Wake Forest Baptist Pediatrician Named Chair of WHO Advisory Group
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 28, 2013 – Jon S. Abramson, professor and chair of pediatrics at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been named chair of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Abramson, who has been a member of SAGE since 2009, will begin his three-year term as the panel’s chair in September. The 15-member group advises the WHO on overall global policies and strategies, ranging from vaccine research and development to delivery of immunization and its linkages with other health interventions.
He previously has served as a member of the WHO’s 2009 pandemic task force, as a member and chair of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and as a member and chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases.
Abramson also delivered a keynote presentation at the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases’ 16th annual conference on vaccine research, held in Baltimore in April.
Wake Forest Baptist Professor Elected to Regional Organization Leadership
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 28, 2013 – Sonia Crandall, Ph.D., professor of physician assistant studies and of family and community medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been elected chair-elect of the Southern Group on Educational Affairs (SGEA).
Crandall, who took office in April during the organization’s annual conference in Savannah, Ga., will serve as vice chair and treasurer for two years, chair for two years and past chair for two years.
The SGEA, whose membership includes 46 medical schools, is one of four regional educational affairs groups affiliated with the Association of American Medical Colleges. It is dedicated to fostering excellence in undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education.
Wake Forest Baptist Faculty Member Recognized by American College of Radiology
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 28, 2013 – Frederick Kremkau, Ph.D., co-director of the Program for Medical Ultrasound in the Center for Applied Learning at Wake Forest School of Medicine, part of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been inducted as a fellow of the American College of Radiology (ACR).
This status recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of radiology and is limited to 10 percent of the ACR’s membership.
Kremkau was inducted May 5 in Washington, D.C., during the annual meeting of the ACR, a 36,000-member organization devoted to making medical imaging safe, effective and accessible to those who need it.
Wake Forest Baptist Emeritus Professor Joins Medicare Advisory Panel
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 28, 2013 – Curt D. Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., emeritus professor of public health sciences at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, has been named to the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The MEDCAC provides CMS with independent guidance and expert advice on specific clinical topics. Members review and evaluate medical literature, technology assessments and other information on medical items and services that are covered or may be eligible for coverage under Medicare, then make recommendations to CMS based on their findings.
CMS is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer Medicaid and other health insurance programs.
Furberg, an internationally recognized expert on prescription drug safety, previously was a member of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on drug safety and risk management.
Wake Forest Baptist Surgeon Named to National Cancer Network
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 28, 2013 – Marissa Howard-McNatt, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, has received a three-year appointment as cancer liaison physician for Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in a program conducted by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons.
The cancer liaison program is a national network of more than 1,500 volunteer physicians who provide leadership and direction for the CoC-accredited cancer programs at their respective institutions. Cancer liaison physicians are responsible for evaluating, interpreting and reporting their facilities’ performance data through the National Cancer Data Base and facilitating quality-improvement initiatives based on data findings.
Howard-McNatt is director of the Breast Care Center at Wake Forest Baptist and one of eight members of the Medical Center’s surgical oncology program.
Image from Wake Forest Baptist Research Featured on Nanotechnology Website
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 28, 2013 – An image illustrating the work of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researchers Ravi Singh, Ph.D., assistant professor of cancer biology, and Julia Chifman, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in cancer biology, has been posted on the website of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer.
The image shows the structure of a hybrid material made of carbon and nitrogen-based tubes combined with tiny gold particles that has been developed at Wake Forest Baptist. This novel material can be traced in the body by using X-rays and heat from exposure to laser energy, which may allow surgeons to identify and treat tumors that are inaccessible with current surgical techniques.
The NCI’s nanotechnology site (www.nano.cancer.gov) features a gallery of images illustrating nanotechnology advances in cancer research.
Two Wake Forest Baptist Physicians Receive Brooks Scholarships
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 28, 2013 – Sunghye Kim, M.D., assistant professor of hospital medicine, and Anna N. Miller, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, have each won a 2013-14 Brooks Scholarship in Academic Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
The scholarships are designed to recognize early-career faculty members who demonstrate exceptional promise in research and teaching and to encourage the development of their scholarly talents.
The Brooks Scholarship program was endowed by Jean Bailey Brooks, M.D., a Wake Forest School of Medicine alumna, and her husband, James Taylor Brooks, M.D.
Wake Forest Baptist’s Huey Among Business Publication’s Honorees
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 28, 2013 – Karen H. Huey, vice president for facilities at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, was one of the Business Journal of the Triad’s 18 “Women in Business” honorees for 2013.
Huey, who joined Wake Forest Baptist in 1997, and the other recipients were profiled in the April 26 issue of the publication and recognized at a luncheon at the Embassy Suites Winston-Salem.
Each year since 2000, the Business Journal has honored “top women business leaders whose influence extends well beyond their professional roles.”
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