The E. D. Dispatch - Spring 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 hemorrhagic shock

Dr. Trey Wofford, ED medical director, offers an update on the use of vasopressin in hemorrhagic shock and on incorporating whole blood into hemorrhagic shock resuscitation.

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.

Clinical update

The UMMC Department of Emergency Medicine has had a very busy 2023! We have faced our share of challenges, as I’m sure much of the country has as well. But we have also had several opportunities to demonstrate our outstanding capabilities. Fortunately, we have begun to emerge from many of the significant problems that we faced during the height of the pandemic. While we continue to have some staffing issues and medication/equipment backorders, these are significantly better than they were during 2022.

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.

Alumni spotlight - Yagnesh "Chico" Desai, MD

Since graduating from our program in 2011, Dr. Yagnesh “Chico” Desai has worked in a wide range of emergency medicine settings. He has taken care of patients in rural, critical access hospitals in the swamps of Louisiana; in private, boutique, freestanding EDs; in the VA system; and in his current home at UT Health, a Level 1 Trauma Center in Tyler, TX.