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Making Connections Koehler Named Chair of Radiology Department By Charles A. Goldthwaite Jr. Robert Koehler, M.D., may be just beginning his tenure as chair of the Department of Radiology, but he’s anything but a novice. Koehler brings more than 20 years of experience in the department to his current post, having joined the department in July 1982 as vice chair and director of the program in gastrointestinal radiology. He held those positions until 2002, and was named the new department chair last November after serving as interim chair during a year-long candidate search. A Fellow of the American College of Radiology and the 2002 recipient of the American Board of Radiology’s Distinguished Service Award, Koehler is a nationally recognized clinician, scholar, and teacher. At the UASOM, Koehler received the Department of Radiology’s Teacher of the Year Award in 1989 and its Distinguished Faculty Award in 2003. “Of all the great things about my profession, I enjoy the interpersonal elements the most,” Koehler says. “Before I became chair, I was primarily a doctor and a teacher, either communicating with patients or training residents. As chair, I’ve become much more involved in faculty development and getting people to work effectively together.” Surprisingly, radiology was not the first area of specialty for Koehler. After receiving his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College he completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. During that time, he developed an affinity for diagnosis and technology, which was encouraged by colleagues in radiology. “My mentors at Washington University felt such an utter enthusiasm for their work that it was infectious,” Koehler recalls. “I developed a deeper interest in radiology and came to see that it was the field that I wanted to specialize in.” After serving a two-year stint as an epidemiologist with the United States Public Health Service, Koehler completed a diagnostic radiology residency and fellowship in gastrointestinal radiology at the University of California San “Before I became chair, I was primarily a doctor and a teacher, either communicating with patients or training residents. As chair, I’ve become much more involved in faculty development and getting people to work effectively together.” Francisco (UCSF). He spent one year as a clinical instructor of radiology at UCSF before returning to the Washington University School of Medicine as an assistant—and later, an associate—professor of radiology. From there, he moved to Birmingham, serving as the vice chair Four SPORE UAB Tops in Cancer Research By Russ Willcutt — Robert Koehler When Selwyn Vickers, M.D., learned that he had landed a SPORE (Specialized Programs of Research Excellence) grant for pancreatic-cancer research, he was pleased—out of 15 applicants, only UAB, the Mayo Clinic, and M.D. Anderson had been funded, so there was good of radiology under the leadership of Robert Stanley, M.D. “When I look back, it is remarkable how much positive change has occurred since I came to the university,” Koehler notes. One of 11 faculty hires in the 1982–1983 year, Koehler worked firsthand with Stanley as the department expanded rapidly in scope. “The whole fabric of radiological care at UAB changed markedly in the 1980s, and we have continued to recruit outstanding people, increase our level of National Institutes of Health funding, and expand our residency training.” As he looks forward to radiology in the 21st century, Koehler recognizes that there are many challenges ahead. “Radiologists must constantly stay in motion, because the dimensions of the field are always changing,” he notes. Many of the tools that are standard today did not exist when Koehler was a resident, a situation that will be true for today’s graduates as well. “When I was training, the most common indication for abdominal surgery was exploratory laparotomy, literally cutting open the belly to determine the problem,” Koehler recalls. “Now, radiology provides a way to determine the answers, which has led to less-invasive treatments and increased effectiveness when surgery is required.” Upon embarking on his journey as department chair, Koehler envisions the Department of Radiology as one part of an even more integrated future. “During the last 20 years at the UAB medical center, I have been impressed daily at the great mutual support and collegiality here,” he says. “We are blessed with talented faculty and staff who pull together to improve all aspects of care, and it is great to be part of such a community.” reason to celebrate. Still, the news was bittersweet, because the $4.5 million awarded was far less than the $10 to $12 million that had been requested—a shortfall experienced by all three institutions due to budgetary constraints at the National Institutes of Health. “We’re definitely better off than we were,” says Vickers, “but pancreatic cancer is a disease that needs as much help as any, and maybe even more.” That’s because pancreatic cancer hasn’t generated the same level of attention as have others, such as prostate and breast cancer, resulting in 12
The Big Move Sprinting Toward Completion By Emily Delzell, courtesy of UAB Synopsis, and Dawn Mesa “Our first and most important goal is to create as seamless a transition as possible in order to continue providing the same quality of care and services our patients now enjoy.” — Jane Chandler To ensure a flawless move to the new University Hospital, units are carrying out test runs with mock patients. As most everyone can attest, a lot of work goes into moving a home or office, even if it’s just a move across the street. Now imagine moving an entire hospital across the street—one with many departments and patients, and lots of equipment, as well as a bustling emergency room. That’s the challenge being faced by UAB’s North Pavilion Project Operations Office, led by coordinator Jane Chandler, RN, Ph.D. “Our first and most important goal is to create as seamless a transition as possible in order to continue providing the same quality of care and services our patients now enjoy,” notes Chandler, who has organized and implemented the operations planning initiative and who, along with many others, is coordinating the relocation effort. “We also are focused on maintaining continuity of operations and minimizing downtime.” The 885,000-square-foot University Hospital will have 37 operating suites, two procedure rooms, three medical/surgical units, four intensive-care units—trauma and burn, surgery, neuroscience, and cardiovascular—and the University Emergency Department (UED) spread among nine patient-care floors. At 38,000 square feet, with up to 45 private treatment rooms, the UED is nearly three times larger than the old space. The department is located on the first floor, along with a large public lobby. The second floor will serve as the main concourse into the University Hospital complex from the new visitor parking deck, with the primary entrance located on Fourth Avenue South. The new University Hospital has 10 elevators, and visitor elevators are oriented at each level to either the three-story lobby or the open light well, which will help with orientation. A total of six bridges connect the new University Hospital with the Wallace Tumor Institute, Spain Wallace, the West Pavilion, and other patient-care areas. Designed to be patient- and family-friendly, the new facility has seating for more than 900 visitors, including large, open public accommodations centered around the atrium and skylight. A healing garden—a stress-relieving place for patients and their families to sit quietly among plants and seasonal displays of colorful flowers—will be located around the fifth-floor skylight, where it can be viewed from the floors above. The Operations Planning Committee will be working with all affected units and services to finalize the relocation plans in the coming months. The move is currently scheduled to take place in five stages, with some support services occupying the building as of July. Currently, the Committee estimates that most clinical areas will relocate during the second half of August, with all moves being completed by early fall. fewer available research dollars. “Nearly everyone knows somebody who’s had prostate cancer, for example, and they also know people who’ve survived it, and those survivors are powerful advocates,” says Vickers. “In 2000, something like $190 million was awarded to fund prostate-cancer research, and about $380 million for breast cancer—but only $15 million for pancreatic-cancer research.” Morbidity rates are especially discouraging: Of 29,700 cases of pancreatic cancer reported in a recent year, there were 29,300 deaths, according to Vickers. “That makes it the fourth most deadly cancer, but 10th Selwyn Vickers leads UAB’s pancreaticcancer research efforts. in terms of incidents reported,” he says. That’s why funding to develop screening tests (none currently exist) and effective treatments for pancreatic cancer is so important, and Vickers believes that UAB is just the place to make a start. “The Cancer Center has a very good reputation, and UAB has a history of collaborative effort, so I think that in addition to our three existing SPORE grants for brain tumor and breast and ovarian cancer research, those were the deciding factors in the decision to award us these funds, and we’ll certainly make the most of them … and hope for more in the future.” 13
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