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FOCUS sponsors a Lunchtime Seminar Series that covers topics related to:

  • women's health research

  • professional development for academic physicians

  • current medical issues ("hot topics" in health care)

FOCUS sponsors lunchtime seminars on women’s health research, professional development for academic physicians and “hot topics” in healthcare. Presenters include faculty from the School of Medicine as well as from across the University— anthropologists, bioethicists, economists, lawyers, medical historians, sociologists, psychologists, as well as physicians and researchers — all of whom offer exposure and fresh perspective to a broad range of medical and professional development topics.

 

This interactive one-hour lunchtime format provides opportunities for faculty to convene across departments and centers and thereby promotes networking within the School of Medicine, the Hospital, and across the University. The Seminar Series is well-attended by both men and women faculty from a broad range of specialties. A portion of the series is devoted to workshops on career development and mentoring, particularly targeting female and/or junior medical faculty.

2022-2023 FOCUS programming
Includes lunchtime seminars, focus chats & leadership workshops

*Note: FOCUS is continually adding Seminar Series programming, please check here and our Twitter for updates.


NOTE: This 4-part evening workshop requires pre-registration for all four sessions and the deadline to apply is August 10, 2022. For more information please contact Sue Primavera @ sprimave@pennmedicine.upenn.edu


PROGRAM: Envisioning the Later Phase of Your Career: Using the Past to Inform the Future --
a FOCUS program opportunity for senior women faculty


Approaching the last 5-10 years of a career in academic medicine offers an opportunity to develop a future with new rewards and fulfillment. It can, however, be challenging to allow yourself the time to pause and focus on developing a vision that takes full advantage of your accomplishments while pruning responsibilities that are no longer energizing.  Using self-reflection and peer group work to advance each participant’s unique vision for their own career/life trajectory, participants explore pathways for creating the most rewarding, productive and enriching paths forward.  Through a series of small cohort-based workshops, each participant is guided in developing a personalized plan for the next phase of life/career. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their past accomplishments and challenges, strengths and weaknesses, current goals, values, realities and opportunities.  There are exercises at each session, and homework between sessions, to explore and experiment with potential opportunities for reinvigoration.
 

(#1 of a four-session program) Thurs., Oct. 27, 2022 @ 5:15 – 7:30 PM
(#2 of a four-session program) Thurs., Nov. 17, 2022 @ 5:15 – 7:30 PM
(#3 of a fou
r-session program) Mon., Dec. 12, 2022 @ 5:15 – 7:30 PM

(#4 of a four-session program) Wed., Jan. 18, 2023 @ 5:15 - 7:30 PM

Co-facilitated by: 

Stephanie Abbuhl MD

Emeritus Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Co-Director of PATHWAYS Program for Penn STEM Faculty

Lucy Wolf Tuton, PhD

Director of Professional Development, FOCUS
Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine

Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics

Co-Director of PATHWAYS Program for Penn STEM Faculty

Executive Director, Bridging the Gaps

When Political Engagement is the Right Prescription

At a time when some policy makers and members of the public are increasingly skeptical of data and science and lawmakers are intervening in medical decision-making, learn about one physician's path from the bedside to elected office and what you can do now to advocate for your patients and your community.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 (Tuesday), 5:30 - 6:30 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH
Chair, Montgomery County Board of Commissioners

Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh has served on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners since she was first appointed to fill a vacancy on the Commission in January 2015. Arkoosh won election to a full four-year term in November 2015 and served as Commission Vice Chair until her election as Commission Chair in November 2016, the first woman to assume this role. She was re-elected in November 2019 and unanimously chosen by her two colleagues to again serve as Chair in January 2020. Montgomery County, located in southeastern Pennsylvania, is the third most populous county in Pennsylvania with over 856,000 residents. The three member Board of Commissioners oversees a budget of nearly $500 million and directs more than 2,800 employees. The Commission manages human services for more than 100,000 residents, Voter Services, over 130 County bridges, 75 miles of roads and other infrastructure, seven County parks and nearly 100 miles of trails.

Dr. Arkoosh is bringing innovative reforms to county government from rebuilding critical infrastructure and preserving over 10,000 acres of farmland, to fighting for workers by instituting a $15 minimum wage and gender-neutral paid parental leave for County employees.  She has taken tangible steps to combat climate change transitioning the County buildings’ electrical supply to renewable sources. Arkoosh has done all this while restoring the County’s AAA bond rating and maintaining among the lowest County property taxes in the region.  Dr. Arkoosh is improving services for children, Veterans, and seniors. She has led the efforts to eliminate street homelessness of veterans, and streamline delivery of human services. Dr. Arkoosh drew on her background as a physician to oversee a multi-pronged, integrated response to the opioid overdose epidemic. In 2015 she issued a standing order to enable participating pharmacies in Montgomery County to dispense the overdose antidote naloxone at the request of any member of the public. Throughout her career, Dr. Arkoosh has been a staunch advocate for maternal health and reproductive rights. She is currently a member of the Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee.  As a physician and public health professional, Arkoosh has been at the center of the County’s efforts to combat the COVID 19 pandemic leading a data and science driven response to this unprecedented challenge. Dr. Arkoosh has been praised for the County’s COVID-19 response and her transparency and public communication throughout the pandemic.  Upon obtaining her Master of Public Health in 2007, Arkoosh became deeply engaged in the national effort to achieve comprehensive health care reform. She led the National Physicians Alliance, a national non-profit organization of physicians, who, putting their patients before profits, joined a broad-based nation-wide coalition for reform. During this time, she developed policy and legislative strategy, and promoted public engagement in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and throughout the country. Dr. Arkoosh maintains comprehensive knowledge of the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its impact on individuals and the health care system.  While much of her career has been in medicine and public health, Arkoosh has substantial experience in dealing with many of the same challenges governments face. She has significant leadership experience managing complex organizations during times of fiscal challenge. Arkoosh served for five years as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the Drexel University College of Medicine where she successfully drew upon her undergraduate training in economics to restore her department to fiscal solvency following the Allegheny University bankruptcy. During this challenging time, she also served as Interim Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and was actively involved in the financial oversight of the medical school clinical practice plan. Prior to stepping into public service, Dr. Arkoosh was Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Arkoosh is a graduate of the University Of Nebraska College Of Medicine and received a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She performed her residency at Jefferson Medical College in Anesthesiology with a special focus in Obstetrics. She has an undergraduate degree in economics from Northwestern University.  Arkoosh lives in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, with her husband, Jeff Harbison, and their three children.

September

COVID-19 update

Dr. Offit will describe where we stand in the current pandemic and what to expect regarding vaccines in the near future.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 (Wednesday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Paul A. Offit, MD
Maurice R. Hilleman Chair of Vaccinology
Director of the Vaccine Education Center
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Division of Infectious Diseases
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Paul A. Offit, MD is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as well as the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a recipient of many awards including the J. Edmund Bradley Prize for Excellence in Pediatrics from the University of Maryland Medical School, the Young Investigator Award in Vaccine Development from the Infectious Disease Society of America, and a Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Offit has published more than 160 papers in medical and scientific journals in the areas of rotavirus-specific immune responses and vaccine safety. He is also the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq, recommended for universal use in infants by the CDC in 2006 and by the WHO in 2013; for this achievement Dr. Offit received the Luigi Mastroianni and William Osler Awards from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the Charles Mérieux Award from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases; and was honored by Bill and Melinda Gates during the launch of their Foundation’s Living Proof Project for global health. In 2009, Dr. Offit received the President’s Certificate for Outstanding Service from the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 2011, Dr. Offit received the David E. Rogers Award from the American Association of Medical Colleges, the Odyssey Award from the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2012, Dr. Offit received the Distinguished Medical Achievement Award from the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. In 2013, Dr. Offit received the Maxwell Finland award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the Distinguished Alumnus award from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. In 2015, Dr. Offit won the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching from the University of Pennsylvania and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2016, Dr. Offit won the Franklin Founder Award from the city of Philadelphia, The Porter Prize from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Business Journal, and the Jonathan E. Rhoads Medal for Distinguished Service to Medicine from the American Philosophical Society. In 2018, Dr. Offit received the Gold Medal from the Sabin Vaccine Institute and in 2019 the John P. McGovern Award from the American Medical Writers Association and in 2020 the Public Educator Award from CHILD USA. In 2021, Dr. Offit was awarded the Edward Jenner Lifetime Achievement Award in Vaccinology from the 15th Vaccine Congress and was elected to the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame. In 2022, Dr. Offit received the Mentor of the Year Award from the Eastern Society for Pediatric Research and the Dean’s Alumni Leadership Award from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Offit was a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is currently a member of the FDA’s Vaccine Advisory Committee and is a founding advisory board member of the Autism Science Foundation and the Foundation for Vaccine Research. He is also the author of ten medical narratives: The Cutter Incident: How America’s First Polio Vaccine Led to Today’s Growing Vaccine Crisis (Yale University Press, 2005), Vaccinated: One Man’s Quest to Defeat the World’s Deadliest Diseases (HarperCollins, 2007), for which he won an award from the American Medical Writers Association, Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure (Columbia University Press, 2008), Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All (Basic Books, 2011), which was selected by Kirkus Reviews and Booklist as one of the best non-fiction books of the year, Do You Believe in Magic?: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine (HarperCollins, 2013), which won the Robert P. Balles Prize in Critical Thinking from the Center for Skeptical Inquiry and was selected by National Public Radio as one of the best books of 2013, Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine (Basic Books, 2015), which was selected by the New York Times Book Review as an “Editor’s Choice” book in April 2015, Pandora’s Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong (National Geographic Press/Random House, April 2017), which was nominated for Best Science and Technology book of 2017 by Goodreads, Bad Advice: Or Why Celebrities, Politicians, and Activists Aren’t Your Best Source of Health Information (Columbia University Press, June 2018), Overkill: When Modern Medicine Goes Too Far (HarperCollins, April, 2020), and You Bet Your Life: From Blood Transfusions to Mass Vaccinations—The Long and Risky History of Medical Innovations (Basic Books, 2021).

October

FOCUS Women in Leadership Panel Session
 

October 4, 2022 (Tuesday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

PANELISTS:

Susan M. Domchek, MD, FASCO

Executive Director, Basser Center for BRCA

Director, Mariann and Robert MacDonald Cancer Risk Evaluation Center

Basser Professor in Oncology

Oluwadamilola “Lola” Fayanju, MD, MA, MPHS, FACS

The Helen O. Dickens Presidential Associate Professor

Chief of Breast Surgery, Penn Medicine

Surgical Director, Rena Rowan Breast Center

Director, Health Equity Innovation, Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation (PC3I)

Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI)

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Susan L. Furth, MD, PhD

Professor of Pediatrics

Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Edmond F. Notebaert Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Kim M. Olthoff, MD

Guthrie Professor of Surgery

Chief, Division of Transplant Surgery

Vice Chair of Faculty Development

Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania

Associate Director, Penn Transplant Institute

Surgical Director, Liver Transplant Program, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

BIOS:

Susan Domchek, MD, FASCO is the Basser Professor in Oncology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. She serves as Executive Director of the Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center and Director of the Mariann and Robert MacDonald Cancer Risk valuation Program. Her work focuses on the genetic evaluation and medical management of individuals with inherited risk factors for cancer. Dr. Domchek is particularly interested in developing new cancer therapies, such as PARP inhibitors, for patients with genetic risk factors. An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Domchek is also a significant contributor to the oncology literature. She has authored/co-authored more than 350 articles appearing in scholarly journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Journal of Clinical Oncology, among others.

Oluwadamilola (Lola) Fayanju, MD, MA, MPHS is the inaugural Helen O. Dickens Presidential Associate Professor in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the Chief of Breast Surgery for the University of Pennsylvania Health System. She is also Surgical Director of the Rena Rowan Breast Center in the Abramson Cancer Center and Associate Director and Director for Health Equity Innovation at the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation (PC3I). She is an academic breast surgical oncologist whose research focuses on health disparities, aggressive breast cancer variants, and improving value in oncology, particularly through the collection and application of patient-reported outcomes (PROs). She received her undergraduate degree in History and Science, and an MA in Comparative Literature from Harvard. She received her MD and a Master’s in Population Health Sciences (MPHS) from Washington University in St. Louis, where she also completed her residency in General Surgery. She completed fellowship training in Breast Surgical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. In 2019, she was recognized by the National Academy of Medicine as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar. Her research is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and she has published in a variety of journals including Annals of Surgery, Cancer, and JAMA.

Susan L. Furth, MD, PhD is the Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and holds the Edward Notebart Endowed Chair in Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She was formerly the Chief of the Division of Nephrology, Associate Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Pediatrics and Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.   Her research is in the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease in children. She is a. She previously served as a Councilor, as well as President and Vice President of the Society for Pediatric Research, and a Councilor for the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology and the International Society of Pediatric Nephrology.  She was recently elected as a member of the Association of American Physicians.  Committed to pre-doctoral and post-doctoral training, Dr. Furth has personally trained dozens of post-doctoral fellows and mentored numerous junior faculty. Her relationships with her mentees, which include adult and pediatric nephrologists, rheumatologists, intensivists and urologists from institutions across the country, have facilitated the research careers of multiple junior faculty.  Her commitment to mentorship has been acknowledged locally and nationally.  In 2016, she was awarded the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Faculty mentor award.  In 2019, she won the Society for Pediatric Research Maureen Andrews Mentoring Award. For 10 years, Dr. Furth held a K24 Mentoring Award in Patient Oriented research from the NIH. Her K23 mentees, many of whom are women, have gone on to become independent NIH funded researchers, division chiefs, transplant center directors, fellowship and residency program directors.  Dr. Furth is the principal investigator of the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The study, which is in its 20th year, is the largest and longest running multicenter prospective cohort study of children with chronic kidney disease ever conducted in North America. She is also the PI of the P50 Center of Excellence in Pediatric Nephrology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) whose mission is to address and overcome barriers to clinical trials implementation in children with kidney disease. In the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Furth developed a faculty advising program for all new faculty in the first 3 years of appointment with the goal of improving mentorship, sponsorship, work life integration and career success for both women and men. Additionally, she developed a mentoring award, named in honor of the late Carole Marcus, an accomplished pediatric pulmonologist and clinical investigator at CHOP, to support faculty developing innovative approaches to mentoring in research.  In 2020, Dr. Furth was honored to win the Society for Pediatric Research Maureen Andrew Mentor Award which recognizes “outstanding mentor leadership that generates excitement, creativity and scholarship leading to outstanding research and teaching.”   In her role as Vice Chair in the Department of Pediatrics, she successfully led a number of search committees for leadership roles, recruiting highly accomplished women physician scientists for a number of these positions.  As co-chair of the Department of Pediatrics’ Diversity and Equity Committee, Dr. Furth co-led an analysis of salary equity across the department and worked with the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program to secure an additional ELAM nomination slot for future women leaders from CHOP in addition to the nominees from the School of Medicine. 

Kim M. Olthoff, MD, is the Donald Guthrie Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, Chief of the Division of Transplant Surgery, and Vice Chair for Faculty Development. She attended the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and completed a residency in general surgery at UCLA followed by a fellowship in transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery at the Dumont – UCLA Transplant Center, joining the Penn faculty in 1995.

Dr. Olthoff is a Past-President for the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, and has chaired numerous committees for national and international transplant societies and organizations. She is currently a Councilor of the American Board of Surgery, and serves on the Board of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease. She has a busy clinical practice in adult and pediatric liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery, leading the living donor liver transplant program at Penn and the liver transplant program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Olthoff has an active research program in clinical and translational studies that focus on living donation and liver regeneration, early allograft dysfunction, and organ allocation. Dr Olthoff is a recipient of NIH funding, and has published over 200 manuscripts, editorials, and chapters.

The Challenges of Caring for Our Elders: Continuing the Conversation and Developing Strategies

Are you a caregiver of your parents, or an elderly relative or friend? Being a caregiver for an elderly loved one can be a challenge as we navigate meeting their needs. We will be continuing our discussion from earlier this year.  Please join us to share challenges, strategies and resources in this virtual interactive session that will be facilitated by Vatinee Bunya and Lucy Tuton.   Karen Kille from Penn Human Resources will also join us to share Penn’s elderly caregiving resources and answer questions. All faculty are invited and welcome to attend. 

October 18, 2022 (Tuesday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Vatinee Y. Bunya, MD, MSCE     

William F. Norris and George E. de Schweinitz 
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Lucy Wolf Tuton, PhD 

Director of Professional Development
Adjunct Professor, Medicine and of Prevention and Population Health
Executive Director, Bridging the Gaps
Associate Director, Penn Community Scholars Program
Co-Director of PATHWAYS Program for Penn STEM Faculty

BIOS: 


Vatinee Y. Bunya, MD, MSCE is the Co-Director of the Penn Dry Eye & Ocular Surface Center. She cares for patients with dry eye, Sjogren's syndrome, and other disorders that affect the ocular surface.  Dr. Bunya has extensive experience in the study of dry eye and diseases that affect the ocular surface and eyelids. She also has a special interest in the study of Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that classically causes dry eye and dry mouth. Dr. Bunya has been the principal investigator for several dry eye clinical trials. She currently is working to develop better ways to measure dry eye and to screen patients for Sjogren's syndrome. 

 

Lucy Wolf Tuton, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine and of Prevention and Population Health in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Tuton serves as Executive Director of Bridging the Gaps, a program linking the training of health professionals to the provision of health-related services for vulnerable populations. The program is jointly administered by eight academic health centers/universities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey who partner each year with over 100 community organizations serving vulnerable populations. She also is the Associate Director of the Penn Community Scholars Program, a training program for community organizations offering skill development in community-academic research partnerships.  In addition, Dr. Tuton is the Director of Professional Development for FOCUS on Health & Leadership for Women and in this capacity, she has developed professional skill building curricula, as well as curricula designed to offer women (and men) faculty and trainees opportunities to identify and work towards the fulfillment of personal and professional goals. Due to her role in FOCUS, she was a co-investigator on the unique RO1 funded NIH-TAC (Transforming Academic Culture) study. Dr. Tuton served as an Associate Director of the Perelman School of Medicine's Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program and at its conclusion became an Associate Director until 2020 for the National Clinician Scholars Program. In these roles, she co-directed a career development curriculum and also provided expertise for community-focused efforts. Due to her experience in professional and career development, Dr. Tuton co-directs other related initiatives focused on faculty and trainees at the Perelman School of Medicine. Since 2013, along with a multidisciplinary team of Penn colleagues, Lucy developed and co-leads the Penn Pathways career leadership program for men and women assistant professors in the STEMM fields.

Grant review communities and lessons from Ben

November 3, 2022 (Thursday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Matthew D. Weitzman, PhD
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Professor of Microbiology, Professor of Pediatrics
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Co-Chief, Division of Protective Immunity, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Director of Grant Review Communities, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Dr. Weitzman is a Professor in the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) at the University of Pennsylvania. He runs a lab at CHOP where he studies virus-host interactions, using human DNA viruses as model systems to investigate fundamental cellular processes using an integrated experimental approach that combines biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and cell biology. Research in his lab has been continuously supported by NIH grants for over 20 years and they have published over 120 articles in leading peer-reviewed journals. He has leadership roles in the CHOP Research Institute, the CHOP Center for Childhood Cancer Research, the Abramson Cancer Center and the Penn Center for Genome Integrity. Dr. Weitzman is an active participant in the wider scientific community in many educational and advisory capacities. He participates in teaching and trainee education at CHOP and PSOM. He has served on many national and international grant review study sections and was chair of the NIH Cancer Etiology Study Section. He initiated and runs the Grant Proposal Success (GPS) Program and runs multiple grant review support groups for faculty and trainees.  He has been recognized with multiple mentor awards at CHOP and Penn.

November

 

The Challenges of Caring for Our Elders: Continuing the Conversation from a Social Work Perspective

November 15, 2022 (Tuesday), 5:00 - 6:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Marissa Piltz, MSW, LCSW  

Heart Failure/VAD/Heart Transplant social worker
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Vatinee Y. Bunya, MD, MSCE     

William F. Norris and George E. de Schweinitz 
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Lucy Wolf Tuton, PhD 

Director of Professional Development
Adjunct Professor, Medicine and of Prevention and Population Health
Executive Director, Bridging the Gaps
Associate Director, Penn Community Scholars Program
Co-Director of PATHWAYS Program for Penn STEM Faculty

BIOS: 


Vatinee Y. Bunya, MD, MSCE is the Co-Director of the Penn Dry Eye & Ocular Surface Center. She cares for patients with dry eye, Sjogren's syndrome, and other disorders that affect the ocular surface.  Dr. Bunya has extensive experience in the study of dry eye and diseases that affect the ocular surface and eyelids. She also has a special interest in the study of Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that classically causes dry eye and dry mouth. Dr. Bunya has been the principal investigator for several dry eye clinical trials. She currently is working to develop better ways to measure dry eye and to screen patients for Sjogren's syndrome. 

 

Lucy Wolf Tuton, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine and of Prevention and Population Health in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Tuton serves as Executive Director of Bridging the Gaps, a program linking the training of health professionals to the provision of health-related services for vulnerable populations. The program is jointly administered by eight academic health centers/universities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey who partner each year with over 100 community organizations serving vulnerable populations. She also is the Associate Director of the Penn Community Scholars Program, a training program for community organizations offering skill development in community-academic research partnerships.  In addition, Dr. Tuton is the Director of Professional Development for FOCUS on Health & Leadership for Women and in this capacity, she has developed professional skill building curricula, as well as curricula designed to offer women (and men) faculty and trainees opportunities to identify and work towards the fulfillment of personal and professional goals. Due to her role in FOCUS, she was a co-investigator on the unique RO1 funded NIH-TAC (Transforming Academic Culture) study. Dr. Tuton served as an Associate Director of the Perelman School of Medicine's Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program and at its conclusion became an Associate Director until 2020 for the National Clinician Scholars Program. In these roles, she co-directed a career development curriculum and also provided expertise for community-focused efforts. Due to her experience in professional and career development, Dr. Tuton co-directs other related initiatives focused on faculty and trainees at the Perelman School of Medicine. Since 2013, along with a multidisciplinary team of Penn colleagues, Lucy developed and co-leads the Penn Pathways career leadership program for men and women assistant professors in the STEMM fields.

Microaggressions MACROIMPACT:
Identifying and Addressing Microaggressions
in Our Personal and Professional Environmen
ts
(1 of 2 sessions)


Through this seminar, we will define microaggressions, identify the various types of microaggressions, and explore the macro-impact of microaggressions within our personal and professional environments. We will also discuss strategies for addressing microaggressions via a didactic and interactive format. 

 

November 29, 2022 (Tuesday), 12:00 - 2:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Presenter:


Nicole R Washington, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Section of Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Associate Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program

Medical Director, Physician Supervisor for Patient Flow Program & General Pediatrics Resident Services

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

 

Microaggressions MACROIMPACT:
Managing and Responding to Discriminatory Patient Behaviors in the Clinical Learning Environment

(2 of 2 sessions)

 

 The workshop component of this session will include review of techniques to address discriminatory patient encounters within the clinical learning environment, small group case-based opportunities to practice response strategies and debriefing and discussion of options for reporting such events. 

December 13, 2022 (Tuesday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Facilitators:
 

Michelle A. Weir, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Dermatology
Department of Dermatology

Perelman School of Medicine

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Caitlin B. Clancy, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care
Perelman School of Medicine
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Margot E. Cohen MD MSEd

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine

Co-Director, Internal Medicine Clerkship

Department of Medicine, Section of Hospital Medicine

Perelman School of Medicine

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Laura E. Dingfield, MD, MSEd

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Inpatient Attending, Penn Medicine Hospice, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Inpatient Attending, Penn Medicine Hospice, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Program Director, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Director of Palliative Care Education, University of Pennsylvania Health System

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

December
February

No Place Like Home
 

This session will focus on community-based resources available to help older adults age in place-- at home. We will discuss pre-planning for potential medical or functional decline through actions to take once in crisis. We will also provide tips to keep older adults living well in their homes. 
 

January 19, 2023 (Thursday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Rachel K Miller, MD, MSEd

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine

Vice Chief of Education, Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Physician –Geriatrics & Home-Based Primary Care, Philadelphia CMC-VA Medical Center

Department of Medicine

Jeanette Gallagher, MSW

Social Worker, Penn Geriatric Medicine
Lecturer, MSW Program

Field Liaison, MSW Program

 

BIOS: 

Dr. Rachel K. Miller, is an associate professor of medicine and Vice Chief of Education in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. She received a 5 year Geriatric Academic Career Award (GACA) and completed a master’s in Medical Education at University of Pennsylvania. She serves on multiple national committees focused on aging and home care education. Her scholarly work focuses on innovative aging curriculum for clinical trainees including topics of transitions of care, interprofessional teamwork, home and community-based care. Dr. Miller spends her clinical time doing house calls for the Crescenz Philadelphia VA Home Based Primary Care program where she practices both geriatrics and palliative care and oversees medical trainees in house-call educational experiences.

Jeanette Gallagher, MSW, is a practicing social worker and expert in the field of Geriatrics and the Aging Community.  She currently works in the Geriatric Medicine Department at UPHS, and has also worked in the LIFE/PACE program. Jeanette’s background experience has also been in mental health both adult and young adults, hospice, HIV/AIDS, research and proposal writing, and working with students with disabilities in the Philadelphia School District.  Jeanette has been a guest speaker many times in the SP2 PAC course, Working with Older Adults and Families, and also teaches that course as an adjunct.  She has been a Field Supervisor for MSW students for 15 years and currently serves as a Field Liaison for one of the SP2 Macro courses.

Twice as Hard: The Stories of Black Women
Who Fought to Become Physicians, from the
Civil War to the Twenty-First Century

(Co-sponsored by FOCUS on Health & Leadership for Women (FOCUS) & The Alliance of Minority Physicians (AMP)

 

Jasmine will provide some background and discuss her new book, which will then be followed by a facilitated question and answer session.

February 16, 2023 (Thursday), 6:00 - 7:30 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER:

Jasmine Brown, MPhil

Rhodes Scholar

Author
MD Candidate
 

BIO:

Jasmine Brown is a medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed an M.Phil. in History of Science, Medicine and Technology at the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. When she was an undergraduate student at Washington University in St. Louis, she founded the Minority Association of Rising Scientists and served as its president, working to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in science and medicine. This is her first book.

The Slow Science Movement: Bringing Intentionality to Big and Small Career Decisions
 

An academic job can be an absolute gift—but many academics often feel like they are overwhelmed, stressed, and burned out. There is simply too much to do and not enough time or they regret taking on roles or projects that are not fulfilling to them. This leadership workshop will help you bring deep intentionality to decisions about how you spend your time and help you develop strategies to live a sane, productive, and happy life. You will walk away with concrete tools to help you prioritize the aspects of your job you value most and avoid common pitfalls that lead to being overcommitted or regretful of commitments you’ve made.

March 1, 2023 (Wednesday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Christina Roberto, PhD

Mitchell J. Blutt and Margo Krody Blutt Presidential Associate Professor of Health Policy

Director, Psychology of Eating and Consumer Health (PEACH) Lab

Associate Director, CHIBE

Perelman School of Medicine

BIO:

Christina A. Roberto is the Mitchell J. Blutt and Margo Krody Blutt Presidential Associate Professor of Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She Directs the Psychology of Eating and Consumer Health lab (PEACH lab) and is an Associate Director of the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at Penn.  She has a joint-PhD in clinical psychology and chronic disease epidemiology from Yale and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Princeton University. Dr. Roberto completed her clinical internship at the Yale School of Medicine and was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health where she was also a faculty member. She is currently a National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leader Fellow and the PI of 4 NIH R01s. Christina is a mom of two young kids and loves her job. But she didn’t always love it. In this workshop, she’ll share her journey to finding a happy, sane, and productive life. Dr. Roberto also works with clients as an Executive Career Coach.

NOTE: This 4-part evening workshop requires pre-registration for all four sessions and the deadline to apply is January 26, 2023. For more information please contact Sue Primavera @ sprimave@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Using the Past to Inform the Future: Taking a Proactive Approach to the Opportunities of Mid-Career

The “mid-career” phase in academic medicine offers an opportunity to develop a future with new rewards and fulfillment. It can, however, be challenging to pause and focus on a vision that reflects how past accomplishments (personal and professional) can be utilized to inform your future direction. This 4-session program for mid-career men & women faculty on the C-E, AC or tenure track offers an opportunity to reimagine and plan for the next five years of your career/life pathway.  

(#1 of a four-session program) Wed., Mar. 15, 2023 @ 5:15 - 7:30 PM
(#2 of a four-session program) Tues., Apr. 25, 2023 @ 5:15 - 7:30 PM
(#3 of a fou
r-session program) Thurs., May 18, 2023 @ 5:15 - 7:30 PM

(#4 of a four-session program) Tues., Jun. 13, 2023 @ 5:15 - 7:30 PM

Co-facilitated by: 

Stephanie Abbuhl MD

Emeritus Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Co-Director of PATHWAYS Program for Penn STEM Faculty

Horace M. Delisser, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine

Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Lucy Wolf Tuton, PhD

Director of Professional Development, FOCUS

Realities of Life: How they impact the promotion process(click here to download the slides)

(Note: this session was designed for women faculty only, please)

March 31, 2023 (Friday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Lisa M. Bellini, MD

Senior Vice Dean for Academic Affairs

Professor of Medicine

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Meryl S. Cohen, MD, MSEd

Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Associate Chief, Division of Cardiology

Associate Dean for Faculty Development

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

BIOS:  

Dr. Bellini obtained her medical degree from the University of Alabama in 1990. She came to Penn to pursue her Internal Medicine residency training followed by a year as a Chief Medical Resident. She subsequently completed a Pulmonary Fellowship and joined the faculty in 1996.  Dr. Bellini served as the Vice Chair of Education and Inpatient Services for all undergraduate and graduate medical education programs in the Department of Medicine until 2019.  She served as Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency for 20 years, stepping down in 2016. Her oversight of inpatient services enabled careful focus and attention on the learning environment for all trainees. From 2005-2008, she was the Associate Dean for GME for University of Pennsylvania Health System.  In that role, she had operational responsibility for all policies and procedures related to the training of over 1000 residents and fellows in 68 UPHS sponsored training programs. In 2008, she assumed the role of Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs for the Perelman School of Medicine. In that role, she has oversight for faculty policies and procedures. In 2016, her role expanded to Vice Dean for Academic Affairs that includes oversight of Penn’s academic partnerships including a very successful partnership with the Philadelphia VA. Recently, she was promoted to Senior Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and has assumed oversight for leadership searches, and the internal and external chair review processes and clinical chair performance reviews. She remains active in education and is currently leading the development of Graduate Medical Education Programs in Vietnam through Penn’s global initiatives.  Nationally, Dr. Bellini has been an active member of the Alliance of Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) where she served as inaugural Chair of the Board as well as Treasurer and President of the Association for Program Directors in Internal Medicine. She chaired the inaugural AAIM Innovations Committee. Additionally, she has served on several key committees for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, using much of her research and administrative experience to influence national policy regarding graduate medical education. She also chaired the Committee on Faculty Identity for the AAMC and was a member of the Institute of Medicine's committee on Conflict of Interest, which has had a major impact on professional conduct within the academic community.  Dr. Bellini has won numerous awards including the Penn Pearls Teaching Award, the Maurice Attie and Donna McCurdy Teaching Awards, the Robert Dunning Dripps Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education, and the University-wide Lindback award for excellence in teaching. She has also received the lifetime achievement award from AAIM.  Her research focuses on medical education, including the health and well-being of residents and faculty, and the effects of fatigue and sleep deprivation on patient outcomes and the learning environment. She recently served as Co-PI for iCOMPARE, the largest randomized trial in GME that looked at patient safety, educational, and sleep and alertness of interns exposed to standard versus more flexible duty hours.

 

Meryl S. Cohen completed her cardiology fellowship at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She is currently professor of pediatrics at PSOM. Dr. Cohen was the medical director of the echocardiography laboratory at CHOP for 14 years. She was the program director for the cardiology fellowship for ten years before taking on the dean position. She is an Associate Chief of the Division of Cardiology. She has mentored over 100 medical students, residents and fellows. She is the recipient of the American Society of Echocardiography Excellence in Teaching in Pediatrics Award and the Joanne Decker Mentoring Award at CHOP and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from PSOM. She sits on the CHOP Committee for Academic Promotions and the Perelman School of Medicine Committee for Academic Promotions. She has also held multiple leadership positions at the American Society of Echocardiography, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography.

Finding Meaning: Strategies for Sustaining Our Energy Throughout Our Careers

April 18, 2023 (Tuesday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Oana Tomescu, MD PhD 

Associate Professor, Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics, PSOM

Program Director, Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Program, CHOP

Co-director, Penn IM Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Curriculum

Director, Trainee Well-being Interventions in the Department of Medicine

Core Faculty, Internal Medicine and Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program

BIO:

Dr. Tomescu’s career has meandered from the study and practice of clinical medicine to the exploration of cellular function during her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology, and further to the study of eastern medicine practices that complement her training.  She got a BA in Biochemistry from Wellesley College, then came to Penn for her MD/PhD. She remained at Penn for her Internal Medicine residency, where she joined the Primary Care track for its focus on biopsychosocial medicine. She did a fellowship in Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Medicine at CHOP, where her interest in holistic care and Mind-Body conditions further deepened. She joined the Penn faculty in 2009 and has since done additional training at Penn’s Program for Mindfulness, and at the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.  Her current clinical practice is based in the Division of General Internal Medicine, where she functions as a primary care physician for adults of all ages, and as a AYA specialist. The longitudinal relationships she has with her patients and their families is the most meaningful part of her job as a physician. She has remained in academic medicine because what also resonates deeply with her is mentoring the next generations of physicians to deliver care with more compassion and wisdom than all who served before them. She teaches not only the clinical/scientific aspects of internal medicine and adolescent medicine, but also the healing art of compassionate humanistic care. In her med ed roles, she serves as core faculty for both the IM and Med/Peds residency programs, and as Program Director of CHOP’s Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Fellowship.  Her scholarship and advocacy work focus on assessing and improving system-level drivers of burnout impacting healthcare today. In addition, in her role as co-director of the PennIM Longitudinal EQ curriculum, she facilitates workshops for trainees that highlight emotional intelligence and coping strategies that can be utilized for personal well-being, better patient care and as team leadership practices.  Outside of the hospital and office, she maintains a daily meditation and yoga practice, is a passionate writer, and spends as much time outdoors as possible. 

Keys to Success on the Academic Clinician Track

(click here to download the slides)

(Note: this session was designed for AC track faculty only, please)

May 10, 2023 (Wednesday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

James M. Callahan, MD

Division of Emergency Medicine

Medical Director, Global Pediatric Education, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Chair, COAP – ACC

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Meryl S. Cohen, MD, MSEd

Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Associate Chief, Division of Cardiology

Associate Dean for Faculty Development

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

BIOS:  

Dr. James Callahan is a pediatric emergency medicine physician who provides care to children and adolescents at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He received his medical degree from the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University and trained in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine at CHOP. He has held multiple educational leadership positions at CHOP. His academic interests include emergency medical services and prehospital care for children and mild traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents. He has served as Chair of the COAP Subcommittee for the Academic Clinician and Clinical Tracks (COAP – ACC) at PSOM since 2015.

Meryl S. Cohen completed her cardiology fellowship at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She is currently professor of pediatrics at PSOM. Dr. Cohen was the medical director of the echocardiography laboratory at CHOP for 14 years. She was the program director for the cardiology fellowship for ten years before taking on the dean position. She is an Associate Chief of the Division of Cardiology. She has mentored over 100 medical students, residents and fellows. She is the recipient of the American Society of Echocardiography Excellence in Teaching in Pediatrics Award and the Joanne Decker Mentoring Award at CHOP and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from PSOM. She sits on the CHOP Committee for Academic Promotions and the Perelman School of Medicine Committee for Academic Promotions. She has also held multiple leadership positions at the American Society of Echocardiography, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography.

An overview and discussion of the promotion process

(Note: this session was designed for CE and Tenure track faculty only, please)

May 19, 2023 (Friday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Meryl S. Cohen, MD, MSEd

Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Associate Chief, Division of Cardiology

Associate Dean for Faculty Development

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Roderic G. Eckenhoff, MD

Austin Lamont Professor of Anesthesia

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care

Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs

Perelman School of Medicine

University of Pennsylvania

Erica R. Thaler, MD

Professor and Vice Chair

Department of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery

Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs

Perelman School of Medicine

University of Pennsylvania

BIOS:  

Meryl S. Cohen completed her cardiology fellowship at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She is currently professor of pediatrics at PSOM. Dr. Cohen was the medical director of the echocardiography laboratory at CHOP for 14 years. She was the program director for the cardiology fellowship for ten years before taking on the dean position. She is an Associate Chief of the Division of Cardiology. She has mentored over 100 medical students, residents and fellows. She is the recipient of the American Society of Echocardiography Excellence in Teaching in Pediatrics Award and the Joanne Decker Mentoring Award at CHOP and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from PSOM. She sits on the CHOP Committee for Academic Promotions and the Perelman School of Medicine Committee for Academic Promotions. She has also held multiple leadership positions at the American Society of Echocardiography, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography.

Dr. Eckenhoff received his medical training at Northwestern and then was a US Navy submarine medical officer for 5 years prior to joining Penn’s department of Anesthesiology in 1984. Rising through the ranks, he became an endowed professor and the department’s vice chair for research, a position he held for 20 years. Dr. Eckenhoff’s research is on the molecular pharmacology of anesthetics, and on the cognitive consequences of undergoing anesthesia and surgery. He has over 300 publications and has been continuously NIH funded for over 30 years.  He joined PSOM COAP over a decade ago, and was recently appointed as co-chair, focusing largely on tenure track faculty. 

 

Dr. Thaler has been a standing faculty member in the Department since 1995 and currently serves as Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion and Director of the Division of General Otorhinolaryngology. Among numerous other leadership roles, she also serves as Director of Otorhinolaryngology Outpatient Surgical Practices, Director of the Department’s Committee on Appointments and Promotions, and co-chair of the Professionalism Committee.  Dr. Thaler’s research and clinical expertise focuses on the complex management of patients with chronic sinusitis and patients with CPAP intolerant Obstructive Sleep Apnea. She has also done pioneering research in the medical applications of electronic nose technology. In addition, she specializes in patients with thyroid and parotid masses requiring surgery, and other head and neck disorders, including diverticula of the esophagus. She has published over 100 peer reviewed papers and book chapters on these topics. Dr. Thaler is Associate Editor of Comprehensive Otolaryngology for Laryngoscope, has been a member of the editorial board of the American Journal of Rhinology, and is a reviewer for Lancet and other scholarly journals. She has served in leadership roles in several national Otorhinolaryngology societies, including the American Academy of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, the American Rhinologic Association, and the Society of University Otolaryngologists. Dr. Thaler is a Board examiner for the American Board of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and is a recipient of numerous professional awards and honors.

Navigating Personal Health Amidst a Professional Career

May 31, 2023 (Wednesday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Suzanne Rose, MD, MSEd

Senior Vice Dean for Medical Education
Professor of Medicine
​​​​​​​Perelman School of Medicine

 

DaCarla M. Albright, MD

Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Wellness, Perelman School of Medicine
Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology
Perelman School of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

 

Susan M Domchek, MD, FASCO

Basser Professor in Oncology
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology
Executive Director, Basser Center for BRCA

BIOS:  

 

Suzanne Rose, MD, MSEd, is the Senior Vice Dean for Medical Education at the Perelman School of Medicine. Prior to her arrival in 2018, she was Senior Associate Dean for Education at the University of Connecticut, where she led development of an innovative medical school curriculum (MDelta) and helped secure one of the AMA grants to accelerate change in medical education.  She served for 13 years at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in various leadership capacities and previously held positions at Cornell University Medical College (1996‐1997) and the University of Pittsburgh (1990-1996). Dr. Rose completed a two‐year term as co‐chair of the Northeast Group on Educational Affairs (NEGEA) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and served as the chair of the AAMC group on educational affairs (GEA).  She received the inaugural NEGEA Distinguished Service and Leadership Award in 2015.  Dr. Rose was selected as faculty for a leadership in academic medicine program of the AAMC.  Dr. Rose's clinical interests are in pelvic floor dysfunction and GI disorders in women. She has served many leadership roles in GI organizations. She has been an active participant in the AGA and was elected by her peers to serve on the AGA Governing Board as Education Councillor. She convened all six GI societies to create end of training entrustable professional activities for GI fellowship training, which were published in multiple journals. She was one of the directors of the AGA Future Leaders Program, served as chair of the Education and Training Committee, as a member of the Future Trends Committee, and was involved in many other activities. Dr. Rose co-created the first subspecialty Academy for educators in this country and served as the Course Director for the Postgraduate Course in 2017.  She was awarded the AGA Distinguished Educator Award in 2016. Dr. Rose received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Russian language and literature, followed by a master's degree in education from Penn. She graduated from Case Western University School of Medicine as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and completed her internship and residency there. Her GI fellowship, including the chief fellow year, was done at The Cleveland Clinic, OH.

Dr. DaCarla M. Albright is a Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Clinically, Dr. Albright has been in practice for over 20 years as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist, emphasizing wellness and prevention in women’s health care.  Her academic interests are strongly focused on medical education and physician wellness.  After completing a dual degree in Biology and French, and a master’s degree in French at Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. Albright received her medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School.  She then completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. In her early career, she practiced at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York, transitioning to private practice at Lenox Hill Hospital until her relocation to Philadelphia. Dr. Albright is a member of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics.  She is a former Associate Ob/Gyn Clerkship Director and Assistant Dean for Wellness.  Dr. Albright has been honored with a Perelman School of Medicine Penn Pearls Teaching Award, a Gold Humanism Honor Society Faculty Induction, and an Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society faculty induction.  In 2021, Dr. Albright was inducted as a Fellow in the College of Physicians in Philadelphia.  In her current role as the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Wellness, Dr. Albright has broadened her impact on undergraduate medical education, overseeing medical student careers from orientation through graduation, allowing her to combine her interests in medical education and student wellbeing.

Susan M. Domchek, MD is the Basser Professor in Oncology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. She serves as Executive Director of the Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center and Director of the Mariann and Robert MacDonald Cancer Risk Evaluation Center. Her work focuses on the genetic evaluation and medical management of individuals with inherited risk factors for cancer. Dr. Domchek is particularly interested in developing new cancer therapies, such as PARP inhibitors for breast cancer patients due to genetic risk factors. An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, American Association of Physicians, and American Society of Clinical Investigation, Dr. Domchek is also a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology for which she had served on a number of committees. A significant contributor to the oncology literature, she has authored/co-authored more than 400 articles appearing in scholarly journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Domchek also serves on a number of editorial review boards, as well as on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Caring for Gender-Diverse Patients: Systemic Challenges and Solutions

In this session, we will first present current health and health care disparities faced by gender-diverse individuals.  We will then transition to discussing some of the systemic barriers the help to perpetuate the disparities, both within our own system and in the American health care system writ large.  Finally, we will close by presenting solutions that have been implemented at Penn, challenges to implementing those solutions, and planned future directions.

June 8, 2023 (Thursday), 12:00 - 1:00 PM, Location: Virtual Zoom Session

Judd D. Flesch, MD

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care

Vice Chief for Inpatient Operations, PPMC Department of Medicine

Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program Perelman School of Medicine
Co-Director, Program for LGBTQ Health Perelman School of Medicine

BIO:

Judd Flesch is an associate professor of clinical medicine in the department of medicine’s division of pulmonary, allergy, and critical care. He graduated from the Perelman School of Medicine in 2006 and subsequently completed his internal medicine residency, chief residency, and pulmonary/critical care fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. During his fellowship, he also served as the Mayock Chief Fellow. He joined Penn’s faculty in January 2014.  Throughout his training, he had a personal interest in health care for LGBTQ+ populations, and he joined the Penn Medicine Program for LGBTQ Health upon its founding.  He has served as the co-director of the program since 2015.  Dr. Flesch is also an Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency, where he oversees rotations at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, as well as mentorship across the program.  His clinical interests include advanced consultative pulmonology with a focus on sarcoidosis, as well as critical care medicine.

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FOCUS

A Penn program with a mission to improve the recruitment, retention & advancement of women faculty + promote education & research in women’s health & leadership

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