News

Dr. Shalini Shah Elected President of the California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians

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Dr. Shalini Shah was officially inducted as the President of California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (CalSIPP) during the CalSIPP Annual Meeting, October 14. She will be joining a group diverse pain medicine specialists who are on the board as of 2022.

CalSIPP has been in existence for over 10 years and is the voice of interventional pain medicine in California. They are dedicated to promoting the practice of safe, accessible, and effective interventional pain management in the diagnosis and treatment of all pain patients.

Dr. Katherine Chiu Appointed Commissioner of the First 5 Orange County Children & Families Commission

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Dr. Katherine Chiu photoDr. Katherine Chiu was appointed by the OC Board of Supervisors to the First 5 Orange County Children & Families Commission. Dr. Chiu is one of nine commissioners that span both public and private sectors in pediatric health and education. Commissioners oversee the allocation of millions in funds to help create programs to promote health and early education for children from prenatal to age five.

The First 5 Orange County, Children & Families Commission is a dynamic, mission-driven public agency, with more than 20-year tradition of investing in the future of Orange County’s children. Their mission is to optimize the health and development of young children by promoting the importance of early childhood, encouraging innovation, and investing in systems of care.

Dr. Ariana Nelson Recipient of the Medical Education Excellence in Teaching Dean’s Scholar Award

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Dr. Ariana Nelson photoThe 2021 UCI School of Medicine Achievement Awards honors the excellence in teaching among the UCI medical education faculty, residents and staff. This excellence is especially crucial as we educate a new generation of doctors entering the medical profession at such a critical time.

Dr. Ariana Nelson was recognized by the UCI School of Medicine for her outstanding student evaluations and contributions to a course/clerkship.

Distinguished Professor Dr. Zeev N. Kain

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Dr. Zeev N. Kain photoDr. Zeev Kain is the first faculty of UCI Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care to receive the title of Distinguished Professor. This title is a campus-level distinction and is reserved for Above Scale faculty who have achieved the highest possible levels of scholarship over the course of their careers. Distinguished Professors will have earned national and international level distinctions and honors of the highest level.

UCI Office of Academic Personnel Distinguished Professor »

 

Graduation & Celebration of Excellence 2021

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Congratulations to all of the Residency Class of 2021, Fellowship Graduates and to all award recipients at this year’s virtual graduation.UCI Residency Graduates 2021

Discover. Teach. Heal

  • Resident Discover Award: Wei-Chen Lin, MD
  • Resident Teach Award: Wei-Chen Lin, MD
  • Resident Heal Award: Morten Neve, MD
  • Resident Medical Student Teaching Award: Veronika Anufreichik, MD
  • Faculty Discover Award: Taizoon Dhoon, MD
  • Faculty Teach Award: Jody Chou, MD and Jay Shen, MD
  • Faculty Heal Award: Govind Rajan, MD
  • Faculty Exemplar Award: Kyle Ahn, MD

Marilyn Patterson Champion of Care Award

  • Staff: Dean Wong
  • Anesthesia Tech: Kevin Scott
  • CRNA: Robert Horn, CRNA
  • Resident: Veronika Anufreichik, MD
  • Fellow: Fernando Santos, MD
  • Faculty: Anna L, Harris, MD

Cynthia T. Anderson Award

  • Nikhil Keny, MD

Halappa N. Konchigeri Exemplar Award

  • Veronika Anufreichik, MD

2021 UCI Office of Graduate Medical Education Awards

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Each year, the UCI Office of Graduate Medical Education asks residents, fellows, faculty and staff to nominate their colleagues for the UCI GME Awards, which recognize those who have displayed extraordinary dedication and service to graduate medical education over the past academic year. This year, two members of the UCI Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care were recognized.

Outstanding Fellowship Program Director
Rakhi Dayal, MD

Outstanding Residency Program Director
Rhonda Chu

Recyclablu Turns Upcycled Medical Waste Into PPE

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Two young women in blue face masksAbout a year after the PPE shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, a project led by UCI Anesthesiology faculty, Dr. Melissa Chang and UCI Dermatology resident, Dr. Aditi Sharma, to produce a new type of mask from medical waste has recycled 2,200+ pounds of waste into 13,500 reusable face masks for healthcare workers. They formed a non-profit, Recyclablu, which is now working to donate 3,500 face masks to undeserved homeless communities of Skid Row in Los Angeles and will also be addressing the COVID-19 crisis in India.

Their mask has been selected by the World Health Organization for the 2021 Compendium of Innovative Medical Devices for COVID-19.

Additional news coverage by the Forbes and LA Times Daily Pilot.

2021 Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Annual Meeting Top 10 Best Case Report

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case report presentation screenshotCongratulations to obstetric anesthesiology fellow, Daniel Kim, MD. He was awarded for the Top 10 Best Case Report at the 2021 SOAP Annual Meeting. Under the mentorship of Kyle Ahn, MD and Dmitry Portnoy, MD, the case report on “Urgent Cesarean Delivery of a COVID-19 Parturient in the Intensive Care Unit” was presented by Dr. Kim during the virtual event with more than 900 attendees.

2021 UCI Health Nurse Excellence Nominees

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Each year, UCI Health invites all faculty and co-workers to nominate their peers for the annual Nursing Excellence Awards. During Nurses Week 2021, we recognized some of its most talented and committed nurses that provides an invaluable service to patients, colleagues and the community.

Congratulations to our CRNAs who were nominated this year:

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse of the Year
Salvador Tafoya, CRNA

Nurse Educator of the Year
Evan Scheier, CRNA

Rookie of the Year
Lisa Gonzales, CRNA