ALBANY MED

TODAYKNOWN FOR OUR EXPERTISE. CHOSEN FOR OUR CARE.

Pedlow Honored as ‘Pillar’Bernadette Pedlow, FACHE, RN, MS, who served for 15 years as Albany Medical Center’s senior vice president for hospital business services and hospital chief operating officer, received one of Albany Med’s highest honors, the Pillars Award, in June. The award is given annually by Albany Med to individuals who epitomize the spirit of the Medical Center and whose sustaining work and contributions reflect the essential community-based nature of its mission.

amc.edu/BestInRegion Share your Albany Med story #MyLifeline.

Brenda Graves, 17, AlbanyPatient, Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center

Known for our Expertise. Chosen for our Care.

“ Best hospital? Albany Med.”

Albany Med Named “Best Hospital” in

Times Union reader poll

VOLUME 11 NUMBER 7 | JULY 2016

Dr. Amit Chopra Receives Syed Haqqie ‘Attending-of-the-Year Award’

Amit Chopra, MD, an attending physician and assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, has been selected to receive the Syed Haqqie Attending-of-the- Year Award.

He was chosen by graduating residents in the Internal Medicine training program at Albany Medical College, who were asked to select a faculty member who has meaningfully influenced their training by demonstrating exceptional clinical, educational and professional skills.

Dr. Chopra is the first recipient of the award. While an Attending of the Year honor has been bestowed annually to a physician in the Internal Medicine training program for more than 30 years, residents recently requested the award be renamed in memory of the late

Syed Haqqie, MD, a beloved nephrologist and professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, who passed away suddenly in March.

Dr. Chopra was praised by residents for providing exceptional guidance in the Medical Intensive Care Unit, where he oversees patient care and trains residents in critical care medicine. He also mentors residents on research projects, many of which have been presented at national meetings and published in medical and scientific journals.

The Spine Center Opens at Albany MedTeam of Varied Specialists Offers State-of-the-Art CareThe Spine Center at Albany Medical Center opens its doors in the new Myrtle Avenue medical office building in July, where it will provide comprehensive treatment to the many in our region who suffer from spinal conditions, disorders, deformities and back pain.

The Spine Center’s providers are a multidisciplinary team of Albany Med specialists that include neurosurgeons, spine surgeons, pain and rehabilitation specialists, anesthesiologists, psychologists, radiologists and nurse practitioners. Together, they will provide patients with a comprehensive analysis of the source of their pain and work to implement the most beneficial treatment plans.

“Having everyone under one roof allows us to combine our knowledge,” said orthopaedic surgeon Allen Carl, MD. “We have a team of very practiced, very gifted specialists here, many of whom are doing pioneering research that helps advance the understanding of spinal and musculoskeletal health.”

As the region’s only academic medical center, Albany Med is staffed by physicians who not only care for patients, but also conduct research and train medical students, residents and fellows.

“This perspective enhances the level of care we offer,” Dr. Carl said.

The specialists at The Spine Center

treat a broad range of conditions that include scoliosis, complex spine disorders, disc herniations, spinal tumors and fractures, back strain, spinal deformities, vertebral fractures, and neuropathic and spinal pain.

Back pain is a very common ailment, with 80 percent of adults experiencing low back pain at some point in their lifetimes.

Anesthesiologist Ravneet Bhullar, MD, director of the Division of Chronic Pain Management, said, “We have six physicians who specialize in pain management with backgrounds in both anesthesia and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

“While The Spine Center will offer a full range of surgical treatments and services to patients,” Dr. Bhullar said, “we will also offer non-surgical options, such as interventional pain management for both spine and non-spine pain-related conditions, as well as recommendations from a physical and behavioral medicine perspective.”

An open house will be held at The Spine Center at the end of July when members of the public and community partners can tour the center, meet the providers, ask questions and learn more about what the center offers.

The Spine Center is located at 391 Myrtle Ave., Suite 1B, in Albany.

Some of the providers and staff at Albany Med’s Spine Center

Dr. Amit Chopra

For more information, please call 518.264.2225 (BACK).

2 | ALBANY MED TODAY | JULY 2016

N E W S A N D N O T E S

Jennifer Earle Miller, MD, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, has a forthcoming chapter on joint injections in “Principles and Practice of Pain Medicine,” which will be released by McGraw-Hill in September.

Katherine MacNamara, PhD, left, assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbial Disease, has received a two-year grant from the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation that will support her research on the role of macrophages in aplastic anemia. Dr. MacNamara also received a Careers in Immunology Fellowship from the American Association of Immunologists. The fellowship will help support the work of Julianne Smith, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in her lab.

Angel Rios, MD, FAAP, professor in the Department of Pediatrics and director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, was elected to serve as the American Academy of Pediatrics’ District II Perinatal-Neonatal Representative. He will work to advance the section’s mission to improve the health of babies and mothers through the sponsorship of programs that encourage the professional growth of neonatal-perinatal providers, foster improved clinical care delivery, and support research, education and fundraising efforts.

Rohan Samarakoon, PhD, left, assistant professor in the Department of Regenerative and Cancer Cell Biology (RCCB), led a research study that was recently published in The FASEB Journal. Paul Higgins, PhD, professor and co-chair of the RCCB, served as a principal investigator of the study, which was co-authored by Alexandra Rehfuss, MD, and Sevann Helo, MD, residents in the Division of Urology, and Nidah Khakoo, ’18. The study, which examined the pathological role of loss of expression

of the protein phosphatase PPM1A in renal fibrosis, has the potential to influence new treatment approaches for patients with chronic kidney disease.

Pamela Sawchuk Brown, left, vice president for community development, was honored at the Capital Region Sponsor-A-Scholar 2016 Graduation Celebration in June. Sawchuk Brown has been instrumental in working with the program to provide students in the Albany, Schenectady and Troy public high schools with academic enrichment at Albany Med.

Emily Wright, RN, BSN, MS-MBA, clinical nurse manager at Malta Med Emergent Care, and her

fellow caregivers are the recipients of the Northeast New York Professional Nurses Organization’s Teamwork Recognition Award. Earlier this year, Wright wrote an essay describing the collaborative spirit and clinical excellence of the nurses and staff at Malta Med, garnering her team the award.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTHadiyah Audil, ’19, and Rani Berry, ’17, made a first-place sweep in the abstract poster competition in the research and clinical vignette categories at the New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians’ Annual Meeting in June. Audil won in the medical student research category; Berry placed first in the medical student clinical vignette category.

Ankur Shah, ’18, gave a podium presentation at the American Urological Association’s Annual Meeting in San Diego in May. He compared the costs of using new laser technology to treat enlargement of the prostate with traditional surgery using a resectoscope, a commonly used procedure to treat the condition.

Christopher Di Capua, a student in the Albany Medical College/Union College Leadership in Medicine Program, recently appeared in the Westchester Magazine feature “30 Under 30” Business Professionals of 2016. Di Capua and his brother, John, a medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, created a now-patented medical device that delivers oxygen to a person receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation following cardiac arrest.

A Ride for Diabetes ResearchAn intrepid team of cyclists from Albany Med participated in the 2016 Saratoga Springs Tour de Cure in June, raising more than $15,000 for the American Diabetes Association. Despite the wet weather, Albany Med’s riders finished strong. Team captain Arup De, MD, MBA, (above, second left), chief of the Division of Anesthesiology at South Clinical Campus, admitted he imagined a storm-inspired playlist while making the ride with songs that included Prince’s “Purple Rain” and “Blame It On the Rain,” by Milli Vanilli.

22nd Annual Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Update

Thursday, July 21, 2016 The Saratoga Hilton, Saratoga Springs

The Department of Medicine, the Division of Allergy and Immunology, and the Office of Continuing Medical Education

will host this state-of-the-art review of major clinical developments in the field. The conference will highlight five main topics:

food allergies, allergic dermatitis, immunogenetics of primary immunodeficiency syndromes, drug allergies, and asthma management and monitoring. The program is designed for

allergists, internists, primary care physicians, family practitioners, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and residents. Nurses and allied health practitioners, medicine, pediatric and family practice

residents are welcome to attend. For more information, please contact the Office of Continuing Education at (518) 262-5828.

To purchase tickets, please visit https://community.amc.edu/LightUpTheNight

Homegrown GraduatesIn June, Albany Med honored 11 new RN staff who participated in the “Grow Our Own” program. Funded by generous donations from KeyBank, Stewart’s Shops and the Lozier Family—and created to help hospital employees who want to pursue a career in nursing—the program participants receive support that includes financial assistance with tuition and paid time off to study and take classes

toward an associate degree in nursing in exchange for a commitment to work at Albany Med following graduation. This year’s graduates, who recently completed their nursing degrees at Hudson Valley Community College and Maria College, are among more than 150 employees who have graduated from the program since its inception in 2004.

Vol. 11, No. 7July, 2016

Albany Med Today is published monthly by the Department of Policy, Planning and Communications at Albany Medical Center. Comments and story suggestions can be directed to Public Relations at (518) 262-3421 or albanymedcommunications @mail.amc.edu.

ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER OFFICERS

JAMES J. BARBA, JDPresident and Chief Executive Officer

STEVEN M. FRISCH, MDSenior Executive Vice President for the Integrated Delivery System

VINCENT VERDILE, MDThe Lynne and Mark Groban, M.D. ’67, Distinguished Dean of Albany Medical College and Senior Executive Vice President for System Care Delivery

GEORGE T. HICKMAN Executive Vice President for System Information and Data Services and Chief Information Officer

GARY J. KOCHEMExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

FRANCES SPREER-ALBERT Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

FERDINAND VENDITTI, MDExecutive Vice President for System Care Delivery and Hospital General Director

COURTNEY BURKESenior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer

JOHN DEPAOLAExecutive Associate Dean of Albany Medical Collegeand Chief Administrative Officer for System Care Delivery

LOUIS FILHOUR, PHD, RNChief Executive Officer for Albany Medical Center Hospital’s Performing Provider System

CATHERINE HALAKANSenior Vice President for Human Resources

LEE R. HESSBERGSenior Vice President and General Counsel

NOEL HOGANSenior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer

KEVIN M. LEYDENSenior Vice President for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships

DENNIS P. MCKENNA, MDSenior Vice President for Medical Affairs and System Chief Medical Director

MOLLY NICOL Senior Vice President for Development and Communications

HENRY POHL, MDVice Dean for Academic Administration

KATHLEEN ROCHE, RN, MSSenior Vice President and System Chief Nursing Officer

ROBERT WELCH Senior Vice President for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services

ALBANY MED TODAY | JULY 2016 | 3

Earlier this spring, the Tri-City India Association and the Hindu Cultural Center hosted its first Health and Wellness Fair at the Hindu Cultural Center (HCC) in Loudonville. Albany Med physicians, caregivers, staff and students were all on hand to share valuable health information with attendees through lectures, wellness booths, health checks and one-on-one conversation. Thanks to the hard work of Manjula Salgam, MBBS, research manager in the Division of Endocrinology, who helped organize the event, specialists in cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology, OB/GYN, ophthalmology, tobacco cessation and other disciplines were able to share their knowledge with participants.

In March, Albany Med anesthesiologists provided much-needed support to patients undergoing surgery at King’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Under the auspices of Albany Med’s International Medical Mission Program, anesthesiologists Nathapong Arunakal, MD, Yarnell LaFortune, MD, and Victoria Sokoliuk, DO, a resident in the

Department of Anesthesiology, travelled to the Caribbean republic—one of many mission trips the program, which was established by Archana Mane, MD, supports. In May, Sharon Lee, MD, travelled to Western Kenya, where she provided anesthesia to patients at Tenwek Hospital, one of the largest mission hospitals in Africa.

Tariq Gill, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Radiology, and a team of imaging professionals recently returned from a trip to Tanzania where they spent the week at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, the only academic medical

center in Tanzania. It was their sixth visit to the East African country. Dr. Gill is the founder and director of Radiologists without Borders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing imaging solutions to medically underserved populations worldwide. Through ongoing support from Hologic, a global manufacturer of equipment in women’s health care, the group has been instrumental in establishing the very first breast cancer screening program for the general public in both Tanzania and Honduras.

Some of the Albany Med physicians who spoke at the Health Fair at the HCC.

Dr. Victoria Sokoliuk in Haiti.

From left: Dr. Kallanna Manjunath and Dr. Manjula Salgam.

Albany Med: Caring for Our Community and BeyondAlbany Med’s physicians and caregivers often travel beyond the borders of the Medical Center, offering help and healing to our local neighbors—and to those who live farther afield. Here are just a few recent examples of the way Albany Med has extended its reach into the world community:

Dr. Tariq Gill (center) in Tanzania.

Albany Medical Center Foundation43 New Scotland Avenue (Mail Code 119)Albany, New York 12208(518) 262-3322 Fax (518) 262-4769Email: development@mail.amc.eduwww.amc.eduChange Service Requested

4 | ALBANY MED TODAY | JULY 2016

C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S … AT A L B A N Y M E D

Albany Med and The Palace Present a Summer of MoviesAlbany Medical Center is partnering with the Palace Theatre in Albany

to present eight free, family-friendly movies to children and families from neighborhoods around the city. The movie series, which runs once a week in July and August, provides children the opportunity to enjoy the excitement and beauty of the historic Palace Theatre while offering safe and positive

opportunities to become engaged in the arts. For this series, the Palace opens one hour prior to show time when Albany Med will host fun, health-related experiences. Free popcorn will be provided to all children under age 12 by SEFCU. Free tickets are available at the Palace box office, 19 Clinton Ave., Albany, Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., by calling (518) 465-4663 ext. 127, or online at www.palacealbany.com. Join us this summer!

Twins ‘Pay It Forward’ at a Very Special Birthday Party When Melodies Center patient Isabella Bruno (holding cake) and her twin brother, Zach, were brainstorming party themes for their 10th birthday this year, an unusual idea came to them: how about The Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Med? As an infant, Isabella was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer that strikes children (Zach was unaffected by the disease). The Bruno family was living in California then, where, at just three weeks old, Isabella underwent surgery to have a tumor near her kidney removed. Shortly afterward, the Brunos relocated to Queensbury to be closer to family and, since then, Isabella has received critical follow-up treatment at the Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. Today she is cancer-free, and, this year, inspired by the physicians, nurses and staff who have cared for her, Isabella and Zach hosted a Melodies Center-themed birthday party for their friends. In lieu of gifts for themselves, the twins asked their guests to bring presents for patients at the Melodies Center.

A Team With HeartFrancis Ferdinand, MD, center, chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and members of the division’s OR staff (pictured) were among the Albany Med staffers who participated in the American Heart Association’s 2016 Capital Region Heart Walk in June. Their team, the Albany Med Heart Fixers—along with four canine companions—made the three-mile course walk around the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Albany Med and the American Heart Association are united in their goal to defeat heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

MoviesFamilyFree