After eight months of COVID, COVID, and more COVID, many of us are growing weary. Add to that the dwindling daylight and colder temperatures, and our mental health can take a serious hit. Checking in on our overall energy, engagement, and attitudes during the pandemic is the first step toward safeguarding our well-being. And take heart, there are simple tactics that experts recommend that can help you identify and address the burnout brought on by pandemic stress.
More Good News for November 11, 2020
Cynthia Brown, MD, MSPH (Professor and Director, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) has received the Gerontologic Society of America's 2020 Joseph T. Freeman Award. The prestigious lectureship is awarded to a prominent clinician in the field of aging, both in research and practice. Well deserved, Dr. Brown!
Gregory Payne, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) has been named assistant director of the SOM Medical Scientist Training Program, in which students take medical school and graduate school courses concurrently to earn both MD and PhD degrees. Congratulations, Dr. Payne!
Ronit Elk, PhD (Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) has received the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine's Richard Payne Outstanding Achievement in DEI Award in recognition of her commitment to improving care for vulnerable and underrepresented patient populations. Kudos, Dr. Elk!
In his invited editorial, Mike Saag, MD (Professor, Infectious Diseases) comments on the misguided use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. He notes that despite the initial study's lack of scientific rigor, the politicized endorsements of the drug drove many to grasp at straws, ultimately demonstrating that politics and science don't mix.
Professor Tony Merriman, PhD, joins the Division of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology from the University of Otago in New Zealand. He is an internationally recognized scientist and leader in the genetic basis of gout and rheumatoid arthritis, and he is committed to minority health. Welcome, Dr. Merriman!
Agnes B. Fogo, MD, Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University, will present "Progression of CKD – The Vicious Cycle Extends to the Tubulointerstitium” at Medical Grand Rounds at noon on Wednesday, November 18, via Zoom.
In the final of his three-part series on human touch, Dr. Well-Be shares an experience with a long-time patient whose unexpected bear-hug revealed how touch can convey value and bring affirmation to our relationships. But when touch is restricted we must adopt other means of expressing these important sentiments.