Volume 3, No. 2 Summer 2012
DDI Alumni Connection Digestive Disease Institute
CME Calendar Medical professionals are invited to attend the following continuing education programs:
Dr. Birgisson to lead swallowing, esophageal disorders center Sigurbjorn Birgisson, MD, MA, is the new Director of the Center for Swallowing and Esophageal Disorders at Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease Institute. Dr. Birgisson, who completed a fellowship in swallowing and motility disorders at Cleveland Clinic in 1995-’96, returns to Cleveland after serving as Director of the Endoscopy unit at The National University Hospital of Iceland (NUHI) and Associate Professor at University of Iceland School of Medicine. At NUHI, he established and directed a gastroenterology physiology laboratory with pH/motility, esophageal testing, breath testing and video capsule endscopy.
Intensive Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Aug. 15–18 San Diego, Calif. www.ccfcme.org/GIreview12 4th Annual Advances in SinglePort and Needlescopic Surgery: A Practical Approach to Laparoscopic and Robotic Applications Aug. 24–25 Cleveland Clinic – Glickman Auditorium Cleveland, Ohio www.ccfcme.org/sps12 48th Annual Gastroenterology Update Nov. 8–9 InterContinental Hotel and Bank of America Conference Center Cleveland, Ohio www.ccfcme.org/gastro12 For more information about the above events, call the Cleveland Clinic Department of Continuing Education at 216.444.5696 or 800.762.8173, or visit ccfcme.org for a full calendar and opportunity to register for CMEs. Cleveland Clinic alumni are eligible for discounts on Cleveland Clinic-
sponsored CME.
He earned his doctorate at the University of Iceland School of Medicine in Reykjavk. After finishing a one-year internship there, he did an Sigurbjorn Birgisson, MD, MA, Internal Medicine residency and Gastroenterology fellowship at MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, and acquired American Board certification in both specialties. His Cleveland Clinic fellowship was under the mentorship of Dr. Joel E. Richter, former Chief of Gastroenterology. “The Cleveland Clinic Center for Swallowing and Esophageal Disorders has long been known nationally for its excellence in diagnosing and treating patients with complex esophageal disorders as well as conducting clinical research and innovation related to diagnosis and treatment in esophagology,” Dr. Birgisson said. “I was fortunate to be trained here 17 years ago with the nation’s best experts in the field of esophageal diseases and motility, and experience and participate in research. My goal is to maintain the legacy that this is the place to come to if you are a patient who can’t swallow, or have difficult-to-manage Gerd symptoms or complications related to Gerd.” After training in Cleveland, he returned to Iceland and worked part time as a staff gastroenterologist at NUHI along with at a private practice in gastroenterology. In Continued on page 7
INSIDE: What’s New at DDI 2 | Clinical Trials 3 | Campus Clips 6 | Alumni Spotlight 7
What’s New at DDI? ASCRS meeting features many Cleveland Clinic staff A record number of Cleveland Clinic staff as well as many residents and fellows from both Ohio and Florida presented at the 114th annual meeting of the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons in June in San Antonio, Texas. Steven D. Wexner, MD, is the new president of ASCRS; Dana Sands, MD, was the program chair; and David Maron, MD, served as co-chair. Dr. Maron is a Staff Surgeon and Associate Program Director, Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency at Cleveland Clinic Florida, and Dr. Sands is a Staff Surgeon and Director, Colorectal Physiology Center. Both are alumni of the Florida colorectal surgery residency program. Cleveland Clinic alum honored during China visit DDI representatives recently concluded a successful trip to Shanghai and Beijing. It included the formal presentation of a Cleveland Clinic diploma to Yue Li, MD, a newly minted alumna now working at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Dr. Li graduated top of class from Peking Union Medical College, a prominent medical school founded by the Rockfeller Foundation. Dr. Li completed a one-year Inflammatory Bowel Disease fellowship at Cleveland Clinic. The incidence of IBD is emerging in China, as well as other developing countries. Dr. Li has become one of few academic IBD specialists in China. Abdominal transplant program reaccredited The Fellowship Training Program in Abdominal Transplantation at Cleveland Clinic has been reaccredited by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons through June 2016. This program will train one fellow every year in multi-organ abdominal transplant, one fellow every year in liver transplant, and one fellow every other year in kidneypancreas transplant. The accomplishment was a collaborative effort by Program Director, Bijan Eghtesad, MD, Co-Program Director, Venkatesh Krishnamurthi, MD, and DDI Education Manager Beth Christoff. This will enhance the fellowship training of future transplant surgeons. Cleveland Clinic rises to top again FindTheBest.com’s 2012 Hospital Rankings ranked Cleveland Clinic the No. 2 best hospital in the country. The hospital ranking was determined by aggregating existing information from U.S.News & World Report, Thompson Reuters, CMS and a survey of specialty physicians across the country. The information was put into an algorithm, which determined the ranking. The ranking is not specialty specific.
New website allows alumni to better connect Earlier this year, Cleveland Clinic’s Alumni Office embarked upon a major initiative with the design of a new Online Community website that will enable alumni to stay connected and more. The website also provides opportunities to: Promote your practice – The alumni office gets more than 400 calls a year from patients seeking physician information. Update your practice information; link your website to your profile. Learn about events – You can register for CME courses and RSVP to invitations. When you RSVP, you can see who else is attending. Find Cleveland Clinic-trained physicians when hiring – You can download a position description and the alumni can send an email blast to members by medical specialty. Shop Cleveland Clinic – The alumni website offers a variety of Cleveland Clinic merchandise. You can take advantage of these new tools by registering to create your own personal profile. To do so, you will need your nine-digit Constituent ID number for a one-time log-on process. Email alumni@ccf.org for your number. For more information, visit or call Lois Sumegi, Director, at 216.444.6534; Bridget Peterlin, Communications Associate, at 216.444.4077; or Ellie Biehl, Administrative Support, at 216.445.6961.
www.clevelandclinic.org/alumniconnections
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Florida General Surgery program launches Cleveland Clinic Florida’s General Surgery Residency program, approved last year by the American Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), got started this summer and has received overwhelming response.
The program not only will lead to improving patient care, but also to developing other core residency programs, such as critical care and anesthesia.
There were nearly 1,000 applicants for 18 positions available this year in the five-year program. “With the strong work of Beth Duke and Diana Nino, program coordinators, and the invaluable work of Conrad Simpfendorfer, MD, and Mark Grove, MD – my associate program directors – we interviewed close to 250 candidates that applied from major schools of medicine in the United States,” said Raul Rosenthal, MD, Director of the General Surgery Residency Program and Fellowship in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery. He is also Chairman of the Department of General Surgery and Director of The Bariatric and Metabolic Institute. An additional three residents will begin next year to bring the program complement to its accredited total of 21 trainees. “Cleveland Clinic’s unique model of medicine, which integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education, is the perfect training ground for physicians pursuing their specialty,” said Chief Executive Officer Bernie Fernandez, MD. The first ACGME-accredited program at Cleveland Clinic Florida – in fact, the first in any specialty in Broward or Palm Beach counties – was colorectal surgery. Following the accreditation of the colorectal program in 1989, programs in internal medicine and in neurology were accredited in 1995 and in 1997, respectively. The General Surgery Residency Program joins Cleveland Clinic Florida’s core residency program in internal medicine. In the last three years, the medical board passing rate for internal medicine residents has been 97 percent. Cleveland Clinic Florida has GME-accredited residency programs in eight other medical specialties as well and has 85 residents and fellows who participate in these programs annually.
Raul Rosenthal, MD
Mark Sesto, MD
Bernie Fernandez, MD
“At times when our leadership is planning to significantly expand our Florida mission, a general surgery residency program will be a key component of a tertiary care center,” Dr. Rosenthal said. Cleveland Clinic Florida has two of the largest fellowship programs in the country in complex gastrointestinal surgery. Its Colorectal Surgery Department is regarded as among the best in the world, he said, and the Digestive Disease Institute has been rated by General Surgery News among the top 20 in the world for the last two years. Alumni of the colorectal residency program now hold leadership positions in prestigious academic institutions throughout the country, notes Dr. Wexner, also Chairman of the Department of Colorectal Surgery and founding residency program director of the colorectal residency program. “The establishment of a GSR program will play a major role in providing current training programs with excellent candidates,” Dr. Rosenthal said.
“General Surgery and Internal Medicine residencies are core educational programs for a center the caliber of Cleveland Clinic Florida,” Dr. Rosenthal said. “Together, Mark Sesto, MD, former Chief of Surgery, and Steven Wexner, MD, current Chief Academic Officer and President of the American College of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, have laid the ground for this program to happen. Both have been formidable surgeons for over 20 years delivering world-class care to patients that required general surgery performed at Cleveland Clinic Florida.”
www.clevelandclinic.org/alumniconnections
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Incoming DDI Fellows & Residents July 2012 Advanced Endoscopy
Julie Ann Marie Van Koughnett, MD
Djurabek Babadjanov, MD
Amit Bhatt, MD Venkata Muddana, MD
Rahul Narang, MD
Nicholas Bruns, MD
Hayder Al-Azzawi, MD
Julietta Chang, MD
Advanced Colorectal Surgery Sudhir Kalaskar, MD
Matthew Davis, MD
Clinical Nutrition Ahmed Deabes, MD Adam Maghrabi, MD
Colorectal Surgery Craig Messick, MD, ACGME
University of Western Ontario
Beth Israel Medical Center, NY Indiana University
Cleveland Clinic Florida Research Dept.
General Surgery Residency Program University Hospitals
Emanuela Silva, MD
Joseph Trunzo, MD, ACGME
Noam Shussman, MD
Timothy Ridolfi, MD, ACGME
Gastroenterology
General Surgery Residency Program University Hospitals General Surgery Residency Program Medical College of Wisconsin
Vikram Attaluri, MD, ACGME General Surgery Residency Program Cleveland Clinic
Matthias Turina, MD
Stadtspital Triemli, Zurich Colorectal Surgery research fellow, Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic Florida Research Dept. Hadassah Hebrew University, Israel
Bradley Confer, MD Jordan Holmes, MD Whitney Jackson, MD Mangesh Pagadala, MD Cleveland Clinic Florida Mariann Padron, MD
Tashkent Medicine Inst
Rush Medical College of Rush University Washington University School of Medicine Technion Israel Institute of Technology
Ahmed Elsabbagh, MD University Of Mansura
David Estrada Trejo, MD Universidad de El Salvador
Kathryn Fong, MD
State Unv of New York at Buffalo School of Medcine
Colin Gause, MD
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Ramona Ilie, MD
Universitatea de Medicina Si Farmacie Carol Davila
Georgios Karagkounis, MD University of Athens
Cleveland Clinic Florida Adam Bauermeister, MD Oliver Chang, MD Rama Ganga, MD John Gross, MD Noorul Khan, MD Hasan Kirat, MD Jihui Li, MD Narayanan Nair, MD Steven Perrins, MD Meenakshi Rajan, MD Mayank Roy, MD Fernando Safdie, MD
Minimally Invasive Surgery Cleveland Clinic Florida Adam Beall, MD Catherine Ho, DO Julie Kilgore, MD Charles Thompson III, MD
Preliminary Surgery
Hari Keshava, MD
Midwestern Regional Hospital, Ireland
Kevin El-Hayek, MD
Eleanor Faul, MD
Hepatology
Nishankkumar Nooli, MD
Ismail Mallick, MD
Sulieman Abdal Raheem, MD Mina Shaker, MD
June Peng, MD
Cleveland Clinic Florida Hira Ahmad, MD Melissa Gianos, MD Mohammed Ilyas, MD Cesar Reategui, MD Armando Rosales-Velderrrain, MD Abraham Testa, MD
Louis Ross, MD
Transplantation
Fraser Smith, MD
St. Vincent University Hospital, Ireland Pinderfields Hospital, UK Colorectal Surgery research fellow, Cleveland Clinic
Hepatobiliary Surgery
General Surgery
Cleveland Clinic Florida Lisa Haubert, MD
Anas Abdel Azim, MD
Melissa Alvarez-Downing, MD
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Ohio State University
Saint Barnabas Medical Center, NJ
University of Cairo
Abdullah Alfawaz, MD Tamer Attia, MD University of Cairo
Case Western Reserve U School of Medicine
Inas Mohamed, MD Ain Shams University
Osmania Medical College
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Case Western Reserve U School of Medicine
Antonios Sideris, MD University of Athens
Osama Essa, MD
Mustafa Nazzal, MD – MultiOrgan Abdominal Norio Kawamura, MD – Liver Hannah Kerr, MD – Kidney/Pancreas
Group Hospitals Chicago
Outgoing DDI Fellows & Residents Advanced Endoscopy
Cindy Kin, MD
Keely Parisian, MD
Cleveland Clinic Florida Marylise Boutros, MD
Achuthan Sourianarayanane, MD
Clinical Associate, Cleveland Clinic
Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital McGill University
Cleveland Clinic Florida Einar Lurix, MD
Suliiman Abdal Raheem, MD
Dan Enger-Ruiz, MD
General Surgery
Mihir Bakhru, MD
Clinical Nutrition Omer Deen, MD
Hepatology Fellowship Program, Cleveland Clinic
Colorectal Surgery Satish Warrier, MD
Australia – CSSANZ Fellowship
Sami El-Muhtaseb, MD Scottland – Staff Position
Wisam Khoury, MD Israel – Staff Position
Avi Reshef, MD
Israel – Staff Position
Stanford, CA
McDough District Hospital, Macomb, Ill.
E. Dawn Wietfeldt, MD
Springfield Clinic, Springfield, Ill.
Rafal Barczak, MD
Sam Bae, MD
Hartford Specialists Midstate Medical Center Meriden, Conn.
Marc Osborne, MD Yosef Nasseri, MD
Angel Farinas, MD
Cedars Sinai Hospital, West Hollywood, Calif.
John Cullen, MD
Jean Ashburn, MD
Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Program Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Armen Aboulian, MD
Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, Calif.
Amit Bhatt, MD
Rohit Makkar, MD
St. Michael’s Hospital University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Assistant Professor of Surgery University of Southern California
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Staff, Walton Regional Medical Center, Monroe, Ga.
Roberto Ramirez, MD Staff, Acute Care Surgery Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
Kevin Shah
Fellow, HPB, Duke University, Durham, NC
Amit Sharma, MD
Fellow, Colorectal Surgery, UMDNJ, Newark, NJ
www.clevelandclinic.org/alumniconnection
Jessica Titus, MD
Au Bui, MD
Louisa Chiu, MD
Fellow, Surgical Oncology City of Hope, Los Angeles, Calif.
Fellow, Cardiothoracic Surgery University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
Hepatobiliary Surgery
Fellow, Bariatrics, University of Southern California
University of Minnesota, Edina, Minn.
Nicole Sydow, MD
Fellow, Vascular Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
Vikram Attaluri, MD
Fellow, Colorectal Surgery Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
Gastroenterology
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Albany Gastroenterology Consultants, Albany, NY
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Cleveland Clinic Florida Karan Bath, MD Abraham Fridman, MD Johnathan Slone, MD Andre Texeira, MD
Preliminary Surgery Prameela Konda, MD Hasan Kirat, MD Munique Maia, MD Jeffrey Stromberg, MD Antonio Romo De Vivar Chavez, MD
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Providing help beyond healing Farid Naffah, MD, knows how to have a good time. At least, the nearly 500 guests that came to his home near Warren, Ohio, last year likely would say so – and they paid to get in. He started holding such gargantuan get-togethers about five years ago. “Arts and entertainment are my passion in life,” said Dr. Naffah, a former staff gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. “I’ve always been passionate about art and beautiful things, in general.”
Farid Naffah, MD
The Beirut, Lebanon, native – now practicing at Avamar Center for Endoscopy, which he founded in 1999 – took it upon himself to design and build an outdoor entertainment center in his backyard, including a 320-seat dine-in theater. “After it was built, the first thing I wanted to do was to throw a party and invite as many people as possible, and try to raise money for my community,” Dr. Naffah said. “I decided the best cause I could support was helping the needy elderly pay for prescription medication. Our community has seen a lot of hardship economically, and we have a number of people who have worked all their lives and are retired now, and have a very limited income.” This will be his fifth year hosting a benefit bash – now held two days each August – complete with an art exhibit; a full-course, catered dinner by a local chef; and big-time entertainment to top off the night.
Last year, Mark Ballas of TV’s “Dancing With the Stars” was the main act. This year, it will be renowned guitarist Phil Keaggy. “There’s always someone who knows someone who knows someone,” Dr. Naffah said, explaining how his connections help provide performers.
The fundraiser has brought in an estimated $80,000 for the cause, and the party continues to grow. He noted that Cleveland Clinic and many of its physicians donate to the event or attend it. “We’re proud to tell our community that we have the support of the Cleveland Clinic,” he said. Dr. Naffah, 56, spent four years at Cleveland Clinic, from 1988 to 1992. “I had a wonderful time while I was there and, to this day, 20 years later, I’m still good friends with just about everyone in gastroenterology, general, thoracic and colorectal surgery,” he said. “Not only is it a high-caliber, world-class medical institution, but I think it distinguishes itself by the good working relationship that doctors have. “The spirit at the Cleveland Clinic is a spirit of cooperation, as opposed to a spirit of competition. There is a lot of emphasis on working together and making things work, to improve the quality of care for the patient.” He added that he refers many of his patients there for specialized care. At his current practice, he is putting into use a master’s degree in computer science that he earned during his gastroenterology fellowship. He applies those skills to various medical applications, from artificial intelligence to database design and development, particularly in the area of endoscopy.
We love highlighting DDI Alumni. If you’re interested in being an Alumni Spotlight or recommending someone, email us at ddialumni@ccf.org.
Besides English, Dr. Naffah speaks fluent French, Arabic and Spanish. He enjoys music and plays the piano. For more information on the Fifth Annual Evening Under the Stars, visit www.avamarfoundation.com.
www.clevelandclinic.org/alumniconnection
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Campus Clips Appointments John Migaly, MD, in April was appointed Program Director of General Surgery Residency at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. He previously served as Associate Program Director, 2010-2012. Dr. Migaly trained under Steven D. Wexner, MD, during his Colorectal Surgery fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Florida in 2005. Prior to that, he completed a General Surgery John Migaly, MD Residency at Temple University Health Sciences Center, Philadelphia, Pa., and got his doctorate from New York University School of Medicine. His clinical interests are surgical treatment of colon and rectal cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis and benign anorectal diseases; laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery; sphincter-saving procedures; and ileal-pouch procedures. Steven D. Wexner, MD, Chairman of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida has been named Visiting Professor of the School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia. Dr. Wexner, also the ASCRS president, is Chief Academic Officer at Cleveland Clinic Florida and served as Chief of Staff from 1997 to 2007. He has been Chairman of the Department of Steven D. Wexner, MD Colorectal Surgery since 1993. James Collins, RN, CNOR, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, was appointed The Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates representative to the ASGE Quality Assurance in Endoscopy Committee. The SGNA is a professional organization of nurses and associates dedicated to the safe and effective practice of gastroenterology and endoscopy nursing. Awards Cristiano Quintini, MD, received a $25,000 grant for research on normothermic ex-vivo perfusion of the liver in collaboration with University Hospitals’ transplant program. Dr. Quintini is a staff member in Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Surgery and the Liver and Intestinal Transplant Center, and is the
New Staff Sigurbjorn Birgisson, MD, joined the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department in March, appointed as Director of the Center for Swallowing and Esophageal Disorders. Dr. Birgisson graduated from Univer- Sigurbjorn Birgisson, MD sity of Iceland School of Medicine. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology/ Hepatology, both at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. He followed that with a Gastroenterology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, where he also was an Advanced Gastroenterology clinical scholar.
Abdullah Shatnawei, MD, joined the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department this summer. He earned his doctorate at Jordan University of Science and Technol- Abdullah Shatnawei, MD, ogy, Irbid, Jordan, completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Fairview General Hospital, Cleveland, and a fellowship in Clinical Nutrition at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland.
Jeffrey S. Ustin, MD, joined the General Surgery Department Jessica Philpott, MD, in January, coming PhD, joined the Gastrofrom MetroHealth enterology and Hepatolin Cleveland. He ogy Department in April. specializes in acute She received her doctorcare surgery. He is a ate from The Ohio State graduate of Stanford Jeffrey S. Ustin, MD University’s College of University School Medicine and Public of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.; completed his Health, Columbus. Her Jessica Philpott, MD, PhD internship and residency with University Hosresidency was with The pitals of Cleveland, and a residency at Emory Ohio State University Hospitals Internal Medicine. University, Atlanta, Ga.; and fellowships at UniShe completed Gastroenterology fellowships at versity Hospitals of Cleveland and MassachuUniversity of Texas Medical Branch Hospitals in setts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. Galveston, Texas, and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City.
Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplant Program within the Department of General Surgery.
American College of Surgeons Ohio Chapter meeting for his submission and presentation of the paper on 20 years follow-up on pouch patients.
Uday Navaneethan, MD, received his second grant for “Role of bile acids in the pathogenesis of colon neoplasia in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis,” funded by the American College of Gastroenterology, for the second year of his fellowship.
Yosef Nasseri, MD, a resident in the Department of Colorectal Surgery, was recognized for an excellent research presentation at the 5th Annual Edward M. Copeland III Resident Paper Competition, sponsored by The Florida Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. The competition was held in Sarasota, Fla., in May. Dr. Nasseri won the third-place award in the Basic Science category for his podium presentation Abnormalities in Collagen Composition May Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Hemorrhoids: Morphometric Analysis of Tensile versus Elastic Collagen Qualities in Hemorroidal Tissue versus Normal Controls.
Armen Aboulian, MD, Department of Colorectal Surgery fellow, received the first-place award at the Uday Navaneethan, MD
Cristiano Quintini, MD
www.clevelandclinic.org/alumniconnection
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Sample of Actively Enrolling Clinical Trials
DDI Job Board Gastroenterologist – Seeking board-certified candidates with a strong interest in nutrition. Our growing practice offers strong collaborative research opportunities as well as the opportunity to practice within an experienced and collegial academic Gastroenterology team. A faculty appointment at a rank commensurate with experience is available at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Cleveland Clinic Digestive Disease Institute is the first of its kind to unite all specialists within one unique, fully integrated model of care. General Surgeon, Medina Hospital – Seeking candidates who have completed an Accredited General Surgery Residency Program and have credentials in laparoscopic surgery. Applicants should enjoy a dynamic practice and be interested in teaching and mentoring as part of our residency program, the third-largest in the United States. The primary focus of this position in clinical, however research opportunities are available.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Inflammatory Bowel Disease DNA Bank Jean-Paul Achkar, MD A Multi-Center, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study to Confirm the Reversal of Hepatorenal Syndrome Type I with Lucassin® (Terlipressin) (REVERSE TRIAL) David Barnes, MD Timing of Rectal Cancer Response to Chemo David Dietz, MD Enhancing DCD Utilization with Thrombolytic Therapy Bijan Eghtesad, MD
General Surgeon, Hillcrest Hospital – Seeking candidates who have completed an Accredited General Surgery Residency Program and have credentials in laparoscopic surgery. Applicants should enjoy a dynamic practice, and be interested in teaching and mentoring as part of our residency program, the third-largest in the United States. The primary focus of this position in clinical, however research opportunities are available.
A Phase II Open-label Study of the Clinical Effectiveness of a Human Monoclonal Antibody Against Hepatitis C Virus E2 Glycoprotein (MBLHCV1) Combined With an HCV Protease Inhibitor in Hepatitis C Infected Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation Bijan Eghtesad, MD
Please apply online at www.clevelandclinic.org/careersand attach a copy of your CV.We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Smoke/drug-free environment.
Post-Market clinical evaluation of the Spiracur SNAP™ Wound Care System for treatment of acute trauma and acute surgical excision wounds Michele Loor, MD
Birgisson Continued from page 1
1999, he became a full-time gastroenterologist at NUHI. While there, he attained an interest in advanced endoscopy, and gained additional experience and training in EUS and ERCP at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, in 2000. In 2011, he obtained a Master of Bioethics and Ethics of Medicine, from the School of Humanities, Faculty of History and Philosophy, at the University of Iceland. “Dr. Birigisson is a skilled clinical researcher,” said John Vargo, MD, MPH, Chair of the Digestive Disease Institute’s Gastroenterology Department. “He has undergone special training in esophageal disorders, including motility abnormalities. Dr. Birgisson is also very interested in building the program’s research efforts as well as continuing to provide worldclass care.” Dealing with patients with complex esophageal diseases requires multidisciplinary teamwork, Dr. Birgisson said. “Cleveland Clinic has an outstanding resource of highly qualified and experienced physicians and ancillary staff to give patients with esophageal problems the highest quality of care,” he said.
www.clevelandclinic.org/alumniconnections
Does the STOP BANG questionnaire predict the need for airway support and sedation-related complications in patients undergoing routine upper endoscopy and colonoscopy with monitored anesthesia care? A cohort study Paresh Mehta, MD An Observational Prospective REGISTRY to Identify Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Patients Hospitalized with Euvolemic and Hypervolemic Hyponatremia and Assess the Comparative Effectiveness of Available Treatments and the Impact on Resource Utilization Robert O’Shea, MD A Phase 3b, Multicenter, Randomized, Singleblind, Parallel Group Trial of the Effects of Titrated Oral SAMSCA (Tolvaptan) 15, 30, or 60 mg QD Compared to Placebo Plus Fluid Restriction on Length of Hospital Stay and Symptoms in Subjects Hospitalized with Dilutional Hyponatremia. Symptoms And Length of stay After sodium Correction in Inpatient Adults: Tolvaptan versus Fluid Restriction (SALACIA) Robert O’Shea, MD
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DDI Alumni Connection Volume 3, No. 2 | Summer 2012
A publication of the Cleveland Clinic Digestive Disease Institute. Produced for medical alumni and friends by the Department of Marketing Communications, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195 Address Service Requested
John Fung, MD, PhD ............................................................................... Chairman William Carey, MD; James Merlino, MD; Pam Pawelecki; Scott Strong, MD; David Vogt, MD ................................................ Editorial Board Betsy Scott ................................................................................................. Editor Cleveland Clinic is an independent, not-for-profit, multispecialty academic medical center. It is dedicated to providing quality specialized care and includes an outpatient clinic, a hospital with more than 1,000 staffed beds, an education division and a research institute.
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