Lorrie Albright’s son Avery seemed healthy at birth, but by the time he entered his fourth month of life, she knew something was wrong.

“He was pretty much dying, and we couldn’t figure out why,” she said.

Avery had a bloated belly and skinny limbs.

Hope arrived at Avery’s bed in the form of Dr. Richard Miller, pediatric surgeon and longtime faculty member of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Avery was diagnosed with Miller’s enteritis (a condition named for the doctor treating it), so Miller removed the part of Avery’s intestine that died and put the healthy parts together.

A child who was supposed to have never lived to see his first birthday has now celebrated 10 of them. Avery’s care by Miller moved Albright so much that she decided to join the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children as a nurse.

Twenty-nine retiring faculty and staff were honored at the Medical Center’s 2008 Retirement Ceremony June 27 at the Norman C. Nelson Student Union. The retirees include, front row from left, Rae Creel, Mary Collins, Mildred Clark, Bess Blackwell, Gene Arender, Dr. Jean Arceneaux, Dr. Lincoln Arceneaux, Dr. Connie McCaa, and Mariah Lane; and second row from left, Dr. Marvin Cuchens, Sybil Smith, Sharon Cupil, Jackie Wilson, Bettie Davis, John Summer, Jane Goff, Joan Howard, Dr. James Peck, Dr. Lyle Zardiackas, Pearl Wales, Catherine Tillman, Paul Sapoch, Carolyn McFarland, Dr. Richard Miller, Elisa Rodabough, Ada Seltzer, and Minnie Stamps. Retirees not pictured include Julius Carter, Lynn Claypool, Glenda Clemmons, David Dickson, Dr. William Duncan, Tim Frith, Sharon Graham, Deloris Lee, Shirley Miggins, Stella Morrison,

The Medical Center’s short-term disability carrier, Professional Insurance Company (PIC), is offering a special open enrollment period in July for all eligible faculty and staff (those working 20 hours or more per week). Faculty and staff may enroll without completing any medical questions for up to $2,000 in coverage. The effective date of coverage will be Friday, Aug. 1. Since premiums are deducted a month in advance, they will be deducted twice in August. For more information, visit the Human Resources Web site (hr.umc.edu) and select “Short Term Disability Open Enrollment” under “Employee Benefits.” For more information, about the policy or the open enrollment, call Dave Scholz at (601) 982-0331.

Representatives for the 403(b) Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan, the 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan, the Public Employees’ Retirement System Plan (PERS), the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP), and the House Officer Long Term Disability and Short Term Disability Plans will be available to answer questions, enroll new participants and assist current participants with changes to their respective plans from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, July 8-10, in the hallway in front of University Hospital. For more information about the Retirement Benefits Fair, call Angela Jones at 4-1137 or send her an e-mail (agjones@hr.umsmed.edu); call Tracy Chambliss at 4-1128 or send her an e-mail (tchambliss@hr.umsmed.edu); or call Yolanda Townsend at 4-1138 or send her an e-mail (ytownsend@hr.umsmed.edu); or visit the Benefits Office in room N136. For more information about retirement income, visit the Human Resources Web site

The Department of Performance Improvement will host “Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA)” training for Medical Center divisions, departments, units, and medical services from 9-11 a.m. and from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, in the second-floor conference center of the Norman C. Nelson Student Union. A PDSA tool kit will be provided. The training will include breakout exercises to enhance understanding. To register, access HealthStream on the Intranet (under “General Information”) or call Adrienne Dear at 4-2494 or send her an e-mail (adear@pi.umsmed.edu). 

Dr. Thomas Lohmeier, professor of physiology and biophysics, will present the physiology seminar, “Confounders in Understanding the Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System in Long-term Control of Arterial Pressure,” at noon on Wednesday, July 9, in room 6A. Refreshments will be available. For more information, call 4-1801.

The Get Fit UMC team will host a “Get Fit UMC” class on healthy lifestyle habits at noon on Wednesday, July 9, in R153 (lower amphitheatre). All Medical Center faculty, staff and students are invited to this free session. Participants are welcome to bring their lunch to the session. For more information, send an e-mail (getfit@umsmed.edu).

Monday

  7:30 a.m.               Neurology Intake Rounds, L413

  8                            ERSD-Transplant Multidisciplinary Inpatient

  8                            Urology Grand Rounds, VA-B220

  9                            Cerebral Circulation-Brain Research Conference, N705

  10                          Cytology Conference, R205

  11                          Rheumatology Molecular Immunology Clinical Research Conference, L507

  1 p.m.                    Pathology Consultants Conference, Room 204

Tuesday

  7 a.m.                    Orthopedic Grand Rounds and Teaching Conference, Medical Towers

Lachel Story, graduate student in the Nursing Doctor of Philosophy Program, will defend her dissertation, “The Evaluation of a Community Health Advisor Training,” at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 11, in room A-035. For more information, call Peggy Maclain at 4-1195.

The Division of Information Systems will be performing GroupWise maintenance from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, July 12. The GroupWise and Web Access systems will not be available during that time. For more information, call the Help Desk at 4-1145.

The 2008-09 Medical Center Standing Committees and School of Medicine Standing Committees book is now available on the UMC Intranet. To access the book, scroll over the “Welcome” entry on the left-hand tool bar and click on “UMC Committees,” or visit the Intranet site (http://www.umc.edu/intranet/committees.pdf). No printed copies will be available. Departments who need printed copies may print the Intranet file. Information on the Schools of Nursing, Dentistry, Graduate Studies, and Health Related Professions, as well as University Hospital committee information, may be found on their individual Web sites. For more information, call Dr. Helen Turner’s office at 4-5009.

Dr. H. Christ Kinard, assistant professor of anesthesiology, Dr. Christian Koch, professor and division director of endocrinology, and Dr. Stanley Musick, instructor in anesthesiology, were voted Consultants of the Year by faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences. The honorees were recognized at the department’s annual Graduation Dinner and Awards Ceremony June 13. The designation highlights the otolaryngology and communicative sciences faculty’s appreciation for their colleagues in other specialties who have helped them provide the best patient care possible through hard work, outstanding clinical care and exemplary customer service.

Tuesday, July 8

     9-9:30 a.m. – Computrition price updates

Friday, July 11

     2-3 a.m. – Norton AntiVirus scans of all network-connected PCs

     10-10:20 p.m. – reboot Citrix server

Saturday, July 12

     10 a.m.-2 p.m. GroupWise system downtime

Sunday, July 13

     2-4 a.m. – scheduled Mainframe Services interruption

                9:30-10 a.m. – weekly NTEMCSQL1 and NTEMCSQL2 server reboot

Cafeteria

     Monday lunch: chicken tortilla or vegetable soup, beef stew, baked chicken, rice, baked potato, green beans, cabbage, beets, peach cobbler. Dinner: chicken tortilla or vegetable soup, chopped beef, baked potatoes, rice, carrots, field peas, peach cobbler.

     Tuesday lunch: vegetable beef or vegetable soup, roast turkey, chili mac, mashed potatoes, gravy, spinach, corn, cranberry sauce, apple cobbler, garlic toast. Dinner: vegetable beef or vegetable soup, chili mac, baked chicken, rice, whipped potatoes, gravy, peas-and-onions, okra-and-tomatoes, apple cobbler, coleslaw.

     Wednesday lunch: broccoli or vegetable soup, roasted chicken, Salisbury steak, rice, mashed potatoes, gravy, mustard greens, stewed tomatoes, English peas, blackberry cobbler. Dinner: broccoli or vegetable soup, roast beef, rice, gravy, English peas, okra-and-tomatoes, blackberry cobbler.

Notices for the Bulletin Board must reach the Division of Public Affairs no later than noon on the Tuesday before the Bulletin Board runs. Items may be e-mailed to Bruce Coleman (bcoleman@pubaffairs.umsmed.edu). This free service is for Medical Center employees and students and includes only items for sale by owner. Garage sale notices will not be run.

     For sale: Boston Terrier puppies, three red and white, 6-weeks-old, CKC registered, first shots, dewormed, $500 each; CKC Boxer puppies, two males, brindle-colored, tails docked, dew claws removed, 6-weeks-old, $300 each; miniature Schnauzers, tails docked, $250 each, call (601) 832-8980 or (601) 720-2078.

     For sale: reconditioned white Star Wars-edition Sony PSP 2000 slim version, $125; reconditioned black Nintendo DS Lite, case included, $100; both have 60-day warranty;

Dr. Charles “Catfish” Allen died June 15 and took with him one of the Medical Center’s historic landmarks. He was 78.

He was a member of the Medical Center’s first graduating medical school class, the first MDs who were trained entirely in Mississippi. By virtue of his place in the alphabet, he was the first person ever to receive a four-year medical degree in Mississippi.

If he were only a footnote in our history, we would have less reason to mourn him. He gave us so much more. He was a joyful man who loved people, and people – in turn – loved him. He did not have a life without sadness, but he turned his cheek to pessimism and chose generosity and cheer instead.

Mention his name, and anyone who had ever known him broke into a smile as if they’d been thrown a warm blanket on a cold morning. He was adored by patients all across

Timgfeng Li will present a dissertation defense, “Structural and Mechanistic Studies on alpha-Amino-beta-Carboxymuconic-epsilon-Semialdehyde Decarboxylase,” at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 30, in room 4A. Refreshments will be available at 9:30 a.m. in room R307 in the Department of Biochemistry. For more information, call RoseMary Brown at 4-1500.

All cash and checks for deposit must be received by Monday, June 30, to be credited to University of Mississippi Medical Center accounts in FY 2007-08. All equipment orders and work orders encumbered on or before June 30 will be charged to the departments in FY 2007-08. All items, other than equipment, received on or before June 30 on purchase orders must be updated through the receiving system on or before June 30. Items updated in the system after June 30 will be expensed to FY 2008-09. All documents for expenditures to be charged to all accounts (departmental, grants and agency funds) for services provided through June 30 must be received in the Accounting Department no later than Monday, June 30. Requisitions or invoices must not be held because of lack of funds. The necessary action should be taken to process the following documents

The Health Sciences Program in the School of Health Related Professions will offer fall semester early registration June 30-July 2. To be admitted into the program, new students must complete an application, provide transcripts of all college credit and complete health forms. The program offers two tracks for students to earn a bachelor of science in health science - one for health care practitioners who are licensed, registered or certified health care professionals in the State of Mississippi, and another for individuals who work in a health care environment and need more extensive knowledge of health care to advance their degrees. For more information or to make an appointment, call Harriet Lamkin at 5-1150. 

House Bill 833 approved by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour in March increased the maximum reportable earned compensation limit from $150,000 to the current IRS limit of $230,000, effective July 1. Medical Center faculty and staff participating in either the Public Employees’ Retirement System Plan or the Optional Retirement Plan whose Medical Center salary will be greater than $150,000 on or after July 1 will be the only individuals affected by this change. The 7.25-percent employee and 11.85-percent employer contributions will be calculated based on the employee’s Medical Center salary up to a maximum salary limit of $230,000. For more information, call Angela Jones in the Benefits Office at 4-1137 or send her an e-mail (agjones@hr.umsmed.edu).

The Medical Center’s Echocardiography Laboratory has received accreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories. “This is an honor as well as a sign of quality and expertise in echocardiography,” said Dr. Ervin Fox, associate professor of medicine and director of the lab. Cardiac structure and flow information provided by echocardiographic testing is useful in the detection and management of many types of heart disease. The lab is accredited for both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms. Lab staff include, from left, Fox, Melanie Omobude, cardiac sonographer, Tim Jones, RN, and Sherline Wilson, Audrey Samuels, Sheila Jones,Stephanie Parkman, cardiac sonographers.

For a limited time, the Hearst Corporation, one of the nation’s largest magazine publishers, will give 40 percent of its new magazine subscription price to the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children through the Children’s Miracle Network. To purchase or renew magazine subscriptions to benefit Children’s Hospital, visit the Web site (Supportthemiracle.com).

Dr. Thomas Adair, professor of physiology and biophysics, will present the physiology seminar, “Growth Regulation of the Vascular System – Role of Oxygen and Adenosine,” at noon on Wednesday, July 2, in room 6A. Refreshments will be available. For more information, call 4-1801.

The Division of Information Systems will be performing GroupWise maintenance from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, July 12. The GroupWise and Web Access systems will not be available during that time. For more information, call the Help Desk at 4-1145.

The Winfred L. Wiser Society will host an event for physicians from all disciplines of medicine Wednesday-Sunday, July 16-20, at Spring Creek Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyo. For registration information, send a GroupWise e-mail to Jean Kelly or visit the ob-gyn Web site (http://obgyn.umc.edu/cme_opp.html).  

The American Student Dental Association will host its annual fall golf tournament at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11, at the Bay Pointe Golf and Resort in Brandon. The tournament will consist of a four-man scramble. A cookout will follow the tournament. All participants must pre-register. For more information or to register, send an e-mail to Jonathan Woolfolk (jawoolfolk2@umsmed.edu).

The historic Millsaps Buie House is available to guests of the Medical Center in town on Medical Center business. Through August, the house will be offering guest rooms free of charge. Departments hosting a guest speaker or interviewing faculty candidates may call 5-7800 to make a reservation. Public space at the Millsaps Buie House also is available to members of the Medical Center family for institutional meetings and events. For more information, call Judy Loper or Vicky Wade at 5-7800.

As part of the Medical Center’s effort to promote a healthy lifestyle, the Diabetes and Metabolism Center is offering many comprehensive weight management options, including the LEARN and Health Management Resources Behavior Weight Management Programs and meal replacement products. These programs offer classes that address nutrition, physical activity and behavior changes necessary to achieve a healthy weight. Medical Center faculty and staff are eligible for a 20-percent discount and can use their cafeteria/flexible spending account for reimbursement if they have a related diagnosed medical condition. Individuals interested in the program must attend a free informational session before joining. For more information, call Karen Hill at 5-6953 or send her an e-mail (cwmp@umsmed.edu).

The Fondren Express Trolley, which provides transportation from the Medical Center to the Central Fondren Business District, is now offering charter services. Daily trolley service is available from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays in a continuous 20-30-minute “loop” between St. Dominic Hospital to the east, Millsaps College to the south and the Central Fondren Business District to the north. The round-trip fee is 75 cents per passenger; the fee to charter is dependent upon time and distance. For more information about the trolley service or to charter the trolley, call (601) 213-RIDE (7433); to track the Fondren Express at any time, visit its Web site (www.fondrenexpress.com) and select the “trolley tracker.”

Dr. Harold M. Henderson, professor of medicine and project director of the Mississippi AIDS Education and Training Center, and Cheryl L. Hamill, instructor in medicine and program coordinator of the Mississippi AETC, are featured in the May issue of U.S. Medicine, a publication of the U.S. Medicine Institute for Health Studies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ongoing and permeating dialog about issues most important to federal medical policy and innovation. The article can be viewed online (http://www.usmedicine.com/article.cfm?articleID=1744&issueID=111).

Randi Cline and William Henry, students in the School of Dentistry, received scholarships from the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Society at the 96th Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta March 13-15. The students are junior student members of the American Dental Association and in the top 10 percent of their class.

Tuesday, July 1

8-8:05 a.m. – Voice Application System maintenance

Wednesday, July 2

     6-7:30 p.m. – monthly Softmed/ESA maintenance

Friday, July 4

     2-3 a.m. – Norton AntiVirus scans of all network-connected PCs

     10-10:20 p.m. – reboot Citrix server

Sunday, July 6

     9:30-10 a.m. – weekly NTEMCSQL1 and NTEMCSQL2 server reboot

Monday, July 7

     6-6:05 a.m. – weekly Poison Control server reboot

Dr. Thomas Allingham had been recruited to join the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1991, but he decided on a different career path.

But when the opportunity to join the Medical Center arose again this year, he jumped at the chance. He had been working in rural East Tennessee and wanted a change, and it was the call of teaching that lured him.

“To be able to come back to teaching was very appealing, and this wasn’t a place I was unfamiliar with,” he said.

Allingham, associate professor of anesthesiology, joined the faculty March 20.

Dr. Claude Brunson, professor and chair of anesthesiology, said Allingham brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the department, particularly his background in military medicine and work in acute care and trauma cases.

The Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, is recruiting healthy volunteers for a Normal Blood Draw research study. You must be between the ages of 18 and 64, be healthy, do not smoke, have no known diseases other than clinically controlled diseases (such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, dermatitis, hypertension or type 2 diabetes not on insulin). The study is under the direction of Dr. Gailen Marshall. Financial compensation is available. If you are interested, please call Dr. Marshall’s study team at 815-5648 or 815-5374.  

Cutting the ribbon for the relocated Quick Care Clinic June 11 are, from left, David Putt, executive director of University Hospitals and chief operating officer of health system; Roberta Parillo, executive director of University Clinical Associates; Dr. Diane Beebe, professor and chair of family medicine; Dr. Colette Scott, assistant professor of family medicine and clinic physician; and Dr. Will Ferniany, associate vice chancellor and CEO of University Hospitals and Health System. Medical Center faculty and staff may use their employee badges for payroll deduction to pay for clinic visits. The clinic is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, call 4-2273.

Monday

  7:30 a.m.               Neurology Intake Rounds, L413

  8                            ERSD-Transplant Multidisciplinary Inpatient

  8                            Urology Grand Rounds, VA-B220

  9                            Cerebral Circulation-Brain Research Conference, N705

  10                          Cytology Conference, R205

  11                          Rheumatology Molecular Immunology Clinical Research Conference, L507

  1 p.m.                    Pathology Consultants Conference, Room 204

  1                            Muscle Biopsy Conference, UMC Pathology

  4                            Cardiothoracic Conference, Heart Station

Cafeteria

     Monday lunch: chicken tortilla or vegetable soup, fried chicken, spaghetti, rice, sweet potatoes, gravy, mixed vegetables, cabbage, parmesan tomato, cherry cobbler. Dinner: chicken tortilla or vegetable soup, fried chicken, browned potatoes, baked beans, broccoli, cauliflower au gratin, cherry cobbler, coleslaw.

     Tuesday lunch: broccoli-cheese or vegetable soup, beef stroganoff, turkey lasagna, rice, mustard greens, corn, peas-and-onions, white chocolate bread pudding. Dinner: broccoli-cheese or vegetable soup, roast beef, turkey lasagna, rice, gravy, mustard greens, okra and tomatoes, apple cobbler.

     Wednesday lunch: chicken noodle or vegetable soup, pepper chicken, John Wayne casserole, rice, baked potato, crowder peas, pinto beans, broccoli with cheese, banana pudding. Dinner: chicken noodle or vegetable soup, fried cod, pepper chicken, rice, baked potato, crowder peas, zucchini, squash, banana pudding.

Bulletin Board

     Notices for the Bulletin Board must reach the Division of Public Affairs no later than noon on the Tuesday before the Bulletin Board runs. Items may be e-mailed to Bruce Coleman (bcoleman@pubaffairs.umsmed.edu). This free service is for Medical Center employees and students and includes only items for sale by owner. Garage sale notices will not be run.

     For sale: 1967 Pontiac Lemans/GTO (clone), power steering, power breaks, 3SP TH, red with black interior, looks, runs and drives good, must see, $13,500, call (601) 668-0520. 

     For sale: Ford Mustang 5.0 LX CV five-speed, year model 1992, red with white LV top, air-conditioner and nice sound system, $4,500, call Micheal Amos at (601) 278-4938 or Carolyn Amos at 5-8737; (601) 951-3858, or (769) 233-8329.

On the 45th anniversary of the world’s first lung transplant into man that brought the University of Mississippi Medical Center into the nation’s consciousness, a key participant in the groundbreaking procedure was back at the Medical Center.

Dr. Martin L. Dalton, Jr., dean of the School of Medicine at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., recalled the events surrounding that historic four-hour operation to a capacity crowd of Medical Center faculty and residents during the annual James D. Hardy Lectureship in Surgery, “James D. Hardy and the First Lung Transplant,” June 11.

The Medical Center loses a dual fixture this month with the retirement of Dr. Jean Arceneaux and Dr. Lincoln Arceneaux. The couple came to the Medical Center around the same time 38 years ago – she as a postdoctoral trainee in microbiology and he as assistant professor in microbiology. Both are associate professors of microbiology.

The Arceneauxs were always the kind of teachers who engaged students and encouraged their friendship outside the classroom. Medical students voted Lincoln Arceneaux preclinical professor of the year in 1976. So no one was surprised when Dr. Norman C. Nelson, then vice chancellor and dean, named him assistant dean for student affairs. And for 30 years, now as associate dean, he has shepherded medical students from that nerve-wrenching first interview to their choice of specialty.

The first pediatric and obstetrics-gynecology interns to complete their inaugural year of graduate training in a joint program developed by the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Air Force Medical Service were recognized in a formal ceremony June 10 at the Norman C. Nelson Student Union.

Forged in the wake of the devastation to the Mississippi Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the agreement between the Medical Center and the Air Force has been a collaborative effort to maintain four residency programs at the Keesler Medical Center in Biloxi: general surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, and ob-gyn.

Event covers men’s health

The School of Health Sciences, College of Public Service at Jackson State University, the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Services Research and the Center of Excellence in Minority Health will host a conference, “Men’s Health and Health Care: Eliminating Health Disparities in Mississippi,” on Thursday, June 26, at the Hilton Jackson Convention Center. Registration is scheduled for 8 a.m., with plenary sessions and speakers to follow from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Lunch will be available. For more information, call (601) 979-1101.

Ceremony recognizes Medical Center retirees

The Medical Center family is invited to a ceremony honoring retiring faculty and staff with 25 years of service to the institution and retiring department heads with 20 years of service at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 27, in the second-floor conference center of the Norman C. Nelson Student Union. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony. For more information, call 4-1100.

Friday, June 27

2-3 a.m. - Norton AntiVirus Scans of All Network-connected PCs

10-10:20 p.m. - reboot Citrix server

Sunday, June 29

9:30-10 a.m. – weekly NTEMCSQL1 and NTEMCSQL2 server reboot

Monday, June 30

6-6:05 a.m. – weekly reboot of Poison Control server

Notices for the Bulletin Board must reach the Division of Public Affairs no later than noon on the Tuesday before the Bulletin Board runs. Items may be e-mailed to Bruce Coleman (bcoleman@pubaffairs.umsmed.edu). This free service is for Medical Center employees and students and includes only items for sale by owner. Garage sale notices will not be run.

Monday

7:30 a.m. - Neurology Intake Rounds, L413

8 - ERSD-Transplant Multidisciplinary Inpatient

8 - Urology Grand Rounds, VA-B220

9 - Cerebral Circulation-Brain Research Conference, N705

10 - Cytology Conference, R205

11 - Rheumatology Molecular Immunology Clinical Research Conference, L507

Noon - Trauma Team Conference, L110

1 p.m. - Pathology Consultants Conference, Room 204

4 - Cardiothoracic Conference, Heart Station

5 - Ophthalmology Conference, “Chief Grand Rounds,” B314

Cafeteria

Monday lunch: bean or vegetable soup, shrimp creole, rice, turkey tetrazzini, black-eyed peas, vegetable medley, squash, banana pudding. Dinner: bean or vegetable soup, grilled turkey, whipped potatoes, gravy, browned potatoes, carrots, field peas, banana pudding.

Tuesday lunch: broccoli-cheese or vegetable soup, roast pork, gravy, baked chicken, rice, carrots, lima beans, cabbage, apple cobbler. Dinner: broccoli-cheese or vegetable soup, baked chicken, baked potato, fries, lima beans, apple cobbler.