A publicAtion of the heritAge college of osteopAthic Medicine fAll 2012

Special iSSue: Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s Gift

WelcOme,

Dean Johnson

o h i o u n i v e r s i t y

Visit Ohio University Medicine online for web-exclusive and multimedia content. www.oucom.ohiou.edu/oum

OUM

Ready for rotationsMeredith Merkley, OMS III, above, scrubs in with her classmates in the new Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center (see page 6). In preparation for clinical rotations, third year students spent four weeks in an intensive clinical skills orientation, tying sutures, administering IVs, performing advanced cardiac life support and more. Merkley began rotations within the Southeast Ohio CORE site, starting with O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in August.

John Kemerer, D.O., to the left, assistant professor of family medicine and medical director of Campus Care, instructs Amy Simpson on bandaging the arm of her sister, Sarah. Both are third-year students.

Fall 2012Vol. 29, Issue 1

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Disappearing Act? HardlyDr. Jack Brose speaks about his years as dean and his new role at Ohio University

Priority Number One:Leading the transformation of primary careOU-HCOM’s efforts to increase the number of primary care physicians and transform primary care education

The Physician-Scientists of Tomorrow: Setting a course to transform research and research educationThe college develops four key research areas that support and train its future doctors

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From the Dean

College Check-up Welcome, Dean Johnson!Developments Against DiabetesQ&A: Erin Murphy, Ph.D.The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship

FeaturesThe GiftPriority Number OneThe Physician-Scientists of TomorrowDisappearing Act?

Follow-upA Shared Vision: The Promise LivesClass NotesA Special Touch of Leadership

Features

3Fall 2012

From the Dean

Welcome, Dean Johnson!When Kenneth Johnson, D.O., was asked why

he wanted to become dean of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, he said it came down to one simple answer.

“Why wouldn’t I want to be dean?”The college is primed to accomplish great

things, Dr. Johnson said, and the next several years promise significant changes through the $105 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations. Topping the list is the opening of two new extension campuses in central and northeastern Ohio. Additionally, OU-HCOM will expand research into diabetes and musculoskeletal disorders and diseases, enhance the curriculum and create new dual degree programs and scholarships.

“One of the things that makes this time uniquely exciting is that this college has always been focused on producing primary care physicians as a core part of its mission, and in health care today, the focus is on primary care,” he said. “So it’s almost like the moon, the sun and the stars have aligned for OU-HCOM to do some really great things.”

“For me this is an incredibly exciting opportunity to help lead a college that has such potential to impact osteopathic medical education, the way we train primary care physicians and how we do medical education in general. The most important thing is the impact we can have on patient care and how we care for people who need it the most,” said Dr. Johnson, himself a family practice physician who will have dual appointments in both the Family Practice and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine departments.

An important task for the college, Dr. Johnson observed, is how to effectively manage three campuses. Dr. Johnson recalled a question that a medical student asked him his first day on the job at

OU-HCOM: “What is going to happen to the great family atmosphere we have here?”

“One of the biggest things that attracted me to this position was the family atmosphere that is here. The state’s osteopathic community has a really strong sense of family as well. I would like to preserve the past while working towards the future and keep that family atmosphere,” Dr. Johnson said.

“The concept that I have on the table right now is, ‘three campuses, one college.’ I want to work really hard to unify the three campuses. Each of the campuses will have their differences; to make them all the same would not be right. But we need to build on the strength that comes from the different campuses,” he said. “The best ways for us to connect is through technology, and make that triangle of the three campuses connect in real time.”

“Having a robust network of health system partners will allow us to do medical education in a way nobody else can” — Kenneth Johnson, D.O.

Pointing to technology like smartphones and iPads, Dr. Johnson said the college has the ability to start training students in the media they’ll be using when they walk onto hospital floors. “With the ability for us to video conference, Skype, webcast, podcast … we have a better ability to give students information at the need-to-know time. We can draw on visuals, on video, to really prepare people,” he said.

College Check-up

“But we don’t want to get the computer screen between the physician and the patient,” Dr. Johnson emphasized. “It would be much better if the physician and the patient are looking at the screen together and making discoveries together. And that’s how we’ll try to balance it. “

Dr. Johnson also wants to continue to build upon the strong relationship OU-HCOM shares with its many partners in the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) system.

“Having a robust network of health system partners will allow us to do medical education in a way nobody else can,” said Dr. Johnson, who has a vision of better linking undergraduate and graduate medical education. “For example, exceptional students could enter a track that links the two directly. First year medical students in this track would know the residency they are going to enter. The link would be seamless.”

Dr. Johnson brings to his new position a distinctive background with extensive experience as a physician, teacher and national leader in osteopathic medical education. He currently sits on the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), where he first learned of OU-HCOM’s plans for the new central Ohio extension campus. “I was there when [Dean Emeritus Jack Brose] presented the expansion ideas to COCA, and I liked the ideas that were put forward at that time, before the search process for the dean’s position began.”

He also is the vice chair of the AOA Bureau of Osteopathic Graduate Medical Education Development, treasurer and past president of the American Academy of Osteopathy, and a member of the Blue Ribbon Commission for the Advancement of Osteopathic Medical

(continued next page)

September 2012

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I am honored to be a part of Ohio’s osteopathic medical school and very thankful for the warm welcome from the college and university community, from the Athens community and from the medical community in Ohio.

The students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends at OU-HCOM inspire me with their ideas, energy and drive. I am particularly impressed with the effort leading to the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift, which we believe to be the single largest gift in history to support primary care medical education.

OU-HCOM is indeed in a very special place at an incredible time. I am blessed with this opportunity to work with you as we build on our successes and take this college to even higher levels of leadership in medical education. This is our time to innovate, to take advantage of the unique opportunities that lie ahead and to truly think differently as we put our many initiatives into action.

There are three things that we will do as we move into the future:• Growininnovativeways• Transformosteopathicmedicaleducation• Ultimately,makeasignificantimpactonthecareofpatientsintheUnitedStatesWe have both new and long-standing relations with great partners that add

significant depth and breadth to our organization. As we lead the transformation of osteopathic medical education and primary care, we look to build on these great relationships and collaborate in new and deeply meaningful ways.

We are a place of growth and change, a learning community dedicated to the best experiences possible—for our students, residents and ultimately our patients. If you want to be part of shaping the future of this college, there is no better time than now to join us. I look forward to getting to know you and discovering new possibilities together.

Kenneth Johnson, D.O.Dean, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Ohio University Medicine Fall 2012, Vol. 29, Issue 1Ohio University Medicine is published twice a year by the Office of Communication of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

EditorKaroline Lane, M.L.S.

DesignJeff Brown

PhotographyTaehoon KimKaroline LanePatrick OdenJohn SattlerBen Wirtz Siegel

Writers & EditorsJoshua ArmstrongHeide AungstMichael Bou-Nacklie Elizabeth BoyleTim CreamerRobin Devine, D.O. (’97)Kate FoxRichard HeckAaron KrumheuerKaroline Lane, M.L.S.Sydney WebberWriterGirl & Associates

AdministrationRoderick McDavis, Ph.D.President, Ohio University

Kenneth Johnson, D.O. Dean, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Karoline Lane, M.L.S.Director, Office of Communication

Marie GrahamAssociate Director, Design Services/Office of Communications

Opinions expressed in Ohio University Medicine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect viewpoints of the editors or official policy of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

© 2012 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Editorial Office: 210 Irvine Hall, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 45701

Address updates for Ohio University Medicine should be referred to Sheila Bycofski, OU-HCOM, 210 Irvine Hall Athens, Ohio, 45701, 740.593.2346 or bycofski@ohio.edu

4

Medical ResearchBuilding the research effort to squash Chagas disease—and the bugs that carry it

Called “kissing bugs” because of the way they often bite lips to suck the blood of their victims, triatomine insects carry within them a vicious protozoan parasite that infects millions in the Americas and causes Chagas disease.

A controversial journal article published this past May describes the spread of Chagas as “the new AIDS” for the lack of attention it receives, just like the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Mario Grijalva, Ph.D. (’97), professor of microbiology and director of the Tropical Disease Institute (TDI), has long made this deadly disease a top priority. He recently received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to expand the Center for Infectious Disease Research (CIDR) in Ecuador, a joint facility of OU-HCOM and the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) in Quito.

Each year since 1999, Dr. Grijalva has led a team of more than 30 researchers, scientists, medical students and other students

rural, underserved populations and especially those living in poverty. In Ecuador, some 200,000 are infected, and as many as 300,000 have Chagas in the United States. A chronic disease that can be deadly if untreated, Chagas can lead to cardiac and intestinal complications like cardiomyopathy, the gradual deterioration of the myocardium, which causes heart failure.

The five-year, $750,000 NIH grant will significantly expand researchers’ work. Called the Global Infectious Diseases Training grant from the Fogarty International Center at the

Mario Grijalva, Ph.D., right, with team members at the construction site of an expanded center for infectious disease research.

Education. The commission, established by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, identifies unique opportunities for the osteopathic profession to offer leadership in medical education designed to improve the health of the U.S. population in the 21st century.

At the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM), where he earned his degree in 1992, Dr. Johnson served as associate dean for educational programs and vice dean, preceded by positions as associate dean of clinical education and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. He provided leadership over many diverse areas, including graduate medical education, faculty development, clinical education and UNECOM’s osteopathic postdoctoral training institution, where he developed new training sites and strengthened existing locations. Other accomplishments include leading the seven-year accreditation process, which resulted in six commendations and no requirements, reorganization of graduate medical education and development of a new master’s degree program in medical education leadership.

Prior to working at UNECOM, Dr. Johnson served as chief medical officer of Health Access Network in Lincoln, Maine, where he implemented an electronic medical record and electronic practice management system and developed a rural geriatrics program. Before that, while at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine, Dr. Johnson won AOA approval to establish the first AOA/Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved family medicine program in Maine, and developed the first Plus-One program in a dually approved AOA/ACGME program in the nation.

“We are living in incredibly exciting times,” Dr. Johnson observed. “We’re growing, we’re changing, and that growth and change is partly what attracted me to this position in the first place. I’m going to challenge people to think of medical education in creative ways.”

to Ecuador to join forces with about 70 local professionals and students to study the transmission, diagnosis and treatment of Chagas. During his most recent trip to Ecuador this past summer, Dr. Grijalva and his team worked with local authorities in three villages in Loja province, conducting research into designing a new housing model that is impervious to the triatomine insects, as home invasion is one of the main causes of infection. In addition, Katy Kropf, D.O. (’02), assistant professor of family medicine, and David Drozek, D.O. (’83), assistant professor of surgery, participated in bringing clinical care and Chagas disease screening to around 700 people in four additional villages.

Beyond insects, Chagas can be transmitted from mother to child and from contaminated blood transfusions. The World Health Organization has cited Dr. Grijalva’s previous efforts to improve testing procedures as an example for best practices and guidelines for blood supply safety.

The Centers for Disease Control estimate that between 8 and 11 million people in Mexico, Central America and South America are infected with Chagas disease, mainly in

Grijalva said. “Those researchers that I have been training for so many years are already researchers on their own right. Now my role is to facilitate so their projects are a success.”

The new program means expanded opportunities for OU-HCOM medical students, faculty and researchers to travel to Ecuador to provide clinical care and conduct research, Dr. Grijalva said. The NIH funding will support four post-doctoral fellows who will join CIDR staff and help implement a master’s degree program at PUCE and provide funding for a student from Ecuador to earn a Ph.D. from Ohio University as well.

The partners are also making global awareness an integral part of their strategy for fighting the disease. They hosted the second national meeting on infectious disease and tropical medicine research on June 20 to 22 at PUCE. Approximately 500 researchers, scientists, governmental officials and students attended, travelling from the United States, Europe and other Latin American countries.

“We need to raise awareness and promote the improvement of health care, research and acceptance of the problem by getting people working together and talking with one another,” Dr. Grijalva said. “This was a meeting of the minds and a way to encourage collaboration.”

NIH, it will help increase the critical mass of researchers in Ecuador that is needed to obtain biological and clinical information to improve current disease control efforts, and it will implement a new training program in infectious disease research.

“Multidisciplinary research is going to be necessary to improve Chagas disease control efforts in Ecuador,” said Dr. Grijalva. “With this grant and together with PUCE, we can conduct that research. We also mean to substantially increase the country’s research capacity with a training program that will build a corps of infectious disease researchers and well-trained technical personnel.”

The new program will be housed in a 90,000 square foot building that is currently under construction by PUCE on its new campus near Quito. Slated to open in late 2013, the four story facility will house the labs and offices of 22 principal investigators, associated staff and research trainees, including those currently located at CIDR. Its mission is to be one of the most advanced research facilities in South America, Dr. Grijalva said.

“One of the very nice things is to see how all these seeds I’ve planted for a very long time are starting to grow and bear fruit,” Dr.

College Check-up

ohio university medicine 5Fall 2012

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Rendering of the new facility in Quito, Ecuador.

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Medical Imaging LabThe future of medical education has arrived

with the renovation of the Medical Imaging Lab (right). In April 2011, the former teaching wet lab on the first floor of Grosvenor Hall was transformed into a state-of-the-art venue that extends far beyond the conventional study of microanatomy with microscopes and physical slides of tissues. The changes are part of a larger shift in medical education towards “virtual microscopy,” which uses digital technology to simulate a microscope’s ability to scan tissues across a wide range of magnifications. The lab includes a camera-mounted instructor’s microscope and video screens so that the entire class can participate in the same exploration. A new ceiling-mounted camera projects up-close views of larger specimens or procedures to an entire class. The tables angled toward the presenter’s podium encourage conversation. The expanded functionality of the space also makes it a perfect venue for radiology reviews, histology, interactive experiences, mock grand rounds and question and answer sessions.

Top: Faculty monitoring students as they examine simulated patients. Middle left: new waiting room for patients in the Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center and Community Clinic. Bottom: students enter three of the six new patient simulation rooms.

Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center and Community Clinic

A $2.3 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations doubled the size of the Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center and Community Clinic. The new facility, which opened in April 2011, features a simulated emergency room, operating room, scrub station and state-of-the-art medical technology including electronic medical records and seven training mannequins. The new space is also the new home for the Heritage Community Clinic, the college’s free clinic program. Dual-use spaces mean that patients, physicians, health care providers and students enjoy newly appointed exam rooms and one of the most beautiful waiting rooms in Athens. This transformation is already making a significant impact on the community. Clinical services have increased by 36 percent including childhood immunization programs, breast cancer screenings, childhood obesity programs and diabetes screenings and treatment, to name just a few.

Campus CareIn August 2010, sweeping changes reshaped

Ohio University students’ on-campus health care when OU-HCOM assumed responsibility for student health services from the university’s Division of Student Affairs. OU-HCOM contracted University Medical Associates, Inc., a not-for-profit organization of clinical faculty members from the college, to provide administration and high-quality health care tailored for students’ needs through a new specialty unit called Campus Care.

The change meant new staff, renovated facilities, new and expanded services and hours and ultimately, shorter wait times. Students have access to a wide range of services, including urgent care, primary care, women’s health care, allergy testing, shots and immunizations, osteopathic manipulative therapy and confidential and free HIV testing. The new clinic has an expanded pharmacy with retail services and is open six days a week during the school year. Students can now even schedule appointments and access medical records online.

Right: University Medical Associates Campus Care staff include; Dave Stroh, D.O (’83); Amy Nicholson, CNP; Krista Duval, D.O. (’01); Jane Balbo, D.O. (’07); and Diana Hobden, CNP. Below: Craig Chappell, D.O., and Dr. Stroh, during a reception introducing the newly renovated facility.

TransformaTion in EvEry CornErAnyone who visits the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine can see that the physical transformation on campus is more than just a rhytidectomy. Recent “face lifts” and service upgrades to three key facilities are helping fulfill OU-HCOM’s promise of becoming a leader in medical education, research and community health.

College Check-up

9Fall 2012

Medical ResearchNovel treatment inspires hope for new diabetics

Insulin: what is normally a last resort in diabetes treatment may be the key to a powerful and cost efficient first response.

So believes Jay Shubrook, D.O. (’96), who is the primary investigator for INSPIRE Diabetes, a clinical trial sponsored by Sanofi-Aventis examining the benefits of short-term intensive insulin therapy on long-term diabetes management.

“If INSPIRE works, it could change the entire treatment paradigm of diabetes,” said Dr. Shubrook, director of clinical research at OU-HCOM.

Normally, a type 2 diabetes patient starts with one medication, such as metformin, to control glucose levels and has to increase his or her medications over time. Finally, when “stacking meds” is no longer effective, doctors prescribe insulin therapy.

In 2006 a patient came to Dr. Shubrook with severe hyperglycemia. Out of necessity, he administered insulin first and was soon shocked at how easy it was to get the patient off insulin. That’s what sparked the idea, he said.

INSPIRE Diabetes is ongoing until June 2013, and his team is still recruiting volunteers from Ohio and California. They have 19 type 2 diabetes patients in the study and hope to gather 30. Each is randomly chosen to receive either medication or insulin.

In Dr. Shubrook’s previous case series, newly diagnosed diabetics received 12 weeks of intensive insulin therapy, and many had long periods of normal glucose after the insulin was stopped. In fact, two patients had stable glucose levels for over four years—with no additional insulin or medication. It is like forcing diabetes into remission.

Many doctors consider administering insulin therapy at the disease’s onset an aggressive approach. The worry is that blood glucose levels will drop too low, forcing the patient’s body into hypoglycemia, which can provoke confusion, fainting, dizziness or the risk of slipping into a coma.

But Dr. Shubrook, who sees patients through the University Medical Associates Diabetes/Endocrine Center and through the Heritage Community Clinic, recognized patients were willing to try a new, even unconventional approach to fighting the disease if it could stem the effects they had seen on a frightening number of family members, friends and neighbors living in Appalachia.

When the trial reaches its end, Dr. Shubrook plans to publish the results with the American Diabetes Association. So far, it appears safe and effective to treat patients with insulin at the onset of diabetes without increased rates of hypoglycemia and the weight gain typically seen when it is used as a last resort.

“What I don’t know is if early insulin will change the progression of type 2 diabetes,” Dr. Shubrook said. “But there are early indicators that it might, and that could have a profound impact on treatment.”

Founded in 2004 by Frank Schwartz, M.D., J.O. Watson Chair for Diabetes Research and professor of endocrinology, and Dr. Shubrook, who is also an associate professor of family medicine, the fellowship is one of only three such programs nationally to focus on training family physicians, internists and pediatricians in clinical diabetes care and research. It is the only such program at an osteopathic medical school.

The one-year program prepares physicians through extensive clinical training in diabetes management and research. Diabetes Fellows train and work alongside other diabetes-related specialists including endocrinologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists and wound care specialists to learn diabetes management skills and conduct research that they may not have experienced in their residencies. Under faculty supervision, fellows devote more than half of their time to diabetes patient care at either the Diabetes Institute or one of the partner hospitals.

Developments AgAinst DiAbetes

In August 2011, O’Bleness Memorial Hospital became OU-HCOM’s partner for the fellowship program and pledged $265,457over five years to support collaborative training through the Diabetes Fellowship Program. OU-HCOM will provide matching funding and other resources, including facilities in the college’s Osteopathic Heritage Foundations and Charles R. and Marilyn Y. Stuckey Academic and Research Center.

A year later in August 2012, a pledge from Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg, W.Va., made possible a second fellowship. That physician will gain experience in Camden Clark’s existing diabetes care program and Diabetes Wellness Center.

“One of our long range goals is to develop a new, accredited primary care sub-specialty called diabetology,” Dr. Schwartz said. “It is critical that we recognize that diabetes care is a specialized and highly complex disease requiring unique clinical and research training to meet the crisis we face as a nation. The Diabetes Fellowship Program can provide a model to design sub-specialty training that is both current and innovative.”

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College Check-up

Diabetes Education Hospitals partner to expand Diabetes Fellowship program

It has been reported that only eight percent of the 25.8 million people diagnosed with diabetes ever see a specialist, and increasingly those affected are looking to their primary care physicians for help. The need for more primary care physicians with expertise in diabetes management is imperative. OU-HCOM is directly addressing this need by expanding their innovative Diabetes Fellowship Program.

“Our goal is to take primary care physicians and provide them with a greater depth and breadth of experience in diabetes care,” said Jay Shubrook, D.O. (’96), the director of the fellowship program. “With the expansion of our program, our fellows get the best research focus and rural clinical training here at OU-HCOM.”

Shagun Bindlish, M.D., latest diabetes fellow in the Department of Specialty Medicine.

Amber Healy, D.O., latest diabetes fellow and assistant professor of diabetology.

A Growing EpidemicAccording to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 25 million people in the United States—about 8% of the population—have diabetes. More than 1.9 million are newly diagnosed each year, with another seven million people who don’t even know they have the disease.

In Appalachian Ohio, the rate of diabetes rises well above the national average to 11% of the population. OH-HCOM researchers with the college and other university researchers found that diabetic patients in the region also had higher rates of depression for longer periods of time and increased risks for long-term complications such as dental disease, kidney disease, nervous system disorders, blindness, limb amputation, heart disease and strokes.

College Check-upQ & AErin Murphy, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Bacteriology, Department of Biomedical SciencesA two-year meningitis outbreak on the Ohio University campus resulted in seven documented cases and the death of an undergraduate student before it peaked in 2010. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) came to campus to study the outbreak. The unusual thing about the Ohio University outbreak, and what prompted the CDC’s interest, was that each case involved a rare strain of the meningitis bacteria, Neisseria meningitidis sera group B. After completing an initial study, the CDC canceled their plan to determine the percentage of the student body that carried the virus. However, Dr. Murphy was interested in such an analysis and was prepared to conduct a similar study. She is still working to this day, backed by Athens City-County Health Commissioner James Gaskell, M.D., and with lab space in Irvine Hall provided by the college. Dr. Murphy is applying for grant funding to continue the study.

OUM: What made the outbreak at Ohio University unique?

EM: This meningitis bacteria is carried by about 20 percent of the population at any given time. However, sera group B is only carried in two to three percent. It was unusual that the illness of each Ohio University student was caused by this rare strain, which is also not covered by the meningitis vaccine.

Will the study determine if the Ohio University community is a greater carrier of the rare strain of the bacteria?

Yes, especially because as a population, we were exposed to it in 2010. The question becomes, do we have a higher than average rate for carriage of sera group B? We know from literature that if there is a higher than average carriage rate, then there is a higher than average infection rate.

How else is this study important?Ultimately, the information will help

protect the health of students on campus. Also, we can let local physicians and health departments know if our study shows that we have a higher than average carriage rate. That knowledge would put them on guard should they see anybody presenting with what looks like meningitis. Knowing we have a higher than average carriage rate should move the diagnosis further up their differential list. It will also provide a baseline study of our carriage rate if a future outbreak happens.

Tell us about involving medical students in the study.

The study is an excellent opportunity for me to work with future physicians in a research and education campaign. Approximately 32 medical students are helping us collect samples, and we just couldn’t do this without them. We’re also educating undergraduates on the signs and symptoms of meningitis. In February, we started collecting samples from students living in undergraduate dorms. We’re analyzing those samples to see if Neisseria meningitidis is present and, specifically, sera group B. We should have the initial results in August, but since this is a pilot study, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to draw statistically significant conclusions. We hope the data will convince a funding agency that we have the expertise to do a larger, three-year study to see if the carriage pattern changes.

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Your work on Shigella bacteria, which causes a life-threatening diarrheal disease, garnered a lot of attention earlier this year. How is this project different from that?

The Neisseria study is a totally different area for me. I’ve been trained to do very fine molecular work, looking at molecular pathways. The idea of surveying a population for carriage at the human population macro level is really different for me and has expanded my research repertoire. I think of all these projects as big puzzles. It’s thrilling to find the piece of the puzzle that’s missing. When you have even the smallest breakthrough in the lab, it fuels you for the next several months to keep going. Especially if a student has a breakthrough moment, that’s really exciting.

ohio university medicine

Tour for Diversity in Medicine mentor reaches out to minority students

Last February, Tyree M.S. Winters, D.O. (’07), traveled more than 1,000 miles by bus through the south for the inaugural Tour for Diversity in Medicine (TDM), in an effort to boost the percentage of minority students in medical and dental schools.

The initiative was started by two of Winters’ friends from his days in the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), Kameron Leigh Matthews, M.D., J.D., and Alden M. Landry, M.D., who were also fellow leaders in the association. They started the grassroots effort to “educate, inspire and cultivate future physicians and dentists of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds by forming local connections in order to fulfill a national need,” Dr. Matthews wrote in his blog.

“We’ve all remained close, and when [Landry and Matthews] said I had to be in the program, of course I had to say yes,” said Dr. Winters, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University and pediatrician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

“There are students out there who are amazing, but they just don’t have the information about entering medicine, or they think that they can’t succeed,” said Dr. Winters. During the first six-day bus tour, nine mentors including Winters visited historically black colleges and universities, including Hampton University, Johnson C. Smith University, South Carolina State University, Tuskegee

University and Jackson State University. At every stop, they gave workshops and spoke one-on-one with students, covering topics from entering medical school to challenges facing minority medical students.

The group spent an entire day on each campus, taking time to “visit students on their home turf, motivate them by introducing them to young, enthusiastic physicians and dentists, and give them the information that they need to be successful,” wrote Dr. Matthews.

Riding the bus through the south was like the “old days” when Dr. Winters and his friends served on the SNMA national board, he said. The nights were spent on the bus, playing cards and reminiscing about their college days.

This past September, he and the tour brought their message through the Midwest.

The group’s second tour went from Sept. 24 to 29, with stops at the University of Michigan at Dearborn, Central State University in Ohio, Indiana University Bloomington, Kentucky State University, Fisk University in Tennessee and Georgia State University.

“We plan on doing it for the next five years, with our goal being to branch out and take the tour to many other places and territories,” Dr. Winters said. Future tours may focus on Latino and Native American populations. For more information on the Tour for Diversity in Medicine, visit: tour4diversity.org.

Regional LeadershipOU-HCOM assists providers in transition to electronic medical records More than 250 primary care providers in southeastern Ohio now use electronic health records, thanks to funding from the 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) and a regional partnership of hospitals, health care centers and OU-HCOM called the Appalachian Health Information Exchange (AHIE).

Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth was the first hospital system in the partnership to implement electronic health records. “They are already seeing a difference for the hospital and local physician practices,” said Kathy Jefford, director of regional extension services for AHIE at OU-HCOM.

AHIE was the first among seven regional extension centers (RECs) in Ohio to meet a goal of assisting Ohio health care providers with the transition to electronic medical records. AHIE received more than $2.2 million of the $30 million provided to the Ohio RECs from HITECH. The Ohio Health Information Partnership is the state-designated entity that received the federal funding to establish these regional extension centers statewide, including southeastern Ohio.

AHIE is now working with 254 southeastern Ohio primary care providers to go live with electronic health records, which will allow them to access Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs, Jefford said. AHIE has until February 2014 to finalize the project.

HITECH’s overall goal of a centralized system of medical records is to improve health care quality, reduce costs and save lives. An integrated medical records system should allow primary care physicians the ability to monitor overall patient care including referrals to other health care specialists or physicians, home health care and drug prescriptions.

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College Check-up

Biomedical Sciences OU-HCOM researchers help South African veterinarians save poaching victims

A white rhinoceros in South Africa survived a poaching incident with a little high-tech help from researchers in the biomedical sciences department and scanning equipment at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital.

In March, Dr. William Fowlds, a veterinarian at Kariega Game Reserve, found three severely mutilated rhinoceroses, the victims of poachers. Dr. Fowlds contacted Lawrence Witmer, Ph.D., professor of anatomy, after discovering Dr. Witmer’s research on rhino nasal cavities.

Using a white rhino head preserved in his lab freezer and the CT scanner at O’Bleness, Dr. Witmer and his team immediately made new 3D images of rhino nasal cavities to help the rescue team better understand the rhinos’ injuries. Dr. Witmer, who is also the Chang Professor of Paleontology, often uses scans of modern animals in his research to further understand ancient animals.

NoteworthyHONORS & APPOINTMENTSDavid Eland, D.O. Chair of the new Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

John Kopchick, Ph.D. Milton and Lawrence H. Goll Eminent Scholar and Professor in Molecular and Cellular BiologyNamed “2012 Distinguished Professor” at the Ohio University Master’s and Doctoral Commencement Ceremonies

Cynthia Kuttner-Sands, D.O.Chair of the Department of Geriatric Medicine/Gerontology

Tracy Marx, D.O. (’92)Chair of Department of Family Medicine

RESEARCH GRANTSBrian Clark, Ph.D., and M.J. “Matt” Conaway, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Physiology; Postdoctoral Researcher$194,206, National Institutes of Health (NIH)“Supplement grant to intracortical mechanisms of muscle weakness”

Brian C. Clark, Ph.D.$20,000, Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) Balance Disorder Foundation “Mechanisms of impaired postural control in MdDS”

Mario Grijalva, Ph.D. (’97)Professor of Microbiology$750,000, five-year grant, NIH “Regional training center for tropical disease research in Quito, Ecuador”

Kelly McCall, Ph.D. (’03)Assistant Professor of Endocrinology$221,250, NIH“ The role of toll-like receptor-3 in type 1 diabetes and efficacy of a novel therapeutic”

Deborah Meyer, Ph.D., R.N., and Albert M. Lai, Ph.D., Ohio State University (OSU)$100,000, Ohio University Appalachian Rural Health Institute and the OSU Center for Clinical and Translational Science“Chronic disease manangement in rural Appalachian elderly”

Jacqueline Wolf, Ph.D.Professor of the History of Medicine$150,000, three-year grant, NIH“A social history of cesarean section in the United States”

Thad Wilson, Ph.D.$25,000, National Rosacea Society“Role of skin sympathetic nerve activity in rosacea”

COMMUNITy HEALTH PROGRAMS FUNDINGComCorps$260,000, ServeOhio, Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism and Partner Match

Family Navigator Program$95,416, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Ohio Department of Health project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health), Building Capacity-Raising Resiliency-Health Resources and Services Administration, Ohio Children’s Trust Fund through the Athens County Family and Children’s First Council and Child and Family Health Services

The Healthy Adult Project: Breast Screening Program$66,466, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Breast and Cervical Cancer Program

Childhood Obesity Prevention Program$56,514, Ohio Department of Health’s Division of Child and Family Health Services

Heritage Community Clinic $25,000, Sisters of Saint Joseph Charitable Fund

Area Health Education Center$98,366, Health Resources and Services Administration$76,291.26, the State of Ohio, matching HRSA funds

RETIREMENTSJohn Borchard, B.S.N. (’91), R.N. Regional Quality Improvement Coordinator

Jack Brose, D.O. Dean

Kathy Brooks, M.Ed., (’96) Chief Financial Officer

Steve Clay, D.O. Associate Professor

Richard E. Klabunde, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Physiology

Ellen Peterson, B.S.N. Geriatric Education Coordinator

Nancy Savage Records Management Associate

Christopher Simpson, D.O., Ph.D. (’07) Chair, Department of Family Medicine

Martha Simpson, D.O., M.B.A. Associate Professor of Family Medicine

Connie Walker CORE Administrative Assistant

Keith Watson, D.O. Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs

Joseph Wolfe Storekeeper I

Cheryl Riley, M.S.N. Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs

Sharon Zimmerman, M.P.A. (’04) Director, Medical Development and Executive Director, Alumni Affairs

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Saving Lives and Teaching Anatomy3D Visuals:

AcademicsHandy 3-D web tools for anatomy instruction

Learning the human hand’s 27 bones or the arm’s intricate network of veins and arteries may come easier with a new, online resource that offers students a fresh way to study human anatomy.

A new OU-HCOM website presents videos and PDFs of 3-D visualizations of human anatomical structures. To create the models, Lawrence Witmer, Ph.D., Chang Ying-Chien Professor of Paleontology and professor of anatomy, worked with his team to inject the veins and arteries of a human cadaver, provided as part of the medical school’s Body Donor Program, with various substances that show up under a CT scan.

Research associate Ryan Ridgely then segmented and animated the human arm and skull using 3-D visualization software, and doctoral students William Porter, Ashley Morhardt and Jason Bourke labeled the scans and turned them into PDFs.

To use the site go to: oucom.ohiou.edu/dbms-witmer/3D_human.htm.

By Elizabeth Boyle

Two bulls died of their injuries. The third, a cow called Thandiswa (below right), continues to recover at a rate Kariega staff describe as “inspiring.” Kariega staff members believe poachers removed the rhinos’ horns to sell on the black market. Poaching is on the rise at an alarming rate in Asia and Africa fueled by a mistaken belief that rhino horns provide medicinal benefits.

“It’s a tragic story. We’re happy to be playing some tiny, tiny part, and it’s the one part that we can play, mainly because of our collaboration with O’Bleness, which is to generate some imagery of rhinos that can be informative,” Dr. Witmer said.

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CommunityThe prescription for prescription drug abuse: Education

Can talking to teens and students about prescription drug abuse turn the tide against an epidemic? A few medical student volunteers hope so.

“Abusing prescription medication might seem safer to a high schooler than cocaine or another street drug, but it’s still really dangerous and can be deadly,” said Kaitlyn Kelly, a member of OU-HCOM AmeriCorps/ComCorps program.

Last year, she and other OU-HCOM medical students visited health classes at area middle schools and high schools to educate students about medication safety and abuse.

They believe awareness and education can play a role in preventing the problem before it starts, which would go a long way in stemming the tide of what health officials are calling an epidemic. A 2010 report by the Ohio Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force revealed that four of the five top drugs abused by high school seniors are prescription drugs — not surprising when one in four high school students report using prescription drugs without a prescription.

Volunteers perform skits based on “Generation Rx,” an outreach program developed at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy that provides resources for schools and communities on prescription drug abuse prevention.

“The skits use scenarios that students can identify with,” said Kelly, who helped adapt the program for local use.

For instance, one skit depicts an injured volleyball player who begins relying heavily on her Vicodin prescription. After the skits, the medical students lead a group discussion to give students the opportunity to talk through possible consequences of abusing prescription drugs.

The medical students hope their outreach will have an impact by helping students understand the consequences of prescription drug abuse—short and long-term health conditions ranging from stroke to memory loss, injuries from accidents, sexual or physical abuse, social or emotional problems, legal issues and even death.

According to Ohio Department of Health (ODH) statistics, fatal prescription drug overdoses in Ohio have more than quadrupled in the last 10 years and in 2007, overtook car crashes as the number one cause of accidental deaths. ODH statistics pinpoint an even grimmer situation in southern Ohio counties, which have had the highest unintentional prescription medicine overdose death rates in the entire state.

Rep. Terry Johnson, D.O. (‘91), assistant dean at the OU-HCOM Centers for

Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) and director of the family medicine residency program at Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth, saw the effects of the problem firsthand while working as the Scioto County coroner. In that county, enough pain medication was being prescribed to allow every man, woman and child an average of 123 doses.

“When you think about drug abuse, and you think about this region, you should really think about prescription drugs first. Heroin, that sort of thing, it’s here, methamphetamine is here. But it’s a far, far distant second and third to prescription drug abuse,” Rep. Johnson said, in a documentary about Lawrence County by Caleb Craft, a Generation Rx member.

The problem was so widespread Rep. Johnson co-sponsored legislation aimed at curbing prescription medicine abuse in the state, which Gov. John Kasich signed into law in May 2011. House Bill 93 targets the pain clinics that dole out commonly abused pills, with stricter license and ownership requirements and limits on the amount they can prescribe. In addition, the state allocated $36 million in funds to expand prevention and rehabilitation.

The program is administered through the Consortium for Health Education in Appalachian Ohio, OU-HCOM’s Area Health Education Center.

Pediatrics Club members, Jennifer Belsky, Erica Smalls, Krishna Patel and Robert Fresch, all third year medical students, at Alexander Middle School last year.

14 ohio university medicine

College Check-up

In 2010, OU-HCOM joined with the Ohio State University College of Medicine as an academic partner and sponsor in the newest site for the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF), one of only 12 such programs in the nation. Originally founded in 1940 to support Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s medical work in Africa, ASF is today a national nonprofit organization with a mission to develop “Leaders in Service” who are dedicated and skilled in meeting the health needs of underserved communities and whose example influences and inspires others.

Each fellow partners with a community-based organization to help identify an unmet health need, design a year-long 200-hour service project with a demonstrable impact on that need, and bring that project from idea to implementation to results.

Three second-year OU-HCOM students are among the 250 students selected nationwide to deliver more than 40,000 hours of health-related community service as part of their fellowships. Laura Ford will design a program to help reduce disease through better health habits and lifestyle modification. Bridget Schoeny plans to implement an opiate addiction intervention program and Amanda Timmel will develop a childhood obesity intervention program for Appalachian youth.

Two OU-HCOM students selected as Columbus-Athens fellows in 2011 have recently finished their fellowships.

For the past year, Kimberly Herrmann has worked with students at Trimble High School in Glouster, Ohio, to create a peer education and mentoring program for those interested in health and social services

Laura Ford, OMS II, is designing a program to help reduce disease through better health habits as part

of her Albert Schweitzer Fellowship.

Laura Ford, OMS II

Bridget Schoeny, OMS II

Amanda Timmel, OMS II

15Fall 2012

CommunityOU-HCOM students selected for prestigious fellowship program

careers. “A key element of the program was for the kids to run their own health fair at the school. Ultimately, we were teaching them to teach others,” Herrmann said.

She and other medical students visited the high school bimonthly to teach on a different health topic in preparation for the health fair at the end of the school year. The program paired students with mentors pursuing professional health careers, including future doctors, pharmacists and nurses, and gave them hands-on practice with anatomy specimens and microscopes. The medical school admissions team initiated a game to engage the students in thinking about college and the admissions process. Herrmann continues to work with medical students to keep the program going and hopes to expand it to other high schools.

Heather Datsko partnered with Good Works, an organization that helps people struggling with poverty in Appalachia. She started two programs: Health for Life, a weekly lifestyle program for adults, that included exercises and recipes for healthy snacks, and a weekly children’s program that taught participants how different body parts worked and ways to keep them healthy.

After talking with a child who had missed a session, Datsko realized the impact of the program. “She heard how much fun the session had been and asked if she could still get the information and do the activities. These people are really taking this in and want to learn more,” Datsko said.

The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship is administered through the Consortium for Health Education in Appalachian Ohio, OU-HCOM’s Area Health Education Center.

16 ohio university medicine 17Fall 2012

THE GIFTWith the biggest single gift in Ohio higher education history,

transformation is under way at the Heritage College of

Osteopathic Medicine. We’re addressing some of society’s

most pressing health care issues and becoming a national

leader in training primary care physicians.

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All of this began in 2010 with a strategic planning process. We challenged ourselves to answer hard questions, and we encouraged bold, transformative thinking. What should the college look like in the future, and would we still emphasize primary care, given the challenges of fewer medical students choosing generalist careers? How does medical education need to change to best prepare graduates to practice in today’s health care settings and address some of the most pressing health care issues we face? What would it take to advance research that results in improved health care, especially for vulnerable populations? How do we break down silos and better connect biomedical education, research and clinical care most effectively? What would it take to elevate the college to a new national prominence?

We invited more than 300 people including faculty, students, staff, alumni, friends, partners and stakeholders into this planning process. We heard: It’s time to build on your strengths. It’s time to embrace primary care training in a new way and establish the college as a national model for primary care education and service. It’s time to become a leading osteopathic research institution. And there were many, many ideas about how to do this.

Our resulting strategic plan, called Vision 2020: Leading the Transformation of Primary Care in Ohio, outlined the initiatives that are now serving as a guide for growth over the next decade and more. The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation worked closely with us to develop this new direction, which also clearly aligned with its own mission of supporting local health initiatives and advances in osteopathic medical education and research.

Today Jack Brose, D.O., the catalyst behind these efforts, has stepped down as dean and taken on a new role at Ohio University as vice provost of health affairs, a position meant to elevate the prominence of medicine and health sciences at Ohio University. And we have a new dean, Kenneth Johnson, D.O., who has the vision, energy and expertise to lead the college through the hard work ahead, because the transformation is only just beginning.

Look at the college today and you will see the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift at work in every department and office. Our faculty and staff are building the initiatives funded by the gift, and will be fully

implemented over the next 15 years. In the pages ahead you’ll read about these efforts, which include:

• Re-engineeringprimarycaremedicaleducationwithacurriculum in patient-centered medical care and a special focus on rural and urban underserved populations

• BuildinganewfacilityinAthenstoelevateresearchinour Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute

• BuildingadiabetesclinicalresearchandcarecenterinAthens, focused on patient care and the world class research of our faculty members

• Providingmorestudentscholarshipsandworkingwithourpartner hospital systems to offer debt relief as an incentive for graduates to train – and eventually practice – in Ohio

• Recruitingexceptionalnewresearchersandresearchteamsto complement our diabetes, endocrine and neuromusculoskeletal efforts in basic and translational research

• Providingadditionalfreeandreducedcostcommunityhealth programs in and around Athens and the central Ohio campus

• Developingacommunity-basedresearchconsortiumcomposed of osteopathic schools in Appalachian regions

• Recruitingnewclassesofstudentswhowillattendoneofour three campuses

You’ll also read about the additional resources that will be necessary to truly make OU-HCOM’s future possible. The $105 million is a gift beyond exception, and this too is just the beginning. One of the most important returns on their visionary investment is the way it sets the stage for greater collaborations among many different partners. Our partners will be the essential ingredient to our success; whether it is direct financial support or partnerships that provide economies of scale to undertake mutual projects, they will help us leverage the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s generous gift and ensure that our initiatives come to fruition.

Visit www.oucom.ohiou.edu/ohf, for more about the gift.

“The money is going to Ohio University and its College of Osteopathic Medicine, it’s going there because they are, we feel, in the best position to facilitate the impact in the community with regard to service and education.”

— Rick Vincent, President and CEO, Osteopathic Heritage Foundations

It was a historic day in April 2011 when the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation announced its $105 million gift to the college. The gift is the single largest ever given to an institution of higher education

in Ohio. That year it was one of the five largest gifts ever given to a medical school, and it was among the top 50 gifts ever given to a higher education institution in the United States.

It was big for the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, as well. “We have never considered a grant or an award of this magnitude,” President and CEO Richard Vincent, M.B.A., said. “Nor have we considered an award which has the potential impact that this one will have.”

The gift was meant to inaugurate transformational changes at the medical school, now in its third decade. “It is a pivotal time for thinking differently about how primary care physicians are trained and how health care is delivered,” said Mr. Vincent. “The college took a hard, considered look at the bold changes that would be necessary in its programs to address these issues.”

The changes are happening quickly. In the year and a half since the announcement…

…we grew from one campus to three when we announced the development of new extension campuses in central Ohio and in northeastern Ohio

… we strengthened our partnerships with two long-time training partners, OhioHealth and Cleveland Clinic, two of the largest health care systems in the state, to train more primary care physicians, especially those who will stay in those regions to practice

…we’ve hired exceptional new faculty and staff members who are at work building new advanced degree programs to develop our physician-researchers of tomorrow, laying the groundwork for new ways of teaching and learning through technology, developing new undergraduate and graduate medical curricula focusing on patient-centered care and rural and underserved populations

…we’ve given new scholarships to a number of Class of 2012 graduates who are choosing to pursue careers in primary care in Ohio, which will help relieve their medical school debt

…we’ve started expanding successful medical research programs, building upon research strengths that address the kinds of conditions—diabetes and neuromusculoskeletal disorders—that send so many patients to see their primary care physicians

…and of course, we became the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Richard Vincent, M.B.A., President and CEO of Osteopathic Heritage Foundations

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“We are excited to be working with Ohio University,” said Bruce Vanderhoff, M.D., M.B.A., chief medical officer for OhioHealth. “This gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation is going to enable us to create a program that will, for generations, provide primary care and other physicians for our community and for our state.”

The 14.8 acres of land just outside Columbus is in close proximity to the college’s important training partners in the CORE, including the Mount Carmel hospital system, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital as well as OhioHealth facilities. The extension campus will enroll 50 additional students beginning in the fall of 2014, with a goal of enrolling 60 students each year by 2016, all pending approval by the AOA Council on Osteopathic College Accreditation.

“We don’t know exactly what will happen with health care reform or what our environment will look like in the next decade,” said David Blom, M.H.A., president and CEO of OhioHealth. “What we do know, though, is that our community needs the highest quality health care delivered to them in the most cost effective manner. In other words, the best value. And we can’t do that without a strong physician network.”

Priority Number One: Leading the transformation of primary care

Through the generosity of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, OU-HCOM became the recipient of a gift like no other. Of the top contributions to medical schools, we believe it’s the only gift of its magnitude to support primary

care training, and it could not have come at a better time.According to the Association of American Medical Colleges,

the country is expected to face a shortage of 45,000 primary care providers within the next ten years. On top of that, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act by 2014 will enhance access to health care for 32 million additional Americans to insurance, including 1.3 million Ohioans.

The gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation allows the college to carry out a bold vision, building upon its strengths in training primary care physicians and positioning the college to fill an even bigger role in addressing the state’s and the nation’s health care needs. Initiatives funded by the gift are intended to increase the number of primary care physicians and transform primary care education itself.

OU-HCOM has proven itself to be a leader in training primary care physicians. Fifty percent of our graduates remain in Ohio to practice, with 57 percent specializing in primary care. The college also has the highest percentage of graduates practicing in primary care health professional shortage areas in the state compared to other Ohio medical schools. The college was ranked 11th in the nation among 159 medical schools in training physicians who serve in rural communities, according to a study published in the April 2010 issue of Academic Medicine, the journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Three campuses, one college: Strong partnerships and two new campuses increase our ability to train more primary care physicians

During our planning, the college realized that one of the most promising ways to train more students who would stay in the state to practice—and to practice in areas where they are most needed— having an additional campus in central Ohio. Soon after our announcement about a new campus in central Ohio came the opportunity to develop a campus in northeastern Ohio.

The strategy for both new campuses is to recruit, train and retain physicians in these two vital primary care health profession shortage areas (HPSAs), encouraging graduates to stay close to home and to serve their communities.

“Columbus has a need for additional physicians in under-served areas,” said Richard Vincent, M.B.A., president and CEO of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations. “And we felt that OU-HCOM was in the best position to facilitate that.”

With the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift and OhioHealth as our pre-eminent training partner, an extension campus in central Ohio is already under way. In June of this year, OU-HCOM bought property in Dublin, Ohio, with buildings that could quickly become ideal spaces for medical education.

19Fall 2012

Bruce Vanderhoff, M.D., M.B.A.,Chief Medical Officer for OhioHealth

David Blom, M.H.A., President and CEO of OhioHealth

Toby Cosgrove, M.D., President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic

David Bronson, M.D.,President of Cleveland Clinic Regional Hospitals

21Fall 2012

In June 2012, OU-HCOM announced a second extension campus. For the past 35 years, OU-HCOM students have trained at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital during their third and fourth years. Now, space at the hospital’s campus will be renovated for medical education use, thanks to a combined investment of $13.1 million from the Cleveland Clinic and the Brentwood Foundation. In 2015, the campus will welcome a class of 32 students.

Of all Ohio regions, northeastern Ohio has the some of the largest numbers of underserved populations in the state.

“Here in northeastern Ohio over the next 10 years, we anticipate that about 25 percent of our primary care physicians will be retiring,” said David Bronson, M.D., president of Cleveland Clinic regional hospitals, at a reception celebrating the announcement of the pre-eminent training partnership. “Having this pipeline to replace these doctors is so important. It will be essential to our community hospitals and the health of people in our community.”

New curricular experiences emphasize team-based approaches and new technology in patient care

A major part of the foundation’s gift will be used to make enhancements to our curricula, recognizing that health care is delivered in new ways. The current curricula already contain a strong and unique emphasis on communication and patient-centered care.

“Our students start in clinical practice almost from day one of medical school,” said Jack Brose, D.O., Assistant Provost. Hospitals and preceptors often observe that OU-HCOM students are “very comfortable with patients and they’re more likely to sit down next to a patient, put their arm around a patient’s shoulder and have that really hands-on medical care that patients so appreciate.”

With funding from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift, OU-HCOM becomes one of the first medical schools in the country to build patient-centered medical care (PCMC) concepts into the curriculum.

According to Richard Snow, D.O., vice president of clinical effectiveness at OhioHealth, PCMC focuses on the patients in the health care system “with the highest need.” This means medical students will learn to address the full cycle of care required by patients with chronic disease, the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. Furthermore, training in PCMC “is an opportunity for OU-HCOM to provide students with skills that will be sought after in the healthcare marketplace.”

The college intends to augment the patient-centered approach with curricular enhancements designed to build greater competency in evaluating and implementing research findings—and making use of health information technology tools—into patient care.

Snow describes how it will soon be essential to know how to use electronic medical records not just for patient history but to gather data for disease-specific registries and comparative assessments. New medical informatics training will allow graduates to gather evidence and provide measurably improved patient care.

Integrating PCMC into the curricular tracks initiates a cultural change in the medical community that removes the “independent silos of medical care” that characterizes much of today’s medical system, said Dr. Witmer. Based on the burgeoning “patient-centered medical home” model, PCMC embraces a style of care in which physicians and specialists engage in team-based care coordination. Medical students will work alongside multiple physicians and allied health care providers in clinical simulations that model multidisciplinary management of the patient.

This cultural change is a concept that “fits well into the osteopathic philosophy,” said Dr. Witmer. By instilling these values in students early in their education “it becomes an expectation of students” as they emerge into clinical practice, a field transformed by new technology and team-based approaches to patient care.

According to Toby Cosgrove, M.D., Cleveland Clinic president and CEO, “this collaboration will help improve quality for patients, stimulate medical innovation and improve the economic health of our communities.”

Students at both extension campuses will remain at their site for all four years of training, with the same curricula as the Athens campus. Training will be geared towards serving the surrounding urban communities. OhioHealth and Cleveland Clinic have committed to working to expand the number of AOA-approved or dual-accredited post graduate residency and fellowship positions.

The new campuses also mean greater engagement of the health systems’ specialists who, as clinical faculty members, will share their knowledge and experiences with students at all three campuses.

“We are not changing our curricula by having more than one campus—only changing how we deliver [the content],” said Lawrence Witmer, Ph.D., professor of anatomy, Chang Ying-Chien professor of

20 ohio university medicine

Richard Snow, D.O., M.P.H., Vice President of Clinical Effectiveness at OhioHealth

paleontology and chair of the curriculum committee. Through video- and web-conferencing, students on the three campuses will participate in shared faculty instructions and other learning experiences originating from all of the sites.

The hospitals within the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) become even more important in the college’s vision, according to Kenneth Johnson, D.O., dean of OU-HCOM.

“To train more physicians, the two new sites are an important start, and will need to grow our undergraduate and graduate medical education programs at all of our hospital partner sites commensurately. We’ll need more clinical rotations, residency positions and fellowships to truly assist our hospitals to meet patient care needs they have identified for their communities,” said Johnson.

Johnson explained that he wants to work closely with hospital partners to develop primary care programs that directly connect undergraduate medical education to graduate medical education at their hospitals. “This will not only assist the college and our partners in keeping our graduates in Ohio to practice, but also will serve as a means to reduce the education debt of our graduates.”

Feature

Removing financial barriers to a career in primary care

It is no secret that rising medical tuition has been a major obstacle for recruiting into primary care careers, driving more and more medical students to choose more lucrative specialty careers. In 2012, OU-HCOM graduates averaged $158,418 in educational loan debts, not counting undergraduate or other graduate program debt. Not only does this financial burden lead many students away from primary care specialties, but it also deters individuals from practicing in underserved communities.

Scholarships, loan repayment opportunities, and other incentive programs were identified as important means to make careers in primary care more accessible. The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift provides $13 million towards scholarships that will support individuals with a commitment to primary care. Other scholarships and loan repayment opportunities are being developed with key partners. One such scholarship is the newly established John A. Brose, D.O., Primary Care Scholarship. This $30,000 annual award will be given to a student from central or southeastern regions of Ohio who demonstrates a commitment to primary care and leadership in medicine.

The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift includes fourteen $15,000 Primary Care Incentive Scholarships. The scholarships will be given annually to Ohio residents who are fourth year medical students making a commitment to a primary care residency program in Ohio. The first 12 were awarded to Class of 2012 graduates. Additionally, there are now eight $10,000 Central Ohio Extension Campus Primary Care Scholarships per year, and eight $10,000 scholarships associated with Rural and Urban Community Scholar positions.

Setting a course to transform research and research education

The OsteopathicPhysician-Scientists of Tomorrow

Randall Longenecker, M.D., assistant dean of rural and underserved programs

23Fall 2012

By emphasizing research from its earliest days, the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine has proven that dedication to primary care and a serious research agenda are not only compatible, they’re synergistic.

Primary care is the starting point for most patients experiencing a non-traumatic health issue. It is at the primary care physician’s office they receive care year after year, where they return after a surgery or a specialist’s diagnosis. The insight gained through this relationship and the intimate knowledge of the day-to-day struggles that patients face has long been the catalyst for the college’s research efforts into solutions to diagnose, to cure and to treat.

OU-HCOM faculty, staff, students and stakeholders asked the following question during strategic planning activities: If we make the right changes in our research programs, can we transform ourselves into one of the nation’s leading medical research institutions? The answer was yes, in focused areas.

“To have an impact we need people working together, a core research infrastructure in place where we can break down walls and have people collaborating and sharing their expertise,” said Audrone Biknevicius, Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy and chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences.

Assessments revealed a surprising depth to OU-HCOM research assets, but also revealed that further development was needed in strategic areas across the institution. The plan focused on developing four areas: diabetes, musculoskeletal and neurological disorders, student engagement and community-based research. Clear directives informed the plans: engage and create opportunities for students, stimulate collaborative faculty relationships, and build a world class research institution.

With a well crafted blueprint and nearly half of the 2011 Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s $105 million gift earmarked for research efforts in those selected areas, the college has embarked on a 15-year journey to transform research and research education.

“This gift is allowing the college to further develop its programs that focus on relieving the most pervasive aspects of human suffering,” said Kenneth Johnson, D.O., dean.

22

Rural and Urban Scholars ProgramChronic disease rates are well documented as being higher in

underserved areas. For example, the incidence of heart disease in Athens County is 52 percent higher than the national average, emphysema is 81 percent higher, and stroke is 33 percent higher. Though every segment of the population will be affected by the shortage of primary care physicians, those 20 percent of Americans living in health professional shortage areas in rural and inner city areas will feel the greatest impact.

“The problems of access in an urban place are different than a rural place. The context is different. The culture of an inner city is different from the culture of Appalachia. But the only real way to learn that is to train in those places,” said Randall Longenecker, M.D., assistant dean of rural and underserved programs.

The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift is helping the college address the urgent need for physicians in underserved areas with the Rural and Urban Community Scholars programs. Starting in 2013, two students will be chosen for each track and given a $10,000, four-year scholarship with the intent of ensuring their commitment to a community in Ohio. They will be given a personal coach who will help plan their trek through medical school and will have priority in choosing their CORE location in an underserved area for their third and fourth years.

Though starting small, the program will grow with the goal of graduating 16 total students per class. Their training will emphasize the unique needs of individuals in underserved areas of Ohio, taught through additional lectures and clinical experiences, with at least six months spent in a rural or urban underserved setting over the course of medical school.

Changes will also be implemented at the graduate medical education level. One such change, made possible through the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift and the cooperation of CORE partners, is the development of a new Rural Residency Program. Building on the CORE’s strong system of rural family medicine residency programs in Ohio, OU-HCOM will establish a model program at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens to provide extensive exposure to the clinical needs of the underserved rural population in both the outpatient and inpatient settings of Appalachian Ohio. Residents in this program will also gain experience in disease management and in procedures typically unavailable in small, rural hospitals through intermittent rigorous training experiences in high-volume hospitals in Columbus.

“ The culture of an inner city is different from the culture of

Appalachia. But the only real way to learn that is to train in those places,” — Randall Longnecker, M.D.

Audrone Biknevicius, Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy and chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences

25Fall 2012

Diabetes InstituteSince 2007, Ohio University has been working to stimulate

collaborative research efforts across colleges and disciplines. Most recently, the college and university partners formed the Diabetes Institute, the first initiative of the university’s Health Sciences Center, which brings together the many diabetes-related research initiatives in an effort to better address one of the most critical health care issues facing Americans.

“The Diabetes Institute is a culmination of the last 10 years of progress that we’ve made. When I came here in 2003 there was no clinical program, and there was very scattered diabetes research. Yet over the last nine years we’ve jelled into a fairly significant clinical care center and diabetes education center,” said Frank Schwartz, M.D., professor of endocrinology. “Now through the Diabetes Institute we have a cross-campus collection of collaborators who are involved in all aspects of diabetes, from psycho-social to molecular biology.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one in three Americans born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes. Although the incidence in Ohio is higher than in the rest of the nation at 9.5 percent, it is higher yet—at 11.5 percent—in southeastern Appalachian Ohio.

“It is really exciting to be involved in diabetes in any capacity at OU right now because we have had all these initiatives—in research, in clinical services and in our educational program. Now we have the ability to bring them all together under one unit so that we can really collaborate better,” said Darlene Berryman, Ph.D., newly appointed director of the Diabetes Institute. “We have the capacity to build in almost all those areas by bringing people together. It is a really unusual opportunity.”

Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute For more than a quarter century, physicians and scientists at

the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI) have been conducting outstanding interdisciplinary research on the musculoskeletal system. Led by Brian Clark, Ph.D., director and principal investigator, OMNI researchers are studying low back and chronic pain disorders, age-related muscle loss and age-related muscle weakness, exercise physiology and rehabilitation medicine, the biology of manual therapies and bone and connective tissues.

“Musculoskeletal disorders are the number one leading cause for someone seeking to see a general physician. The health care costs are dramatic,” said Dr. Clark. With an annual price tag of $85 billion in medical expenses, missed work and lost productivity due solely to lower back pain, the burdens are only expected to increase as people lead more sedentary lifestyles and the population grows.

Since 2008, Dr. Clark has overseen dramatic expansion of the institute, as indicated by OMNI’s second-place ranking in the nation for publication in peer review journals for two straight years and rivaling scholarly output of that of any comparable group in the world. In 2012, OMNI’s overall active research grants enterprise was nearly $3.2 million.

With such a solid reputation and potential, the college has identified OMNI as an ideal candidate for growth and investment.

With an estimated cost of more than $33.5 million, and $7.4 million in seed money from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift, OMNI has put in place a 13-year plan that will allow them to do research that improves patient care, increases its scholarly output and grant revenue, and ultimately, allows the institute to become self-sustaining.

The gift provides OMNI with a base operating budget for six years so researchers are not solely dependent on the volatility of grant funding. However, the long-term success of OMNI will depend on building a sustainable model during those years. The primary mechanisms for generating revenue will have to come through the expanded grant funding, implementation of user fees for major equipment, earnings from OMNI’s intellectual property and development efforts directed toward those who have been involved with OMNI programs.

“A key to our success (or failure) is going to be getting strong participation from our principle investigators and affiliate scientists,” Dr. Clark said, “And a critical mass of scientists working in the area is essential to the quality of growth that OMNI envisions.”

Today, OMNI is made up of approximately 25 scientists working in multidisciplinary teams from eight departments in four colleges. With the gift, Dr. Clark and the OMNI faculty are able to focus on strategic hires that complement existing research strengths. Three new principal investigators are being hired, the first being S. Lee Hong, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, whose main focus will be research on aging and neurological changes over long spans of time, complementing the work of OMNI’s six existing principal investigators.

The money earmarked for OMNI from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift will also help fund a new facility, which will be designed to increase interdisciplinary collaboration by reducing barriers among traditional scientific disciplines, enabling technological breakthroughs difficult to achieve in conventional academic settings.

“Our general strategy and scope haven’t changed. Our vision is the same, but the bar has been raised,” Dr. Clark said.

Besides connecting existing researchers, the Institute will help staff existing programs and identify areas of strength and opportunities for development in diabetes research, clinical care, education and community outreach. Leadership and communication channels are in place for each area.

“We had all these pockets happening,” said Dr. Berryman. “We communicated in many ways, but not as effectively as I hope we will as an institute.”

Funding for the Diabetes Institute came in part from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift, which also funded two new diabetes chairs. One of the chairs was named in January 2012. Called the John J. Kopchick, Ph.D., Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Eminent Research Chair, the name recognizes the world renowned endocrinologist and his contributions to the college, the university and the medical profession. A pre-eminent scientist will soon fill this chair, helping to attract new avenues of research—and researchers—to the institute. The gift will also help fund a new diabetes clinical care and research center, one that will include diabetologists, endocrinologists and other specialists who treat diabetes-related complications.

“The institute is recognition of the momentum and gravitas of the people that we have assembled here working together,” said Dr. Schwartz, who is also the J.O. Watson Chair for Diabetes Research and director of University Medical Associates Diabetes/Endocrine Center. “The combination of being named an institute and having the endowment gives us the resources and institutional recognition to continue to grow at an exponential rate.”

Darlene Berryman, Ph.D.,director of the Diabetes Institute

Brian Clark, Ph.D., director and principal investigator of OMNI

May 16 – 19, 2013Hilton ColuMbus

Easton town CEntEr

Earn up to 30*1-a CME CrEdits

rEgistration opEns dECEMbEr 1

Leading the

transformation of Primary Care

ContaCt laurie s. lach

ou-HCoM director, alumni affairs

740.593.2151lach@ohio.edu

*total number still pending review

2013 ohio symposium

osteopathicA Collaboration of

Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

and Ohio Osteopathic Foundation

Research EducationEducation is the common thread that runs through all research

growth at OU-HCOM. The value of early and ongoing immersion in research for medical students is critical to scientific discovery, for pre-doctoral and postgraduate education and for undergraduate students in all other health professions.

“There is a strong movement from the college of medicine backed up by the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation to prepare our students to be the ones that change the face of medicine,“ said Sonsoles de LaCalle, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical sciences and director of advanced studies.

The college considers research training critical for all physicians, as physicians daily translate biomedical research into clinical practice. Most of OU-HCOM’s students will go back to their home communities, and each will address unique needs and differences.

“Those of our students who have the desire and the ability to conduct and interpret research will have the means to do it,” Dr. de LaCalle said. “There are some people who are passionate about what we can do differently, how we can practice medicine better. We have physicians in training who ask themselves, ‘How can these techniques that I have learned be better applied or tweaked in a way that will meet the needs of this individual, not just a population, but the person in front of me right now?’ This is very important because one size does not fit all.”

The intellectual infrastructure for research education will be expanded throughout the college, including the new campuses. Funding from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift and additional resources from Ohio University and OU-HCOM mean that a combined $70.5 million

will be invested over the next 15 years to support research education opportunities across the full continuum of medical education.

“We want to create a lot of options so our medical students have the ability to graduate with what I call a D.O. Plus,” Biknevicius said. “To be competitive and to get into residency programs, you often have to show you have something else going on. It could be a research fellowship, or it could be a D.O. plus a certificate in something like diabetes research or global health.”

A new dual-degree Master of Health Sciences program (D.O./M.S.) is being created that would allow medical students to explore a research topic while obtaining their D.O. Similar to the D.O./Ph.D. that already exists, the Master of Health Sciences program will provide further options for advanced study and research in biomedical sciences and such health-related disciplines as global health, community health, the history of medicine and epidemiology, among others.

Existing programs such as our Research and Scholarly Advancement Fellowships and the CORE Research Office are being expanded through the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s gift. With two additional campuses, the college will ensure that students at all locations participate in powerful research experiences and that research education, research program development and hands-on opportunities for medical students, residents and other clinical faculty members remain a priority.

“If we’re running big labs that are research active, student involvement is just going to fall into place. If we have the grants and we have the scholarly activity, we’ll be able to engage students in world class research,” said Dr. Clark.

“ There is a strong movement from the college of medicine backed up by the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation to prepare our students to be the ones that change the face of medicine,“ — Sonsoles de LaCalle, M.D., Ph.D.

Sonsoles de LaCalle, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical sciences and

director of advanced studies

ohio university medicine26

In September 2011, Jack Brose, D.O., announced that he would become Ohio University’s first Vice Provost for Health Affairs, ending more than ten years of leadership and advocacy as dean of OU-HCOM. The $105 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations (see story, page 16) might look like a career high point to many, but in a way the gift acknowledges a decade of college growth and achievement, a decade over which Dr. Brose presided.

Dr. Brose’s tenure as dean will be remembered for a dramatic expansion of the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education from 12 to 27 hospitals, class size increases that garnered commendations from the AOA Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, the transformation of education spaces including the new Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center, and the construction of the $34.5 million Osteopathic Heritage Foundations and Charles R. and Marilyn Y. Stuckey Academic & Research Center (ARC). And partnering with OhioHealth and Cleveland Clinic, he was the catalyst for the new campuses, one in central Ohio and the other in northeastern Ohio.

There were other important initiatives he helped the college navigate, such as privatizing the college’s faculty practice plan, implementing two innovative curricular tracks and assuming responsibility for Ohio University’s student health services. Dr. Brose served as the chairman of the Ohio Council of Medical School Deans and even served an unprecedented second term at the request of the six other deans because of his effective advocacy on behalf of medical education in the Ohio General Assembly.

29Fall 2012

There were a number of priorities, though, that pointed to more personal interests. Despite the demands of being dean, Dr. Brose regularly facilitated a Patient-Centered continuum student case discussion group. His 26 OU-HCOM Outstanding Instructor Awards document his acumen for teaching and persistent popularity among students.

Community health and prosperity also held a particular significance for Dr. Brose. College services for those who lack adequate health care alternatives underwent a massive expansion under Dr. Brose, especially after he founded the Free Clinic in 2005. A primary care physician, he regularly made time to treat patients in the Free Clinic (now called the Heritage Community Clinic).

Research gained new prominence during Dr. Brose’s tenure. As assistant dean for clinical research, he founded the Ohio Research and Clinical Review, a publication intended to increase research exposure and foster interest among students, faculty, alumni and preceptors. It was discontinued in 2008 when it became clear that need for a journal had diminished as faculty and students increasingly published their findings in more major journals. As college research programs grew, Dr. Brose helped finalize the building of the Life Sciences Research Facility, and later, initiated the construction of the ARC.

Countless graduates have their own favorite memories of Dr. Brose as a faculty member and dean. Many of us won’t soon forget the dancing mice, dinosaurs in party hats with birthday cakes, tumbling hedgehogs and the “OU-HCOM Maui” campus featured in his “State of the College” PowerPoint presentations. Before he became swept up in vice provost initiatives this summer, we sat down with Dr. Brose to talk to him about his time as dean.

When the dean’s position opened up in 2000 why did you take the position?

I really never had any ambition to be a dean. When Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee left, I applied because of my love for our college and a strong desire to see the college move to an even higher level of excellence. There is no doubt that this has occurred.

One goal you identified early on was to increase the scope of medical care to southeastern Ohio. Do you feel you have done that?

Yes, we’ve had many successes in this regard, but many more are ahead of us. Establishing the Free Clinic has had a profound effect on underserved patients. We have faculty practicing in a Federally Qualified Health Center and have established an outstanding clinical Diabetes Center. Now we are

building upon our strong relationships with such partners as O’Bleness Hospital and OhioHealth to expand health care availability in southeastern Ohio, to expand our local hospital and to simplify referrals to larger centers when that becomes necessary. It is an exciting time to practice medicine in southeastern Ohio.

When you first started, what was the culture or environment like?

The college had just accomplished some amazing and innovative things under the leadership of Dr. Ross-Lee, such as the establishment of the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) system and the new Clinical Presentation Continuum and Patient-Centered Continuum curricula.

However, with the evolving nature of health care

both nationally and in the State of Ohio 11 years ago, the college was not without its challenges. State funding for medical education was decreasing, and students and faculty were anxious to see a number of changes take place in our curricula. Also, our faculty practice plan was operating at a significant financial deficit, and it became clear that a major reorganization was necessary. In addition, like most physician practices at that time, the practice plan was caught in the malpractice crisis and was having difficulty obtaining liability insurance. Finally, our CORE system was not nearly as academically strong and collaborative as it is today.

That said, it was clear to me that the college and the CORE system were ready and anxious to meet these challenges, and that is exactly what happened. It was an exciting and rewarding time to become dean.

Rest assured that Dr. Jack Brose remains at the forefront of all things medical and health related at Ohio University in his new role as vice provost for health affairs.

Feature

31

Follow-upDevelopment & Alumni News and Features

Then and NowSurgery Camp, a week-long surgical anatomy course held in the anatomy lab in 1984, was started by Jerry Axelrod, D.O., professor of surgery (third from left, above) Residents from hospitals across Ohio participated in Dr. Axelrod’s morning anatomy lectures, then dissected an embalmed cadaver with Joe Eastman, Ph.D., professor of anatomy, (third from right) in the afternoon.

More recently, Michael Tomc, D.O. (’82), associate professor of otorhinolaryngology, and third year students gather in the new Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center (see page 6) to learn proper surgical scrubbing, gowning and operating room protocol. Their “patient” is a Laerdal Advance Life Support (ALS) mannequin.

What did you think your biggest challenge would be when you first got the job?

Stabilizing the college’s budget and establishing a high level of trust between the students, faculty, college administration and CORE hospitals were at the top of my agenda. I felt that these were the keys to addressing our issues and moving the college forward. Actually, developing trust turned out to be easier than I thought because of the professionalism and dedication of the CORE faculty and staff, and because of their tremendous commitment to medical education. Appointing superbly competent and forthright people in critical positions was another key to establishing that trust.

Were there unexpected challenges?The most unexpected challenge was the need

to create a financially sustainable clinical practice organization and confront the lack of malpractice insurance availability. We addressed the insurance problem by establishing our own malpractice insurance company, which was a fascinating endeavor. I am extraordinarily grateful to our clinical faculty and college staff for making both of these efforts so successful.

Have you seen any changes in the student body over the years?

Our alumni are incredible and have been a real joy to me as dean. Amazingly, our incoming students just keep getting better and better in terms of academic qualifications and motivation towards osteopathic medicine. I believe the credit for this goes to our faculty who make OU-HCOM a superior place to learn medicine and our staff who put forth tremendous effort to make the student experience a positive one. I couldn’t be prouder of our college in this regard.

Has medical education changed since you became dean, and where do you see it moving?

Medical educators today have wisely realized that there is a big difference between teaching and learning. Today, the student experience is far more interactive and tied to clinical medicine than it was in the past. In our new curricula, both basic and clinical sciences are related directly to the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

In addition, changes in technology have opened up many new opportunities for learning to take place. Our incoming students are very technologically savvy, and new simulation tools in clinical medicine are changing the way physicians are trained. The challenge is how to take advantage of technology but not lose the tremendous benefits gained from student-teacher interaction.

There is also now more than ever a need to increase the emphasis on interdisciplinary medical education, taking advantage of the skills in other medical disciplines and teaching all health professionals how to work together with everything focused on the patient.

There have been many achievements at the college during your tenure as dean—the Academic & Research Center, the Clinical Training and Assessment Center, the Heritage gift, Dublin and Cleveland Campuses—what is the moment that you’ll always remember?

I am enormously grateful to our faculty and staff, foundation partners, hospital partners and OU administration for making all of these things possible. My greatest joys, however, have been my personal interactions with our students, faculty, staff and alumni. I continue to be thrilled when students or alumni express their pride in OU-HCOM and the new directions in which we are moving. I am even more gratified when our alumni become actively involved in our instructional program.

In your tenure, what were the top three things you have learned about working with faculty? With students? With scientists?

Working with our faculty has been wonderful, and I have developed enormous respect for them and their work. Their talents and dedication are really what have made this college great. I learned that when administration has that genuine admiration and respect for the faculty, strong and collegial relationships follow naturally.

Our students are highly motivated adult learners. They are extraordinarily bright and generally will learn unless obstacles are put in their way. The role of faculty and administration is to provide resources, ensure that the student is learning at an appropriate level, evaluate student progress and remove the obstacles. Teaching of adult learners should be facilitation and partnership, not just the delivery of facts.

Regarding our scientists, their creativity and intelligence continues to astound me. Our best scientists do great things not because it is expected, but because of a drive to succeed that is a part of them. The college can provide resources like funding, equipment and space, but ultimately it is that inner drive that makes them successful. The college can’t create or mandate that. Just as with student education, the role of the administration is to remove the obstacles to success.

Have you seen any changes in research at the college since you’ve been a faculty member then dean?

We have had some extraordinary successes, Dr. John Kopchick’s medication SOMAVERT® being the most prominent to date. Many new discoveries and medications are on the horizon. OU-HCOM has established itself as a significant research institution. We have a long way to go, but with the support of our Osteopathic Heritage Foundations grant, our future could not be brighter.

What has been your favorite activity as dean? Or your most favorite part of the day?

Commencement is definitely my favorite event. I get choked up every year as I watch our students receive their degrees and take their physician’s oath.

I also enjoy meeting with our Alumni Board and talking to OU-HCOM alumni at the American Osteopathic Association conventions. Their enthusiasm is really infectious. Finally, I looked forward to my regular dean’s hours with our students. Students make everything we strive to do worthwhile.

For the most part, every moment of my day was taken up meeting with someone. I already miss that. My open door policy did as much to benefit me as it hopefully did for those who came to see me.

Your new title is vice provost for health affairs and dean emeritus. What will you be doing?

One third of my time will be teaching at OU-HCOM. I find teaching extraordinarily enjoyable and rewarding. The other two thirds of my time will be working with the executive vice president and provost to promote collaboration and seek funding for all of the health-related colleges, advise the university administration on health-related issues, assist our deans in any way possible, further develop the Health Sciences Center, and continue to advance the central Ohio and northeastern Ohio extension campuses.

How’s the fishing at your place?As much as I love fishing, I’ve only had time to

do so five or six times in the past 11 years. During that time the fish in my pond have become pets, so I now feel very guilty about catching them. Thus, I’ve learned to really enjoy just feeding them instead. Actually, when I do go fishing, it usually just turns out to be fish feeding anyway. I also have six or seven snapping turtles that swim over to visit with me and get fed whenever I sit on my deck. Snapping turtles and deans have very similar personalities, and hence we relate very well.

30 ohio university medicine

ohio university medicine

Dear Alumni and Friends:It is with great excitement, and a dash of sadness, that I share with you that I am assuming the position of executive director of constituent relations for health affairs at Ohio University. My new role will allow me to continue the important work we have done together by bringing a higher prominence to medicine and health sciences programs at Ohio University.

The creation of the position is an example of the university’s commitment to our shared interests in patient care and will insure the continued excellence of our college. I will work closely with Dr. Brose in his new role as vice provost for health affairs at Ohio University and with Bryan Benchoff, vice president for advancement for Ohio University, as well as Dr. Ken Johnson, our new dean. We will continue our work to expand our primary care partnerships in central and northeastern Ohio in conjunction with OU-HCOM’s new campuses as well as further developing the Ohio University Health Sciences Center.

It has been an extraordinary 30 years at the college, most of all because of the relationships I’ve developed with alumni, friends and colleagues. We’ve achieved so much together, and in my new role, our connection will become even more important. I will continue to work with you and the college’s next director of medical development. There is still much work to do to build on our success.

So it is so long, but not goodbye, as I heartily thank you for your continued involvement and commitment to the OU-HCOM.

Follow-up

Sharon Zimmerman, M.P.A.Executive Director of Constituent Relations for Health Affairs at Ohio University

32

A Shared Vision: The Promise Lives, Ohio University’s Capital CampaignThe generosity of alumni and friends fuels our future

Five years ago, when his daughter decided to attend Ohio University, Robert J. Hampton, D.O. (’84), made a trip back to his alma mater. Touring campus, he recalled the excitement of seeing how much OU-HCOM had improved in 23 years, the new training facilities and technology available to medical students, but also how much was exactly the way he remembered it.

“You want your alma mater to be a quality place of education . . . to be better than it was when you were there, and that’s the feeling that I got,” Dr. Hampton said. “It was a university that had moved many strides forward from when I was there and yet kept that comfortable feel that I remembered.”

That same feeling was the impetus for Dr. Hampton and his wife Suzanne, both long-time donors, to fund a surgical suite within the new Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center. With the initial funding for the clinic coming from a $2.3 million gift from Osteopathic Heritage Foundations (see page 6), the Hamptons’ contribution was necessary to complete important education spaces like the “Robert J. Hampton, D.O., Emergency/Surgical Simulation Laboratory Suite.” He described their gift as a tribute to his late father, Donald V. Hampton, Sr., D.O., who fought for licensure for osteopathic physicians across the country.

“I saw this as an opportunity to honor my father who was, in the osteopathic profession, someone who created opportunities for us, and this is my way of creating opportunities for the next generation of osteopathic physicians,” Dr. Hampton said.

While still relatively young in terms of medical schools, OU-HCOM has a history of support from alumni and friends such as Dr. Hampton. As OU-HCOM welcomes its 37th class of students to Athens this fall, this continued support is more important now than ever before.

As part of Ohio University’s capital campaign, The Promise Lives, OU-HCOM has set forth on its most ambitious capital campaign yet. The college’s strategic vision for the future, leading the transformation of primary care education, includes the expansion of scholarships to remove barriers to entering primary care specialties, increased support to recruit and retain talented faculty, expansion of research facilities and strengthening OU-HCOM’s community health programs. The college aims to raise $123 million during the campaign in support of this vision.

The initiatives require support from our friends, alumni, faculty, staff and esteemed partners who share the school’s desire to change the future of medicine and support the needs of Ohio’s communities. Recognizing OU-HCOM’s unique capabilities in its effort to re-engineer primary care education, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations stepped forward with unprecedented support for the college with its $105 million lead gift (see related, page 16). Support also from the Cleveland Clinic, Brentwood Foundation, OhioHealth and many others have already provided an important launching point for the transformational changes now under way.

Sharon Zimmerman, M.P.A (’94), executive director of constituent relations for health affairs at Ohio University, points to several examples of major transformations at the college that had their beginnings with lead gifts from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, including the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations and Charles R. and Marilyn Y. Stuckey Academic & Research Center (ARC), and the Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center and Community Clinic. All were brought to fruition through critical additional support from partners, alumni and friends of the college.

“These projects just wouldn’t have been completed without that further support of our graduates and friends,” said Zimmerman.

Strengthening Community Health ProgramsThomas Anderson, D.O. (’83), chair of the OU-HCOM capital campaign committee, explained that while the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, Brentwood Foundation, OhioHealth and Cleveland Clinic contributions are unprecedented, “It is up to us, the friends of the college, to support and develop these initiatives.”

It is exactly this sentiment that led Dr. Anderson to lend financial support for the first mobile health clinics back in the 1990’s. “I needed to give something back,” Dr. Anderson recalled. Marked by high poverty and unemployment rates, the health and well being of the surrounding Appalachian community has long been an integral part of the college’s mission. That first mobile clinic ignited the growth of the college’s outreach effort to the rural 21-county southeastern Ohio region and over time grew into today’s Community Health Programs.

The funds raised from the capital campaign will provide a permanent endowment to sustain Community Health Programs. Through annual funding, these programs will provide quality care for those who lack health care alternatives and important educational experiences for physicians-in-training concerning compassionate care and the needs of underinsured patients.

Editor’s Note:Ms. Zimmerman has been instrumental in advancing the college’s facilities, programs and initiatives, most recently working with Dr. Brose to spearhead the efforts that resulted in the $105 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations. She helped raise more than $30 million in support of the Academic & Research Center, the Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center and Community Clinic, student scholarships and numerous other major initiatives.

Her work with alumni affairs resulted in the formation of a committed Society of Alumni & Friends Board, whose members have become a powerful force of change and growth at the college, one example being the annual all class reunion and CME event. She has won numerous awards for her exemplary service and leadership.

For nearly 31 years of dedication to OU-HCOM, we salute Sharon Zimmerman and wish her all the best in her new position!

The breast and cervical screening program is one such outreach program that will be sustained through an endowment. In its 17th year, the program provides free breast health education, mammograms and cervical cancer screenings to thousands of women in the area. Kathy Brooks, chief financial officer at OU-HCOM for more than 25 years, was compelled by this program’s impact on the community to donate to the breast and cervical screening fund.

Supporting Faculty and Research Sharon Inman, Ph.D., associate professor of renal physiology, conducts her research within the ARC on the third floor, where many researchers who study diabetes are aggregated. A self-described “blood and guts” person, she and Kelly McCall, Ph.D. (’03), assistant professor of endocrinology, are principal investigators in a study examining the possible benefits of niacin and chromium in the diets of type 2 diabetics. Being across the hall from each other, their work is precisely the vision of cooperation that drove the creation of the ARC.

“This is what the whole intention of the ARC was supposed to be. I do the renal function studies, and she’s molecular,” said Dr. Inman. “It’s really working now. We don’t even have doors.”

Dr. Inman works in the Thomas and Barbara Anderson Medical Research Laboratory, another gift of Dr. Anderson and his wife, and it is one of the many namesakes within the ARC from alumni and friends to provide state-of-the art interconnected laboratories and gathering spaces intended to inspire and support collaboration. Completed in 2010, the 89,000-square-foot facility was a collaboration between OU-HCOM and the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology. Yet much of the venture was funded through private donors such as the Andersons.

Through efforts of the capital campaign, OU-HCOM intends to significantly increase its interdisciplinary research through an investment in programs and the recruitment and support of more scientists.

(continued next page)

The Hampton family, cutting the ribbon on the surgical suite in the Heritage Clinical Training and Assessment Center.

The Anderson family cut the ribbon on the lab named for their family at the grand opening

of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations and Charles R. and Marilyn Y. Stuckey

Academic & Research Center.

We want to hear from you! Please send your career and personal updates for our next issue.

Fax: 740.593.0761E-mail: lach@ohio.eduOnline form: www.oucom.ohiou.edu/Alumni StayingConnected.htm

Alumni Affairs, 203 Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio, 45701

Class Notes

1981Marc R. Belcastro, D.O., was appointed as an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Wright State University in 2011. Dr. Belcastro presented at the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians meeting on “Patent ductus arteriosus: evaluation and treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit” at the American Osteopathic Association’s Fall 2011 Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition.

1982Kyle R. Allen, D.O., was appointed to the National Advisory Board of the Practice Change Fellows program in 2009. He is currently the only D.O. serving on that board. In 2009 he also received a grant from the National Palliative Care Research Center for a pilot program called the “PEACE Trial—Promoting Effective Advanced Care of Elders. “

1983Roger Garcia, D.O., believes that the solution to most age-related health problems is maintaining not only good nutrition, fitness and stress reduction, but also hormonal balance. His book, Aged to Perfection, published in October 2010, explains how to use bioidentical hormones in addition to nutrition, exercise and strong attitudes to reduce age-related symptoms.

35

1985Sophia J. Fountis, D.O., was named one of the “Top Doctors” in the field of adult and pediatric bariatrics by Phoenix Magazine in 2010, marking her third consecutive year on the list.

1986Gregory Hill, D.O., relocated his orthopedic practice to Summa Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, in 2010. He was elected president of the OU-HCOM Society of Alumni & Friends Board in 2012.

1988 William J. Burke, D.O., F.A.C.O.F.P., of Gahanna, was elected to the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Board of Trustees. A fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP), Dr. Burke is the vice president of medical education at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He also is an associate professor of family medicine at OU-HCOM. In addition to his responsibilities on the Board of Trustees, Dr. Burke serves the AOA as vice chair of the Council on Continuing Medical Education and as a member of the Bureau of Osteopathic Clinical Education and Research and the Council on Research. At the state level, he is a past president of the Ohio State Society of the ACOFP and of the Columbus Academy of Osteopathic Medicine.

Follow-up

1990Walter G. Morris Jr., D.O., was appointed director of anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is also president of Northwest Anesthesia, Inc.

William H. Ruby, D.O., was named senior physician for communicable diseases control and prevention by the Collier County Health Department in Naples, Fla.

Gregory Volk, D.O., was named in 2011 as the American College of Osteopathic Internists “Internist of the Year” and OU-HCOM ‘s “Outstanding Primary Care Physician.” Dr. Volk was also appointed master faculty, clinical associate professor of internal medicine.

1992Kevin B. Lake, D.O. , was appointed to a nine-year term on the Ohio University Board of Trustees by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland effective June 2010. He replaces Athens businessman Larry Schey on the board. A full-time senior attending physician in family practice, Dr. Lake serves as medical director of Cardinal Medical Group, LLC. He is board-certified in family practice and osteopathic manipulative treatment by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. Dr. Lake also serves on the OU-HCOM Advisory Board.

Adrienne Yvette McCray, D.O., was named medical director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Eastway Behavioral Health Center in Dayton, Ohio.

Become a fan at www.facebook.com/ouhcom

Alumni Calendar of Events

2012 Fall / WinterOctober 12, 2012 Ohio University Homecoming Athens, Ohio

OU-HCOM Reception Honoring Charles T. Mehlman, D.O., Distinguished Service Award Recipient Athens, Ohio

Ohio University Alumni Association Gala Athens, Ohio

October 17-21, 2012 American College of Osteopathic Internists 72nd Annual Convention and Scientific Sessions Renaissance Orlando - SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida

2013January 24-27, 2013 Cleveland Academy of Osteopathic Medicine 46th Annual Postgraduate Seminar and OU-HCOM Alumni Reception, January 25, 2013 Cleveland, Ohio

February 23, 2013 Society of Alumni & Friends Board of Directors Winter Meeting Hilton Columbus Easton Town Center - Columbus, Ohio

March 21-24, 2013 American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians 50th Annual Convention & Exhibition Cosmopolitan Hotel - Las Vegas, Nevada

March 20-24, 2013 American Academy of Osteopathy Annual Convocation Rosen Shingle Creek Resort - Orlando, Florida

April 24-27, 2013 Foundations for the Future AACOM and AODME 2013 Annual Meeting Marriott Baltimore Waterfront - Baltimore, Maryland

May 10, 2013 OU-HCOM Pre-Graduation Reception Irvine on the Bricks Athens, Ohio

May 11, 2013 OU-HCOM 33rd Commencement Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium Athens, Ohio

(story continued from page 33)

Expanding scholarshipsEndowed scholarships play a critical role in encouraging medical students to pursue careers in primary care and are another strong focus of the capital campaign. Michael Campolo, D.O. (’83), a family practice physician in Newark, Ohio, and a preceptor for osteopathic medical students for almost 20 years, said he is “amazed at the amounts of debt students have, and yet they still have a passion to be doctors.”

After focusing on establishing his practice and raising his children, Dr. Campolo reconnected with OU-HCOM several years ago. After visiting the campus, he and his wife were impressed with the students’ enthusiasm and decided to give back by establishing the Ruth A. and Michael E. Campolo, D.O., Osteopathic Medical Scholarship. This scholarship is now given annually to a student with a strong interest in family medicine who demonstrates a commitment to community service. Dr. Campolo also gives back to OU-HCOM by serving as a preceptor, board member of the OU-HCOM Society of Alumni & Friends and member of the college’s capital campaign committee.

Jeff Stanley, D.O. (’82), immediate past-president of the OU-HCOM Society of Alumni & Friends, tells a similar story. After more than 10 years in a busy vascular surgery practice, Dr. Stanley became involved with the college again through his work on the Society of Alumni & Friends Board, where he worked closely with Jack Brose, D.O., now the vice provost for health affairs at Ohio University and dean emeritus of OU-HCOM.

“Dr. Brose is a visionary, and he is not afraid to step out of the box,” Dr. Stanley said. Most recently, Dr. Stanley felt it was important to honor Dr. Brose’s contributions and decided the best way was to “go where his heart is: the students.” The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation shared Stanley’s vision and generously contributed the initial funding for the largest scholarship in OU-HCOM’s history, the Jack A Brose, D.O., Primary Care Scholarship. Dr. Stanley and his wife also provided crucial financial support to initiate the award. This renewable scholarship will be given to a medical student with financial need from central or southeastern Ohio who demonstrates qualities Brose most cherishes—a commitment to leadership in primary care and intent to practice in Ohio. The capital campaign aims to raise more than $750,000 to ensure endowment of this and many other scholarships that will help remove barriers to choosing a career in primary care.

OU-HCOM, through the support of esteemed partners, distinguished faculty and staff and its graduates, has accomplished great things in its short history. The college is highly regarded nationally, and the success of our graduates speaks to the quality of our programs. While transformational gifts have set the stage for an ambitious future, it is only through the generosity of our partners and friends that we truly ensure the continued success of our college and our graduates.

“I see firsthand what our Community Health Programs do for the people of our community,” said Brooks. “I’m proud of this institution and the amazing things the college does, and it feels good to be able to contribute in some way.”

Kathy Brooks, OU-HCOM chief financial officer

ohio university medicine 37Fall 2012

Paul T. Scheatzle, D.O., M.S., writes in The Journey: Take the Path to Health and Fitness that the health and balance you have in your life can be greatly affected by the choices you make every day. The book, published through Trafford Publishing in August 2010, examines the diet and exercise information that is available and attempts to simplify it. He also relates his own personal struggle recovering from a wrestling injury in his youth.

1993Heath Allen Jolliff, D.O., was appointed as program director of the Medical Toxicology Fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Jolliff was also named the Doctors Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency program’s 2010-2011 Outstanding Preceptor.

1994Jeffrey L. Hunter, D.C., D.O., was promoted to associate chief of staff at the Chillicothe Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Tracy Ann Karolyi, D.O., was named “Best Pediatrician” by Toledo Area Parent Magazine in April 2010.

Lorie A. Thomas, D.O., is now the director of robotic surgery at Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay, Ohio. Dr. Thomas has performed more than 240 robotic gynocologic procedures using the da Vinci® Surgical System and is a surgical proctor for intuitive surgical and Gyrus Medical in total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

1995Ingrid Brown, D.O., was appointed chief of staff at Grandview Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, and was appointed to the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine.

1996Ruth M. Thomson, D.O., began serving as vice president of medical care at Hospice of Dayton, Ohio, in January 2011.

1997Jacqueline S. Chan, D.O., was inducted into the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame in California after she travelled to Ukraine to provide medical care at an orphanage in 2009. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Vallejo, Calif.

Thomas E. Hutson, D.O., and Kimi Hutson were married in July 2010. Dr. Huston co-authored “Randomized phase II trial of docetaxel plus prednisone in combination with placebo or AT-101, an oral small molecule Bcl-2 family antagonist, as first-line therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer” in the October 2011 issue of Annals of Oncology. He also co-authored “Comparative effectiveness of axitinib versus sorafenib in advanced renal cell carcinoma (AXIS): a randomised phase 3 trial” in the December 2011 issue of Lancet.

Clayton Seiple, D.O., accepted a new position as program director for family medicine residency at Suma Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

1998Cheryl A. (Leuthaeuser) Hammes, D.O., married Matt Hammes in September 2010. Dr. Hammes presented the results of her research on cranial osteopathy and sinusitis infections at the American Academy of Osteopathy in March 2011.

William J. Kennedy, D.O., was named co-medical director for Adventist Health Homecare Services in Portland, Ore., in June 2010.

Cornelia M. Kacir, D.O., F.A.C.O.I., was inducted into the American Osteopathic Association Mentor of the Year Hall of Fame in 2009 and was named a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists the same year. In January 2010, she was appointed director of the hospital medicine program at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio, and has been a clinical assistant professor of internal medicine at OU-HCOM since 2009.

Cynthia S. Kelley, D.O., teamed up with her father, D. Gary Benfield, M.D., to write Prescription Drugs in Pregnancy: Your Guide to Fetal Risk for Hundreds of Drugs, which outlines the safety of prescription drug use during pregnancy. The book, published by Atlas Books in 2010, is a reference for women and medical professionals that lists alphabetically more than 300 prescription drugs by name and describes their use, pregnancy risk category, previous studies and helpful hints.

Aldith W. Lewis, D.O., F.A.C.O.I., presented “Healthcare disparities in diabetes care” at the October 2010 American College of Osteopathic Internists convention in San Francisco, Calif.

2002Gregory K. Applegate, D.O., accepted a position as staff anesthesiologist at Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg, N.C., in August 2010. In May 2011, he conducted a workshop on Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia at the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia’s Annual Meeting. He published “Continuous transversus

Follow-up

36

Heather L. Phipps, D.O., is chief of surgery at Kennewick General Hospital in Kennewick, Wash. She is also an adjunct faculty member for the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Medicine and is past president of the Benton Franklin County Medical Society Board of Directors.

J. Todd Weihl, D.O., presented a billing and coding presentation called “Show me the money” at the July 30, 2010, American Academy of Family Physicians Student and Resident National Conference in Kansas City, Mo. He serves as medical director of Riverside Family Practice Center in Columbus, Ohio, and is currently associate director of the Riverside Family Medicine Residency Program.

1999Robert C. Polite, D.O., earned his black belt in ninjutsu in 2010. He also received the Cheryl Boyce Excellence in Healthcare Award at the Fourth Annual Excellence in Healthcare Banquet and Awards Program in Columbus, Ohio, on November 29, 2011 (see related, page 41).

2000Lisa M. Knight Flarey, D.O., opened a solo practice in her hometown of Zanesville, Ohio, in January 2010. Her husband, Anthony G. Flarey, D.O. (’97), and father, Paul R. Knight, M.D., practice in the same building.

2001Trevor L. Bailey, D.O., traveled to South Africa with the group United Hands, Inc., to provide medical, dental, pediatric and counseling services to the citizens of Durban in July and August 2010.

Kent S. Bennett, D.O., returned in 2010 from Iraq, where he served as a field surgeon providing primary care to soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in Anbar Province. Dr. Bennett was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, N.C.

abdominis plane (TAP) block catheters in a combat surgical environment” in the September 2010 issue of Pain Medicine.

Dustin K. Blakeslee, D.O., received the 2010 Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award.

Patrick S. Blakeslee, D.O., was recently appointed chair of the department of medicine at Summa Western Reserve Hospital.

Rochelle E. Pondt, D.O., joined IKP Family Medicine in Houston, Texas, in August 2010. She and Patrick McCall married in August 2011.

2003Edward S. Kosik, D.O., was awarded the Endowed John H. Saxon, III, M.D., Professorship of Anesthesiology at the University of Oklahoma’s Health Sciences Center in 2010.

Carrie Lembach, D.O., married Darin Hupp in July 2011. Dr. Lembach has been appointed clinical assistant professor of opthalmology at Ohio State University and at OU-HCOM. She was also appointed to the Accreditation Board of the Eye Bank Association of America. She also donates her time to the Ohio State University Department of Ophthalmology Physicians Free Clinic.

John Paes, D.O., F.A.C.O.I., was elected to be president of the medical board of the Central Ohio American Diabetes Association. In 2010, he also published “The relationship between body mass index and thyroid cancer pathology features and outcomes: A clinicopathological cohort study,” in the June issue of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism; “CLIC5A, a component of the ezrin-podocalyxin complex in glomeruli, is a determinant of podocyte integrity” in the March issue of American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology; and “Acute bacterial suppurative thyroiditis: A clinical view and expert opinion” in the March issue of Thyroid. He was also named a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists in October 2010.

Erik J. Reaves, D.O., is now deputy director for the Department of Emerging Infections at the Naval Medical Research Unit Six in Lima, Peru. He serves as an adjunct professor in tropical medicine and public health at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Reaves is currently conducting cohort studies and disease surveillance in influenza and clinical trials for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.

2004Thomas E. Carter, D.O., received the Southern Ohio Medical Center Outstanding Specialty Physician Award in 2010. He is very active in the Ohio chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), having participated for the last three years on the Practice Options Panel at the Ohio ACEP Residents Assembly and Annual Meeting. In 2011, he was appointed director of medical education at University Hospital Geauga Medical Center. He served on the Practice Options Panel at the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians 2010-2011 Midwest Winter Symposium and the Ohio ACEP 2011 Summer Symposium.

Jeremy S. Helphenstine, D.O., completed the Emory University School of Medicine’s CDC Toxicology Fellowship program and is currently serving as assistant instructor of emergency medicine at Emory University’s Department of Emergency Medicine.

Jerald E. Hurdle, D.O., presented “Colonoscopy—Techniques and update on guidelines” and “Pelvic floor disorders” at the Annual Clinical Assembly of Osteopathic Surgeons Conference in San Francisco, Calif., in October 2010.

Philip Michael Roberts, D.O., and wife, Jennifer Dale Roberts, D.O, started Roberts and Roberts Family Practice, LLC, in October 2010 with his mother Rita S. Roberts, D.O. (‘78), on the main campus of Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth, Ohio.

Kristin M. Ryan, D.O., completed a fellowship in general surgical oncology at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, R.I., in 2011 and accepted a position as surgical oncologist and general surgeon with the Advance Surgical Techniques group at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Chad A. Weber, D.O., completed an orthopedic trauma fellowship at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind., and is currently an orthopedic traumatologist with Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio. He is also working at Grandview Medical Center and Miami Valley Trauma Center in Dayton and Wilson Memorial Hospital in Sidney, Ohio.

2005Joshua E. Bitter, D.O., completed a nephrology fellowship at Ohio State University in June 2011 and is an attending physician and nephrolologist with Kidney Specialists, Inc., in Columbus, Ohio.

Nicole C. Dombrowski, D.O., accepted a position as an endocrinologist with Partners Physicians Group in Akron, Ohio.

Heather Dunfee Gensel, D.O., accepted a position as clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology at Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Jason M. Edinger, D.O., completed a pediatric rehabilitation fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Jody M. Gerome Zuchowski, D.O., accepted a position as assistant professor of OB/GYN in the Department of Specialty Medicine at OU-HCOM.

Nichole M. Giannios, D.O., completed a reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellowship at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Safet O. Hatic II, D.O., completed his orthopedic foot and ankle fellowship at the Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center in Westerville, Ohio, in July 2011 and accepted a position with Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio. He also completed the 70.3 Muncie Ironman Triathlon on July 9, 2011.

Ronobir R. Mallick, D.O., was appointed as a hospitalist at Fisher-Titus Hospital in Norwalk, Ohio. He was also appointed as an OU-HCOM clinical assistant professor.

Anthony R. Smith, D.O., was named Life Flight Physician of the Year by St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio. He is currently the attending emergency medical physician at Genesis Healthcare in Zanesville, Ohio.

Michael D. Skeels, D.O., published “Perioperative complications of simultaneous versus staged unicompartmental knee arthroplasty” in the August 2010 issue of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.

2006Christina M. Bagby, D.O., served as the 2010-2011 chief pathology resident at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and accepted a 2011 gynecologic pathology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. She presented her research on multifocal chorangiomatosis at the Society of Pediatric Pathology spring meeting in March in Washington, D.C.

John H. Baker, Jr., D.O. and Kelly I. Baker, D.O., were appointed as OU-HCOM clinical assistant professors in October 2011. Dr. Kelly I. Baker is a volunteer team physician for the Hamilton High School football team in Hamilton, Ohio.

Shannon M. Campbell, D.O., completed a fellowship at Boston Medical Center in cutaneous oncology. She also completed an international elective in Botswana through the American Academy of Dermatology. She is currently clinical assistant professor of general dermatology and cutaneous oncology at Ohio State University Medical Center.

Kevin A. Carter, D.O., completed a sleep disorder fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He is currently on staff at Martin Army Community Hospital at Fort Benning, Ga.

Andrea G. Malone, D.O., completed her neurology residency at Ohio State University Medical School in 2010 and was appointed in July 2011 as a clinical assistant professor of neurology in the Movement Disorders Division. She is a member of the neurology education committee and also works as an attending physician in the Neurology Resident’s Clinic.

Michael Paloski, D.O., accepted a pediatric orthopedic fellowship at Johns Hopkins University for 2011-2012.

Kevin M. Pantalone, D.O., completed an endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism fellowship at Cleveland Clinic in June 2011 and has started a new position in endocrinology at Summa Western Reserve Hospital Physicians, Inc., in Hudson, Ohio.

Sara S. Snyder, D.O., was appointed to the clinical faculty in geriatrics at Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, after completing her geriatric fellowship and performing one year of palliative care and hospice fellowship.

2007Jane T. Balbo, D.O., completed a fellowship in osteopathic manipulative medicine/neuromusculoskeletal medicine at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine, in July 2011. She started September 2011 as assistant professor in family medicine at OU-HCOM and as a family physician at Ohio University Campus Care.

Follow-up

Class Notes

When sleeping on the job is a good thing: Exploring the final frontier requires rest For Ronald Moomaw, D.O. (’80), the key to a successful space flight is a good night’s sleep.

Dr. Moomaw has worked for the National Aerounatics and Space Administration (NASA) as a psychiatrist and flight surgeon for the past three years at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

One of NASA’s 26 flight surgeons in the Human Space Flight Operations Branch, Dr. Moomaw provides behavioral health support for flight controllers and astronauts, including those on the International Space Station.

He is one of the authors for the international document on fatigue management and an author for NASA’s fatigue management clinical practice guidelines.

Along with treating his flight team, Dr. Moomaw is involved with the preparations for an 18-month stay on the moon, something he said may be undertaken in ten years, with a Mars landing possible in 25 to 30 years. This involves planning and implementing cutting edge space flight risk and countermeasures research, something he never expected when entering psychiatry, he said.

“It’s not practicing medicine; it’s almost like merging science fiction with medicine. There is no training, there is no prior experience to get you ready for a job like this.”

“It’s not practicing medicine, it’s almost like merging science fiction with medicine, There is no training, there is no prior experience to get you ready for a job like this.”

— Ronald Moomaw, D.O. (’80)

In 1976, Dr. Moomaw entered OU-HCOM in its first class of students, excited to be a part of a new college led by Dean Gerald A. Faverman, Ph.D., he said. After graduating in 1980, he entered the Air Force and decided to become a psychiatrist, completing his residency in psychiatry at Wright State University and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Three years ago, Dr. Moomaw joined NASA.

During a flight, the biggest risk to an astronaut is an unexpected “adjustment reaction” to being in space. Depression, anxiety, anger and many other emotions may be triggered from the challenging environment in space, and each could cause serious disruptions in sleep.

On a long duration space flight, which is currently six months and will soon be stretched to a year, a lack of sleep can undermine an entire mission.

“Ninety percent of what we do is prevent things from happening,” said Dr. Moomaw.

So his task is to apply countermeasures. Taking a non-pharmaceutical approach to treatment, he’s developed several methods to help astronauts sleep, like monitoring melatonin, teaching astronauts methods to fall asleep and designing appropriate lighting conditions onboard the craft.

For instance, onboard the International Space Station, his team is replacing fluorescent lighting with LEDs set for blue light in the morning to wake a sleeping crew, red-orange in the evening to assist them in falling asleep, and full-spectrum lighting when it’s critical for tasks such as reading tests that use color to indicate levels of compounds.

“It’s a huge undertaking, but by doing that, we can help control the circadian desychrony that happens because of inappropriate lighting,” he said, referring to the 24-hour biological cycle of an astronaut that is disrupted while in space.

Sleep cycles can also be measured on the ground, and with the help of some advanced programs, Dr. Moomaw and his team can predict, based on quality and duration of sleep, the parts of the day each astronaut will be highly functioning, over-worked or dangerously fatigued. It’s especially useful to know when undertaking a task like docking the ship, he said.

“As we see with the successful landing of Curiosity on Mars, we have the technology to get equipment successfully into space, but the critical factor will be the human and psychological health in extreme environments,” he said.

by Aaron KrumheuerPhoto submitted by Ronald Moomaw, D.O.

May 16-19, 2013HiltOn COlUMbUs

EAstOn tOwn CEntEr

rEgistrAtiOn OpEns DECEMbEr 1Contact

laurie s. lach OU-HCOM Director,

Alumni Affairs 740.593.2151

lach@ohio.edu

2013 ohio symposium

osteopathicA Collaboration of

Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

and Ohio Osteopathic Foundation

39Fall 2012

40 ohio university medicine 41Fall 2012

Draion M. Burch, D.O., is clinical assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Magee-Women’s Hospital. He is also co-founder of Project STAR—Success Through Achievement in Reading.

Jason Evanchan, D.O., served as chief resident in internal medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for 2010-2011. He began a cardiology fellowship there in July 2011.

Gwyn E. (Frambach) King, D.O., accepted a new position as a dermatologist at Dayton Skin Care Specialists and spent March and April 2011 as a dermatologist at Princess Marina Hospital in Botswana.

Jaclyn Drake Laine, D.O., accepted a clinical neurophysiology fellowship (EMG/EEG) at Vanderbilt University for 2011.

Katherine Hutchinson-Ulloa, D.O, is the family practice attending physician at North Hill Family Residency Practice in Akron, Ohio.

Nathan Samsa, D.O., is completing a pulmonary/critical care fellowship at Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Amy E. Wilber Holbrook, D.O., presented research on “Retrospective analysis of calcium hydroxylapatite periurethral bulking with the Sidekick™ needle and midurethral approach in patients with intrinsic sphincteric deficiency” at the 2010 American Association of Gynecologic Lapraroscopists (AAGL) Meeting. She won the 2011 Summa Health OB/GYN Department Medical Student Teaching Award, the Louis Walker Best Overall Resident Award, the AAGL Award and the Annual John Karlen Excellence in Surgery Award.

2008Mary M. Bonar, D.O., was awarded the H. Arnold Muller Scholarship in April 2010 by the American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division. She completed her residency at Pennsylvania State University in June 2011 and is practicing emergency medicine at Pinnacle Health in Harrisburg, PA.

Julie E. Fisher Furlan, D.O., served as chief resident for family practice in 2010-2011 at Spartanburg Regional Hospital in Spartanburg, S.C. She was named outstanding second year resident on the OB/GYN service in 2009-2010.

Robert Polite, D.O. (’99), awarded the Cheryl Boyce Excellence in Healthcare AwardLast fall, at a gala event in Columbus, more than 200 medical, health, economic and other community leaders assembled to honor those who address the challenges of health care disparities in central Ohio.

Robert Polite, D.O. (’99), was one of seven people presented with a Cheryl Boyce Excellence in Healthcare Award. The award was named for the former director for the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, and it is given to those professionals deemed leaders in minority health care.

Polite, a family practice physician, runs a private practice called The Polite Practice in Gahanna and also assists with addiction care at two Columbus-area agencies, Maryhaven Drug and Rehabilitation Center and the Recovery Center in Lancaster, Ohio.

“It’s just a pleasure to give back to the community with the service we provide,” said Polite. “I’m very elated with that honor.”

The Fourth Annual Excellence in Healthcare Banquet and Awards Program was held on November 29, 2011, at the Gateway Health and Wellness Center,

a Columbus facility dedicated to connecting people with affordable health care services and education. Delivering the event’s keynote speech was Ohio University President Roderick J. McDavis, Ph.D., whose comments focused on the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (OU-HCOM) new central Ohio extension campus. The site will address the growing need for primary care physicians, especially in urban and underserved areas of central Ohio.

“Nobody in central Ohio should go without health care because there aren’t enough physicians to provide that health care. That’s what’s bringing us to central Ohio,” said Dr. McDavis.

Polite said he is a witness to the shortage of primary care in the area, and he predicts that without more physicians, an influx of nurse practitioners will be needed to fill in the gaps.

Yet despite the long waiting room lines, Polite doesn’t regret his decision to become a primary care physician.

“I thought about going into surgery at one point, but after really getting into it, I found it didn’t really suit me,” said Polite. “I decided to go into family medicine because I’m more of a people person, and I love the interaction with people.”

Douglas R. Kast, D.O., was granted the National Psoriasis Foundation Research Fellowship Award for psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases research in June 2011. He is conducting clinical trials and translational research in psoriasis at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

Paul M. Levy, D.O., received the Resident of the Year Award from Grandview Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, in June 2011 for excellence in clinical education. Dr. Levy married Kristan Vance Levy in August 2011.

Ryan M. Palmer, D.O., co-authored “Meniscal pathology associated with acute anterior cruciate ligament tears in patients with open physes” in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics.

John L. Weippert, D.O., earned the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award and was selected as the outstanding resident at St. Joseph Hospital in Warren, Ohio, in 2010. He was accepted into a gastroenterology fellowship program, which began July 2011, at Mill Creek Community Hospital in Erie, Pa..

Sheila B. Whiteley, D.O., and her practice were selected as one of 50 family practice offices to participate in Pfizer’s Smoking Cessation Office Champions pilot program.

OU-HCOM gear is available now!

Our new Affinity Shop is sponsored by the OU-HCOM Society of Alumni and Friends. Proceeds benefit the Society’s philanthropic activities.

bobcatstore.ohioalumni.org/ou-hcom/ Or call 740.593.4300

Convocation 2012 David L. Bronson, M.D., president of Cleveland Clinic Regional Hospitals, and yvette McGee Brown, J.D., Ohio Supreme Court justice, received Phillips Medals of Public Service during 37th Convocation and White Coat Ceremony. Kenneth Johnson, D.O., provided remarks to the 139 entering medical students. Alumni who assisted with coating the students included, from left, Nicole Wadsworth, D.O. (’97); Timothy D. Law Sr., D.O. (’94); Benedicta O. Udeagbala, D.O. (’97); and Michael E. Campolo, D.O. (’88).

Commencement 2012 David Drozek, D.O., (’83), assistant professor of surgery, asked the 115 graduates of the Class of 2012 to take the time to give back to society by volunteering at free clinics or attending medical missions in underserved countries, and to invest in the lives of future medical students by serving as mentors. The graduates were the first class to receive diplomas with the college’s new name, so designated after receiving the historic $105 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations (see related, page 16). Among this year’s graduates are the first 12 recipients of the new Osteopathic Heritage Foundations Primary Care Incentive Scholarships.

Dr. Polite and his son, Isaac, holding the Cheryl Boyce Award

2009Kristen J. Conrad-Schnetz, D.O., is currently serving as the resident representative on the Cleveland Academy of Osteopathic Medicine’s executive committee and served as house staff council president in 2010-2011 at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. She traveled to Guatemala in February 2012 for a surgical mission trip.

Amber M. Healy, D.O., co-authored “The role of socioeconomic stress in risk for obesity and diabetes: potential new targets of treatment” in the November-December 2010 issue of Osteopathic Family Physician.

Rachel L. Polinski, D.O., accepted a faculty appointment as clinical instructor of internal medicine at Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

42 ohio university medicine 43Fall 2012

Follow-upAlumni Profile

Follow-up

After years working as a nurse anesthetist, Geraldine Urse, D.O. (’93), might have chosen to become an anesthesiologist. But instead she chose to go into family medicine in order to be closer to her patients and to experience the continuity of care.

“Family medicine is the one that has it all,” Dr. Urse said. “It has infants. It has geriatrics. It has well people. It has people with illness. It has people with conditions they’ll get over immediately, and some with conditions that will last the rest of their lives. I have the ability to be in my office and to do procedures and to teach — the greatest thing we do as physicians.”

As an associate professor of family medicine at OU-HCOM, Dr. Urse often sees patients with the residents and students, teaching as she performs medical procedures and showing how to build trust through a simple touch.

It’s that special touch that sets her apart.“The way she touches her patients, the way she shakes people’s hands,

I learned that from her,” said Tinisha Cheatham, D.O. (’00), a family medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente in Suitland, Md. Dr. Cheatham served her residency in family medicine at Doctors Hospital under Dr. Urse. “Watching her listen to and talk to patients, I learned how to make a patient feel comfortable and know that I’m listening and here to help.”

Laurie Lach, B.S.C. (‘92) Director of Alumni Affairs

A Special Touch of Leadership

Dr. Geraldine Urse has a passion for the profession

by Heide AungstPhotos by John Sattler

Dr. Urse, who received the 2010 Alumna of the Year award from the OU-HCOM Society of Alumni and Friends, is a strong advocate for the osteopathic profession — and the power of touch that the profession fosters.

“I think because we are trained in manipulation, we are comfortable touching people,” Dr. Urse said. “And, so it tends to be more of a closer, almost in-your-personal-space type of relationship that you develop with patients.”

Dr. Urse worked for more than a decade as a nurse anesthetist at Doctors Hospital in Columbus before deciding at age 40 to go to medical school. A doctor she knew had just been accepted to law school. “He realized if he didn’t try, he would never know if he could have done it or not. I was sitting there listening to him, and thinking, ‘I’m in the same boat. If I don’t try this, I’ll never know,’” she said.

She believes her late husband, John S. Urse, D.O. (’82), was as surprised as she was when she got into medical school, but he soon became her biggest supporter and role model.

“He had a great work ethic. He had a wonderful eye for fairness and equality, and the ability to treat everybody as the most important person in the world,” she said.

Dr. Urse honored him by naming a conference room in the new Osteopathic Heritage Foundations Academic & Research Center after him: the John S. Urse, D.O., Family Medicine Conference Room.

“He felt so strongly about education that when I decided to do something in his memory, it was apparent that doing something at the college that would provide a space for people to learn in would be the best tribute I could make to him,” she said.

She has also endowed a scholarship in both their names.

When her husband retired to Las Vegas, she worked as assistant director of the Family Medicine and Community Health Residency at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas School of Medicine. Six months after he died in 1999, she decided to return home to Ohio. She continued her work in family medicine when she completed the Midwestern University Costin Institute Fellowship with the project “The Value of a Family Practice Residency.”

It seems Dr. Urse has taken the advice she gives to students: “You have to find the work that makes you as happy at the end of the day as you were when you walked into work that morning.”

From the OU-HCOM Alumni Affairs OfficeA sign of a really great college is when its alumni and friends step up to lead. It is with great excitement that I announce some changes and additions to our alumni leadership teams.

Gregory Hill, D.O. (’86), was elected president of the OU-HCOM Society of Alumni and Friends Board during the summer board meeting. An orthopedic surgeon at Summa Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Dr. Hill also serves as Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program director.

Timothy D. Law, Sr., D.O. (’94), M.B.A., was elected vice president. Eric H. Beck, D.O. (’08), was elected secretary and will serve as program co-chair for our Ohio Osteopathic Symposium.

Dr. Law, along with Mitchell Jon Silver, D.O. (’89), will represent the alumni society board as dean-appointed members of the college’s Admissions Selection Committee. This role will, for the first time, allow alumni to work directly with the college to help interview and identify the top candidates for admission for the 2013 academic year.

The torch has been passed, and those who served us so well for so long will continue to be actively involved in shaping our future. Jeffrey A. Stanley, D.O. (’82), our immediate past president, continues to serve as a member of the Ohio University Foundation Board of Trustees and member of The Promise Lives Campaign Steering Committee.

If you are seeking ways to join other alumni and friends in giving your time and talent, please call me. Your involvement is critical to our success!

lach@ohio.edu 740.593.2151

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ADDrEss sErViCE rEQUEstED

Wellness on WheelsOU-HCOM’s Mobile Health Clinics hit the road with fresh new graphics this spring. Last year our physicians, nurses and students travelled 11,000 miles in the two 40-foot clinics, parking at churches, community centers and schools to conduct more than 170 clinics in 15 Appalachian Ohio counties. Free breast and cervical cancer screenings, childhood immunizations, sports physicals and blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol checks were provided in communities lacking adequate medical and health care alternatives.