Resident Luke Gatta, MD, Receives Professionalism Award; Urogynecology Fellow Rebecca Meekins, MD, Awarded 2019 PFD Research Foundation Grant
Resident Luke Gatta, MD, was selected to receive one of the 2018-2019 Clinical Skills Foundation course Professionalism Awards. Second-year medical students in CSF select faculty and house staff who demonstrate exceptional professional behavior in the clinical setting. This year there were 43 attendings and 44 residents nominated.
CSF teaches professionalism, and the goal of the course is to develop physicians who will treat patients with respect. The award recognizes appreciation of professionalism not only in the care of patients, but also in serving as a role model for future physicians at Duke.
The American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) has named Urogynecology Fellow Rebecca Meekins, MD, a recipient of the prestigious Pelvic Floor Disorders Foundation Fellow Research Award in the amount of $25,000.
The 2019 PFD Research Foundation Grant will fund Dr. Meekins project on the OASIS Prediction Model titled “A Prediction Model and Electronic Calculator for Risk of Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries.”
"Obstetric anal sphincter injuries are relatively rare but can have a devastating impact on a woman's pelvic floor function and quality of life. We hope that by building a clinically useful prediction model and decision tool, we can better understand who is at risk and use this information to improve counseling and effectively target prevention strategies," Meekins stated.
AUGS is the premier non-profit organization representing professionals dedicated to treating female pelvic floor disorders. Founded in 1979, AUGS represents more than 1,900 members, including practicing physicians, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, nurses and health care professionals, and researchers from many disciplines.
For members and constituents, AUGS is the primary source of clinical and scientific information and education in Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (URPS).
In addition to funding from AUGS, Dr. Meekins’ research received funding from the PDC Outcomes Research Team (PORT). The PORT initiative seeks to provide Duke clinicians with reporting tools to enhance their productivity in data collection and analysis.