News

Congratulations Dr. Olsson

Daniel J. Olsson, DO, FACEOP-D has been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians. This new designation is given to Fellows of the ACOEP who have surpassed expectations of the College by advancing the practice of emergency medicine through teaching, research and professional contributions or service at the national, regional or local levels. Dr. Olsson is currently Medical Director of the CNY EMS and has been recognized previously having received the Presidents Award from the Manlius Police Benevolent Assoc. and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Onondaga Co. Volunteer Firefighters Underwater Recovery Team.

Gary Johnson, MD named Interim Chair of EM Department

Effective October 1, 2009, Dr. Gary Johnson , Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine, has been named Interim Chair of the EM Department. He succeeds Dr. John McCabe, who stepped down to become CEO of University Hospital and Senior Vice Presdient for Hospital Affairs.

Jeff Lapoint, DO, PGY3 in EM wins award

Dr. Lapoint won an award for outstanding research poster at the New York ACEP meeting in July 2009. Research poster title: "Rates of Positive Cerebrospinal Fluid, Blood, and Urine Cultures in Febrile Infants Less than 60 Days Old: A Retrospective Chart Review. Co-authors on the study: Eric Morley, MD, Jeff Lapoint, DO, Linnea Wittick, MD, Susan Wojcik, MS, Richard Cantor, MD and William Grant, Ed.D.

Congratulations Dr. Cantor

- Appointed to the American College of Emergency Physician’s National Commission on Children and Disasters, April 2009
- Selected by the Medical School Class of 2011 to be the keynote speaker at their "Eighth Annual Student Clinician Ceremony", held on July 6, 2009
- Appointed National Course Director for the 2010 ACEP Pediatric emergency Medicine Assembly to be held in New York city, April 12-15, 2010.

Upstate Poison Center in USA Today

Jeanna Marraffa, PharmD, Assistant Professor at SUNY Upstate Poison Center, was quoted in an article in USA Today on the overuse of energy drinks.

Dr. McCabe and Dr. Grant visit China

During a recent visit to Hangzhou in Jeijiang Province, PR China, Dr. McCabe and Dr. Grant held a reunion with many of the physicians who have come from China to spend time working with various members of the Upstate Faculty. Pictured are some of the physicians who have visited Syracuse and one who is a candidate to come.

First row (L to R): Wu Tianfeng, Jin Qi, Yuan Fang (candidate), Chen Xinyu, Wang Xinxia, Ding Zhongxiang, Ma Yu
Second row (L to R): Dr. McCabe, Zhang Min, Dai Yuehong, Shi Jun, Wang Shuwei, Ko, Dr. Grant
Third row (L to R): Yang Songbin, Sun Caixing, Xing Gang, Xu Xiaodong, Chen Xin

Dr. Mariani Presents Ultrasound Lecture to Int'l College of Surgeons

Peter Mariani MD, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, presented "Ultrasonographic Diagnosis and Facilitated Reduction of Abdominal Wall Hernias" to the 41st annual International College of Surgeons North American Congress on May 28, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec. The ICS has members in 110 countries and the theme of this year's congress was "A Case for Collaboration." Dr. Mariani provided the only presentation by an Emergency Medicine practitioner.

EM Supports Educational Outreach in Puerto Rico

The Upstate New York Poison Center recently took part in an educational outreach activity to help the Puerto Rico Poison Center achieve their goal of attaining certification. This was made possible through the financial support of Emergency Medicine Department.

Department Members Present Research at National SAEM

The annual meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine took place May 13-17, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Department members Peter Mariani MD, William Grant EdD, John Lyng MD, Derek Cooney MD and Jay Scott NREMT-P, conducted and authored three conference studies.

Incoming EM Resident Wins ACEP Award

Nicole Gero, MSIV at SUNY Upstate Medical University, won the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) 2009 Medical Student Professionalism and Service Award. The award recognizes students who excel in compassionate care of patients, professional behavior, and service to the community and/or specialty. Nikki will be a PGY1 in the EM Department beginning in June 2009.

Poison Control Center Research Award

The Poison Control Center's proposal "911 Center Training Program" has been selected for the American Association of Poison Control Centers Educator Research Award for 2009.

Dr. Mariani Presents ECG Study

Peter Mariani MD, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, presented a study of ED ECG loss to the Society of Chest Pain Centers 12th Annual Congress in Memphis, TN on April 30, 2009. Local impediments to ECG retention were subsequently identified, and a post intervention follow-up study is underway in collaboration with EM Resident, Jeff LaPoint, DO, PGY-2.

EM Resident John Rajkumar Presents at Regional Ultrasound Symposium

John Rajkumar, MD (PGY-2 EM Resident)reports a novel technique in transocular ultrasound to the 6th Annual Regional Ultrasound Symposium at Columbia University, NYC, on April 15, 2009. Explicit measuremenmt of optic head elevation in assessment of intracranial pressure is not previously described in the EM literature. Upstate faculty collaborators were Peter J. Mariani, MD, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, and Melissa Ko, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology.

EM Department Presentations at AIUM Convention

Three current faculty members and two residency graduates collaborated in presentations to the annual American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine convention in New York City on April 2–5, 2009. Drs. Amy and Scott Bloch, class of 2008, presented two abstracts of projects (pdf; link opens in new window) completed while in EM residency at Upstate. A porcine model of pneumothorax was done with Drs. Heramba Prasad and Lalania Secreti, and IV cannula location by doppler was done with Dr. Peter Mariani.

EM Supports Fowler HS Job Shadow Day

In partnership with Partners for Education and Business, Inc. of CNY, the EM Department hosted two students from George W. Fowler High School in Syracuse. The purpose of these visits is to provide students with an exposure to the day-to-day activities involved in their future career path. During their visit, Megan Monette, a Senior with an interest in nursing and Bellota Yambuya, a Freshman with an interest in becoming an Ob/Gyn physician, toured the Simulation Center. They also had the opportunity to conduct a high-definition simulation under the direction of Eric Morley, MD with the assistance of Aurel Mihai and discussed pre-hospital care with Jay Scott, EMT-P.Students at work

Emergency Medicine Students Present Research on 3/25/09

Four College of Medicine students studying in the Emergency Medicine Department last summer presented their work at the 22nd annual Charles R. Ross Research Day on 3/25/09. Posters were displayed by Andrea Hsue (pdf; link opens in new window), Joseph Konwinski, Jack Palmer, and Nicholas Nacca. Research was completed under mentorships of Emergency Medicine faculty members Peter Mariani, William Grant, Louise Prince, and Jay Scott. Further extramural presentation and publication of these projects is in process.

EM Residency News

At the 2/13/09 meeting of the RRC for Emergency Medicine, the SUNY Upstate Medical University Program was given approval to increase total number of accredited emergency medicine residents from 30 to 33.

UH upgrades and expands Hyperbaric Facility

There is a featured article on page 3 of the Upstate Update

Poster Presentations at American College of Legal Medicine Meeting

Brian Kloss, DO, JD, PA-C and Ross Sullivan, MD (PGY-1 EM Residents) are traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada at the end of February 2009 to present research posters at the American College of Legal Medicine Annual Meeting. Dr. Kloss is the sole author on "The Legal History of Osteopathy in California" and is the first author with Dr. Sullivan as the second author on "Exploitations and Loopholes of the Orphan Drug Act." William Grant, EdD was a contributor on the second poster.

LaLainia Secreti, MD is awarded 174th Fighter Medical Group Award

LaLainia Secreti, M.D., Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, is a Lt. Col. in the New York State 174th Fighter Wing Medical Group. Dr. Secreti was awarded the 2008 New York State "Colonel Gouverneur Morris Citizen Soldier Award."