Department of Family Medicine

(AUGUST 11, 2024) A study led by Andrew Wilcock, Ph.D., adjunct assistant professor of family medicine at the Larner College of Medicine and a visiting fellow at Harvard Medical School, suggests reasons for the continuing drop in hospital admissions for heart attacks in the U.S., Yahoo News reports.

Shalina Nair, M.D., M.B.A., executive vice chair of clinical services and innovation at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and medical director for Population Health Outreach at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, has been appointed as the new chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at University of Vermont (UVM) and UVM Health Network.

(AUGUST 5, 2024) Family medicine physician Michelle Dorwart, M.D., and psychiatrist Margaret Spottswood, M.D.’11, M.P.H., were quoted in a WCAX-TV story on expanding children’s mental health access in Vermont.

(JULY 24, 2024) Catherine Naden, M.D.’11, clinical assistant professor of family medicine, and Justin Stinnett-Donnelly, M.D.’10, M.S., clinical assistant professor of medicine, were quoted in a Vermont Public story on the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to reduce burnout.

(JULY 18, 2024) Alicia Jacobs, M.D., associate professor of family medicine, spoke with WCAX-TV about an AI platform that records doctor-patient conversations and converts them into highly accurate notes in real-time.

(JULY 16, 2024) Alicia Jacobs, M.D., associate professor of family medicine and a family care physician at the UVM Health Network, was interviewed by NBC5 about the expanding use of AI across the University of Vermont Health Network to help doctors avoid burnout.

(JULY 9, 2024) Alicia Jacobs, M.D., associate professor of family medicine, and Jason Sanders, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the UVM Medical Group, commented to Healthcare Finance News for a story about a new partnership between the University of Vermont Health Network and Abridge to use AI for clinical documentation.

Medical students Molly Hurd and Sarah Krumholz, and Alyssa Tenney, Aassistant Professor of Family Medicine Whitney Calkins, M.D., and chef educator Christina Vollbrecht were selected as 2024 Frymoyer Scholars. The scholarship supports development of a culinary medicine course that provides future doctors with skills and confidence to discuss nutrition and food access in patient care settings.

(JUNE 6, 2024) Craig Sullivan, M.D., and his son, Larner alum Matt Sullivan, M.D., both clinical assistant professors of family medicine, and Anne Morris, M.D., associate professor of family medicine, were interviewed for a Vermont Public story on the shortage of primary care providers in Vermont.

(APRIL 26, 2024) Interviewed by WCAX-TV, Clara Keegan, M.D., associate professor of family medicine, weighed in on the pricing and availability of two drugs that are highly effective at treating diabetes and obesity.

(FEBRUARY 7, 2024) Catherine Naden, M.D.’11, clinical assistant professor of family medicine, spoke with Vermont Public about mammogram guidance.

(JANUARY 30, 2024) Laura McCray, M.D., M.S.C.E., professor and chair of family medicine, is among four new appointees to the University of Vermont Home Health and Hospice Board of Trustees, according to the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus.

Medical students, faculty, physicians, and hospital staff stepped up to the microphone on January 18 to tell true stories about their most humbling moments at the sixth annual StorySlamRx: Voices in Medicine. Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Society members organized and hosted the event, held in the Hoehl Gallery. Inspired by The Moth live storytelling, story slam provides a safe space to share personal experiences and connect with others over shared emotions. For people in the medical community, telling and listening to each other’s stories facilitates wellness and quells burnout.

(DECEMBER 18, 2023) Robert Gramling, M.D., D.Sc., professor of family medicine and chair of palliative medicine, commented to Time about a new study that reinforces the importance of framing death as a process rather than an outcome when caring for frightened patients and loved ones.

(November 22, 2023) Associate Professor of Pediatrics Erica Gibson, M.D., and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine Anja Jokela, M.D., commented to Seven Days for an article on transgender newcomers finding safety, services, and community in Vermont.

A new collaboration between Vermont Medicaid and UVM Medical Center’s Comprehensive Pain Program allows Medicaid members with chronic pain to participate in complementary therapies including health coaching, massage, yoga, nutrition, acupuncture, and meditation. This pilot is an important step toward eliminating disparities in access to effective, integrative care for pain.

(NOVEMBER 6, 2023) Vermont Health Access and the UVM Medical Center announced that Vermont Medicaid is entering a pilot program that will allow its members to participate in the Partners Aligned in Transformative Healing program at UVMMC’s Comprehensive Pain Program, according to WCAX-TV.

Each summer, many rising second-year medical students engage in clinical, basic science or health policy-related research projects under the guidance of expert faculty. The students choose their topics based on personal passions and immerse themselves in projects tackling medical puzzles and unmet health needs. Engaging in research can be among the most valuable experiences during a medical education.

(SEPTEMBER 8, 2023) Keith Collins, M.D., clinical assistant professor of family medicine, was interviewed by Mountain Lake PBS about tick-borne illnesses, which are on the increase.

(AUGUST 25, 2023) Findings from a new study conducted by the University of Vermont’s Conversation Lab and therapeutics cancer firm Sunstone Therapies show the feasibility of trained human coders to identify observable markers of therapeutic connection during psilocybin administration within Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT), Benzinga reports.