Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Here are today’s updates:

• Stormont Vail Health Welcomes Ahmed Harazeen, M.D.
• Dr. Willingham’s Interview About Alzheimer’s Medication Clinical Trial
• July Healthcare Recognitions

Stormont Vail Health Welcomes Ahmed Harazeen, M.D.

Stormont Vail Health proudly welcomes Dr. Ahmed Harazeen, a board-certified neurologist specializing in diagnosing and managing various neurological conditions, to the Stormont Vail Neurology team.

Dr. Harazeen is a native Jordanian who grew up in the United Arab Emirates – and the first person in his family to enter the medical field. His deep-rooted desire to help others inspired him to become a physician at a young age – but neurology’s challenging and complex nature attracted him to his specialty.

“Neurology is more than understanding the brain, spinal cord, and nerves – it’s how to make sense of all symptoms you have and whether or not they fit certain diagnoses,” Dr. Harazeen said. “When someone comes in with a problem, whether it’s numbness, weakness, tingling, falling, I need to figure out what’s causing it – which inspired me to enter the medical field.”

After obtaining his medical degree at the University of Sharjah in the UAE, Dr. Harazeen moved to the United States to continue his medical education in Galveston, Texas, where he completed his internal medicine and neurology residencies at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Health. He then completed a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Harazeen is eager to help patients enjoy the quality of life they deserve through empathetic, expert, and effective disease management. His evidence-based approach to medicine and focus on authentic listening and patient-centered care will go a long way in supporting patients on their journey to wellness.

“I’ll always put patients first and treat them as if they’re my family members. I’ll always prioritize and listen to them, provide the best evidence-based options, and let them make their own choice.”

Dr. Harazeen is accepting new patients at Stormont Vail’s Cotton O’Neil Kanza Park, 2660 S.W. 3^rd Street, Topeka. To schedule an appointment, patients can call (785) 354-0550, option 1. 

Dr. Willingham’s Interview About Alzheimer’s Medication Clinical Trial

Dr. Katherine Willingham, Internal Medicine, was interviewed by WIBW-TV last week for a story about  donanemab, a drug recently approved by the FDA that has been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s in adults with early symptoms. Eli Lilly’s donanemab will be sold under the name Kisunla. Dr. Willingham has been involved in clinical trials at the Cotton O’Neil Clinic Research Center for dementia medications. To date, the Clinical Research Center has been involved in 11 such trials. Short-term memory loss is often an early sign for people who have Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Stormont Vail offers free memory screenings by appointment at the Clinical Research Center for anyone older than 50 concerned about memory loss or family history.

July Healthcare Recognitions

These special days, weeks, and months allow us to highlight the importance of our teams’ work and raise awareness about different annual health conditions and initiatives. If this month highlights the work of someone you know, we encourage departments to take some time to celebrate their teams and share their celebrations with the rest of the organization.

• Cord Blood Awareness Month
• Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
• National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
• UV Safety Month

This monthly list comes from the Calendar of Health Observances and Recognition Days by the Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD), a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association.

Just like we can’t include every health-related observance, we can’t express our appreciation for everyone who tirelessly supports our patients’ and community’s health, with or without recognition. Your commitment is truly commendable, and we are grateful for your efforts!

We together,
Dr.Kenagy