News at USA Health

The birth of a baby is usually a joyous occasion, but some expectant parents have to prepare for the unimaginable – the loss of a child.

As part of its ongoing commitment to improving the quality of care for patients with urologic disease, University Urology is participating in a national urologic disease registry designed to measure and report healthcare quality and patient outcomes.

While completing a fellowship in acute care surgery in Baltimore, Larry Lee, M.D., made a decision on the next step in his medical career. Lee, who trained at USA Health - both as a medical student and a resident physician - decided to return to the organization where he started.

Growing up in a family of doctors and having his fair share of sports injuries, the newest addition to the USA Health neurosurgery team was exposed to medicine early in life. He once thought he might pursue a career as an orthopedic or trauma surgeon but shifted towards neurosurgery during medical school as he became fascinated with the brain and spine.

Leaders at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion are committed to ensuring that all feel welcome. The group has created programs to address the documented lack of diversity among physicians.

A passion for discovery and inspiring a new generation of scientists drew Kevin R. Macaluso, Ph.D., to a career as an educator and scientist. This month, he joined the University of South Alabama College of Medicine as a professor and Locke Distinguished Chair of Microbiology and Immunology.

The USA Health Office of Medical Affairs Development has recently expanded with the addition of two new staff members who will help engage community members, business leaders and grateful patients to advance the mission and healthcare services provided by USA Health, the region’s only academic medical center.

The 2019 Randall W. Powell Endowed Memorial Lectureship in Pediatric Surgery, hosted by the University of South Alabama department of surgery, will feature Shawn D. St. Peter, M.D., surgeon-in-chief of the department of surgery and professor of pediatric surgery at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.

Kim Waren has been named director of patient relations for USA Health. In her new role, she will be responsible for leading patient relations at USA Health University Hospital and USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

Amod Amritphale, M.D., F.A.C.C , recently joined USA Health as assistant professor of cardiology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and an interventional cardiologist with USA Health University Hospital.

Helping parents of sick children uncover vital details about rare health conditions is something Rachel Fenske is passionate about. She often brings the information straight to a patient’s bedside, with an iPad and access to health journals the average person might not know about.

Four medical students at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine will receive $60,000 scholarships from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama as part of a $1.2 million initiative aimed at improving access to healthcare in medically underserved areas of the state.