30th Annual Research Week

April 13, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

The University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga

Elizabeth Jones, Executive Assistant to the Dean (liz.jones@erlanger.org)
(423) 778-6956

University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga

30th Annual Research Week, April 9 - 13, 2012
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Chattanooga, Tennessee (April 13, 2012): Dr. David C. Seaberg, Dean for the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga, announced awards at a dinner at the held at the Walden Club in downtown Chattanooga following research presentations and judging throughout the day in Erlanger's Probasco Auditorium.  The event originally began as a dinner presentation and awards in 1983, and has expanded to a full week of posters culminating with the awards banquet at the end of the week.  Dr. Robert C. Coddington, the first Associate Dean and leader for the campus, was the inspiration and driving force behind establishing this event to encourage and recognize scholarly activity and research in Chattanooga.  The awards were named for him in 1983, and he was able to attend this year's event and assist Dean Seaberg in presenting the awards.  Other dignitaries attending the dinner included Erlanger Board members  Donnie Hutcherson, Russell King, and Jim Worthington; Associate Dean and DIO, Dr. Robert Fore; former Associate Dean, Dr. Ron Blankenbaker; Director of Research for the campus, Dr. Greg Heath; and Scientific Review Committee Chair and Co-Chair, Dr. Eric Gratias (Pediatrics) and Dr. Francis Fesmire (Emergency Medicine).  The SRC evaluates the scientific validity of research proposals and serves as the selection committee for initial abstracts submitted for the annual event.

Twenty presentations were heard by faculty, residents, medical students, Erlanger Board members, and administrative staff, involving nine (9) interesting case reports and 11 research projects.  Judges included Dr. Beth Choby, Associate Professor for the St. Francis Family Medicine Program in Memphis; Dr. Matthew Good, Clinical Assistant Professor for the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga Department of Pediatrics and practicing physician with the Highland Pediatrics Group; and Dr. Paul Stumpf, Professor, Chair, and Residency Program Director for the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Case Report Posters

3^rd Place:    Fernando Windemuller, MD, Department of Pediatrics
                   " First Report of Biopsy Proven Acute Interstitial Nephritis
                   Associated with Escitalopram"

2^nd Place:  Jennifer Hamm, MD, and Vanessa Slots, Department of Pediatrics
                  "Medical Child Abuse:  When a Father Suffocates His Child"

1^st Place:  G. Ralston Major II, MD, Department of Surgery
                 "Use of CT Perfusion Imaging and CT Angiography in the Selection
                  of Hyperacute Stroke Patients to Undergo Emergent Carotid
                  Endarterctomy"

Research Projects (both posters and oral presentations)

4^th Place:  Michael Johnson, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
                 "Non-Operative Management of Retrocalcaneal  Pain with AFO and
                  Stretching Regimen"

3^rd Place:  Hal Parker, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine
                  "Feasibility of Pre-Hospital Transmission of the 12-lead ECG Using
                  a Camera Capable Cellular Phone for Identification of ST-Segment
                  Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction"

2^nd Place:  Richa Sood, MD, Department of Pediatrics
                  "High Flow High Humidity Nasal Cannula Therapy for Respiratory
                  Failure in Infants with Bronchiolitis"

Best Overall Research Presentation and Winner of the Robert C. Coddington, MD, Award for Research Excellence:

                  Erik Martin, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine
                   "Improving Risk Stratification in Chest Pain Patients:  The Erlanger
                   HEARTS Score"

The University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga is part of the statewide academic health system: The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga campuses are separately accredited by the ACGME to sponsor residency and fellowship programs in a variety of specialties. The primary clinical affiliated institution in Chattanooga is Erlanger Health System. For more information about the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga, visit: www.utcomchatt.org, or email lizjones@uthsc.edu.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service. In 2011, UT Health Science Center celebrated its centennial: 100 years advancing the future of health care. Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The UTHSC campus in Knoxville includes a College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and an Allied Health Sciences unit. In addition, the UTHSC Chattanooga campus includes a College of Medicine and an Allied Health Sciences unit. Since its founding in 1911, UTHSC has educated and trained more than 53,000 health care professionals on campuses and in health care facilities across the state. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu.

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