August/September 2023 Memphis Medical News

Dr. Owen Tabor, Jr.

Stepped Hesitantly onto His Father’s Path; He’s Happy He Did

Now, he has advice for parents of young athletes.

Growing up in Memphis, Owen Tabor, Jr., MD, loved sports and enjoyed his gridiron experiences playing for Memphis University School in the 1980s. Back then, the future OrthoSouth orthopedic surgeon counted among his friends many who played multiple team sports.

Article on page 5

Cyberbullying

Pervasive and Can Be Devastating

Helping teens learn how to respond to online bullying

Negative online social interactions, such as cyberbullying, can be devastating to youth because there is a large audience. It can be persistent.

Article on page 6

See more local news in Grand Rounds on page 8

A New Era of Cybersecurity: From Compliance to Risk Management

By CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT

Cybercriminals’ agendas are clear: attack, breach and repeat. They’ll try nearly any tactic, from phishing to ransomware, to meet that target. So, how are broad, static government regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) expected to keep up? Bottom line—they aren’t, and they won’t. No industry is immune to having its systems compromised. However, health care organizations have increasingly become bullseyes for cyber incidents, particularly with the expansion of electronic records and digital patient services. These growing vulnerabilities have reinforced the industry’s need to shift its approach to cybersecurity from compliance to risk management.

Edie Miller

Since HIPAA was signed into law in 1996, and long before, protecting patient data has been a top priority for health care entities. The importance of maintaining HIPAA compliance is hammered in by these organizations’ leadership and IT teams, often citing the looming threat of civil and criminal penalties if they fail to do so.

So, when regulatory updates like the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act occur, impacted organizations take note. Despite the heartburn federal announcements like these typically cause, many HIPAA rule changes aren’t anything significant. Generally, they’re minor tweaks to how sensitive personal information is exchanged and shared, not sweeping government mandates.

Health care entities should recognize HIPAA as a valuable resource for developing their cybersecurity policies. But they should also understand that the rules are a launchpad, not the rocket that will get them where they want to go. If organizations

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Edie Miller, COO, Executes

All-physician Pediatric Practice’s Plan for Growth and Independence

By TOM BAILEY

Pediatrics East had already decided to make big changes before Edie Miller came aboard two years ago, but the physician-owned practice turned over the planning and execution to its new chief operating officer.

“That is my biggest accomplishment so far,” she said of merging three of Pediatrics East’s

office locations into one over two weekends last November.

Chief among the challenges: Completing the task without closing — even for a day — any of Pediatrics East’s remaining locations totaling 16 physicians and about 60 staff members.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3)

Edie Miller, COO, Executes, continued from page 1

Closing would be the practice’s leastbusy office in Cordova and its two older, and too proximate, sites on Exeter in Germantown.

Those three locations were merged into a larger, newly renovated building at 7465 Poplar, a former bank operating on the west side of the Saddle Creek retail center.

Pediatrics East now provides medical care to children in four locations: 8025 Stage Hills Boulevard in Bartlett; 120 Crescent Drive in Collierville, 5580 Airline Road in Arlington, and the new Germantown site.

“It took months and months of planning,” Miller said of the merger. “Getting internet and phone infrastructure in time… managing the budget of the whole project. Educating the staff was a huge piece. (So was) creating the new location in our electronic medical records, ordering the furniture and moving the boxes. The packing took us months. All our staff was busy taking care of patients; it was the managers and I who packed up the three offices.”

Also packed — with work experience, academics and even family upbringing — is a toolbox that seems to tailor Miller for the job.

She grew up in East Memphis the daughter of a physician and nurse. After graduating from St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Miller earned a finance degree at the University of Tennessee—Knoxville. She returned to Memphis to work for MB Venture Partners, where she helped analyze investments in biotech and medical device companies.

That’s when Miller realized that longterm, she might find even greater fulfillment

with a career in health administration. The change would combine her business expertise with her familial connection to healthcare.

She headed to Birmingham for two years, where she earned a masters in health administration and business administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Next, she went to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge for a yearlong administrative fellowship required by her graduate school program.

“But I stayed on three more years at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, working with pediatric specialists,” Miller said. “It gave me great experience to come home and work at Pediatrics East.”

There, she makes all the administrative decisions with Pediatrics East’s president and lead physician, Dr. Robert T. Higginbotham.

Miller oversees the managers of billing, clinical operations and nurses, and she also is in charge of marketing, human resources, financials, and property management.

She tries to avoid micromanaging. Instead, Miller said, “I set expectations in the beginning and let my managers have autonomy. I do have frequent check-ins with them — once a week. As long as they are getting their work done, I would say I’m pretty flexible and pretty laid back. I want to come off as somebody they admire and respect but also like personally.”

All signs point to Miller being a busy chief operating officer in the months and years to come.

Pediatrics East plans to grow where there is room to add physicians — the

Bartlett and Collierville offices. But also, Miller said, “we may open a fifth location eventually. We will see.”

Pediatrics East is performing “very well financially,” she said. “We are very busy.”

Among the reasons for the practice’s success are some distinguishing traits.

Pediatrics East’s medical providers are all physicians. “No nurse practitioners or physician assistants,” Miller said. And the roster features a “great mix of men and women of different backgrounds.”

The practice also tries to provide families convenient access to medical care. All four offices offer an early morning clinic from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, so parents can bring in their sick children. Night clinics, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., are available as well Monday through Thursday for sick visits at the Germantown office. And a weekend clinic is open 8 to noon on Saturdays and Sundays, also at the Germantown site.

Being physician-owned also distinguishes Pediatrics East, Miller said. If Pediatrics East were owned by a hospital network, decisions and progress might be bogged down by red-tape and bureaucracy, she said.

“We do get offers, but the owners are staunchly opposed,” she said. “They want to own the practice and continue to own it for years to come.”

Independence makes decision-making simpler. “Physicians can get in a room together, discuss issues, and it’s done,” she said, adding, “They want to maintain control” and preserve what they built.

Preserving what they built can be challenging, especially when frozen pipes burst.

That’s what happened at the Bartlett office on Dec. 26. “Flooded the entire office,” Miller said. “We couldn’t use the office. Had to file this huge insurance claim.” The Bartlett location re-opened in July following repair and renovation.

The next big project will likely be renovating the Collierville building, “the most dated office,” Miller said. The work will update the building “inside and outside. Then all our offices will be spruced up.”

Meanwhile, Miller is enjoying decorating her own home, which she bought last year. Interior design is among the hobbies she loves.

Miller also loves her five-pound Maltese, Rosie, working out at the gym, traveling — she is preparing for a trip to Portugal — and spending time with family and friends.

Looking back, Miller said she’s glad she changed career paths to health administration.

The field is “constantly challenging, constantly changing,”

She recalls enjoying and benefiting from her exposure to “really bright, talented people” while working at MB Venture Partners.

“And now in my current job, another thing I like is all the different professionals I work with including accountants, physicians, attorneys, bankers, real estate agents, insurance people… I just learned a lot about construction and general contracting. I like the variety.

“I enjoy what I do,” Miller said. “I think it’s been fulfilling and rewarding. It’s a good fit for me.”

only check the boxes to maintain HIPAA compliance, they will leave their systems and patients exposed to potential risks.

To better safeguard their systems, entities should focus on risk management.

Fortunately, there’s a financial incentive to do just that. Under an amendment to the HITECH Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must consider covered entities’ implementation of recognized security practices (RSPs) when determining potential fines, audit results and other HIPAA violations—no matter their state of compliance. The result, Congress hopes, is that organizations have stronger, more strategic cybersecurity programs.

Again, these RSPs—industry-aligned standards, guidelines, best practices and more—are designed to serve as jumpingoff points. Following a thorough risk assessment, entities should select the category of RSPs that work best for their organizations and modify them to meet their threat landscapes. By deploying RSPs that address the vulnerabilities unique to their operations, they can prevent potential incidents and be better positioned if or when these situations occur.

As any cybersecurity expert will tell you, making this transition will take time and resources. It will also require that entities stay up to date, ideally reviewing their cybersecurity policies and practices at least annually or with significant operational changes. But the return—more robust

protection against cyberattacks—is worth the upfront investment.

In the years to come, Congress will likely make more changes to HIPAA. And that’s a good thing as the digital world changes—and quickly. A risk management-based approach to cybersecurity will allow health care organizations to maintain continued compliance with HIPAA while ensuring greater resiliency in the face of ever-evolving threats.

Christopher Wright is co-founder and partner at Sullivan Wright Technologies, an Arkansasbased firm providing tailored cybersecurity, IT and security compliance services. For more information, visit swtechpartners.com or email chris@swtechpartners.com.

Christopher Wright

Dr. Owen Tabor, Jr. Stepped Hesitantly onto His Father’s Path; He’s Happy He Did Now, he has advice for parents of young athletes.

By JAMES DOWD

Growing up in Memphis, Owen Tabor, Jr., MD, loved sports and enjoyed his gridiron experiences playing for Memphis University School in the 1980s. Back then, the future OrthoSouth orthopedic surgeon counted among his friends many who played multiple team sports.

From football to basketball to baseball, with other sports occasionally tossed into the mix, Tabor said most athletes during his high school years juggled academics and field or court time with little to no adverse effects.

Times have changed.

As travel team sports increase in popularity and young athletes adopt more intense training schedules, sportsrelated injuries are also on the rise.

Tabor said growing numbers of young patients come to OrthoSouth due to conditions connected to the boom in year-round youth sports.

“When I was in school, you had all kinds of recreational leagues and church leagues where kids played and had fun, but it was on a much more limited basis,” Tabor said. “Students might play two or three sports, but they usually didn’t overlap, and they trained for them differently and got some rest between seasons. Everything’s different now.”

One challenge facing today’s young athletes is hyperspecialization that can lead to burnout and injuries, Tabor said. Unlike multiple-sports athletes who might have played football, basketball and baseball during Tabor’s high school years, many of today’s young athletes may focus on a single sport and train for it most of the year.

This focus can cause some athletes to become weary of team or individual sports they used to love. Intense and repetitive training can lead to injuries when young athletes feel pressured to continue playing without being fully recovered.

“Today we’re seeing a lot more repetitive stress injuries in ages 12-14 in both males and females,” Tabor said. “There are more sports opportunities these days and kids are specializing and playing sports year-round, which can decrease the fun aspect and increase the injury aspect.”

A study by the National Library of Medicine confirms Tabor’s view. The findings show that athletes from 12 to 18 years of age who engage in hyper specialization within a single sport also demonstrate increased levels of injuries.

According to a report from

Ohio-based Nationwide Children’s Hospital, more than three million young athletes visit emergency rooms each year because of sports injuries, and five million young patients seek treatment from their family doctors for such injuries.

As an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip and knee replacements at OrthoSouth, Tabor has seen his share of sports injuries. And while he’s quick to point out that he loves his career, it wasn’t what he imagined he’d be doing when he was a University of Virginia undergraduate majoring in English.

“My father was an orthopedic surgeon, but I had no interest in doing ortho or surgery. When I left home for college, I wanted to do my own thing and medicine, at least initially, wasn’t part of the equation.”

Tabor said his parents never pressured him to follow a medical path, instead encouraging him to pursue his own interests. While considering various options, Tabor said he started thinking about what life could – and would look like after college. And he liked what he saw at home.

“I was an English major and I thought about what I wanted to do, and it was simple as I looked at my father and he genuinely liked his job,” Tabor said. “He went to work looking forward to the day ahead and he came home happy every night and I liked that.”

A stint as a hospital orderly helped Tabor decide that a career in medicine just might be in the cards. He added premed courses to his English major and after graduation he entered the University of Virginia School of Medicine. An internship in orthopedics sealed the deal.

“It wasn’t my original plan, but I ended up following in my dad’s footsteps and I’ve been happy with that decision ever since,” Tabor said. “I had a nice career going, but when an opportunity presented itself for me to come back to Memphis and work with my dad, I decided to take it. That was 24 years ago, and I love being at OrthoSouth. It’s been fantastic.”

When he returned to Memphis, Tabor spent years as the Friday Night Lights sideline doctor for MU football games. He did that for nearly 20 years before transitioning away from it but enjoyed the experience.

Over the years, he’s seen some things remain relatively constant, while others have changed.

“Football injuries were major ones then and they’re major ones now because

it’s a high contact sport and typically results in a lot more injuries than in other sports,” Tabor said. “One thing that has changed is that when I was in high school the kids didn’t get hurt as much and maybe that’s because we played on grass, which is softer than the turf they play on now. Another thing is that the athletes weren’t as big back then. When I played, you might see a handful of players top 200 pounds. Now you see some of them pushing 300 pounds and when you have those forces of collision then injuries definitely increase.”

Another change in youth sports

Tabor has noticed is the explosion of opportunities for female athletes. And while the growth of women’s sports is a good thing, there are also challenges connected with such popularity.

“Today there are more sports and more opportunities for women and that’s great, but there are also a lot more injuries as well,” Tabor said. “I see it not

only with basketball and soccer and softball and volleyball players, but also with many competitive gymnasts and cheerleaders and dancers. Young women at 11 or 12 are engaged in three-day-a-week practices, 52 weeks a year and they never get a break.”

Lest folks get the impression that he’s against youth sports, Tabor is quick to dispel that notion. Instead, he advocates for the time-honored tradition of moderation.

“I’ve seen too many kids at 12 who were gonna be the next big thing, but by 15 they ‘re not playing sports at all, so I encourage parents to have their kids play multiple sports and have fun with it and enjoy themselves,” Tabor said. “Look, if they’re really good, then they’re gonna shine regardless and taking a couple months off this sport or another sport won’t hurt them. In the end it’ll make them better.”

One challenge facing today’s young athletes is hyperspecialization that can lead to burnout and injuries.

- Owen Tabor, Jr.

Cyberbullying Pervasive and Can Be Devastating

Helping teens learn how to respond to online bullying

By BECKY GILLETTE

Negative online social interactions, such as cyberbullying, can be devastating to youth because there is a large audience. It can be persistent. It might not even be known who is bullying them or it could be multiple people. And the experience can be constant because youth can be online at any time, said Sarah E. Domoff, PhD, an associate psychology professor at Central Michigan University.

Bullying can be very devastating and correlates with suicidal ideation. And it can be something people don’t want to talk about.

“In interviewing clinicians who work with teens who have experienced online victimization, we learned that there’s a great fear in disclosing harmful online interactions because youth worry that their access to social media or smartphones could be limited or removed entirely,” Domoff said. “This can be so devastating because removing online access would mean a great loss of social connection and support for some youth.”

Youth seeking mental health treatment and older teen girls experience cyberbullying more often. Domoff said adolescents’ lives and many social experiences occur online, so it is critical to help youth develop coping skills related to online interactions and help them shape their online experiences to yield beneficial or more positive connections.

For healthcare professionals and school counselors, Domoff said it is important to help teens learn how to engage with social media in healthy ways and have resources available for when online victimization occurs. She said there are some great resources online, such as https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it and https://www. missingkids.org/theissues/sextortion.

“There are also lessons available for teachers to implement across schools to help prevent cyberbullying and get youth support,” Domoff said. “Our team has recently developed an intervention to help teens after they have experienced harmful online interactions (https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC9483492/), that includes a component for parents. It’s important for parents to have regular, open and supportive conversations with their children about their online experiences. Helping teens learn how to cope with online stress and to not be a silent bystander when they see their peers experience online bullying is important too.”

A helpful resource from the American Psychological Association provides more detail: https://www. apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/ social-media-parent-tips. She also recommends clinicians and parents check out Common Sense Media for additional tips (https://www.commonsensemedia.

org/articles/how-do-i-protect-my-youngchild-from-cyberbullying).

It is estimated that cyberbullying or cyber-victimization impacts 15-16 percent of U.S. youth. There are other negative online social interactions, as well. For example, youth report negative online social interactions, where they experience stress or negative affects connected to interacting with others online (which may not reach the threshold of bullying, but still can be stressful.) Domoff said when you extend the definition to include any type of online harassment, the prevalence jumps to about half of U.S. teens.

“It is possible for cyberbullying to happen anywhere online or through electronic means—it’s not so much about the platform as about who one interacts with and privacy settings,” Domoff said. “For example, some harassment or negative interactions (not so much bullying) can occur through gaming chat rooms or with individuals who have access to our public, image-heavy social media profiles.”

Cyberbullying is more prevalent than many people realize, said Natashia Bottoms, MD, assistant professor of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Cyberbullying is found most commonly on Instagram for adolescents, followed by Facebook and Snapchat.

“TikTok is an emerging problem area,” Bottoms said. “I think one of the things that makes cyberbullying particularly more difficult than with in-person bullying is at least with in-person bullying, there are safe places you can go like your home. Cyberbullying is on your phone and your phone is everywhere. There is no safe place from those kinds of attacks. We’ve seen a lot of issues with focus and attention in school, grades dropping, sleep issues, anxiety and depression.”

When people can say things anonymously online without others intervening, it is just the victim and the bully. In addition to negative comments, it is common for bullies to post pictures or memes that

are hurtful or disclose personal information meant to embarrass others.

It can be a gut reaction from parents to think that taking the child’s phone away is the solution. But Bottoms said it isn’t just that easy because social media and online presence are an intrinsic part of the high school experience.

“That being said, you can do a lot as far as awareness,” Bottoms said. “You can offer comfort and support. Let them talk to you and intervene if you notice things getting to an unsafe place. It is really important to let your kids know it is not their fault. You are in it together and will work on it together. But also, be careful of how you respond to children bullies on social media. You can get wrapped up in the same situation. Keep screenshots of messages or texts you find or that the child brings to you. Encourage children not to respond to cyberbullying because it just makes it worse.”

Bottoms said social media can have as much of an impact on mental health as sleeping and nutrition. There is a point some parents have to monitor social media use and reduce time allowed on their phone. Or turn off certain apps if one in particular is causing problems.

“A lot of the time in those apps direct messages are from people anonymously sending nasty responses or posting call out videos,” Bottoms said. “In high school and middle school, all you need is the hint of something to get embarrassed. It is a really hard world for teens right now. It is tough. Most devices have a way to block certain people and messages. It is really, really important to block those people so they can’t still have access to the person being bullied.”

Another important issue is ‘addictive’ use of media, which is referred to as problematic media use. It includes excessive use of media that interferes with a child’s functioning.

“It crosses the line into problematic when the child’s use gets in the way of going to school or relationships with peers and family members,” Domoff said.

“Parents play an important role in helping children have balance with technology. There are many strategies to consider, such as limiting use before bedtime and ensuring that access to entertainment media/gaming occurs only after other required daily activities (e.g., completing homework, doing chores/activities of daily living, exercising) are accomplished. If the child is already experiencing dysregulated use of media or has meltdowns related to limits being set, parents may benefit from working with a psychologist who can provide evidence-based behavior management training, such as ParentChild Interaction Therapy.”

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The Inflation Reduction Act: How Price Controls Could Disrupt Clinical Trials and Stifle Medical Innovation

By HARSHA RAJASIMHA

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) includes important provisions purported to lower drug spending and improve access to medications for many Americans. However, Dr. Harsha Rajasimha, Founder and CEO of Jeeva Informatics, is raising concerns, “A key driver of the IRA regarding the cost of healthcare is placing pricing controls on drugs, decreasing the investment appeal in the biopharma sector, which is especially injurious to small and emerging biopharmaceutical companies who are already struggling to raise capital.” The number of emerging biopharma companies has been consistently increasing by 4% each year for the past five years; they produced two-thirds of all new drugs in 2022. If this trend continues, emerging biopharma could account for 80% of the industry’s research and development (R&D) pipeline by 2028.

The biotech funding environment has experienced significant changes, with market instability impacting investor confidence. Rising interest rates have led to a decline in the previously robust biotech IPO market. Venture capital funding, especially for earlystage biotech companies, is at its lowest level since 2019. As a result, venture capitalists are focusing more on their existing portfolios, emphasizing survival over growth. By lowering future profits on new innovative drugs, it lowers the amount of money and appetite for investing in future drugs.

A white paper published by USC Schaeffer provides an illuminating analysis and dissection of the adverse impacts of the IRA on the biopharmaceutical industry and the future of drug development and discovery. The IRA incorporates drug-price negotiations by granting the federal government the authority to negotiate “maximum fair prices” for particular brand-name drugs covered under Medicare Part B and Part D. This amendment modifies Medicare’s noninterference clause, permitting the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to directly negotiate with drug manufacturers through a newly established Drug Price Negotiation Program. The primary objective of this program is to reduce the cost of drugs by engaging in price negotiations with manufacturers for specific pharmaceuticals. Manufacturers that decline to engage in price negotiations are subject to sizeable penalties, including excise taxes and civil monetary sanctions that range from 65% to 95% of their product sales. While this might appear to be an effective strategy, it is problematic for the millions of people who do not benefit from current drugs/

medicines and are waiting eagerly for new drug treatments that could help them.

According to the paper, certain elements of the IRA, including drug price negotiation, inflation rebates, and mandatory manufacturer discounts, are anticipated to have a substantial impact on pharmaceutical revenues. Studies suggest that by 2039, these provisions could result in a 31% reduction in profits and potentially lead to 135 fewer new drug approvals within the same timeframe. The IRA’s price-negotiation provisions are likely to discourage R&D investments in exploring new applications for existing drugs, potentially limiting the development of treatments for different diseases and impeding progress in the field. The provision assumes that the value of a drug is fixed upon launch, disregarding the evolving understanding of its effectiveness over time. New information, such as realworld clinical data and confirmatory trials, can significantly impact a drug’s perceived value.

Another key finding by USC Schaeffer is the potential reduction in generic competition, impacting the affordability of medications. Generic manufacturers typically enter the market after a brand-name drug’s patent protections expire. They offer significant price reductions, with generic entry lowering drug prices by 50% to 90%. However, the IRA’s negotiated prices for branded drugs may decrease the prices generic manufacturers can charge. This creates a disincentive for generic manufacturers to pursue the 180-day exclusivity period, which serves as a powerful financial incentive by preventing additional generic competition and allowing the first entrant to gain a substantial market share. The number of generic manufacturers has already dwindled in recent years, and with the uncertainty surrounding the extent of price reductions under the IRA, the future of generic drug manufacturing becomes uncertain as well.

Is there a better way to help reduce the cost of bringing new drugs to market while leaving in place the market forces that have so successfully fueled innovation? Once such recent force that is still in its infancy and born out of the COVID pandemic is used by the industry for greater technological solutions to improve the efficiency and efficacy of clinical trials. Much of this new technological innovation has been aggregated under the umbrella of Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCT) or hybrid clinical trials.

The promise of this new way of running a traditional, decentralized, or

hybrid trial is to radically reduce expenditures by leveraging unified technology platforms to reduce the cost associated with recruiting and engaging patients, reducing the number of staff and systems needed in a trial. It is precisely this possibility that Dr. Rajasimha seeks to pursue further, given the promise it holds for balancing the costs with the current free market structure to produce greater solutions. This is not just business-motivated for Dr. Rajasimha, who personally felt the impact of slow innovation through the experience of losing a child born with a rare congenital disorder and a brother with a chronic disease.

Dr. Rajasimha insists, “The time to adapt is now. Mid-market and emerging pharma companies can achieve their pivotal clinical trial milestones with a unified trial management system that offers a high-value solution, addressing the most pressing problems in the clinical trial development process. By dramatically improving efficiency and simplifying operational complexities, solutions like Jeeva can bridge the gap in investment capital with cost-effective solutions that execute early-stage clinical trials with minimal risk without compromising quality.”

The FDA has accelerated the trend toward DCTs by highlighting their advantages and encouraging wider industry adoption. To maximize the benefits of DCTs in improving trial efficiencies, the FDA offers detailed guidance and recommendations, such as using versatile software technology to automate and synchronize trial processes and investigative functions. Solutions like Jeeva™ eClinical Cloud, which provides a purpose-built, unified SaaS platform with all the features and functionality to enable hybrid or decentralized clinical trials, empower emerging and mid-market biopharmaceutical companies when they acquire this type of technology that dramatically improves the efficiency of clinical

operations including patient recruitment and retention, patient engagement, electronic data capture, and study support for investigator sites.

Dr. Rajasimha explains, “Jeeva helps emerging biopharmaceutical sponsors to achieve their early R&D milestones with their 50% cash and 50% equity model to help early-stage, ‘cash-strapped’ biopharma companies to execute Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, which is where the REAL Innovation is occurring in developing new treatment options for patients. We don’t want this innovation cycle to slow down as a result of the IRA.”

About Jeeva Informatics

The personal experience of losing a child born with a rare congenital disorder and a brother with a chronic disease became the springboard for Dr. Harsha Rajasimha to apply his years of postdoctoral training at the NIH and FDA to accelerate therapies for rare and common conditions. Patient travel requirements and the pandemic forced the demand for decentralizing clinical trials and embracing digital technologies needed to accelerate the process of bringing new medicines or vaccines to patients who need them over three times faster. Jeeva set out to focus on mitigating risks to emerging biopharma clinical trial sponsors as true technology partners, seeking time and cost-efficient ways to execute early-stage clinical trials with minimal risk without compromise. Their reduction of the logistical burdens on patients and study teams by over 70% has resulted in their eClinical platform being selected by a joint venture of Georgetown University Medical Center and Frantz Medical Group for a major cancer trial. The Virginia-based company’s modular software-as-a-service platform is fully scalable and facilitates patient enrollment, engagement, and evidence generation in clinical trials on any browser-enabled mobile device. Visit https://jeevatrials.com/.

The IRA’s price-negotiation provisions are likely to discourage R&D investments in exploring new applications for existing drugs, potentially limiting the development of treatments for different diseases and impeding progress in the field.

– Harsha Rajasimha

GrandRounds

St. Jude Announces More Than $50 Million in Funding for Employee-Generated Transformational Projects

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has announced it will provide more than $50 million in funding to launch and implement six new ground-breaking projects. The initiatives were identified through the organization’s Blue-Sky program, which encourages the development and submission of bold, transformational ideas by faculty and staff. The implementation of these ideas is expected to create 54 new jobs at St. Jude.

“The Blue-Sky process brings forward new and innovative ideas from employees who are actively engaged in the work being done at St. Jude,” said James R. Downing, MD, president and CEO. “In the past, these ideas have created important initiatives such as the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine and the Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative. We look forward to the impact these most recent Blue-Sky projects will have on furthering the mission of St. Jude, advancing the field of pediatric medicine and improving global child health.”

Blue-Sky ideas can address critical patient care needs, fundamental basic science questions or administrative gaps. The program, launched in 2017, is considered an outlet for innovative ideas that are not included in the St. Jude FY 2022-2027 Strategic Plan. Since the program was launched, employees

have submitted 91 proposals, with 12 approved and funded prior to the projects’ recent announcement. Funding for the implementation of those ideas exceeded more than $188 million.

In the latest Blue-Sky cycle, employees across departments and roles at St. Jude submitted 36 proposals for consideration. The selected projects include:

• PTNI Genomic Medicine Initiative (GEMINI) - Bringing innovative precision medicine approaches into the clinic to treat patients with neurological disorders as part of the Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative (PTNI).

Idea by: Richard Finkel, M.D., Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics; Peter McKinnon, Ph.D., Center for Pediatric Neurological Disorders Research; Kristin Stephenson, PTNI Office of Strategy and Alliances; and J. Paul Taylor, M.D., Ph.D., St. Jude scientific director.

• Partnership to Advance Development of Individualized Genomic Medicines (PARADIGM)

- Using individualized genome editing to correct blood diseasecausing mutations in patients’ own hematopoietic stem cells.

Idea by: Mitch Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Hematology chair; Shengdar Tsai, Ph.D., Hematology, Marcin Wlodarski, M.D., Ph.D., Hematology; and Senthil Bhoopalan, MBBS, Ph.D., Instructor, Hematology.

• Tracking the Immune Repertoire of Tumor Lymphocytes (TIRTL) - A project to generate, store and analyze immune receptor repertoire data from pediatric oncology and hematology patients that would help improve the efficiency of protocols and the development of cancer immune therapies.

Idea by: Paul Thomas, Ph.D., Department of Immunology.

• Strategic Milestones and Research Training (SMaRT) Plan for Career Advancement Program - Addressing the career challenges that many postdocs face by providing them focused and structured training plans, mentorship offerings and career development opportunities.

Idea by Sally McIver, Ph.D., Academic Programs.

• St. Jude Historical Archive - A historical archive that would create a uniform approach to collecting, preserving and documenting the institution’s past and legacy.

Idea by: Elizabeth Whittington and Summer Freeman, Executive Communications; and Robert Britton, Biomedical Library.

• Diagnostic Innovations using Valuebased implementation models to Increase Access (DIVIA) – Assess the potential of a molecular diagnostic platform that can be used globally for children with cancer to improve clinical outcomes worldwide.

Idea by: Nickhill Bhakta, M.D., director of Sub-Saharan Africa Region, St. Jude Global; Charles Mullighan, MBBS, M.D., Deputy Director, St. Jude Cancer Center; Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, M.D., executive vice president/chair St. Jude Global; David Ellison, M.D., Ph.D., chair Department of Pathology; Gang Wu, Ph.D., director Center for Applied Bioinformatics.

“The Blue-Sky process results in many of the world-changing ideas that St. Jude is proud to foster and contribute to the understanding and treatment of catastrophic pediatric diseases,” said Shari Capers, Strategic Planning & Decision Support senior vice president. “This process was created to foster identification of innovative ideas that evolve during the current strategic plan timeline by engaging employees to develop their ideas and collaborate across traditional departments and disciplines.”

Blue-Sky projects amplify the strength of innovation and collaboration and help St. Jude accelerate mission-critical approaches to the research and treatment of catastrophic childhood diseases.

Saint Francis Healthcare Names Scott Smith Market CEO for Tenet Healthcare’s Memphis Market and CEO of Saint Francis-Memphis

Scott Smith is appointed to the position of Market CEO for Tenet’s Healthcare’s Memphis market and CEO of Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis. Tenet’s

Memphis market includes Saint Francis HospitalMemphis and Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett.

“Scott brings the perfect blend of leadership skills, experience and strategic thinking to this role,” said Central Group President for Tenet Healthcare, Matthew Stone. “We are confident he will build upon the growth and development already underway at Saint Francis Healthcare.”

Smith brings nearly 20 years of extensive experience leading hospitals in several different markets. Most recently, he served as a market CEO for Tennesseebased LifePoint Health in Arkansas at National Park Medical Center and Saline Memorial Hospital where he implemented multiple new service lines, brought new technology and increased employee retention.

Smith earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from Mississippi State University and his Master of Science in Business Administration and Management from Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi.

Saint Francis HospitalMemphis Names Michael Roper and Suzan Hartling Wood as Nursing Administrative Directors

Saint Francis HospitalMemphis recently appointed Michael Roper and Suzan Hartling Wood as Nursing Administrative Directors. The Nursing Administrative Directors are responsible for helping manage daily nursing operations to facilitate a smooth, high-quality patient experience.

Roper will remain Director for ICU/ Cardiovascular ICU, Inpatient Cardiovascular Services, and the Medical Response Team, while taking on the responsibilities for the Emergency Department, Patient Flow and Medical/Surgical/Telemetry Services. Wood will oversee clinical informatics, behavioral health, education, oncology, and the nursing float pool—a group of flexible nurses prepared to be assigned to the department where they are most needed each day. She has also accepted the role of Director for Women’s Services.

Hartling Wood

“With their respective track records of exemplary leadership skills, we are thrilled to have Michael and Sue grow into these expanded roles,” said Cameron Murphy, Chief Nursing Officer at Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis.

Roper served as Chief Nursing Officer for Acadia Healthcare before joining Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis as the Critical Care Manager in March 2021. He then

Scott Smith Michael Roper Suzan

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served as the Director of Critical Care and Cardiovascular Inpatient Services before being appointed Nursing Administrative Director.

With more than 20 years of nursing administrative experience, Wood joined Saint Francis Healthcare in February 2017 and has served in a variety of leadership roles, including Director of Inpatient Services overseeing Women’s Services, Orthopedics, and Medical/Surgical.

Roper received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Loewenberg College of Nursing at the University of Memphis and his Master of Business Administration from the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis.

Wood earned her Bachelor of Applied Science in Nursing from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and her Master of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing in Addison, Illinois.

Saint Francis Healthcare

Names Karun Gadiparthi as Chief Strategy Officer

Saint Francis Healthcare recently named Karun Gadiparthi as Market Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, he will guide strategic development for Saint FrancisMemphis and Saint Francis-Bartlett.

Before joining the team at Saint Francis, Gadiparthi had served as Director of Forecasting and Financial Analysis for Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation since 2019. Prior to that, he served as Lead Analyst on Baptist’s Epic (electronic health record) team.

“With his extensive experience in supporting hospitals through strategic, operational, and financial success, Karun will help us build upon Saint Francis’s strong foundation of care and continued growth,” said Scott Smith, Market Chief Executive Officer for Saint Francis Healthcare and CEO of Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis.

Gadiparthi earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas in San Antonio, Texas and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Dallas, in Dallas, Texas.

He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

Saint Francis Healthcare

Names Kenneth Townsend Jr. as Market Assistant CFO

Saint Francis Healthcare recently named Kenneth Townsend Jr. as Market Assistant Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he will work closely with the Market Chief Financial Officer in guiding financial operations for Saint Francis-Memphis and Saint Francis-Bartlett.

Townsend most recently served as Director of Finance at Decatur

Morgan Hospital, a part of Huntsville Hospital Health System, in Decatur, Alabama. Prior to that, he held the role of Assistant Chief Financial Officer at Crestwood Medical Center, a part of Community Health Systems, in Huntsville, Alabama. In addition to those roles, he held multiple positions with Baptist Memorial Health Care.

“Kenneth is highly skilled and brings a wealth of experience in health care finance to Saint Francis Healthcare,” said Ryan Nelson, Market Chief Financial Officer for Saint Francis Healthcare.

Townsend earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Alabama and a Master of Business Administration from Union University in Germantown, Tennessee. He returns home to the Memphis market with his wife Kimberly, and two children, Kayden and Kenneth III.

Regional One Health Names Medical Director for Focused Ultrasound Program

Regional One Health has selected Jason Gerrard, MD, as the medical director for its Focused Ultrasound (FUS) program. The FUS program treats patients with MRguided focused ultrasound, an incisionless technology that treats essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Gerrard received a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry, Ph.D. in neuroscience, and medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson. He completed his neurosurgery residency at Harvard Medical School at Massachusetts General Hospital followed by an epilepsy surgery fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Gerrard is also a functional neurosurgeon with Semmes Murphey Clinic and associate professor in the College of Medicine in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Prior coming to Memphis, Dr. Gerrard served as Director of Functional Neurosurgery and Neurotrauma at Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital.

He works with a variety of patients, but most of his patients include those with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremors. He also works with epilepsy patients.

Patients diagnosed with essential tremor commonly have tremors on both sides of the body affecting the hands. Previously FUS was only available to treat one side of the body. The FDA has recently approved patients to receive treatment on both sides. Dr. Gerrard performs these procedures at Regional One Health’s East Campus Imaging Center, located on the first floor at 6555 Quince Road. The treatment helps patients with essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease reclaim their independence by reducing and eliminating tremors in both hands, making day-to-day tasks easier.

Lessons In Money

How to help kids develop financial awareness

Children are like wells waiting to be filled with information—and information about money can be a helpful topic to begin exploring at a young age. Behavioral scientists at Cambridge University have encouraged parents to start teaching their kids about money as early as 3 years old1, when they’re starting to learn their numbers and discover the difference between wants and needs.

Your kids see you buying things, but does your preschooler understand where money comes from—and the different ways it’s used or saved? Does your 10-year-old know how to compare prices on that toy he’s saving for? Does your teenager have a savings account to earn interest on earnings from part-time work—and upcoming graduation gifts?

If not, it might be time to have a conversation. The earlier kids understand how and why money is earned, saved, and spent—the better their own money skills are likely to be.

Does an allowance help or hurt kids’ understanding of financial matters?

Should you give your kids an allowance or not? The answer depends on whom you ask. For example, an article by Ramsey Solutions says your kids don’t need an allowance—they need a commission2 for doing work to earn money.

Many families give their kids allowances that are tied to chores, so the fine print about whether it’s a commission or an allowance is up to you. If you incorporate chores and other expectations (such as grades) into the allowance, it’s less likely to be considered an “entitlement,” and your kids learn the relationship between work and pay. What you don’t want, though, is for your kids to get the idea that chores always deserve pay instead of counting as their contribution to the family. How much should an allowance be?

If you choose to give your kid an allowance, consider what might be an age-appropriate amount to help your kid meet any goals you’ve worked out together. Also, look at your own budget and determine how much of an allowance you can comfortably afford. Some parents choose a weekly sum that is equal to their kid’s age, and others

choose a weekly sum that is half their kid’s age. Others choose a monthly sum that is determined by their kids wants and needs—and any terms you’ve included.

Lessons in money

After you’ve decided if and when you’ll pay an allowance—and how much—make sure your kid understands all the terms. For example, is it tied to grades, chores, behavior—or something else? Is there a requirement to add a portion of their allowance to a donation jar or a savings jar? Are your older kids expected to use part of their allowance to buy their own necessities?

Other options—and the most important consideration

Adding coins and bills to piggy banks or to glass jars can be a helpful lesson in math, and a source for great conversations with them about how much they want to save, what they’re saving for, and whether they want to donate any of their cash to charity.

If they’d rather not have coins and bills collecting in piggy banks or jars, you may want to look into cashless app options such as BusyKid, iAllowance, or Greenlight—if you think your kids are old enough and have a phone or tablet. You may also want to shop around for a kid-friendly bank account that doesn’t have a minimum balance requirement or will waive fees. If you find one, take your kid with you to open the account together and turn the experience into a teachable moment.

Use your experiences—good and bad—to teach lessons in money

Despite the growing number of online money apps and guidance, the most important resource for teaching your kids about money and finances is you. They’ve watched you mulling over decisions to spend money or not to spend money. Start a conversation. Be transparent. Help them to learn from your mistakes, successes, and processes—just as you have. Remember that every family is different, and you should choose the option that works best for you, your kids, and your family overall.

Educational resources

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has helpful resources you may want to explore— including answers to common money questions asked by kids and downloadable books for kids about the Money Monsters. A good starting point is the Money as You Grow guide.

Karun Gadiparthi

Kenneth Townsend Jr.

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Twelve Behavioral Health Facilities Now Out of Network with TennCare – UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (UHCP)

As responsible providers of mental health services, we are advising the public that effective August 29, 2023, the following behavioral health facilities will become non-network providers of the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (UHCP) - TennCare Medicaid Plan:

Facilities

• Cedar Grove Residential Treatment Center – Murfreesboro, TN

• Compass Intervention Center –Memphis, TN

• Cumberland Hall Hospital –Hopkinsville, KY

• Hermitage Hall – Nashville, TN

• Lakeside Behavioral Health System – Memphis, TN

• Laurel Heights Hospital – Atlanta, GA

• McDowell Center for Children –Dyersburg, TN

• Mountain Youth Academy –Mountain City, TN

• Natchez Trace Youth Academy –Waverly, TN

• Oak Plains Academy – Ashland City, TN

• Parkwood Behavioral Health System – Olive Branch, MS

• Rolling Hills Hospital – Franklin, TN

Since 2008, we have been contracted with the UHCP TennCare Plan to provide high-quality mental health and substance abuse services to members we are so honored to serve. In January 2023, we initiated good faith efforts with UHCP to revise certain elements of our contractual relationship. Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach a mutually satisfactory arrangement moving forward.

Therefore, effective Tuesday, August 29, 2023, we will no longer be a network option for UHCP TennCare members.

For patients (children, adolescents, and adults) who are currently receiving care in our facilities, treatment will not

be interrupted. For new patients who present to us, we will dutifully fulfill our EMTALA obligations and provide care to stabilize, then either seek to transfer the patient to another facility that is innetwork or seek an out-of-network exception.

Our local network of behavioral health facilities have a long legacy as valued providers of superior care across Tennessee and surrounding states. Lakeside Behavioral Health System and Rolling Hills Hospital are currently the largest providers of inpatient services for children/adolescents in Middle and West Tennessee.

We understand that this development is inconvenient and limiting to patients and urge consumers and community stakeholders to reach out to UHCP TennCare.

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Welcomes Nurse Practitioner to Germantown Primary Care Office

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare welcomes family nurse practitioner Ashley Jones to its Methodist Medical Group primary care practice in Germantown.

Jones earned both a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis Loewenberg School of Nursing.

Her areas of expertise include chronic disease management and treating minor illnesses and injuries.

Virtual Lung Cancer Meeting with Dr. Jason Porter

Join Dr. Jason Porter on Tuesday, November 7th for a webinar on Institutional Perspectives in Lung Cancer.

This short meeting is designed to educate fellow oncologists and healthcare providers on the clinical benefits associated with the new science

driving updates in cancer management. Live Q&A is also included in this online event. Scan the QR code to register.

St. Jude Names Sarah Currie Chief Nursing Executive and Senior VP

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is proud to announce Sarah Currie, RNC, MSN, NEA-BC, has been named chief nursing executive and senior vice president after an extensive national search.

At St. Jude, Currie will lead the institution’s Magnet-recognized nursing program, the highest designation a hospital can receive related to nursing. Only nine percent of hospitals in the U.S. have achieved this recognition. At St. Jude, nursing includes clinical care and clinical research aimed at improving patient care and outcomes for children with catastrophic diseases. Currie will also oversee the institution’s Nurse Residency Program, an accredited Practice Transition Program that allows new nursing graduates to join the program before they are licensed and learn about the different patient care areas before deciding upon a specialty.

Currie joins St. Jude from Children’s Wisconsin, a pediatric acute care hospital in Milwaukee where she has served since 2019 as executive director of that hospital’s perinatal and neonatal service line, clinical nutrition and hospital staffing systems. She worked at Children’s Wisconsin for 21 years.

Last year, Currie was honored with the national March of Dimes Excellence in Leadership Award, which recognizes nursing executives for successful leadership balanced with meaningful and engaging care of staff, patients, families, and their community.

“Sarah’s career has been dedicated to supporting vulnerable infants and their families at the bedside and advocating for them in the boardroom,” said Ellis Neufeld, MD, PhD, clinical director and executive vice president of St. Jude. “We are glad to have her

help to lead our patients’ care and accomplish our combined research and clinical missions.”

“I am immensely grateful for this leadership opportunity and very excited about the future of nursing at St. Jude,” said Currie. “I have a passion for finding innovative ways to elevate opportunities for nurses at all levels to grow in their careers. I look forward to leading and working with our nurses and advanced practice providers to maintain the highest level of excellence in nursing care for our patients.”

After completing her initial RN training at South East Kent School of Nursing in Ashford, England, and her BSN at California State University, Dominguez Hills, Currie obtained a Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Phoenix, Southern California.

Currie replaces Chief Nursing Executive Robin Mutz, MPPM, BSN, RNC, NEA-BC, who retired at the end of June following five years of service at St. Jude. During her tenure, Mutz oversaw the development of St. Jude Home Care, LLC, a home care agency to help extend care beyond the hospital’s walls and contributed to designing a new state-of-the-art outpatient clinical building now under construction.

West Cancer Foundation Awards Oncology Fellows Grant to UT Health Science Center

West Cancer Foundation has announced it awarded a grant to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) to fund its Oncology Fellowship program to increase local cancer research and education. The Foundation will award UTHSC $85,524 to fund a gynecological oncologist fellow for one year.

The West Cancer Foundation Oncology Fellows program awards grants to local universities to increase support for oncologists in training who work closely with supervising physicians on critical research and education to advance the fight against cancer. Since it was launched in 2020, West Cancer Foundation has awarded 15 grants

Ashley Jones

Sarah Currie

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GrandRounds

to UTHSC totaling $1.19 million. The grants have funded 10 gynecological oncologist fellows, two medical oncologist fellows and three radiation residents.

“This highly competitive program brings the very best and brightest young minds to Memphis to train with the city’s leading oncologists,” said West Cancer Foundation Executive Director Leighanne Soden. “We are proud to provide grant funding to UTHSC, the largest educator of health care professionals in Tennessee, to help expand and improve cancer care in our community.”

The UTHSC oncology fellowship program has a dual focus in both clinical patient care and academic research. The multidisciplinary approach provides fellows training using the latest advancements in diagnostic imaging and testing, genetic screening, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapies, and minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgical techniques.

Dr. Quin Throckmorton, Dr. Tyler Brolin and Campbell Clinic Team Receive Second Prestigious Neer Award

“We are developing the next generation of world-class oncologists through UTHSC’s Fellow and Residents Program, and it’s so rewarding to have West Cancer Foundation step up to add their support,” said Dr. Todd Tillmanns, Gynecological Oncologist and Program Director for the UTHSC’s Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship. “Our goal is for these fellows to learn the complex medical management required to care for our unique patient population in Memphis.”

West Cancer Foundation’s mission is to break through barriers to cancer care and improve patient outcomes by providing accessible patient resources, early detection and education, and research to improve health inequities. The organization provides free cancer services to those who are uninsured or underinsured including cancer screenings, transportation to and from treatment appointments, lymphedema garments, and post-mastectomy prostheses, garments and wigs.

Dr. Quin Throckmorton and Dr. Tyler Brolin, both orthopaedic surgeons with Campbell Clinic, won the prestigious Neer Award for the second time having first won it in 2016. The Charles S. Neer Award is presented annually by the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Foundation for outstanding shoulder/elbow research.

“We are deeply honored to receive this award from the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Foundation which represents a true team effort by the Campbell Clinic research program,” said Dr. Throckmorton. “Our clinical research team worked closely with our biomechanics lab to design and execute this study. We are very fortunate to collaborate with such an outstanding group of researchers.”

Dr. Brolin agrees that teamwork is key to this recent recognition.

“This award signifies way more than the work of any one person,” said Dr. Brolin. “This prestigious honor belongs to everyone on our Campbell Clinic team who helped us achieve this milestone. We are grateful to the ASES Foundation for recognizing our work and we are humbled to have our research highlighted via the prestigious Neer Award.”

Named after its benefactor, Dr. Charles S. Neer, this award has been presented every year since the first Open Meeting of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and is chosen after a rigorous selection process by members of both the ASES Program Committee and Research Committee. Membership is by invitation only and Campbell Clinic physicians Quin Throckmorton, MD; Tyler J. Brolin, MD; and Frederick M. Azar, MD are the only three members in the Mid-South.

“Winning one Neer Award is a career defining moment in shoulder and elbow surgery and marks the authors as thought leaders in the world of orthopaedic research,” said Dr. Frederick Azar, Chief of Staff for Campbell Clinic. “For our research team to have won it twice is extraordinarily rare –a feat that has only been achieved a few times in history. In short, it is the pinnacle – the highest honor one can receive in shoulder and elbow surgery from a research standpoint.”

In 2016, Drs. Throckmorton and Brolin with the Campbell Clinic team won the Neer Award in the clinical science category for their research on outpatient shoulder replacement. This year, the team won the Neer basic science award for their work on muscle activation patterns after reverse shoulder replacement.

Dr. David Yanishevski

(l to r) Dr. Tyler Brolin, Margaret Knack, RN, Dr. Quin Throckmorton and Dr. Frederick Azar