News briefs

Harris Frankel, MD, was recognized for the fourth consecutive year by Becker's Hospital Review in its top 100 hospital and health system chief medical officers.

Becker’s Hospital Review recognizes Dr. Frankel
Becker’s Hospital Review has released its "100 hospital and health system chief medical officers to know" in 2019, and a familiar Nebraska Medicine name was on the list.
 
Harris Frankel, M.D., chief medical officer for Nebraska Medicine and associate professor, neurological sciences, for UNMC, was among the 100 physicians listed. This is the fourth consecutive year that Dr. Frankel has received this honor.
 
The list features physician leaders dedicated to strengthening their organizations through leadership development, patient safety initiatives, health IT and quality improvement. Many of the physicians have served as department heads and continue to practice medicine, while others focus on process improvement and patient advocacy.
 
As leaders in their field, the physicians highlighted on this list have extensive experience building clinical and administrative teams.
 
Dr. Jasmine Marcelin to be featured in video
A film crew will come to Omaha the week of July 29-Aug. 2 to film a short video highlighting the work of Jasmine Marcelin, M.D., assistant professor, internal medicine-infectious diseases.
 
Dr. Marcelin is one of three members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) who will be showcased on the 3-5 minute video that will air at the IDSA Breakfast during ID Week (Oct. 2-6) in Washington, D.C.
 
The main focus of Dr. Marcelin’s segment will be her commitment to IDSA’s new Diversity Task Force, her participation in the Faces of ID Campaign, and her passion for antimicrobial stewardship.
 
Dr. Caverzagie elected to AMA's Council on Medical Education
Kelly Caverzagie, M.D., recently was elected to serve a four-year term on the American Medical Association's Council on Medical Education. The council recommends educational policies to the AMA House of Delegates and recommends to the AMA Board of Trustees the appointments of representatives to medical education organizations, accrediting bodies and certification boards.
 
Dr. Caverzagie is associate dean for educational strategy at UNMC and vice president for education at Nebraska Medicine. In addition to collaborating with other key organizations in medical education, the council supports the accreditation of medical education programs and gathers and disseminates medical education data and products/services.
 
The council focuses on issues and initiatives related to four areas:

  • Undergraduate medical education;
  • Graduate medical education;
  • Continuing medical education; and
  • Continuing professional development.

Dr. Sharon Hammer receives Nebraska Medicaid Provider Award
Sharon Hammer, M.D., assistant professor, psychiatry, was one of three physicians selected for the inaugural Nebraska Medicaid Provider Awards, which were given on June 17 at the Nebraska State Capital in Lincoln.
 
The awards recognized three outstanding providers within Heritage Health, Nebraska’s Medicaid managed care program. One physician was honored from each of Heritage Health’s three managed care organizations’ (MCOs) networks – United Healthcare Community Plan of Nebraska, Nebraska Total Care, and WellCare of Nebraska. Dr. Hammer was nominated by WellCare of Nebraska.
 
In practice for more than 26 years, Dr. Hammer joined UNMC in 2005 with the goal of establishing a specialized psychiatric service arm for reproductive psychiatric illnesses. At UNMC, it is estimated that over half of pregnant women are covered by Medicaid during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
 
Dr. Hammer and her colleagues offer interventions for Medicaid high-risk women, often with pre-existing, but untreated, mental illnesses prior to pregnancy. Dr. Hammer also serves as a provider advisor to WellCare of Nebraska, aiding the MCO’s efforts in enhancing services to pregnant women and to children.
 
"The Nebraska Medicaid Provider Awards recognize Nebraska health care professionals who have consistently delivered excellence," said Matthew Van Patton, M.D., Medicaid director for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. "Each has engaged in performance improvement processes that further the work of achieving the quadruple aim: improve the health of patients; improve patient experience of care; improve the cost effectiveness of care; or improve provider and staff experience."
 
The other physicians honored were Henry (Hank) Sakowski, M.D., an internal medicine specialist with CHI Health Clinic and a faculty member at the Creighton University School of Medicine, and Rebecca Lancaster, M.D. a family physician with Methodist Physicians Clinic.
 
Orthopaedic Surgery recognizes four graduating residents
The UNMC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery recognized four graduating residents in June.
 
The graduating residents and their chosen fellowships are:

  • Erik Bowman, M.D., Adult Reconstruction Fellowship, University of Louisville;
  • Todd Gilbert, M.D., Spinal Surgery Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh;
  • Tyler Larson, M.D., Lower Extremity Adult Reconstruction Fellowship, Indiana University; and
  • Ryan Miller, M.D., Hand & Upper Extremity Fellowship, Loma Linda University.

This year’s graduation ceremony included final oral presentations from the graduating residents, case-based discussions with Omaha-area upper extremity orthopaedic surgeons, and talks from prominent guest speakers.
 
Visiting Professor Hill Hastings, M.D., gave three lectures:

  • "The ‘Inside and Outside’ of Elbow Instability";
  • "Anatomy and Biomechanics as Applied to the Treatment of PIP Fractures and Dislocations"; and
  • "Essential Lessons for Balancing a Career in Orthopaedics."

Dr. Hastings is a retired orthopaedic surgeon who practiced as a clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center and Indiana University Medical Center from 1981-2015. During his career, he helped train more than 200 fellowship hand surgeons and contributed to the development of fracture repair systems for the clavicle, radial head, distal radius, wrist, and hand.
 
The Eighth Annual Harold and Marian Andersen Lecturer was Michael Forsberg, a Nebraska native whose 25-year career as a photographer and conservationist has been dedicated to wildlife and conservation stories in North America’s Great Plains.
 
In 2011, Forsberg co-founded the Platte Basin Timelapse project (PBT) in partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and NET Television. Today it operates as a long-term multi-media documentary project to inform scientific research, build education content, and tell stories of a Great Plains watershed in motion. Forsberg presented on "Finding Home in Flyover Country."
 
BHECN moves offices
The Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) has moved. BHECN's offices are now located at 4470 Farnam St. The mailing address will remain the same:
984242 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-4242

All phone extensions and email addresses also will remain the same.
 
House Officers Association holds barbecue
The UNMC House Officers Association held its annual End of Year Grill Out on June 9 in the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza. Residents and fellows and their families were treated to free barbecue, beverages, ice cream, a raffle and games.