DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWSLETTER September 2009

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SPOTLIGHT ON: Seed Grant Funds for New Research Projects – The Department of Internal Medicine announces the availability of seed grant funds for new research projects. These seed grants are meant to jump start research projects that will help lead to additional funding. Proposals are short – 3 page max plus supporting documents – and due November 1, 2009 for the first round. Limit $25,000. Up to six awards will be made this academic year. Apply to the Research Committee c/o belsherb@slu.edu. Department of Internal Medicine Host to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Club Adrian Di Bisceglie, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine hosted a wine and cheese reception for faculty and staff of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Club Tower on September 22, 2009. There was a great turnout for the event with approximately 30 faculty and staff from both departments present. Faculty and staff from the Divisions of General Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and the Department of Family and Community Medicine were in attendance. The reception provided a great opportunity for colleagues to either meet for the first time or renew acquaintances and share ideas on ways to collaborate on practice opportunities between the departments. Many positive comments were received from those in attendance. Due to the success of this event, similar events with other UMG Departments are being considered. Thanks to the faculty and staff from the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology,

Internal Medicine and Family and Community Medicine for attending. St. Louis Magazine’s Best Doctors Reception The St. Louis Magazine celebrated the launch of the August “Best Doctors’ issue with a private event at the Contemporary Art Museum. The video and photographs can be viewed at http://www.stlmag.com/media/St-Louis-Magazine/Video/St-Louis-Magazines-Best-Doctors-Reception-July-23/ Inaugural Billiken 5K Run/Walk Runners from across the metropolitan area ran and walked as individuals and organized teams to raise money and increase awareness for cancer research at the Saint Louis University Cancer Center on Saturday, August 29, 2009.

Faculty and staff from the Department of Internal Medicine who participated are: Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, MD, Lynda Mikolay, Rob Roth, Stephen Schmidt (Administration); Christine Hachem, MD, Brent Tetri, MD, (Gastroenterology); Erin Bakanas, MD, Bishnu Devkota, Robert Heaney, MD, Thomas Olsen, MD, Nora Porter, MD, (General Internal Medicine); Carla Lovelace, Valerie Tanner, Melissa Westwood (Geriatrics); Tara Moore, Terry Moore, MD, Peri Pepmueller, MD, (Rheumatology); Scott Ferreeira, MD, (Cardiology Subspecialty Resident); Jackie Strum, MD, (Internal Medicine Resident).

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWSLETTER September 2009

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DIVISION OF GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY NEWS: First Annual SLU Liver Center Night at the Ballpark The Saint Louis University Liver Center celebrated its first Liver Center Night at the Ballpark on July 29, 2009 at Busch Stadium during the Cardinals vs. Dodgers game. Many of the faculty, subspecialty residents, staff and members of the SLU community attended this event, which raised nearly $7000 for the SLULC. More than 580 tickets were sold and Dr. Bruce Bacon, Director, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Co-Director of the SLU Liver Center, threw out the first pitch of the night while the crowds cheered his efforts.

Needless to say, he is going to keep his day job and was not recruited for the Cardinal bullpen but we are still very proud of him! Since the evening was such a success, we plan to make this an annual event and we hope many of you will join us next year at the ballpark in support of the Saint Louis University Liver Center. We hope to get tickets next season for a Cards/Cubs game. More information to follow in Spring 2010. Go Cards!!

Banke Agarwal, MD, hosted the "8th Annual Symposium on Gastrointestinal Cancers: An update on advances in the diagnosis and management" which took place on September 12, 2009 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Agarwal, course director for the past eight years, is an associate professor of Internal Medicine and the Director of Therapeutic Endoscopy, in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Saint Louis University. The symposium provided the nearly 300 attendees from 25 states an overview of the recent advances in the field of gastrointestinal cancers. The distinguished faculty, all well known experts in their fields, took the participants on a guided tour of the state-of-the-art in cancer diagnosis and management. This symposium, under Dr. Agarwal's guidance, has developed into one of the premiere symposiums in the U.S. ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Sara George, MD, Division of Infectious Diseases, is PI on SLU’s first Dengue vaccine trial. Dengue is a mosquito-transmitted disease which causes Dengue Fever and Dengue Hemorragic Fever. 3 billion people

worldwide are at risk for Dengue infection and the disease causes an estimated 20,000 deaths per year. The Saint Louis University Vaccine Center in collaboration with Hawaii Biotech has initiated a phase I safety and immunogenicity study of a recombinant envelope protein Dengue vaccine. Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, M.D., received an Advisory Committee Service Award from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in recognition of distinguished service to the

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWSLETTER September 2009

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people of the United States of America as a member of the Blood Products Advisory Committee, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research from February 2006 to September 2009.

Paul J. Hauptman, MD, has been appointed the Assistant Dean for Clinical and Translational Research in the School of Medicine which is a newly created position designed to focus and develop the funded clinical research

efforts and clinical trial programs of the School. "Dr. Hauptman will work closely with me to focus and develop the funded clinical research efforts and clinical trial programs of the school. The goal is to speed the pace at which basic science discoveries are able to be applied to patient care," said Phillip O. Alderson, dean of the School of Medicine. As part of the research team, Dr. Hauptman will also work with Joel Eissenberg, PhD, associate dean for research in the School of Medicine, and with Raymond Tait, PhD, vice provost for research. Aditi Purandare, MD, has accepted the position of Assistant Chief of the Medical Service for Saint Louis University Internal Medicine educational programs at the VAMC. Her responsibilities include development and manage-ment of the third-year internal medicine clerkship, fourth-year internal medicine subinternship, internal medicine residency and fellowship programs, and teaching conferences.

Dr. Purandare received her BS degree from the University of Miami in 2002 and MD degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in 2005. She completed her internal medicine residency at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo, OH in June 2008. She was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in August 2008 and was Chief Resident during the 2008-2009 academic year. Dr. Purandare was appointed Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine when she joined the full-time Medical Staff at the Saint Louis VAMC as a Hospitalist in August 2009. Dr. Purandare looks forward to your support and assistance as she undertakes this important assignment. Please join me in welcoming her to Saint Louis University and the VAMC.

Coy D. Fitch, M.D., M.A.C.P. Chief, Medical Service

Caring Physician Award 2009 – The Pastoral Care Department announces the presentation of The Caring Physician Award at noon, Friday, October 16, in the Hospital Chapel. The service will celebrate the Feast of St. Luke (October 18), Patron Saint of Physicians. Twenty-nine attending, fellow and resident physicians were nominated by their colleagues to receive this award including the following physicians from Internal Medicine: Erin Bakanas, MD, GIM Jeffery R. Brown, DO, Cardiology Fellow Mary Burton, MD, GI & Hepatology Bishnu P. Devkota, MD, GIM Adrian Di Bisceglie, MD, GI & Hepatology Zainal M. Hussain, MD, Cardiology Fellow Shashi K. Katukoori, MD, IM Resident Ganesh Kudva, MD, Hem/Onc Kevin J. Martin, MD, Nephrology Peter C. Mikolajczak, MD, Cardiology Thomas J. Olsen, MD, GIM

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Seth J. Page, MD, Hem/Onc Resident Miguel A. Paniagua, MD, Geriatrics Bryan D. Piotrowski, MD, Cardiology Fellow Four Award recipients are chosen from among these nominees. The criteria for the nominations is based on the highest ethical standards which include partnership and collaboration with staff and the practice of holistic, innovative and spiritual care. As a Saint Louis University physician, you are cordially invited to participate in this celebration which will be followed by a reception with refreshments outside the Chapel.

Pastoral Care Department INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM NEWS: Leslie Fields, MD, PGY4, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Resident was this year’s poster presentation winner at the Missouri Regional ACP Meeting held September 24-27, 2009 at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach, MO. The title of Dr. Field’s poster is “Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura Leading to End Stage Renal Failure as Initial Presentation to HIV Infection.”

Heather Cha, MD, received the Best Intern of the Year Award for AY09. At the end of the academic year, faculty and residents select the best intern who excels in patient care. Dr. Cha is currently a PGY2 resident.

NEW RESEARCH GRANTS AWARDED: William Banks, MD, Professor, Geriatric Medicine, $14,700 from Oregon Health & Science University / NHLBI for “Insulin Resistance and Impaired Cardiovascular Regulation During Pregnancy.” Cindy Cai, MD, PhD, Gastroenterology sub-specialty resident, GI & Hepatology, $50,000 from The Ellison Medical Foundation for “Nuclear Ferritin May Protect Against Oxidative and Light Induced DNA Damage in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell.”

Jianguo Liu, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Immunobiology, $73,750 from NIH for “PARP-1 in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-associated IL-10 Promoter Polymorphisms.”

Brent Neuschwander-Tetri, MD, Professor, GI & Hepatology, $735,898 from the NIH for “The Saint Louis University Component of the NASH Clinical Research Network.”

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Marie Philipneri, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Nephrology, $4,800 from the National Kidney Foundation for “Use of Bioimpedance Electrical Analyzer (BIA) to Optimize Fluid Management and Nutritional Status in Dialysis Patients.” DATES OF NOTE: October 16, 2009, The Caring Physician Award 2009 interfaith service, noon, Hospital Chapel. October 22-24, 2009, Saint Louis University School of Medicine Alumni Reunion Weekend. December 5, 2009, The Best of the AASLD 2009 will take place Saturday, 7am – noon, at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel. CLINICAL TICKER:

PRACTICE LOCATION

FY 08 YTD

BILLED AMB ENCs

FY 09 YTD

BILLED AMB ENCs

CANCER CENTER 1,538 1,768 CARDINAL GLENNON 108 122 DES PERES 522 847 DOB 7,248 7,958 MIDWEST ENDOSCOPY 0 0 OP CATH LAB 40 47 SLEEP DISORDERS CENTER 219 304 SLUH 2,129 2,336 SNF/NF/CC/HOSPICE 1,165 1,128 UNIVERSITY CLUB TOWER 1,880 1,760 OTHER 1,199 1,373 GRAND TOTAL 16,048 17,643 FY 09 / FY 08 YTD AMB ENCs 109.9%

CONDOLENCES: To the family of Stephen M. Ayers, MD, former Saint Louis University School of Medicine faculty member and chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, who died Saturday, September 12, 2009 in Newport News, VA; he was 79. A cardiologist and critical care specialist, Dr. Ayers joined Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 1975 and chaired the Department of Internal Medicine for 10 years. In 1985, Dr. Ayers left the University to become dean of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, VA. WEBSITE: Access the Department of Internal Medicine website at http://internalmed.slu.edu. INFORMATION FOR NEXT NEWSLETTER : If you have any news, grants, notices, achievements that you would like to be included in the next newsletter or if you think something important was missed, please let Camille Goff know at goffcj@slu.edu .

Editor Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, MD, FACP

Professor of Internal Medicine Chairman