Third quarter 2017 winners earn Press Ganey awards

Winners for the third quarter in 2017 have been named based on their stellar work as noted in patient satisfaction surveys for the USF Health Care. The high marks earned them awards that are part of the USF Health Care’s Press Ganey Employee Recognition Program, an effort to recognize those with top scores in each quarterly report.

The ongoing award program recognizes those who excelled in providing USF Health patients with exceptional care and service. Named each quarter based on that quarter’s survey results, winners are from four categories: provider, nurse practitioner/physician assistant, nurse, and office staff.

Q3-2017 winners are:

Provider: Jim Smith, MD, interventional cardiologist, USF Health Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, with a score of 99%.

Nurse practitioner/physician assistant: Amanda Reames, ARNP, in the Midwifery Program, USF Health Department of Ob/Gyn, with a score of 99.7%

Nurse/MA: Sally Abner; Monica Agard, LPN; Noemi Alicea-Castrillo, LPN; Lordes Artola, LPN; Susan Brandt, RN; Mitzi Ekers, ANP; Megan Etue; Linda Fernandez, CMA; Nikita Johnson, EMT; Tracy McCalla, CPCS1; Crystal Morgan, CMS; Kajal Patel, RVT; Yani Pirela-Talbott, CMA; Helen Rodriguez; Marcela Sepulveda, CPCS1; and Sheryl Weir, LVT, in Vascular Surgery at STC, with a score of 96.3%

Office staff/front desk: CMS Pediatrics: Tammy Feliciano and Laurie Lincoln with a score of 99%

Provider winner is: Jim Smith, MD

ARNP/PA winner is: Amanda Reames, ARNP

Nurse/Assistant winners are, from left: Helen Rodriguez, Kajal Patel, Linda Fernandez, Sheryl Weir, Susan Brandt, Mitzi Ekers, Sally Abner. Not pictured are: Monica Agard, Noemi Alicea-Castrillo, Lordes Artola, Megan Etue, Nikita Johnson, Tracy McCalla, Crystal Morgan, Yani Pirela-Talbott, and Marcela Sepulveda.

Front Desk winners are, from left: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Tammy Feliciano and Laurie Lincoln.

Awards include a crystal bull for winning providers, an award that rotates among future winners. Winners in the other categories choose from several award options, such as lunch with colleagues, ice cream party, a catered “Breakfast from the Boss,” a cake party, and a patient comment plaque.

Patient surveys are provided through Press Ganey and are designed to encompass the entire patient experience, from the moment they walk in the door until the moment they leave. For USF Health Care providers, the survey helps them understand what patients expect. Feedback, both complimentary and critical, helps USF Health Care providers know where they stand, giving them a baseline for implementing improvements. The information collected is used to define and design strategies that improve patient care and build stronger patient safety initiatives, as well as provide benchmarking opportunities with other large academic physician practices.

USF Health professor of internal medicine Lucy Guerra, MD, MPH, FACP, FHM, has received the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Trust Award for 2019. Dr. Guerra directs the Division of General Internal Medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

The $25,000 award recognizes current or former academic faculty members who have inspired their former students to “create an organization which has demonstrably conferred a benefit on the community at large” or “establish(ed) on a lasting basis a concept, procedure, or movement of comparable benefit to the community at large.”

“I was very humbled to receive this award,” Dr. Guerra said. “The true heroes are those students, faculty and other health care workers who work with the undeserved and disenfranchised populations every day. I am very grateful and blessed to be a part of that legacy.”

Morsani College of Medicine alum Samuel Crane, MD, and one of the founders of the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic, nominated Dr. Guerra.

“As medical students at the University of South Florida in 2007, my friends and I founded the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic—the nation’s first multi-specialty free clinic run by students, which still provides care to underserved populations in the Tampa Bay area today. Our accomplishments would not have been possible without the mentorship of Dr. Lucy Guerra, who not only provided encouragement and advice, but also volunteered her time as the clinic’s medical director.” Dr. Crane wrote in his nomination application.  “Dr. Guerra became a valuable mentor and our greatest cheerleader as we developed the BRIDGE Clinic over nine months of immense effort in addition to our already heavy student workload. She encouraged us every step of the way as we used our connections to other USF faculty to secure a location.”

Gail McKnight Beckman created the award in honor of her mother, Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman, who was an educator, author and pioneer in the field of psychology.

Allison Long | USF Health Communications and Marketing

Laura Lee “Dolly” Swisher, PT, MDIV, PhD, FNAP, FAPTA, director of the Morsani College of Medicine School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences recently recognized SPTRS doctor of physical therapy student Joe Schneider as a culture champion for his dedication to his classmates.  Joe is a DPT Student Diplomat and the class of 2022.  He is constantly working to improve the student experience.  He recently represented SPTRS at the Florida Physical Therapy Association Student Conclave where he won the keynote speaker’s black belt, received, on behalf of the school,  the first-place award for the Shoes4Kids competition, and accepted USF’s appointment as the host of the next FPTA Student Conclave in January 2021.  For his dedication to the school, he received a culture coin from Dr. Swisher in front of his classmates.

Winners for the third quarter in 2019 have been named based on their stellar work as noted in patient satisfaction surveys for USF Health. The high marks earned them awards that are part of the USF Health’s Press Ganey Employee Recognition Program, an effort to recognize those with top scores in each quarterly report.

The ongoing award program recognizes those who excelled in providing USF Health patients with exceptional care and service. Named each quarter based on that quarter’s survey results, winners are from four categories: provider, nurse practitioner/physician assistant, nurse, and office staff.

Q3-2019 winners are:

Provider: Charles Cox, surgery, with a score of 100%

Nurse practitioner/physician assistant: Melissa Bryant, with a score of 98.6 %

Nurse/MA: Surgery, Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, with a score of 98.5%

Front Desk Staff Quality: Psychiatry Center, with a score of 98.7%

Left to right: Dave Anderson, Sally Abner, Natasha Olano, Anna Herrera, Dr. Charles Cox, Julia Roussos, Ingrid Starks, Lauren Bascone, Daniel Gregg.

Nurse and assistants from the surgery department of the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute. Left to right: Eleanor Ware, Rona Bernuil, Anna Herrera, Trudy Sanford, Dr. Charles Cox.

Third quarter Press Ganey Award winner Melissa Bryant, APRN, middle, surrounded by her colleagues.

Winners for the fourth quarter in 2019 have been named based on their stellar work as noted in patient satisfaction surveys for USF Health. The high marks earned them awards that are part of the USF Health’s Press Ganey Employee Recognition Program, an effort to recognize those with top scores in each quarterly report.

The ongoing award program recognizes those who excelled in providing USF Health patients with exceptional care and service. Named each quarter based on that quarter’s survey results, winners are from four categories: provider, nurse practitioner/physician assistant, nurse, and office staff.

Q4-2019 winners are:

Provider: Nathan Brinn, Pediatrics, with a score of 99.2%

Nurse practitioner/physician assistant: Joseph Ashmore, with a score of 99.5%

Nurse/MA: Med-Peds, South Tampa Center, with a score of 95.3%

Left to right: Dr. Mark Moseley and Dr. Nathan Brinn.

Left to right: Dr. Mark Moseley, Joseph Ashmore, APRN, Dr. Stephen Clum.

Front Desk Staff Quality award winners from the John S. Curran Health Center. Left to right: Laurie Lincoln, Nancy Hacker, Tammy Feliciano.

Back office award winners from the Med-Peds department at the USF Health South Tampa Center. Left to right: Jill Barrera, Erin Anderson, Jennifer Aspegren, Jessica Cortese, Nikita Schoonover, Aleida Valdivieso, Mariela Moreno, Cimarron Lagor. Not pictured, Sonia Thomas.

Morsani College of Medicine Pediatrics chair Patricia Emmanuel, MD, in the middle of Dolly Duffy, executive director of the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association and Brian Davis, president of the UND alumni board of directors. Courtesy photo.

USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Pediatrics chair and professor, Patricia Emmanuel, MD, recently received the University of Notre Dame Rev. William D. Reynolds Award in recognition of her lifelong commitment to medical care and fighting infectious diseases.  The award is conferred an alumnus doing exceptional work with youth for the betterment of the quality of life. Dr. Emmanuel, who earned her Bachelor’s from Notre Dame in 1982, has been involved with training medical students, residents for nearly 30 years.  Her clinical and research activities have been focused on HIV in children and pregnant women.   Dr. Emmanuel received her award earlier this year during an event at Notre Dame.

Sydney Weisman, Morsani College of Medicine second-year medical student.

In the midst of an extremely rigorous medical school schedule, second-year medical student, Sydney Weisman, found the time to lead an effort that was close to her heart.  She worked tirelessly over the past year on an event called Stomp the Stigma, and event that empowered and promoted mental health, and reduced the stigma associated with mental illness and support.  This event became the first MCOM interprofessional student mental health panel program on a night filled with vulnerability, courage, strength and connection.  Students and staff at MCOM know Weisman for her dedication to wellness and her compassion for those who are struggling with mental health.  For her efforts to put on the Stomp the Stigma event, MCOM wellbeing director, Amy Phillips, presented Weisman with a USF Health Culture Coin March 10.

Vladimir Uversky, PhD, DSc.

Vladimir Uversky, PhD, DSc, professor in the Morsani College of Medicine Department of Molecular Medicine, was recently recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics.  Dr. Uversky studies intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and their abundance in nature, their structural and functional plasticity, their vital roles in various biological processes, and establishing their involvement in the pathogenesis of multiple human diseases.  Clarivate Analytics provides insights and analytics on scientific and academic research, patent intelligence and compliance standards, and pharmaceutical and biotech intelligence.  For his achievement, Dr. Uversky was scheduled to receive a University of South Florida Outstanding Faculty Award during an award ceremony in March.  The ceremony has been postponed for a later date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

USF Health pediatric pulmonary’s Jason C. Walsh, FNP, Yanerys Colon-Cores, MD FAAP, and Marisa Couluris, DO.

USF Health pediatric pulmonology has met the extensive requirements to become a cystic fibrosis core center, a designation that offers funding opportunities for research and drug development and access to large data sets related to the clinical care of patients with cystic fibrosis.

“We have an extremely committed team and with the support provided by the CF Foundation and our USF institution, our patients are living happy and healthier lives,” said Marisa Couluris, DO, division chief of USF Health pediatric pulmonology and associate professor for USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “With new programs involving transition plans for pediatric to adult centers, lung transplant research, mental health support and real time research guidelines only possible with registry data which all the centers provide, patients are living longer, and healthier lives.”

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has accredited more than 130 CF care centers nationwide and about 15 of those are in Florida. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, “the CF Foundation’s care center network combines clinical research with medical care best practices and has been cited by the National Institutes of Health as a model of effective and efficient health care delivery for a chronic disease.”

The requirements to become a core center starts with the care inside the center itself and takes into account the number of patients seen and a review of the registry or clinical data made up of those patients. Then the CF Foundation considers the institution’s location to ensure it has supportive teaching and resources to initiate quality programs, can meet research requirements, and has the multidisciplinary team in place, including a hospital supportive program. Tampa General Hospital’s Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program is also certified and supported by the CF Foundation and TGH’s Lung Transplant Program specializes in lung transplants for adult patients with cystic fibrosis. After application review, the CF Foundation conducted a site visit with two leading experts in the field to review USF Health’s pediatric pulmonology services and support efforts to ensure that high-quality specialized care is provided to people living with CF.

The benefit of becoming accredited by the CF Foundation is the funding, which is used to support research and drug development and the capture and collection of data of the clinical care of patients. This work helps to promote individualized treatment plans and ensures high-quality, specialized care by USF Health’s multidisciplinary team. USF Health pediatric pulmonology’s team is made up of health care providers, nursing staff, registered dieticians, social workers, respiratory therapists and research and clinic coordinator support. Everyone on the team works together for the same goal, to find a cure and provide all people with this disease the opportunity to lead full productive lives, Dr. Couluris said. It was only 70 years ago that a child living with CF rarely lived long enough to attend elementary school and now, with the advancements in specialized CF care, that child can fulfill their dreams of having a career and their own families.

“I have been caring for patients with CF at USF Health for over 15 years and once I became the division chief, it was the goal of our team to become a core center,” Dr. Couluris said. “With the support of our institution both at USF and TGH, we were able to build the team to provide the degree of high-quality, specialized care needed to be a core center. Now the next goal is to advance the research in CF care to find that cure. And then I can retire.”

What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic Fibrosis is a rare genetic disease that causes the mucus in organs, such as the lungs, pancreas and liver, to become thick and sticky. The mucus can clog the airways and trap germs, as well as cause malnutrition and liver disease. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry, CF is found in more than 30,000 people in the U.S. and more than 70,000 worldwide. Thanks to the advocacy of the CF Foundation, every newborn nationwide is now tested for CF. Cystic Fibrosis is a progressive disease, so with early detection and

treatment, CF survivors have a longer life expectancy and a better quality of life. There is no cure for CF, only significant progress in the treatment of the disease.

What Are The Symptoms Of Cystic Fibrosis?

The type and severity of symptoms are different from person to person. People with CF can have a variety of the following:

• Very salty-tasting skin
• Persistent coughing, at times with phlegm
• Frequent lung infections, including pneumonia or bronchitis
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Poor growth or weight gain in spite of a good appetite
• Frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty with bowel movements
• Male infertility

For An Appointment With USF Health Pediatric Pulmonology, Call 813-259-8700

The USF Health Doctoral Internship in Professional Psychology program at the University of South Florida has been granted accreditation, on contingency, by the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation(CoA). Obtaining this status is the result of two years of dedication by Heather Agazzi, PhD, MS, ABPP, USF Health psychology internship director, and her team. This is the highest status a year one program can achieve. By the time two cohorts have completed the program, the outcome data of trainees and program graduates must be provided for the Commission to review and determine if it is sufficient to grant full accreditation status. Any feedback from the CoA which identifies areas of the program that require additional attention must also be addressed.

“Being an accredited program is very important from a prestige and academic rigor standpoint,” Dr. Agazzi, said. “This accreditation will make the program eligible to compete for grant funding in which it is a requirement to be accredited by the APA. The accreditation means we will be able to compete for the brightest of interns and we will train interns who will be eligible for fellowship training and academic jobs. Most fellowships and academic positions require interns to have graduated from an APA accredited program.”

Heather Agazzi, PhD, MS, ABPP, USF Health psychology internship director.

According to the CoA, compliance with the Standards of Accreditation means that, “the program serves a patient population that is large, diverse and appropriate to the program’s aims of training interns in assessment and treatment of children and adolescents presenting with a wide range of diagnoses, problems, and needs. Training activities align with program aims and promote achievement of profession-wide competencies (PWCs). Interns are carefully selected to ensure appropriateness and adequate preparation for the program, and interns are provided with ample opportunities for socialization. Faculty and staff are appropriately credentialed to serve in their capacity with the program. Public materials are comprehensive to ensure that interested parties are well-informed about the program.”

The Doctoral Internship in Professional Psychology program, part of the Department of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, is designed as a full-time, 12-month pre-doctoral internship providing interns with clinical training. Embracing a Scientist-Practitioner Model of education, interns utilize data-driven methods to provide high-quality assessments, interventions, and progress monitoring across a variety of clinical and community settings. The major goal of the internship is to provide an integrated, individually tailored, and coordinated series of learning experiences that will serve interns with a variety of opportunities. The internship offers major rotations in child and adolescent assessment and therapy, and a minor rotation in infant and early childhood assessment and intervention through the birth-three Early Steps Program.

Valerie Riddle, MD, associate dean for Morsani College of Medicine Alumni Engagement.

Valerie Riddle, MD, MCOM associate dean for Alumni Engagement, recently received a USF Health Culture Coin for her embodiment of what it means to be part of the USF Health team.  Arty Giallourakis, USF Health associate vice president and chief development officer, says Dr. Riddle “is without a doubt committed to USF, USF Health and the Morsani College of Medicine. She uses her professional expertise, her innate interest in people and her financial resources to support the university.  Dr. Riddle is a teacher, mentor, and co-worker for and with the students. Dr. Riddle has been a resource for the department to help us understand the concepts, applications and overall background of COVID-19.” Dr. Riddle received her coin from USF Health senior vice president and MCOM dean, Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, during a meeting on May 5.

Sarah Worth, associate director of communications and news for USF Health Communications and Marketing.

Sarah Worth, associate director for USF Health Communications and News, has been recognized by Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, with a Culture Coin for her outstanding achievement and tireless news coverage since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two months, Sarah has fielded more than 230 media inquiries and established invaluable relationships with outside media to keep the public informed of the latest news and information.

In addition to answering daily media requests from local, state and regional news outlets, Sarah has worked day and night to line up experts to represent USF Health in national outlets, including CNN, ESPN, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Forbes. Throughout the duration of the pandemic, Sarah has raised USF Health’s national profile by bringing attention to the many ways USF Health has been leading efforts to fight COVID-19 and keep patients safe. 

“Sarah’s work has been a tour de force of media, press, and writing,” Dr. Lockwood said. “She has truly done an amazing job, serving as an exemplar of positivity, initiative and professionalism in covering COVID-19.”

Throughout her distinguished career at USF Health, Sarah has embodied the values inherent to the organizational culture. She is resilient, collaborative, optimistic and demonstrates tenacious spirit during the toughest of times. Sarah leads the multi-media team by example with professionalism and integrity; and with her tremendous talent for developing stories and narratives, she elevates USF Health’s standing on the national stage. Sarah truly makes life better for the organization and the creative marketing and communications team. 

Amber Townsend was presented a Culture Coin on Aug. 19, 2021.

The first step for many USF Health patients is calling to schedule an appointment. That’s where Amber Townsend, a USF Health patient access manager, and her team enter the picture.

Townsend oversees all central scheduling functions in the main call center for USF Health, including inbound/outbound and referral services.

“What we do matters, and the service we provide makes all the difference,” she said.

Those efforts were rewarded on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, when Townsend received a Culture Coin from Mark Moseley, MD, chief medical officer at USF Health, along with Jennifer Johnson, director of USF Health call center operations, access and capacity management, and Daniel Gregg, USF Health’s chief access officer.

“Amber is the very embodiment of our USF culture,” Johnson said. “She cares so much for her team, and it is evident in their interactions that they feel the same for her.  We are so fortunate to have her as a part of our access and capacity leadership team.”

Amber Townsend was bought to tears after she was presented with a Culture Coin by USF Health chief clinical officer, Mark Moseley, MD.

Townsend was moved to tears as she received the award. “I am over-the-moon delighted to have been chosen for this recognition,” she said. “The feeling is indescribable.”

Townsend has been with USF Health since she was a teenager. Wanting to afford a cell phone, she started working at the after-hours answering service. Twenty-one years later, she said she is humbled by the opportunity to serve the patients, the practice and her overall team.

“No matter how large or small a part we play on this team, we all can make conscious decisions that will create lifelong positive impacts in the lives of those encounter daily,” Townsend said.

Amber Townsend (center) with Culture Coin along with Daniel Gregg, USF Health’s chief access officer and Jennifer Johnson, director of USF Health call center operations, access and capacity management.

Townsend was nominated after Jennifer Farrant, a USF Health department administrator, heard several compliments directed at Townsend about her passion, encouragement and leadership skills.

A USF medical engineering team placed first in a National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) competition for their Eucovent device that allows multiple patients to be treated with a single ventilator.

USF students Abby Blocker, Carolyna Yamamoto Alves Pinto, Jacob Yarinsky won the Steven H. Krosnick Prize from NIBIB’s annual Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge, earning the prize’s $20,000 award for the 2021 competition.

USF’s medical engineering program is a collaborative degree program for the College of Engineering and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of this student team, and their mentor Dr. Souheil Zekri, to receive this award in only the first full year of BME Capstone Projects here at USF,” said Robert Frisina, PhD, Distinguished University Professor and director of the Biomedical Engineering program. “In addition, their project dealt with a new, novel system for doubling the number of ventilators available, such an important issue during the pandemic.”

DEBUT is a team challenge hosted by NIBIB for undergraduate students in biomedical engineering or bioengineering programs. NIBIB selects winning teams for designs that excel according to four criteria: the significance of the problem being addressed; the impact on clinical care; the innovation of the design; and the ideation process or existence of a working prototype.

NIBB announced the DEBUT winners Aug. 25, and the USF team will be presented with their award during the annual Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) conference held in October.

The USF team’s design is called The Eucovent, a medical device that allows for multiple patients to be treated with a single ventilator, delivering different pressures and volumes to each patient from the same ventilator. The Eucovent addresses some of the safety concerns traditionally associated with co-ventilation and the device can be used in low resource scenarios such as rural areas, military settings, and natural disaster scenarios.

Pictured left to right: Gene Lunney, Franklin Whitaker, Lauren Danker, Amber Baboolal, Rafik Ammari, Diane Ray, Amber Cowan, Juanita Medina-Jimenez, Sabrinah Mackintosh, Sandra Gaitán.

Haru Okuda, MD, FACEP, FSSH, executive director of the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS), recognized a group of staff and faculty who played a critical role for the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic.  CAMLS closed temporarily in March 2020, then reopened in June 2020 to support the training of residents, fellows and medical students.  CAMLS coordinators and administrators, who are not clinically trained, stepped up to work the entrance to ensure the safety of all clients.  They asked screening questions, took temperatures, and enforced a strict mask mandate.

“They kept us all safe, and prevented any outbreaks at CAMLS.  This was outside of their duties since, due to the hiring freeze, we could not hire a front desk receptionist to do this work,” Dr. Okuda said in his nomination.  Dr. Okuda presented the group with culture coins for going above and beyond to ensure the safety and health of CAMLS and its customers.

Three USF Health medical students were selected to present their research for the upcoming American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2021, a prestigious international conference highlighting the latest discoveries in cardiovascular health.

Jiayuan (Jane) Murphy, a second-year student; Alexa Serino, a third-year student; and Ian Vargas, a fourth-year student; will deliver oral and poster presentations at the Nov. 13-15 AHA conference in Boston, MA.  Ji Li, PhD, professor of surgery and of molecular pharmacology and physiology was the USF Health Heart Institute faculty mentor for Murphy. Hua Pan, PhD, MBA, assistant professor of medicine, mentored both Serino and Vargas in her Heart Institute laboratory.

The projects of all these student researchers were supported in part by the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s Research, Innovation & Scholarly Endeavors (RISE) program.

Jiayuan Murphy, Med 2

Murphy’s AHA Scientific Sessions presentation is titled “Activated Protein C Protects Neurons from Alzheimer’s Disease-related Changes Through Reduction of Tau Hyperphosphorylation.”

Her study investigated whether and how a lack of activated protein C (APC) cell signaling may be associated with Alzheimer’s disease changes in the brain’s nerve cells.

The research team showed that APC could reduce cognitive deficiencies in spatial learning and memory seen in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. APC ultimately exerts this neuroprotective effect by decreasing hyperphosphorylated tau via a cell signaling pathway known as the AKT-GSK3β pathway, the researchers found. Tau, one of two hallmark proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathology, can form brain-damaging neurofibrillary tangles when it accumulates abnormally in hyperphosphorylated states.

Alexa Serino, Med 3

Serino’s AHA presentation is titled “Cerebral Small Vessel Disease is a Potent Independent Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Her study found that patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) — abnormalities related to small blood vessels in the brain — have an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. “With a more comprehensive understanding of these relationships, CSVD could serve for identifying the high-risk patient population in developing AD and provide an opportunity for early intervention,” the research abstract concludes.

Serino worked in Dr. Pan’s laboratory at the Heart Institute since her first year at MCOM and started the RISE project in summer 2020. Rahul Mhasker, PhD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and faculty director of RISE, also collaborated with Serino on this study.

Vargas’s AHA presentation is titled “Local Delivery of Thrombin Inhibiting Nanoparticles Preserves Cardiac Function and Modulates NLRP3 Inflammasome Processes in Acute Myocardial Infarction.”

Ian Vargas, Med 4

His study investigated the therapeutic mechanism of anti-thrombin nanoparticles in ischemia reperfusion injury after an acute heart attack. This study revealed that simultaneously anti-thrombosis and anti-inflammation protect cardiac function through preserving blood vessels in the heart. The anti-thrombin nanoparticles enable delivery of therapeutic payloads locally at the site of injury without interfering with physiological clotting function. The same anti-thrombin nanoparticles were reported in Vargas’s first author article recently published in Nanomedicine on preserving kidney function after the ischemia reperfusion injury.

Murphy, Serino and Vargas are among the approximately 95% of USF Health Morsani College of Medicine students who conduct research or other scholarly work through RISE.

“We have many academically talented medical students whose research interests are nurtured by the research programs across all four years at Morsani College of Medicine,” Dr. Pan said. “As a faculty mentor at the USF Health Heart Institute, I’d like to extend my appreciation to the donors of our Heart Institute. Their generosity will impact physician-scientist training for generations to come.”

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have often brought out the best in people. One of those is Jeremy Turkall, manager of educational and student affairs in the USF Health School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. Mr. Turkall recently received a Culture Coin for stepping up in March 2020 to be the school’s care and point person for Covid-19. His efforts included working long hours to ensure the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. This was in addition to his routine duties with the school, which include oversight of our educational and student affairs staff, admissions, marketing, alumni and community engagement.

Mr. Turkall was nominated for and awarded the Culture Coin by Douglas Haladay, DPT, PhD, Morsani College of Medicine associate dean and director of the school of physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences.

“Jeremy embodies the USF Health culture by routinely showing our values of respect, inclusion, excellence and passion for our students and programs,” Dr. Haladay said, later adding, “(He) has stepped up in a big way to help out with Covid-19 over the past 20 months.”

Mr. Turkall has continued to help students if they need to isolate because they believe they’ve been infected or if they become ill with COVID-19, while also working to provide academic continuity and a safe return to campus. During the peaks of the pandemic Mr. Turkall routinely shared USF and CDC guidance with our community, collaborated with Student Health Services on testing and isolation, and worked with faculty on safe practices and educational environments. He also worked closely with our clinical education team to ensure testing for integrated clinical experience and assisted our director of clinical education if any students had an exposure or tested positive during their clinical education.

In addition, Mr. Turkall helped cover many on-campus events for our students and even established “study breaks” during 2020 to give our students more time on campus to practice skills in a safe environment. These “study breaks” were strategically placed in schedules near exams and practicals. Mr. Turkall also provided students access to supplies and materials to practice and study on campus. In January 2021, both athletic training programs moved into the school, and Jeremy has worked to support their students and faculty during the pandemic as well.

Gina Lombardo had a big surprise in store when she logged on to the Outstanding Staff Awards ceremony on Sept. 23. She was named the USF Employee of the Year during the virtual ceremony.

“I was in complete shock and didn’t even realize that they announced my name until my name and picture popped up on the screen during the ceremony,” said Ms. Lombardo, who is the division administrator in the Pediatric Infectious Diseases/Pediatric Nephrology divisions in the USF Health Department of Pediatrics.

Gina Lombardo was named the 2021  Employee of the Year.

“I don’t do what I do for any recognition,” Ms. Lombardo continued. “I love my job and helping our patients and parents as well as providing support for our providers, nurses, case managers and staff is very rewarding.”

Ms. Lombardo was nominated by Dr. Carina Rodriguez, professor and chief for the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

“Gina has been the go-to person for multiple aspects of the department and divisions, always willing to help and bringing joy and positive attitude to the team,” Dr. Rodriguez said.

Ms. Lombardo’s responsibilities include supporting both Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. Valerie Panzarino, chief for the Division of Pediatric Nephrology. She also works with USF Health pediatric providers throughout the Tampa Bay region, coordinating clinical trials and managing grants.

“Every day is different for me, which I really enjoy,” Lombardo said.

Patricia Emmanuel, MD, who leads the USF Health Department of Pediatrics, called Ms. Lombardo “a smiling, calm and competent force” who has greatly eased some of the strain health care providers have faced in the past year because of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think this year more than any other we needed folks to step up and be a leader and Gina has done just that,” Dr. Emmanuel said. “She embodies the values of USF and practices them daily. She is always willing to assist, is a collaborative leader and is solution-oriented.”

The Outstanding Staff Awards is a university-wide program that is managed by the Department of Human Resources. The annual awards are one way to recognize staff who have excelled in their contributions to USF and USF Health. The categories of awards include individual, team and employee of the year.

Several other USF Health personnel were recognized for the 2021 outstanding individual achievements:

• Sandra Kennedy, Senior Biological Scientist, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
• Emily Kent, Project Manager, College of Nursing.
• Olivia Moon, Student Programs Manager, USF Health Shared Student Services
• Emily Pernas, Academic Services Administrator, Office of Educational Affairs.
• Jayme Smith, Staff Assistant, Department of Internal Medicine.
• Karolina Veprek, Faculty Services Administrator, College of Pharmacy

USF Health teams that were also recognized:

Department of Family Medicine:

• Greg Byrd, Assistant Director
• Anita Fanelli, Athletic Trainer
• Macy Franklin, Athletic Trainer
• Mike Guerdan, Athletic Trainer
• Amy Herran, Athletic Trainer
• Michele Latimer, Assistant Director
• Octavio Tobar, Athletic Trainer
• Steve Walz, Director
• Isabella Wild, Athletic Trainer

College of Medicine, HSC Office of Operations & Facilities, and Information Technology:

• Michael Andrews, Facility Manager
• Anthony Avila, Client Support Technician II
• Amy Hart, Academic Services Administrator
• Seema Martinez, Office Manager
• Andrea Matthews, Academic Services Administrator
• Emily Pernas, Academic Services Administrator

College of Nursing:

• Emily R. Kent, Project Manager
• Pranam Parsanlal, Senior Instructional Designer
• Vicente O. Saadeh, Media Technologist
• Jessica Samaniego, Communications & Marketing Manager
• Jean Vaccaro, Manager, Fiscal & Business Administration

Two USF Health Graduate Programs professors were recently recognized as 2021 Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor Award recipients by the USF Office of Graduate Studies.

– Yu Chen, PhD, associate professor, Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine

–  Jerome Breslin, PhD, professor, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (Honorable Mention)

The Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor Award recognizes graduate faculty who demonstrate the highest level of quality in the mentoring of graduate students in teaching, research and service.  Each year, the office recognize students, staff and faculty whose academic excellence and scholarly contribute significantly to the national and international reputation of USF.