Office of Primary Care and Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program

(FEBRUARY 11, 2023) Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine and director of the thrombosis and hemostasis program at the UVM Medical Center, recently spoke with The American Journal of Managed Care about racial trends in pulmonary embolism treatment and potential improvements compared with pre-pandemic trends.

(FEBRUARY 8, 2023) A randomized trial conducted by nephrologist Richard Solomon, M.D., professor of medicine, and colleagues found that a machine-learning intervention provided a higher level of safety during cardiac catheterization, lowering the chances of acute kidney injury (AKI), according to Health IT Analytics.

(FEBRUARY 7, 2023) Results of a study by Margaret Infeld, M.D., clinical cardiac electrophysiology fellow and clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine; cardiologist Markus Meyer, M.D., Ph.D., adjunct associate professor of medicine; and colleagues support heart rate modulation as a therapeutic intervention in HFpEF, according to HealthDay News.

(JANUARY 25, 2023) Lauren MacAfee, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences, was interviewed by WCAX-TV for a story on medication abortion and the FDA’s recent decision allowing patients to pick up an abortion pill from certified retail pharmacies with a prescription. (Click on headline for more.)

(JANUARY 25, 2023) In an article published by the Annie Lab newsroom, Gilman Allen, M.D., professor of medicine, disputed a claim in a January 2023 Twitter video highlighting findings from a “brand-new” Japanese study demonstrating that “masking breeds dangerous bacteria and fungi” and therefore justifies ending mandatory mask wearing.

(JANUARY 24, 2023) Addiction specialist Peter Jackson, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, provided suggestions for alcohol-free activities for individuals aiming to refrain from alcohol consumption in a Washington Post Well+Being article on “Dry January.”

(JANUARY 18, 2023) David Kaminsky, M.D., professor of medicine, a pulmonologist and critical care physician who routinely sees patients with long COVID symptoms, was quoted in a Seven Days story about the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for patients suffering from so-called long COVID.

(JANUARY 17, 2023) A recent study by Katharine L. Cheung, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine, and colleagues shows that residence in the so-called stroke belt of the southeastern United States is an independent risk factor for incident chronic kidney disease (CKD), Renal & Urology News reported.

(JANUARY 16, 2023) Martin Keller, M.D., associate professor of pediatric surgery, is a co-author of a study that found increased pediatric firearm injury and death rates tied to the COVID pandemic, HealthDay News reported.

(JANUARY 13, 2023) Jan Carney, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and associate dean for public health, and Jane Kolodinsky, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics, wrote a commentary in VT Digger in support of a sugary beverage excise tax.

(JANUARY 12, 2023) Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, is described as a “humble superstar” in an article about cancer research at UVM in The Charlotte (Vermont) News.

(JANUARY 12, 2023) Sara Pawlowski, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and division chief of Primary Care Mental Health Integration, published an article on bipolar disorder screening in MDedge Pediatric News.

(JANUARY 11, 2023) In a piece broadcast on WCAX-TV on the increase of child exposure to edible cannabis over the past several years, Jill Rinehart, M.D., FAAP, associate professor of pediatrics, stressed the importance of parents locking up cannabis products at home to keep kids from accidentally ingesting it. (Click on headline for more.)

(DECEMBER 28, 2022) Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Christian Pulcini, M.D., M.Ed., M.P.H., an attending physician in pediatric emergency medicine at the UVM Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, published a commentary titled “We Can Prevent Firearm Tragedies — a Call to Action” in VTDigger.

(DECEMBER 27, 2022) UVM’s Clinical Simulation Laboratory was profiled in a story broadcast on WCAX-TV about how the Larner College of Medicine ensures that students filling emergency departments or doctors’ offices are trained to the highest potential before being put into the real world. UVM medical residents Berna Buyukozturk, M.D., and Carolina Jirka, M.D., as well as Sim Lab specialist Jim Court, were quoted in the piece. (Click on headline for more.)

(DECEMBER 25, 2022) Research by Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., professor of medicine, and colleagues found inequities in treatments and outcomes for pulmonary embolism, The ASCO Post reports.

(DECEMBER 17, 2022) Neuropsychologist Sharon Leach, Ph.D., and child psychiatrist Feyza Basoglu, M.D., both clinical assistant professors of psychiatry, will challenge participants to diagnose psychiatric or neurological disorders as part of the 14th annual Vermont Brain Bee neuroscience competition to be held at the Larner College of Medicine on February 11, Seven Days reports.

(DECEMBER 16, 2022) A Pfizer RSV vaccine for pregnant women is in phase 3 trial, with the potential to help infants cope with the sometimes serious illness, according to WCAX-TV. “If infants can be born with some immunity,” says pediatric critical care physician Rebecca Bell, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, “even if it’s short-lived, even if it’s six months or one year, that can make a huge difference in terms of kids’ health.” (Click headline for more.)

(DECEMBER 10, 2022) Trial investigator Mary Cushman, M.D., professor of medicine, presented study findings on social determinants of health [SDOH] and pulmonary embolism treatment and mortality at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, Pharmacy Times reported.

(DECEMBER 2, 2022) Clinical Professor of Psychiatry David Fassler, M.D., commented in a Washington Post article about a study showing that the stress of pandemic lockdowns prematurely aged the brains of teenagers by at least three years, and in ways similar to changes observed in children who have faced chronic stress and adversity.