Eric Williams a Dukie!

Hey Jeff,

How are things at the VA?

I've only been a fellow for 2 weeks now, but the stuff I've seen here is amazing. There's a ton of inpatient cardiology here, and the fellows are expected to run the show much more than was the case at UCSF. On the HF/transplant service, we've been following: 28 yo woman with myocarditis who presented with incessant VT despite amio, procainamide, balloon pump, almost went for a BiVAD but EP says "we'll ablate her!" Then last night a 19 yo kid comes in with an acute STEMI, and the cath attending comes in to shoot what he expected to be clean cors, but finds a totally occluded left main--stents him right down to his LAD, balloon pump in, then he goes into cardiogenic shock and is now intubated on ECMO. I think they want to put in an LVAD at some point.

You'd be happy to hear about the evidenced-based medicine that goes on here too. I presented the myocarditis case at fellows' report and the discussion was so high level--tons of literature cited right down to the molecular medicine stuff! Also, people are really aggressive about getting patients who come in for care into clinical trials. I just got a page about someone who was brought in for an MVR but apparently my attending is running a study on surgery vs. medical management for MR in dilated cardiomyopathy. So now she's on our service getting randomized...

Anyway, hope the first PRIME journal club of the new year went well. I may be back in San Francisco sometime this fall for a litte bit. If I end up making it out there, I'll be sure to stop by the VA for a visit.

take care,

Eric

weekly update

Hi All- Have just spent the last four weeks on the wards and am just now trying to dig out of all the work I have left behind- so of course, I am blogging instead.

I just got wonderful news from Chicago- Sue Alt and Hartwell Rogers are parents for the second time! Katie joins big brother James as the newest cubby fan. I will put the link to the pictures for you all to check out. I wanted to cut and paste one for everyone but couldn't figure out how to do it off the web (only email pictures)!

I was sitting next to Goop in report yesterday (you remember in the back row with Paul Volberding and now Tracy Minichiello who has had a baby and came back to run the VA anticoag clinic!). I was leafing through JAMA and there was Joe Ix's article with Mike Shlipak on Fetuin and incident diabetes. I showed it to everyone and gave a small cheer of congratulations! It is great to see Joe doing well in his new digs in San Diego!

I also want to thank Nathan Gunn, Ellie Grossman and Art Ramsey for supporting my triathlon fundraising efforts for the Luekemia and Lymphoma Society. I am participating in the "Big Kahuna" 1/2 ironman triathlon in Santa Cruz in memory of Rick Haber who died last year of myeloma. He had been my program director and a mentor for many years- I continue to miss him.... If anyone wants to visit my website it is at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/bigktri08/jkohlwes

Keep in touch! I haven't heard from a lot of you for awhile - let us all know where you are.

Jeff

Hey all-
just sharing an email from Jimmee Hwang- sounds like things are going great!
Jeff

Hey jeff,

I can't believe a whole year has gone by since I started EIS and got married. Did you know I drove out to Atlanta the same month I got married? I'm so glad that I decided to do this (both EIS and marriage) although the long distance part is not ideal. I've really enjoyed working in the malaria branch. The CDC really is a unique place with lots of interesting research, no worries about funding, and collaboration with ministries of health and multi-laterals that I would have never dreamed of a year into EIS.

I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing next but one thing is certain and that is I'll be in SF. Greg just signed a 5 year contract! My branch chief has been great and is trying to work out a way for me to work for the malaria branch but be based out of SF. How great would that be?! It's a little too good to be true, so waiting to sign on the dotted line before I get too excited.

Btw, Warren came to visit me while I was working in Ethiopia. Still haven't had a chance to get out to Uganda to visit both Larry and Warren but I might see them at IDSA this fall. A little PRIME reunion.

I might also be spending a little time in SF this month to assist in a Morgellon's investigation at Kaiser Oakland. Maybe I can sneak away to visit the VA spa.

Talk to you soon,
jimee

Hey- another future PRIME Resident was just born to two of our not too distant graduates. Urmimala Sarkar and Ted Omachi just sent me this notice that I am sure they will be alright with sharing. Mika is just beautiful- just check out the photo!

Here is their announcment:
Hello everyone,
Ted and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our daughter, Mihika Sarkar Omachi (Mika for short). She was born on Tuesday, June 24th at 4:30 in the morning. She weighed 7lbs 9oz and has a full head of black hair. Big brother Nikaash is enjoying giving her hugs and kisses. Attached is a photo. Everybody in the family is doing well, and we are heading home today.
-Urmimala, Ted, and Nikaash

Jeff

Incomplete list!!!

Hey-
I unintentionally left out two key graduates!!

Keegan Checkett- who is going to be doing a UC 4th year
Cesar Castro- Heme/Onc fellowship in Boston!

Jeff

PS- Omar Khan is the guy in back who you can't see because he is being blocked by his beer bottle... some guys will just not grow up!

Another year gone by

Hi All-

Its amazing to me how quickly the years go by... I wanted to update you on the past week and will try to do so weekly as the year goes by.

First, I wanted to say congratulations on the latest (and largest) PRIME graduating class. It is an amazing group who are going to do really cool things. I am going to take a minute to list them all and then say what they are going to be doing next year. This is their graduation photo at the R3 dinner.

Nicole Appelle- Fellowship in med-ed
Rhonda Bitting- CRI attending followed by Duke Heme-Onc fellowship
Danielle Brandman- UCSF GI Fellowship

Andrew Braun- UC 4th year then Pulmonary fellowship
Anh Bui- Cards Fellowship at UCLA

Rebecca Cogswell- Cards Fellow, UCSF post CR year at VA

Suzanne Chang- International Research, Peru
Mathew Gubens- H/O fellowship at Stanford
Kurt Hoffmayer- Cards fellow at UCSF
Omar Khan- UC 4th year then GI fellow at U. Chicago
Paul Kleinschmidt- Hosptilist, Eugene Oregon

Larry Lazar- Cards Fellow, Cleveland Clinic
Michelle Mourad- UCSF Hospitalist Fellow
Rita Ng- Cards Fellow, Cedars Sinai

Jennifer Poehls- Endocrine Fellow,U. Wiscosin

Michael Richardson- Hospitalist, San Diego
Justin Sewell- GI Fellow, UCSF
Delphine Tuot- Renal Fellow, UCSF

Sreek Vemulapalli- Cards Fellow- Duke, CR VA

Jeremy Warner- CRI attending, BI for Heme Onc Fellowship

Mani Sharma, Eric Williams were this years VA CRs who are going on to H/O in Chicago and Cards at Duke respectively. Elizabeth Kaplan was CR at Moffitt and is going to be joining the staff here at the VA in GIM.

It is another impressive group! They are going to get invited to join this blog tomorrow by Art as I am still clueless on how to do this.

I had a tea with Christina Ghaly (nee Rall) with her lovely baby Cayna last week. It was fun to catch up and it was disapointing for me that Cayna just slept the whole time and I couldn't pick her up and hold her. Leslie and I are sure we are done with babies so we have to live vicariously through others...

Please keep in touch and let me know how things are going with all of you! I am wicked sore as I am training for my first triathlon and ran long yesterday and at 46 cannot do the miles as easily as before... I promise to keep writing each week as long as all of you keep checking in!

Jeff