GI News

• To expand our reach, UMass Memorial is looking at effective ways to use telemedicine technology. An upcoming collaboration is with the Federal Medical Center Devens, a correctional facility on the former Fort Devens (Ayer) property housing male offenders requiring long-term health care. A satellite facility houses minimum security male inmates. To reduce the need to bring prisoners to our Medical Center, this July we launch a telemedicine effort to provide selected gastroenterology services remotely. The effort is under the direction of Dominic Nompleggi, MD, and John Levey, MD, chief and clinical chief of gastroenterology respectively. (News & Views, June 29, 2009)

• The Endoscopy Center at 21 Eastern Avenue held an open house this week to showcase its facility. Staff gave tours and answered visitors' questions about services provided. The state-of-the-art center makes care more accessible for patients, offers free parking and highly skilled, expert physicians and staff. Participants in the ribbon cutting included: Andy Sussman, MD, chief operating officer; Sharon Hylka, senior vice president; Dominic Nompleggi, MD, PhD, chief of gastroenterology; Carol Kemp, MBA, RN, director of endoscopy and GI Clinic; and Walter Ettinger, MD, president. (News & Views, June 19, 2009)

• Two UMMS Leaders named Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine fellows – Deborah M. DeMarco, MD (Medicine) & Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD (Gastroenterology, Medicine) have been named fellows of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. The nation’s only in-depth program focused on preparing senior women faculty at schools of medicine and dentistry to affect positive change. ELAM is a core program of Drexel’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership. (Drexel University Press Release, June 8, 2009; see announcement in PDF)

• Dr. Kanishka Bhattacharya, associate director of endoscopy at UMass Memorial, assistant professor of medicine at UMMS, and Dr David Cave MD PhD, assistant professor of medicine and program director of the gastroenterology fellowship at UMMS, made the local news in a story about a new weightloss study called the 'TOGA (transoral gastroplasty) study'. (Worcester Telegram and Gazette, June 3, 2009) (link)