News Reports: Top Stories
Farewell to Joseph Craver, MD, one of the original architects of Emory's excellence in cardiothoracic surgical care
June 2022
Joseph Craver, MD, was 81 years old when he passed away on June 2, 2022, and while we at the Department of Surgery are deeply saddened by his loss, we feel blessed to have been associated with his path of profound service. Back in the day, before he retired from Emory in 2005, his virtuoso whistling could be heard rising and receding as he walked the halls of Emory University Hospital, soundtracking his journey to and from operating rooms or patient visits, doing what he was born to do.
Luke Brewster and Olamide Alabi's efforts to combat diabetes featured in VA video
May 2022
Olamide Alabi, MD, and Luke Brewster, MD, PhD, are featured in a video produced by the VA Office of Research and Development. The video focuses on diabetes care in veterans and the work for a cure, portraying Dr. Alabi's dedication to lessening rates of lower extremity amputation for veterans with diabetes, particularly veterans of color, and Dr. Brewster's work to develop novel therapeutic agents for regenerative therapies as examples of discovery and innovation aimed at improving veterans' lives.
Jessica Harding will use HSRC Pilot Grant to study gender disparities in access to transplant
May 2022
Epidemiologist Jessica Harding, PhD, is the recipient of the 2022 Emory Health Services Research Center Pilot Award, which she will apply to identifying factors associated with gender disparities in access to transplantation among patients with end-stage kidney disease. Preliminary data suggests that gender disparities occur early in the successive steps to receive a transplant, with women being 14% less likely to be referred to a transplant center and 6% less likely to have started the transplant evaluation process compared to men in the Southeastern U.S.
Felipe Maegawa is first author of a significant study of patient frailty's impact on post-hepatectomy outcomes
April 2022
In the first study of its kind, published online by HPB, general and hepatopancreatobiliary surgeon Felipe Maegawa, MD, and co-authors from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center found that patient frailty can be a strong predictor of 30-day post-hepatectomy complications, and that incorporating frailty into the established predictive models could improve surgical outcomes.
In Memoriam: H. Harlan Stone, MD
April 2022
Harry Harlan Stone, MD, passed away on April 7, 2022, at the age of 92. Dr. Stone was a member of the Department of Surgery from 1962-1983, and played a foundational role in building the department's symbiotic relationship with Grady Memorial Hospital as the director of the Grady Burn Unit from 1965-1983, and both Grady Pediatric Surgery and the Grady Trauma Service from 1968-1983.
Steven Roser honored with 2022 ACOMS Humanitarian Award
March 2022
Steven Roser, DMD, MD, whose commitment to global surgery and addressing healthcare gaps in low resource environments is informed by vast experience and ongoing efforts, has been selected to receive the 2022 Humanitarian Award of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (ACOMS). Dr. Roser has participated in 35 mission trips to Columbia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Thailand, Bolivia, and Haiti, and served in numerous organizational roles working to expand and enhance training, education, and research initiatives related to global surgery. His most recent Emory-based project in this area is the Emory Global Perioperative Health Group, a multidisciplinary partnership dedicated to coordinating Emory's efforts to implement sustainable improvements to perioperative and emergency services in low resource settings throughout the world. For a detailed testimonial describing why Dr. Roser is so deserving of the ACOMS award, read the award announcement/tribute written by Gary Bouloux, MD, DDS, Chief of the Emory Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, in the Winter 2022 ACOMS Review.
Read Dr. Bouloux's Testimonial >>
Theresa Gillespie will use SOM I3 Wow! Research Award to unify health disparities research at Emory
March 2022
Theresa W. Gillespie, PhD, MA, BSN, has been selected to receive Emory's Imagine, Innovate, and Impact (I3) WOW! Research Award. Her project will work to cut across divisions between disciplines at Emory and their self-contained studies of health disparities among Georgia populations, creating a new organizational structure that will facilitate novel collaborations between departments and schools involving disparities studies in the state, and a common approach to training a new generation of disparities researchers.
J. David Vega elected OPTN/UNOS Region 3 Associate Councilor
February 2022
J. David Vega, MD, professor of surgery and surgical director of the heart transplant program at Emory University Hospital, has been elected associate councilor of Region 3 of the United Network for Organ Sharing. He was elected to this position by other transplant and organ donation professionals in Region 3, which encompasses Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. His tenure will begin in July 2022 and last through 2024.
Randi Smith appointed Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Department of Surgery
January 2022
Randi N. Smith, MD, MPH, has been appointed the inaugural Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Department of Surgery. In this role, Dr. Smith will provide vision and leadership as the department enacts a national model for advancing multiplicity, egalitarianism, and a welcoming culture in the field of surgery. Her special interests include violence prevention, global surgery, and clinical outcomes with a focus on understanding the social determinants of health that lead to trauma and health disparities.
