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News & Events

In the Division

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Department of Medicine Celebrates Increased National Performance Rankings

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

US News & World Report released the results for the 2023-2024 Best Hospitals rankings, with Strong Memorial Hospital coming in at number one in the Rochester region! While the entire hospital celebrates this great news, the department of Medicine would like to recognize the divisions that host specialties and condition/procedures which received rankings: ALL of which greatly improved compared to last year.

“These improved rankings reflect the hard work and dedication of all of our faculty, APPs, staff, and trainees who contribute to the excellent care we provide,” said Ruth O’Regan, MD, chair of Medicine. “Our team is collaborative and innovative, paving the way for better patient outcomes. Thank you for all that you do.” 

*Note, the ranking is where we stand compared to all eligible hospitals across the U.S.

Specialty: Cancer

  • #196 / Improved ranking by 234 
  • High performing procedures and conditions:
    • Leukemia, lymphoma & myeloma
    • Colon cancer surgery
    • Lung cancer surgery
    • Prostate cancer surgery

Specialty: Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery

  • #140 / Improved ranking by 38
  • High performing procedures and conditions:
    • Heart attack
    • Aortic valve surgery
    • Heart failure

Specialty: Diabetes & Endocrinology

  • #197 / Improved ranking by 45
  • High performing procedures and conditions:
    • Diabetes

Specialty: Gastroenterology & GI Surgery

  • #124 / Improved ranking by 209
    • High performing specialty!
  • High performing procedures and conditions:
    • Colon cancer surgery

Specialty: Geriatrics

  • #259 / Improved ranking by 90

Specialty: Pulmonology & Lung Surgery

  • #70 / Improved ranking by 132
    • High performing specialty!
  • High performing procedures and conditions:
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
    • Lung cancer surgery
    • Pneumonia

Special Mention: Nephrology, high performing procedure and condition - kidney failure

There are many factors weighed to calculate the final score. Each division has a unique set of circumstances which led to their increased rank. Across the board, “mortality” scores improved: this score is based on 30-day survival rate of patients after being admitted to the hospital. The department of Medicine credits this increase to the in-depth collaboration of most specialties with the division of Hospital Medicine, led by Justin Hopkin, MD. This multidisciplinary approach can positively impact earlier diagnosis, coordinate care for complex patients, and transition patients to where they need to be in the hospital. Hopkin notes that there have been increased efforts in better recording of how sick patients are, which leads to more precise treatment plans. 

Another positive change has been the designation of URMC as an Age-Friendly Health System. As the hospital serves an increasingly large number of older patients across all specialties, the focus of Age-Friendly health care has had a positive impact on patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Hospital Medicine/General Medicine Present at Two Conferences, Introduce Rising Chief Residents

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Faculty from the divisions of Hospital Medicine and General Medicine, along with residents from the Internal Medicine program, attended Academic Internal Medicine Week earlier this month in Austin, Texas. This meeting is the premier conference in the US for faculty and staff from medical schools and teaching hospitals, offering courses, workshops, poster sessions, and networking events.

Workshops

Posters

Also in attendance at the conference were Christine Osborne, MD, Jennifer Readlynn, MD, Jenny Shen, MD.

One of the highlights of the conference is the Chief Residents Meeting, where the incoming chief residents can begin learning and networking before officially taking on the role in June. The DOM was excited to host rising chief residents Taylor Cox, MD, Anima Ghimire, DO, Piotr Karmilowicz, MD, and Sarah Rusnak, MD, for this meeting.

Later in April, faculty traveled to Burlington, VT, for the Northeast Group on Educational Affairs (NEGEA) Conference, where they gave two oral presentations:

Division of Hospital Medicine Share Work at SHM Converge

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

In March, the Society of Hospital Medicine gathered for its annual conference to share world-class education for hospitalists across the nation, including educational tracks, technological advances, academic research, and interactive workshops. Many of our residents and faculty from the divisions of Hospital Medicine and General Medicine presented their research in the Scientific Abstract Competition.

Abstract Presentations

Risk Factors for Escalation of Care from General Medical Units

Faculty: Yousaf Ali, MD, MS, Adam Bracken, MD

Ramadan Dietary Order Quality Improvement Initiative

Faculty: Conrad Gleber, MD, MBA, ;Jennifer Readlynn, MD, Julia Trumbo, MD, Amy Blatt, MD
IM Residents: Jessica Oribabor, MD, MS, Dean Salem, MD
Med/Peds Residents: Hannah Doyle, MD, Hayley Flanagan, MD
Food & Nutrition Services: Kathryn Schneider, RD

A Rare Cardiac Tumor Presenting as Flank Pain

Faculty: Ellie Garbade, MD

A Novel Tool for Diagnostic Reflection and Calibration

Faculty: Jennifer Readlynn, MD, Michael Rothberg, MD, Christopher Mooney, PhD, MPH, Ellie Garbade, MD, Valerie Lang, MD, MHPE, Catherine Glatz, MD, Brendan Robinson, DO (formerly of URMC)

Windows Into the Heart: Bilateral Endophthalmitis Due to Aggregatibacter Endocarditis

Faculty: Jenny Shen, MD
Ophthalmology Residents: Manasi Joshi, MD, Greg Sanda, MD
Med Student: Alexander Poulakis

But What Does Inclusion Look Like? Insights From Hospitalists

State of Research in Adult Hospital Medicine

Pediatric Hospital Policies for the Inpatient Care of Adults

Faculty: Ashley Jenkins, MD

Other conference highlights included Jennifer Readlynn, MD, who co-directed the Academic Hospitalist Leadership Summit, and Meghan Train, DO, who was honored as a Fellow in Hospital Medicine.

Valerie Lang named Associate Chair for Medical Education Research & Scholarship

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Valerie Lang, MD, MHPEThe department of Medicine has a strong dedication to medical education. The majority of faculty are clinician-educators, and the DOM has found great success in creating educational scholarship and presenting at the national level. Chair of Medicine, Ruth O’Regan, MD, recently announced the creation of the new position of associate chair for Medical Education Research & Scholarship, and named Valerie Lang, MD, MHPE as the inaugural associate chair.

Lang joined URMC in 2000, and is a professor of Medicine in the division of Hospital Medicine, and a professor of Clinical Nursing. She is already regarded as a superb educator for learners at all levels, and she has mentored students, residents, and junior faculty. She currently serves as director of the Hospital Medicine Faculty Development Program, and is the inaugural director of Meliora in Medicine. She has earned many awards, including the Harry L. Segal Prize for Third Year Teaching.

Brett Robbins, MD, vice chair for Education of the DOM, had a hand in the development of the new position. “Dr. Lang is the quintessential educational scholar,” says Robbins. “She has spent her career developing an amazing skillset. She has already become our most popular scholarly mentor for our educators. Her successes at the national level have garnered her a tenured professorship and a position on our department’s promotions committee.”

The new role gives educational scholarship a champion to focus and coordinate efforts at study design, grantsmanship, outcomes measurement, and dissemination. A major goal of the office is to expand the impact of DOM programs by supporting faculty and APPs who are conducting research and other forms of scholarship in medical education.

“I’m thrilled to launch this new role,” said Lang, “and grateful for the department’s support for our educators and educational scholars. Getting this office off the ground will mean learning more about what will enhance our faculty’s work. I’ll start by reaching out to each division to understand their specific needs. Our plans include the creation of a single point of entry where faculty at any stage of their scholarly work can reach out for support, whether they need a consultation or access to other resources. We also plan to expand our resources to support medical education scholars to design, conduct, and disseminate their work. I look forward to partnering with our medical educators, scholars, and leaders in research and DEI to move this work forward.”