In Pursuit of Precision - University of Alabama at Birmingham

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The Campaign for UAB Jack Naftel, M.D. Working to Improve Children’s Mental Health Care By Russ WillCutt A lthough he didn’t begin medical school until he was almost 30, Jack Naftel has devoted his entire career to improving the lives of children. A native of Montgomery, Naftel earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and worked for several years as a youth counselor and social worker. He enjoyed the work but soon found himself wanting more knowledge. “I was becoming more curious about the hard science involved in human behavior, rather than just the social science,” he says. That’s when he applied to medical school. Already a husband and father of two, Naftel felt considerably older than many of his classmates when he entered the UASOM. Because he was reluctant to uproot his family at the time, he considers himself fortunate to have had access to highquality education in his home state. “Everything I had heard about the School of Medicine made me want to stay in Alabama,” he says. “I felt very lucky and happy to go there.” After medical school, Naftel chose to build on what he already knew and did his residency in psychiatry at the University of North Carolina hospitals in Chapel Hill. He continued on with a two-year fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at North Carolina and, after graduation, had a part-time private practice in Chapel Hill for nearly ten years. During his years in private practice, Naftel remained associated with academic medicine as director of the child outpatient clinic at UNC’s Dorothea Dix Hospital and as director of UNC’s child and adolescent psychiatry residency program. In 2000, he left his private “I’m a simple guy. I enjoy my family, and I enjoy my job. I get to do a lot of teaching, and I get to try to develop programs that help the children of North Carolina. It’s very satisfying.” practice to become director of UNC’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Naftel says he finds his work extremely rewarding. “Child psychiatry is one of the areas of medicine that allows you to really have a significant impact,” he says. “A physician has the chance to develop a positive and helpful patient/doctor relationship.” Like other fields, however, child and adolescent psychiatry have felt the impact of managed care in recent years. “More and more insurance companies want psychopharmacological interventions, and physicians are being pushed into providing less comprehensive care,” he explains. Even so, Naftel says, it’s an exciting field; with a growing awareness of the need for child psychiatry, the field’s research base is “just starting to blossom.” Because of that growing public awareness, child psychiatrists today are struggling with how to meet the mental health demands of the U.S. population. “There’s a huge need for child psychiatrists,” says Naftel. “Because of this, one of the things I’ve been focusing on is providing education—teaching residents and colleagues, but also teaching psychologists, pediatricians, social workers, teachers, and others who have regular contact with children. If we can better disseminate the information we have, it might have a real impact on the ability of those professionals to look after children’s mental health.” In addition to his many professional responsibilities in Chapel Hill, Naftel serves on the UASOM Dean’s Advisory Council. “I am very appreciative of the education I received in medical school and want to help the school in any way that I can,” he says. “Going into medicine has enabled me to have a wonderful career. It has made a huge difference in my life, and I hope that others who attend the UASOM will continue to have the same opportunities.” When he’s not working, Naftel enjoys spending time with his family, walking, exercising, reading, and occasional travel. “I’m a simple guy,” he says. “I enjoy my family, and I enjoy my job. I get to do a lot of teaching, and I get to try to develop programs that help the children of North Carolina. It’s very satisfying.” 21
Alumni Weekend Many Medical Returns: 29th Annual Alumni Weekend The 29th Annual Medical Alumni Weekend, February 15-16, 2002, featured the traditional activities: the Reynolds Historical Lecture, the Alumni Association Board of Directors’ meeting, the Scientific Program, annual luncheon and Association meeting, the Constance and James A. Pittman Lecture, and twelve class-reunion dinners. REYNOLDS LECTURE The 23rd annual Reynolds Historical Lecture on Friday evening featured Gail Cassell, Ph.D., speaking on “Development of Antimicrobial Agents in the Era of New and Reemerging Infectious Diseases and Increasing Antibiotic Resistance.” The lecture was presented in the Historical Library’s Ireland Room, located in Lister Hill Library. It was followed by a reception at the Woodward House, sponsored by the Reynolds Library and The Caduceus Club. SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM President T. Riley Lumpkin, M.D., welcomed everyone to the Scientific Program on Saturday morning at the Marriott Hotel, then turned the program over to Camilo R. Gomez, M.D., professor and director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center. He moderated the program, “A Review of Frequent Neurological Problems,” which was provided by the Department of Neurology. The faculty also included Robert Knowlton, M.D., assistant professor, Epilepsy Center; Robert D. Slaughter, M.D., assistant professor and director of Neurology Outpatient Services; Paul R. Atchison, M.D., associate professor and director, Movement Disorders Center; and Edward Y. Zamrini, M.D., assistant professor, Alzheimer’s Disease Center. ANNUAL LUNCHEON President Lumpkin presided over the annual luncheon, also held at the Marriott. The traditional awards were presented as follows: 2002 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS In recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of medicine and demonstration of the highest principles of the medical profession. Edward E. Partridge, M.D. Edward E. Partridge, M.D., is director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and vice chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UASOM. He is a native of Demopolis, Alabama, and graduated from UASOM in 1973. He completed a residency in OB/GYN, and a fellowship in gynecologic oncology, at UAB in 1979. He was in private practice, specializing in gynecologic oncology until 1990, when he was recruited back to the university as director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. At UAB, Partridge served as interim chair of the Department of OB/GYN from October 1993 to September 1995, and as the first medical director of the Health Services Foundation from 1995 to 1996. He is a senior scientist in the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) and the Center for the Aging. He has served as Associate director for prevention and control in the CCC since 1994, and in this capacity he has led the development of a large research effort to reduce cancer-related mortality in the Southern African American population. He currently serves as principal investigator on projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), totaling $3.2 million in annual direct funding. These include the Deep South Network for Cancer Control, Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Ovarian Cancer, and the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM)/UAB- CCC Partnership. He was named the Margaret Cameron Spain Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1999. He has had over 90 articles published and serves on the editorial board of Gynecologic Oncology and the Journal of Surgical Oncology. He leads a Division of Gynecologic Oncology recognized as one of the top three in the country. Partridge’s honors have included the President’s Excellence in Teaching Award and the Association of Professors in Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Excellence in Teaching Award. He has been named in The Best Doctors in America, and in the 1997 Good Housekeeping 401 Best Doctors for Women. He received the 2000 UABCCC Distinguished Faculty Award. In 1996 he received the St. George’s Medal from the American Cancer Society, a national award for volunteerism. He continues to serve the community in a number of capacities. He has been president of the Alabama Society of Clinical Oncology, the Alabama Chapter of the College of Surgeons, the Alabama Division of the American Cancer Society, and the Jefferson County Medical Society. At the national level, he has served as chairman of the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons; he is the only gynecologist to ever serve in this capacity. He is currently on the National Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society and the Board of Directors for the Mid-South Division of the Above: R. Bob Mullins, Jr., received the 2002 Garber Galbraith Medical- Political Science Award. Top: Dean Emeritus James A. Pittman, Jr. 22
Page 1 and 2: AlumniBulletin ALABAMA MEDICAL V O
Page 3 and 4: ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTO
Page 5 and 6: News Briefs UAB Hospital Cited for
Page 7 and 8: News Briefs Cardiologist Receives I
Page 9 and 10: Steve Theiss, James Stannard, Danny
Page 11 and 12: Cover Story chronic sinusitis, tumo
Page 13 and 14: Feature Stories LOUIS’S LETTERS O
Page 15 and 16: Feature Stories According to Morgan
Page 17 and 18: Physicians’ Forum ly. These regul
Page 19 and 20: Faculty Profile Conway Huang, M.D.
Page 21 and 22: The Campaign for UAB Stay Connected
Page 23: AlumniBulletin ALABAMA MEDICAL Volk
Page 27 and 28: Alumni Association News National Bo
Page 29 and 30: medical alumni bulletin CLASS NOTES
Page 31 and 32: Alumni Association News I N M E M O
Page 33 and 34: In Appreciation * Richard Evans Bro
Page 35 and 36: In Appreciation Bruce Fowler Holdin
Page 37 and 38: In Appreciation Roger McCoy Pitt, A
Page 39 and 40: From the Archives By Tim L. Pennycu
Page 41: CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION SCHEDU

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