UMMC garners regional, national recognition

Published on Monday, December 11, 2023

By: Patrice Guilfoyle, pguilfoyle@umc.edu

Medical Center faculty and staff often are recognized regionally, nationally and internationally for their academic or medical achievements. These accolades place UMMC among health science centers worldwide.

UMMC hosted 10th annual Oncologic Reconstruction Course

The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine hosted the 10th annual Oncologic Reconstruction Course Dec. 9, welcoming faculty and resident attendees from Duke, Harvard, Emory, the University of Virginia, the University of Colorado, the University of Chicago, Northwestern, Michigan, Washington University, the University of Kansas and Virginia Commonwealth University.

“Being the host of the 2023 Oncologic Reconstruction Course is an honor for the School of Medicine, the Medical Center and the state,” said Dr. Benjamin McIntyre, professor of plastic surgery. “The sessions were in our state-of-the-art School of Medicine, and UMMC faculty led several of them, which will spotlight our facilities and expertise.”

Dr. Laura Humphries, assistant professor of plastic surgery, led a session on scalp reconstruction, and Dr. Marc Walker, Songcharoen Chair of Plastic and Reconstructive Hand Surgery and associate professor of plastic surgery, discussed salvage flaps for hand/forearm reconstruction.

“It is an honor for UMMC to be selected as the site for the 10th Annual Oncologic Reconstruction Course (ORC) led by our very own Dr. Ben McIntyre, who is this year's course chair,” Walker said. “The weekend-long event brought together master reconstructive plastic surgeons from the likes of Harvard, Duke, Northwestern, UVA, WashU, Emory and others to Jackson to discuss, teach, and perform the most advanced and cutting-edge reconstructive techniques used to treat patients with oncologic disease. I am grateful and excited to be a part of the program that Dr. McIntyre has built this year and look forward to showcasing the complex hand and upper extremity reconstruction techniques performed here at UMMC.”

Humphries said the event offered residents from participating medical schools an excellent learning experience.

“The Oncologic Reconstruction Course we planned featured a wide range of surgical topics, so faculty and resident attendees had a full day of learning and collaboration,” she said.

Ray named a Master of the American College of Rheumatology

The American College of Rheumatology recognized Dr. Linda Ray, associate professor of pediatric rheumatology, as a Master, one of the highest honors the college bestows.

The Master title is awarded annually to American College of Rheumatology members who have made outstanding contributions through scholarly achievement and service to their patients, students and the profession.

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Belhaven presents Dr. Jarrett Morgan with STEM Distinction Award

Dr. Jarrett Morgan, assistant professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at UMMC, is the recipient of the STEM Distinction Award from Belhaven University.

Morgan, who earned the BS in biology from Belhaven in 2010, was among Belhaven alumni honored during homecoming festivities. The 2015 UMMC School of Medicine graduate then completed residency at the Medical Center in 2019.

“I was completely surprised and am honored to receive this award,” said Morgan, of Madison.

Morgan cares for hospital inpatients at Children’s of Mississippi and has a weight management clinic for adults at UMMC’s Riverchase location in Flowood and an internal medicine-pediatric practice at UMMC’s Grants Ferry Clinic.

Science, technology, engineering and math career paths are often difficult and painstaking, Morgan said, but he encourages STEM students to continue their journeys.

“Pursuing a medical career is a long road,” he said. “Students in medicine as well as other STEM fields should maintain their sense of wonder for discovery. Love what you do.”

That’s something he’s practiced at UMMC, he said. “As a young faculty member, I have been able to craft my own niche while having the support needed.”

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UMMC wins CF Foundation’s Outstanding Care Center Partnership Award

The University of Mississippi Medical Center was selected as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s 2023 Outstanding Care Center Partnership Award.

The annual Outstanding Partnership Award was established to recognize the care centers and their teams that have gone above and beyond in collaborating with their local CF Foundation chapters to help serve the CF community.

Recipients of the award are selected based on a variety of criteria including local collaboration efforts to engage community members; level of care team engagement with local chapter programs and events; care team involvement of chapter staff in center-directed initiatives; and positive and collaborative relationship with the local CF Foundations chapter.