caruso, M.P.S., physician assistant at Wake Forest Baptist Health – Davie Medical Center, was selected by the American Academy of Physician Assistants to participate in a National Security Council (NSC) roundtable on April 29. The meeting was part of an ongoing national initiative to raise public awareness about disaster response.

Media Relations

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

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