Quarterly E-Newsletter – Summer 2020
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MILESTONES OF A PANDEMIC — DUKE OB/GYN SHOWS ITS STRENGTH
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When we last published our Quarterly e-Newsletter (Winter 2020), our world was not as we know it today. Traditionally, the summer edition of this publication showcases the Department’s excellence in research, education and patient care, along with celebratory end-of-year milestone events such as
graduation
and
Charles B. Hammond, MD, Research Day
. This year, those events looked very different, as does everything in our day-to-day existence.
- Our 2020 graduation celebration on Saturday, June 6, 2020 was a great success! We celebrated the achievements of 8 chief residents and 5 senior fellows and honored the accomplishments of faculty and trainees for excellence in clinical care, education and professionalism. We did so for the first time in the Department’s history via a virtual platform. Click to watch.
- Charles B. Hammond, MD, Research Day also was held virtually. This year, due to restrictions around COVID-19, research presentations were judged by me, Vice Chair for Research and Faculty Development Geeta Swamy, MD, and Professor Emeritus Suheil Muasher, MD. Winners were Vivienne Meljen, MD (Resident) and Stephanie Smeltzer, MD (Fellow). Click to watch.
- Over the past two weeks, we have welcomed our new trainees, also in a unique way. They are gaining experience that they never could have imagined as they completed medical school and/or residency and now are embarking on the next phase of their learning. Their experiences are historical in more ways than we can count. Phase 3 of Duke's Return to Campus is in effect, and we are working as One Duke to continue in our efforts. We are producing virtual tour videos as part of our recruitment initiatives, as well as other digital endeavors.
- Our faculty have shown exceptional leadership and guidance about COVID-19 in the field of Ob/Gyn. The tremendous contributions of our Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists, Gynecologic Oncologists and many others have been previously communicated, however, a summary is provided here — the list is ongoing and growing daily.
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- We learned a new way to work – telehealth. Prior to March 23, 2020, when clinic operational changes were implemented, the Department’s telehealth activities had been largely limited to conducting MFM consults and obstetrical ultrasound “tele-reads” for a few local community practices. With the need to provide care while promoting physical distancing, in just over a month, more than 100 Ob/Gyn providers were trained to perform video visits. We now are back to our clinic capacity as patients return to in-office visits, with masking, physical distancing and safety precautions in place, and currently conducting about 10 percent of clinic visits via telehealth.
- We also launched a COVID-19 Clinic for pregnant women, and implemented a state-of-the-art protocol for caring for pregnant women who are COVID-19 positive or patients under investigation for COVID-19 (PUI). Additionally, a prenatal visit and testing schedule was implemented to meet the care needs of our low and high risk OB patients. We also developed protocols and simulations for performing Cesarean Sections on COVID-19 positive or Patients Under Investigation (PUI).
- Also this year, I was proud to be the Chair of March of Dimes Triangle March for Babies. March of Dimes has been an important partner leading this fight, spearheading efforts in our community, and supporting research to decrease maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. These efforts include research done by Duke Ob/Gyn. The event was transformed into a virtual fundraiser, with participation and support by our Department and Duke Health.
As Chair of Duke Ob/Gyn, I could not be more proud of how our Department not only rose to the challenge, but embarked on new and innovative ways to exceed expectations, triumph and work as a team. #wedeliver
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Matthew D. Barber, MD, MHS
E.C. Hamblen Professor and Chair
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Duke University Medical Center
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MAKE A NOTE — RE-SCHEDULED/MODIFIED EVENTS
Virtual Carter Society Meeting Set for Oct. 17, 2020
The Carter Society Executive Committee is pleased to announce that the 2020 Annual Alumni Meeting will be held in virtual format (Via Zoom) on October 17, 2020. The 2020 Carter Society Annual Meeting format will enable participants to stay connected while ensuring the safety of participants as we manage COVID-19. The event is free and open to all faculty, fellows, residents and alumni of the Department.
Donald T. Moore, MD, Endowed Lecture New Date TBD
The Donald T. Moore, MD, Endowed Lecture scheduled for April 25, 2020, with featured speaker Vice Admiral (VADM) Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States, was postponed due to COVID-19. Further details on the re-scheduled event will be forthcoming.
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DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATES IN DUKE HEALTH WALK OF SOLIDARITY
On Wednesday, June 10, members of the Department gathered to stand against racism during the Duke Health "Moment to Movement" walk. Thank you to our team for advocating for change and addressing racism and social disparities.
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SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY - RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS - KUDOS
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PROMISE STUDY
NIH-funded Research Study to Bolster Diversity in the Biomedical Workforce
Enroll now! Group meetings start in August 2020
The PROMISE Study
is a randomized controlled study comparing two peer group mentoring approaches for their positive impact on both personal gains (e.g., sense of belonging, research self-efficacy, etc.) and longer-term career outcomes (e.g., publications, grants submitted and funded, promotion etc.).
Eligibility
: Postdocs or Early-Career Faculty engaged in biomedical research who identify as belonging to a racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in biomedical research careers.
Click for details.
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GLOBAL HEALTH IN AFRICA
Maintaining Cervical Cancer Control in a Pandemic
Under the leadership of
Megan Huchko, MD, MPH
, Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Global Health, who serves as Associate Chief, Division of Women's Community and Population Health in Duke Ob/Gyn and Director, Ob/Gyn Clinical Research Unit and Director, Center for Global Reproductive Health at Duke, research efforts are underway to explore the ways that the various components of cancer control are maintained through COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. The Global Health team is committed to this effort, as well as exploring ways to develop sustainable prevention programs for the post-COVID-19 era. The team will be working with the Ministry of Health to increase community outreach and education through digital health (mobile apps) and other initiatives to decentralize care, as well as on a series of interviews with key stakeholders to examine the ways in which COVID-19 has impacted cervical cancer elimination goals and sexual and reproductive health services.
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GYN ONC RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
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MFM WELCOMES CTSA TL1 SCHOLARS
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MIGS AMY BROACH, MD, MS, ELECTED TO PDC BOARD OF MANAGERS
Dr. Amy Broach
has been elected to serve as the Department of Ob/Gyn’s at-large member to the PDC Board of Managers for the next two years.
The Department's appreciation is extended to
Andrew Berchuck, MD
, who has served in this role for the last 18 months, filling in after the departure of
R. Phillips Heine
. Dr. Berchuck will be transitioning to serve as the Department representative on the PDC Retirement Committee.
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REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES GRAD STUDENT WINS TCRB AWARD
Rose Schrott
, graduate student in
the Reproductive Sciences Lab of Susan K. Murphy, PhD,
won the top award with her poster titled “Cannabis use is associated with changes in autism candidate DLGAP2 DNA methylation in human sperm” at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Triangle Consortium for Reproductive Biology. She is pictured with Emerita Faculty
Phyllis Leppert
, CNM, MD, PhD.
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FACULTY ACCEPTED TO AGOS
Urogynecologists
Anthony Visco, MD
, and
Cindy Amundsen, MD
, and
REI specialist Anne Steiner, MD, MPH
, (pictured, clockwise) have been accepted as Active Fellows of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society (AGOS). They will be officially welcomed at the 2020 Annual Meeting (originally scheduled for September 2020).
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