Saag to serve as next Director, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
The Department is delighted to announce that Ken Saag, M.D., M.Sc. will serve as our next Director of the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, effective July 1, 2020. Ken will build on an outstanding foundation to lead the Division in its growth as an international leader, a truly exceptional program for discovery, learning, teaching, and care.
Currently the Jane Knight Lowe Endowed Chair in the Division and the Department of Medicine, Ken is a national rheumatologic leader in outcomes and effectiveness research as well as an esteemed physician and outstanding teacher. All of us whose patients have benefited from Ken’s consultation know that his excellent clinical acumen is a real asset to our rheumatology and osteoporosis programs. Ken traces his clinical skills to his residency at Northwestern University, Evanston Hospital, where he was recognized as Outstanding Intern of the Year and a Chief Resident, and his fellowship in rheumatology at the University of Iowa.
Ken will be President-Elect of the American College of Rheumatology this fall and he is past-President of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. He has served UAB as Director, Center for Outcomes, Effectiveness Research and Education (COERE) since 2009. He also directs the Center of Research Translation (CoRT) in Gout and Hyperuricemia, a program supported by the NIH for nearly a decade, and he serves as Vice Chair for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research in the Department. An elected member of the American Association of Physicians, Ken has first-authored 3 original articles in the New England Journal of Medicine on treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and on fracture prevention in women with osteoporosis, as well as over 300 other original articles. Ken has been a preeminent mentor, training over 20 post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty as PI of several T32s, a K12, and the KL2 in UAB’s CCTS.
Trained as an engineer at the University of Michigan, Ken received his M.D. from Northwestern University and the M.Sc. in Epidemiology from the University of Iowa. He served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa under Francois Abboud before joining our Department under the leadership of Bill Koopman as Chair and Bob Kimberly as Division Director.
Ken will assume the responsibilities of Division Director from Lou Bridges, M.D., Ph.D., who will become the next Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery and Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at Cornell. For over 10 years, Lou has very ably led the Division as it expanded its research programs in immunology and outcomes and effectiveness research and significantly enhancing its clinical programs in complex rheumatologic diseases.
Please join us in congratulating and supporting Ken in his new role as Division Director.
Let's Keep the Momentum Going in 2020
Dr. Seth Landefeld, MD, Professor and Chair, UAB Department of Medicine
I recently sat down with our Vice Chairs to reflect on things that are going well and areas where we have room for improvement in the Department of Medicine. We have accomplished so much to be proud of in 2019. Here are a few highlights that stand out:
We care for our patients kindly and well. Every day, we care for thousands of people, improving their health and reducing their suffering from the disease. We think outside the box for our patients. We bring them new treatments. We walk with them through their illnesses. We hold tight to our humanity while caring greatly for the people in our charge.
Troy Brennan, MD, EVP of CVS Health to Present Medical Grand Rounds
Troy Brennan, MD, MPH. Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health.Troyen Brennan, MD, MPH, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health, will present, “What Do Long-Term Trends in U.S. Healthcare Financing Tell Us about Future Reforms?” at Medical Grand Rounds at noon on Wednesday, March 21, in the Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium.
In his role at CVS Health, Brennan provides oversight for the development of CVS Health’s clinical and medical affairs and health care strategy. At the end of last year, CVS Health announced plans to merge with Aetna, one of the nation’s leading health insurers, in a $69 billion deal. The goal—to create an integrated health system that combines pharmacy and health benefits, and delivers preventive care services through the drugstore chain’s retail clinics. The merger is currently under review by the U.S. Justice Department, and the firms have scheduled shareholder votes to approve the deal for March 20.
Previously, Brennan was Chief Medical Officer of Aetna Inc. Prior to that, Brennan served as president of Brigham and Women's Physicians Organization. In his academic work, he was Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Law and Public Health at Harvard School of Public Health.
DOM Announces Three New Vice Chair Appointments
The UAB Department of Medicine has newly appointed three faculty to serve as Executive Vice Chair, Vice Chair for Research, and Vice Chair for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research. These vital leaders, along with four other Vice Chairs, help guide our diverse and productive faculty in our mission to maximize health and eliminate suffering by caring for people, teaching, and creating knowledge.
Read moreSamet Comes to UAB as Tinsley Harrison Visting Professor
Jeffrey Samet, MD, MPH, served as the UAB Department of Medicine's Tinsley Harrison Visiting Professor on September 6-7, 2016. Dr. Samet is a world-renowned researcher and educator in the care and public health response to addiction and past president of the American Board of Addiction Medicine. The Chief of the Section of General Internal Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Founding Director of the Clinical Addictions Research and Education Unit at Boston University School of Medicine will presented two lectures on the topic of opiate addition.
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Baskin to Serve as First DOM Vice Chair for Culture and Diversity
Monica Baskin, PhD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Preventive Medicine, will serve as the first Vice Chair for Culture and Diversity in the Department of Medicine. As Vice Chair, Monica will lead our efforts to develop a culture of respect and inclusion, working with each Division to capitalize on the diverse backgrounds of our faculty, staff, and learners.Monica joined the Department in 2009 after receiving a bachelor of arts from Emory University, a master’s and doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University, and serving on the faculties of the Schools of Public Health Read more
Turnipseed Appointed DOM Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs
Elizabeth Turnipseed, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, has been appointed Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in the UAB Department of Medicine. A former resident and Chief Medical Resident at UAB and faculty physician in the Hospitalist Program, Elizabeth joined the Division of General Internal Medicine and the Department three years ago as Assistant Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, soon thereafter rising to Co-Vice Chair. Read more
Landefeld Elected to United States Preventive Services Task Force
University of Alabama at Birmingham professor and chair of the UAB Department of Medicine C. Seth Landefeld, M.D., has been appointed to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The Task Force is an independent, volunteer panel comprised of experts from many health-related fields, including internal medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, obstetrics/gynecology, and nursing. Each is appointed by the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Sickle Cell Foundation Gives $1 Million to UAB Adult Sickle Cell Clinic
Sickle Cell Foundation Board President Michael Bell with UAB Heersink School of Medicine Dean Selwyn Vickers, MD, Foundation Executive Director Sharon Lewis, and Hematology/Oncology Division Director Ravi Bhatia, MDRead more