Department News

Baumgart Named Fellowship Director for Hematology/Oncology

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Megan Baumgart, MD, was appointed to Fellowship Director for the division of Hematology/Oncology, effective April 1, 2024. She joined URMC faculty in 2014, and has spent the last decade devoted to patient care, research, and education, earning recognition along the way for her contributions.

She received an Annual Award for Outstanding Oncology Research. In 2019, she led the Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar. 

Baumgart's compassionate approach to patient care, coupled with her consistent efforts to organizational enhancement, sets her apart as an understanding caregiver and a leader in her field. Her involvement in mentoring programs, coupled with her significant role in shaping educational curricula as associate director, underscores her unwavering support for fostering the growth of future generations of medical professionals. Her active engagement in clinical research reflects her determination to enhancing the field.

“I have the greatest admiration for Megan as a scholar, clinician, and educator,” said Aram Hezel, MD, division chief of Hematology/Oncology. “It is her commitment and dedication to her patients and to progress through research that makes her such an effective teacher, and perfect example for our trainees. I'm grateful for Megan's contributions over the last decade to our division and cancer center and look forward to seeing the fellowship continue to flourish under her direction.”

Baumgart graduated from Albany Medical College in 2007, and completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital, followed by a fellowship in Medical Oncology at Yale New Haven Hospital.

The division thanks Carla Casulo, MD, for five years of leadership. Casulo is assistant director of Cancer Research Training and Education at the Wilmot Cancer Institute.

Geriatrics Division Has Strong Presence at Conference, Nelson Receives Prestigious Award

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Faculty members from the division of Geriatrics & Aging showcased their expertise at the annual meeting of the American Medical Director’s Association Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (AMDA PALTC), marking a notable presence and garnering accolades. Beyond contributing as speakers during sessions, the division had much to celebrate.

Jennifer Muniak, MD, and Katlyn McBride, MD, won first place in the Case Series/Case Reports poster category. Tim Holahan assumed his role as chair of the AMDA Public Policy Committee, solidifying the division’s influence in shaping industry policies.

And Dallas Nelson, MD, received the esteemed Medical Director of the Year award for her outstanding leadership of the UR Medicine Geriatrics Group. (Read the AMDA press release on her achievement, and watch this video featuring Nelson.) “I am honored to have received this recognition on a national level for the great work we are doing locally in the Rochester region,” she said. Nelson was also elected as secretary of the Board of Directors.

Jennifer Muniak presents her poster at AMDA

Dallas Nelson receives the Medical Director of the Year Award at AMDA

Division chief Annie Medina-Walpole, MD, said “Dr. Dallas Nelson has clearly demonstrated excellence as a medical director at the University of Rochester, both locally and nationally. Her leadership and contributions to the care of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, particularly during the pandemic, are commendable and noteworthy. She is well deserving of this prestigious award!”

Presentations by Speaker:

Timothy Holahan presents
at AMDA

• Brian McGarry, PhD: Award-Winning Research Sponsored by the Foundation for PALTC
• Jennifer Muniak, MD: Getting to Person-Centered Care for Older Adults with Obesity in PA-LTC
  • Poster: Implementing Ketamine in PA-LTC for a Patient with Chronic Pain (With Katlyn McBride, MD)
• Timothy Holahan, DO: Ethical Considerations in Applying Artificial Intelligence to Post-acute and Long-term Care
  • General Session III: Health Policy Update- Member of public policy committee panel
  • The Confident Trial: A Study to Increase Long Term Care Vaccine Confidence
• Sarah Howd, MD: Common Challenges in Assisted Living and How to Navigate Them, Parts 1 and 2
• Suzanne Gillespie, MD: The inside scoop: Secret to success across stages of a PA LTC
• Dallas Nelson, MD: Age-Inclusive Telehealth: What Is It and How Can We Achieve It?
  • Coding Changes that Impact Your PALTC Practice
  • General Session III with Holahan

Further details on each speaker and presentation can be found in the online conference program.

Match Day 2024: DOM Announces Incoming Residents

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

As the anticipation that comes from Match Day winds down, our attention now turns to the arrival of our future residents, eager to embark on the next step of their medical journey. 

Directed by Amy Blatt, MD, the Internal Medicine residency has the largest incoming group with 32 new physicians joining us from 15 different schools. Notably, seven of them are graduates from the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry. The program is also the host of adult neurology residents. 

Please welcome:

Categorical Internal Medicine: 25

• Jonathan Alessandrini – SUNY Upstate
• Alexander Chirokikh – University of Rochester
• Amanda Chow – University of Rochester
• Megan Cleary – Wright State University
• Michael Garone – SUNY Upstate
• Thomas Glozman – Albany Medical College
• Deepak John – New York Medical College
• Sarah Khan – Ohio State University
• Gregory Lawson – University of Nebraska
• Meghan Long – University at Buffalo
• Ronald Lott – Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Med
• Julia Mo – University of Rochester
• Ali Murra – Northeast Ohio Medical University
• Kenmarie Ng Brown – Ponce Health Sciences University
• Joseph Petroff – SUNY Upstate
• Avi Prajapati – University of Nebraska
• Manali Shah – West Virginia School of Osteopathic Med
• Olivia Sorci – University at Buffalo
• Kevin Sturr – Boston University
• Rahel Tekeste – University of Texas
• Ava Wexler – Hadassah Medical School
• Zachary Williamson – Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Med
• Katherine Woo – University of Rochester
• Jie Yin – Boston University
• Chase Yuan – Albany Medical College

Physician-Scientist Training Program: 2 

• Ian Mathews – University of California
• Matthew Rice – Hofstra University

Primary Care: 1

• Shelley Verma – University at Buffalo

Preliminary Interns: 4

• Adam Gargano – University at Buffalo
• Howard Kenney – University of Rochester
• Sue Qin – University of Rochester
• Anna Stolarczyk – University of Rochester

Adult Neurology: 8 

• Tameem Ahsan – Tufts University
• John Ciarletta – University at Buffalo
• Andrew Duffy – Thomas Jefferson University
• Benjamin Fang – University of Rochester
• Courtney Seigel – Indiana University
• Rachel Siegel – Emory University
• Samantha Tidd – Case Western Reserve University
• William Yakubik – University of Vermont 

Brett Robbins, MD, led the Medicine/Pediatrics program for 25 years before his recent appointment to senior associate dean for Graduate Medical Education. “During his tenure there have been extensive changes in the practice of medicine and the structure of medical education,” said Ruth O’Regan, MD, chair of Medicine, “and he has met all of these challenges with the flexibility, creativity, determination, and compassion that he has worked so hard to instill in the hundreds of physicians he has trained and mentored.”

Erica Miller, MD, was named director of the Med/Peds program. Having completed her own residency and fellowship at URMC, Miller joined our faculty in 2018 and serves as associate program director for the Cardiovascular Disease fellowship. "Leading our Med/Peds Residency program is a tremendous honor," said Miller. "I'm eager to collaborate with our incoming intern class and our exceptional residency program team, continuing the tradition of excellence that shaped my own journey."

Please welcome the incoming Med/Peds residents:

• Emily Briceno – Loma Linda University School of Medicine 
• Marco Caiola – Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo 
• Layton Camren – Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine 
• David Deleon – New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Brian Garcia Valdez – Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
• Omotara Ogundeyi – William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Julie Self – Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Louisiana Campus
• Anna Yolitz – University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine 

Meet the 2024 Internal Medicine and Medicine/Pediatrics Residents

Kaul Appointed as Secretary General of the WGO

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Vivek Kaul, MD, professor of Medicine, was elected by the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) Governing Council as its new secretary general, where he will also serve on the Executive & Finance committees.

The WGO is a global federation of 119 countries and their leading GI societies, and has active collaborations in place with the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). The WGO represents over 60,000 members worldwide. Established in 1958, the WGO is the leading international organization for Gastroenterology & Hepatology related education, training, and clinical practice guidance. Through its 24 international training centers, journal and guideline documents, the World congresses and the highly acclaimed TTT (Train the Trainer) workshops, the WGO serves its missions in close collaboration with national societies globally.

Prior to his current appointment, Kaul served as the immediate past chair of the WGO Endoscopy committee and also co-founded the Emerging Leaders Mentorship Program (ELMP) that pairs renowned mentors worldwide with interested mentees (especially from low resource environments) for their professional development. Kaul also serves on the WGO climate change working group and is a member of the WGO “Green Endoscopy” task force.

“I am very excited, honored, and humbled to represent URMC, NY, and the USA in this role. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to help increase our global engagement, visibility, and footprint. I look forward to partnering with University leadership to further our international missions,” Kaul said.

His four-year term began on January 1, 2024, and during this time Kaul will serve as a WGO liaison to international GI societies and work closely with the WGO president Geoffrey Metz (Australia) and president-elect Carolina Olano (Uruguay) to help develop future strategy across all missions of this organization.

Godishala Named Medical Director of Advanced Heart Failure Inpatient Services

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Anu Godishala, MD, assistant professor of Cardiology, was appointed medical director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program Inpatient Services and the 4-3400 Unit. She was also named Director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Program. She joined URMC in 2020.

The Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology program at URMC is distinguished as the only cardiac transplantation center in NY outside the New York City area. This group performed nearly 40 transplants in 2023, and over 350 since the program’s inception. URMC is also one of the top five largest LVAD implant centers in the United States. 

Leway Chen, MD, MPH, director of the Heart Failure and Transplantation Program, said “We are very pleased to have Dr. Godishala in this new role. I look forward to her leadership on patient safety in all aspects of transitions of care. Dr. Godishala is a rising star in the advanced heart failure field, and truly an invaluable member of our team!”

Godishala said “As the medical director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program Inpatient Services, QI, and Patient Safety, I am proud to continue the mission, tradition, and vision of Dr. Leway Chen and the entire AHF team to provide the highest level, specialized care to our diverse population of advanced heart failure patients from across New York and neighboring states.”

She plans to improve the quality and efficiency of care through alignment with the most up-to-date medical guidelines, streamlined communication between multidisciplinary providers, better incorporation of ancillary service members, and renewed focus on individual patient priorities and goals. One of her specific objectives over the short term is to address vulnerabilities that arise during patient care transitions, both within the hospital as well as from the inpatient to outpatient settings.