Q Award recipient, Southern Remedy garner accolades

What do a radiology professor, the Southern Remedy television show and a dentistry professor have in common? They all collected awards recently.  

Radiologist receives quarterly quality honor

Dr. Vani Vijayakumar, professor of radiology, recently receives Quality Administration's Q Award from Dr. Timothy McCowan, chair of radiology, during a recent ceremony.

Presented quarterly, the Q Award is given to a Medical Center physician who promotes quality and improves patient safety.

Vijayakumar received several nominations for the award. One cited her for her radiation safety advocacy.

"Dr. Vani has recently changed our pediatric radioactive dosing tool to ensure the patients get the absolute lowest exposure to radiation, but optimal imaging," said a nuclear medicine manager.

Another nomination touted Vijayakumar's helpful nature.

"Repeatedly, Dr. Vani has been willing to re-work her schedule if accommodating a patient was involved," said an endocrinology nurse. "Dr. Vani has always helped to take care of our patients appropriately and safely, even if she was inconvenienced . . . Above all else, I consistently see her goal as taking proper care of the patient."

The third nomination credited Vijayaku,mar's patience.

"Her willingness to spend extra time in reviewing patients' history as she interprets the images should not be overlooked," a nuclear medicine staff member said. "Dr. Vani provides the staff with knowledge of why we do the extra steps she asks of us. This is important to the team-building relationship we pride ourselves on achieving.

To nominate a physician for the Q Award, select the "Q Award" link under the UMMC Yellow Pages on the UMMC Intranet.

Southern Remedy TV show draws national recognition

Two television episodes of the medical series Southern Remedy, produced by Mississippi Public Broadcasting with support from the Medical Center, recently earned distinctions.

"Southern Remedy: Living with HIV" was accepted into the 2015 Crossroads Film Festival. The hour-long special will be screened at the festival at locations around Jackson and Madison on Saturday, April 11, along with other Mississippi-made films.

Southern Remedy also received its first Bronze Telly Award from the Silver Telly Council for its program, "Southern Remedy: Childhood Immunizations." The award recognizes creative achievement in television broadcasting.

Southern Remedy is hosted and produced by Dr. Rick deShazo, UMMC distinguished professor of medicine and pediatrics.

SCDA selects dentistry professor for service award

Holder

Dr. Ray Holder, professor of dentistry, Department of Advanced General Dentistry, received the Lawrence J. Chasko Distinguished Service Award from the Special Care Dentistry Association (SCDA) at its annual meeting March 27 in Denver, Colorado.

The award recognizes an individual who demonstrates service to SCDA in hospital dentistry that is far beyond the customary expectations of his or her elected or appointed position, and who has had noteworthy achievements at the local, regional or national level that support and promote the mission and goals of SCDA.

Holder was selected for embodying the finest qualities of character, dedication and ethical standards exemplified by Lawrence J. Chasko, a longtime SCDA supporter.