2019 Doctors' Day
In recognition of Doctors' Day, the Emory School of Medicine Recognitions Committee sent out a call for nominations for doctors across the School of Medicine who go above and beyond. Over 150 Emory faculty members were nominated by their peers and colleagues for their dedication to improving the health and well-being of our patients and community through the care they provide, the research they conduct, and their efforts to teach and inspire learners.
The committee reviewed each nomination and selected those who exemplify the outstanding faculty of the Emory School of Medicine. The quotes below were taken from the nomination materials.
Please join us in congratulating these faculty members!
Featured Faculty
Ankit Agrawal
Department of Medicine|Emory University Hospital
"Very thoughtful and medically smart, Agrawal follows up on the patients on his hospital service and refers the patients to relevant specialists. As a result, his patients receive more holistically oriented care."
"Agrawal is a hospitalist par excellence - he is the hospitalist that any of us would want for ourselves and our families."Evan Anderson
Department of Pediatrics|Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
"Excellent follow up of patients"
"Exceptional patient care"
"Challenges individuals to excel"
Martha Arellano
Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology|Emory University Hospital
"She has a busy clinical load"
"Incredible compassion and dedication to a sick group of patients"
"Many administrative roles"
Wendy Baer
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|Winship Cancer Institute
"Wendy's passion for wellness education was such a welcome addition for our veterans."
"Actively involved in recruitment of new residents"
"She is always coming up with new ideas and approaches to improve care."
Soroosh Behshad
Department of Ophthalmology|The Emory Clinic
"Goes the extra mile to help patients receive the care they need"
"Excellent bedside manner"
"Does impactful, life-changing humanitarian work in Syria"
Jonathan Beitler
Department of Radiation Oncology|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"Clinical expertise"
"Humanism"
Sivan Ben-Moshe
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
“Very caring and dedicated towards her patients"
"Very involved in care of her patients"
"Brilliant physician"Reena Blanco
Department of Pediatrics|Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
"Fearless female leader of the Egleston Emergency Department. True role model for aspiring young female physicians"
"Exceptional pediatric emergency medicine physician. I would trust her with my own kids!"
"Goes out of her way to support her peers any time of the day or night. Literally available 24/7"Patrick Bowen
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
“Very compassionate and understanding and he listens well to his patients and communicates with them clearly"
"Very thoughtful and willing to think outside the box when it comes to patient care"
"Highly competent and professional, Bowen is extremely knowledgeable, able to make difficult diagnoses, and on top of the relevant literature and empirical findings."
"Provides patient-centered care and engages with his patients as well as with other members of their treatment team in a respectful and collaborative manner"
Stephanie Brown-Johnson
Department of Medicine|Atlanta VA Medical Center
"Outstanding clinician"
"Fine teacher""Great team player"Elizabeth Burgess
Department of Medicine|Atlanta VA Medical Center
“Every patient, every year says she is the best. It is an honor to bask in the shadow of her clinical excellence."
"Carries highest patient load, easily and without complaint"
"Un-sung academically, but every colleague asks for her advice on every tough patient"
Jordan Cattie
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|The Emory Clinic
"Started new services at Emory to provide hard-to-find specialty care for individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder"
"Volunteers in the community assisting families to connect with care and facilitating free educational and peer support resources"
"Goes above and beyond with teaching and supervision to train the next generation in specialty care"
Jerard Cranman
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
"Concern for patient's well-being"
"Responsiveness to patient's inquiries outside the office (patient portal and email)"
"Knowledge of general medicine in primary care setting"
Blaine Cribbs
Department of Ophthalmology|Emory University Hospital
"Cribbs is the first one to go to clinic and the last one to leave, always staying late to make sure all his patients get the best care, even after all the staff are gone."
"Strong patient advocate - he is constantly making sure his patients are supported and that any issues from the clinic side are taken care of, in the best interest of his patients."
S. Scott Davis Jr.
Department of Surgery|Emory University Hospital
"A skilled clinical surgeon and an administrative leader all rolled into one person"
"Directs the Emory Endosurgery Fellowship, which is one of the most sought after minimally invasive surgery programs world-wide"
"Leads with integrity and fairness"
Reema Dbouk
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
“Excellent patient-centered clinical care"
"Courteous yet effective bedside manner"
Paul DeSandre
Department of Emergency Medicine|Grady Memorial Hospital
“Helped in supporting and advocating to host Schwartz Center Rounds here at Grady"
"Maintains incredible empathy, professionalism, and grace towards his patients and families"
"Openness and desire to strengthen his leadership skills and develop/ strengthen relationship with his team"Mary Dolan
Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics|Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital
"Dolan is warm, compassionate, and exemplifies shared-decision making in her approach."
"She is an excellent teacher of trainees and patients."
"Her practice is guided by the latest evidence-based research."Fuad El Rassi
Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology|Grady Memorial Hospital
"A person who genuinely cares for his patients"
"Respectful towards NPs and values their work/ideas"
"He listens to patients and is respectful to both patients and staff."
"Good communicator and easy to reach when needed"
David Elwood
Department of Surgery|Emory University Hospital
"Co-Director of Emory University Hospital Acute Care Surgery""Residents and students always remark positively on his clinical and surgical skills.""Gives those patients with few medical alternatives hope through his skills"Meg Fleming
Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences|Winship Cancer Institute
"Always puts the patient first"
"Extremely hardworking"
"Always wants to do the right thing"
Eleni Footman
Department of Medicine|Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital
"Is kind and attentive to geriatric patients."
"Follows up with patients and makes sure they are able to take care of their medical needs"
"Is a great listener and very warm and caring professional"
Charles "Rickey" Gillespie
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|The Emory Clinic
"Gillespie is a very dedicated and empathetic physician."
"He is a great role model for residents and fellows."
"He is willing to spend time with difficult patients, often sacrificing his own time."
David Goldsmith
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|Grady Memorial Hospital
"Goldsmith always goes the extra mile to provide exceptional patient care."
"He shows compassion in his work with patients and is always willing to consult and answer questions about patients' psychiatric needs."
"Goldsmith is making a difference in the lives of people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia, particularly early in their illness, to reduce symptoms and have them enjoy an improved quality of life."
Chanda Graves
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|The Emory Clinic
"Passionate about training medical professionals to competently and compassionately respond to people infected and affected by HIV"
"Graves's contributions are revered by her interdisciplinary colleagues."
"Inspires others to advocate for the needs of under-served populations through her clinical work, research and service"
Clifford Gunthel
Department of Medicine|Grady Memorial Hospital
"Being board certified in ID & Hem/Onc, Cliff has an incredibly unique skill set. He is one of the few doctors nationally who continues to see & treat large numbers of patients with AIDS associated malignancies in the US."
"Goes above and beyond in caring for his patients, making late phone calls, frequently visiting them in the hospital even when he has no inpatient duties, and getting to know their friends and families closely"
"He is a calm, patient listener and able to "read" the patient/situation so he can adjust his approach as needed for the patient."
Jamika Hallman-Cooper
Department of Neurology|Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
"Always goes above and beyond in the care she gives her patients. She is compassionate, caring and has fantastic bedside manner. She always educates the patients and families to the best of her ability and takes the time to address all concerns. She is someone that I look up to and trust her knowledge.""Willing to add more work to her schedule if it means taking care of the patients that mostly need her. She has added patients to her clinic schedule regardless of how behind or how late she would leave because she wanted to make sure the patients got the care they needed when they needed it. This shows her compassion and dedication to her patients."
"Wise and knowledgeable physician that shares her wisdom with patients, families, students and colleagues. She is always professional and a pleasure to work with as you know it will be an educational experience. Her wisdom is always appreciated and sought after."
Jeanne Hatcher
Department of Otolaryngology|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"Always pushing for patient advocacy and improved patient experience"
"Adored by patients!"
Jennifer Holton
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|The Emory Clinic
"Provides evidence-based, compassionate, high quality care to children, adolescents, young adults, and their families"
"Advocates for her patients and their families and for trainees"
"Directs the child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, which offers diverse clinical training"
Emily Jackson
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|Atlanta VA Medical Center
"Excellent clinician who is always dedicated to providing the best services to her patients"
"Consistent, compassionate, and fervent advocate for patients ensuring providers look to themselves when considering why patients are not recovering, instead of simply blaming the patient"
"A consummate team player - never saying “that’s not my job” - always helping manage and consulting on patient issues"Sol Jacobs
Department of Medicine|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"Superb bedside manner and deep concern for patient well-being!"
"Spends a great deal of time communicating with his patients by telephone or electronic messaging"
"Always goes up and beyond to make sure that patients are well cared for"Prem Kandiah
Department of Neurology|Emory University Hospital
"Does an exceptional job of being kind, patient, and nurturing to his fellows and colleagues"
"I have never seen him anything other than excited and enthusiastic in caring for patients and teaching."
"All of the above is despite his strong commitment to his family and recently caring for his mother in law who passed away while on home hospice."
Salathiel Kendrick
Department of Pediatrics|Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
"Always willing to teach"
"Steps in and covers colleagues when needed"
"Dedicated to the care of her patients. She treats them as if they were her own family."
Scott Kolesky
Department of Anesthesiology|Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
"Developed electronic, protected quality reporting for perioperative anesthesia-related issues"
"Developed and directs a monthly anesthesiology M&M conference for pediatric anesthesiology""Always willing to go the extra mile to ensure safe and compliant operating procedures for pediatric anesthesiology division"
Dorian Lamis
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|Grady Memorial Hospital
"Provides excellent patient care to individuals at Grady"
"Has set up a clinical program for individuals with bipolar disorder at Grady"
"An expert in suicide prevention, conducting research in this area, and serving on national boards to address this very important issue"
Simon Lee
Department of Anesthesiology|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"Excellent leadership"
"Patient centered care"
"Elevates his team"
Sam Lim
Department of Medicine|Grady Memorial Hospital
"Advocate for lupus patients, volunteering for local and national lupus organizations"
"Nationally renowned lupus researcher""Mentor to rheumatology fellows"
Kurt Martinuzzi
Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics|Emory University Hospital
"Goes above and beyond to help his patients"
"Is extremely knowledgeable about the latest standards of care and willing to discuss this information with his patients"
"Is kind and makes patients feel they are cared about on an individual level"
Christopher McAdams
Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences|Grady Memorial Hospital
"Incredible patient care"
"Strong dedication to resident and fellow edification"
"Has a wonderful patient rapport"
Abeer Moanna
Department of Medicine|Atlanta VA Medical Center
"As the Section Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Atlanta VA, Moanna works very hard and has to answer to many responsibilities."
"She is a caring and empathetic physician."
"She is committed to clinical excellence."Vanessa Moll
Department of Anesthesiology|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"Provides excellent patient care and is always looking for ways to improve our quality of care"
"Recognizing that family members are just as important to patient care, Moll invites family members to participate in rounds, encourages input/questions, and advocates that they participate in patient recovery by assisting with incentive spirometry, passive range of motion, and providing appropriate daily stimulation to assist patients with being mentally oriented to person, place, and time.""Exemplifies the spirit of interdisciplinary care through advocacy for interdisciplinary team rounds, team leadership meetings, and team collaboration on quality/process improvements and research/scholarship"
Jennifer Morgan
Department of Medicine|Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital
"Morgan exudes compassion and warmth.""She follows the latest evidence-based treatment and prevention guidance.""She responds within 24 hours to requests through phone or patient portal."Shivani Mukkamala
Department of Anesthesiology|Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
"Shivani is a passionate, dedicated physician who always places patient care at the forefront of her priorities."
"She is particularly talented at caring for neonates and infants, using her natural leadership abilities to guide a surgical team in the care of even the most complicated and fragile patients."
"She takes great care to invest in the next generation of physicians. She provides residents excellent guidance and opportunities to learn new skills, allowing them autonomy while still advocating for patient safety."
Mary "Mimi" Newell
Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences|Emory University Hospital
"Makes every patient feel like her only patient"
"Would pick her as my doctor"
"Extremely knowledgeable"
Chinonye Nnaji
Department of Medicine|Grady Memorial Hospital
"Gracefully conscientious of patient and family interactions, specifically in regard to delivering bad news"
"Humble and eager to learn from all specialties and interdisciplinary members"
"Nnaji advocates for our under-served and overlooked patients here at Grady. She has a way of meeting them where they are and respecting their space and walk of life."
Raul Nogueira
Department of Neurology|Grady Memorial Hospital
"Recent publication of Dawn trial extending the window of stroke treatment. Nogueira is a national study PI""Extremely humble and dedicated to patient care""Extremely committed to education and academic excellence of his trainees and colleagues"Dapo Odetoyinbo
Department of Medicine|Emory Johns Creek Hospital
"Great clinician who puts patient best first"
"Great hospital medicine leader"
"Guru in care transition"
Lynn O'Neill
Department of Medicine|Atlanta VA Medical Center
"O'Neill is one of the best communicators I have had the honor to witness."
"Her compassion for her patients is evident."
"She is a wonderful educator - always objective and supportive. O'Neill is a wonderful leader within the Palliative Care Center."Matt Paden
Department of Pediatrics|Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
"Matt is the pediatric critical care physician who every healthcare professional would want to take care of their children if critical care were needed.""Matt is one of the most compassionate and caring physicians with whom I have interacted and he maintains this while being objective about patient care.""If I had to choose one physician at Children's to care for my son, Matt would undeniably be that choice."W. Clyde Partin
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
"Although Partin has been honored on Doctor's Day before, he is one of those rare doctors who deserves to keep being honored because of his remarkable care of his patients and collaborative approach with them and other care providers."
"He truly partners with his patients in developing treatment plans and in advocating on their behalf for the implementation of these plans, even if they are not standard care."
"He knows his patients extremely well and pays close attention to the details of their situation, so they never feel rushed. He is on top of things and makes sure they are followed up on."
Ankit Patel
Department of Surgery|Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital
"Built access for quality general surgery in the Northern Arc""National leader of robotic General & GI surgeons here in our city""Master educator"Gaurav Patel
Department of Anesthesiology|Emory University Hospital
"Does a great job running the board. By far the best at making sure that not only patients are taken care of but also at making sure the anesthesia and nursing staff are as well"
"Great clinical acumen. Calm under pressure"
"Great at helping others. Always there to lend a hand with procedures or patient care. Always just a quick phone call away"
Ravi Patel
Department of Pediatrics|Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
"Local quality improvement projects for necrotizing enterocolitis"
"National Vermont Oxford quality projects on necrotizing enterocolitis and antibiotic stewardship"
"An integral and invested member of the medical team at EUHM"
Abigail Powers Lott
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|Grady Memorial Hospital
"Lott is ALWAYS available to her patients in a crisis no matter what day or time it is and it is SO inspiring and helpful to them."
"Excellent clinician who is conducting a study on mindfulness treatment in the Grady primary care population"
"Lott innovates and brings the most recent evidence based treatments to a population that doesn't typically get to have access to the cutting edge."
"Lott is the kindest and most compassionate individual."
Amit Prabhakar
Department of Anesthesiology|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"Goes above and beyond for his patients and their families""Prabhakar is extremely open to the views and opinions of other healthcare providers when discussing a plan of care for patients. He appreciates their input and accepts their recommendations."
"Promotes patient safety and centered care"
Jeff Rakofsky
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|The Emory Clinic
"Rakofsky is an excellent diagnostician. He knows what important questions to ask.""He is liked by patients and he easily forms therapeutic alliance with patients.""He is very efficient but he is also patient with patients."David Roberts
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
"Outstanding internist with superb bedside manner""Sees my wife also, and is smart enough to appreciate that the health of each of us affects the other""Outstanding teacher and mentor of medical students and residents"Giorgio Roccaro
Department of Medicine|Emory University Hospital
"Wonderful to work with as clinical staff""Patients adore him""Goes above and beyond"Sahebi Saiyed
Department of Medicine|Emory University Hospital at Wesley Woods
"Dedicated to her work""Leading innovative QI initiatives in post acute care"Angelica Silva
Department of Neurology|The Emory Clinic
"She provides great ideas on how to improve the clinic to function better.""She is always helpful to colleagues in navigating difficult cases.""She is an excellent teacher with medical students."Melissa Smith
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|Grady Memorial Hospital
"She always advocates for the patients. She always makes sure that the what’s right for the patient is the living factor in decisions.""She helps with the day to day resident work load so that they’re not overwhelmed, the patients are cared for, there is time to teach, and the documentation is correct.""She’s won the PGY 2 teaching award showing her dedication to teaching."Jessica Spencer
Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"She is an amazing leader of our reproductive clinic. She gives a lot of herself and time to mentor residents, fellows, and students, always making herself available for op-in patient consultations or personal mentorship or to help with research collaborations.""During her time as REI division director, she has led a renovation of our entire clinic area so it is patient inviting and friendly.""She is a model of patient care in clinic. She takes a very personalized approach to ensure that she understands her patients to best guide their treatment plans and counsel them appropriately for conception. There are so many patients who think of her like family (because of how she helped them build their family!)."
Shanthi Srinivasan
Department of Medicine|Atlanta VA Medical Center
"Serving at interim Division Director of Digestive Diseases with grace and energy""Always respectful and pleasant""Opened the new GI Lab at the Atlanta VA"Patrick Sullivan
Department of Surgery|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"Compassionate surgeon that goes the extra mile to do correct thing for patients""Always says yes to seeing patients no matter how busy or overbooked""Initiated enhanced recovery program for colorectal surgery"Yogita Tailor
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"She is very patient-oriented, and will always go above and beyond for the best patient care! She will take ownership on clinical scenarios that do not directly affect her practice, but will always navigate the patient optimally!""Her work ethic is superb! She will not leave a page unturned when it comes to patient care and collaboration with others.""She collaborates well with others, and is well-respected by multi-disciplinary staff."Lynn Marie Trotti
Department of Neurology|The Emory Clinic
"Accessible and available to her patients despite her incredibly busy schedule""Responsive to patients and thinks outside the box to help them sleep better""Works collaboratively with patients and their families as well as other care providers to develop plans that genuinely improve people’s sleep""Clinically smart and wise and uses the relevant literature to guide decision making while take into account patient preferences and needs"Srihari Veeraraghavan
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
"Expertise in Interstitial Lung Disease and providing excellence in patient care""As Director of The Emory Clinic, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, demonstrates administrative excellence by promoting the best collaborative culture for the best patient care""Wonderful teacher, role model, and leader for the residents and fellows"Alvaro Velasquez
Department of Medicine|Emory University Hospital Midtown
"One of the most compassionate and empathetic physicians that I have ever encountered, Velasquez genuinely cares about his patients and as a result his patients feel cared for by him.""He does a great job explaining why things are how they are medically. He strives hard to put together lots of medical pieces into a coherent picture and explain this to his patients and their families.""Velasquez is incredibly smart medically and inherently curious. He works hard to figure out what is going on with each patient. He is adept at putting together different pieces of medical information in a way that provides a useful explanation to his patients and their families."Pamela Vohra-Khullar
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
"Outstanding physician""Loved by her patients""Great colleague who runs our resident practice"Laura Waddle
Department of Medicine|Atlanta VA Medical Center
"Laura has a very humble and gracious spirit which is unparalleled. Palliative care is definitely her calling.""Makes her patients feel comfortable, and welcomed when they come for their appointments""Recognizes those who may need little more attention with patient care and goes that extra mile in making them feeling special""Laura is very meticulous in her patient care skills. Her patient care is exceptional."Aaron Weiss
Department of Urology|Emory Johns Creek Hospital
"Goes above and beyond""Great resident advocate""Tireless work ethic"Sally West
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
"Unflagging dedication to listening to and taking time with her patients""Goes above and beyond to respond to and be accessible to her patients""Wonderful teacher"Lucy Witt
Department of Medicine|Atlanta VA Medical Center
"Witt went above and beyond to think creatively about a challenging patient care and access issue when others had determined that there was no good solution. In the end, a solution which was in the best interest of the patient became available thanks in large part to Witt's advocacy.""Witt loves to teach and share her excellent patient care and advocacy skills with students and residents."Jennifer Wootten
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|Grady Memorial Hospital
"Outstanding clinician-- one of the best psychiatrists at Grady""Excellent teacher and role model""Forward thinking leader of the outpatient department""Astute clinician"Inci Yildirim
Department of Pediatrics|Children's Healthcare
of Atlanta
"Excellent patient care and communication with family ""Challenges individuals to excel""Exceptional teacher"Ali John Zarrabi
Department of Medicine|The Emory Clinic
"Consistently advocates for patients living with serious illness including starting a research study to investigate the effect of medical marijuana in the improvement of symptoms for patients living with serious illness""Provides high-quality, empathetic, patient-centered care for patients living with serious illness and their families""Is an enthusiastic teacher of the tenets of palliative care and communication skills to medical students, residents, and fellows"Liza Zwiebach
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences|The Emory Clinic
"She is a compassionate and caring co-worker, therapist and leader. Our setting would not be the same without her.""Liza embodies exactly how a clinic lead should act and respond to her supervisees.""She is a dedicated psychologist who helps her patients achieve their desired outcomes during therapy, and goes above and beyond for her patients and trainees.""Zwiebach trains and supervises across psychology and psychiatry trainees, ensuring the next generation of doctors provide evidence-based, effective care to their patients."
© 2016