|
|
|
USF Health Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine Newsletter
|
|
Join the ID Community
|   | |
|
|
Join Our List
|
|
|
|
|
Creative Educational Models |
On May 6th, the Tampa Bay Times featured an article on Erin Flatley, a young woman who died of sepsis following a minor outpatient surgical procedure ten years ago. Her father, Dr. Carl Flatley, has spent the last decade generating sepsis awareness and pushing for the creation of a 'Code Sepsis' to be instituted by all healthcare facilities. USF Division of Infectious Disease Director John Sinnott MD FACP discussed the dangers of sepsis and some tips for sepsis prevention. Click here to read more.
To contribute to our USF memorial fund, follow these steps:
1) Visit: https://usfweb2.usf.edu/foundation/asp/ssl/adfdn/search.asp
2) Enter the fund number (256065) in the search box and click 'search'
3) Check the box next to the fund name and click 'select funds and continue'
4) Verify you have selected the correct fund and click 'continue'
5) Proceed with entering contact information, donation amount, credit card information, etc.
In August 2010, Dr. Sandra Gompf, Associate Professor of Medicine with USF Infectious Disease & International Medicine and Chief of Infectious Disease at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, lost her 10 year old son Philip T. Gompf to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Philip loved to read, write, and investigate how things work. He excelled in school and wanted to become a scientist or engineer.
Naegleria fowleri, which causes PAM, lives in warm fresh water and soil, and becomes pathogenic in humans when it enters the nasal mucosa and attacks the central nervous system.
 Philip T. Gompf.
In Philip's honor, the USF Morsani College of Medicine established the "Philip T. Gompf Memorial Fund for Infectious Disease Research". Each year, the fund provides an award to a medical student who has demonstrated excellence while participating in a USF Infectious Disease & International Medicine program or rotation.
In April, Dr. Daniel Eckstein, 2012 graduate of the USF Morsani College of Medicine, received the Philip T. Gompf Memorial Fund for Infectious Disease Research Award. Dr. Eckstein is the second recipient of this award for excellence in infectious diseases. Drs. Sandra Gompf and John Sinnott presented the award to Dr. Eckstein, who was selected based on his accomplishments, which include:
- Student leader, International Medicine Scholarly Concentration
- 2011 Outstanding Scholar Award, USF Medicine International
- Senior Co-Advisor, Project World Health
- International medical efforts & disaster response activities
- Research leadership
To contribute to our USF memorial fund, follow these steps:
1) Visit: https://usfweb2.usf.edu/foundation/asp/ssl/adfdn/search.asp
2) Enter the fund number (250155) in the search box and click 'search'
3) Check the box next to the fund name and click 'select funds and continue'
4) Verify you have selected the correct fund and click 'continue'
5) Proceed with entering contact information, donation amount, credit card information, etc.
On March 8th, Dr. John Sinnott, Director of Infectious Disease with the USF Morsani College of Medicine, was invited by the Infectious Disease Association to be a guest lecturer. This student organization is part of the USF College of Public Health, and was established to promote a better understanding of infectious diseases and their impact within the public health spectrum. Dr. Sinnott discussed how our current understanding of the genetic influences on infectious disease come from previously established research as well as new technologies, like genomic sequencing.  |
| International Prominence |
In April, Division Director John Sinnott MD FACP traveled to China with Dr. Stephen Klasko, Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, Kevin Sneed PharmD, Dean of USF's College of Pharmacy, and Shufeng Zhou, MD, PhD, Professor & Chair of USF Pharmaceutical Sciences. Together they met with representatives from several medical schools and hospitals. They discussed partnerships that would create pharmacy affiliations and opportunities to utilize USF's Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) as well as USF Medicine International's Leadership Enhancement And Development (LEAD) programs. USF Medicine International offers specialized training to physicians, hospital administrators and other healthcare personnel to enhance leadership and management skills through LEAD programs.
In January, Dr. John Sinnott, Director of Infectious Disease and Associate Dean of Medicine International, traveled with Dr. Charurut Somboonwit, Associate Professor, Infectious Disease, to Thailand for a Quality of Care and Patient Safety Conference.  This conference was held at Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) January 17th-18th. Dr. Sinnott gave a lecture on Hospital Acquired Infections while Dr. Somboonwit spoke about c. difficile. Dr. Han Lin, Associate Chief Nurse & Director of Nursing at the People's Hospital of Gansu Province and graduate of USF's LEAD program, was also an invited speaker at this conference. Dr. Han Lin discussed Effective Measures for Patient Safety. |
| Entrepreneurial Models |
Every month, USF Health and the Shimberg Health Sciences Library celebrates contributions made by faculty publications by selecting a 'book of the month'. In April, Gompf's ID Pearls 2.0 was chosen. Dr. Sandra Gompf is an Associate Professor for the USF Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine as well as Chief of Infectious Disease at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. Her book was published in 2007 and serves as an infectious diseases pocket study guide for medical students and professionals. It is currently available online, in print, and was recently translated to Spanish! Visit www.gompfsidpearls.net for more information.
|
| Research |
In April, Division Director Dr. John Sinnott attended the 2012 Palm Beach ID Symposium, sponsored by the Palm Beach Infectious Disease Institute and Jupiter Medical Center. This one and a half day symposium highlighted progress and controversies in Infectious Disease. Faculty from the United States and Canada assembled to discuss:
- Epidemic diseases
- Infection acquired during travel
- Current use of vaccines
- Antimicrobial-resistant gram +/- bacteria
- C. diff associated diarrhea
- Artificial device-associated infection
- Surgical site infection
- Hospital infection control
- HIV
- Hepatitis C
The Palm Beach Infectious Disease Institute is a non-profit foundation engaged in research and education for infectious diseases like MRSA. Click here to learn more.
In January, Dr. Lynette Menezes, Director of USF Medicine International & Associate Professor of Infectious Disease, led a three day "Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) - Train-the-Trainer Workshop" at Government Medical College in Surat, India. The aim of the workshop was to create, support, and enhance projects for HIV prevention/treatment in women, children, and youth via mentored research training with Indian investigators. At the workshop's end, Indian investigators did a "teach-back", in which they demonstrated what they learned by teaching the modules themselves.
In the same trip, Dr. Lynette Menezes attended the Science Symposium in Chennai, India. Here she presented a lecture on HPV Infection in HIV-Infected Women and discussed the burden of invasive cervical cancer in India and the developing world. Her presentation covered epidemiology, risk factors, and cancer prevention.
|
| Faculty News |
March 24th, the day Robert Koch discovered the tuberculosis bacterium, is World TB Day. According to the World Health Organization, this day brings attention to a disease that currently infects 1/3 of the world's population. Florida ranks 6th in the nation for TB diagnoses. 
Dr. Beata Casanas, Associate Professor of Infectious Disease and Director of the Tuberculosis Clinic at the Hillsborough County Health Department, and Dr. John Sinnott, Director of Infectious Disease, were interviewed about tuberculosis by the Tampa Bay Times for a World TB Day 2012 article. They discussed local disease presence, risk, transmission, treatment, and prevention. Click here to learn more.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking a new influenza strain recently found in bats in Guatemala. MyFox Tampa Bay reported on the implications of this newly emerging disease for humans, and interviewed Dr. Todd Wills, Associate Professor with the USF Division of Infectious Disease, on the issue. Click here to learn more.
Dr. Todd Wills. |
| Announcements | 
The Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine would like to thank Dr. Phil Amuso for his many years of extraordinary service with our Division, as well as the University and the Florida Department of Health. Dr. Amuso worked tirelessly as the Associate Chief for the Bureau of Labs and made a positive impact. The Division wishes him all the best as he enters retirement.
The Division welcomes Dr. Andrew Cannons, Assistant Professor with the Morsani College of Medicine and new Director for the Tampa Laboratory at the Florida Department of Health. Dr. Cannons worked as the Scientific Director of the Center for Biological Defense at the USF College of Public Health and spent years working with Dr. Amuso.
Director of Infectious Disease Dr. John Sinnott has been named one of the Best Doctors in America for 2011-2012. The prestigious Best Doctors in America List results from exhaustive polling of over 45,000 physicians in the United States. This recognition marks the 13th time Dr. Sinnott has earned this honor.
Other physicians within our Division who received the 2011-2012 Best Doctors in America distinction include:
|
|
Events
| |
USF's Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) held its grand opening on Friday, March 30th. The 90,000 square foot facility utilizes aviation technology and simulation to provide advanced medical training to physicians, students, and medical personnel across the world.
 Five pysicians from China attend the CAMLS grand opening with Drs. John Sinnott (back), Lynette Menezes (third from the right), and Dr. Doug Holt, Director of the Hillsborough County Health Department (second from the right).
For more information about the CAMLS facility, click here.
ID Conferences are weekly lectures, typically held on Mondays, where fellows and faculty come together to enhance their knowledge of infectious disease. Recent topics included treponematosis, trypanosomiasis, microsporidia, aspergillus and more! For more information, contact Tammy Grice at tsgrice@gmail.com.
|
|
Warmly,
|
|
|
|
|
Our mission is to be an internationally outstanding
academic center. We conduct research, analyze policy, deliver clinical
care and provide training to healthcare providers locally,
nationally & internationally. Our goal is to be a resource for
infectious disease identification, prevention & treatment issues.
|
|
|
