Dr. Balasanova participates in NMA Physician Leadership Academy
Alëna A. Balasanova, MD, assistant professor, psychiatry, has been selected as one of only 10 physicians across Nebraska to participate in the inaugural Nebraska Medical Association (NMA) Physician Leadership Academy.
A 2012 graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Balasanova specializes in evidence-based treatment of co-occurring substance use disorders and psychiatric illness. Since joining UNMC in fall of 2016, she conceived and developed Addiction Services, a new clinical service line with Nebraska Medicine.
Dr. Balasanova and the other selected physicians will be introduced at the 2017 NMA Annual Membership Meeting Inaugural Dinner on Sept. 8 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Lincoln.
The academy members will hold a half-day workshop kickoff event on Sept. 15, then will hold half-day meetings once a month for the next nine months. On the fourth week of each month, each of the academy participants will be given individual coaching by key NMA officials.
"I feel very proud to represent the College of Medicine and UNMC as a whole through participating in this endeavor," Dr. Balasanova said.
American Heart Association awards Chest Pain Team with Mission: Lifeline Gold Award
The Chest Pain Team recently received the Mission: Lifeline Gold Receiving Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association (AHA) for the treatment of patients who suffer an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
A STEMI is a severe heart attack during which one of the heart's major arteries is blocked.
"We’re proud to be among the hospitals recognized by the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program for our excellence in improving STEMI patient care," said Melissa Lederer, clinical program coordinator, Heart and Vascular. "Our participation in this effort not only illustrates our adherence to clinical practice guidelines but also demonstrates our commitment to exceptional quality.
"Undoubtedly, our greatest reward is seeing the lives that we’re impacting by truly delivering ‘Serious Medicine. Extraordinary Care.’ I am extremely proud of the Chest Pain Center team for their dedication to this initiative."
The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program recognizes referring hospitals, receiving hospitals, and EMS agencies for their success in using Mission: Lifeline to improve quality of care for STEMI patients.
The "Gold" recognition is awarded to hospitals who achieve 85 percent or higher composite adherence to all Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center quality achievement indicators for consecutive 24-month intervals and 75 percent or higher compliance on all Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center quality measures to improve the quality of care for STEMI patients.
First-year medical student Scholar-Athlete Excellence Award from Big East Conference
Harrison Lang, a first-year medical student at UNMC who just graduated from Creighton University this spring, was one of the 22 recipients of the Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award from the Big East Conference. The recipients were announced on July 26. The honorees included 16 seniors, four juniors and two graduate students. Lang was the only Creighton athlete recognized.
The Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Awards are given to one student-athlete in each sponsored sport in the Big East Conference. Recipients were recognized based on their academic credentials, athletic accolades or performances and volunteer service to the community.
Student-athletes who have attained junior academic standing and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 are eligible. The winners are chosen by the Faculty Athletics Representative Council of the Big East Conference.
A tennis player at Creighton University and a native of Niwot, Colo., Lang finished his undergraduate studies with a perfect 4.00 GPA and received a bachelor's degree in neuroscience with a minor in biology. In 2017, Lang earned a spot on the Academic All-America Division I Men's At-Large Second Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The Big East Conference also awarded Lang the Michael Tranghese Postgraduate Leadership Award earlier this spring, which includes a scholarship toward his medical school expenses at UNMC.
Lang also was the recipient of Creighton's Rev. Carl M. Reinert, S.J., Scholar-Athlete Award as Creighton's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2016-17.
During his tennis career at Creighton, Lang was a four-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar-Athlete (2014-17), a four-time selection on the All-Big East Academic Team and the ITA All-America Team, and a two-time first team selection (2016, 2017) for men’s at-large for the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII.
During his four-year career on the courts, Lang finished with 97 combined victories including 55 in singles and 42 in doubles. He ranks 11th in program history in combined wins and 10th in singles victories. Lang made the 2017 All-Big East team after he picked up 11 singles victories while playing at the top two positions during the 2017 dual season, and finished 10-9 in doubles action.