The E. D. Dispatch - Fall 2023 - University of Mississippi Medical Center

Message from the Chair

Greetings. This edition of The E.D. Dispatch points out some great accomplishments of current and former members of the UMMC Department of Emergency Medicine. Especially impressive is Jimmy Kolb’s 28-year career here. While planning for his imminent retirement, we asked him to provide us his insights regarding the changes he's witnessed through the years, and his thoughts about the current state of emergency medicine. Also highly notable in this edition is the list of incoming residents. Thanks for following along.

Dr. Jimmy Kolb retiring after 28 years

For many faculty and residents who have worked in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UMMC, Dr. Jimmy Kolb is a fixture. He has educated hundreds of residents and faculty, impacting the lives of thousands of patients. In putting together this newsletter over the past year, many residents and faculty have shared fond memories that include Dr. Kolb. After 28 years at the University, Dr. Kolb will retire at the end of May. We sat down with Dr. Kolb to hear more about his memories at UMMC over the years.

Some of the 69 Adult Emergency Department employees who stayed on the job during the entire course of the pandemic attended an April 26 recognition ceremony.

‘You chose to stay at UMMC, and that speaks volumes’

Monday, May 1, 2023

From the time the Medical Center got its first COVID-19 patient in March 2020 to early this year, 69 Adult Emergency Department caregivers stayed on the job, coping with fear, frustration, hopelessness and sometimes personal tragedy. On April 26, they were recognized for perseverance and dedication with a special patch calling attention to their resilience, excellence and courage.

Departmental trauma care update on emergency nurses

Dr. Trey Wofford, ED medical director, offers his thanks to our nurses during Emergency Nurses Week.

Faculty spotlight - Dr. Emily Tarver

After working as a community emergency medicine physician for years, Dr. Emily Tarver returned to UMMC and to academic medicine. Successful in her clinical and academic endeavors, she is serving as a medical leader of UMMC’s Simulation Center. She has also invented a virtual reality software program called SimGym.

Fentanyl exposures rising rapidly in Mississippi

On September 15, 2023, Nicholas Dominici, a 1-year-old boy, died after accidentally being exposed to fentanyl while at a daycare in the Bronx. A pill press was located on the facility where illicit fentanyl was being pressed into counterfeit tablets. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid crucial to providing acute pain relief in the health care setting, was responsible for 107,081 deaths in 2022 per the CDC.

Dr. Loretta Jackson-Williams, professor of emergency medicine and vice dean for medical education in the School of Medicine, recently received the Career Educator Award from the Southern Group on Educational Affairs.

‘Beacon for aspiring physicians’ earns top educator award

Monday, April 3, 2023

Dr. Loretta Jackson-Williams just can’t help herself. An emergency medicine physician at UMMC, she has also been drawn to, and excelled at, medical education. Her decision to pursue those interests has been validated many times, not least of all by news of her most recent honor.

Department of Emergency Medicine had five faculty promoted this cycle

For the 2022-2023 promotion cycle, emergency medicine had five faculty who were promoted.

UMMC now offering a medical toxicology fellowship

The Department of Emergency Medicine will begin training medical toxicologists through a newly-ACGME-accredited fellowship program, beginning in October 2023. This will be the only toxicology training program in the state.

TelEmergency program extends reach Mississippi wide

The Department of Emergency Medicine has a well-established TelEmergency/TeleER program that extends the reach of emergency medicine providers across the state. Over the past 12 months, our team has performed more than 2,000 consults with our 20 member sites. Dr. Sarah Sterling, Professor of Emergency Medicine, is leading an ongoing project - the Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNGP) funded by Health Resources and Services Agency (HRSA) - which allows UMMC to offer access to additional specialties to our spoke sites.

Follow us on social media!

Let's keep in touch. If you haven’t checked out our UMMC EM Residency Instagram and Facebook pages, you are missing out! Please send your stories and updates to us. You can reach us via social media or at UMMC-EmergencyMedicine@umc.edu

Fall 2023