Dr. Summer Allen needs someone to tell her that if she feeds her 3-year-old Cheetos for breakfast, it's just fine and she's not alone. No judging necessary.

She and a large group of busy physician mommies at the University of Mississippi Medical Center are getting support and affirmation from 45,000 colleagues who are members of the Physician Moms Group on Facebook. The closed group includes members worldwide who weigh in on any number of topics, from stress to strep to style.

“If you have questions about your child and don't know the answer, you get 45,000 doctors who can contribute,” said Allen, a pulmonary critical care fellow. “You might get 10 dermatologists who answer your question about your child's rash.”

Perhaps a cardiologist or radiologist will relate to your occasional need to make Cheetos a breakfast food. “I'd feel like I'm a mommy fail,” Allen said. “Then someone says, 'I let my child eat cookies for breakfast.' ”

The Facebook group takes inspiration from Physicians Working Together, a national grass-roots organization that provides education on the challenges facing the medical profession and its impact on patient care. The group on Feb. 3 joined the Physician Moms Group and other prominent medical organizations in celebrating the first National Women Physicians Day.

Feb. 3 is the birthday of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to graduate from a medical school in the United States. Physicians Working Together is “enthusiastic about the future of women in our profession because of the numerous breakthroughs and progress in the medical and research fields, and our commitment to mentor the next generation of women physicians to reach their full potential in the various areas of health care,” said Dr. Kim Jackson, founder and president of Georgia-based Physicians Working Together.

Three dollars and 30 cents. That was the cost of the prescription - for one drop. 

One drop per night. One bottle per month. $99 per bottle.

The woman who needed it had no medical insurance and very little income; she was too young to qualify for Social Security. And glaucoma was threatening to blind her in one eye.

Hearing her story, her physician reached into a supply of bottles and drew out a handful. She told the woman to take them home. No charge. A few months later, this happened again.

Which may be all you need to know about Dr. Toni Jill Bertolet. But there's much more.

Music lovers will have a chance to hear one of America's greatest musicians and support Alzheimer's disease research at a benefit concert featuring a living legend, Brian Wilson.

An award-winning singer-songwriter and co-founder of the Beach Boys, Wilson will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 28 at Thalia Mara Hall in downtown Jackson in what is expected to be a sold-out concert.

Wilson, along with fellow Beach Boy Al Jardine, will bring a little bit of California to Mississippi when he performs some of America's most loved classics during the concert to benefit the MIND (Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia Research) Center, a national leader in Alzheimer's research and patient care at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Tickets go on sale at 10:00 a.m., Friday Feb. 19 at http://www.ardenland.net. Ticket prices range from $29.50 - $119.50.

“Brian Wilson's remarkable creativity has gifted the world with so much wonderful music. He will help us shine a light on Alzheimer's and the funds raised will help us accelerate the pace of discovery towards effective treatments,” said Dr. Tom Mosley, director of the MIND Center.

Proceeds from the concert, presented by Trustmark Bank, will support the MIND Center's research, diagnostic and outpatient care programs. Mosley and his team lead one of the largest and most comprehensive studies ever conducted to identify risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related forms of cognitive decline.

“The huge toll to patients and families, and not to mention the economic impact of dementing illnesses like Alzheimer's disease, cannot be overstated,” Mosley said.

Since 2010 the MIND Center has brought together some of the nation's leading medical institutions to study factors from mid-life that may predict brain and cognitive changes later in life. The study uses data collected from nearly 16,000 individuals over more than 25 years. This enables MIND Center scientists to look back in time and identify factors associated with the development of dementia.  

The MIND Center Clinic opened in 2014 on UMMC's campus to offer diagnosis and leading-edge outpatient treatment for patients experiencing memory loss and cognitive impairment.

“The MIND Center is an important program to the state of Mississippi,” said Ambassador John Palmer, chair of the MIND Center's advisory board. “Not only is the Center conducting groundbreaking research and bringing critical memory care services to individuals and families battling Alzheimer's disease, it also contributes positively to our economy by attracting significant federal research dollars and top research talent to Mississippi.”

The Medical Center is proud to announce the following additions to its faculty and leadership staff:

The University of Mississippi Medical Center garnered $3,649,018 from 26 new grants and awards in November and December 2015.

The following faculty obtained the largest awards during the period (note: award amounts are calculated as annual figures):