The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recently released an evidence-informed guide to combat burnout and improve the well-being of healthcare workers.  According to the CDC website, the Impact Wellbeing™ Guide: Taking Action to Improve Healthcare Worker Wellbeing, "...provides a step-by-step process for hospitals to start making organizational-level changes that will impact and improve the mental health of their employees." 

Click here to learn more.

SMA is currently accepting scholarship applications from medical students who will be entering their 3rd or 4th year of medical school. The deadline to apply is June 30. For complete information and to apply, click the button below!

SMA enables continued investment for its members in the future of medical and healthcare delivery by providing annual scholarship opportunities through its Research and Education Endowment Fund and supporting partners. Scholarships are awarded to medical students entering their third or fourth year in need of financial aid who exhibit both academic and leadership qualities.

The Southern Medical Association would like to wish you a wonderful Doctors' Day. Society owes their gratitude to you for your contributions in expanding the field of scientific knowledge and increasing the number of scientific tools, which aid in the fight against disease. Your compassion as a physician is looked upon with the utmost respect and importance.

SMA would like you to know how much your efforts are appreciated today and every day. Thank you for everything you do. 

Doctors’ Day was officially designated “National Doctors’ Day” by signed resolution of President George H. Bush on October 30, 1990. The very idea of Doctors' Day was created by members of the Southern Medical Association Barrow County, GA Alliance in an effort to bring recognition and express thanks to the leaders in their fields of medicine: Physicians.

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The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Rezdiffra (resmetirom) for the treatment of adults with noncirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with moderate to advanced liver scarring, to be used along with exercise and diet. 

According to the press announcement, "NASH is a result of the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease where liver inflammation, over time, can lead to liver scarring and liver dysfunction. NASH is often associated with other health problems such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. By at least one estimate, approximately 6-8 million people in the U.S. have NASH with moderate to advanced liver scarring, with that number expected to increase. Rezdiffra is a partial activator of a thyroid hormone receptor; activation of this receptor by Rezdiffra in the liver reduces liver fat accumulation."

Click here to view the FDA's announcement of Rezdiffra's approval.

SMA is now accepting abstracts for its 2nd Annual Virtual Abstract Competition being held August 7-9, 2024. The abstract submission deadline is June 14, 2024.

This preliminary competition is open to  medical students, residents, and fellows who will compete for a chance to present their projects at SMA’s Annual Scientific Assembly at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia in Atlanta, Georgia, October 24-26, 2024. 

The top 10 oral presentations and the top 10 poster presentations from this virtual event will advance and present in person at the Assembly for the opportunity to win monetary awards.

The submission deadline is Friday, June 14, 2024. Click HERE for complete guidelines and to submit an abstract. 

The Southern Medical Association (SMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Grace Howell, BA, to SMA’s Physician-in-Training Committee. 

Currently a second-year medical student at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Grace also serves as the Executive Operations Director of Student Health Coalition of Mississippi, a student-led initiative focused on enhancing health literacy in the community. 

Of wanting to join the Physicians-in-Training Committee, "I am eager to participate in and contribute to any organization devoted to equipping aspiring physicians with the essential traits of knowledge, empathy, and strength throughout their careers," Grace said. "Additionally, my personal involvement with the SMA has tremendously influenced my life. Surrounding myself with like-minded physicians who stand where I aspire to be, was incredibly encouraging and impactful."

The duties of the Physicians-in-Training Committee are to participate in the development and evaluation of educational activities and programming of the Association aimed at pre‐medical students, medical students, interns, residents, and fellows. The Physicians‐in‐Training Committee will assist the Association in building the Association’s Foundational Pillar that recognizes that physicians in training have importance, special needs, and concerns, and will support their growth and development in their future healthcare careers.

The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the Edwards EVOQUE Tricuspid Valve Replacement System – P230013.

According to the FDA's overview, the "EVOQUE valve is intended to treat patients with severely leaky tricuspid valve (tricuspid regurgitation) often caused by an enlarged heart or damaged native valve flaps (called leaflets)."

Additionally, the "EVOQUE valve could reduce the amount of blood that moves in the wrong direction through the tricuspid valve. As a result, the patient may have: improved quality of life, relief of symptoms such as tiredness or fatigue, [and] improved ability to exercise".

Click here to view the FDA's informational overview of this product.

The Southern Medical Association (SMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Sherrer, MD, MBA, to SMA’s Education Committee. 

Dr. Sherrer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His clinical interests include leadership, teamwork, and collaboration in the perioperative space, and his publications reflect those interests.

"I would like to work with SMA on creating a leadership curriculum for the physicians in training," Dr. Sherrer said of his interest in serving on SMA's Education Committee. "I think this will be a great bridge resource as they think about their futures as an attending physician."

Since 1906 the Southern Medical Association (SMA) has been dedicated to improving the lives of patients and we encourage you to nominate a physician colleague in the medical profession who is most worthy of recognition for outstanding accomplishments in the areas of original research, the Dr. Robert D. &  Mrs. Alma W. Moreton Original Research Award and Commemorative Lectureship. 

Established in 1961, this award recognizes those with original research in the field of clinical medicine or the basic sciences as applied to medicine. The physician chosen for this award will address a topic germane to the challenges facing medical professionals seeking to improve the health of individuals or the population within SMA’s geographic territory. Furthermore, the topic will be of interest to the broad range of medical specialties representing the SMA membership.

We truly believe that throughout your career, you have encountered many exemplary physicians. Please take a moment to complete the online nomination form by June 30, 2024, for someone who qualifies for this prestigious award. Only through your nomination will SMA be able to properly recognize a deserving physician whose hard work and dedication have improved the lives of so many. 

Please note that you do not need to be an SMA member to nominate someone, nor does the nominee need to be an SMA member. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Price.

Thank you for helping SMA recognize those who represent the highest professional standards in medicine.

The Southern Medical Association (SMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rodney Overstreet, BSN, CRNA, MNA, to SMA’s Education Committee. In his role as a Nurse Planner for the Committee, Rodney will play a role in SMA's expansion of educational programming to include contact hours and CEUs for nurses which are an integral aspect SMA's multidisciplinary, interprofessional approach to patient care.

Currently a CRNA at UAB Medical West, in Bessemer, Alabama, Rodney felt called to heal from a young age. He has spent his career putting people to sleep — and now he wants to help them wake up. "They taught us how to heal others, but neglected to teach us how to heal ourselves," he said.

Rodney's nonprofit, Heal Our Healers, aims to remedy this institutional illness. Rodney enjoys studying and lecturing on burnout, compassion fatigue, and PTSD in healthcare providers.

The Southern Medical Association (SMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rhonda Y. Williams, MBA, MSN, RN, to SMA’s Education Committee. In her role as a Nurse Planner for the Committee, Rhonda will play a role in SMA's expansion of educational programming to include contact hours and CEUs for nurses which are an integral aspect SMA's multidisciplinary, interprofessional approach to patient care.

Rhonda is an author, coach, emotional intelligence strategist, and international speaker. Her past life includes executive roles such as Chief Nursing Officer and Hospital CEO. After a pair of dueling life crises, Rhonda decided to STOP THE MADNESS! Rhonda is on a mission to assist organizations and leaders in the pursuit of leadership excellence through mastery of self and unbridled enthusiasm for learning. She is the CEO of Dream Life Leadership Academy, LLC and the founder of Leadership Above the Grind Training and Development Academy. Rhonda is a four-time author and the host of The Coffee with Rhonda Show.

"For the past 20 years, I've been an advocate for clinicians and the patient experience while serving in executive and consulting roles, she said of the expertise she brings to SMA's Education Committee. "I'm honored to continue serving in this new capacity."

SMA Services, Inc., is pleased to offer SMArt Solo(k), a  full-scope Qualified Retirement 401(k) Plan, for the solo-business owner:

• Includes all standard 401(k) features but packaged and affordable for the solo business owners (no W-2 employees, except a spouse)
• No compliance testing required
• No 5500 Forms to file (until assets reach $250,000, but we handle that for you!
• Full Investment Platform

For additional information, click here or email sales@sma.org.

With the start of the 1st quarter of the year, there are numerous 401(k) administration retirement plan compliance deadlines on the horizon.

Download a PDF of the Q1 2024 Compliance Deadlines

If you have questions or would like additional information about these compliance guidelines, please contact DeAnn Spence at dspence@sma.org.

The Southern Medical Association (SMA) is pleased to announce G. Waldon Garriss, III, MD, MS, MBA, MHA, as the Chair of the Association’s Education Committee.

Dr. Garriss is Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He most recently practiced internal medicine and pediatrics within the Wellstar health system in Marietta, Georgia and was Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, also in Marietta, Georgia.

A member of SMA since 2017, Dr. Garriss has served as a member of the Education Committee for more than six years, as well as a content reviewer for the Association. Additionally, Dr. Garriss has been instrumental in the creation of a scoring rubric to help standardize the SMA abstract review process. 

As a dually trained internal medicine and pediatric specialist who works as a clinician educator, Dr. Garriss has spent much of his career working to improve training for medical students, residents, fellows, and physicians in need of continuing medical education. Of his new role as the Education Committee Chair, Dr. Garriss said, “I enjoy collaborating with colleagues throughout the country to improve medical education and foster excellence,” 

The Southern Medical Association (SMA) is pleased to announce Buckley McCall, MD, as the Chair of SMA’s Physicians-in-Training Committee.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Columbia, Dr. McCall is a first-year resident at Prisma Health Internal Medicine Residency – Greenville. Actively involved with the Physicians-in-Training Committee since 2021, Dr. McCall has served as a content reviewer and session moderator. In addition, he was the leader of the Committee’s Outreach Subcommittee for two years. 

Mentorship will be a focus for Dr. McCall during his tenure as Chair. “I believe that we could establish a larger mentorship network within the SMA; this would serve to benefit all members of the organization, allowing for interactions between generations of medicine,” he said. “Above all, I am looking forward to being a part of the continual development of SMA this year.”

The duties of the Physicians-in-Training Committee are to participate in the development and evaluation of educational activities and programming of the Association aimed at pre‐medical students, medical students, interns, residents, and fellows. The Physicians‐in‐Training Committee will assist the Association in building the Association’s Foundational Pillar that recognizes that physicians in training have importance, special needs, and concerns, and will support their growth and development in their future healthcare careers.

In this podcast, Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) Editor-in-Chief Dr. Steven Baldwin is joined by Dr. Martin Olsen to discuss the topic of “Rise in Rate of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is Associated with Rise in Buprenorphine Prescription Numbers”. Dr. Olsen, a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at East Tennessee State University, has also co-authored an SMJ article on this subject that appears in the December 2023 issue.