Providing compassionate care that is tailored to the unique needs of all that we serve is woven into our DNA in Iowa. Few of our clinicians embody this as well as Dr. Nicole Nisly, Professor of General Internal Medicine. When she and Dr. Katie Imborek of Family Medicine established the LGBTQ clinic in 2012, they did so armed only with the understanding that a need existed and that they had been called to fill it. Their vision, drive, and deep wells of compassion have grown the clinic into a nationally recognized model of safe and inclusive care for a critically underserved population. This is why I was pleased to learn that their efforts have been recognized with a Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) Achievement Award, to be presented in September at the GLMA’s Annual Conference on LGBT Health in St. Louis. Congratulations to Drs. Nisly and Imborek.
Through a combination of research and collaboration with fellows, Dr. Namrata Singh, Clinical Assistant Professor of Immunology, has made tremendous strides in promoting our Department’s reputation for excellence in rheumatology. Dr. Singh recently contributed to a national study as site PI using longitudinal datasets to link active rheumatoid arthritis to increased risk of lung cancer in men. This work promises to be a productive launchpad for future projects. Please take the time to read a more comprehensive report on Dr. Singh’s research.
Dr. Zuhair Ballas, Professor of Immunology, has made it his practice to diagnose and treat tricky, complex cases for years, but the formal organization of his work under the title of “Complex Disease Service” is a recent development. The service welcomes consultation requests from practitioners with patients presenting rare arrays of symptoms that make it challenging to diagnose a precise cause. Through a combination of diagnostic testing, close analysis of patient history, and open minds, the Complex Disease Service hopes to provide diagnostic and therapeutic support to many of the most perplexing cases that we see here at the University of Iowa. This article provides more information about the service and a fascinating look at Dr. Ballas’s work.
The use of bedside ultrasound is increasing, and few in the country are more experienced at this than intensivists at the University of Iowa. This week, we are hosting the 2016 Midwest Fellows Critical Care Ultrasound Symposium. Organized by Dr. Greg Schmidt, Professor of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine, the symposium aims to instruct trainees in proper point-of-care ultrasound techniques through a series of lectures, image interpretation sessions, and hands-on practice in image acquisition. We will present more coverage of this symposium and Dr. Schmidt’s work in developing point-of-care ultrasound education next week.