Dr. Emily Cetrone

According to the , North Carolina had 227 certified geriatricians in 2016. By 2030, the state is expected to need 931. Dr. Emily Cetrone, a clinical assistant professor and associate program director for the ������ Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program says, “The truth is that we won’t have enough geriatricians just based on the growing population of [older adults in] North Carolina,” Cetrone said.

In 2023, the NC Office of State Budget Management reported there to be 1.8 million adults over age 65 in the state. The Office projects that number will increase to 2.7 million by 2040. However, the National Resident Matching Program states that less than half of the geriatric medicine fellowship spots were filled in 2025 across the nation.

Dr. Cetrone says one of the biggest challenges of geriatric medicine is the complexity of care associated with older people’s health. A second major challenge is that older adults need more caregivers. On top of those issues, finding the funds for type of care, especially home-based care, isn’t always easy.

What’s your role and how long have you been a part of our Department?����

I’m an Administrative Specialist for the Department of Nephrology. I’ve been part of this team for about six months, but I have been with ������ for over a year now.����

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Where are you from?��

Mebane, North Carolina��

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What originally attracted you to work at ������ Department of Medicine?��

��Career growth and development.����

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What is the most interesting project you’ve been a part of so far?��

Currently, I’m working on developing a mentorship program aimed at providing entry-level employees, like myself, the opportunity to be mentored by senior-level professionals for a year. This project is particularly exciting for me because I’m passionate about expanding my knowledge and learning from those with more experience. I recognized early on that having a mentor would help me navigate my career, and I’m excited to offer others the chance here at ������.��

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What do you enjoy most about working here?��

What I enjoy most about working here is the people. This role has connected me with individuals from all around the world and various roles within healthcare both clinical and non-clinical, allowing me to engage in meaningful conversations that have expanded my perspective and helped me grow professionally. Beyond that, the support and friendship among colleagues is unmatched. I’m very fortunate to work in an environment where people genuinely care about me as an individual and actively support my personal and professional goals.��

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How has your role evolved over time since you’ve been here?��

This role didn’t exist before I joined the department, so ����’s been rewarding to watch it evolve and to actively contribute to shaping it into something functional. I’ve enjoyed being part of the process in developing the position to support not only the broader department but also the immediate team I collaborate with daily.����

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What is one thing that you wish people knew about your job?��

This job requires a diverse skill set and a willingness to continuously learn.����

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What are you most proud of, personal or professional?��

I’m most proud of my ability to take any situation whether it be personal or professional and see the positive in it.����

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What’s one thing on your bucket list?��

A big one on my bucket list is to visit both countries my parents are from.����

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Do you have hobbies outside of work that you enjoy?��

Outside of work, I have a variety of hobbies that keep me balanced. I’m passionate about staying active, whether ����’s hiking, weightlifting, or practicing Pilates. I’m also working on getting into running and have signed up for my first race this October. In addition, I enjoy drawing and painting when I want to unwind and relax.��

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What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?��

��If I could give advice to my younger self, I would say to embrace the journey, be patient with yourself, and remember that setbacks are just part of learning. Stay open to new opportunities and be kind to yourself along the way.��

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What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?��

Not many people know that I’m actually named after Savannah, GA. My parents couldn’t agree on a name, so they decided to go with the last place my dad visited for work before I was born.��

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Dr. Gilliam (2nd from L), ������ Division of Geriatric Medicine Chief Dr. Jan Busby-Whitehead (3rd from L), and other Tideswell Scholars at AGS 2025

During the American Geriatric Society’s annual meeting in Chicago last month, Dr. Meredith Gilliam attended the 10 years of Tideswell Emerging Leaders in Aging Celebration. The intimate gathering brought together from all over the nation.

Dr. Gilliam is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, the Medical Director of the ������ Geriatrics Clinic, and a 2024-2025 Tideswell UCSF Scholar. She says, “It was an honor to be accepted into the program. I was able to network with other early/mid-career aging specialists around the country, and get professional guidance from senior leaders in our field.”

The places scholars in small groups for mentoring by advisors with expertise in both geriatrics and leadership. During the program scholars focus on opportunities and challenges at their organizations. Then, they brainstorm potential solutions which align with their organizations’ goals and priorities.

In addition, Dr. Gilliam says, “The curriculum included valuable lessons around leadership styles, financial literacy, public speaking and communication in times of conflict. It has been helping me as I’ve transitioned into my new role as Vice Chief for Clinical Operations for Geriatrics.”

Learn more about ������’s Division of Geriatric Medicine.

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The clickable links below navigate directly to outside media articles which featured Department of Medicine faculty and staff throughout the month of May 2025.

Maureen Dale, MD, growing demand for geriatricians.
Becky White, MD, MPH, to address HIV prevention needs with the N.C. Formerly Incarcerated Transitions program.
Brad Drummond, MD, MHS, biologic now used to treat COPD.
David Weber, MD, MPH, why cruise ships are a frequent host of Norovirus outbreaks.
Edward Barnes, MD, about pouchitis.
Evan Dellon, MD, MPH, of a new EoE pharmacuetical.
Stergios J. Moschos, MD,�� therapies for patients with melanoma.
Drs’ Gang Xi, PhD,��John�� Poulton, Meghan Free����Dhruti P. Chen,Evan Zeitler,����Vimal K. Derebail,��and��Ronald J. Falk c about what may lead to ANCA vasculitis.
Ross Boyce, MD, PhD, characteristics that effect the prevalence of alpha-gal syndrome.
Seth Berkowitz, MD, PhD, housing instabilities relation to type-2 diabetes outcomes.Hans Herfath, MD, PhD, findings for fact before they reach later stages of clinical trial.
Anne Peery, MD,guidelines around diverticulitis patients eating nuts and seeds.
Sarah E. Rutstein, MD, PhD��and Christopher Hurt, MD, FIDSA the barriers to PrEP use in NC.
Thomas��Holowka,��MD, PhD, and��Luther Bartelt, MD, DTM&H are piloting a cross-disciplinary service at ������ Eastowne to reduce C. Diff infections.
Jeremy Rich, MD, MHS, MBA,�� the circadian clocks involvement in glioblastoma.
John Batsis, MD, of the most common health concerns for seniors.
John Buse, MD, ������ and Novants’ joint grant to find opiod alternatives and use AI in prenatal care.
Saira Sheikh, MD, podcast episode on improving access to lupus clinical trials.
Sue Kirkman, MD, of point-of-care A1c testing.

Barbara LeVarge, MD, a pulmonologist and associate professor at the University of North Carolina Department of Medicine, is using a new cardiopulmonary test, invasive CPET, at ������ Hillsborough to better understand complex conditions.

“In my mind, Dr. LeVarge essentially saved my life,” Ed Boiar says. “I have real admiration for her work.”��

Ed Boiar, an avid golfer and grateful CPET patient.

It’s the summer of 2017, Ed is enjoying life, golfing and spending time with his children, except for his increased difficulty breathing. After nagging from his golf buddies, Ed agrees to visit an urgent care. This was followed by a trip to the emergency room, a diagnosed heart attack, and continued difficulty breathing, even after a catheterization found no blockage in the heart.��

One of Ed’s golf buddies who noticed his frustration with continued breathing troubles was a ������ Cardiologist. He performed scans to determine the blockage was in Ed’s lungs. Ed was referred to Barbara LeVarge, MD, a world-class pulmonologist.��

After completing various kinds of tests and scans, Dr. LeVarge’s diagnosis was serious: Ed had chronic blood clots in his lungs significantly limiting his life expectancy. Ed underwent an intense operation that required opening his chest to remove the clots, and a ten-day recovery in the hospital.��

Once recovered, Ed’s life returned to normal with the occasional check-in with Dr. LeVarge. After some recent appointments and a lung assessment, his bloodwork showed slightly elevated markers. Dr. LeVarge recommended a new diagnostic tool they had begun offering at ������ Hillsborough: invasive, or “level 3” Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET).��

CPET Purpose and Process

Invasive CPET is especially valuable when traditional workups like chest X-rays, echocardiograms, and pulmonary function tests come back normal, allowing for more informed treatment decisions. Invasive CPET uses catheters to directly measure blood gases and cardiovascular pressures. Non-invasive CPET, on the other hand, uses external sensors to monitor breathing, heart rate, and gas exchange, offering an assessment without penetrating the body. While invasive CPET is more involved, it provides highly detailed and direct measurements that can be essential for diagnosing complex or unclear conditions. The approach chosen depends on clinical needs and the level of diagnostic detail required.��

“This is a standard cardiopulmonary exercise test done on a bike, but prior to the start of the exercise study, the patient has a pulmonary artery catheter placed as well as a radial artery catheter allowing for the continuous assessment of intracardiac and intrapulmonary pressures as well as collection of blood gases each minute.” explains Dr. LeVarge.”It’s designed to diagnose somebody who has unexplained exertional shortness of breath or exertional limitation.”��

Pedaling Phase��

CPET test bike in the ������ Hillsborough lab.

The test begins with catheter placement in the wrist and neck to measure pressures on both sides of the heart, collect blood gases, and calculate cardiac output throughout the exercise. This allows providers to precisely identify where things go wrong during exertion.��

“You know, ����’s a little weird just thinking that you have a catheter in your neck going into your heart and they’re going to wheel you over to the bicycle,” said Ed.����

It was a unique ride for Ed but one that was reassuring in the end.����

CPET evaluates how the heart, lungs, and muscles work together during exercise. The test is conducted on a stationary bike where patients gradually increase their level of exertion over approximately 10 minutes while clinicians monitor critical physiological markers.����

The test measures minute ventilation—the amount of gas they’re inhaling and exhaling, how efficiently they’re eliminating carbon dioxide, and VO2 peak (the maximum amount of oxygen a patient can consume during the study).��

This procedure, offered by only a handful of centers nationwide, is now performed at ������ Hillsborough, thanks to the coordination of Dr. LeVarge, Respiratory Therapist Justinee Vanier, and James Ford III,MD, who is the Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program.����

Turning Data Into Direction

��“A test that provides objective data to complement how patients are feeling is very powerful.”�� Dr. LeVarge explains. “For Ed, he had been feeling pretty well overall, though his lab work offered concern about developing a recurrence of his pulmonary hypertension from chronic blood clots. Fortunately, his resting pulmonary pressures were normal and they remained within normal limits in response to exercise. This was an excellent result and no changes to his management plan were needed.”��

��Ed now takes just one medication and is grateful to avoid unnecessary prescriptions. For Ed, the CPET wasn’t just another test. It confirmed his recovery was on track and gave him confidence in his care plan moving forward.��

“Considering the severity of my prior procedures, this was literally nothing,” Ed reflects. “It’s obviously something, but in my world, ����’s very easy, very simple. If I had to do it every year, I’d do it every year.”��

Dr. Levarge has seen the effect on outcomes invasive CPET allows, “Invasive CPET is a very powerful tool and can provide comprehensive diagnosis efficiently in a single test. A revealed diagnosis is often not one that has been obvious based on other routine testing, and acting on that diagnosis can be life changing. Many of our patients are revealed to have problems with the autonomic nervous system and blood flow regulation due to long COVID or other systemic diseases. In other tests we find hyperventilation or other abnormal breathing patterns which can be aided by regular breathing exercises. And for other patients with chronic pulmonary emboli, in sharp contrast to Ed’s reassuring results, we observe a marked increase in pulmonary pressure during exercise which requires changes to their medication regimen.”������

“You’re handled with care and dealt with professionally.” Ed says.��

These days, Ed is back to enjoying life; golfing, and spending time with his children.��

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• Nineteen faculty and residents presented on topics spanning both clinical and research subjects
• Seth Berkowitz, MD, MPH, was a plenary speaker
• Anisha Ganguly, MD, MPH, was a finalist for the prestigious Milton W. Hamolsky Junior Faculty Scientific Presentation Awards

The Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (LAMP) has been designed to assist junior faculty at ������ within their first 3 years to build a sense of community, purpose, direction, and confidence so they may thrive in their career.

Drs. Arant and O’Shea

Patrick O’Shea, MD, MBA, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine, and Elizabeth (Eli) Arant, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, were among the graduate of this year’s LAMP cohort.

LAMP addresses the fundamentals of career planning and professional development while creating networking that will contribute to faculty success. The program is recruiting new applicants. Applications are due June 9. Please contact Dawn Morriston dawn_morriston@med.unc.edu for additional information about this new program.

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Here are the recipients of the 2025 Residents award! Faculty awarded by the 2025 class of residents are also listed below.

Bondurant-Eringhaus Award

Recipient: Brian Wood, MD
Awarded to a resident demonstrating commitment and excellence in research.

Chairman’s Awards

Recipients: Hannah Dee, MD & Lauren Goldbeck, MD
Given in recognition of residents who have had a great impact on the Department of Medicine and serve as leaders, role models, good citizens, and advocates who are not afraid to do the right thing.

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Farmer Award

Recipients: Emma Astrike-Davis, MD & Angel Miro Gonzalez, MD
Awarded to honor residents demonstrating extraordinary compassionate care, selected based on peer nominations.

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Fischer Awards

Awarded to residents demonstrating excellence in clinical teaching to medical student learners. Selected based on medical student feedback on teaching skills.

• PGY1: Mahalya Gogerly-Moragoda, MD
• PGY2: Rashmi Muthukkumar, MD
• PGY3: Pat Duggan, MD
• PGY4: Safiyya Adam, MD

Golden Boots Award

Recipient: Gus Hendrick, MD
Passed from recipient to recipient. Selected by those who prioritize excellent patient care over academic showboating.

From Christina Siems, MD (last year’s recipient): “This resident exemplifies what the golden boots represent every day through his unwavering dedication to patient care and his commitment to doing the right thing – even when ����’s difficult. He consistently treats patients with the compassion he would want for his own family. Many examples could be shared but a standout moment came when he found a patient alone with acute change in status, quickly recognized the need for emergent intervention and navigated the next steps with skill and professionalism, even in the face of hierarchy challenges. He leads by example, places patients first and upholds the highest standards of care and is so deserving of passing these boots to for another great year!”​

Golden Speculum Award

Recipient: Chloe West, MD
To honor the resident who performed the most cervical cancer screenings. This resident performed 12 pap smears this year alone!

James Bryan Award

Recipient: Kevin Wang, MD
Honoring a graduating senior resident demonstrating outstanding outpatient care and fierce patient ownership.

Marilyn and Paul Milowsky Award for Compassionate Care

Recipient: Ryanne Buckley, MD
Honoring a graduating resident who demonstrates excellence in clinical care, outstanding patient relationships, and exemplary compassion.

Ney Berkowitz Award

Recipient: Justin McCallen, MD
Honoring a graduating resident who demonstrates a commitment to academic excellence, a compassionate approach to patients, an inspirational effect on others, and who best exemplifies the qualities of a master resident teacher.

Ontjes Award

Recipient: Reaves Houston-Dixon, MD
Award recognizing an outstanding intern who has demonstrated well-rounded excellence in clinical care and commitment to medical education. Selected with input from faculty, peers, and medical student comments.

Order of the Golden Probe

Recipient: Richard Jensen, MD
Selected to honor a resident who displays incredible dedication to the practice and mastery of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), advocates for its use to advance bedside medicine, and educates others in this field.
For diagnosing a renal hemorrhage, teaching interns to place ultrasound-guided PIVs, and attending intern teaching more than any other resident.

Preliminary Intern Award

Recipient: Ayush Doshi, MD
Selected to honor a preliminary intern who displays the true spirit of what it means to be an internist.

WakeMed Resident Award

Recipient: Scott Taylor, MD
Award recognizing the most outstanding clinical performance at WakeMed, selected with input from the WakeMed teaching faculty.

Faculty

Fellow Award

Recipient: Steve Scarfone, MD

From the residents, “He prioritizes teaching and explains nuanced concepts in a way that actually resonates with both the resident teams and medical students. I wanted to personally highlight his availability, ease of communication, and willingness to put in the work for the betterment of patients (ie. writing H&Ps, calling family members, etc etc). Particularly in the wake of multiple overnight emergencies, he was not only available by phone but was immediately present at the bedside (usually with a probe in hand) and a plan in place.”​

Outpatient Faculty Awards

Recipients:��Katie Gill, MD & Michael Cunningham, MD

Inpatient Faculty Award

Recipient:Jonathan Parr, MD, MPH

From the residents,”When we had the time, Dr. Parr made sure to give us teaching opportunities both from the students and from himself. Learned a great deal about evidence-based infectious disease management and took field trips to see how medicine works from derm path to radiology.”

WakeMed Faculty Award

Recipient: Josh Whitham, MD

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������ Hospital Hillsborough Campus

Dr. Maureen Dale, director of the ������ Geriatrics Fellowship Program recently told NC Health News that many medical students aren’t exposed to geriatric medicine. On top of that, geriatricians typically receive lower compensation than other providers.

To boost the field’s profile Dr. Dale believes that medical students should get early exposure to geriatric medicine. As a result, this will hopefully help recruit more geriatricians to meet the growing demand for geriatric medical care.

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Drs. Simon Gray (left) and Jeffrey Jensen (right)

Jeffrey Jensen, MD, PhD, a hematology/oncology fellow, and Simon Gray, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, received ������ Physician Scientist Training Program awards. Dr. Gray received an Early-Stage Faculty award, and Dr. Jensen received a Resident/Fellowship Award, providing them with funds to support their research efforts for two years.

��A former PSTP fellow, Dr. Gray is now building upon the foundation of his prior work to investigate why some patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) do not respond to advanced therapies. Using a model he developed during his fellowship, Dr. Gray’s research seeks to understand the mechanisms of treatment failure in Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis and to identify new therapeutic targets.

Dr. Jensen’s’ research is focused on identifying and enhancing novel immunotherapeutic targets in NUT carcinoma. Through this work, Dr. Jensen aims to uncover new avenues for treatment in a disease where effective therapies are urgently needed.

Read more here.

A cross-disciplinary project led by��Thomas��Holowka,��MD, PhD, fourth-year fellow (PI) and��, MD, DTM&H,��associate professor (co-PI), will be piloting a service embedded within the ID clinic overseen by Claire Farel, MD, MPH, at Eastowne that is expected to diminish wait times for patients, and facilitate a more accurate diagnosis through a detailed patient history and exam. The project aims to use a cross-disciplinary approach to eventually reduce Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infections in ������ Hospitals. Their project is funded by a Pilot Innovation Award.

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