{"id":11656,"date":"2021-08-31T13:52:06","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T17:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurology\/?p=11656"},"modified":"2022-11-17T13:23:56","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T18:23:56","slug":"neurology-news-september-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/neurology\/neurology-news-september-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Neurology News \u2013 September 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"
The ºÚÁÏÍø Department of Neurology is an exciting and fulfilling place to work. Our clinical care mission requires a very large workforce with a wide variety of training and expertise. The dedicated teams that deliver service and care to our patients are the backbone of our ability to deliver on this mission. Without the outstanding contributions provided by schedulers, administrative assistants, referral coordinators, phlebotomists, medical assistants, technicians, case managers, program coordinators, social workers, nurses, advanced practice providers and physicians our patients cannot receive the care they need and deserve. Each type of work plays an integral position on the larger Neurology team and without a strong performance at each position, we cannot do well in our battle against neurological disease. Currently, there are many openings on this team waiting for an enthusiastic new member. If you have contacts with anyone who might join us, please encourage them to do so.<\/p>\n
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed incredible strain on the health care workforce. Each day we strive to maintain service and quality of care in spite of a continually shrinking workforce. We all work harder when our team is not fully staffed. In the face of increased workload and a sense that it is becoming difficult to see the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, it is important to be mindful of our mental health wellness. One piece of fortunate news on that front is that Dr. Jorge Almod\u00f3var-Su\u00e1rez, MD, has agreed to take on the role of \u201cwellness liaison.\u201d\u00a0 Dr. Almod\u00f3var will serve as the contact point for access to the School of Medicine and ºÚÁÏÍø Health System resources to assist providers in their pursuit of mental health wellness.<\/p>\n
In spite of these struggles, many exciting things are developing at ºÚÁÏÍø Neurology. First, we are expanding. We will be occupying larger ambulatory clinic spaces in Chapel Hill for both adult and child neurology this fall. Our newer programs in Wake County for adult (Panther Creek) and child (Blue Ridge) neurology are growing rapidly. Second, our trainees continue to achieve accolades for their teaching of medical students and ensuring patient safety through the SAFE report system. Third, our faculty continue to make critical contributions to advance our understanding of clinically relevant neuroscience and evidenced-based neurology practice (please see the research update below).<\/p>\n
Lastly, perhaps because of these exciting advances, or perhaps simply because the ºÚÁÏÍø Department of Neurology is such a great place to work, three faculty members transitioning into retirement have all decided to continue providing patient care in a more limited capacity. This includes Dr. Robert Greenwood and Dr. William Powers who completed phased retirement, and Dr. Brad Vaughn who entered the early retirement program.\u00a0While it is difficult to accept that these long-standing faculty leaders have moved on to the next phase, we are so fortunate that they will continue to share their time with our team.<\/p>\n