Dermatology Awards, Events, and Community Service
Members of the Department of Dermatology recently participated in a medical mission to Honduras, presented at local and national meetings, and volunteered with local students. Please join us in congratulating our faculty, staff, and residents for their hard work and outstanding accomplishments!
Global Brigades – Honduras Medical Mission
From October 29th – November 4th a conglomerate of healthcare providers, including UMMC Dermatology faculty, residents, and nurses, participated in a medical mission to Honduras as part of the UMMC Medical Brigade, a chapter of Global Brigades. Brigade members from the Department of Dermatology included Drs. Jeremy Jackson, Hannah Badon, Coleen Powers, Ruthie McTighe, Laura Rezac, and Katie Trettin as well as Tracey Breeden, RN. Additional brigade members included Leah Cook, a UMMC Medical Student, Sam Jolley, PA-C in UMMC’s Pediatric Surgery division, and Noah Roberts, RN/BSN in UMMC’s Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. The group conducted dermatology clinics in underserved communities in rural Honduras, reaching nearly 400 patients. In addition, they also conducted teaching presentations to primary care providers in local clinics. This trip provided an excellent opportunity for residents to serve an underserved patient population while gaining experience related to treating tropical dermatologic conditions. We are proud of our faculty, residents, and staff who volunteered their time and efforts for the medical mission and grateful to our generous donors who made this trip possible.
Members of the UMMC Medical Brigade, named in the text above, pose for group photos in Honduras.
Alabama Dermatology Society (ADS) Summer Symposium Resident Competition
Drs. Hannah Badon, Laura Beth Edwards, Sarah McClees, Ruthie McTighe, and Coleen Powers presented at this year's ADS Summer Symposium Resident Competition. We are excited to announce that Dr. Badon received the second-place award for her presentation, "The Price is Right: The Cost of Eczema," and Dr. Edwards received the third-place award for her presentation, "Mucositis in a Pediatric Patient: A Diagnostic Dilemma." Please join us in congratulating all five residents for their hard work!
Promise and Insight Programs
On June 14, 2023, UMMC Dermatology residents, led by Dr. Teel Liddell and her peers, put on two enrichment programs to teach the basics of dermatology to students interested in healthcare professions. The Promise Program is an early assurance program for students underrepresented in medicine. The main goals of PROMISE are to introduce students to career opportunities in medicine, engage the students in enrichment programs that will help strengthen their academic foundation, and expose the students to practicing clinicians. The Insight program introduces local high school students interested in a medical career to several different branches of medicine, dermatology included.
The programs started out with an introductory lecture to dermatology, followed by a rip-roaring and competitive game of Jeopardy focused on basic principles of dermatology, commonly encountered skin diseases, and medications frequently prescribed by dermatologists.
The students capped off their learning with four interactive stations led by the UMMC dermatology residents: a microscopy station (focused on identifying scabies and tinea versicolor – not to be missed!), a cryotherapy station, and punch and shave biopsy stations. The morning was a great success enjoyed by all!
(From left) Drs. Julissa Jimenez and Hollis Burrow teach students punch and shave biopsy techniques using bananas.
MetaECHO 2023 Global Conference
In September of 2023, Dr. Lakitha Hughes, a member of UMMC’s Telehealth Center of Excellence who works closely with the Department of Dermatology, presented Applying ECHO to Rural Dermatology Through the Use of Digital Primary Care Training at the MetaECHO 2023 Global Conference in Albuquerque, NM. This presentation was part of an ongoing collaboration between UMMC Telehealth and Dermatology led by Drs. Chelsea Mockbee, Stephen Helms, Lakitha Hughes, Robert Brodell, Vinayak Nahar, and Josh Clark. The goal of Project ECHO – Dermatology is to provide collaborative case-based learning to rural primary health providers in Mississippi through monthly tele-ECHO sessions.
Dr. Lakitha Hughes (center right) with her colleagues and Dr. Sanjeev Aurora (center left), founder of Project ECHO, at the MetaECHO 2023 Global Conference.