Spring 2012 Volume 2 Issue 1

Table of Contents

Gilbert Brenes, MD.............1

2011 Alumni Reunion at AAPMR...............................2

Program News:...................4Chiefs, Fellows.Departing ResidentsNew Residents

Community Action...............7

Resident Awards ................8

The PM&R Newsletter for

Mercy St. Francis UPMC Residency and Fellowship Alumni

Betty Y. Liu, MD, Senior Editor liuby@upmc.edu

Mary Ann Miknevich, MD, Editormiknma@upmc.edu

Stacey Snead-Petersonsneadpetersons@upmc.edu

Mary Synnott, Artistic Directorsynnottm@upmc.edu

PM&R Residency ProgramKaufmann Building, suite 2013471 5th AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15213

Mercy

UPMC

St Francis

the PM&R Alumni Newsletter

The Point

Go GREEN.

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electronically. send your email

address to:synnottm@upmc.edu

When I entered Dr. Brenes' office his dedication to his work of the last 40 or so years was clearly evident. Books, magazines, monographs and other printed material on SCI medicine overflowed the bookshelves, desk and cabinets. Awards and plaques covered much of the walls and pictures of his patients and their families filled the remaining free surfaces of the room. Black and white photos showcasing highlights of his career and the people that shared them wound through his office like a newsreel.

Dr. Brenes came to the United States in a similarly winding way. After graduating in 1960 with “Maximum Distinction” from the University of Chile School of Kinesiology he came to the USA in 1962 on a Pediatric Physical Therapy scholarship to the Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Brighton, Massachusetts and the D.T. Watson School of Physiatrics in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania. Upon completion of his studies he left for San Jose, Costa Rica to work at The Children's Hospital as the Chief of the Physical Therapy Department. In 1965 he entered The University of Costa Rica, School of Medicine in San Jose and graduated in 1970. The following year he was back at Children's Hospital for a residency in Pediatrics.

Returning again to the States in 1972, Dr. Brenes joined the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program at Saint Francis General Hospital in Pittsburgh. After completing the program he joined The Harmarville Rehabilitation Center as a staff physiatrist where, two years later, he was appointed Director of the Spinal Cord Injury program. He credits his earlier professional experience in pediatric physical therapy for giving him an advantage in his interactions with adolescent and young adults with sci. He remained director for almost 30 years before joining the faculty at the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. He is the Chair of the department of UPMC Mercy and in 2007 he added the responsibilities of Director, Outpatient Services and Clinical Trials to his schedule.

Despite his long tenure, Dr. Brenes frequently spends 12 or more hours a day on the SCI inpatient unit at UPMC Mercy and teaching the SCI Fellows and PMR residents. His residents have shown their appreciation by honoring him with the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1997 and again in 2008. In his rare free time, Dr. Brenes continues to give much back to the Pittsburgh community. He is a board member for the HOPE Network, a non-profit organization that promotes community integration of individuals through recreational activities. He also volunteers for the Wheelchair Games and for the Wheelchair Division of the Pittsburgh Marathon. His many contributions earned him the John. F. Smerback Jr, Service Award by the Keystone Paralyzed Veterans of America in 2000 and the Distinguished Individual Service Award from the Association of Rehabilitation Facilities in 2010After all these years Dr. Brenes is still pushing himself to learn more, too. He recently completed UPMC PSD/Katz Physician Leadership Certification Program. A course designed to enhance business and leadership qualities in physicians.

When I asked what advice he would give others for longevity in a career path, Dr. Brenes thoughtfully replied “I believe that once you are on a path in life, it is not important that you get to the end but it is important to have the commitment to stay on that path. You have to love what you do to stay committed. One must take responsibilities and recognize certain sacrifices. For me, it was my family. They knew when I was at work I would be focused on my patients. I made sure my family vacations had quality and concentrated time with them.”His love for his patients has clearly not diminished. At the end of our interview, Dr. Brenes' face lit up when he showed me a picture of one of the patients he has seen for more than 30 years. The patient was smiling proudly surrounded by his wife, son, daughter-in-law and his grandchildren. Another picture showed the same patient parasailing. Dr. Brenes pointed to both and said, “This is what the SCIM doctor should do. The dedication to your patients enables them to enjoy their lives and their families.”

------ Betty Liu, MD

Mercy

UPMC

St FrancisThe Point

2AAPMR ALUMNI RECEPTION

For those of us living in chillier climates it was nice to get away from the cold weather and enjoy a little sunshine in Florida. I think we all agree it was even nicer connecting

with friends, classmates, and favorite faculty.

l to r: Greg D’Eramo, MD (’07), David Jennings, DO (’08), Milton Swaby, MD (’07), Cara Camiolo Reddy, MD (’06, ‘07),Brad Kurowski, MD (’08), Evan Queler, (’08)

Ayman Hamed, MD (M ‘03), Jimmy Cui, MD (SF ‘01)Kirk Mauro, MD (SF ‘92), and Mary Ann Miknevich, MD (SF ‘83) Co-Director PMR Residency.

Jerome Lee, MD (’11), Shahla Hosseini, MD, PhD (;12)and Ion Juvina, Dr. Hosseini’s husband

Gary Chimes, MD, PhD, Director MSS FellowshipKim Leishear (’13) and Jesse Sally, DO (’12)

Mike Boninger, MD, Chair andBrad Kurowski, MD (U’08)

Mercy

UPMC

St FrancisThe Point

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PGY 4s :Robert Campbell MD, Jesse Sally DO, Eric Helm MD and Mohammed Khan MD

Faculty members Jason Edinger, DOand Gwen Sowa, MD, PhD.

Join us at the next Alumni Reunion

in Atlanta at the 2012 AAPMR Assembly

Wendy Helkowski, MD, Director, PMR Residencyand Evan Queler, MD (U ’08)

Edward Heinle, MD (M ‘09) andKevin Kopera, MD (U ‘92)

Mercy

UPMC

St FrancisThe PointPROGRAM NEWS

2012 RESIDENCY CHIEFS

Joy Codera, MD

Education Chief

Kim Leishear, DO

Academic ChiefTimothy Burg, DO

Administrative Chief

NEW FELLOWS

Brain Injury Fellowship

Musculoskeletal Sports and Spine Fellowship

Spinal Cord Medicine Fellowship

Kelly Crawford, MD

University of Cincinnati College

of Medicine

Cincinnati, OH

Kirk Lercher, MD MBBS

New Jersey Medical School

Kessler Institute for

Rehabilitation

West Orange, NJ

Jesse Sally, DO

UPMC Medical Education

Pittsburgh, PA

Samantha Kanarek, DO

University of Washington

Seattle, WA

Marlyn Ramos Lamboy, MD

St. Vincent Catholic Medical Center

New York, NY

WELCOME

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Mercy

UPMC

St FrancisThe PointPROGRAM NEWS

DEPARTING FELLOWS AND THEIR DESTINATIONS

Melissa Alverez-Perez, MD

Spinal Cord Medicine Fellow

Angela Garcia, MD

Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Fellow

Assistant Professor, PMR

UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA

Justin Hong, MD

Brain Injury Fellow

Clinical Assistant Professor, PMR

University of Utah,

Salt Lake City, UT

Amrish Patel, MD

Musculoskeletal Sports & Spine Fellow

OrthoGeorgia

Macon, GA

Henry Huie, MD

Brain Injury Fellow

Associate Chief, Dept. of PM&R

Stanford University

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center

San Jose, CA

DEPARTING RESIDENTS AND THEIR DESTINATIONS

David Alcantara, MD

Choice Care Physicians

Pittsburgh, PA.

Robert Campbell, MD

Medical Director, Attending Physician

PMR, Lander Regional Hospital

Lander, WY

David DeChellis, DO

Pain Fellowship

West Penn/Allegheny General Hospital

Pittsburgh, PA

Anna Gaines, MD

Outpatient Physiatrist

Tri Rivers Surgical Assoc.

Pittsburgh, PA

Eric Helm, MD

Pain Medicine Fellowship

Dept. of Anesthesiology, UPMC

Pittsburgh, PA

Mohammed Khan, MD

Pain Medicine Fellowship

Dept. of Anesthesiology, UPMC

Pittsburgh, PA

Shahla Hosseini, MD, PhD

Medical Rehabilitation, Inc

Pittsburgh, PA

Mohammed Mawla, MD

Massachusetts

Matthew Pauli, DO

Pensacola, Florida

Jesse Sally, DO

Musculoskeletal Sports & Spine

Fellowship

Dept. of PMR, UPMC

Pittsburgh, PA

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Mercy

UPMC

St FrancisThe PointPROGRAM NEWS

Herbie Yung, MD

Ohio State University

College of Medicine

Michael Kryger, MD

Northwestern University

The Feinberg School of Medicine

Shaun Darrah, MD

University of Pittsubrgh

School of Medicine

Corey Hickey, DO

Lake Erie College of

Osteopathic Medicine

Brady Wahlberg, DO

Kirksville College of

Osteopathic Medicine

Aerin Spitz, MD

Weill Cornell Medical College

Virginia Mason Medical Center

Prakash Jayabalan, MD, PhD

King’s College London

School of Medicine

St. Mary’s Health CenterTulasi Gude, MD,

Ohio State University

College of Medicine

Riverside Methodist Hospital

Sarah Hagerty, DO

Philadelphia College of

Osteopathic Medicine

West Penn/ Allegheny General

Hospital

Adrienne Jordan, DO

Ohio University College of

Osteopathic Medicine

UPMC Mercy

New PGY-1

New PGY-2

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Mercy

UPMC

St FrancisThe Point

COMMUNITY EVENTS

8th Annual Sled Hockey Challenge - Bladerunner’s Ice ComplexHarmarville, PA

The Just Ice It team of UPMC Rehabilitation Institute doctors, staff, and students skated against players from Pittsburgh's sled hockey program--Mighty Penguins Sled Hockey--in the 8th Annual Mighty Penguins Sled Hockey Challenge.

The close of the first period saw the Mighty Penguins trouncing Just Ice It with a 10 point lead. Perhaps feeling a bit sorry for Just Ice It the Mighty Penguins loaned them a player and the referee began giving free shots to even the score. The contest ended in a shootout which, not entirely surprising, was fast and relatively painless. Thanks to the Mighty Penguins for keeping that last contest short and sweet.

The event also included a game showcasing the Mighty Penguins novice team playing against the children of UPMC doctors, students, and staff. As the Mighty Penguins would say, “Get ready to play…Our way!” All proceeds go to the support of the Mighty Penguins Sled Hockey Team.

Mighty Penguins players compete on a national level, traveling to tournaments throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more about the Mighty Penguins, including a practice and tournament schedule of where you can see the team in action, e-mail or visit

.

April 21, 2012

mpsledhockey@yahoo.comhttp://www.penguinssledhockey.org/

31st Annual Wheelchair GamesEach year the Paralyzed Veterans of America (www.pva.org) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (www.va.gov) co sponsor the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, the largest annual wheelchair sports competition of its kind in the world. The 2011 games were held in Pittsburgh during the first week of August and drew competitors from across the United States and Puerto Rico.

The Games are a sports and rehabilitation program open to U.S. military service veterans who use wheelchairs due to spinal cord injuries, certain neurological conditions, amputations or other mobility impairments.

More than 500 novice and experienced athletes compete each year in 17 events such as swimming, table tennis, weightlifting, archery, basketball, softball, quad rugby, handcycling, wheelchair slalom, power soccer, a motorized wheelchair rally, track and field. Athletes compete against others with similar athletic ability, competitive experience or age.

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Awards and Accolades

Mercy

UPMC

St FrancisThe Point

Mary Synnott

Kaufmann Medical Bldg, Suite 202

Dept. of PM&R Research

3471 Fifth Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

fax to 412.692.4354

Email to synnottm@upmc.edu

Correction: Evan Queler, MD, resident class of 2008,

was mistakenly omitted from the alumni list.

Our apologies, Dr. Queler.

Send news, information and questions to:

Angela Garcia, MD has been selected the 2011 Ernest W. Johnson / AAP Excellence in Research Writing Award. The research paper, "The frequency of lymphedema in an adult spina bifida population"was published in the February 2011 issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Dr Garcia is the UPMC Pediatric Rehabilitation Fellow and a 2010 graduate of our physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program. She will complete the 2 year fellowship in June 2012 and join the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation as an assistant professor in July 2012

as the winner of

Pittsburgh Marathon

Once again, Dr. Brenes and a group of PM&R residents volunteered to serve as medical team for the wheelchair division of the Pittsburgh Marathon.

l to r: Dr. Gil Brenes, residents Tracey Falcone (’13), Natasa Miljkovic (’14), Beth Stepanczuk (’14),

Pitt med student, and Men’s wheelracer winner, Ken Bestine (middle)

Jesse Sally, MD (’12)Tim Burg, MD (’13)

Joy Codera, MD (’13)

and fiancé,Kevin

Ha

lf M

ara

tho

ne

rsl to r: Beth Stepanczuk (’14), Trasey Falcone (’13)Dr. Gilbert Brenes (SF ‘76) and Womens’wheelracer winner, Ashli Molinaro, (front)

8COMMUNITY EVENTS AND AWARDS