2022

Wahls Receives $2.5M Gift
Terry Wahls was gifted a $2.5 million gift from the Carter Chapman Shreve Family Foundation to, “further investigate ways diet might improve the quality of life for those with multiple sclerosis.” Dr. Wahls’ upcoming study on “’Efficacy of Diet on Quality of Life in multiple sclerosis’ will be one of the largest and longest-ever dietary-intervention studies on people with MS, according to The Gazette. Read more about the donation, the study, and Dr. Wahls’ own journey with MS here.

GIM Faculty Recognized As Top 10% Providers
The Office of The Patient Experience have named multiple GIM faculty as part of the Top 10% Providers at UIHC. Faculty receive this designation based off of completed patient surveys following their appointments. Only UIHC providers with an aggregate score in the top 10% nationally were recognized for the honor of Patient’s Choice. Recognition was based on patient responses to questions such as “concern showed for your questions or worries,” “efforts to include you in decisions about your care,” and “likelihood of your recommending care providers to others. Congratulations to the following individuals who achieved this honor!

• Gwen Beck
• Krista Johnson
• Richard Hoffman
• Jeanenne Suneja
• Shawna Westermann
• Katie White
• Rod Zeitler
• Jerilyn Lundberg
• Wendy Fiordellisi
• Laura Hill
• Becky Davis
• Susan Kaliszewski

UI Healthcare recognized nationally for LGBTQ+ healthcare equality
University of Iowa Health Care has been named an “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, part of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. The designation was announced in the 2022 Healthcare Equality Index, the HRC Foundation’s annual evaluation of the policies and practices health care facilities devote to equitable treatment and inclusion of LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees. Special thanks to Nicole Nisly & Susan Kaliszewski for their hard work and contributions to this clinic.

Bryant Interviewed by IPR
Andy Bryant spoke with Iowa Public Radio to discuss UIHC’s telemedicine program and how it may have helped reduce COVID hospitalizations early in the pandemic.

Gutierrez Elected to Faculty Senate
Congratulations to Jeydith Gutierrez who was recently elected to the University of Iowa Faculty Senate from the Carver College of Medicine. Dr. Gutierrez was one of eight Internal Medicine faculty elected/re-elected to the 80 person committee responsible for facilitating communication between faculty and UI central administration.

Croskey & McGrane Highlighted in Meet Our APPs
Olivia Croskey & Kevin McGrane were two departmental APPs highlighted in this month’s Meet Our APPs series

PEC Staff Recognized for Hand Hygiene
Congratulations to our PEC team members who earned 100% on the “Clean Hands Survey” for the month of February.

Scherer & Johnson Helps Create Tips for Talking About COVID-19 Vaccines
Aaron Scherer, PhD, and Krista Johnson, MD, worked with fellow UIHC faculty to create a comprehensive guide on how to discuss COVID-19 vaccines and boosters with patients. This guide “outlines everything from initiating a conversation, how to engage the patient with thoughtful questions, and how to follow-up if the conversation doesn’t end with a decision to be vaccinated.”

O’Shea Highlighted in VA Insider for Women’s History Month
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the VA Insider ran a feature on Amy O’Shea, PhD, Army Veteran, biostatistician, and researcher. In her interview, Dr. O’Shea discusses what prompted her to join the military, the accolades she received and her career as a researcher.

2021

Mengeling to Co-Lead New Fellowship Program
Michelle Mengeling, PhD, will Co-Lead alongside Michael Ohl, PHD, a new VA-funded fellowship in health services research and implementation science. The Advanced Fellowship provides a two-year salary to two post-doctoral fellows each year. Fellows complete training and conduct mentored research in preparation for careers in health services research. Individuals can learn more about this new program by visiting the October 9th edition of Making the Rounds.

Post-COVID Clinic Featured in Local News
University of Iowa’s Post-COVID Clinic, which is staffed by Drs. Todd Wiblin & Alpana Garg, was recently featured in two local news stories. Dr. Garg spoke with both affiliates to discuss the types of patients they see and what they’re doing to treat them.

• "This is preventable’: Iowa City woman wants 17-month fight with ‘long COVID’ to serve as lesson (Iowa City Press-Citizen)
• University of Iowa examining long-term COVID-19 patients to find out effects on the body (WeAreIowa.com)

Soltys & Johnson Discuss Internal Medicine’s Quality Improvement Curriculum
Dr. Abel took a moment in a recently published Making the Rounds to highlight the Department of Internal Medicine’s residency training program’s quality improvement curriculum. Drs. Krista Johnson & Matt Soltys discuss the strengths of the quality improvement curriculum and the opportunities it presents. Projects from this curriculum have been presented at local, regional, and national SGIM conferences and prove beneficial to residents as a way of obtaining scholarship for their resumes. As pointed out by Carly Kuehn, MD now Educational Director for Quality and Safety, this year’s Midwest SGIM innovation presentations came from the University of Iowa and the quality improvement program.

Gutierrez Highlighted During Latinx Heritage Month
In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, Dr. Abel took a moment to celebrate the achievements of a few of Internal Medicine’s Hispanic/Latinx members. One such achievement is the creation of the Latinx Faculty Council in which Jeydith Gutierrez, MD, MPH serves as Vice President. This council looks as issues such as promotion, professional development, representation, and mentorship, while helping push the College’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Abel Reflects on IM ‘Rock stars’
In one of his last Making the Rounds, Dr. Abel highlighted just a few of the things/people that make Internal Medicine so great. He showcased Eli Perencevich, MD, MS, Associate Chair for Clinical and Health Services Research, and the recently renewed VA-funded CARRIAGE project which will bring $3.2M to the department over the next four years. Eli’s leadership and constant high-impact publications lead Dr. Abel to refer to him as the “Beyonce of health services research.” Additionally, Dr. Abel highlights Michelle Mengeling’s new VA health services fellowship and Andy Bryant’s recent UIP Physician Excellence Award.