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CONTACT: Jennifer Forbes
Communications & Public Affairs
732-235-6356, jenn.forbes@umdnj.edu
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Faculty In the News
Dr. Ayers Honored by Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey
Charletta Ayers, MD, MPH, has been selected as one of five Women of Distinction 2012 by the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern NJ, Inc. Each year, the Girl Scouts Women of Distinction celebrates the achievements of outstanding community leaders and role models. Ayers is an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive services at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and specializes in adolescent gynecology.
UMDNJ Faculty and Students Share Expertise on Student Affairs and Education Programs
UMDNJ education and student affairs experts were well represented at the recent spring meeting of the AAMC’s Northeast Group on Student Affairs and the Northeast Organization of Student Representatives in Philadelphia, which focused on “Meeting Students' Needs, Meeting Society's Needs.” Alfred Tallia, MD, MPH, chair of family medicine and community health, RWJMS, was the keynote speaker on “Accountable Care Organizations and Medical Education” and Eric Jahn, MD, senior associate dean for community health participated on a panel on federally qualified health centers and medical education. From New Jersey Medical School, fourth-year student Leanne Roberts spoke on the panel for “Medical Student Talent Search to Diversify Faculty” along with Maria Soto-Greene, MD, vice dean and professor of medicine. Charles Prestigiacomo, MD, chair of neurosurgery and residency program director at NJMS spoke on resident recruitment. Many other faculty leaders from both schools participated on conference panels, two of which were moderated by Carol Terregino, MD, interim senior associate dean of education, RWJMS, who was named Chair-elect of Northeast Group on Student Affairs at the meeting. Dr. Terregino is pictured at left.
RWJMS Smoking Cessation Expert Testifies in Washington
Michael Steinberg, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and medical director of the Tobacco Dependence Program at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, testified during a March Congressional briefing on smoking addiction and cessation. Steinberg joined tobacco addiction and cessation experts from the CDC, FDA and advocacy groups in an effort to help Congress improve programs and policies that discourage tobacco use. Hosted by Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Congressman Tim Murphy (R-PA), the briefing offered members of Congress a better understanding of smoking addiction and options available for smoking cessation.
Expert on Clinical Information Systems Speaks at NIH Conference
Frank Sonnenberg, MD, professor of medicine and medical director of clinical information systems for The Robert Wood Johnson Medical Group, the physician practice of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, spoke at a National Institute of Health workshop “Natural Language Processing: State of the Art, Future Directions and Applications for Enhancing clinical Decision-making.” The two-day conference sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering focused on identifying the current innovations and roadblocks, as well as effective use and best practices of natural language processing (NLP) and clinical decision support. NLP converts narrative clinical notes and text so it may be digitally analyzed and categorized for evidence-based use to improve patient care. Dr. Sonnenberg spoke on a panel that gave a clinical perspective on how to use NLP to improve accuracy of clinical diagnosis, prioritize evidences and test results, provide optimal treatment recommendation and ultimately achieve a better healthcare outcome.
Dr. Henry Hsia Receives Grant for Wound Research
Henry Hsia, MD, assistant professor of surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, received a grant from the Feldstein Medical Foundation for his work in developing new and personalized approaches for healing challenging wounds. Hsia, a plastic surgeon, applied for the grant as part of a contest sponsored by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. The Feldstein Medical Foundation promotes previously neglected areas of medical research in its home region of New York and New Jersey, providing one year of funding for up to $60,000 to promising junior investigators.
Urology Resident’s Analysis of Toilet Training Strategies Earns Prize
Kelly C. Johnson, MD, chief resident of urology in the Department of Surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, earned a third place prize in the Ferdinand C. Valentine Resident Essay Contest for her article “An Analysis of Toilet Training Methods.” The annual contest, sponsored by the New York section of the American Urology Association (AUA), recognizes manuscripts based on scientific merit. Johnson also will be presenting her work at the annual AUA meeting in May.
