Department of Otolaryngology holds annual alumni conference; names awards

Stilianos Kountakis, M.D., Ph.D., served as the Philip M. Sprinkle Lectureship speaker for the WVU School of Medicine's Otolaryngology Alumni Conference that took place in June. Dr. Kountakis is the Porubsky Professor and Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Augusta University, Augusta, Ga.  He is a recognized international authority on diseases of the sinuses and skull base. 

Several WVU alumni participated in this event including: Dr. David Garnett, assistant professor at University of Kansas; Dr. Rick Fornelli, adjunct faculty, Erie, Penn.; Dr. Justin Douglas, Ronceverte, W.Va.; Dr. Chadi Makary, Martinsburg, W.Va.; Dr. Jenny Cross, Elkins, W.Va.; Dr. Jamey Cost, Hickory, N.C.; and, Dr. Ray Hinerman, Wheeling, W.Va. Current faculty members including Drs. Adam Cassis, Steven Coutras, Brian Kellermeyer, Rusha Patel also participated. In addition, resident physicians presented their research work at the conference. 

The residents presented Dr. Brian Kellermeyer with the Teacher-of-the-Year Award, and they chose

Executive Assistant, Deanna Dalton for the Resident Service Award. Three residents received recognition for outstanding research presentations. The Sobisa S. Hall Award went to Dr. Philip “Alex” Montague for his research project entitled “Invasion in Head and Neck Cancer.”  The Fortunata Lim Award went to Dr. Scott Shapiro for his research project entitled “Cost-Benefit Analysis of Gene Expression Classifier Testing of FNA-Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules.”  The Touma Foundation Award went to Dr. Benjamin Addicks for his project entitled "CT Scan in Pediatric CRS: How Often is it Being Used?”

The graduating senior residents, Drs. Christopher “Eric” Bailey, Kristen Honsinger and Herman Lam were honored at the banquet held in conjunction with the conference.  Two of them were accepted into fellowships for next year with Dr. Honsinger headed to Ohio State University for a pediatrics fellowship and Dr. Lam to Mittelman Plastic Surgery Center in California for a facial plastic surgery fellowship. Dr. Bailey will be joining the department as an assistant professor in January 2017.