Your Neck of the Woods
Internal Medicine
Dr. Pia Chowdry was recently interviewed by Fox 8 Local First News regarding “Cancer Diagnoses on the Rise.” https://www.fox8live.com/video/2021/07/13/cancer-diagnoses-rise/
The Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship Team has developed an educational product entitled “Excellent Things to Know.” Since May, Dr. Kantrow and colleagues have sent out three cases per week to pulmonary fellows and faculty in an effort to add to the educational environment and help the fellows study for boards.
After serving as Program Director for the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Residency Program since January 2002, Dr. Stephen Kishner will be stepping down from the position. Under his leadership the PM&R Program has grown to be one of the largest residency programs in the Department of Medicine with a reputation for training outstanding PM&R physicians. He will continue to care for patients and train our residents as clinical faculty in the PM&R program. Dr. R. Patrick Owens has agreed to be serve as the Acting PM&R Program Director. Pending review by our GMEC committee and ratification by the ACGME, this position will become permanent. Dr. Owens is an Assistant Professor who also serves as the LSU PM&R Medical Student Clerkship Director. He spends his clinical time at the New Orleans VA Medical Center. Dr. Amy Phalen has agreed to serve as the Associate Program Director for the PM&R program. Dr. Phalen is an Associate Professor in the section of PM&R who relocated to LSU in 2020 from the University of Texas - Southwestern.
Ophthalmology
Benjamin Lee, MD, PGY3, and Jayne S. Weiss, MD, Chair, presented a poster "The COVID-19 Pandemic, Telemedicine and Academic Ophthalmology" at the American Ophthalmology Society Meeting in May 2021.
Jayne S. Weiss, MD, Chair, and W. Lisch, MD, presented a poster “Back to future: ideas that foreshadowed modern slitlamp equipment with regard to corneal diagnosis and document” at the American Ophthalmology Society Meeting in May 2021.
Otolaryngology
The 4th annual CHNOLA Trach Kids Celebration was held on July 10, 2021. This year, it was held at the Audubon Zoo with nearly 200 children and family members in attendance. Dr. Adele Evans was a part of this event organization.
Pediatrics
Dr. Ryan Pasternak was featured on the podcast “This is the Point” discussing Adolescent Sexual Health Education and Reproductive Justice. Dr. Pasternak was honored to be a part of the project and described the podcast as an interesting series that includes Irma Thomas, Big Freedia, Sonny Lee, Pearl Ricks and Jodie Patterson with host Nia Weeks and featuring Dr. Denese Shervington from the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies as well. The podcast is intended to present audiences with a real-life dialogue surrounding sexual and reproductive rights and justice, gender equity, and adolescent health education.
Dr. Kelly Gajewski was recently featured on a FaceBook Live interview with Liz Reyes at Fox 8 discussing the likely link between the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and rare reports of heart inflammation in younger age groups. Dr. Gajewski advised the community that despite these rare cases, doctors still believe that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the rare chance of getting inflammation of the heart. Some of the interview was also used in a Fox 8 newscast.