Distinguished Young Alumni Award

Jade Cohen, MD, is a general psychiatrist at Prisma Health in the Midlands and clinical assistant professor in the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science. Cohen was born and raised in the Upstate of South Carolina and moved to Durham, NC, where she attended Duke University, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology with distinction. Following graduation, Cohen worked in research at Duke in the years prior to medical school matriculation at the School of Medicine Columbia. She had an early interest in psychiatry and after obtaining her medical degree in 2018, began her general psychiatry residency at Prisma Health.

During residency, Cohen assisted with medical student and resident education, engaged in academic research, and served on numerous committees, including the General Psychiatry Selection Committee, the Policy Evaluation Committee, and the Task Force for Anti-Racism Training and Education. She was elected assistant chief resident of the General Psychiatry Residency Program during her PGY-3 year and rose to chief resident during her PGY-4 year.

Cohen joined the Prisma Health faculty in 2022, providing emergency psychiatric services to patients in rural South Carolina via telemedicine. She now works primarily as an emergency psychiatrist at Prisma Health in the Midlands. Cohen has continued her involvement with resident and medical student education and finds this to be one of the most rewarding aspects of her career. 

Distinguished Young Alumni Award

Jodi Dingle, MD, is an assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics and division director of Pediatric Rheumatology at Prisma Health Children's Hospital in the Midlands. A native of Marissa, Ill., she attended Furman University where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Neuroscience in 2009, before earning her medical degree at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia in 2013. After completing medical school, she matched at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville for her general pediatrics residency. Dingle served as Chief Resident of the Vanderbilt Pediatrics Residency Program following completion of residency, and she remained at Vanderbilt to complete her three-year fellowship in pediatric rheumatology. During her fellowship, she completed the rigorous Harvard Macy Program for Educators in Health Professions. Her fellowship research focused on the use of debate as an educational tool to teach medical students about rheumatology and clinical decision-making.

After completion of her fellowship, Dingle returned to Columbia to establish the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, a specialty for which there has never been a full time provider in the Midlands. This new division helped to greatly expand access to care for patients with rheumatologic conditions. Dingle actively participates in teaching and mentorship within the pediatrics residency program and with the School of Medicine Columbia. Outside of work, Dingle enjoys sewing, music and spending time with her family.

Distinguished Master’s Alumni Award

Troy Hall, MRC, CRC, serves as the director of Youth Transition Programs at Able SC, directing the organization’s transition programs, advocating for equitable and evidence-based education and transition services, and establishing collaborative community relationships to ensure quality outcomes with transition-age consumers. He started employment at Able SC in August 2018 and has built excellent relationships and partners with local doctors, recovery service providers, and LGBTQIA+ advocacy agencies.

Hall graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia with his Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling in May of 2020 and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. He worked with the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department before joining Able SC and believes that everyone in the disability community should have equal access to opportunities and resources to exercise their agency and achieve their goals.

When he isn’t at work, Hall spends time playing board games, wrestling socks from his four dogs and searching for the perfect cup of coffee in Greenville.

Distinguished Genetic Counseling Alumni Award

Allison Bellomo, MS, CGC, graduated from Furman University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2007, before obtaining her Master’s of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia Genetic Counseling Program in 2009. Upon graduation, she began clinical hereditary cancer genetic counseling at the Greenwood Genetic Center – Greenville Office. Bellomo obtained certification through the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2010 and transitioned to pediatric and adult genetic counseling in the same office at the Greenwood Genetic Center. She was employed by the Center for almost 10 years before transitioning to the Prisma Health Upstate Cancer Institute in 2019, where she is currently employed as a hereditary cancer genetic counselor. 

Bellomo has served as a lead supervisor for genetic counseling students in the USC program as part of their required clinical rotations since 2010, and she has also provided lectures for the online course Genetic Counseling: Career for the Future through the program. She is a strong advocate for her profession and has spearheaded efforts to garner state licensure for genetic counselors in South Carolina since 2012. Bellomo has also advocated for the genetic counseling profession at the national level, speaking to congressmen regarding CMS/Medicare recognition of genetic counselors as providers.

Bellomo, who is married with three young children, resides in Greenville. She is active in her local church and involved in multiple extracurricular activities that her children participate in.

Distinguished Doctorate Alumni Award

Carolyn Banister, PhD, is a distinguished biomedical scientist and health care leader dedicated to advancing research and health care equity. She earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia in 2009, where she also served as a student representative on the Alumni Board from 2007-09. Her graduate thesis, under the guidance of Dr. Kim Creek, focused on HPV persistence in college-aged women. Banister's research revealed that African American women face challenges in clearing HPV, contributing to higher cervical cancer rates.

Following her studies at the School of Medicine, she conducted post-doctoral research at Brown University, exploring genetic and epigenetic factors impacting fetal growth. Returning to USC, she continued to focus on health disparities, specifically on the increased rates of colon cancer incidence disproportionately affecting African Americans.

From 2020-22, Banister led a major COVID testing facility serving USC and other universities across South Carolina, showcasing her commitment to public health. Currently, she is pursuing certification as a clinical high-complexity lab director, aiming to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice. Her goal is to bring innovative diagnostic tests to the clinic and validate them at the University of South Carolina.

Banister's career exemplifies her dedication to scientific excellence and health care equality. Her research has had a profound impact on public health, and her leadership during the COVID pandemic highlights her commitment to the well-being of her community. She continues to inspire positive change in biomedical sciences and health care.

Distinguished Physician Alumni Award

Originally from the Midlands of South Carolina, Patricia Bouknight, MD, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Columbia College and went on to obtain her medical degree from the USC School of Medicine Columbia in 1994. She is a first-generation college graduate.

Bouknight completed her residency at the Spartanburg Family Medicine Residency Program in 1997, where she served as co-chief resident and received recognition for her performance in obstetrics and the South Carolina Academy of Family Practice (SCAFP) Award for Outstanding Resident. She next joined the program’s faculty, practicing full-scope family medicine including primary care, inpatient medicine, newborn nursery and obstetrics.

For further professional development, Bouknight completed a faculty development fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later the Association of Family Medicine Program Directors’ National Institute of Program Director Development.  

Throughout her 26-year career, she has held multiple roles including program faculty, medical director, lab director, associate program director and program director. She was instrumental in obtaining Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) certification for SRHS clinics in the upstate and initiated the first quality improvement-continuing medicine education (Q(-CME) for the hospital system. 

Bouknight is currently the program director of the Spartanburg Family Medicine Residency Program where she is passionate about family medicine education and training residents and medical students. She has a special interest in women’s health, outpatient primary care and quality improvement. Her contributions to the field have been nationally recognized through numerous presentations and publications.  She is also actively involved in local and state committees and currently serves the Board Chair and Immediate Past President of the SCAFP.  

In addition to her professional contributions, Bouknight has shown a commitment to community initiatives.  Last year on her fifth anniversary as a breast cancer survivor, she rappelled down a 10-story building as part of Over the Edge Upstate to raise both breast cancer awareness and funds for the Cancer Association of Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties. 

Bouknight lives in Spartanburg and has two adult daughters. In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, baking and traveling.

Distinguished Humanitarian Alumni Award

Fozia Saleem-Rasheed, MD, is a practicing neonatologist at William Beaumont Children’s Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.  

Saleem-Rasheed received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and her path to a career in medicine led her to the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia where she received her medical degree in 1999. 

Saleem-Rasheed completed her residency in pediatrics at William Beaumont Children’s Hospital in 2002 and went on to practice general pediatrics in the community for three years before beginning a neonatology fellowship at the University of Michigan.

After rejoining William Beaumont Children’s Hospital as an attending neonatologist in 2008, Saleem-Rasheed sought opportunities to pursue her interest in global health and humanitarian work. She partnered with organizations such as PCRF (Palestinian Children's Relief Fund) and Med Global to do medical mission work, and these collaborations allowed her to not only raise funds but also travel alongside her American colleagues across the globe, engaging in teaching and furthering her own knowledge.

One of her most recent and impactful experiences took her to Karachi, Pakistan, and the renowned Indus Hospital. This institution serves the impoverished and disenfranchised population of Karachi, a city with over 15 million residents, and does so entirely free of charge. Along with her Med Global Colleagues, Saleem-Rasheed led a training course titled Helping Babies Breathe at Indus Hospital. This course, aimed at preparing individuals in remote areas for neonatal resuscitation, has not only saved countless lives but also facilitated access to healthcare in underserved regions.

Alumni Association Honorary Life Membership Award

Les Hall, MD, retired from his positions as dean of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia and chief academic officer of Prisma Health in the Midlands in 2023 following more than eight years of service to the school and hospital system.

Hall joined the USC School of Medicine in February 2015. As Dean, he led the education, research, and clinical missions at the school, including all academic and research programs, and supported the growth of undergraduate medical education. He also served as chief academic officer for Prisma Health in the Midlands, clinical partner with the School of Medicine, overseeing the training of the school’s medical students and residents in more than 24 residency and fellowship programs.

Hall received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and completed an internal medicine residency at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Prior to his time at USC, he previously served as a member of the University of Missouri-Columbia faculty, holding several leadership positions including interim dean and senior associate dean for clinical affairs at the MU School of Medicine and chief medical officer of MU Health Care.

Hall’s academic work has focused on advancing interprofessional education, especially in the areas of quality improvement, patient safety and teamwork.

He has been married to his wife Rose Ann for 45 years. Their two children, Peter Hall and Valerie Granger, also live in South Carolina.